Limited Stash Busting

A couple of days before I went into the hospital, I too a Stash Pot Pie class. I thought this would be the perfect way to deplete my stash. I loved the pattern and realized that I had more than plenty black, red, and neutral scraps to complete the quilt. The only thing I will have to purchase is a backing and possibly an outer border. During the class I was able to complete three blocks, only 33 more to go! I did go to my sewing room for about thirty minutes yesterday, that was really my first time to do any sewing since I had surgery. I think if I limit myself to no more than 30 minutes a day for a while I can get some blocks complete without doing too much.

Quilt Outing

It was so good to get out of the house today after being cooped up inside for almost a week. (The only time I have been out of the house in the last week was for a checkup at the doctor and a quick trip to the grocery store. ) Many thanks to my friend Becky who came and picked up me for a trip to Sweet Home Quilts. It was so much fun to get out with a fellow quilter. We enjoyed chatting on the drive over, quilts, books, school, and just life in general. We both had a list, and I think Becky stuck to hers better than I did. I saw a cute bag pattern the minute we walked in the door that just called my name. The bag is made from a jelly roll, unfortunately they didn't have any that I liked, so I had to create my own jelly roll. I selected Shangri La by Moda. I can't wait to get started on it. I love to make bags, and this pattern is a really good size, not too big and not too small.

I think my trip was a little much, I had to have a nap when I came home. There won't be any sewing for me today, but maybe tomorrow.

Favorite Quilt Books

My friend, Becky posted a question on her blog about favorite quilt books. That is a really difficult question. I have so many! I did manage to pick out two to list. The first one Stack a New Deck, by Karla Alexander, I have actually used. The first one I made from this book, and the only one I have a photo of is a crazy heart quilt. I made it for one of my husband's cousin's who was undergoing treatment for cancer. I really enjoyed making this quilt. It was super easy, and turned out really great. I would love to do another quilt like this, in different colors. ( You can see also from the photo that I am standing in my "old kitchen". We quickly took this photo before putting the quilt in the mail.)

Another favorite quilt book is the Creative Quilt Collection, Volume One from that Patchwork Place. I have yet to make a quilt from this book, but there are several patterns that I would love to do. The quilt on the front is what prompted me to purchase it. Someday I hope to make this quilt, I think it would be a great quilt to make scrappy and use up some of my stash. Whenever I see a quilt book that has a star pattern on the front I have to look at it. My two favorite quilt patterns are anything with stars or a log cabin. What is your favorite book?

I'm Back!!!

Friday the 13th was definitely not one of my better days. I had a total abdominal hysterectomy. My incision is about 6 inches long, which is making it a little hard to manuever. I came home from the hospital Sunday night, and spent most of yesterday sleeping. I go back to the doctor on Friday to get the results of the biopsy. I am keeping my fingers crossed that everything is ok. I have managed to stay awake most of today, only one nap so far. I even managed to work on some stitchery. I am working on the Ring in the New Year Blocks. I completed one today, which brings my total up to 5. I hope to finish the others soon.

My husband has been wonderful during this difficult time. He is making sure that I don't try to do too much to soon, which I would probably do if he weren't here.

Hope to post some pics of my stitchery later in the week.

New Kitchen

You can basically say that our kitchen is finished. There have been some issues with the floor. When the contractors moved the refrigerator back they scratched the new floor that they had just installed. Needless to say we weren't too happy about that. We are trying to get that taken care of. I really do like everything. I don't know how it happened but I ended up with less space and a kitchen is definitely a place you don't want that to happen. I ended up putting several boxes of things up in the attic. I hope I don't need them any time soon. I still need to get a small breakfast table and chairs for the eating area. I looks empty with out a table. I guess I will worry about that later.

Stash Busting

Not one, not two, but three tops finished. I can't believe I did it. Actually two, of them were almost finished, I only needed to add the borders. The baby quilt is a true stash quilt made frm scraps left over from a previous baby quilt. My niece is expceting her third baby in December, I think that it will go to her. We don't know yet if it is a boy or a girl and this one has so many different colors in it I think it would work for either.

The one below is a kit that I didn't even remember that I had until I found it on Saturday. After I found it, I remembered buying it at Dream Quilters when they went out of business. It was really easy, a large middle piece and three borders. I did find out that you shouldn't hang on to a kit that long, there wasn't enough of the two outer border fabrics to do a checkerboard border all around, so I had to improvise and do the checkerboard on opposite corners. I think it turned out ok.

The one to the right, was a kit that I bought on my one and only trip to Paducah. It was another really easy one, simple squares sewing together. I did try to jazz it up by mitering the corners. This is the first quilt I have done that on. I think that they turned out ok. I should have tried to get the flowers lined up more, but it was my first try at doing the corners this way. It was actually easier than I thought. I had to take two corners out twice, one once, and the last one, I only had to restitch a small section.

At least that is three things I can say are no longer in my stash. Now I can get back to work on the Orange Crush Mystery quilt, that I am so far behind on.

Family Reunion

I can't believe that school has already been out for almost two weeks, and I have only spent two days at home. The day after school was out, Joe and I went to Saltville, Virginia for his family reunion. Here we all are at his cousin Emily's house. (or at least part of the family). We had a great time. The day after we came back from Virginia, I headed to my parents house in Mississippi. It was great to see my parents. I also got to spend time with some cousins that I don't get to see that often. In addition to visiting with family, I also did lots of odd jobs around my parents house. My dad is doing much better, but will never be able to do the things that he once did.

I came back to Atlanta yesterday, to an almost finished kitchen. At least now I can cook in the kitchen. I spent most of the day trying to put everything back in the cabinets. I don't know how it happened but we have less cabinet space now that we did before. That is a small price to pay for an updated kitchen. Hope to have some photos to post in a day or two.

I am ready to get to some sewing. Since everything from the kitchen was in my sewing room, I can clean it now and hopefully start working on a few projects. I have two tops that I have to finish sewing the borders on, then they will be ready to take to get quilted.