Sunday's Sewing

Well today I did get time to sew during the twins' naptime after Mass today. I've had a lot of fun revisiting these string blocks. I owe my frined KC1930 20 more blocks and today finished them up. I also was smart to think of work in a few foundations for myself during this process so now I have another 13 for my stash :)

Ough OH - look above... on the back side is what I call a "HIGH-JACKER" a sting that hitched a ride on another blocks' turn thru the sewing machine....

So which would you use? the seam ripper? or the sissors?

Tell ya what I do......

I use the sissors and cut as close to the seam as I can. Why waste all that time ripping it out? this side is never gonna show anyway? ;)

Thankfully this was on one fo the blocks I made for myself... so I'm AOK with it ;)

see.... and the string is still reusable ;)

I just had to take a close up of this block..... see that bottom corner? I was so happy when I found the P-E-R-F-E-C-T sized triangle scrap piece to use to make that corner ;)

and here is a look at all 20 blocks for my frined KC1930. She will be happy with these squared up at 7" with 2" cut sized Red 30's background center strips :)

Good thing I clicked when I did... I think it's funny when the wind blows when I'm trying to take photos outside....and everytime it happenes I'm amazed that this Heartstirngs Quilter was able to take this photo!

oops, I noticed there was another "HIGH-JACKER" in her group of blocks... only 1 out of 20... sorry KC! I hope this is OK. If not let me know and I'll fix it.

and what about those Extra 13 I made for my own 30's string stash... I finished them up too and Nora and I sat down together for pretent cake and cookies party ;)

"You kiss me and I'll kiss you Momma!"

What fum memories we both make while sewing and playing together in the dining room while the twins nap ;)

Love from Texas!

All Stacked up and ready to sew

It sure looks like a great time to sit down and sew for a while, right???

Well take a look at this machine... notice anything?

Usually on the weekends during naptime I get to sew and sew and sew!!! But not today! :(

Did you notice above there's no light on?

Our power went out here at home... just about the time I finished pressing the last strings down and adding the next one... now I'm wishing I had went ahead and completed that step last night before quiting for the night. Then I would have at least had time to get one more round sewn down today before the power outage.

Well the twins didn't stay asleep for long after the power shut off. It gets pretty hot upstairs pretty quick b/c of the metal roof we have on the house. After only an hour they were up and ready to go... and go and go and go... to read about our fun visit our family blog to see how we spent our Satuday while the power was out. :)

Mail call, my blocks from Crazy are here!!

Tuesday of this week, I loaded up the kids and David into the van to head out to do a long list of errands. I didn't feel like running around and neither did David (who was sicker than sick) ...however there were several things that just couldn't wait so him riding along to say sitting in the van with the twins actually worked out great b/c it meant that I could run in and out of each place on my list.

One of my stops was the local post office (WHICH IS STILL in a cracker box sized trailer since hurricane Ike last fall) I mailed off Crazy'boutquilt's blocks I posted about earlier.

Well GUESS what arrived in my mailbox today!!!!! :) :) :) Yes, you guessed it! The blocks Sandi made for me!

I tried to get a good look at my blocks outside but it was too windy to keep them all laid out so I had to get gather them all up and bring them inside for a group photo. In the photo below, they're sorta lined up on point so to say... she sent 13 instead of 12 b/c I had sent her an extra when we first mailed to each other... so now she's caught up and even AHEAD (something to do w/ her changing her mind?) LOL I just read about after visiting her post to let her know the mail arrived :P LOL

Thanks for the great variety Sandi!!! I hope the ones from me arrived in your mailbox today! I can't wait to get some more Tringulations papers printed off and working to make up more of the smaller HSTs. I call it doing my homework... ;) then after I have a lot of variety it's fun to sit down and play with them setting them all together. That part goes by fast. :)

============================

Also want to add that since my last posting, I've been taking care of a sick husband. David had the worst case of flu in all the years I've known him... he even missed 3 days work after the long weekend :( and we didn't get to enjoy much family time with him b/c he felt so bad... and although I tried to stay away... I apparently didn't do good enough b/c I caught his bug too!

Thankfully though, I was able to go to the DR on Tuesday at the beginning of my sickness and she gave me 2 shots in the BE-hinny plus a $2 off coupon for Mucinex (the best stuff on earth) and a 3 day antibiotic... so now I'm on day 5 and feeling much better than I did - but still coughing and sounding terrible.

Last night I started to feel up to sewing again and sat down at the machine...... working on my 1930's Jewel Box Swap (due Aug) and have several sewn and many more in parts and am now OUT OF WOW :( boo hoo!

.....so I may be back at the My Blue Heaven blocks soon also! I'm so mad at myself for not being able to find the WOW's while at Keepsakes during the retreat. I know I walked by them 1 or 2 times in my first "observation hour" but then could never find them again :( The workers were way too busy to ask... well I did, but kept getting directed to the Cream On Cream's :(

I may place an order on the Internet for some... surly I can't go wrong with ordering WOW right? ;) I have no time to go to a quilt store so maybe I'll hunt around on the net and see what I can find.

Until then, I'm not putting away my 1930's yet. :) I have some more string blocks to put together for my friend KC1930 :) Who I got to meet at the COF Retreat in NH last month! :)

I just wonder how long it will take me to go thru these strings that I had left over from doing the CYOS swap this spring...?

My friend Crazy'boutquilts also participated in that swap. I wonder if she received enough for the project she has in mind? I'll have to ask... and while I'm at it, I may as well cut a few extras and make some more up for me too! As I still have plans for TWO twin sized bed quilts for my girls one of these days....

Happy Weekend and Love from Texas! ~bonnie

Whooo HOoOO! I'm DONE...

...and if my dad were around he'd say "stick a fork in her, she's done!" LOL ;) and yes, I'm finished with all of my CYOC (choose your own centers) string blocks for my swap!

The last 5 sets are packaged and ready to mail out tomorrow! :) (Monday 3/2/09)

These are going to crazy'boutquilts. She requested red 30's center strings.

lace angel she wanted her's centered around a blue 30's center

And like me, quiltnany, requested a white center string for her 1930s.

savedsinnr didn't have any requirement...any 30's center ;) She was one of the few who wanted a finishedsize of 2". A little wide if you ask me, b/c it doesn't leave for much room to add very many stirngs on either side... but to each their own ;) I do think that if the blocks were larger - say 9" then this size center would work nicely.

aak! Seems I didn't take an individual photo of the blocks for KC1930 :( sorry KC! I did have them in a photo down below in a previous post but they were layerer on top of one another... guess that's the only sneak peak you get this time. LOL and that for sure makes you "Best For Last" :) :) :)

Love from Texas!

Guess What I got to work on yesterday and today...

Two days straight, I've got to spend a lot of time in here... our dining room which I've taken over with my sewing ;) while the babies watch Sesame Street and their other favorite shows in the morning.

Can you guess what I've been up to?

Can't tell?????

I'll give you another little hint...

Yesterday I was on a roll with my CYOC string blocks. Sewing, sewing, sewing... and today I got to trim them all up ;) ....and I must say, these little gals sure do look sharp! My favorite so far - I saved the best for last.... all the swappers who requested 1930's prints :)

I completed 16 blocks with red centers, 4 blocks with purple centers and 4 with white centers for me.

I figured I'd work on blocks for me while I fed the others thru... making sure that I got to use some of my favorite 30's prints in my blocks too. I've learned from my early days of hosting that if I save mine for the last, then I come up short...either literally or end up with the repeats in a swap.... so after about 3 swaps of this, I learned to include mine in with the rest and work on them at the same time ;) and since then haven't had any problems.

I'm reallying having fun with these... and only have 2 more swappers' sets to go. I hope to get them completed over the weekend so I can mail them all off at the same time on Monday.

Happy Weekend everyone and Love from Texas!

Only 6 more sets to go...

I'm about 3/4ths the way done with making the string blocks for the COFC swap. As of today I only have the 1930's swappers left to do. I've been saving the best for last ;)

This weekend I completed these for dtigger - who's requirements read: 1.5 inch finished any color center, with strings of animals (any animal even Disney animals like tigger, but must be an animal) bugs, lizards, reptiles OK too

I knew I didn't have a lot of these in my scrap/string box so I bought some fabrics to use for her recently when I went to Joann's' 50% off Sale in January. (photo above)

I had a few others to add but not many. I really try hard not to duplicate my strings in the blocks if possible. As I lined them up for their photo I noticed something.....

**one of these things is not like the others** Do you see it too?

the block with the red center is TOO WIDE. I had pulled that color along with a few other centers... from my noodle collections (2.5") and apparently I forgot to trim that one down to 2" cut before starting. :/ *sigh*

So Sunday night I pulled another red center to make for her and decided, it's just as easy to make 2 blocks as it is 1... so I made another 2 for her....and I'm gonna go ahead and mail the too wide block also - she may find another use for it. Maybe for the label on the back?

Love from Texas!

Yesterday I showed you what I mailed...

Today, let me show you all the lovely blocks I've received so far! :) I spread them out on my kitchen table and still had 6-7 that didn't fit on the table top... There is already talk of another round starting soon...I'm not sure if I'm participating yet. I want to but I'll have to sit out a round if I don't get the current ones mailed...the spur of the moment surgery 2 weeks ago interfered with my sewing time -but thankfully EVERYONE in the current swap I'm in was VERY understanding and have given me extra time to mail my blocks ;)

I've hosted string block swaps before - but this was my first Choose You Own Colors -where also the swappers choose not only their colors but center strip width... and honestly it's confusing. It would be helpful if all center strips measured the same size or at least for those swappers doing the same color way... the B/W people... the swappers who want 30's...I know I've had a little difficulty keeping the 2" people straight from the 2.5" but that's just a minor detail.... maybe I should just pay closer attention!

I asked for 1.5" finished white centers with 30's mixed and LA,LA,LOVE mine!!! If I do this swap again - either this next round or future I want the same! b/c i want to make two twin size bed covers for my girls for when they share a room in a few years.

Oh and I asked for one strip to have a 30's red background - which I love b/c it gives the blocks that little sparkle. ;) I sure hope this swap takes place again.... and ya never know... I just *may* be ready to join the next one soon... I'm about 7 sets away from being done with the current round - and I'm working as fast as I can. (see my progress from yesterday below)

I completed 3 sets today and mailed out a total of 6 people's - this sign up cut off date is my motivation!! :P We'll see...


Love from Texas!

Am I on a roll or WHAT?

You're not going to believe this!!! but this morning while Nora was at school - I got an early start sewing in the dining room while the twins watched cartoons... I could almost smell the smokin needle as I put the pedal to the metal while sewing these sets up. LOL

I wasn't able to upload any photos on blogger -even after closing out and restarting my computer - so I walked away from the computer and went to the sewing room where I got a LOT done! :) yeaaa!

and I've COMPLETED 3 more peoples' sets!!! I even have them photographed and packaged ready to mail! They will go out along with the other 3 envelopes already out in the mailbox!

These fat red centers and WOB on one half and BOW on the opposite half are on their way to Shelbydale.


These greens on one half and florals on the opposite are on their way to QuiltTX I had so many greens and florals that I don't think I used the same fabric twice anywhere in these 4 blocks. ;)
and last but not least - all shades of blues around dark blue are being mailed to royalboomer. What a walk down memory lane as I pulled some of these beautiful blues ;)

whoo hoo! I still can't believe it! What a great productive day!

Love from Texas!

What's in the mailbox???

Last night I worked really hard to do up these stirng blocks to mail out. Whoo hoo 3 sets ready to mail to swappers!! That's a good start on catching up right?

Blue in? or Blue out? either way aren't they pretty??? They are made for Shauna's crafty quilter for the CYOC string swap.

and these beauties above will be on their way to Arnden -she wanted BRIGHT spring colors aound white centers. To me they reminded me of the Easter Egg colorings ;)

and lastly here are the blocks I posted about previously -I didn't get them mailed as I had liked before - but they are packaged and in the box today ;) Here they come quiltsewpieceful!

Love from Texas!