31 Day Blogging Challenge Day 2

It 's Day 2 of the 31 day blogging challenge and I might already have writer's block. Seriously. Last night  I had a hundred ideas floating through my brain and this morning, after sleeping in until a normal 8.30, I have no idea what to write. But that has never stopped me before. I have a couple of keys sticking in my laptop. Makes it a challenge to log in with a password that has an "a" and no semi colons or colons are to be use for now. Mary of Quilting through rose colored tri focals   used an expression called at 6's and 7's. Her post got me thinking.

I posted this picture of my quilt room/office last winter. Some readers are interested in how you organize your stuff, but I will share what I am doing with some of my stuff. 

Here are some of the things I am working on this week. I had to check some cow information on line for my Farmer who does very little on the computer, except to check for  emails and facebook postings when I am away. This is the five year old net book I take with me when I travel so I can keep in touch and do some work. I had to get a new battery when I was in India.  Last night I was backing up five years of files so I could transfer India pictures to my lap top where I am trying to put together a power point presentation I will be doing in January at our son-in-law's church.

 Next to that is my journal, daytimer, Bible and pen. I try to do a bit of journaling often but it seems that I write more to-do lists than reflecting on my Bible reading. Beside that is the project box I took on our weekend away. I stitched for about twenty minutes total.  

 Behind me is one of my craft tables. The Bernina is in for servicing so I put the Featherweight in 

and have everything ready to do one more Bright Jane block. This was all sitting on another table 

since I got home from Shipshewana three weeks ago. The intent is to make one block. 

I will not be using that yellow thread on that fabric.

 Beside that is the other craft table with the Brother. I am working on a Simple Simon reproduction quilt from the retreat. I have quite a few very expensive mugs that I was unwilling to throw out when they got cracked or lost a handle so I use them to hold pens, pencils, pencil crayons, markers, etc.

If I do not see things, they do not exist.

 On the table in front of the design wall, I have the first blocks up. Lots of four patch units made and sewn to back ground squares waiting to be sewn into the next blocks. There is also some of the clutter I dumped out after the retreat. I put away most everything when I have the Quilting at the Farm girls come over but that will be mid January sometime. I usually put something different up on the wall then.

 Beside that, I have some project boxes for my grand daughters. They each have their own pair of razor sharp Dear Jane scissors that are too small for my large fingers but perfect for theirs. The two younger ones are still cutting thread and scraps but the older one is using the real machine. I had to eat a lot of cookies over the years to get those empty containers. They are about eight inches square. Again, I have to see things or they do not exist. I later discovered that those cookies are what had been poisoning  my body.

 One of my quilting friends loves to do laundry so she took home three fat quarter bundles of Moda French General fabrics to pre-wash 120 fat quarters for me. What a Blessing! I will be using some of these for a new GORF quilt this winter. The fabric has to be pre-washed before the heat-n-bond lite is ironed on.

 I want it to stay on forever.

 These fabrics have been pre-washed in preparation for Stonefields. I bought the entire pattern when I was in Australia last year and have been waiting for a good time to start. They are available over at Sentimental Stitches.   There is a facebook group and the first month patterns are going out this month.

 At the retreat, I got a tutorial on big stitch quilting without a hoop. It took me a couple of weeks, but I tracked down some creamy coloured Valdani pearl cotton 12 and some size 24 chenille needles. I plan to do a small sample piece of my Dear Jane fabrics with the wool batting I bought last summer to see if my hands can handle this. If they do, I was thinking that I could quilt one block a day (so not to overdo it) and have it done in 225 days. No wait - there are 56 border triangles, so 281 days. Maybe.

In the meantime, I have these to keep my busy. I had each course in its own box, but wanted the boxes for other projects. 

 My self paced online doctoral course with no deadlines is sitting on the desk in front of the desk top computer waiting for me to stay home for a few days. I have filed three out of twelve courses and these five are each half done. They are not hard. I just need to spend more time there than here.

Blessings,
Chris

the-2016-31-day-blog-writing-challenge

Here is something I came across today. It sounds interesting.  A challenge. I like a challenge. The challenge is to post once a day for 31 days. I thought I could start Jan 1, but that is in 2017 and this challenge is 2016. It is Dec 14. We are almost half way through the month of December. I could post twice a day to catch up. Or, I could post once a day and carry it over through January. I don't have enough to do so I think I will stick with once a day. I have been away again; took my Sweet Farmer away from the Farm for 4 days and we went to Chester County Pennsylvania to visit a farmer friend. She took us to Longwood Gardens . Oh My Goodness!!! I was in tropical plant heaven!! And it was all decked out for Christmas and the lights -  how does one describe lights decorating a 40 foot high oak tree or whatever kind of deciduous tree it was?

It was a pretty cold out since winter has arrived.
Blessings,
Chris

150 Canadian Women Quilt-a-long

I discovered this Canadian Quilt-a-long because I was reading blogs instead of doing homework. It sounds intriguing and I have signed up here for the patterns. They are free for 2 weeks then have to be purchased. I am already 2 weeks behind but that is normal for me. Three six inch patterns and a story about a Canadian woman each week. What a wonderful history lesson this can be for my granddaughters this winter! I think I will start in January since it runs for 50 weeks. That will make it an all year kind of project.

In the meantime, my slow stitching is back basting a few more layers on some applique blocks.

Oops. I guess I need to pay attention better. Linking with https://kathysquilts.blogspot.ca/  Esther's WOW
needle and thread network
Blessings,
Chris

One Monthly Quilting Goal December 2016

I have been out of the loop for the past few months and this site changed and I missed that. So here I am.
I completed my November goals even though they did not get posted. I completed 5 BTCT blocks. Yea me. Not that I started and completed them, but I completed 5 that I had started. That's 5 more than I have completed in a year. So again, yea me. But now to get moving on to the next thing.

My OMG for December is to complete a Linda Collins reproduction quilt I started at the Shipshewana retreat last month. Not get it quilted, but that would be a bonus. Just get the top to flimsy stage from this

and this

 and this

 to this 35 more times

My little helper

I am linking toOne Monthly Goal
Blessings,
Chris

I Can't Beleive it's the End of November!

We had my Sweet Farmer's family Christmas dinner today. It is the Saturday of the American Thanks Giving so all his brother's family can come up from New York. His mother rents her church hall and the siblings take turns hosting each year. The rest is potluck and we love it. What a joy to see all the next generation in the center of the room playing. Well, they start out in the center on the floor with toys and end  up playing tag, but they are not my kids so I could sit back and watch. Eighteen great-grand children age from the second youngest, our David who is ten months to our Ava and Clark who are the oldest at nine. We see some of these kids once a year so it is always fun to try to remember who is who. Our Elly was carrying empty plates and cups to the kitchen, not so much to be helpful, but to hurry along dessert. Because when you are four and three quarters, dessert is what it is all about.

My goal this month was to complete five of the BTCT blocks. I had several prepped and so far have completed three with four days left until the end of the month.

 

To my defense, I had my daughter and the two little boys here for most of the week. 

Tonight all three girls are coming for a sleepover.  

So, I will stitch little purple grapes and yellow flower centers for as long as I can.

I have not yet started on the embroidery. I did buy some green floss for the many tiny stems but will get to those one day when I am bored or avoiding doing anything really important.

Blessings,
Chris

Quilt Retreat 2016

Three of us took the seven hour drive to Shipshewana Indiana for the Just Takes 2 retreat. 

I sat in the  back and stitched no less than eight leaves. And no car sickness. This is good.

 However, that is all the stitching I got done on BTCT. 

I am told that what goes on at retreat stays at retreat but here is a peak from my sewing machine. 

I did get some tips on large stitch hand quilting using a size 22 or 24 chenille needle 

and number 8 or 12 pearl cotton. I will have to give it a try.

One of the fun things at retreat is learning from other quilters.

And we got to see the original 1857 Sampler in person. I got goosebumps.

I got seven Dear Jane 2 blocks done the Wed night and Thurs afternoon. 

We did go shopping a couple of times. My goodness! The best shops ever!!

I took a workshop with Linda Collins of Quilts in The Barn in Australia. She did a trunk show and lecture with some of her antique quilts. She has written this pattern for Simple Simon. I got two blocks made. 

And no pressing until a whole block is assembled. I finished cutting out all the bits after we came home.

Linda also taught a hand piecing class. This is a far as I got. Again no pressing.

 I chose to make only one block and it will go into one of the JT2 projects still in process.

I cannot believe how much my arthritic left hand hurts from all that cutting so better rest it a bit and do some housework. I have two little boy grandchildren and their mother coming over for the rest of the week and we will be celebrating my husband's family Christmas dinner this Saturday. There could be as many as fifteen great grand children nine years and under. Can hardly wait.

Blessings,
Chris

Going to the Shipshewana Retreat See You Next Week

Two of the little girls were here for the weekend and we had a task to do. The little boys were here the week before and all, not some, but all the pieces of 8 different Disney puzzles got dumped out. So three year old Devan and I assembled puzzles while four year old Elly watched Barbie movies on my desktop in the quilt room. Then Devan had to watch Minion movies on the laptop so I pulled out a BTCT block to work on. I put the headphones on Elly and both were happy.

We did finish all the puzzles then put them each into a separate baggie before Devan decided she had to do one of them again. She is good. She knows her Disney princesses and starts with the eyes and face then builds from there. Edges and corners are last. Ava turned nine and had a sleepover and spa party so the little sisters came to the farm. It was fun hearing them talk about their birthdays next year and they both plan to not invite their big sister.

My bags are packed for the Shipshewana Retreat in Indiana. Making a really, really big pot of homemade beef tomato rice soup. Should last my Sweet Farmer for a few days. That and the little boys will be here next week.

Blessings,
Chris