April - It Came and Went

 Still reading many books each month and this month besides taking care of some remaining items from Mom's life, many seasonal chores, the athletics for the grand children, and the WIPs I wanted to complete I was again really busy.  A quick recap follows.

Books read since I last shared:

Mom's stuff: though she gave away most all there are some sentimental items I received and another quilt (the Solids in Spiral) I brought to my Long arm quilter just last week.  Still need to attend to much of it as I am mourning and somewhat growing and getting away from my "life's feeling of overwhelm".  Thankfully, I keep telling myself    I don't procrastinate   , that alone is helping.  

Seasonal Items:  Besides the winter blow down, raking the yard and lawns, blowing the landscape around the home, cleaning out the gutters (PHEW! that alone took 2 days), deadheading and pruning shrubs and the flowers , fertilizing the fruit trees and evergreens I managed to get it all done.  Happy and glad I obtained nearly 141 miles walked as I went about it. Another WIN.

Disregard that wheel barrow full of fire logs back near the gate, while going for a hike at a favorite spot of mine, the Power Company had cut down sections of trees in their way, thus leaving a mess.  I helped them  out and brought home some useable awkward sections for my fire pit enjoyment.  lol  

The gutters needed replacing so while still on target I inquired with the Leaf Guard company.  Their quote made me stagger.  I kid you not, so I opted to go to the same company that installed the earlier out of date system 25 + years ago and was happy with both the result and price.  Two areas of concern were the black ice build up near my front and side door entrances.  It seemed to always drip from the seams or over flow them causing icicles and more drips.  Of course sure enough those areas would  freeze in those most critical areas.  I'm assured those days are done with.  

The other area are the 2 downspouts.  The one newly installed near the front door I want to landscape into its environment and this is how it currently looks in the above photo. 

Not Pretty.  ;-(  

Initially they laid that 4" PVC pipe just next to the paver bricks.  NOPE! What an EYESORE for the first impression of my home.  

So I asked them to angle it backwards into the rock area not the patio so it would not be able to pool there on the step area.

 The other downspout is my access point to the hose manifold area so I asked if they could use the 4" PVC pipe for sturdiness and I'd purchase landscape blocks to elevate a bricked patio step for use.  

They tried and here it is to the left.  

They used a cut piece of pine bough timber to support the patio bricks that had been thrown in there initially and temporarily.  They tried to make it nice while workable.  I see when taking the pic that the alignment and the pitch is off now, so more potential problems down the road....   A for effort anyways.  As they mentioned, they don't dig.  lol

So both of those tasks move onto my May chores.  

The two youngest Grands:  

The youngest grands are both enjoying their sports and doing well scholastically.

PGS#3 pictured on the left is an 8th grader, high honor roll student who also happens to be on the Varsity Hockey team.  A once in a lifetime chance occurred for him this Spring at the end of the Hockey season that I haven't yet shared.  His team made it to the NYS Final Four Competition.  Fanfare upon their departure to Buffalo, NY for the weekend to practice and then compete.   I'll do a separate post for that.  

He's close to 5'10" here and he's solid with a-lot of muscle.   Awhile ago as he was going through a rapid growth spirt (about an inch every 6 months), I asked him if he hurt.  He'd inquire...What?  I'd reply growing so quickly with one part not quite corresponding to the next part's growth?  "NO"  was his reply and I think he assumed I was cracked!  lol   Soon after I asked him what his goal was since I've always maintained that we manifest our destiny and futures dependent on our life choices, and then again he looked at me like, WHAT?  I clarified, "How tall are you going to be? What's your desire?"   Being a teen, he didn't care of course.   LOL  

This past week,  PGS#3 stole the winning run on an err when they tried to throw him out on 3rd.  Game Over.

🎤mic drop.

PGD#1 Was noted as "Player of the Game" with the win 2 weeks ago for her softball team.   All in all, great times to watch especially as she'll graduate in June and has committed to Oneonta for the fall- pursuing her dream in the Medical field.  I'll share one of her Senior Pictures below with some of her talents, not too shabby for an High Honor Roll Student!  Truly, during her photo shoot she had over 50 pictures taken and not 1 shot was off.  She is beautiful and very photogenic.

I'm proud of all my grandchildren and children too for that matter.  Good Peeps - all around.

WIPS:  Managed to get my Spool quilt center top assembled (believe that was done in March) but there she sits.  Am auditioning border treatments and made a couple of purchases to continue but my creativity breaks slam down hard and I know it just isn't quite right.  So I'm percolating that project.   

Did complete a Needlebook for one of my stitching bags.  Included a corded lobster claw loop to help stuff stay inside if needed and also placed a magnet under the applique on the batting page as a just in case and then don't you know I had a bugger of a time getting that snap adhered correctly.  Third time was the charm truly.  Sewed the binding by machine and then  hand stitched the interior side to close it.   

I cross stitched a piece from Melisa of Pinker n Punker Quilting that she gives out often and are so nice.  

I used her "HIVE in a Jar" but refrained from using the jar effect. I also created 2 smaller designs.   Another hive (due to an error in counting I went with it and made it up as I went designing my own nine patch crosses on it) and for the flower part I duplicated it close enough to Melisa's design on the larger piece, but added stitches and bees to fill it in more for the backside of the scissor fob.  Luckily, I've been able to slowly immerse myself from following the directions entirely and make these stitchings uniquely my own.

Am planning on making another needle book with that larger stitched piece and the 2 smaller parts a fob to complement them.  Then of course I plan on making another project bag with BEE stuff with the same fabrics.   lol   Wish me luck!

Sorry, so much for a quick recap. But that just seems to be the norm around here.  lol

TTFN

I'm in for WIPs-B_GONE 2021

After the most recent finish I know that finishing projects feels fantastic so I've joined up with this link Leanne started to see how many more finishes I can accomplish by the end of the year.   Crossing my fingers that it'll be plenty.

Devoted quilter

A few of my WIPS are: 

HST drawn for ends of the spools for the Edyta Sitar Spool pattern for my idea of "99 Spools of thread on the BED" Quilt:

Current Needlepoint is getting close to the finish, (am hoping to finish the stitching on this Sunday):

36 Patch blocks continuing to be made- 

A couple of wall hangings made into tops that need finishing-

Cross stitch starts- Full Moon by the drawn thread, Fairy Garden by Blackbird designs, another shepherd's Bush that I've kitted and oh there are so many more.   VBG!

Homemade goods created like table runners, teapot cozy, table top quilt*lets, pincushions, bags, etc... and I'm not considering the foods I'm pickling, canning, freezing and regular meals cooked and stored for later too.....lol

You get the drift.  There are plenty of projects and now that the gardens are getting closed up and autumn is here, my "plate-spinning" demands should be slowing down.   

Yet I have miles to go....

February 2021 OMG

 It's too late to link up with Elm Street Quilts however, I plan to finish January's leftover Pilgrim  wall  hanging as well as the Sewing machine pincushion photo below, and get the Kim Diehl BOM finished from last year that needs layering quilting and finishing (photo will be shared later).  

Bernina 440 stitched embroidery with the  metallic thread, no problem except the wonkiness from the user artistic license placing that spool of thread on the top. 
Which will stay as it is and how when I was starting out (age  7) the spool on top would "dance" with me going as fast as I could bringing up fond memories.   LOL

Below are a few of the tools I use for tracking the needles.  

This first tool - the Needle Tracker lets me know which needle is in the machine as there used to be (esp. pre co-vid times) elongated times that I endured no machine sewing.   I keep this just beneath my sewing machine, handy but not in the way.  

The next is a needle wallet to store some unique needles I use.  Like Joan Shay's appli-bond, titanium and those chrome needles I just received from Schmetz.   I store this on top of my needle container shared in my last post.

This last tool is placed on the same needle storage box in the top drawer and is for lightly used needles that still have more life left in them.  It even has blank spaces that I can customize the type and write on or off for special notations.  I call this my needle parking garage.

Thought I'd share a glimpse of how I organize some of those parts of my hobby not yet shared.  

TTFN,

Jane

February 2019 OMG's proposed

Notice the OMG (S!) in the title?  Am hoping to accomplish several again this month.  They are:

This Community quilt quilted  and bound for my guild WFQG-

This PIG - A Prima Diva wallet that was all cut out at the Oct. 2018 retreat in A-bay-

This WIP - Bird song pillow that was started years ago with a Joan Ford class-

Get the January Applique parts caught up for my "Skitch A Day" .   It's a SAD (Skitch a Day) with Susan Claire of the Gourmet Quilter-

Plus there are a few other bits I'd like to get too 

but won't list them here as it would put me on overwhelm..., 

I'll just surprise you and me too as I go along this month.

WIPs be gone

Am plodding along.  My WIP and the Q4 list  #17- The Red Thread made progress this past week.

April's is done so now am stitching March.   : )

The Braid Quilt (WIP and #3 on the Q 4 list) I've been able to get all the blocks made.  37 blocks done which is enough since am thinking of using a 6 x 6 block grid layout with frames, pieced sashes and several different borders so this project will go on the back burner for now.  Am still auditioning what fabrics will be used.  The solid blue and that yellow print 'were' for sure with perhaps a nice white thrown in for crispness too. While looking at these photos for this post, feel that the yellow print washes out a bit too much.  Will let this percolate and I'll ruminate.

Purple fountain grass and other plantings are all transplanted and am hardening them off.  Talk about a lot of work bringing them in then out, then out to the in, (anyone remember the movie HOME?   giggles) etc... so much, but am ever hopeful this will pay off.

 

This year am hoping to winter the grasses, geraniums, mandeville, vines and annuals.  We live in zone 4, so many can't survive without bringing them in.  I've wintered the geraniums before without problems.  Also a couple of the palms and the desert rose cactus too so wish me luck for this year with doing so many more.

Personally I am tired of spending hundreds each spring to fill the planters - so am hopeful by wintering these, they'll be off to a great start come spring and I'll have more moola in my purse.  We have a unit of shelves set up in the basement for starting seeds in the spring which I need to purge, clean and set up for this winter plan. That chore is on this week's agenda besides storing the summer clothes and footwear.  I'll have to take a whole day to see what brings me "spark-joy" and purge that along too.

Hunting season is here and I love that the men in our family can provide natural game if need be.   DH is actually suiting up too and going our back to see what signs are showing up.  Won't be long now before we have some fresh venison and some game birds.

Son and PGS#2 taken the weekend before Josh's 19th Birthday.

Happy Fall,
Jane

Am linking this post up to WIPs be gone at a Quilters Reader's Garden.

Finish Along for the last Quarter of 2015

Adrianne from the Windy side hosts a quarterly challenge to finish up our WIPs.
I'm joining this last quarter of 2015 in an attempt to get ahead of what could be done already.

Hopefully come 2016 I will have a fresher perspective with most of these off my back.  Fingers crossed!
Here' my Q-4 list of 2015:

1. The BQ Quilt Borders finished (current WIP and I have an idea....)
2. Patch-a-bilities St. Patrick's Day Wall Hanging WIP
3. Braid- aka How Does Your Garden Grow = Made into a quilt top - WIP
4. Wool Pumpkin Candle Mat, designed and sewn (PIG out and ready....)
5. September Red Work - Small Quilt Wall Hanging (PIG out and ready....)
6. October Red Work - Small Quilt Wall Hanging (PIG out and ready....)
7. November Red Work - Small Quilt Wall Hanging (PIG out and ready....)
8. February Red Work Small QUilt Hanging started (PIG)
9. Fall Table runners for sofa table (PIG & A WHIMM)
10. 2 Fall Table Runners for end tables (PIG & A WHIMM)
11. Fall accuquilt candle mat (WHIMM)
12. Halloween Wall Hanging *WILD CARD* (Have 2 PIGS in, a patchability and another Frankenstein Wall Hanging)
13. BAG - *WILD CARD ***PIGs and WIPs ( I have many started and set aside.....)
14. Purse  - *WILD CARD ***PIG and WIPs ( I have many started and set aside.....)
15. Pillow   - *WILD CARD ***PIG and WIPs  ( I have many started and set aside.....)
16. Community Quilt for WFQG finished and turned in WIP
17. The Red Thread Counted Cross Stitch all months finished January through December leaving only the word surround for 2016. WIP  
18. Halloween Game-board Table mat (PIG) 

Here are photos of the first three only,

BQ #1

Braid Quilt aka How does your garden grow #3

St. Patricks Patchabilities #2

The other projects I will share as I work on them.

And we're off....... With that list I think I'm off my rocker, BUT, I can produce when I need to and if it's not listed then I'm off in many tangents....... oh look, squirrel.... oh no make that a pretty bird.  LOL

Jane

My first focus will be on Projects 3, 6, 12, 16 and 18.

UFO Parade, 2013

When I first started looking for my UFOs I was feeling rather smug.  "Not too bad", I kept telling myself.  "See you do finish the projects you start!"  ........Then reality came quickly as I kept finding more and more UFOs that had been shelved by the wayside along the way.    Next thought was WHY?  Perhaps it's some of my perfectionist qualities and as I became dissatisfied with one part or another, I'd became disenchanted and shelved most of them to procrastinate to another day.  Be it I ran out of fabric, wasn't satisfied how my techniques produced the units, and wanting to finish it in my own unique way (of course I have difficulty being told what to do and have prided myself with these rebelious attitudes, lol!) 

Irregardless UFOs they all are and then some!  Truthfully I even have more that I know of but didn't want to hunt them down for a photograph.  Some off the top of my head are the Mater quilt, the lone star I recently (March 2013) bought the backing for, some BOMs started, humpjumpers and string blocks in the works, etc....  Anyways,  here comes  something.... my UFO Parade. 

10 minute blocks out of Batiks started this month

Stack of Double Four Patch Humpjumpers -
(Notice how I even spun the seams on each block!)

Some assembly already started

Convergence wallhanging in the works, but this will be done this MONTH!

House Block Swap with Jane of Jane's Fabrics done last year, 2012

Tree Blocks also swapped with Jane of Jane's Fabrics last year, 2012

Conway Blocks started in 1998 or so???

More Conway Plus blocks- nine appliqued total.

Tesselating leaves class with Carol Doak,  probably started around 1994...   Adding to it very rarely, notice those bear paw blocks, those are circa 2000 perhaps.

Dresdan Plates started at the turn of the century.  May finish this as a table runner.

Class with Joan Ford (2012), used fabrics from my quilt, Bird Song that had a nine patch variation theme which was finished in 2008. 
This will only be a pillow, still a UFO though.

Lil' Miss Shabby - 3 blocks left to stitch. That means 9 made of this quilt too (notice any repitition of that number?)

Ironing Caddy started at the quilt retreat a couple of weeks ago.

 

Since I'm sharing my bag of magic tricks like a little bag of dirty secrets,

I thought you may like to know one more thing  about me. 

Here's a real time shot showing a part of my life

Under the desk in the den. 

Guess I like to throw my shoes off or should I say my flip flops.

See Gina, these pink and purple thonged slippers are being used right away and are so comfy.  Thanks!  I love them.

 

So without further adieu, my first UFO to finish will be putting all of these away.  lol

 

See, I can finish something!

 

 

Enjoy your day.

Jane

 

Youngest grand child on his way..

The youngest grandson (PGS#3) who is 2 and will turn three at the beginning of December is now a big boy and attending preschool. His Mom isn't sure that he is really ready so she is paying her daycare provider through the end of September to reserve his space there. Preschool occurs 3 times a week and I know he is ready and happy to get to go to school.



See what I mean, he did fuss just a bit when we were ready to leave but he did fine. I just wonder when the I'm not going to school today phase will kick in. Perhaps I'll be lucky and if it will happen it'll be when it's 40 below zero or something handy like that. VBG!

These next two shots are quite washed out, sorry about that. Somehow the camera setting shifted.

His big sister is in first grade now and when she got home after the first day of school she wanted to jump rope. Ahhhh..... I remember those days when I considered that fun. Now 2 jumps and I am winded and just try to breath!

She was so proud and couldn't wait for Mom and Dad to come pick her up to show off her new skills. Check out that smile while she's jumping....uumphh, what a show off! giggle

This is what she learned (of course you need to sing it into a rhyme):

Ice Cream Soda
Bananan Split
Who's your boyfriend
I forget

Is it
A
B
C
D etc....and which ever letter you can't jump by becomes the first letter of a boy's name. Oh those simple times. {smile}


Here are a couple of recent finishes.

Jeweled pavers is Tout Fini! Attempting to get an artsy pic. (if I do say so myself, it's not too bad LOL).


A view of the back. I Like to finish by using some leftover blocks in a linear orientation besides I threw in a bit of a Kaffe fabric that worked too. It was at this time when I noticed that the camera was not set correctly and was wasing out the shots. You'd think I could have taken another shot of the back showing the true colors BUT NO, didn't think of that. Oh well.


Blackbird Designs Easter Parade also finished, that is except for the framing.


Closeup of a little variation that felt right for this piece. Flipped some design details and added in three crosses representing calvary with the center cross more embellished.


A Closer view:



One of my current WIPs,

I really don't care for the ribbon that was kitted with this scissor fob that I recently won on ebay. It was a great deal from a lady that I enjoy doing business with. Besides this kit I also purchased 4 others to complement my scissor collection. Not sure yet what I'll use for the cording or ribbon trim. Will have to sit on that for a bit while the C.O.C. quilt is worked on.

Current and URGENT WIP:

Would you believe that this will be a finished quilt in 3 weeks? What do you think besides get your butt moving faster Jane.
Thanks for stopping by to visit and perhaps leaving a message. Your comments are always appreciated and I enjoy viewing the links to your space to see what you've been up to as well. Blogging is truly a nice benefit of living today. See you soon.

Jane