rotten night

I know a lot of people who are night owls - I'm not one of them.  Here it is 12 midnight, I wake up with a coughing fit and get out of bed to avoid disturbing my hubby's sleep.  This is going on day 4 without much sleep and quite frankly, I'm tired and cranky to boot!  So what to do??? Even had a really lousy sewing day.  Tried quilting a quilt - thread kept breaking.  No patience (remember no sleep).  Decided to embroider some designs for a Row Lotto and I went to iron the white fabric.  Darn iron had (I guess) starch build up and ended up with big brown streaks across my white fabric.  So that fabric is in the wash.  Clean iron pull different fabric, stitch out design which has like a french knot for the eye of the bird I'm stitching.  I turn over to clip threads and here's a big thread nest where the french knot is.  So I cut the knot, remove the thread and decide to just hand embroider the french knot.  Easy, well not today....I got to tug the thread and it pulls right through.  The machine embroidery left a tiny hole in the fabric.  I will have to reinforce that spot with some Fray Check and redo the eye.
Anyway, after the day I've had I'm not turning on a machine when I'm this tired and cranky and besides, I'm trying to not disturb Hubby's sleep.... AH, I have an idea.  I'll go read quilt blogs.  I go here because there are so many blogs to read and it has an ad that floats as you scroll down the page and guess who now has a roaring headache.  They have revamped their site and that floating ad is the most annoying thing I've experienced in quite awhile.  Don't get me wrong, I understand that these ads help pay to maintain these sites and I certainly do appreciate that, but does it have to move down the page as you scroll?   Okay, I know, I'm cranky so on that note, I'll say I hope everyone is sleeping better than I am these days.  I love spring - I hate the allergies that it brings.....

Katie

UFOs

When I have UFOs, I know I've put too many irons in the fire!  I really do prefer to complete something before moving on.  Now that's not saying that I don't have some 'samples' laying around.  I'll see something I'd like to learn the technique and I pull out scraps and give it a try - therefore, samples!  I have 8 quilts that I need to get quilted for Quilters for Comfort but as I was getting the batting ready for those, I discovered that I also have 3 quilts that I've made that I need to quilt.  One quilt that I need to add just side borders to as it needs to be wider but not necessarily longer. I have a 'tropical fish' quilt that I need to border.... And here I am starting the New York Beauty QAL, I'm leisurely taking my time with the Farmer's Wives blocks and as if that isn't enough, I decided I wanted to make a Feathered Star from Marsha McKloskey's book.  I think I need to make myself a schedule to get done what I have waiting...... Maybe UFOs should be renamed "Ladies in Waiting".....
Okay, I'm just rambling... but sometimes I do that :-)
Oh, Disney was great fun.  Weather was perfect.  Cool mornings, pleasant afternoons.  The time spent with family absolutely priceless!  I did come home with a bit of cold, though.  I'm thinking not enough sleep and definitely not the healthiest of eating while there.
I worked this block up in EQ.  I  will work on it after the Ladies in Waiting have moved on

Til next time
Katie

NYB Quilt Along

Like I don't have enough to do :-)  But I really love New York Beauty blocks and I do enjoy paper piecing so I simply couldn't pass this up....... I've done a few of these blocks in the past and they are so nice.... But I did them really scrappy and it was years ago when I was first starting to paper piece.  I'm hoping I've improved and I will pull some fabrics and be a bit more 'organized' in my fabric selections.  I did go and join the Flickr group as well.  Because I'm joining in a little late, there are already some really nice blocks posted there.  I had planned on packing and getting ready for the trip to Disneyland today, but I think that can wait until tomorrow :-)  Today will be making a couple NYB blocks to catch up.....
Stay tuned...


Katie

strings

I love Bonnie Hunter.  I love her approach to organizing your scraps (even though I don't organize), I love her mysteries - I have downloaded several.  Then I get hung up on doing the string blocks.....  I consider sewing string blocks mindless sewing (just my opinion, I am not calling anyone mindless here).  Now mind you, I don't mind being mindless, I just can't do very much for very long.  And, I do love the look of string blocks and I have a stack (if you can call 10 or 12 a stack) of 6 X 9 that is in my scrap bin and ever so often I pull out my bin and make a few string blocks - maybe someday I'll actually have enough to make something more than a placemat :-)
Okay, so what's this all about???  Is there an organized way to make string blocks?  Am I missing something?  I'd love to read some tips, tricks, advice, whatever anyone has to say about how they get a quantity of string blocks accomplished.  I take all my trimming strips and throw (remember I'm not an organizer) them into THE bin, and of course because of this, whenever I decide to do some strip blocks, it's take the iron (which sits right next to machine) and press, then sew, trim, etc...  OKAY, and if I was giving advice to me the first thing I'd say is "well, press those strips and put them neatly in a smaller bin"  and my answer to self would be "I did do that - for about 5 minutes!"  See not only am I not a very good organizer, I also have no patience TO organize.....
SO.... any help truly would be very much appreciated,

Katie 

You've read it before......

I know, I know, you've read it before but I truly am sorry about my inconsistent blogging.  No real excuses, I just don't blog if I don't think I have something that someone would be interested in reading.  I have joined the "Leisurely Wife QAL" (see button to the right) and I did make up these blocks:

I suppose I should give the name as titled in the book, but there have been some posts regarding copyright complaint from the author, so I will just say that I did start at the beginning of the book and will work my way through.  I did purchase the Companion CD from EQ so I could paper piece the more 'difficult' blocks.  I believe in making my life easier whenever possible :-)
I have also been getting some quilting done for Quilters for Comfort.  I had (still have) quite a stack to get done so I am doing simple freemotion meander on most of them.  My previous post shows the Smilebox presentation for the quilt done for a QFC member undergoing chemo and radiation for brain cancer.
My granddaughter, Kari, is going to her first prom tonight.  I will post pictures later.  I am so excited for her.  She has been planning for her prom since the beginning of the school year.  We went fabric shopping for her dress and she chose a beautiful light blue satin tapestry for the bodice and a lightly sparkled light blue satin for the skirt - it turned out quite nice if I do say so myself :-)  This afternoon she is trusting this grandma to do her hair (we did do a 'dry run').  I will so look forward to hearing all about her evening tomorrow.  She is such a special young lady.
I will head out for Disney with my son and his family on the 18th - always so much fun.  Each year (though I hate to admit it), I find it a little more effort to keep up with the long strides of my son (6'1") and his wife (5'11").  The kids so far - we're good (well unless they want to run!!!)
I do appreciate all who are still stopping by in hopes (or wonder) that I may actually post something...
Until next time, I hope spring is springing wherever you live - we had a very mild winter, but I still hate anything below 75 degrees!

Katie