Make-A-List Monday: Randomness

Boy, at the beginning of the week, I thought my plans were all set and ready to go.

Yeah, total derail over here.

One, I started packing for our move. No, no word on the house, but we still have to be out of this house at the end of May. So I figured I'd get some early packing done. I started with my sewing room, with projects that I knew I wouldn't finish or even want to start before the move. This got me thinking about what I could get done and before you knew it, I was finishing up projects.

I blame Sarah too. She announced the H2H and I suddenly found myself pulling fabric that would work well together (gasp - am I about to do something scrappy?). So those projects are pulled. One is cut out already. I'm excited to use up these languishing fabrics and share some quilty love.

But, for habit's sake, we'll just look at that list from last week, shall we? Here goes:

• Finish three flimsies - yep, three!

Well, I finished two, just not two of the three I wanted to finish. How's that for confusing? I finished the Delft Blue Dutch Pinwheels (one for H2H), and I finally, FINALLY, pieced the border for my Sew Cherry Granny quilt. I love it. A lot. My husband is on board with painting our bedroom aqua (I know, right?), and so I want my coordinating quilts ready for my bed. I'll quilt this one on my sister-in-law's long arm.

I'd show you the whole quilt, but it's huge. Queen-sized and my husband wasn't around to hold it up for me. This might be one to hang off the deck in the back yard. Here is a picture of it before the borders.

• Finish Simple Life Dottie blocks

Yeah, no. I have to trim all the blocks down and I hate that part. So I did what any self-respecting quilter does. I worked on something else!

• Make two bee blocks

This I did do, but I gave myself a headache doing it. Can I just say that terms like "gender neutral" do not appeal to me. What they really mean is no flowers, butterflies, or girly colors. Because my girl would be more than happy with dragons, dinosaurs, blues, oranges, reds, yellows and greens. And I'm drawn to girly fabrics. So it was a struggle to find something bright and non-girly in my stash. In the end, I figured rainbowy stuff is pretty gender neutral.

On to this week. Oh boy do I have plans!

• Piece the three flimsies I meant to piece last week - 2 scrappy trips and my Gypsy Girl patchwork
• Prep fabric for semi-annual cut-a-thon - I 'splained yesterday what that is, exactly
• Finish Strawberry Fields Shortcake blocks

There. Just three, but a lot of work in those three.

Make-A-List Monday Week Four, the evening edition

Oh, the plans we make!

I didn't consult with this little missy when I made my over-the-top ambitious plans last week.

All six months of her cute self is currently miserably cutting two teeth, conquering crawling and not napping. Makes for an unhappy baby and an unhappy mama.

Who, me?

I did get a few things done. Mr. Law Student was kind enough to make sure I regained some sanity. He's awesome like that. And what time he couldn't give me I snuck in where I could. Even if it was 10 p.m. and I only finished one block. Still makes me feel good.

See, this is my list I post next to my sewing machine. So sewing one block means I get to "X" off one block. It's nice that way.

On to progress!

• Sew 16 Sew Cherry granny squares

More on this one below. But I love.

• Sew 17 PKM pinwheels

Yes indeedy, all done!

• Sew 10 Dresden plates

Um, if there were a stove in my sewing room, these would be on the back burner. Zippo progress on these girls. Like I said, I was distracted this week.

• Cut and sew sashing for granny squares top

Cut, sashed and CUTE! Had to enlist my 6 foot 2, eyes of blue Law Student to take a picture of this baby. She's big! With the borders, she'll be perfect for my bed. Now I have to come up with some pillow shams/cases.

• Cut and sew sashing for PKM pinwheels top - I've cut the sashing, but I'm debating on a few things - Should I put squares in there, or mini pinwheels (I'm just crazy enough to sew 20 of 'em) - thoughts are welcome!

• Plan border for granny squares top

If browsing around flickr counts as planning, then yes, yes I did plan. I like this border, this border, and this border. Equally. For different reasons. The second and third ones maybe just a smidgen more, only because I still have quite a few squares left, but those could always go to make a pillow shams. Thoughts? Votes?

I totally forgot to mention this, but this is another distraction that arrived on Friday afternoon:

That would be 280 color wheel charm squares, with some black, grey and white thrown in. I know, gorgeous, right?

So if you are interested in a stack of your own, I've just joined another one (because let's face it, two of those stacks would be so much better!). There's still quite a few spots. It's five yards of brights - no batiks or solids or pastels. My kind o' swap. Come and play. You will not regret it!

On to this week's goals. I'm keeping it simple:

• Sew together pinwheel top
• Cut fabric for pinwheel top and granny square borders
  

That's it. Just two this time!

What's on your list for this week?

Make-A-List Monday Week Three

Happy Monday to you! Hope you had a glorious Easter weekend. We visited my parents - mom's birthday was yesterday, so it was fun to get together with some of my siblings and have a good time.

Now, back to reality. Well, reality follows me, even to my parents. But back to my home and my reality!

Here's what I had planned to finish last week:

• Sew 10 more granny squares (shhh, I'm going to try for 16, but 10 is my minimum)

I hit my minimum, which was 10. Since Friday and Saturday were spent at my parents' house, I really only had through Thursday to sew. Still, I'm up to 40, which means I only need sixteen more and then I get started on the sashing and borders. Hip hip!

• Sew 10 more Dresden plates

Somehow I miscounted and I only had 48 last week (sorry if you feel you've been lied to - I felt the same way!). So I had to make 12 of these beauties to make an honest woman out of myself. Stacked up against a Dr. Pepper can - my stack is getting pretty tall! FYI - no end in sight!

• Sew 10 PKM pinwheels (I have 30 to do)

These big beauties (measure almost 15" square!) are coming together so fast. I got a little carried away and made 13. Good times. I'm using this tutorial for those who want to know.

• Photograph and blog my goals for the 2nd quarter FAL

See Saturday's post. I'm getting a little ambitious, but I think I can do it if I focus. And my baby girl cooperates. My husband is doing a summer internship, so I'm going to bond with my running shoes and sewing machine while he's gone. These goals will help me get through his absence I hope.

• Finish my cake mini

I didn't. I would have if I'd been home Friday and Saturday. But I didn't. Grrr. Hate not being able to cross something off the list!

Okay, moving on.

For this week, I want to:

• Sew 16 Sew Cherry granny squares
  
• Sew 17 PKM pinwheels
• Sew 10 Dresden plates
• Cut and sew sashing for granny squares top
• Cut and sew sashing for PKM pinwheels top
• Plan border for granny squares top

There we have it. Have to run to the grocery store this morning, and then it's off to the races again. Hope you've got amazing goals this week!

Make-A-List Monday Week Two

Happy Monday to you!

Did you pull any April Fool's day pranks yesterday? I thought about it. For a split second. Then I remembered that when you play a prank on my husband, he retaliates. No thanks.

I love lists. Especially lists with lines through them. Confession: I sometimes will write something down on my to-do list just so I can cross it off right away. True story.

But I didn't have to do that last week. Here's what I wanted to do:

• Sew 10 Sew Cherry granny squares

Done. I actually did 13 because I already had 17 and I hate it when I have an odd number of things. Aren't they pretty?

• Sew 10 PKM Dresden plates

My stack is growing.

• Finish my new bag

Did I not say I would finish three new bags? Huh. Have to edit that later. But this is the one I was meaning to finish:

• Finish my cell phone sleeve

Don't make explain that yes, it does have to match the bag. And that I've got two others that match the other two new bags. Or that I'm looking at my wallet and wondering if I can make three new ones out of the scraps so that they match. Just don't.

• Press color wheel swap fabric, cut and ship

Done, sorted and shipped. Now the waiting game for my gorgeous rainbow o' fabric.

• Prep fabric for weekend cutting

Um, why didn't I also say I would actually do the cutting? Don't have pics of the prep because I have pics of the progress!

I cut out my Ruby flannel fat quarters, my Ruby charm squares (which may or may not be used for a granny square quilt - I'm aware of my obsession, but it's a healthy fixation in comparison to french fries or Magnum bars), and a Pam Kitty Morning pinwheel quilt. Oh, and a boatload of 2.5" white squares to finish those loverly grannies. But you don't want to see a giant stack of squares. But the rest? Sure!

See? I lie not.

Phew. I was a busy girl. But I love having projects prepped and ready to sew. I'd rather do two days of cutting and then a whole bunch of days sewing than cut/sew all the time. Ick.

But then I also eat the green and yellow Skittles first because I like them the least. I save the red ones for last because they are my favorite.

And so for this week:

• Sew 10 more granny squares (shhh, I'm going to try for 16, but 10 is my minimum)
• Sew 10 more Dresden plates
• Sew 10 PKM pinwheels (I have 30 to do)
• Photograph and blog my goals for the 2nd quarter FAL - I'm aiming high! Check it out and join in the fun!
  
• Finish my cake mini

We're celebrating Easter at my mom and dad's house, so I've got to get all this done by Thursday night. Yikes! Better get started!

Finish it up Friday: the one with lots of rain

I'm not going to complain about the rain. I love it.

Gene Kelly and I are crazy like that. He's crazier than I am though. He's out dancing in it. I'm just inside making awesome soup and rolls.

Rain makes me think of Christmas. I spent my childhood on the Southern Oregon coast, so it was always raining at Christmas. Well, it was always raining, but that's not the point. Rain = Christmas.

So I made myself a couple little Christmas, er, late birthday gifts.

I didn't need a new bag. I certainly didn't need two. But need vs. want are two different things. And this Now We're Goin' Places print and I were MFEO (movie reference - do you know it?). My first car, the one I bought for myself, was a 1973 VW Superbeetle. Orange.

Yeah, I love this fabric.
And my poor little smartphone (did I have a dumb phone before?) needed a protective covering. So she got one too. Tutorial/pattern found here, although you should measure your phone first and adjust accordingly. I didn't and now my daughter has version 1.0.


And I'm loving this pattern - the Bow Tucks Tote. Might be my new favorite. And it has pockets. Glorious pockets. For keys and gum and phones and pens and fishy crackers and, well, you get the idea.

I like it so much I made another in some of my favorite Pam Kitty Morning prints. A matching cell phone sleeve is forthcoming because, well, it HAS to match. Silly.

There may or may not be another one in the works. Okay, there is, in more PKM (blues and yellows). It's darling and almost done. These bags are super fast. The instructions are very clear with good illustrations so you don't get lost. And one will be designated my playdate project bag so I can take some embroidery or crochet along to playdates to keep my hands busy while we chat - win win for me. I can't stand just sitting. Can't do it.

I'm up to 50 Dresdens now. No end in sight, but I can get 10 done in one day and wipe my weekly goal off the list. This stack makes me a little lightheaded, they're so pretty.
And I'm up to 30 Sew Cherry granny squares. I think I need something like 56 or a hundred. Can't remember. But these are fun and the challenge of mixing up the colors and not making the same block twice is good for my brain.
Tomorrow is a cutting day - listening to General Conference (see previous post for explanation if you need one) and cutting out a whole bunch o' fabric for several different projects.

Linking up with crazy mom quilts again (love her log cabin pillow - my couch needs some pillow goodness like these), and Confessions of a Fabric Addict. Sarah has some lovely feedsack blocks and a quilt top up for auction (proceeds to benefit her quilt ministry). If that's your schtick, check it out!

Have a lovely weekend. If you have sunshine, be sure to be grateful for it and think of my soggy self (who might get sick of it if I don't see the sun soon).

Finish it up Friday: the one without an official finish

But 14 Granny squares all done is something to celebrate, no?

I'm liking these old girls. They are just sweet, not only to look at but to sew as well. My husband has already been warned that this quilt will go on our bed. He's cool with it. Doesn't care much so long as he's warm.

And I did find my motivation. Turns out sleep helps - who knew?

I started a bag. I will finish the blasted thing by next Friday if it kills me (and it just might, so my husband might have to blog it for me which might be interesting). And my little cell phone sleeping bag turned out to be too small. So I'm remaking that as well.

Not a bad week, all things considered.

Linking up with crazy mom quilts, who has a fun quilt top done this week!

WIP Wednesday: spring break with granny

Just playing with grannies this week. My law student is on his spring break (although there is snow on the ground!), so I'm trying to get as much done with him home as possible.

And it's my birthday on Sunday! Wish I could be more excited about it, but I have to make my cake and my birthday dinner, so it's really just another day. Except I'll be able to say I'm 35. Thirty-five. Five and thirty. Seems like a lot o' years to me. Not complaining. Birthdays just seem to get more boring and uneventful the older I get. I guess I'll decide how much fun it's going to be.

Have a great week - we'll see if I have a finish for Friday - I've got some potholders in the works (funny story about those!).

Linking up:

Bring on the Grannies!

Hee hee. That title makes me giggle.

In honor of the start of the granny square quilt-a-long (time to cut yer fabric, ladies), I thought I'd share some laughs with you.

Beauty Queen Grannies

Source: izismile.com via Jennie on Pinterest

Grannies on Broadway with walkers

Source: jkstheatrescene.blogspot.com via Jennie on Pinterest

Grannies with guns - my kind o' grannies

Source: ascrivenerslament.blogspot.com via Jennie on Pinterest

A four generation shot - from l to r: my oldest daughter (youngest wasn't born yet), me, my gran and my mom

I lost my Gran 9 months ago. She was a fiesty little Southern lady who made the world's greatest biscuits and taught me how to make coconut cake and lemon meringue pie. She was a quilter herself and I miss her every day.

So my granny squares quilt will be a little tribute to her. My second tribute. My first was this little lady:

Miss Caroline Mae, named after her Great-Gran. They missed each other by a few months, although I have a sneaking suspicion that my Gran was filling her in on our crazy family during that overlap.

Hope you join the quilt-a-long. It's gonna be a fun one!

Finish it up Friday: the one where I'm most certainly not a robot

What's that?

I'm most certainly not a robot?

She's gone nuts over here.

Most likely because I'm having to prove over and over again that I'm not a robot.

I have the word verification thingy turned off, and here's why. I never get spam. Perhaps I'm not important enough, or popular enough, to be bothered with. Either way, hasn't happened.

Now, if I do get a couple here and there, I'd rather I have to just delete it than torment the people nice enough to comment on my blog with straining their eyes, trying to figure out two blurry, sometimes nonsense words. Not going to do that to you. It's my way of saying "Thanks for commenting!"

Phew. I'm done. But I urge you to seriously consider turning it off. Just try it. If you get spam, blame me and turn it back on if the spam annoys you that much.

Okay, on to the finishes!

I've blogged two of these this week, but I have different pictures this time, so they are kinda new to the awesome 17 followers I have. By the way - I got a little giddy when the number hit 15. Don't know what I'll do when/if I ever get to something really big, like 30!

This first is my Happy Campers postage stamp quilt. It's going to be my husband's birthday present, which is why there isn't a full shot, as his 6'2" self was not allowed to hold it up.

So this is what happens when you hold it yourself and ask your six-year-old son to take the picture:

Cool, but not what I was going for. At least it's so blurry you can't tell that I need to sweep.

A roll-up shot. I love a good roll-up shot. I'm working on mine.
And I love a plaid binding.

I needed to wrap up in it after I stood in my sludgy lawn (the snow is melted and the homeowners we rent from never much cared if they had grass or mud, so it's mostly mud).

Next is a baby boy quilt that I hope goes to my darling friend who is expecting her sixth child. The first five were girls, so we're crossing our fingers on this one.


The last two finishes are just fun little ones. My son William (who can't take a picture) asked for a book basket he can put on his bed. I spent some (okay, a lot) time on Pinterest looking for an idea. I found this one and adjusted the size so the books would fit.
I like it okay, but I need to play around with it some more. I want the sides higher, and I want to add handles next time. My daughter wants some for her doll clothes. I like them because they don't break like the plastic bins do.

And there were square scraps when I was all done with the fabric baskets (I made four). So I made a quilt for William's bear and bird. His sister has a gazillion doll quilts and he needed one for his animals. Happy to oblige.
I backed it with the glow-in-the-dark star fabric that's on his yet-to-be-quilted R2D2 quilt.

And now, the progress. Working on one of my mini quilts - this one is selfishly all about me. I love cake. LOVE cake. I got a baking and pastry degree for Pete's sake. Yes, I love cake.

So I found this paper piecing pattern and decided to make six slices. One for six of my favorite cakes: carrot, red velvet, old-fashioned birthday cake, devil's food, lemon and coconut. The coconut is not working out well - white cake with white frosting is tough to execute. But it's my favorite favorite. What to do. Still, what do you think?
The carrot cake is pretty bright orange though, right? I might remake it with a softer orange if I can find one in my stash. That one is a little over the top, but it works.

Last, I've been cutting granny square prep while my kids do their lessons. I busted out my Sew Cherry FQ bundle and have been happily slicing and dicing. The quilt along is starting next week. Can't wait!

Linking up today with crazy mom quilts and

Check them all out. It's my favorite thing to do on Fridays, to browse all the finishes and progress. And leave nice comments. Even if I have to prove I'm not a robot perpetually!

ETA: I can't believe I keep forgetting to blog my super fave finish this week:

Source: swagbucks.com via Jennie on Pinterest

Seriously. Loved. This. Finish.

Red dress? Snowy proposal? Can't beat it. I'll be watching it over and over again until the new season comes out. Love my Downton Abbey.