Against All Odds....

There is progress.

Last Thursday, I went to stay at my aunt's - she was having some concrete work done, and someone had to be there while she was at work.



That made Snickers happy.  See that smile?  No?  Oh.  Me either.  But I promise you it was there.  We had a little visitor...



He flicked his tail hello, then went off to the salad bar.



So I was gone Thursday and Friday, then all weekend too, with all of our running around.  Just the normal stuff - taking mum grocery shopping, etc. - but somehow we forgot our milk at mum's TWICE, and also forgot cat food.  Had to make special trips on Monday.

It's hard to get any sewing done when you don't stay home.  I did take some handwork with me to my aunt's, but Snickers wanted to eat it.

Have to show you my Christmas gift from my aunt - she couldn't wait that long to give it to me.  A vintage-style milk bottle!



Isn't that cute?  It's going to hold my smaller vintage buttons.  I'm glad she couldn't wait.  We're a terrible family for waiting.

And now, I did say there was progress, didn't I?  You know, on that massive UFO list.  Wanna see?  It sure was fun playing today!!!

Lace....



Buttons.....



And even stitching!!!



Today has been a most blissful day.  Unfortunately, my son brought me home some snackkies last night, and I'm paying for it this evening....so it's blog visiting and hand stitching and movie watching in my comfy chair the rest of the night.  Which, of course, is also bliss.

 Hope you all will be blissed too....

The Camera Roll Of Shame

So, it's blustery, rainy, and chilly - must be spring.  After my wee bit of stitching for FNSI, somehow I got caught up in spring cleaning - going through closets [depressing], sorting drawers [oh the forgotten treasures!], and....drum roll.....SEWING BINS.

This post is a documentation of my failure to finish.  Or should I say, a record of what I ought to be doing each day, instead of dishes and laundry.  I mean, we're all grown-ups here, if we need a bowl we can wash it.  Same for jeans.

So here goes.......THE LIST.  In no particular order.



Liberated Sand Pails, quilt top finished or so I thought.  It needs to be taken apart, sashing added.  Batting and backing is ready, unless it gets too much bigger by adding sashing.



Jenny's DaisyDays pattern.  Monday through Wednesday are finished.  Remaining blocks need to be traced and stitched, everything else is ready.



New pattern I designed last year - Fair Winds for M'Lady - ran out of background fabric and just got some.  Forgot about it til recently.



Jenny's Vintage Kitchen BOM.  Might have found some good background fabric for the stitcheries.



Stowaways quilt.  Had it packed away with the fabric, totally forgotten.



Jenny's Give Thanks design.  Need to finish the little blocks, I have four done.


Bad pic, sorry.

My Bling Challenge design.  Totally forgotten, need to finish it.



Mermaids stitcheries.  O'Faigh had sent me the gorgeous mermaid fabric, I tucked it away with the patterns and forgot it.  See a trend here?



Jenny's Holly Birds.  Need to finish the tablerunners - didn't make it in time for last Christmas.



The Bethlehem quilt.  Block one is stitched.  Need to get tracing.



Jenny's Promises and Borders.  I've had the fabric picked out forever - I'm actually making two of these, one for me, one for mum.



A little Japanese quilt project I'm making up as I go.  Completely forgotten for who knows how many years.

Plus, 3 recent projects I've posted about.  And now Wendy's new BOM.  Guess I'd better get busy - see you next spring - lol.  I count SIXTEEN projects in that hall of shame line-up...wait, I'm making two of one of them, SEVENTEEN....oh my stars.  Am I nuts?  Have you counted yours lately?  Make me feel better and tell me you have just as many, please.....or more.  More would be good.  More would make me feel a whole lot better.

FNSI Results

Last night I stitched with everyone over at Wendy's - what fun!  I didn't get as much done as I'd hoped though.  I'd been awake since Thursday, met my mom and aunt for dinner, grocery shopped, and bought and installed a toilet seat.  I was MORE than ready to sit down in my comfy chair, put my feet up, and pick up my needle and floss!

Here's how far I've got done on my new pattern [a new freebie coming soon]:



Not nearly as far as I'd hoped.  Maybe I'll get a lot further today!

There are some signs of spring here in Michigan, lots of buds on my crabapple tree outside my window - the pink blooms are what I look forward to every year!



Every tree has buds, it's 9am and already 65F - although next week will be chilly, I do have reason to hope for warmer days.

I'm going to pop over to Wendy's and see what everyone else got up to last night!

FNSI

I'm joining in on Wendy's Friday Night Sew-In - are you?  I've thought about it before but never did.  I know I'll be home tomorrow night so it's a great time to join in - lots and lots of fun!  And Wendy has an adorable free BOM, just released block two, so you even have something to stitch!

Hope to see you there!!!

Sunshine On My Shoulders

makes me happy.....I think that was the only John Denver song I didn't care for, but sunshine sure does make me happy!  And it is shining today!

I wanted to share what my sweet friend O'Faigh sent me....this darling little heart tray!



She sent it before my birthday, and I just got out over the weekend to get some pink polka dot felt, and gingham ribbon.  I think it's terribly sweet, and it gets used constantly!  I keep my current project supplies in it, by my side....



No more scrounging around and losing things.  Thank you, O'Faigh!!!  I just love it!

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Did you ever get the urge to make something right now?  That's how I felt after watching this youtube video,  DIY Zipper Bracelet.  My son was cleaning his room the other day, and found a gift card to Outback Steakhouse - which just happens to be right across the street from Joann Fabrics.  Who just happen to be having their Daffodil Dash at the moment.  [Sandra, we're missing you!]  So, armed with gift cards and coupons, off we went.  I got everything I thought I needed to make the bracelet, and this is how it turned out -




I LOVE it.  There are, however, things I would do differently - I used a 7inch zipper, which is too big for me.  Next time I'll get a 6 inch.  Also, I would use a better quality of zipper.  They have to be metal, since you burn off the excess binding, but do get a nice one.  Because of the Daffodil Dash going on, supplies were pretty limited!  I was not happy with the quality of this zipper, but I had to make this right now.  

On the bottom of the zipper is that little bar that goes across - that did not fit nicely into the crimp.



So, I cut it off.  The crimps fit much better without it - however, I'm going to have to get some jewelry glue to make sure it stays on.  I also have to get some jewelry needlenose pliers, as hubby's pliers left marks on my crimp end.  The seahorse charm is one I had on hand.

All in all, I count this a successful project - it was easy, fast, and with the right supplies would turn out beautifully.  Next time, I'm going to cut a zipper out of jeans and try that.

I've also been doing quite a bit of stitching.  I'm working on my new free design coming up, would you like to see?



Darn that camera, it keeps cutting things off. *smile*  I still need to re-trace my garden design onto fabric and fusible - I haven't started re-making that yet.  So if I can stay away from zippers and restaurants and amazing fabric store sales, I should be able to get some things done!

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Please keep Debbie from WoolenSails and her family in your prayers, she has just suffered the loss of her daughter.  My heart cannot imagine the pain and grief she's having to endure.

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To Rip, Or Not To Rip....

Not really a question around here.  I purely hate to un-sew.  My seam ripper is in like-new condition.  So, as I was quilting my new garden quilt, deciding it was just plain awful and hating what I was doing, I didn't un-stitch it.....

I quilted over it.



And quilted.  And quilted, and quilted, and quilted.....I'm still not done.  I probably won't be done until autumn.  But I think I like it, even though it's almost see-through at this point.

Inquiring minds want to know - do you rip out the quilting you don't like?  Or do you just go over it?  Have you ever quilted anything this densely?

In other news, someone had a birthday today, and she isn't telling how old she is.



But I will mention that the grey in my hair got me a senior coffee the other day at McDonald's, without asking for it.  There have to be some perks.

My aunt had a beautiful dinner at her house for me on Sunday, and she made a gorgeous cake.  I brought my camera.  Unfortunately, I neglected to bring the SD card that goes in my camera.  So no pictures of that.  Today though, mum had a beautiful dinner for me, and made me a gorgeous cake.  I made sure to bring the SD card today.



That was when we walked in - by the time she finished putting all the food out, small countries were calling for donations.



The cake.  I forget what it's called.  Mud Volcano, or tunnel, or something.  It was like fudge.  This cake had to weigh 20lbs - I told her it broke all the laws of physics.  Yes, it was delish!

Time to quilt some more and work off all this chocolate - I'm also working on a new, free stitchery design, which I hope to have done soon.  If you like red-roofed cottages, I think you'll like this one!

See you soon - go celebrate something!  I'll be hiding in my sewing room....