DEADLINES

I have been sewing I swear!  I just haven't blogged in a couple weeks. I've made a couple doll quilts, a stocking, a tote bag, an apron..... but its been a little boring.  

Its okay though.  I have decided to issue myself a December Deadline.  I want to get these projects finished in the next 36 days!  I am going to get myself in the zone and bang it out!

Here is my list... they aren't in order of importance....   

1st 

the big and bright quilt.  I need to finish quilting it, and bind this baby!

 2nd

my wonky 9 patch- just needs a binding

 3rd

I need to make a doll quilt for my niece... Before Christmas, with time enough to ship.

 4th

this is 1/4 of the quilt top for my neighbors... I need to make the other 3 parts, assemble, baste, quilt, bind... before Christmas.

 5th

my Ruby Bowties... I need to pick a backing, baste, quilt, and bind it.

 6th

My dresdens.... I need to get a backing, baste, quilt, and bind.

Six quilts... 36 days. I can do this... some are mostly done... I just need to average 6 days per project or better.....I can do this! 

Little Things

 I've been finishing things.  They just aren't quilts.  A cute tote bag

 Some simple table runners

Those mini quilts I shared recently.  

Progress feels good.  Now if I could just finish a quilt....

Plates and Pioneers

 These very sweet dresden plates have finally moved to the next step.  It took me a long time to budget  my allowance so I could finally buy my background fabric. 

 I'm pretty sure this Kona is called Stone.  Besides pacing my allowance spending, I also put it off for so long because I wasn't sure what color I wanted.  I was really worried about washing out these pretty Buttercup fabrics with my background.  Stone seems to be very nice.  I'm glad I decided on it. 

 This past weekend I was treated to a fun adventure.  Last Monday while reading the Pioneer Woman's blog(which I do a lot!) I saw she would be in Minneapolis doing a book signing.  As it worked out my friend Kristen (who is also a PW fan) and I had no problem talking our husbands into watching our boys for the weekend while we drove across the prairie to the Mall of America.

 We waited in line for HOURS to secure our spot in the front of the line....Although there were a couple of ladies in front of us because we were in the Starbucks waking up. 

  

Getting away was a nice treat.  Eating out and staying in hotels without a little monster is way more fun. Driving across the prairie makes me happy.  Spotting antelope, and dodging fox amazes me, my life is so different here than in the other places I have lived.    

I also discovered that when I talk for a length of time I give myself a headache.  During the 9 hour drive to Minneapolis, Kristen and I chatted, and I literally had a headache and my jaw hurt.  I told my husband about this, and he laughed his rear off....  He said something about how I give him a headache on road trips too.... hmmft.

Well, its good to be home anyway.   I have dresdens to do, and Christmas sewing to get going on!

Blogger's Quilt Festival

I seriously love the Blogger's Quilt Festival.  I spend weeks cruising through the entries getting new ideas and finding new quilt blogs to follow.  So GO take a lookie.... but wait until after you see my entry.  

This is my quilt sampler.  It almost made me quit quilting all together. Not really, but I had my moments.  I learned a million things while making these blocks.  I also learned how to fix problems... big problems.  

My cousin and I decided to make a sampler. She chose 21 of the blocks and I chose 21 of the blocks.... it always seemed like her blocks were harder, but then when I would talk to her she would mix bad word in on how she was enjoying the blocks I picked.   We used Judy Hopkins' Around the Block and Around the Block Again.  Sometimes we said a few bad words about Judy... but we didn't mean it of course.

My cousin's quilt turned out totally different, and really awesome.  I love how the same pattern will give you totally different quilts!   

I cannot count the number of times I put this quilt away because I was so frustrated.  It took me almost four years to finish. Now of course its my favorite quilt, and I dont say mean things about it anymore.  I'm really proud of this one!  

It lives on our guest bed.  Sometimes I just go in and pet it.

Quilt Measurements:  76 x 88
Quilted by:  Me
Best category:  Bed quilt, Home Machine Quilted 

Okay thanks for stopping by my entry.  Have fun cruising through the awesome quilts!!  

More Stars

I have more stars going on over here!  I'm making little wall hanging quilts for the girls that are doing a fun swap in our quilt along group.  I bought these Hungarian blue fabrics when I first moved to South Dakota, planning to make a quilt, but nothing was coming to mind so I thought I would just make these mini quilts.  Now seeing them laid out together I think these would make a pretty fine quilt.  Go figure!  But I'm sticking to the plan.  I need to quilt and bind them.  They are about 16 x 16, so nice little sizes to have fun with.    

 I have this stack eyeing me from across the room.  I need to bind one, quilt a couple, and take care of this heap!

This is a bad photo from my phone, but these are my finished dresdens.  I need to pick a background and mount them.  I am thinking a light gray.  But getting my hind-end to the HOLO to get the background has been my issue.  I think they are very pretty though.   

 I started this project with some charm packs I bought recently.  I think I want to buy another pack and make it large enough to use as a throw.  I'm still meditating on this though.  It will be a Christmas gift...if I finish meditating in time. ;)

 It snowing a bit today.  We are supposed to get about an inch and temps will be chilly, so I should find myself inside sewing more. 

Maybe not today though, since the monster is home sick from school.  Although he has been quite a smart Alec for his state of health.  He looks pretty happy here watching the first snow of the year flying outside. For a monster he is pretty cute.    

Working at home

Last year I went to the Sewing Summit.  It was a really exciting experience for me. I had never been to Salt Lake City before, and I got to take classes from bloggers I had followed for years! YEARS!  

This year I didn't get to go.  Something about blowing my allowance on fabric every month, and buying a house, and take a week long vacation to Hawaii.... it just wasn't going to happen this year.  Its okay though, amylouwho(who I met last year at the summit, eee), has organized a pity party via her blog and on Instagram for all of us not attending this year.  We are all working along at home, pretending we don't feel super left out.   

Left out or not I have been pretty productive lately!  I have my 20 dresden blades assembled (I need to blow my allowance on my background fabric this month).  I also assembled a couple of quilt backings yesterday.

 Which led to the Big and Bright Quilt finally basted.

 My wonky nine-patch top was basted also....  

While I'm not sewing late in the Baby Lock room this weekend  *sniff *sniff... I am really enjoying my sewing room in our new home.  The hubs made me a big cutting/pressing table and I am seriously in love... with the man and the table.  The top still needs to be painted, but the unpainted surface works just fine for now.  

 It is a dream.  It is huge.  It will be pretty once the top is painted.  It makes a little carport for my quilt rack. 

*Please pardon my basted quilts heaped at the machine.

The other side has mucho storage!  Hidden storage if someone is just walking by.  

The end cabinets have mucho storage also.  Seriously.

 Seriously!

Okay imagine the top white, but please notice ALL OF THAT ROOM!   That is a 24 x 36 cutting mat!  There is plenty of room on the table top (which is a door by the way) 

Okay I'll quit going on and on, but it helps me feel better about missing the Baby Lock sewing room.  Ill be working this weekend.  Hopefully getting those two quilted.  Maybe starting a new project, or perhaps starting a Christmas gift... maybe.  We are going to a Rapid City Rush hockey game tonight.  I will be cheering but no doubt thinking about my sewing plan for Saturday!  

Finally Finished!

 I cannot even begin to tell you how happy I am to have this quilt finished!  I bought these fabrics in 2008 in Japan, and since there was a serious language barrier I bought a meter of each.  That's a lot!  I made a wall hanging with the fabrics.  Then a couple years ago the week of Halloween I was inspired to start cutting out these tumblers, but I didn't get far.  I worked on it a little last October, but didn't get far. It was just something I kept putting away!   However I have been super motivated to clear out these old projects hanging around in my cabinet.  So this year I knew I was going to get it done!

 I am so pleased to have this quilt finished. 

 I had to piece the backing to make it work.  It held me up about a week while I waited to have the patience or motivation.

Its now in the place of honor when you first walk in the door. This banister is right behind the sofa, so it is really easy to grab this quilt to cuddle up with, which is good since it has been chilly here!  

Things seem right in the world now.