Sunday, January 27, 2008

Sunday Evening...

Not much stashbusting went on here this week. I did finish quilting this beautiful customer quilt...

I quilted and bound the Buzzsaw quilt for Project Linus....

And I started my first applique block for my friend's yellow rose quilt for Christmas. (Yeah, I know these will be Rose of Sharon blocks and not actual roses, but I think she'll be happy with it!)
It was a fun week at school...there's nothing like a bunch of 7 year olds to make you feel important. After being out of school for 3 days, they swarmed me when I went back...hugs all around, they're the sweetest kids. All was quiet on the home front...sort of. My youngest has been practicing guitar a lot this week. I enjoy listening to her play...most of the time. It's when she pulls out the metronome I head to my sewing room to hide! (Still thanking you for that one, FB.) I know it will build character and make her a better guitar player, but I'm still hiding when it comes out! Really, I love hearing her play, she's made so much progress since she started playing this summer and the smile on her face when she offers to play for us is priceless. She has a great teacher!

My older daughter spent last night at a friend's house and called us this morning. She says, "Hey, funny story! I was on my way to work and my car broke down! I'm in a tow truck being towed to the garage..." Fortunately it was early this morning, no one was on the road and when her car died she was able to pull it over to the side of the road. She called AAA before calling us and they were there within 20 minutes. We have no idea why the car died, she was driving along, put her foot on the gas and nothing happened. We'll find out tomorrow.

The youngest just handed me a stack of paperwork for high school...which has been in her locker for a month and is due tomorrow. Gotta love her!

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Sunday Stashbusting Report...

I didn't do much sewing this week, since I was out of commission for most of the week. Today, my DH left for a trade show in New York City and I was feeling well enough to sit at my sewing machine for most of the afternoon. I finished the Buzz Saw top from my stash...

and used most of the leftovers for the backing. I have the binding made and once it is quilted and bound, it will go to Project Linus. Everything for this quilt is from stash.

It's a little chilly here today, so it was a good day to stay inside and watch football. The football gods have gifted me with a clear signal on the TV in my sewing room which isn't connected to our satellite tv, so obviously I was meant to spend the day up here! It was either than or watch all 3 Bring it On cheerleading movies with my 13 year old daughter...as much as I love her, that's a little more than I can take!

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Forced Idleness

What to do when the doctor tells you that you're to be out of work for the rest of the week and you are to do nothing? Knit, of course! Only 10 days after finishing the first sock, which took me about 3 months to make, I've finished the second sock. The pattern is Lacy Mock Cable Socks and the yarn is Fortissima/Socka...in some gray/brown/white colorway. The label is gone, so I don't remember. I did make a number of mistakes on the second sock, which I'm attributing to muscle relaxants and pain meds...shouldn't wield needles under the influence, I guess!


So now, the biggest question for the remainder of my days on the couch is what to make next? I can't decide on which Socks That Rock yarn to cast on next...

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Sunday Stashbusting Report...

Not much sewing has been going on here in the Lakes. It was a quiet, normal week, filled with the usual sort of work, school, running errands and regular activities...not much to blog about but very nice indeed. I did start a new quilt for Project Linus. This is a Buzz Saw quilt and was posted by Kairle at Happy Valley Quilter. I've had it on my list of projects to do for awhile and finally pulled some blues from the stash to make it. Everything for this will be from the stash.


I've been doing a lot of cooking, mostly from Weight Watchers cookbooks. Last Sunday I made this chicken fettuccine dish that was sooo good with a salad and a glass of wine. Last night was pasta with shrimp and now I've got a chicken roasting in the oven with lemon, garlic and rosemary...I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed cooking! I also made a WW meatloaf in the crockpot on Friday which we sliced for sandwiches yesterday...it was incredible. Now their cheesecake that I made was not so good...that one went into the trash...

I'm looking forward to tomorrow...my youngest gets her braces off and after 8 years of paying for braces for our two girls, we'll be finished! The youngest and I also signed up to take a Wilton cake decorating course at Michael's in February...I decorated cakes for years, but never had any formal instruction, so we're both looking forward to learning how to do it right. But the best part will be eating our mistakes!

Sunday, January 06, 2008

And I have the t-shirt to prove it!

I have fulfilled my one New Year's Resolution and I have the shirt to prove it! I didn't chicken out and made it through the donation. We were at the donation site for 3 hours and I still didn't leave! Yeah, now that it's over, I don't know why I made such a fuss...and I'll be doing it again, probably every 8 weeks. Especially if they have Tastykakes every time I go!

I also finished a sock today...here's a picture for the color of the yarn, whose band I don't have handy and I can't remember what it was....

And this one is to show the pattern...Lacy Mock Cable Socks. Now on to the second sock, even though I really want to cast on something different using this!

Friday, January 04, 2008

Another Finish...

This quilt is one I made last year and Finn blogged about on her Riding the Orphan Train blog. I quilted and bound it and it will donated to my local chapter of Project Linus. And now my vacation is over and I'll get back to quilting customer quilts!

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Happy New Year!

I'm a little late, but the sentiment is heartfelt! I hope all of you have a wonderful new year! Although I'm not officially in May Britt's January WISP Challenge, I have decided to finish up a few things. I received these paper pieced sewing themed blocks in a block swap about 12 years ago when I lived in New York. They traveled with me to my first home back in NJ, then the home where we now live. And they sat. In a plastic bag. For years.

Over the weekend I pulled them out, removed the paper, made the alternate blocks and put them together. It was so quick and easy, once again I can't believe they sat for so long! I quilted it yesterday and put the binding on last night. This will be hung in my living room, which is where my longarm lives.

I've had to slow down my sewing and knitting...after spending hours knitting on New Year's Eve, my Carpal Tunnel Syndrome reared its ugly head. But, instead of being in one hand, now it's in both. Knitting has become too painful to do for more than a few minutes, even hand sewing is painful. It's been challenging...I just can't sit still without something to keep myself occupied. I've done quite a bit of reading to stay busy. I really enjoyed this book...




I've just finished this book...and loved it...

And I've just started this book...

I've got another binding to hand stitch down (you really didn't think I'd let a little carpal tunnel stop me, did you?) , hopefully another finish to post tomorrow!