Petting

This is the most exciting thing that has arrived in the mail in a long long time!  

I've been busy petting it, and shrieking.  I cannot wait to make blocks 1 and 2!  I might abandon my dinner making duties and ignore my family all evening so I can start on them!

Three Weeks Later

Finally!

Last night I got both of my apple rows completed (minus the white sashing, I need more white).

After I finished these, I pulled my scraps for the next row.  I sure don't have much in the way of reds.  Pulling fabrics for these apples was really tough.  I might need to get a fat quarter or two to get me through the rest of this project. 

Row Four... Still

I did not manage to get my rows done the other week.  

I was busy getting ready for a little trip (and cleaning up after a canine stomach bug that went through our pack).  Then last week was spent in The Sunshine State loving up on more potent sunshine, palm trees, green grass, flowers and Disney magic.

Now I'm back to reality, and I'm behind two weeks on my row along.  I have made some progress on the apples.  But Imagonnahavta get my hiney in gear because I hate being behind.  

Row Four

This week I am going to try my best to get these two apple rows sewn.  

Rows

I have learned in the last twelve months that unexpected trips are stressful, and can really wreak havoc on your life.  For awhile things feel out of whack.  

I am getting better at them though.  Every Wednesday I don this shirt.... every week I notice I am getting better at balancing these things, life's things.  I can balance karate, hockey, teaching children's church, mom meetups, homeschooling, helping Wednesday nights at church, have the laundry done, the toilets cleaned, and have dinner on the table by 6.... AND I still fit in trashy reality TV and quilting time for ME.   

I have been working on a new row along.  It's been going well.

I have the first three rows done.  My scraps are hopefully going to be taking a hit with these projects.  

I am also hoping to get started on the monster's new twin sized quilt. (have I said that before?) We are going on a PLANNED trip in less than two weeks though, so it might have to wait.  I can handle things that are planned.  

Off Center

I finished my first quilt of the new year the other night.  

It isn't large.

It is colorful.

I love it.

Yesterday, Kristen and I braved very scary roads to visit The Bakery Fabrics' big end of year sale.  We were hoping the roads would improve the longer we stayed in the store shopping, and with no children it was leisurely.  We did some damage, and the roads were much better on our return trip back to Rapid.  

The shop's owner is so welcoming and we always stand around the cutting table catching up on fabric happenings.... yesterday she let us look through Moda's 2015 preview books.  It was quite a treat. 

I bought some very fun things. 

I picked up this Cotton & Steel print to make an apron.  I love when a print has a special border on one end.  It is really hard to take apron selfies, so I had the monster model it.  He's pretty adorable.

I hadn't planned on shopping for my snail trail fabric, but this Kona Punch is such a pretty color that I decided it would be perfect.  

When I got home I decided I must get some of my precuts sewn this year.  I pulled a few charm packs and planned out the patterns and did the math.  Now I have a ginormous list of solid and backing yardages, which I will have to pace myself to get through, but I am looking forward to all of it!

A Bright New Year

 

Last week as I dinked around after Christmas, not wanting to work hard..... I started slowly on a new quilt. 

 

 

I grabbed these pretty charm packs Kristen gave me for my birthday, dug through my scraps for colorful solids to pair with them, and started sewing. 

 

 

I played around with a couple of layouts..... text conferenced a friend for input, then started sewing.  I had a row sewn, but last night decided in those looooong hours between dinner and the ball drop, to try to get this top assembled.  I was watching Labor Day(which was really good), and maybe a little distracted, so it took me a while longer than it should have.

 

 

I finished the top at 11:58 last night.... just enough time to pour some champagne and smooch my guys at midnight. 

 

It's funny that this top looks wider than long, but it's actually square.  The off-center barn raising creates an optical illusion. 

 

I'm excited to start the new year off with such a bright cheerful quilt! 

 I am waiting for a hunk of yardage to arrive in the mail,  then I will have everything to start on my little guy's new twin quilt. 

That will be next.   

Next week will start two Quilty Fun Row Along quilts, which will be a week by week quilt along with my quilting friends.   

The snapshot BOM will start soon also! 

 I'll be busy. 

Perfect for living on the chilly prairie where we are shut indoors until March I'd reckon.