Slightly sidetracked with serial re-organization

It was one of those nights last night---- awake at 3 a.m. and never did go back to sleep.  I finally bailed at 5 a.m. when Skyler was wanting me to get up to feed him.  Poor kitty had only a few crunchies in his bowl but he had drug in Ms. Mouzie for a nosh sometime during the night, LOL as her tail was hanging in the food bowl.  I took care of a few things on the computer, checked facebook and once DJ was up switched out all the Christmas wall hangings for the January, snow themed things.  I still need to take down the nativity set and the wreath from the front door but that can wait till tomorrow or the next day.

Lois had called me yesterday to see if I planned to go over to our meeting place anytime soon.  We take most of December off so it is a month before we go back, sometimes longer if there are 5 Tuesdays in a month.  I had told the girls at the last meeting if anyone had a quilt/quilts that HAD to be pinned in between meetings to call me.  They could either borrow the key and go pin or if I was free, I would go help them.  Lois took me up on it.  Actually I was glad for a little break from the sewing machine!  Bev came to help us and we got 3 donation quilts pinned fairly quickly.  Even with running a couple of errands on the way home, I was back about 11:45, before lunch.  I have two tops in the closet we could have pinned but I told Bev and Lois that I wanted to preserve the notion that I was "caught up" a little longer.

How did I get sidetracked??  Well, I had to run to Walmart to pick up a prescription before I came home.  Right near that entrance they had seasonal snap and stack containers.  The 6 x 9 ish rectangular ones like I just bought recently but a lot cheaper!  Not just 2 sections either---these had 4!  The two section one I got earlier this month was like 9 or 10 bucks.  The 4 sections, same size but different colored lids (red and green) were 6 bucks.  Oh you know I had get some.  I got 3 of them but I may take the 3rd one back though I am debating about that. About as soon as I take it back I will find some use for it or wish I had it back.  I used all but one compartment sorting thread by color and by type. It is not such a jumbled up mess now with three or more colors in one container.   Now all but the cone thread can stay on the table as I moved the art supplies and perle cottons to where the containers I had been using had sat.

BEFORE while sorting

AFTER

So this area changed a bit too.  Most of the cone thread is in the big blue container.  The container above is bobbins for my various machines.  The present arrangement is okay but I almost drop the container every time I get it off the shelf, even with a big rubber band around it.  I know now that other snap and stack deal is staying, LOL.  The bobbins have a new home--show you in a minute.

Above the hinged container is one of 5 DMC floss containers that will not fit where the other 4 are.  I would love to have these all in some slotted shelf type unit but so far that is not happening.  Maybe once my brother retires and gets back into wood working we can work up a design.  I visualize something like an office "in and out" box deal.   LOL, maybe I just need to visit an office supply store??

Then I took down this pile..................BEFORE

Since I knew I had hinged containers available after emptying out the thread, I replaced the shoe box type. The lids don't stay on very well and I am probably going to drop them off at the thrift store donation box.  They may have a use for them unless one of you wants them.  I think I have 5 on hand.

   AFTER

Looks like a bit of an improvement.  There are 3 hinged containers that ride around in my car with various squares and strips in them too.  I can sew at a meeting a  minute's notice, LOL.

AFTER

The bobbin/accessories box looks like this now except that the Singer has a bunch of cams, foot pedal and other feet that will not fit in the sectioning but that stuff is in another blue topped container on the book shelf.  I'll change where this sits.  I guess it was a good thing I DID get three of these after all!

Next I think I am going to combine the stuff from the tote basket back to the fishing tackle box.  Lately when I go to a sew-in I don't even bring this and just sack up the cup with apron organizer I use here at home by the sewing machine.  I love the basket though and could have sold this many times over.  I think it might be put to use holding the ironing accessories if the fixed handle is not in the way.  It all works out in the end, right?

The room still looks like a wreck as I am semi set up for quilting and things are not sitting where they belong.  All three quilts are quilted as of last evening.  Woohoo there as that big one was a bit of a bear since it measures about 57 x 75.

The binding has been put on the last one I did----the big one that has 6 sections of what looks like jelly roll 1600's.  Today I had intended to glue down the binding in the back and attempt to machine stitch the binding.  That is not apt to happen with my going off on a tangent, LOL.

Now it is almost supper time and I still want to take care of that stuff above.  It is a lead pipe cinch that I am NOT going to sew tonight.  However, it is a tradition for the group of Wrap Them in Love listers to spend some time sewing, quilting or whatever for Wrap 'Em tomorrow.   We believe what you do on NYD, you will do all year.  Lord knows, I do not want to do binding all year but I will try to finish up the half started one and pull out something to piece, old and new.  DJ wanted pizza for lunch today, ordered it and picked it up.  No cooking since I have leftovers from yesterday for our evening meal.  My energy is going to be lagging soon enough from that very short night I had so I can't say that I am unhappy NOT to be spending time out in the kitchen, LOL.

The other thing?  I am supposed to doing the guild newsletter this coming year but find I am in a holding pattern waiting for the stuff I need to include.  I will need to start at least the shell of it, I guess, while I hold for the items that need to be included.

So in closing let me wish you a Happy and Prosperous 2014.  Find a fun way to welcome in the new year or do something YOU love.

organizing, or trying to

Bev had a cute little snapware stackable portable storage organizer for some of her supplies  yesterday.   Since I was making a Hobby Lobby run and had a 40% off coupon, I looked to see if I could find one.  Well, I found two.  I told Bev on Facebook that she had influenced me but it was leading to serial cleaning.  Should I blame her or thank her??

Once home, I re-organized some things that sit on the sewing room cutting and pressing table.  Move one thing and you end up doing more than you first planned.   On the left are the two units filled and stacked.  The art type supplies are now corralled from three different locations in their own container.    The neutral threads fit in the other along with a few other little quilting doo dads.     A few other items were shifted around but I may look into getting another one or two of these down the line.  Live with this arrangement for a time.

Because this container used to contain the neutral thread, I was able to combine all five of my machines bobbins and extra feet (in some cases) back in it.  It now lives where the embroidery floss used to be on the book shelves with the additional threads. 

The embroidery floss went on the TV stand shelf.  The new TV set up only requires a small, small box.  My old DVD player was not working so it was removed from the unit---whadya know?  Shelf space is open.  There is one more floss box, maybe another that is committed to a specific project.  I would love to have something similar to a office in/out files thing to shelve them all but I am not sure where it would "live"  if I had one.  This will do for now.

And because the desk needed attention after shifting some of the art supplies etc, the 3 ancient broken baskets were replaced after a run to the dollar store.  Stuff was tossed, papers sent through the shredder and I can actually see the bottom of the pull out drawer....usually I just open the drawer and stuff something in and it gets lost in a dark hole, LOL till I can't stand it anymore..  

The lower larger desk drawer was dealt with as well.  I still need to address the 2 drawer file but I cannot fully open the drawer with the sewing machine table sitting where it currently is.  I hate to ask DJ to move it especially since I still need the machine that is sitting in it.  Two days ago I had to have him come in and move three machines all around the room.  I don't want to repeat that if I can avoid it.  Yes, he would help me if I asked especially since he wants me to behave and have a good surgical result too.  It can wait.  I need to finish my blog hop entry anyway.

DJ and I will be going out for lunch tomorrow.  Yeah, I know it is Valentine's Day and maybe he is expected to do so but we just had an anniversary a few weeks ago so we tend to celebrate it rather than a made for the card companies and florists holiday.  He sort of surprised me when he mentioned his plans when I got home from quilting yesterday.  Fine with me though as we rarely eat out.

I made him some peanut butter blossom cookies today with Hershey's kisses (get it?) but he had to help me with the oven detail.  He was helping me put the chocolates into the hot from the oven cookies.  It is rare to have any assistance in the kitchen but again, he will help if I ask and give specific instructions as to what I want done. Most of the time, we would just be getting in each other's way. 

I'll get back to the machine cover tomorrow----three sides are together but the back needs to be added to the mix and the binding applied to the bottom edge.  Close!  After that I need to be turning my attention to get started on a blog hop that follows in late March called "Stitch Me Up"  The current hop is "Hugs and Kisses February 11-15th so they are three days in!  I haven't had a chance to go visit any of the participants--- yet.  See Sew WE Quilt for all the information. 

Friday check in

Well, I got ONE watermelon pieced anyway to go with the backwards cut crow.  Too bad I accidentally cut off the seam allowance on one side of it.  I cut out replacement sections, prepared another foundation base and didn't touch it at all yesterday.  Probably a smart move when things are not going so well.  I want to love this project, after all.

It's 2:30 Friday afternoon and I STILL haven't touched it but today was laundry and errands to run.  At one point it was far cooler in the car than the house so I did not mind running all over the Calhoun County countryside so much.

I am still getting myself organized to start cutting on the Farmers Wife Sampler.  I have the Marti Michell template sets that I want to use for the job though there is one more thing I plan to order with my birthday money from DJ next month.   Make that two things as I want the smaller sized log cabin ruler she has.  I really like the larger one and was using it with good result on "My Sunshine" last seen HERE.  

To help with the organization deal I ran to the thrift store yesterday.  Some of my grocery errands were right next door so that was a plus.  I knew that I wanted to use some plasti-dip on the back of all the templates.  It would be easier to keep them on a cookie sheet or something to carry them outside to spray them.  No luck finding a cookie sheet but I DID find an old cafeteria tray.  Perfect!  I see traces of glitter on it so I am thinking someone else had used it for a craft project at some point.  When the picture was taken I were all sprayed along with a few of my fav rulers and 4 trips outside.

 That was a nice morning project!  One of these days I will actually put these to use.  Right after I am done with the Button Up top, I  keep telling myself.  The initial 9 blocks I will cut almost exclusively use set B since they concentrate on a 3 x 3 grid and a 6 inch finished block.

...... here is what it looks like now.  The package inserts with pattern suggestions are filed in the Farmers Wife Sampler notebook I have set up.  I am not saying that this is how it is going to remain but until I can get another small container with a snap lid similar to what I keep my thread in, this will do.  I'll be going near a store that carries those next Tuesday or if I go north, next Friday.  Combine your  trips when possible.

And here is what the latest tweaking of the blocks looks like.  I just cannot resist playing with the designs---adding some, dropping others that I decided I liked more.  By now I would have to call this "inspired by Farmer's Wife Sampler" since half is original and the other half, my choices.

It is another hot summer day, of course.  At one point there were some thunderstorm warnings out but I think that has passed over.  Hot and hazy with sun blazing right now with high 90's predicted.  Just like most of the country, in other words.  It might be safe to try to re-make a watermelon until any pop up thunder rolls in as it has been doing.

And sew it sort of goes 'round here--------

WIP Weds

My stitching was put on hold for a few days while I re-organized the contents of 20 various sized notebooks---some of which are pictured to the left. All this started because I was talking to Norma about getting my redwork stuff all in the same notebook. By Monday evening the cutting/pressing table was loaded with piles of patterns and printouts in sheet protectors grouped by category and held with a ring binder till I could file it all back. At that point had 4 more to go through. Fortunately the last two were already broken down and better organized and I was done by yesterday afternoon.

Then I got busy updating the embroidery floss document and winding the newest acquisitions for the next project. Norma and I have decided to do the Snowman Year block of the month stitchery from Freckles Collection. Norma was lucky enough to see this one "in the flesh" so to speak when the BC, CA Designer Dougal Walker visited her guild and did a trunk show for them. See this post for a much better picture. We plan on starting with the April Easter themed block so I had purchased things for that particular block but not the whole project. Looks like I am only short 4 colors---woohoo! Mark the backing fabric and I will be ready to roll.

Here is my WIP then---March calendar quilt block from Nancy Halvorsen. If you hadn't noticed, I changed gears from the appliqued version to stitchery version as it is hard to machine applique around itty bitty pieces and the fusible makes it too stiff to buttonhole stitch by hand. I still don't have my sewing mojo back either.

I just finished the lettering, then pressed and trimmed the block. It needs some bordering pieces but I don't know with what just yet. As you can see it is missing some details as well. It calls for a tulip shaped button and embroidery floss ties to the kite string so that will act like a tack would. There is also a running stitched border around the motif that you might be able to faintly see in pencil. That should work like a utility stitch with perle cotton, I think. At this point it measure 9 x 10.5 so it will need some anchoring but will that be enough? I knew that I wanted the stitchery image to be larger than shown in the book so after I scanned it, I printed it off about page sized. I'll do the same with the next months block as well. This month is going by so fast!

So is this day----it is just about time to fix supper.

Hope that you have enjoyed a nice spring day wherever you live---------

Enough with the cleaning!

At last I can close the closet door and even store the sewing tables if I had to!

I started work on the closet straightening almost first thing yesterday morning. It looked far worse before I took this picture. I had already emptied out all the project boxes etc that sit above this drawer unit and the stencils and bags off the door. Skyler could not keep from taking a peek at the one spot he cannot get into. It was that packed in there! The shot I tried to take with him sitting in an emptied out drawer apparently did not turn out :-{ or I would show you that one instead. Still, this shows a bit of the “before” clutter in there.

As you can see, the space is compromised a bit because it shares room with the furnace air return. The other part is the door situation—small door that doesn’t allow an easy reach to the contents in the back. All 4 closets are like that. There would be little wall space if they had done bi-fold doors though. You deal with what you have, right?

Some fabric, most of the patterns and sewing supplies will be donated to the thrift store including about 8 outfits that I had already cut out. Maybe someone will want to take it from there? I sure don’t want to, LOL. I couldn’t part with the yarn and augmented it with some stored in my bedroom. I didn’t want to part with the doll supplies or some of the holiday themed craft items just yet either. Better keep the batting sections as well.

It was a good thing today was garbage collection day as I went through 4 kitchen sized trash bags before all this re-organization was completed! Once I moved things out from the center of the closet I could get to 4 jumbo stacked storage bins stacked next to the little drawers. Well, after I moved all the batting out of the way, that is. I unearthed the container with the feedsacks and old blocks---grandmother flower garden and glorified nine patch blocks (22 of them). G9P is a quilt I have always wanted to make or at least finish these blocks into a top. The melon section and pattern is missing so that was a sticking point. I thought that I had left them out but can’t lay my hand on them right now to show those to you. Well, that is going to drive me crazy till I find out what I did them!

I got a tally of just what batting I have on hand and made myself a list. Let’s just say, I’m good in that regard for awhile unless I want something other than 80-20 or Warm and Natural, LOL. Two more bags have scraps that can be used for smaller projects or sewn together to get more mileage out of it. This is just a small part of it—shown in an “after” shot. I could not back up far enough to get it all in, top to bottom.

Other treasures I found in the process:

• Ribbon applique from Faye Labanaris. I may not ever finish this project but the instructions may help down the line somewhere
• An almost pieced Primrose Star—designed by Mary Lou Anderson—just finish three corners and the center at least could added to an orphaned block quilt. I slapped it up on the design wall for now
• Pieced Hexagon blocks from Janet Elwin—about 6 of them are done from that workshop—enough for a row in a quilt anyway
• Some cool block ideas that my mom shared with me with stitched examples (More Pinwheels—that kind of tessellated version of Twin Sisters and Kansas Trouble in two sizes)
• what looks like a row quilt in patriotic colors. I am not at all sure who donated this (Pam? Nancy?) but it would be perfect for a QOV quilt. Pat and I may team up to get this one donated at some point.

That there are more kits and UFO’s stashed in the closet as well should not surprise you. I am NOT counting them up though. No way, Jose! I did that once when on the stashbuster list and joined in the UFO challenge. Why get aggravated with yourself that you like to try new things but don’t always finish your experimentation? Why beat yourself up with a number hanging over your head like the sword of Damocles? Nothing will stifle my creativity quicker than feeling stuck doing something I don’t feel like doing. BUT being on a fixed income I can’t just go buy more so I am keeping much of what I have on hand. I think I do a pretty good job of using what I have oh hand for making kids quilts. Just never enough time in the day to do it all, is there?

Here is the official “after” picture. The purge/reorganization even impacted some of the things stuck away in the bedroom--a general freshening up of both rooms. I guess since we are inside more when the weather turns cold, we notice all those little things that need done. I didn’t mind cleaning so much when it is cooler either. DJ was dressed in an insulated flannel shirt and I’m in a t-shirt getting all warmed up, LOL.

I finished off the day by cleaning out my purse and cleaning out my top desk drawer---I tend to just shove stuff in there till it will barely open. Even an old file box was dealt with by shredding and tossing unneeded papers. Time to haul out more trash! The container now holds the little bit of patriotic fabric that I have. See above—the patriotic rows and some stuff that will help complete it.

This morning was far less taxing. I was on a treasure hunt for some of Skyler’s missing toys. One of his sponge balls, a rubber band, a plastic ring, pom pom ball, three stuffed mice were all part of the day’s haul. Some emailing, blog reading and puzzle solving. Vacuuming—ugh. I almost hate to start making a mess in there since the room is so clean. On the goal list for the day: I am preparing backing and binding for the FAB challenge. Spray baste and I can start quilting in a bit--or not. I'll have to start supper before too long. Think I’ll cut out the “Be Warm” Be Attitude block while I have the cutter in my hand.

Hope you have a good day in whatever you chose to do---stay warm and have fun! I’m sure going to.

ED NOTE: found the G9P blocks--finally! I took everything out of the closet only after I had looked in all the likely spots to stash them. They were In the redwork basket where I had stuck them for "safe" keeping. Yeah, I think we are all familiar with sticking things away in safe places and in effect, losing them. OR more like losing our minds searching for them, LOL.

Serial reorganization

Help!  Stop me before I clean again, LOL.  No, seriously I am inches away from diving into the sewing room closet to clean, purge, straighten.  Normally I would not consider that a BAD thing but I should be staying on track with that FAB challenge. 

It started with taking the thread racks down.  (See the last post)  I decided that I wanted to keep most of thread on the shelving units but that meant disposing of a bunch of my old APQ magazines.  After all, they were taking up about 12 to 16 inches of shelf space.  For years, I would not tear into these but it was time to take out the articles that I had some interest in ever making or wanted for inspiration of a set or use of color.  You get the idea.  I got all that condensed down into a 3 inch 3-ring binder in sheet protectors.

Obviously I have done that a time or two before when you look at all those notebooks.  Computer printouts and commercially purchased patterns are filed in there too.  I moved things around so I could most of these down on the bottom shelf.  The books on the end are there as almost all of them are listed on Amazon marketplace and I need them to be separated out and accessible.  If they stay, that’s okay too.

Moving the notebooks down cleared out a space on the shelf where they were for the thread .  I had other old sewing stuff in one of those tubs so I re-purposed it for the cone threads.  Next to it, three of the containers I filled from the thread racks.  I picked up two more 20 qt containers today to hold my 1 1/2 and 2 inch strips.  I had them in something else but this arrangement allowed me to do some shifting.   They are pretty full and no longer separated out by light, medium and dark but I can deal with it.  The 2 1/2 and 3 1/2’s aren’t either.  I may separate them out by colors later and layer them in there instead of just the dumping I did just get them put away.  The project box came down from the upper shelf stack as it is what I picked out for a ME project.

The wall where the racks came down looks awful though.  Hollow wall anchors, a couple other holes that could be spackled, sanded and painted as well but just generally needs some paint.  Something, I don’t know what, got sprayed on it and there are poster tack marks up higher.  I do not want to paint in the dead of winter when we cannot open the windows and/or use the fan to air things out.   A wallhanging would be nice and maybe Amy Bradley’s Quilt Diva would fill the bill.  I have the fabrics kitted up for it, after all.  OR I have her Seasoned Quilter patterns if I go all the way to the ceiling, that is.

BUT I am not so sure about that---I did this as temporary measure but I think I like it.  The spot is a little unhandy with the pressing/cutting table in the way but that  is what they made step stools for, LOL.  Pam had sent me a piece that her mom had made up for a design wall but it was a little wide for my spot.  I cut it down and quilted around the edges---instant design “wall”  I pulled out 4 blocks from the abandoned block bin---all of them from my mom.  That butterfly had been hanging in her bedroom for some time and I might as well carry on that tradition, LOL. I think it has some real possibilities with the other pastel blocks on hand for Finn’s Riding the Orphan Train quilt.

The cat is just too cute NOT to put up.  It kind of reminds me of Skyler.  I know she made a donation WTIL quilt from the pattern.  It is from “Cats….of course!!  The Curious Cat” designed by D. A. Brinkmann of Spartanburg, SC.  The block is given in 5 inch, 7.5 inch and 10 inch sizes.  (I have my own copy so I checked, LOL)
We have some of those same frigid temps that many of you are experiencing right now heading our way.  DJ said that there are freeze warnings out in Florida and the weathermen are predicting perhaps single digit lows for a few nights.  Two different Alberta Clippers are responsible.  No precipitation is thought to accompany it so they were quick to suggest that a run on the store’s milk, bread and eggs was NOT needed.  At any rate I will be happy to be snug in the house over the weekend.

That’s how it goes around here today.  I’ll get to the closet mess—trust me, it needs it---but will have to wait till after I get my haircut mid-morning.  The bulk of it anyway.  For now, I’m back to embellishments.  All too soon it will be time to fix supper—either Quick Mediterranean Dinner (meatballs with chickpeas, olives, feta cheese in a tomato sauce base clipped from an old newspaper or magazine) or Easy Mulligatawny.  I posted the soup recipe some time back so the link will take you to it.  LOL, what I don’t fix tonight, I fix tomorrow.  I am leaning toward soup after smelling the chicken cooking in the crockpot earlier. 

I have pictures of some of the tops shown at the quilt meeting but I’ll save those for a day when I have no quilt-y content---read:  when I am quilting my FAB challenge hopefully by week’s end.  Thanks for stopping by.

just puttering

Pippi is showing you her newest acquisition. I got her one of those cozy cat cushions that features a self-heating core and warms without electricity and FedEx delivered it on Saturday afternoon. I was thinking it might help those old kitty bones. She sits down so gingerly sometimes that I thought she must be a bit uncomfortable. Then the next minute she is hopping up on something high or running 90 mph down the hall, so who knows? She seems to like it--to the point that DJ asked me where I intended to sleep last night. (She did allow me to have half the bed and I pulled the quilt at the bottom of the bed up over me till she moved on a few hours later. )

Speaking of bones, I have got a case of the lazy bones today---no sewing or anything remotely sewing related for almost a week now. A little knitting, yes, but that is about it. Well, first it was because we expected company on Friday and Saturday. But I had another project that I'll tell you about in a second.

Actually the golfing pal came--and left--while we had gone out for our anniversary lunch on Friday. We came home to a note in the door that said it was too cold (meaning too cold to play golf---duh, we tried to tell you that on the phone). He indicated that he was heading on further south--my guess down to Columbus, GA or Jacksonville, FL where other friends live but I don't think that they were much warmer on Friday and Saturday. I think he had that planned all along based on a less than promising forecast.

We were NOT looking for him till the evening hours anyway. DJ and I had left the kitchen floor mopping detail for last and the chairs were off in the living room so good thing he didn't come in! DJ said he was worn out from his cleaning detail earlier in the morning so he just hauled the chairs back in , LOL---and did it the next day. So we will have a clean house for us---we are worth it!

I had asked about some ideas for organizing my notebook stuff in my last post. Patti had some good ideas to suggest and really it was along the lines of what I was thinking as well. Norma had sort of put the bee in my bonnet about this in a conversation recently. I hope that she will post how she deals with her paper stuff as I think you might find it helpful if you haven't got a handle on YOUR stuff.

I gave some thought to the types of patterns and printout that I have. Then Thursday evening and most of the day Friday (once I knew Herb was not going to be plunked on my couch) I sorted and culled my way through my stuff. I am basically a traditional quilter so a good bit of my collections falls into the typical types of blocks:

• hearts
• baskets
• stars
• log cabins
• fans or circular designs and so forth.

As I was going through the notebooks I found that I needed some space devoted to:

• seasonal/holiday patterns
• kid friendly patterns since I make donation quilts
• critters other than cats (cats have their own notebook and have had for some time, LOL)
• reference/technique
• home dec/totes, etc.
• Clothing patterns but those were already separated out
• I don't do much applique so I didn't feel I needed a category for that--added it to the general mix.

Some stuff I separated out by designer if it was someone that I have a good bit of----in my case that would be:

• Amy Bradley
• Billie Lauder
• Debbie Mumm
• Glad Creations
• Atkinson Designs
• Mary Ellen Hopkins and on it goes.

Other stuff fit a theme, of sorts and could be grouped together as well-- barns, country, sewing, etc.

I tossed a bunch of my EQ printouts--those are in my software anyway-- unless it was something that I didn't feel I could replicate or had a lot of notes about the set or cutting directions. I kept handouts that I had generated for the Belles but those went into the mix---baskets, stars, log cabins, fans, etc.--if they fit the criteria even though I have those in my document files too. The duplicates got tossed or set aside to share. Then I just separated things out into the named categories and kept adjusting which notebook that they went into. Even better the one with the sprung rings that would not catch all the holes on the all the sheet protectors?----it is outta here! I cleaned out the two file cabinet drawers as well. Only one notebook is currently a hodge podge but it is also the one with the empty sheet protectors so anything new will be put in there temporarily. So I feel a whole lot better about that situation!

Moving onto something that I am NOT so okay with and part of the reason why I am not sewing. I was doing pretty well on working on this till last Monday night but I have real problem child with this. I swear that I cut all the strips the same length. I know that the sashing is for sure as I trimmed them all off at the same time. I stay stitched the braid strips to keep them from stretching as they were added to the sashing. I don't know if you can tell just how badly these have turned out from the picture. Some are too long and others are too short!! Worse yet? The last set that had two pieces of sashing added to it is too short on one side and too long on the other!! SHEESH Now what do I do?

I didn't have the heart to get the tape measure out and see what went wrong. I just folded them up and put them ont he shelf---mostly because I was cleaning. It is just scrap material and my first impulse is just to toss the whole thing (but save the yellow if I resorted to that drastic a measure) No way, no how, it this going to make flat quilt like it is now. Trim the long ones off and add something to the bottom of the too short ones once I know what the heck these really measure?? My mom said to take off the stay stitching (too tight a seam, too close to the edge---no thanks!) and take the seams up a bit to make them fit. Chalk this up to experience and never make it again is my feeling at the moment-- if the measurements are wayyyyy off. I have made one of these before without this kind of mess!!

We had a gorgeous day today though pretty frosty this morning. It was up till almost 60 today, warm enough to just walk in my jeans and sweater minus any t-shirt underneath--no heavy sweatshirt, hat and gloves today. Yesterday, not quite as warm but the first sunshine in days so there were a lot of people at the park. The basketball court had about a dozen people playing ball, the skate park was full, some kids tossing a baseball around, some of the playground equipment with their parents keeping watch. Still others on bikes and walking either in the park or the adjoining trail. Even one family flying kites. With school in session I have sort of gotten used to being about the only one in the park as I walk or spotting a few walkers in passing. Guess we all were a little sick of being inside and wanted to enjoy that sunshine.

No cooking tonight since I cooked our lunch--hurray for leftovers to warm up!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1-29 ED NOTE: I have gotten a couple of good suggestions both here and off post about what I might be able to do with my oh, so errant braid strips. Norma at Random Stitches was kind enough to post a picture of her salvage job when the "Bias Bogey Man bit her bad" as well---click HERE for a view of her creative solution. I would need to take the sashing strips off but those could be used elsewhere---maybe on a Chinese Coin strippie, yeah that would work. No more braid though--I'm cured, LOL. OR what would it look like if I kept the yellow on there, cut squares and chunked it into squares whatever wide they measure? Food for thought.

this and that

I have been keeping busy but not necessarily with quilting stuff. Tuesday the quilt group met and I did sit down to make a few more triple rail blocks from some backing cutaways. I call 'em basketweave blocks--is either correct? Either way, I got this much of them assembled while I was there. I am using the set up from Mary Ellen Hopkins old BOM for "Mock Triple Rails and Squares" with the plain squares forming a heart shape at center if you can see that in the print out. Theramae and I were stitching these blocks at the sew-in but her top is done and the girls pinned it along with several others.

Two more of the Merkitty challenge tops were done and I did take pics of them but will wait to share those till after the Christmas party. A piece of backing fabric that Mom sent recently was perfect for the back of Beverly's top--the pink and blue splotchy one, Mom. I stopped sewing my triple rail in order to piece it together for her since I had the only machine set up. Lois bailed me out with a needle though when I broke mine with about 12 inches to seam. I had left my extras at home though I had all my other sewing supplies with me. Reminder: put a pack or two in the carry along basket too, not just in the wound bobbin container. Theramae had two quilts to turn in--one snuggle up and another scrappy cut squares so a few pictures to take as well. Pat worked on binding on the one of the tops I recently quilted keeping me company while I stitched. Theramae will finish that one up at home while Lois took the 2nd top home to do the honors since I am machine quilting one of her tops for her.

Beverly's DIL is a beginner quilter and had a top to pin that she hopes to tie. She has begun sewing nine patch blocks and is going to be a meticulous piecer, I can tell. She needed a little help in how to cut (left-handed) as she had been using purchased cut squares for her project. I really enjoyed her enthusiasm and of course, we are all willing to share what we have learned over the years.

Several of us ran out for a light lunch at a bakery down the street and brought it back to join the others who had carried theirs in. I didn't realize that they served some breakfast items and had soup, salad and sandwich items that you could eat in or carry out. It smelled heavenly in there--like cinnamon and yeast bread. Beverly commented that she probably gained 5 lbs. just sniffing the aromas of the bakery items, LOL. I think we might run down there in January as a group for lunch. The girls sounded interested.

I spent the rest of Tuesday evening messing with some recipe files on the computer and most of the day yesterday between wash loads and meal prep. Actually what I fixed for supper was trying to replicate the chicken tortilla soup that the girls ordered at the bakery that looked and tasted so good. Inspiration comes from all sources. Perfect for a chilly evening.

This is what started a cleaning rampage yesterday morning. DJ had bought a hamper like this a few months back. It is so much easier to just roll the whole danged thing into the laundry room to sort the clothes than pull everything out of the hamper, load it into a clothes basket and handle it all over again in the laundry room. I had considered buying one for months and mentioned it again. DJ kidded me about just keeping it in the "mulling over" stage. But about similtaneously, it occured to us to see if it might work while both hampers were empty.

Okay, it fit in that spot nicely and access to the closet next to it would not be so limited. It doesn't stick out like my odd shaped, corner- intended woven onedoes. It would alllow me empty out the kits and UFOs from the small basket at the foot of the cutting table and the picnic basket stuffed with the same thing from under the table. Then the tub of Christmas fabrics can go under the table instead of sitting in front of the closet door. This might work. Pippi can launch herself up from the floor to her water bowl and window perch from the hamper, surely. (Said objects showed parked near the kitchen and removal from the house. )

Let the shifting stuff around begin! Out came the vacuum and now the old hamper is stuffed to the gills with the kits and UFOs that obviously I need to consider sewing up. Most of them are things that will go for donation quilts which makes for even more reason to do something with them. Not doing a child any good stuffed in a ziploc bag.

This is by no means, all that I have on hand either. I've got a stack of 12 pizza type boxes on the book shelf and there are about more in the sewing room closet and a basket that sits near my machine with 5 more pressing projects in it. At this rate I should never, ever leave this house at this rate and sew every available minute of my life, LOL. Or at the very least not start something new at the drop of a hat---but where is the fun in that? Sometimes sewing something new with some recently purchased fabric is what gets the quilting fire stoked again. Or combining fabrics from your stash with the color or print that combo was missing might get you off and running in another tangent.
So anyway, here we go---the "what lies beneath" all straightened up. A spot for the Christmas fabric now with room for some of the "yard sale" backing fabrics for a couple months back, 30's print tubs, pastels for another project, yellows, brights Actually have 30's fabrics in two other spots and it should all be combined but where would I put the tub???

The other three containers of yardage go up and down. I know what is in there as I visit them often. Some of it is large pieces of several yardages that a friend shared with the Belles for future challenge quilts so it is not going anywhere soon but it has to go somewhere in the meantime. The serger that I occasionally need and the paper shredder still fit along with my meeting tote bag and another pizza box of completed blocks. I squeezed in that bolt of muslin along the basket. Extra pizza boxes and bags with handles went in the space between the table legs and wall. I sew in an 10 x 10 bedroom so you have to use every inch of space to the max. You do what you have to do.

These cool mornings means waiting a bit to go walk. The problem with that is I get busy with something else and then don't want to stop what I am doing to get my exercise in. I prefer the summer routine of getting dressed and going out to do it before the day intervenes. Also I usually don't eat before I walk --feel sluggish when I do and don't physically feel like eating when I first get up anyway. I can see that a plan of action needs to be worked out a little better if I am going out after 8:30 and hope to keep my enthusiasm for exercise up. The minute that I don't make it a priority and start thinking of everything else I have planned for the day, it becomes a chore and making myself walk an extra lap just becomes drudgery. Having said that, the temp is now up to 41, sun is shining, looks like I don't have to scrap the car windows now-- I can dress for that. Off I go. I'll be quilting this afternoon and hope you have a good day too. Thanks for stopping by----