Part Two

I meant to post this yesterday and forgot. I usually type out the post the night before and schedule it to post early the next morning. Unfortunately, I fell asleep on the couch (again!) before I finished it. 

On Thursday, I worked on making kid’s quilts out of the fabric I had laundered last week.

I got the borders on these two. This pattern is super fast—I think I spent longer on the borders than on any other part. I think they are cute, and of course, the quilting will make them look even better. 

On Friday i got this one cut out:

This is the first two rows sewn together. I think I need six rows plus borders, so I’m making good progress on these also. I’ve made this pattern a few times, and I like the way it turns out. 

I had an appointment Thursday with the cardiologist and told him I am so sleepy I can hardly function. He told me to cut the blood pressure medicine dosage in half and see how I did with that. It should help with the fatigue, but we will have to see if my blood pressure is controlled on the lesser dosage. I’m hoping I won’t be so tired going forward, although I realize my blood pressure needs to be lower. There must be an optimum solution somewhere. I’m normally a high energy person, and this is very frustrating. 

What I’m Working On

First of all, I started working on the Summer Scrap Challenge and got quit a few of the strips sewn together.

This one shouldn’t take long—it’s going together pretty fast so far. 

Second, the APQ quilt along officially started today.

I already did a little cutting, but it was very little. I will do a little each day until I get it done.

Other than that, I haven’t been very productive. I’m still more tired than usual and spend the evenings doing  nothing except some cross stitch. I am making progress on the cross stitch. 

Oh, one of my neighbors had their front door kicked in last night around 2am. Apparently there is a tic toc challenge that the kids are doing. I can’t understand why anyone’s kids would be out on the streets at 2am, but I know it does happen. I put the security chain on the door after I heard about it, and I do have a doorbell camera, but what would prevent them from kicking the doorbell camera and disabling it? I don’t want to worry about all this. 

Summer Scrappy Challenge

I need to clarify about my cruise—it is a quilting cruise that is set up like a retreat. That is why I am trying to cut enough projects to work on. There is a group of us going, and we are taking our own sewing machines and notions. The cruise sails to Cozumel, and I have been there about a dozen times, so I am not planning to leave the ship. I will just stay onboard and sew. It is not your typical quilting cruise where they furnish the machines and kits, and there are no instructors, just a group of quilters doing a retreat at sea. Needless to say, the cost is nowhere near what the typical quilting cruises cost.

There is a quilt shop in Yorktown, Texas—about 40 miles from me—called Seams Like Home, A Little Fabric Store, and they are having a summer scrappy challenge. 

You can get the pattern and “officially” join the challenge for $10. The prize is a Tutto machine tote, and you have until September 4th to finish. If anyone is interested, contact Sarah at Seams Like Home. Here’s a pic of her top:

I am planning on using a solid color jelly roll with the scraps which will tone it down a little…..but not too much. I love the scrappiness. I signed up yesterday, and I need to add this one to my to-do list as a I have been busy pulling my strips and sewing them together. 

To-Do-List Tuesday 5-30-23

This month is drawing to an end, and I can’t say I’ll be sad to see it go. I’m getting back in the groove somewhat and got a few things done, although I’m still not 100% motivated.

1) APQ blocks - time to quit piddling around and get this one finished. Nope, not finished. I did get all the alternated blocks made though.

2) Bind horse quilt. This one is a wrap and can be gifted.

3) Cut out another quilt for cruise. I got one cut out.

4) Work on the solar flare quilt I started. A little bit was done but not as much as I had hoped for.

5) Quilter’s choice—probably something with the charm packs I found. I have some ideas; just need to execute them.

For this week, I know what I want to do, but I think I may be short on time again, so if I don’t get to all of it, it will be okay.

1) Put borders on the two donation quilts.

2) Get the APQ blocks laid out.

3) Start the new APQ sew along—I don’t know what the first prompt will be, but I assume it will be cutting.

4) Cut out another kit for the cruise. I don’t want to run out of things to sew!

5) I’m still thinking about doing something with a couple of charm packs. I probably at least need to make a start on it.

That is enough to keep me as busy as I want to be. I am linking this post to Quilt Schmilt, and will be visiting that blog to see what everyone else is working on and what progress they are making. Have a great week wherever you are reading this! I will be at church today tying comfort quilts and eating leftovers! 

Memorial Day

 

I don’t have much planned for today….I am caught up for now on Quilts of Valor presentations. In fact, I haven’t been sent any requests this year. I am planning to meet up with friends later for lunch and a movie, so that will be fun.

I worked yesterday afternoon on the donation quilts I had cut out on Saturday. I made pretty good progress.

Well, I have to admit they weren’t really challenging, so it didn’t take but a few hours once the cutting was done. The USA print is directional, and I sewed two of the panels upside down and had to do some ripping and re-sewing. That was one small delay. I hope to get the borders put on these this week. I wish I would have bought a couple more yards of the focus fabric for pillowcases. I may go back to Walmart in a couple of days (payday) and see if I can get some. 

Moving Along

Another hectic day, but I managed to get some things done that I wanted to do. I went to the Farmer's Market and got there early enough to get some tomatoes.

I got various shades of ripeness so they will last the week (I hope), and I also bought some squash and cucumbers. I helped in the kitchen at church--it was a big meal, and we were there for several hours.

Once that was done, I could have used a nap, but I pushed myself to get some sewing and cutting done. I got another kit cut out for the cruise.

It really wasn't hard to cut, which made me wander why I had put it off for so long. I also got the binding finished on the horse quilt.

A customer pieced it, and then gifted it to me along with the fabric for the backing. Now that it is quilted and bound, it will be gifted to someone else. Full circle.

I started cutting out some of the fabrics I had laundered for the charity quilts in hopes that I might get some sewing time after church. This is one of them:

I think it will be adorable in a child's quilt. I am going to use that checkmate pattern I showed yesterday, so it shouldn't take long at all.

Lots of Activities

Things have been incredibly busy around here. Thursday was quilt guild, and it was my turn to provide a door prize and also to provide refreshments. I try and sign up for both in the same month, and then I’m done and don’t have anything hanging over my head for the rest of the year. I made sausage rolls, and I bought some donut holes and some trail mix. Beth made biscotti and also brought fresh fruit. I wish I would have thought to take a picture but I didn’t. We were supposed to have a workshop, but the presenter couldn’t get her computer to work, and she had forgotten to bring the blocks we were supposed to work on. They were preprinted blocks for coloring. She dropped mine off at my house yesterday afternoon, but I am not exactly motivated to work on them by myself, so we’ll see if they get done or not.

Today there is a funeral at church, and I am on the bereavement team, so last night I fixed pecan pie bars and raspberry oatmeal bars.

I actually fixed another larger pan of the pecan pie bars.

I thought I might have over-cooked the raspberry ones, so I made a powder sugar glaze and put it on the top. I usually do a cake or pie, but I was noticing that people like to take several small pieces of the desserts so I think the bars may be the way to go. 

I got a customer quilt loaded yesterday and started cutting out another kit for the cruise. I have had to work on grass cutting for the last few days so that takes a chunk of time. I wish I could just hire someone to do it, but the last person I had couldn’t do it to suit me, and my dogs have a total fit if someone is in the yard. <sigh>.

I have some yardage in the washer right now. I picked up some kid-friendly fabrics when I was in Walmart, and I decided I better pre wash it before it goes into a quilt.  I also got some at JoAnns Monday, but I haven’t washed it yet. I am anxious to get the quilts cut out. They will be going to Midcoast Family Services here in Victoria. I ordered a new pattern (I haven’t received it yet) that will show the focus fabrics.

I bought two yards of this dinosaur print.

I love how realistic it is—not too babyish or cartoonish. I also got some jungle animals and I don’t know what all else. Between Walmart and JoAnn’s, I spent around $250.00. I’m not sure how long I can continue doing that, but for now I will do what I can. I believe God will provide a way for me to serve. I did talk to the facility director last week, and she said the quilts and bags we are providing mean so much to the kids. They are generally arriving there from a domestic violence situation, so they come with nothing. It’s pretty sad. Anyway, enough of the sad stuff. Happy Saturday everyone.