12/12

All 12 blocks in the Green and White Swap quilt are now finished!

I like this arrangement (although I might switch a couple of blocks around).

I'm trying to decide if I want to add sashing and borders, or just have this a smaller lap-sized quilt.

What do you think?

Playing

I'm not yet buried under an avalanche of semester's-end marking but it's coming. As surely as the snow is coming down outside (and it's coming down!). My grade 12 students are going to figure out sometime in the next couple of days that their deadline for all coursework is Monday. And then the panic will begin. And then the frenzied marking will ensue.

However, since that hasn't yet happened, I decided to play around a little after work today.

I started Sandi's Season's of the Heart calendar quilt two years ago. I got 10 1/2 blocks finished... then I stalled. Tonight I made December's block, using a different pattern than she offered. (This one is from Wee Folk Art.)

I just have to do the stitching on November's block now. But I can't find it. It disappeared, probably around the time I cleaned my sewing room. I panicked for about 5 minutes, then I realized that it will show up someday...and that I have plenty of other things to keep me busy until then.

Like my Green and White Swap blocks. Another project started a long time ago. Last year in January, Pat organized this swap. Twelve participants chose block patterns from this site and cut fabrics for their chosen block x 12. We sent our baggies to Pat and she mailed everyone out the fixings for a quilt.

I got 6 blocks done right away (well, right away is a relative term). Now I have 8 out of the 12 done.

Hey, I could get all my unfinished projects done in 2011. I could...right?

I hope you did some playing today too!

First Finish of the Year!

All day at work, I just wanted to rush home and finish the Dragonfly wallhanging I started last night.

But I had to wait until after supper to get back to the sewing machine.

All I had left to do was to put on the binding, because I stayed up a little later last night to get the quilting done. I wasn't going to be able to sleep until I did.

It might just make it to my sister-in-law for her birthday on January 21.

p.s. My first finish of 2010 happened on January 19, so I'm ahead of the game ☺

Hi Ho, Hi Ho

It's back to work I go.

Tomorrow.

It has been such a GREAT Christmas break. Last year I returned to work feeling bitter and twisted because all I did was mark thoughout the vacation. This year, I visited with friends, finished a couple of gifts before the holiday, made mittens, finished my Checkerboard quilt, went to yoga classes, cooked a bit, and hosted a New Year's party.

And today, I made this:

This is the Dragonfly wallhanging for my sister-in-law. Her birthday is January 21, so I'm kind of hoping to get it done in time to mail it to her within the next two weeks. It's not my first "finish" of 2011 since I haven't quilted it yet, but I'm so excited that I actually got to do something I love on my last day of Christmas vacation.

Of course, that was after I took down all the snowmen, Christmas decorations and the tree this morning (I was supposed to do it yesterday, but a nap seemed like a better idea). The house is now back to normal and we'll all get back into a routine and, hopefully, I'll stop eating everything in sight ;)

I'm off to check out my closet and if I have any decent work clothes that still fit me. Goodbye days spent in pajamas...

1-1-11 (How cool is that?)

Last night we had a party. Just a little party - a few friends, Mr. P, the OnlyChild (once she got off work), and me.

It was a blast - good people, good drink, great food!

And I didn't take one single picture. Not one.

Not even a photo of the devilled eggs, mini quiche, bacon-wrapped scallops, crab spread, peanut brittle, fruitcake, Battenburg cake, meat pies, cheese and sausage platter.

No snaps of people laughing at silly jokes or stuffing their faces.

There isn't a picture of Mr. P playing bartender.

I can't believe I didn't have my camera out for the champagne toast at countdown.

Sigh. Oh well. Take my word for it - it was a wonderful night!

Hope yours was too. Here's to a fantastic 2011! Cheers!

For you

No Reflections

No Resolutions

Just a wish for a very Happy New Year!

xo

Ooh La La... and Ta Da!

Yesterday was one of those days... you know the kind, when you start one thing and get sidetracked by something else.

I decided to do laundry. But then realized that I should change the bedsheets too. Then I figured if I was putting clean sheets on the bed, I should make new pillowcases.

Ooh la la. Now I will be dreaming of Paris while resting my head on Paris pillowcases. I love this quick and easy pattern from Sew4Home, but it took me waaay too long to finish these yesterday morning. Because, you know, I kept getting distracted by other things (like the laundry that I still haven't finished).

Once the pillowcases were on the bed, I turned my attention to the #1 priority, what I believe will be my Final Finish of 2010 - ta da! - the Checkerboard Quilt.

AbbyDog was trying to thwart my efforts to pin the binding. Are you going to move, Abby?

Nope, guess not. She was a bit too comfortable (but I was worried that she'd be poked by a pin).

She did eventually move of her own volition, so I was able to finish the job. And here it is:

It's a twin-sized quilt and not meant for our bed - I just put it there for pictures. The OnlyChild is thrilled that it will be big and cuddly and will be on the couch in the living room. I'd better not find it down in her messy bedroom... It's happened before that she's absconded with a quilt or two and I don't see them for weeks (until I muster up my courage and make the dangerous trek into her room).

I need to go and finish that laundry now, so I can pop this baby into the wash and have it all nice and crinkly for display.

What should I start/finish next? How about you vote?

* Snowman in the Woods (this one's been hanging around for a very long time)

* Green and White no-sew swap quilt

* More Christmas strings (for next year, I suppose)

* Dragonfly wall hanging for my sister-in-law

* French braid quilt

* Snowman wall hanging kit that my friend Kim gave me for Christmas

* Authentic quilt

Suggestions anyone...?