Needles and Pens

Definite progress. There's nothing quite like sharing embarrassing pictures of your mess to make you want to clean it up -- and fast. So before I go on to what's yet to be done, here are a couple of before and afters to show the progress made this week (click on the picture for a larger view). In the sewing room: And better yet, in the storage room: Looks like the room grew! In the sewing room, the second table is a huge improvement on my work space. Now I have room to cut at one end and quilt at the other, with the old computer set up in between, so I can use online patterns without having to print them out. The drawers beneath still need to be organized, but they will be storage for my scrap pieces and strips. On the other side is the second sewing machine, which I use mostly for piecing. I spent a couple of hours stripping the wallpaper border off this wall, so I could hang my quilter's wall hanging there. I'm not looking forward to any more border strip...

... that's the sort of week this has been. I'd have given up the first day, but for the accountability I've been getting from these weekly to-do lists. Somehow, I managed to get it all done -- more or less. LoL Dinosaur ragtime quilt This was to replace the quilt that my daughter purchased from my shop, and the first thing I wanted to finish this week. Well, I got it done, so cute with bright purple and lime green: But after it was washed and fringed up, I was picking all the fuzzies off when I noticed a flaw in the purple back: It looks as if the nap of the flannel just separated from the back, and I was pretty sure it wasn't like that before it was washed. Grr... Fortunately, this didn't happen on the special order I just made with the same fabric! And then I saw another spot on the front: And I know that wasn't there before. I have no idea now what I'll do with this quilt. Either try to sell it at a super deep discount, or most likely, just...

Over the weekend, I finished the purple/lavender ragtime quilt, which was a special order. This was on my to-do list last week, so I guess technically, I did get it finished! Here are a few pictures... It's so hard to accurately show that deep purple in photos, but it is such a pretty, rich purple. I bought a lot of it, too, so there will be more purple raggies in my future for sure! And now for my list of to-dos this week: Dinosaur ragtime quilt - My daughter purchased the dinosaur quilt from my shop this weekend, and I still have enough of the dino fabric to make another and just switch out the photos on my listing. (And that purple above would look great with the dinos...) Make a few more purple/pink scrappy string blocks With all the ragtime quilts I've been making, I must say I'm missing my pieced quilts. Need to stay on top of that project so it isn't completely forgotten/buried in my sewing room! Vacuum Not fun, but my whole house needs a once-ov...

Late with my Monday to-dos and late with my Friday finishes. But I did make some progress this week: The kitchen counter... ... is cleared! (Granted, I just did it today, and only because I said I would here. LoL Proof that the Monday to-do list really works!) The flannel heap... ... is sorted! Less than one yard, one yard, and more than one yard bins. And scraps... Currently in the process of cutting into strips and squares... And I did squeeze in one flannel project for the shop... Another little ragtime baby quilt, mostly from the "less than one yard" bin - yay! (More pictures at Hushabye Street .) As for the bathroom project, well, I said I was just going to figure out the first steps. And that's all I did. The first step is to tear the sheetrock down off that wall and all around the tub, so we can fix the plumbing problem and level the tub (something we failed to do when we installed it, and it has caused some other water issues). ...

I almost forgot to blog my to-dos for the week, so before it's too late, here goes. First, I WAS going to put finishing this pillow on my to-do list: But I already finished it before the list was made, so that would sorta be cheating. (The fun stuff always seems to get done first.) Where was I? Oh, yes. The list... well, I've had a little trouble today deciding what most needs doing, and I never actually MADE a list. It's just been one of those days. So I guess I'll just throw a few things out here that have been bugging me and see what happens: Clear off the kitchen catch-all counter. In the sewing room, since I've completely demolished the organization of my flannels, I need to sort through them all again, and maybe come up with another flannel project for the shop. And... (dare I say it?) I've been REALLY thinking about working on that upstairs bathroom that never got touched during last year's "Better Home Challenge." I...

I can't believe February is already here! Amazing how the weeks fly by when you give yourself loads of things "to-do!" Again, I almost finished everything on my list for the week . Almost. Plus a thing or two I hadn't planned on, so I guess that's fair. Straighten the basement, get the TV hooked up and get on the treadmill. (My excuse is that I'm waiting for my hubby to hook up the TV. Realistically, I could probably do it myself if I tried. Mostly, I just don't really want to get on the treadmill. LoL) Clean out the front hall closet. (What an amazing improvement. We can all hang our coats up now! Just wish I had taken a "before" picture... it was BAD.) Personalization on pink ragtime quilt. Make another pink ragtime quilt for shop. Shabby Chic Baby Pink Flannel Ragtime Quilt And this was not on my list, but since I was kind of on a roll with the flannel quilts, I also finished one that's a little more boyish. Shabby...

Every time I start to tackle a new room, I have the same problem. Aside from the obvious cleaning and organizing, just what do I want to do in here? It takes a few days (or a week), but then something will spark inspiration. In the case of my bathroom, the window shopping did it. Looking at towels, bathmats, and other accessories helped me zero in on a color, which brought to mind some fabric I already had on hand -- and I have my new color scheme (though I haven't quite nailed down the exact shade of aqua for the walls). I love paisley... I'm thinking of using these in a window valance, something like this from Bed, Bath and Beyond : But first, the cleaning... ugh. Starting with the dreaded shower. I can't even bring myself to show you how cruddy it looked before, but I scrubbed my fingers to the bone and now it looks almost like new. I was seriously sore all over the next day, and everyone who uses this shower (I'm a bubble bath girl, myself) heard abou...

We had quite a snowstorm here yesterday, and it looks more winter-like outside than it has all year, but I don't care... it's March! Spring is just around the corner. :o) It's also time for a new Better Home Challenge project, and for those who are playing along, this month's project is #2. For me, that's the downstairs bathroom. Yes, I'm finally getting out of the basement! It's a little tricky to take pictures of such a small room, but I gave it my best shot. (And I didn't clean first, so please pardon any mess you happen to see. Luckily dirt doesn't show up all that well in pictures. LoL) When I painted this dark hunter green several years ago, I really loved it, but it's most definitely time for a change. It's so dark, it makes the room look even smaller than it is, and it shows everything ! Dirt, toothpaste/soap splatters, hairspray overkill, dings in the wall, etc., etc. It's time for a change! And some organizing... ...

Previous Posts on February's Project: Project Overview and "Before" Pictures Mid-month Update Heads Up (Ongoing Suspended Ceiling Project) February has finally come to an end, and I can't say I'm sorry to see it go! We were hit with all the typical cold viruses and stomach bugs this month, and the last couple of weeks felt like slow motion. It's a wonder we got anything done at all, but I'm happy to say we made definite progress on our February challenge project, the basement rec room. Here are a few pictures taken this morning. The view, coming down the stairs, looking over the stair railing: Believe it or not, that floor is clean. I washed it myself just yesterday. On my hands and knees. My kingdom for new flooring! Despite the many things I didn't get done, my goal of making this a usable game room was accomplished. (As evidenced by the gamer who would rather be in all my "after" pics than stop playing his game.) Isn...