WIP Wednesday: I surrender!

Waving the white flag over here.

I surrender to the madness that is the scrappy trip along. I held out pretty well, don't you think?

I will confess it is not purely scrappy. My little OCD brain can't handle that just yet. I had all that London fabric left over from Christmas and thought I'd make a Trip Around London quilt. I pulled everything red, blue and yellow I had and I'm happily making blocks whilst watching Downton Abbey. Oh, and I threw a little Madrona Road text in there, just for fun. And I had to have the solid white to rest my eyes on.

I get why this is such a popular quilt to make.

Oh, and I made my second block for my do.Good Stitches bee. Wanted to try out a churn dash.

Love how it came together, but I'm not sold on low-volume. Add it to my list of quilty quirks. I might have to make a full on confession one of these days, but it may make me unpopular!

Linking up, because I certainly do have works in progress today!

Comfort

Finished my word block for the do.Good Stitches bee. Low volume and ever' thing! Kinda proud of myself. First time doing the freezer paper version of paper piecing. I do like Elizabeth Hartman's refrigerator magnet pattern. Very user friendly, and great instructions.

Now what to do for my second block? I was going to do more words, but phew, those are lots of work! Thought about a churn dash using this aqua, some grey and white. We'll see what I decide tomorrow I guess!

Linking up!

Blah blah, boring, blah blah

I seriously don't know what my problem is lately. I'm all over the place, sewing-wise. Oh, heck, I'm all over the place life-wise.

Love the idea that we're moving. Hate the actual moving. Where's my fairy godmother? I don't need a pumpkin coach or a fancy dress. I just want my house packed and moved. Not happening, but a girl can dream, no?

It's too early to do any serious packing, so I'm trying to crank out flimsies. Because it's easier to move flimsies, right? That's what I'm telling myself.

Here's my stack o' flimsies thus far:

So life isn't really all that boring. Just don't/won't have any fabulous finishes for a while. I've got lots of tops prepped and ready (and a lovely list to keep track of them all!).

Instead, just baby steps. Here is what I did last week:

I'm making two Dottie quilts out of my Simple Life FQ bundle. A twin-ish sized one for my oldest girl, and a toddler bed-sized one for my baby girl. They will be sharing a room once we move and I'm determined to have it look nice. For a day. Until my daughter and her dragons and LPS toys move in. But I'll take a picture first!

I've got to get more white fabric (I just order it by the bolt from FQS) to finish the blocks and do the sashing. Still, makes me happy to have the blocks mostly done.

I've still got a mountain o' trimming to do on my Hello Sunshine blocks.

And I have to get my do.good stitches blocks done. Today, really. And mailed tomorrow or Wednesday!

I've laid out the rest of my Gypsy Girl quilt. Gonna stitch that one up soon. But first, I get to make my husband a birthday present. It's completely random, but he requested it, so I can't say no.

And then we've got an epic spring break trip coming up in two weeks. Even though vacations mean more work for me, I'm excited to leave the house and go play with my family. No sewing for me, true, but no studying for my husband, so I refuse to see the downside to this. And I'll take some embroidery with me for the road. Because the first day is going to be a LONG one. Think I'm going to work on my Halloween stitchery. So it can be done for THIS Halloween!

Here's another silly thought that occurred to me. We're staying in a hotel for two nights, and, well, nights at the hotel can be rather boring once the kids are in bed. Can't really watch TV. So I thought I'd take the quilt blocks that I have done and lay them out in one of the banquet halls. I used to work in a hotel, and I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask to use all the gorgeous empty space for an hour or two. Leave the husband in the room reading a book and actually get something done. Crazy, or brilliant? There's a fine line . . .

And here's my latest Pinterest obsession. I ordered Lori Holt's half-hexie templates and I can't wait to create something awesome. Like these:

Source: etsy.com via Jennie on Pinterest

Source: generationqmagazine.com via Jennie on Pinterest

Liebster Blog Award

Thank you Jennifer from Glinda Quilts for nominating me. I wish I was in a fabulous gown with a Harry Winston diamond necklace and my husband in a fabulous tux, but my jeans and sweater will have to do. 

The Liebster Blog Award is given by bloggers to up-and-coming bloggers, most of whom have less than 200 followers (I'm dying to reach that 200 mark!). It's to show new bloggers they are appreciated and to help spread the word about new blogs.

Along with the fabulous award, there are a few rules.

1. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
2. Answer the 11 questions given by your nominator
3. Create 11 new questions for those you nominate
4. Choose 11 new blogs and link them to your post - although since I don't give a fig for rules like this, just come up with some new blogs. I did nine. I'm a rebel like that.

 So, let's get started!

11 Random Things About Moi:

1. When I was in grade school, I told the lunch lady I was allergic to applesauce. 
2. I played the sousaphone in the marching band in high school. Yes, I went to band camp. It was awesome! I also play the flute, French horn, trumpet, and a myriad of percussion instruments. I'm quite talented with the triangle and cymbals. There is actually technique involved, I promise.
3. I am named after someone called Virginia. Her nickname was Ginny and so my parents named me Jennie. But they pronounce it more like Ginny. Confused yet? Try to be a "just Jennie" born in the 70s, surrounded by Jennifers. If I had a dollar for every time I had to correct someone, I'd have a lot of dollars. Or just more fabric.
4. My husband bought me a pistol for Mother's Day a few years back. Good times my friends. It's one of our favorite date night activities, to go to the range. 
5. I have six brothers, no sisters.
6. I like math. But I majored in creative writing. Go figure.
7. I dream of opening my own bakery someday.
8. I have a scar on my right wrist an inch long. I burned my arm by spilling hot blackberry cobbler on it and it blistered something fierce. I still like blackberry cobbler though.
9. I want to live in the country with a big garden, chickens and a couple of pigs. I may or may not plan on wearing overalls. Wellies for sure. These ones: 

Source: nowmagazine.co.uk via Jennie on Pinterest
10. I am an aspiring novelist who seriously lacks confidence in that arena. But not lacking ideas.
11. I am obsessed with Mary Crawley's eyebrows on Downton Abbey. Would it be creepy to make a quilt devoted to them? I'm only kidding. But they are fabulous, no?

Now, the answers to Jennifer's questions:

How did you start patchwork and quilting?

I made my first quilt when I was 19. A double Irish chain. Solid yellow, a French blue check and a pretty white on white flower print. I still have it. I love it. I made another two right after (I was a bit of a geeky 20-something). I had to return my mom's sewing machine when I headed off to culinary school.

My husband bought me my own machine right after we got married (see, it's all his fault!). I made a baby quilt for my oldest daughter, and another Irish chain for my parents' German exchange student, but I really took the fall about 4 years ago. I started reading quilting blogs and dreaming of quilts when I was supposed to be paying attention in my college classes! When I graduated from college (two summers ago), my husband surprised me with a Juki TL-2000Qi. Love my Juki.

What do you wish you were good at?

Writing. I love quilting, but for me, I don't have the talent for originality. I love the patterns I see, but I don't see myself ever designing them. With writing, I have characters and story ideas that could only come from my little head. I can't wait for the day when I can devote more time to writing. Sewing is a practical hobby for me right now because it can be interrupted. Kind of important right now. But someday. Someday.

Is your glass half empty or half full?

Overflowing, and I couldn't love it more!

Do you speak another language? If not, which one would you like to speak?

I took French and Italian in college. I am not fluent, but I can understand quite a bit. I am, however, fluent in Pig Latin.

Do you feed the birds?

Always. Although in Seattle, we weren't allowed to feed the ducks on the lake. It's not good for them.

What's your favorite movie?

Well, since I'm feeling sentimental, I'd say this one is:

  

My husband took me to see this movie on our first date, 12 years ago today! Great movie, great man, great marriage!

Do you prefer hot or cold puddings?

Yes.

Just kidding. Totally depends. I love warm brownies (turtle brownies, with caramel and pecans), but I love ice cream too (Ben and Jerry's Half Baked or Cookie Dough). Cheesecake is high on the list. Cookies are always welcome. Really, a difficult question for someone who studied pastry!  My grandad always said he liked two kinds of pie: hot and cold. That about sums it up for me.

If you could time travel, where would you go?

Just for a visit? Okay, I'd go to the 1950s for some clothes. And a date night at the drive-in. Stop off in the late 19th century for a quilting bee and some more clothes. The off to Regency England to chat with Jane Austen. Then Paris after WWII to hang out with Julia Child. But really, I'm happy where I am.

Do you like singing, and if so, what's your favorite song?

I do like singing. I'm a country music fan most days, and my daughter and I both like singing along with Blake Shelton's "Honey Bee." I also like Josh Groban. "Awake" is my favorite of his. Actually, there are lots of favorites when it comes to Josh Groban. And when it's Christmastime, I'm always singing! I was also raised on musicals (my mom is a fantastic singer!), so it's possible I break into song like "Oklahoma" or "Singin' In the Rain" at any moment. It's a curse, really. My husband is learning to deal with it.

What's your favorite time of day and why?

The five minutes the house is quiet before I fall asleep.

If you had to change your name, what would you change it to?

Is this like a "witness protection program" name change? My favorite girl name that I didn't get to use because my husband didn't like it: Megan. As in Megan Follows, the best Anne ever! I'd dye my hair red and everything.

And now, my nominees (this is the hardest part!):

Megan at Tales of Ineptitude (love her xplusalong quilt)
Lee at Lala's Lovelys Quilting
Mina at Kinda Quilty
Adrianne at On the Windy Side
Wendy at Late to Create (who isn't the only one late to the Swoon-fest!)
Jeneta at Plum Jam
Karen at Ramblings of a Novice Quilter
Shanna at Sparrow in Flight
Emma at Patchwork and Pins

And my eleven questions for you:

1. What sewing/quilting technique are you desperate to try but are a little afraid of?
2. What is your favorite color combination?
3. Are you a fan of Valentine's Day? Have you had a memorable one?
4. Late night or early morning? Why?
5. Tulips or daffodils?
6. Favorite James Bond actor?
7. Pre-cuts or yardage?
8. What would be the best birthday gift?
9. Favorite sewing outfit?
10. What do you snack on when you sew?
11. Quilting tool you just can't live without . . . 

Okay! That's it!

Make-A-List Monday: block party!

Since it's been two weeks since my last Monday list posting, we'll just start fresh. I like that idea.

I loved finding out about all the other English geeks like me. It's nice to know I'm not alone!

I've joined one of the do.Good stitches bees. We're doing word blocks this month, and I'm figuring things out. It's low volume, which is the anti-thesis of me, but I just might find something that will work. The words I've chosen are "comfort" and "silver lining" - these quilts are going to a women's shelter, and I thought those words would be good fits. I'm pulling fabrics and will get started this week on those. Would a light aqua be okay? I've got some gray and some light yellow, but I'm really struggling with this one!

Okay, so the actual list:

• pull fabrics for do.good stitches bee blocks - print off letters!
• trim the HST blocks for my Hello Sunshine Jacob's Ladder - there are a lot of these! Thank goodness for old episodes of Downton Abbey

• cut the fabric for my Flirt Briar Rose quilt
• start cutting strips for that quilt I'm trying to avoid

That's all. Those Hello Sunshine blocks are going to be time consuming anyway. And I'm going out of town Saturday through Tuesday. But I'm taking some cutting projects with me so I have something to do while I'm at my mom's house.

Now here's another thought for you: I'm already planning our family pictures this summer (my cousin is a photographer). I want to use a quilt in them. I've seen so very many cute pictures of families on quilts, kids wrapped in quilts, couples wrapped in quilts, that I must use one in my photo shoot.

Here's where I start to over-think things. Which quilt do I choose? And do I coordinate our outfits with the quilt? I know. I'm a dork. I don't want us to clash with it, but I don't want us to blend in either. Decisions, decisions!

Here are the two quilts I'm trying to decide between:

I know, two triangle quilts. But I need one that's big enough. I'm leaning towards the Lucy's Crab Shack quilt, but not enough to start shopping for clothes. And I'm getting some Glamping fabric soon, so I might just go with that quilt. But who knows!

Thoughts? And yes, you can tell me I'm a total dork. I can handle it.

Flimsy Friday Finish

How's that for alliteration?

Sorry. Just the English major coming out. Hang on a sec while I shut her up with a book.

'Mmkay. She'll be quiet for hours now. (Oh how I wish that 1. sitting a reading uninterrupted were even possible and 2. that I looked this lovely whilst reading. Yep. I just said whilst.)

I've been busy. I decided to rid myself of all guilt, or pressure, or whatever emotion you want to attach to this need to get everything finished. Right. Now.

So this girl is just going to crank out flimsies until the cows come home. Or until we move. We might move before the cows get an inkling that this is home. I certainly hope so.

Here are this week's finishes. Yep. FinishES. Plural. Note that to make a word plural you do not, DO NOT, use an apostrophe. Sorta a pet peeve.

Uh-oh. She's back. Must be out of Swiss Rolls.

Anyway. The finished flimsies:

First, my Flirt 9-patch. My husband got me a jelly roll for Christmas (he's learning!) and I knew this was the quilt I wanted to make. (Used this Moda Bakeshop tutorial)

Love the pieced border. Love this fabric line.

The second is almost finished. I need to get some Posy yardage, but this is the main bit. It's for my oldest girl. She has a daybed, so I didn't want it too wide. I used this Fig Tree pattern, but modified it to make 32 blocks.

You like?

Here is the progress on my Gypsy Girl patchwork. This one should be officially titled "world's hardest quilt to lay out!" Doesn't help I have a little helper who likes to rearrange my blocks. Because I didn't do it right!

 

*He's holding it sideways, just so's you know. This is really how wide it's going to be. Kinda confusing, but it made more sense this way. I didn't think you wanted to see a picture of a pair of blue jeans topped with a quilt. I like to look at my husband's legs, but I'm not going to share!

Still, I'm halfway done, which is oh so nice. This is going to be a guest room quilt (when I finally get a guest room!). With some lovely eyelet bordered bed sheets and some great pillows. I can't wait!

And I actually have a finish finish this week.

Just a wallet, but still, a finish!

I was using one of these little wallets and it worked, but it didn't work. I was having to shove dollar bills and coins in my pocket, which meant I was laundering money later (don't care for the sound of change in the dryer), or losing money because my kids "found" a dollar in the laundry. This doesn't mean my kids actually do laundry, but they do dig through it from time to time because I can't always be bothered with sorting, folding and putting away. Those little wallets are really more suited for kids who only have to keep track of library cards and such.

Wow, way more than you needed to know! But here she is:

With card slots (although I need more!), a spot for dollars (when I'm lucky enough to have cash), a zipper pocket for change, an accordian pocket for coupons that will expire before I remember they are there. And some other pockets just cuz. I used this pattern, but I just measured the pieces and cut them out with my rotary cutter rather than deal with pattern pieces.

I love it. I used up a scrap piece of my fancy schmancy Paris linen fabric that I bought on impulse in Seattle like 3 years ago (or more). 

Linking up with Amanda Jean and Sarah for a fabulous Friday! Hope you have a great weekend!