Make-A-List Monday: Taking Names!

I love being productive. Love love love it! I love crossing things off my list. I sometimes add things I've finished to my to-do list just so I can another thing crossed off. True story. With five awesome kids around all day, I don't always get to get much done.

Here's my list from last week:

• Piece the three flimsies I meant to piece last week - 2 scrappy trips and my Gypsy Girl patchwork

Done! Here they are (curse the rain and wind, but I got pictures at least!):

My PKM scrappy trips. I originally was going to do it just like the London trips, with small diamonds, but that dark green fabric was always drawing my eye, no matter where I put it. So I figured I'd just make it front and center and then it wouldn't bug me. Glad I did that.

My Gypsy Girl patchwork. Never again will I think that it's "so easy" to make a simple patchwork. Maybe it is if you aren't a smidge OCD like me, but this took forEVER to lay out because I couldn't have similar colors or patterns too close together, if I could help it, and I had to take deep breaths when it couldn't be avoided. But it's done and I love it. My girly loves it too, which is good because it's going in her blanket chest for the winter!

My London trips. I'm so glad I used the white. Love this one. My 6'2", eyes of blue husband has claimed this one. Finally a quilt he can bury himself in! His mother is also from London so he says it should naturally be his. No arguments here.

• Prep fabric for semi-annual cut-a-thon - I 'splained here what that is, exactly

Prepped and cut it all while listening to the most amazing, uplifting talks. Great great weekend. Even got started on some blocks:

These are for one of my H2H quilts. I pulled all the pinks, greens (that were the right color), and browns. I'm using this pattern, which is pretty simple and straightforward, but it comes out looking pretty fantastic. I obviously can't share the process with you, but it is layer cake friendly, and I just used stuff from my stash.

• Finish Strawberry Fields Shortcake blocks

All done and ready to lay out.

So, as for this week, here are my new plans:

• Piece Hello Sunshine Jacob's Ladder blocks

I trimmed these during my cut-a-thon this past weekend. Took me FOUR hours to do it. I know, because I started it during the first session on Saturday, and finally finished it when the second session concluded. Now I've just gotta get these blocks done.

• Piece borders for Posy Kiss Me quilt

Cut the pieces for this during my cut-a-thon. Need to finish these so that I can make this an official flimsy finish.

• Finish piecing green/pink/brown blocks (H2H quilt!)

Took me a bit to decide what to do with this, but I'm excited to get this done.

• Make two bee blocks and mail them

One black and white and one green/blue/purple

That's all for this week. Here's hoping they don't want to show the house again this week!

I am adding two things:

First, a recipe, so I can link up with Sarah. It's my carrot cake recipe, over at my cake blog. Yes. I have a cake blog. It needs some more attention! But this is the BEST carrot cake recipe. Kid you not. I'm not great with quilts just yet, but I speak pastry. I bleed chocolate. And I love this carrot cake.

Second: are y'all aware of the free shipping offer going on this week at the FQS? Yep. $40 = free shipping. Now that I can manage!

Linking up!

Time for a break!

This is as far as I've gotten on my Pam Kitty Morning semi-scrappy trip quilt. And now it's time for a break. I'll prep the rest of the strips for it so it's ready and waiting for me when we get back, but I have to wave goodbye for 10 days or so.

Is it just me or is a family vacation not much of a vacation for the mom? I mean, I plan on having fun, and watching my kids have fun, but there's been so much to do to get us out the door. And with plans changing (we're staying almost a full day in Boise on our way back so my husband can participate in a shooting competition), it makes it hard to plan stuff for the other side of the vacation. Things the dads don't have to worry about, like getting home in time to get the laundry done and go to the store

Oh My Giddy Aunt!

Tell me I'm not the only one who wishes she was British, just so I could say stuff like this?

*crickets chirping*

Either way, this is what kept going through my head every time I looked at this Pam Kitty Morning awesomeness that I was playing with yesterday:

I mean, really, could it get any cuter?

You ought to know by now that I'm genetically, psychologically incapable of producing anything truly scrappy. Wires start fritzing out when I try to imagine a truly scrappy quilt made by me.

So I embrace my OCD heritage and make blocks that make me happy.

Someday, I might let loose. But that's a likely to happen as me running down the street nekkid. Strangers things have happened . . .

Decision, Decisions

I am horrible at making decisions.

Awful.

I'm glad the ones I do make and stick with (my husband, my kids) are great ones. You'd think I'd get better but I don't.

Especially when it comes to fabric things.

Here we go - I decided to procrastinate doing something else and cut a few circles using my new circle die for my Go! cutter.

All along, I thought I would be doing scrappy circles along with my scrappy Dresdens.

But it feels too busy for me. I'm already planning a pretty busy sashing and setting squares, so I don't want to over-do it.

So then I thought, okay, plain white. Or a white on white tonal.

But that felt too bleh for me.

So then I thought, what about a small polka dot (all of these fabrics, by the way, are from Pam Kitty Morning).

I like. A lot.

I realized while writing this post that what I really sound like is Goldilocks. Too busy. Too bleh. Just right.

But the real question is, do I stick with the yellow dots or go with red dots?

See, I can't make decisions!

But I can host a fabric swap over on flickr - yellow and aqua charms, if you're interested. One yard of each. Come join the fun!

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 with the cute model

Two little finishes today. Why is it I get less done with my husband home to "help?"

I know, just me, right?

So, first little finish does not have the cute model. Just a thumb tack. But I love this oven mitt tutorial. And a funny story. Read on if you want to laugh at me.

We went to a potluck dinner a couple weeks ago. Since my kids are the world's pickiest eaters, I made homemade mac and cheese (super complicated - pasta and tons of sharp cheddar!) to take. I had to take it straight from the oven to the car to the church. And I only had two grungy pot holders to use.

So very embarrassing.

I came home, did some searching and pinning (love my Pinterest) and pilfered the scrap pile. Fortunately, I had this gorgeous print left over from my Victory Garden quilt back.

So I cut out a few. Or nine. But who's counting, right? I even cut out some Christmas ones so I'm prepared! Phew. No more embarrassing oven mitt incidents for me!

Little finish number two is modeled by the lovely Caroline, who has become a drool monster (she's got to cutting her first teeth, which is why I'm not modeling it with my dark circles and such). I found this tutorial via a friend and cut out a couple.

These are going to be a go-to baby gift from now on. Super duper easy peasy.
She's a cute model, no? I like her. Her brothers and big sister like her too. Oh, and her papa. We're going to keep her.

So those are my little finishes.

My fabric godmother sent me some JoAnn's love for my birthday, so I get to get more batting and knock some more quilts off that top shelf o' mine. Just need to get my law student out of my hair so I can get something done!

Have a lovely weekend!

Linking up at crazy mom quilts - hoping to get her book for my birthday. Just sayin'.

WIP Wednesday: the one with Pam Kitty Morning

Woke up under this quilt this morning. If old wives' tales are true, I should have dreamt of the man I would marry. I didn't do that - as I am already happily married, that sort of dream didn't seem like a good idea.

But it was a lovely quilt to sleep under.

Isn't she purty?


Love this quilt. Loved the fabric. Loved the pattern. Loved it all.

It's the biggest quilt I've ever FMQed, but I managed okay with a meandering loopy stitch that washed up gorgeous and crinkly.
The weather cooperated and gave me some snow to take pictures on. I'm ready to make another one - I have enough left over fabric to make a baby quilt.

More pictures to come on Friday.

As for my WIP list, I've been a busy girl.

I wiped this one off, and I basted another quilt last night and will start quilting it this afternoon.

I pulled out another UFO and was working on it when I realized that my iron was transferring the blue of my ironing board cover fabric to my quilt blocks. Grrr. Not happy. So I'm waiting until payday (tomorrow) and I can get a new, better cover. I know I should recover it myself, but I don't need to add another WIP, do I? I won't be buying a cover at Walmart this time around though.

In other news, I'm sewing for my husband's birthday on Saturday. Just some jammies and a tool thingy he's wanted for a while. I'm not so good at winging it, so I hope that turns out well.

Linking up:

Finish it up Friday: the one with the wedges

Okay, I know this isn't an "official" finish, but every finish in this monster Dresden project is a proud moment. I finally, FINALLY, got all my wedges turned and pressed and ready to go.

I celebrated by stitching up my first seven (yes, only five are pictured) plates. Do you love them as much as I do? If you don't, well, your choice. But they are so pretty and I can't wait to make more and add circles and finish this quilt. My bed will be so pretty!
On to the real finishes. I stitched up this mug rug for an awesome aunt (yes, I blogged it earlier, but it's a finish, so it counts for today too). I used my PKM scraps from my Victory Garden quilt. Love it - love the tea cup, love the cake slice. Love it all. Hope she loves it too.
And, a year later, my Sunkissed postage stamp from rachel's quilt-along. It's quilted, washed and being snuggled with regularly.

I've got a quilt basted and ready. Just wanted ten Dresden plates done for the week before I start that project. Oh, and the sunkissed quilt is my first FMQ project. Just some loopy meandering, but I like it. And washing the quilt sure hides the little mistakes I made. Can't beat that!

What I've been up to . . .

Do you forget to blog the process sometimes? I just want to blog finished projects, not the chaos in between. But if I did that, I'd blog less frequently. So here's to New Year's Resolutions - it's all interesting, right?

I cut into some of my Pam Kitty Morning. Usually, for me, it is difficult to cut into fabric I love. Not so. I was so excited to see these put together, I could hardly wait. I might have had a couple of Dr. Peppers just to make sure I stayed up late to get it all cut.

I'm using the Victory Garden quilt pattern and these are coming together much easier than I thought they would. Word of advice? If you are an accurate and careful cutter, you only need 1/2 yard of each fabric. The pattern lists 5/8, and you do get a lovely pile of leftover fabric, but it still is more than you need. Just saying.

So here are the first three blocks:





There will be five of each colorway - blue, yellow and red. I might do more this week, if I can get this project finished:


Dresden wedges. A boatload of them. I got about 30 5-inch wedges from one fat quarter, and I had just over 50 fat quarters. So we're talking over 1500 wedges to sew. So by finished I simply mean having the tops stitched and turned. I'll be watching Downton Abbey reruns when it comes time to turn them all.

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday today. Tomorrow is WIP Wednesday, so let's hope I make some progress! And two finished quilts to post once I get out in the snow and take pictures!