More Ohio State!

The people on Sharon P's Christmas gift list are really lucky people. Here are 2 quilts that she made and gave as gifts. In the spirit of our continued celebrating here in the great state of Ohio, I will share them with you.

Looks like they are already being used and loved, doesn't it? Wonderful. Builds on my sentiments from the previous post - quilts that are loved and used are the best. And the quilter who made those quilts feels a great satisfaction in making the recipient happy. Quilts are great gifts, and Sharon's family has received many over the years. I know a few of my family who would enjoy some quilts like these.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

A Heavy Dose of Sweetness

You will not believe the cuteness I woke up to this morning on a certain famous social media site.

 Meet 18-month-old Nora. She is loving on her Kissing Fishes quilt. Do you remember it?

Here are some reminders. This is Nora as a newborn. Here is the post about her quilt being finished. I had a couple of posts prior to that in which I wrote about making the quilt. Click here and here for those.

Isn't it a good feeling when you know that someone is using and loving and cuddling in a quilt you made? I always feel a real sense of accomplishment when I see my quilts being used. Wear them out! They need to be loved!

I have to tell you what's been going on around here while I've tried to write this post. For as brief as it is, it has been an hour or more in the making. DS has lost his wallet. He knew he'd last had it here at the house, so it wasn't like it was lost-lost. Digging in couch cushions, cars, laundry - all the usual places. During that frantic process, he went to the fridge to get a glass of juice. Someone (not me) had put a glass of soda in the back - no lid, and he knocked it over as he pulled out the juice. In the fridge. Spilled soda. Everywhere. In his exasperated efforts to clean it up, he was making the kitchen a bigger mess. I had to take over. So now we have a really clean fridge; DS will sweep and mop (the floor is sticky) in a bit, and yes, he's found his wallet. Happy ending. Ah, such is life, right?

And with that, I will hit the 'publish' button, and this post can finally be finished!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

A Perfect Day

Good morning, all! Cold winter weather seems far, far away when sipping coffee out of my Key West coffee cup. Mmmm.

I'm in a particularly happy mood today. Maybe that's because Thursday was just doggone near perfect, I tell you. I had no obligations - a rarity, and so I determined that I would multi-task on things I wanted to do. I have a book on Overdrive that I needed to be listening to for book club. I also had sewing that I wanted to work on. Off I went to the sewing room.

What I was trying to sew was blocks to surround my Flag Day Farm panel. Finally, I am working on it! The 4-patch blocks are made with a couple of Minick and Simpson lines.

Unfortunately, I couldn't hear the recording while the sewing machine was running. Bummer. To fix that problem, I set Flag Day Farm aside, and put up the quilting frame that I took down for the holidays. I quilted while listening. Perfect.

Quilting frame in the foreground. i-Pad in the middle, queued up to Sycamore Row by John Grisham. Nice to listen to while stitching. Flag Day Farm resting on the ironing board, waiting its turn.

In due time; in due time.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

First New Project of 2015

A few days ago I mentioned how I'd been slogging into the new year's projects, making very little progress in accomplishing anything. Well, after spending a day in the sewing room with Sharon, I can finally show you a near-finish.

This is a table runner made from a Charm Pack; the fabric is an old line called Pashmina from Moda. The directions called for a more pronounced pattern to show, but I just grabbed the pieces and sewed them together. I am quite satisfied with the look. Since this picture was taken, I have sandwiched it and have it in the queue to machine quilt.

It was fun to get my hands on a new project, after spending so much time on UFOs here in the last month or so.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Championships, Cinderella and Quilts

Just three items quickly before I rush off to class. First, all of Ohio is still basking in the glow of the National Championship victory over Oregon. What an awesome ride we've had this season!

Brutus loving on the trophy.

The night after the BIG GAME, several of us in the family had tickets to see Cinderella at Cincinnati's Aronoff Center. It was magical.

Niece Mary Jean, niece Abby, brother Mark, niece Anna Rose, and sister-in-law Ann. It was a late night for us - and a school night at that - but we had an enchanting evening.

During intermission, AR and Daddy talk over some of the action.

Also during intermission, MJ hops on my lap to discuss the show.

Sandwiched in between the game and the musical, Sharon came over for a day of sewing. Oh, how I've missed it! Getting back to focusing on many plans and projects is exactly what I needed, and we are well-suited to keeping each other motivated.

Sharon got right to work sewing on the binding for a quilt you will recall from back in November.

Dotty Frames! This was gifted to Sharon's DD Amanda for Christmas. Now it is finished!

I did a bit of sewing, too, but I will have to share that tomorrow. Gotta' run!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!!!

We are the champions!!

I love my Buckeyes!

New Year; Same Pace

Generally folks have a lot of vim and vigor about things when faced with a brand new year. They get lots of things done; they clean up things; organize things; charge into projects with energy and enthusiasm.

For some reason, this year I am not. I have worked at a snail's pace through these first 12 days of 2015. Instead of having a brand new project going, I am procrastinating about finishing some of the things I was supposed to have finished by now. Ugh. It's just not inspiring.

I took the quilting frame apart, and moved it upstairs to make room for Christmas festivities, and I haven't worked on it since. And I am so close to finally being finished. (shaking my head)

You can read about other projects that are oh-so-close to being finshed, as well. Just click here to read a post in which I provide a bit of a round up of UFOs.

So what to do? Well while we were watching a bit of football yesterday, I grabbed the 2.5" squares left over from the Thursday night meeting (read about it here) and I just made some 9-patch blocks. At least I wasn't wasting my time. These will be added to the little pile of blocks that are already finished. They are so easy and fun to make.

This green and cream block was made while Green Bay was beating the Cowboys. Maybe I was bringing them luck by using green. Nah, probably not.

By later in the evening, I had three more. They will be taken upstairs for pressing, and then plopped into the stack. I am sure I have enough to make a quilt by now. I plan to use a plain alternate block, I think.

So, the quilting for 2015 is sputtering to get started, but at least it's started. I hope my engine will get revved up soon. Tomorrow will help. Sharon P. is coming for a sewing day!! We haven't sewn together since perhaps Thanksgiving! I know I will be more productive with resuming our weekly Tuesday sessions. As I told her, I need the structure!!

Don't think I have forgotten what day it is. Yes, all week we have been so anxious and eager for THE BIG GAME!! And now game day is finally here!

Our beloved Buckeyes will face off against the Oregon Ducks for the National Championship! It is so exciting, and it promises to be a good game. I hope to be back here tomorrow in celebration mode!  

Go Bucks!

Happy Quilting, Friends!