Can you believe that we only have 14 more blocks to make! Now, remember that some of them require multiples, but all of the ones that require 4 blocks have been posted. So, just for the months of June and July, so that we finish by December, I will be posting 3 blocks. And yes, I am still catching up myself as it has been a strange, busy and challenging year.
Strip QuiltBeads and Reels, needs bindingRound Robin needs bindingLeftovers, needs bindingAnother Strip Quilt
Minke Blanket
Baby Blanket needs quilting
Little Houses needs applique
Snoopy Baby Blanket
Another baby quilt
I’ve been at retreat today, and the next couple of days and having fun visiting with my friends, but boy am I tired!! I did manage to get a small, but overstuffed, shoebox full of 4.5 inch squares halfway empty but I swear I have more waiting in the wings to fill it back up. I worked on getting a bunch of 4 patches together and plan to make it into a flimsy this week. Also catching up on the blocks from my blog, Oh, My Stars! Just way too many things on my plate but I’m determined to make headway with it. Will post pictures later.
I have a guild meeting on Thursday and hope to drop off a few kids’ quilts there. Oh, and I do have a fling finally! I took 2 of 3 boxes to class today and my friend took those to share with her sewing group, all kids or baby themed. Don’t worry, I still have a box for myself here and another one on the way. Just call me the Orphanage for Wayward Fabric.
Okay, time for a little bragging. This may not seem like much but to me it means that I am that much closer to meeting my goal weight (for knee surgery) of 210. Only 29 more pounds to go!! That means that I have lost 36 pounds so far!! Woohoo!! Of course, I want to get to 135, which is my ideal weight, but look at how much progress I have made so far! So excited!
Okay, as of now, June 14, 2022, I am now down at 236 pounds. That is 40 pounds gone for good and 26 pounds to go to meet 210.
July 29, 2022, I am now down to 232 pounds. I am now down 44 pounds! Woohoo!!
Saw my PCP this morning and he wants me to check my blood pressure once a day for 3 weeks as it is a little on the high side. I think it was high as I have not been sleeping well and have had a lot of pain for the past week, but he still wants me to check it manually at the same time every day. I will do it but under protest! We both think that Sjogren’s Syndrome may have something to do with it and I will be starting tomorrow.
I am actually fitting into smaller sized clothes and have been on a shopping spree lately, buying new capris, tops and even some summer dresses! I feel like a new person and feel better mentally! I am very happy! Tomorrow I will go back to the gym after a week off as I had pulled a muscle in my leg last weekend and needed to rest it.
Another update! August 24, 2022. I am now down at 225 pounds. The new clothes that I bought are hanging off of me, just too small for my britches! Very happy!! That is a grand total, so far, of 51 pounds! Only 90 more pounds to go! I CAN do this and I will DO this!
(Oops! We already did block 8, so I changed it to 9 and 10.)
Our first block for May is called Star on Star. You will need to make only one (1) block. Here is the link to the pattern. Please make sure to scroll down and print out the 6 inch block instructions. This is a 3 quarter star block and very easy to make.
Our first block for April is called The Dolly Madison Star. This is a little challenging as it has a 9-patch block in the middle of the star. You will need to make only one block.
Wow! I never realized how many patterns I have accumulated over the years, and how many are duplicates. Most of them are in page protectors or in file folders and now I am in the process of organizing them. What a job! I started off by buying a large wire mesh file organizer where all of my folders will reside. I have a lot of folders that will hold the patterns in page protectors and am sorting through them. What a job! But once it is done, it will be worth it. And here it is, sitting inside my closet next to the wall. Now, I can just open my closet and pull out the pattern that I want.
I also had a huge folder full of info, hints and techniques, a lot of which are very good but a lot of them were extras, so I cleaned it out and am donating it to the guild as a donation. I’m sure someone will appreciate it. I am putting like patterns in paper binders, such as patriotic, baby, etc. and those will reside in the wire organizer. The loose patterns that I have printed out will go back in a box or thrown away.
It feels really good to downsize and purge so my kids hopefully won’t have to do it later on. I also cleaned out my bookcases and have about 30 books that I won’t ever use or don’t care for that will be donated. Maybe after the auction, if they don’t go to a new home, I will put them on my blog to give away for the cost of postage. Will let you know what happens.
I also cleaned out a bunch of fabric scraps and UFOs that I no longer wish to work on and those will be donated also.
Back to cleaning out.
Oh, and here is my bookcase now:
And my closet all nice and organized.
Oh, those are bags of leftover batting and in the totes, that is fleece that I want to use but have no other place to put it. Right now the front hall and my bedroom look like the will-call section of a department store but hopefully by end of Thursday evening, they will all have found new homes. Maybe after the auction, the leftover books will be put on my blog to give away for the cost of postage. Will let you know what happens.
Time to go sew some more.
Guild Auction
Tonight was our guild’s auction where everyone brings gently used items and you bid on it by placing a ticket in a bag. I flung a serger, an embroidery combo machine, 30 books, fabric, patterns and UFOs, and other goodies! Guess What??? I didn’t come home with any of my own stuff. So very happy! I even brought a huge bag of leftover batting and that is gone!! Woohoo!!
In fact, before the auction Joanie (guild president) asked me if I would be willing to donate the embroidery machine to an Afghanistan refugee who had that on her wish list. I said yes, and I am truly happy that it went to someone who can really use and want it. That really made my day-night to be able to help someone.
I did come home with some fabric, not mine, as I put a ticket in a few bags, some really fun baby-kid fabric and a bunch of patterns. I really wasn’t expecting or wanting to bring anything home, but hey, since my ticket was the only one in the bag, home they came. I can use some of them and the other fabric I will gift it to someone else, along with some of the patterns.
I also turned over a QOV that will be given to a veteran at one of the homes along with some table runners. Either way, my closet and my bins thank me for cleaning them out. All in all, a very fun evening with good friends!
Signed,
Sleepy in Fresno.
And the cleaning continues! We live in a very dry area that has been affected by draught the past few years and so we have a pest problem. I keep the house clean but they still love to infiltrate our home, especially my sewing area. I have 2 dressers that they especially love to hide in and so since they are there, DH and I have decided to remove those dressers and put up shelving instead. Luckily, DD has a wire rack that was discarded by a store and it will fit in nicely. I also have a ton of rubbermaid-like products that should fit on the shelves nicely. Once we get it set up, I will post pictures.
I’ve been thinking for a while about rearranging my room again. I had a tall wooden dresser and a smaller dresser next to my formica table where my machines reside and they are now out in the garage, courtesy of DH. They have been replaced with wire shelving and plastic drawers. They are nice dressers but it just wasn’t working for what I wanted plus the wire shelving makes it more accessible and easy to find things, plus less dust. The other stuff that needs to be corralled (that also is not used as much) will probably go in the closet and I will move some of my small shoe boxes full of fabric to the wire shelves. I’m liking the look already even with my table piled high!!
The next to bottom shelf will be for my larger rulers, templates and cutting mats. Not sure about the rest of the shelves yet, one at a time for right now. Back to my table that overfloweth with stuff.
So, I decided to go ahead and put my threads, accessories and other items not used often on a couple of shelves in the closet and moved all of my shoeboxes full of scraps onto the wire rack. May as well have them right where I can see them and hopefully use. This is what my closet looked like before.
Here is the wire rack.
As you see, my patterns are all in one place and I can access them easily. Also, my machine tote fits right under it. I really like how it looks, even though my room may look a little crowded I can find my scraps easily and hopefully use them up. Of course in other containers around the room there are more scraps waiting in the wings.
I also made a couple of purchases this week. A Panasonic 360 degree cordless iron which I absolutely love!! It is so easy to use and lightweight. No more wrinkles from a cord following behind the iron! WONDERFUL investment!
And a new chair, leather, very comfy!! The old one had a sling back which was starting to become uncomfortable so I decided I was worth a new chair.
I love the new changes to my room and I really do not want to change it again, At least not for a while.
Our second block is Folded Corners. In order to make this block work, you will need to use a dark and a lighter color of the same color family to make it look the corners are folded, especially around the outside. I plan to use a pretty print for the center and coordinating solid colors. You will need to make 3 blocks.
You can also find links to all the patterns here: https://cozyquilts.wordpress.com/ Just scroll down a little ways and there is a complete list of all blocks with links. And here it is again:
Calling my friends worldwide: I will start a project, collecting blocks in 8 1/2″( seam allowance included), colors: blue/yellow ( Ukrainian flag), techniques: everything is allowed… I will sew and quilt one or more quilts ( depending on how many blocks I will receive), donate them to refugees ( children?) from Ukraine coming to Europe or whatever the future will lead me to. I am soooo absolutely devastated about the news that I want, no… I need to do something and the only thing I can do is quilt and ask for peace!
Your Claudia
My address: Quilt-Studio and Galerie Alte Brotfabrik
Ritterstrasse 183
47805 Krefeld/Germany
Thank you, let´s go Blue/Yellow!
You all know that I don’t push special projects very often, but this is important not just in a humanitarian effort to support the Ukrainian people but as a show of support for them and their country as they are under attack. I would like to propose as a group that we help them out.
Here is a link that I am personally supporting as Claudia Pfiel lives in Germany and will be able to deliver them to drop off areas close by. She is asking for 8.5 inch blocks in blue and yellow (Ukraine’s flag colors) in support. She will accept the blocks and then make them into comfort quilts and deliver the finished quilts. Here is a link to the information:
This is strictly voluntary and I don’t need to know your decision, this is strictly a personal decision. I know that it can be expensive sending overseas, but just a few blocks in a small envelope will help make several comfort quilt for those in need.
Thank you.
Here is a picture of the blocks that I made for Claudia Pfiel in Germany. They are simple machine appliqued hearts, blue background with sunflowers in the middle. I made 10 of them. I am also including some fun buttons that she can use and iron on applique sunflowers. They are going in the mail today.
Or as I like to call it, a real pain, but also full of opportunities.
Just a note to explain why there may be a delay of posting pictures to my blog until tomorrow or possibly Tuesday. We both tested 10 days ago, he was positive, I was negative, and again, I was negative just 4 days ago. Well, GUESS WHAT! I just tested positive today! I had and have no symptoms, (yet) but I am going to take it easy for today just to make sure. Maybe this will be a light case or asymptomatic, at least that’s what we are hoping for.
So, while I am being confined for a few more days, I do have goals.
Of staying masked inside with hubby.
Still riding the recumbent bike 15 minutes twice a day.
Staying on track with Weight Watchers. I have already lost 27 pounds since last fall and I want to continue losing.
AND….. sewing.
While I’m on the subject of SEWING, I am posting my 2022 UFO LIST. I wanted to do it earlier, like the beginning of the year, but that didn’t happen, so here goes. This is mainly for my own purposes but also to hold me accountable and to be motivated to finish these.
Now, this doesn’t include ongoing swaps, new challenges that are starting, or some other projects that I am still deciding if I want to do or possibly donate or return to stash.
I think I have plenty to keep me busy, so I might (?) be late in posting.
Thanks for dropping by and please leave a comment or a like below.
For February, we have 2 blocks to make. The first block only needs one. The second one needs 4 blocks. Please remember to scroll down to the 6 inch size and print the pattern.
UPDATE: Sunday, 2-27-2022- I am still working on my blocks and plan to post either today or tomorrow. There has been a lot going on here and I have gotten behind. I did do 2 blocks, but they are a little wonky and will be redone. Thank you for understanding.
Delightful Designs 