Needles and Pens

where you just can't seem to accomplish anything? My lack of motivation hasn't lifted, and I almost made a huge effort today to try and catch up on all the things I didn't do all week... ...but then, I didn't. Here's a look at my to-do list progress since Monday: More string blocks (one block a day): I finished... one block. Now I have four. Still twelve more to go. February's paper-pieced BOM : I actually finished this one! The Wild Goose Chase block from Quilter's Cache. Flannel critter quilt : Well... here's the pattern. I haven't opened it yet. Go through email : Yes! I did get that done. Hopefully I can keep it under control. Bathtub caulking removal : So tedious! I'm trying to get the whole tub edge from this point: to this point: I'm about halfway around now, but I can only work on it for 20-30 minutes before I just have to get out of there. Needless to say, it's slow going. And I also have the caulking at...

I'm feeling incredibly unmotivated today, but I did manage to scratch out a to-do list for the week. Maybe getting it down here will give me that little push I need to get GOING. More string blocks Setting a block-a-day goal for these this week. Hopefully we'll see some progress. February's paper-pieced BOM Considering we're well into March now, I'd really like to have this done. Flannel critter quilt A new Simplicity pattern I bought this weekend. I thought it might be a good seller in the shop. We'll see... Go through email I owe an apology to all of you lovely people who have left blog comments. My email inbox is a MESS. I sincerely appreciate all of your comments, and am usually much better about replying in a timely manner. It's definitely time to get this under control. Bathtub caulking removal Hubby did indeed get that bathtub leveled, and has almost taken care of all of the leaking/dripping issues. I need to get in there now with a scraper, ...

... 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...

Well I made it through my to-do list -- and then some! Complete one scrappy flannel project Done! And listed in the shop today: Scrappy Floral Ragtime Baby Quilt I also started making some pink and purple string blocks for another project: Begin work on two custom quilt orders. (Still waiting for my fabric order for this one. Should be delivered on Monday!) Tear down sheetrock on bathtub end wall. Made a heckuva mess in the process... But I got it done! AND cleaned up the mess. AND stripped the caulking around the tub/floor, for a head start on next week. Yesterday was my birthday, and I had a fantastic day! My husband and kids were so good to me. I was spoiled with roses (And breakfast. And dinner!) from my husband... ...a beautiful Willow Tree "Love" figurine from my daughter... ...and a new camera from the whole family, which I really, really needed. I didn't lift a finger all day, for meals or housework or anything, and I enjoyed every...

Among the flood of touching 9/11 tribute photos and status updates on Facebook this morning, I came across a link for the 9-11 Day Tribute Movement and the message, "Good deeds unite us on 9/11." How perfect, to commemorate this day by doing good deeds! So I made my pledge: Today I will (finally) sew some quilt blocks for Quilts of Valor , "to honor and comfort our wounded service members and veterans." It's something I've been meaning to do for a long time now, and what better day than today? And so, I will sew -- and remember... (Stay tuned for updates) 1:20 p.m. Okay, so I decided to go with the Breezy 4-Patch pattern from Lyn Brown's Layer Cake Quilts download. And here are my first four blocks. (Beware, this might make your eyes water a little bit.) Gag! Large prints apparently NOT the way to go! Lesson learned. Going back for round two -- with something a little more subdued in mind... 5:30 p.m. Four hours and several int...

Ready for a break from the bathroom-fixing-up posts? Yeah, me too. So I took some time out today and finished my March "Floral Breeze" block-of-the-month to share for Sew & Tell Friday . It's called "Sweet Pea." A little closeup of the handwork: These are the three blocks finished so far. They're 12-1/2" x 18-1/2" each. Looking really pretty! Next project: A window valance for -- you guessed it -- the bathroom. Almost done in there, and that's a very good thing!

I finally got around to one of the many works-in-progress I listed here awhile back. For the past week or so, I've been making one or two of these 8" airplane blocks each night: I plan to make four more, for a 16-block square baby quilt. Sashing and border decisions yet to be made, but it should be finished well before my deadline. Sweet! (Linking up with Judy's Design Wall Monday at the Patchwork Times.)

Well, it's Design Wall Monday over at Patchwork Times, and here's what I have on my design wall* for this week, my November UFO challenge, "Where are Your Shoes and Socks?" (Pat Sloan 2006 BOM) These are the blocks I had finished before the challenge: Over the past two weeks, I've picked out fabrics, cut, basted and pinned the remaining five blocks, and yesterday I got started stitching and finished the July "Sneakers" block, and August's "Summer Wedding." Three more to go. And I'd really like to finish them this week. (They look nearly done, but they're only pinned. Lots of stitching yet to do...) These were designed for fusible applique, but for some reason I chose to make mine with needle-turned hand applique. What was I thinking??? Other quilty "to-do's" for this week: Add borders, layer and pin my mom's birthday quilt Get started on my November "Get 'er Done" pillow project ...

It's time again, for Sew & Tell Friday at Amylouwho's, and with the start of a new month, this week has been more about starting for me (my mom's birthday quilt and my November UFO Challenge project) than finishing, but I do have one small finish to share: This is the "Northwoods Noel" wall hanging that I blogged about on Monday , another of my "Get 'er Done Challenge" panel projects. It's a little early for Christmas decorating, but it looks so perfect hanging at the top of our stairs, might as well leave it there and have a head start this year. LoL I've also finished a few blocks for a special project I just learned about this week. John'aLee from The Scrappy Appleyard is making five quilts for the loved ones of her daughter's fiance, who was killed in Afghanistan in September -- so heartbreaking. If you would like to help out, here is her original post requesting help with blocks . She has since extended her deadline t...

... and I only have one actual finish this week, the Quilters Sew Love wall hanging for my sewing room, which I posted about earlier this week. I also dug out my next "Get 'er Done" challenge panel, and have it bordered and ready to pin and quilt. I'm so glad these have been sewing up so fast. Maybe there's still a chance I'll make it through the list this year! (More on this wall hanging in my last post , if you'd like to see the details...) With all the sewing I've been doing this week, it's hard to believe I only have one actual finish to show for it. But I am on the verge of a few more... I'm working on two sets of Bug Jar blocks for a swap. So far, the 20 ladybug blocks are done: And I'm almost finished with the butterfly blocks (ten down, ten to go). These will probably be finished today, so I guess this swap could be considered finished -- for now. lol And what I've spent the most time on this week is the Fresh Frui...

It's Sew & Tell Friday again... another busy week, sewing up a storm, and a little more progress made in the "catching up on my challenges" challenge. The further I get on these projects, the more motivated I am to get caught up before the year ends, despite being several months behind. I'm so glad to have this burst of sewing energy hit me now. I just hope it lasts awhile... First accomplishment this week, my April "Get 'er Done" challenge project, the Pledge of Allegiance wall hanging. Here's the panel before (after being folded up in a box for far too long): And after, borders added, quilted and bound: I actually had this one ready to quilt back in June, but got stuck on the "how to quilt" question, as usual. Since my attempt at free-motion last month went relatively well, I thought I should give it another shot on this one. With the help of my quilting buddies, I figured out my tension dilemma was due to a loose top t...

While visiting all the awesome bloggers who commented on my UFO challenge post today, I learned about a fun fall giveaway being hosted by Trish at Notes of Sincerity . Check it out! You could win this cute owl candle holder and a candle for your fall decor. :o) And speaking of UFOs, finishing that last one and then seeing all the other September finishes really lit a fire under me to get started on the next one. Yet, when I found out the number drawn for October was #5, I thought, "No way. Can't be done." I have at least another 9 blocks to make (some of them require two of the same block for the quilt layout), and then putting them all together, quilting, binding... I had flashbacks of January's UFO , which seriously almost did me in. But then I dug out the little baggie with my three finished blocks, looked at the next block in line, started poking through my stash for fabrics... ... and finished the block in less than 30 minutes. Sweet! (I just noticed a ...

So... remember all those bright pink blocks from a couple months back? Well as of today, they are officially a finished quilt! (I had a hard time getting accurate color in this picture, but the border actually blends really well with the blocks in real life. Really.) The quilt finished at approximately 60" square. And this is the yummy tone-on-tone hot pink flannel backing I "just happened to have" in my stash (due to a few splurges while working at the fabric store -- shhhhh...) Again, my photography leaves something to be desired. Turns out there's a seam right in the middle of the shot, thus the noticeable color variation. (It also looks better in real life. Really.) I have in mind a special someone to receive this quilt, so I just need to make a label and it'll be on it's way to ? (Shhh... it's a secret.) So after that big accomplishment today, I felt like I was on a roll and found out that my May "Get 'Er Done" challenge panel...