May UFO's

The May number for the American Patchwork and Quilting UFO challenge was drawn over the weekend.

I'm confused--or maybe I was confused last month. Number 8 on my quilting list is the Flutterby quilt, and I did that one last month.

Here is the quilt; binding and all:

April should have been number 4 which was the Hanging Gardens quilt. No worries, I'll do that one for May. I was a little undecided on a backing, but I have a few weeks to think it over and come up with something.

My number 8 for piecing is a String Star.

I started a string star quilt about 20 years ago, and occasionally when I am looking for something, I run across random pieces to it. I remember I drafted the 8-point star myself on notebook paper and stitched the strips to it. Here is the problem.....this is all I can find at the moment:

I really, really, really want to finish this one. I know there are more pieces, but I don't know where. I think I will see if I have any of the templates left, and if so, I may try to piece a few more blocks. If I find the missing ones that's fine, and if I don't, it's fine too. 

In the meantime, I never did finish my April piecing goal (Curvy Log Cabin), so I may just continue with that for May.

To-Do-List Tuesday 5-2-23

I’m still taking it easy as far as activities….no gym or lawn mowing this week until I get the okay from the cardiologist. I did walk a little over a mile yesterday evening, but it took me about 25 minutes, so it was more of a stroll. 

I worked on key fobs for a while;

I had stalled out before when I needed to cut more interfacing and batting, so I got some pieces cut and did the stitching on six of them. Then my daughter called and asked if I wanted to meet her at the nail shop, and off I went! 

It’s been a minute since I posted a Tuesday to-to list (or even thought about it), but it’s time to refocus. Here’s what I need to work on this week:

1) More key fobs! I have 17 done and I need 32 total.

2) APQ quilt along. I really don’t want to let this one drop since I have so many of the blocks made.

3) Clean off my dining room table. I don’t know why I am putting this on my sewing list other than I have let mail and miscellaneous junk pile up, and it needs to be dealt with before it makes me crazy.

4) Temperature quilt. I only have January done, so any more will be welcome progress. I had actually forgotten about it until I unearthed some of the solid fabrics in the sewing room. 

5) Work on cutting out cruise quilt.

6) Get Planters quilt put together.

It may not all get done as I have some other appointments this week plus lunch with my mom on Wednesday, but I’m leaving it here as a reminder. Any progress is good. I am linking to Quilt Schmilt. Happy stitching!

Moving Along

I had some sewing time yesterday and worked on the APQ quilt along blocks. I needed to make another F block and got that done.

I didn’t have any more of the light yellow I used on the other four—it’s been hanging around my stash for a while so I was glad to see it get used up. 

I need four of the G blocks, and I got three done.

Sewing all those little squares together is time consuming! I didn’t strip piece these so I could get a scrappier look. I don’t know when I will get the fourth one done, or if I will. I noticed there are a couple of “bonus blocks” on the Moda blog that could be substituted for any I am short on.

I will need to make five H blocks, and I’ve done two.

The yellow is a nice change. I just need to keep plugging away until I get all the blocks done.

Good Morning!

 

Well, my heart cath is over and done, and I had a cup of half-caff Saturday morning, and a Coke Zero at lunch. I’m not trying to over-do it, but I felt a celebration was in order. 

I ended up staying longer in the hospital than I had planned; I had to send my daughter back to my house to let the dogs out for a little while. Ruthie was upset that I wasn’t the one letting her out and refused to eat. Since I got home, she hasn’t let me out of her sight.

Saturday was spent on the couch watching TV—I wasn’t supposed to use my right hand for 24 hours. They inserted the camera through my right wrist. Anyway, it’s over now, and there’s no blockage and minimal plaque. The only issue is the anomalous left artery. The doctor is not sure if I will need surgery to correct it or not. I will find out on Wednesday, I guess. I’m thinking I’ve lived with it this many years with zero symptoms, but I will defer to what the experts decide. 

So no sewing was done Friday or Saturday, but I hope to make up for it today. Sitting around all day yesterday is totally out of character for me, and I’m anxious to get something done.

Decaffeinated

There hasn’t been much sewing going on here….lots of activities, but most didn’t involve a sewing machine. One of my crowns popped off on Sunday when I was eating a salad, but I luckily had an appointment scheduled for Monday morning for a cleaning and the dentist cemented the crown back on. Unfortunately, it seems the reason it popped off is because I wore a hole through the middle of it. I am going back next Monday to start the process of getting a new one made.

Tuesday I was at the hospital getting tests run on my heart. A CT scan, an echocardiogram, and a sonogram on my neck. Now I am going back on Friday to get a heart catheterization. None of this is anything I want to do. The worst part is that I can’t have caffeine before these tests. I have (had) a big ole caffeine addiction. I started weaning myself off caffeine a couple of weeks ago, and now I can do without it and not get a crashing headache. It’s amazing what you can do when you have to, but I do think the lack of caffeine is attributing to my inability to focus. 

I’ve been doing a little sewing in the evenings, mainly working on my APQ quilt along. I finally got the E and F blocks done.

I’m currently working on G. We’ll see how that goes. I feel like I’m making progress!

There was a little progress made on cutting the strips for one of the kits I want to take on my cruise. I’m assuming I can still go on the cruise—all this heart stuff I’m experiencing has me questioning everything. Anyway, I have all the color strips done, but I need 118 one-inch strips of the black.

I’m really glad I didn’t wait until the last minute to cut this one. I hope to get this one cut and maybe cut another one to take with me. 

Today is our quilt guild meeting. I was told we are supposed to bring our aprons for show and tell. That will be fun.

Working on Everything, Finishing Nothing

I put a customer quilt on the frame yesterday, and it was small enough I should have had it finished, but I couldn't stay focused. I also worked on appliqueing some centers to my flower swap blocks.

I mainly stuck with the yellow centers, except on the yellow flowers; those had to have different centers.

I didn't quite finish them. There were two blocks I forgot at home. The blocks are 9", so it will take quite a few more to make a decent sized top. I will most likely use a wide sashing to help with the size. 

The Planters quilt is laid out and ready for assembly.

I never was able to get the lighting right on this picture—-it looks better in person, I think. I was hoping to get a few rows done, but I took a break to fix something to eat. 

It’s so hard to cook for one person. I buy a pound of ground sirloin and make four Pattie’s which I freeze. I can take out one and thaw it out pretty quickly, so I alternate between hamburgers and meat patties like the picture above. I also do the Tyson chicken patties in the air fryer. Well, it’s not like I’m going hungry, just need some new ideas. Four teen boys are getting confirmed today at church, and my group is doing the breakfast. Egg casseroles. I’m not too excited about that, but I made one. I also made two dozen cinnamon rolls. I think those will more popular with the boys. 😉

What I’m Working On

It’s Friday! 

I’m still working on my APQ quilt along blocks. Remember this?

I cut all the pink and white blocks down, and now I’m getting this

I think I am jinxed on this block. I had to walk away from it for a while.

We had Brontë Bee Wednesday. Our guild does it at the library, and anyone can join us, but it is generally just us. Well, not all of us, just a core group that generally goes.

We worked on these two-yard reversible aprons:

It’s not hard, but there is a lot of pressing and topstitching, which really slows down the whole process. I had to take mine home and finish the next day. 

I’m just happy it’s finished and not a UFO.

And here’s a picture of my oldest granddaughter at a track tournament.

When I was her age, we called them track meets. Do they still call them that? I was also a hurdler. Like grandmother, like granddaughter, I guess.