I am so excited. I have only one block and one triangle left to make and all of the Easy Street blocks will be done. Also, I have sewn one large corner together as well as two long rows. This afternoon I will be finishing the blocks and sewing as much of this center together as I can. However, once the blocks are done I will have met my goal of getting them all done by the end of the month.
The funny thing is that a couple of days ago I saw a mistake up on the wall. It is already sewn in and I really hate the idea of unsewing so I am thinking of it being my “humble” piece. I then will be calling this quilt the Contrary Goose. It really doesn’t bother me but it does make me laugh.
This is what is new at our house. I saw this at an antique mall but didn’t buy it. However DH really liked it, too, and decided that if we could display our Parrot Depression Glass pieces in it, we should get it. So Tuesday we picked it up (100 miles away) and the two of us old folks hauled it in the house, and then collapsed.
Yesterday I moved furniture around all morning to find the best place to put it. It is sitting in an opening between two false walls that contain our dining room.
The dishes fit in there perfectly but because the cabinet is not lit I will be putting mirrors behind the plates and serving pieces. Right now I only have two 12x12 mirrors so we will be buying more and then will be cutting them down to fit (oh goody, more projects).
Behind the new cabinet I have placed an antique piano desk we have had for years. It has moved with us from IL to KY, to AL, to FL, and back to AL and shows some of the wear and tear but I love it. The funny thing is that I can peak at the TV in the living room through that little space to the left of the cabinet.
The picture on the cabinet back is one that DH bought at an Arts Festival a couple of years ago but we never had a wall to hang it on. And we hung it on the back with velcro. 
Well, that’s about all that is happening here. And I need to get off this computer and get to the studio before the month runs out.
Any chance you are getting tired of seeing the same thing on my design wall? I know I am. So, even though I have 4 block As, 3 large triangles, and 2 small triangles left to make, I started sewing blocks together. You can see the corner in the upper left (1 blocks, 2 large triangles and 1 small triangle). It doesn’t seem like much but I was really excited to see this move toward completion. And I have continued to sustain the one block a day (Friday I did 2 and then was gone all Saturday). If I can do 2 a day this week I should have all the blocks done by the end of the month: wouldn’t that be great?
And guess what else I got done. I completed the quilting of my feathered star table topper. I guess I , once again, need to thank Judy of Patchwork Times for her lessons on quilting feathers for even though I am still learning, I am very pleased with the results on this quilt.
One other great thing that happened for this quilt this week is that I found, buried in my stash, more of the background fabric. I had been fretting over what I would use as a binding so I began digging in the “yellow” section of fabric to see if I had anything that would compliment these two. “And what to my wondering eyes should appear” but the very fabric I was trying to match.
So Sunday I cut, pressed and sewed the binding on this little quilt. Today I will finish the binding and this quilt will be residing on our table. DH has already decided that his “new” globe will look great on it so that will be our table decoration…….for a while. 
On Saturday DH and I took off to do a little antiquing. Although several of the antique malls we have loved have long since disappeared, there are still a few in and around here so we try to do our best to keep them in business. I really do not like shopping except when we are wandering through looking at old things, some of which remind us of our childhoods. It was a very pleasant day.
And now I leave you with a picture of our most recent grandchild, Elsa Grace, lying on the Frog Quilt made for her by me. Most of you will have already seen this quilt but I also wanted to share it’s being put to good use.
Have a great, productive, and inspiring week.
Gari
I sat down to take a break, read a few blogs, and perhaps even work on a couple of EQ designs. And look what happened. Everyone else decided it was “break time” too. With a lapful like that, who can get anything done? And who would want to? So we clicked on the TV, watched a little HGTV before returning to housework and quilting.
I won’t share pictures of my housework (boring) but here are the completed February, yes I said February, blocks for the Carol Doak Mystery 2012-13 quilt. If I read her right these are the last blocks and soon we will get her plan for the layout. I am all caught up with this one so I am ready for the next step so I can have another UFO to guilt me. 
The quilting on my feathered star is coming right along. I only do a row a day but I am very happy with what I am seeing.
I did draw out, on a sheet of Plexiglas, my quilting design plan and then I took pictures. I printed them and that way I can make sure I am quilting the same thing in each of the stars and/or star points. I have two star points and then the final border row to do and the quilting will be done. I guess I better start looking for some binding fabric.
I am also still chugging away on Bonnie Hunters Easy Street. I am 1 block away from being on the last row which includes 4 blocks, 5 large triangles and 2 small triangles. And then, of course, I still have to sew all those blocks (and intersections) together. I know what I am going to use for a small stop border around the center but I have no idea about an outer border. And I don’t think I have anything in my stash that is jumping out and saying it is ready to play with this very bright and busy quilt. What fun it will be to be taking ES to the quilt stores to look for the best playmate. 
But I don’t think that is going to happen quite yet.
Have a great weekend, I know I will.
This is a special week. No, not because I have finished my Easy Street. In fact, I have only continued to make a block a day.
Every day I do my devotions, exercise on my Pilates machine, eat breakfast, do as little housework as I can get away with and some computer work. That usually takes all morning and it is now time for lunch. Then I can go to the studio for some quality sewing time.
The first thing I do is my Easy Street block. I know that if I put it off I will get involved in something else and then quickly fall behind. 
I finally set the blocks for the full queen size: wow it really is going to be big. But the problem is that I now can see how many blocks I still have to make. 
Second I have been working on a Carol Doak heart pattern. 
Originally I was making a purple and white heart (Northwestern University) and a blue and orange heart (Auburn University) to make Valentine placemats for us. However after I made the two purple and white parts I discovered that I had made two of the same side. After cursing myself and then sleeping on it I had the brave idea of joining the two parts and I really like the outcome. The blocks are 10” and the dots will be border around the block, a block beside the heart and the binding.
And thirdly, I finally got a chance to work on my new BOM from Fat Cat Patterns, Wonderfully Fishys. 
This, like the Funky Chickens, will be made of batiks. Here the fish parts are just lying together and the background fabric is folded next to them. The funny thing is that I already have three different people I am thinking of for this quilt: it’s a good thing I have a whole year to decide who it is for.
Oh, and why is this week special? Well, tomorrow my husband and I will have been married 52 years. I may have to do some catching up on my blocks this weekend. 
This is my Easy Street, moving right along. And I have kept up with my “at least a block a day” plan.
Here is the small triangle laid out, ready to be sewn on Saturday.
And Sunday morning I made another large triangle.
However, that is about all I got done this week. Every time I got a block done, DH came up with something for me to do that took the rest of the day.
I did decide on a paper piecing project to start today and I copied the pieces for new applique BOM. The problem is that if I can only get an ES block done each day I am not moving forward on any other projects.
For those who read my post last Wednesday, I have been doing great with my new Pilates machine. And I am even sharing it, with: Ms. Murphy.
When I came in to do my routine last night, there she was. I almost left her there but that would mean I would miss my exercise so off she had to go. Poor Murphy!
Now, I have a favor to ask of longarmers out there. I have been asked to meet with 2-3 new longarmers and give them so “tips” on how to get started and things that would make their beginnings easier. I have to say, I am not a teacher by any means and since I am totally self taught, I am having trouble thinking of what “tricks” I have learned or thought of. So, if you have any ideas, please share, PLEASE!
But this is what I am planning on using, daily?
My favorite exercise is Yoga but over the last several years I have developed a knee problem that makes kneeling most painful. And I have always wanted a Pilates machine. So I ordered one. They “said” it came fully assembled, just pull it out of the box and go. Well, they lied. The main part is assembled but lots of little things have to be put on it to make it work.
This is in my bedroom where I spent one day moving furniture to make a space for it and the next day “assembling” the machine. And last night I finally was able to do my first full routine. It was great and I look forward to many more stretching and core strengthening routines.
Also this week I baked bread. This is a cinnamon loaf we got from our #2 son and daughter in law in CO: a Christmas gift. I was planning on making it New Year’s Eve to eat on our way to the Gator Bowl but since we left a day early it didn’t get made until this week. And it was gone within 2 days: really good. I usually don’t like getting food gifts because we eat Weight Watcher’s and most of those food packages we have to give away because of too many points. However, this was only 3 points a slice so it was a reasonable, and good, snack.
I also was able to pick up my new rocking chair for the front porch. DH got it for me for Christmas but he knew I wanted to try out chairs before bringing one home. I went to do that right after Christmas but they were outside and it was way to cold to get comfortable in any of the chairs. So this week, with 65F weather, over we went and this was the one I picked (rocked in 12 chairs first). And you can see that I have given Fred, our porch friend, the recliner. Right now the porch is looking a little crowded but in the Spring I will be working on a better layout.
On the computer front, I decided to move my downloaded quilt patterns to a flash drive. Look at how many I seem to have. Do you think I will ever get all of them made? And I only dl the ones I really think I might like to make. Oh, my. I think I could stop going online right now and be perfectly and completely busy with just what I have. Now I am afraid to do the same thing with the embroidery designs I have collected. But I need to free up some of my hard drive so things will move a little more quickly.
I have been sewing. I have made one block every day for Easy Street, have been removing the stabilizer off of the Funky Chickens, and have been looking at BOMs to add to my work plan. There haven’t been as many posted this January so I may go to one of the ones that I saved but did not make last year. I like to have 3-4 BOMs to add diversion when I am also making 2-3 quilts. And, the two BOMs I am currently making will both end in May. So I need at least one more now: of course I do. 
So this is Thursday morning. I need to get off this computer, do my morning Pilates routine, get dressed, and get to the studio. I think it is time to make some quilting decisions on the Feathered Star!
Have a great end of the week and weekend.
I am so excited. I have only one block and one triangle left to make and all of the Easy Street blocks will be done. Also, I have sewn one large corner together as well as two long rows. This afternoon I will be finishing the blocks and sewing as much of this center together as I can. However, once the blocks are done I will have met my goal of getting them all done by the end of the month.
This is what is new at our house. I saw this at an antique mall but didn’t buy it. However DH really liked it, too, and decided that if we could display our Parrot Depression Glass pieces in it, we should get it. So Tuesday we picked it up (100 miles away) and the two of us old folks hauled it in the house, and then collapsed. 
The dishes fit in there perfectly but because the cabinet is not lit I will be putting mirrors behind the plates and serving pieces. Right now I only have two 12x12 mirrors so we will be buying more and then will be cutting them down to fit (oh goody, more projects).
