Snow Days = Sew Days

Well for all the hype for the past few days of an impending storm with the possibility of 6 to 8 inches of snow  - our area received about 2 inches.  And as far as I'm concerned that is fine with me.  We  did have ice, sleet and very cold weather so it kept me home  for 3 days.

I work on 6 quarter blocks at a time.  I cut 3.5 and 2 inch strips of contrasting fabrics and pair them up.  Then I can  just sit and sew.  I pin the three segments together as I watch TV.  

I will probably be rearranging g them as I sew them into blocks.

More  in progress.  Last night I did sew four quarter blocks together  - just to make sure they fit. I like the secondary design they make where four blocks meet.

So much fun to sew but super messy.  I leave a trail all through the house even though try as I might to shake all the pieces off before I leave the sewing room.

And I really like to read during snow days so I finished a coupled of books that I had downloaded from our county library system  - one a historical romance the other the first in the Lord John Grey novels, "Lord John and the Private Matter" by Diane Gabaldon.   Quite different than the Outlander series - also much shorter.  I think I read that she wrote them intending them to be short stories.

Other Sewing

For the past year or so I have been trying to purchase a copy of The Karen K. Stone's Buzz Saw Pattern.  It is out of print.   I found a copy listed on Etsy but the seller said she had already sold it.

So, I decide to draw my own version. 

It need cleaning up and reversing but I feel it will suffice.  

One block made.

My BH Mystery blocks thus far.  That is about 600 - 3.5 inch blocks.  Enough to make a 75 x 75 inch quilt.  So looks like it will be a generous quilt when finished since there are still gold and green fabrics to be added.

Sewing at a friend's house in the fall - 2016

Sewing at Judee's house in 1993.

Bohemian Dresden

The Pine Tree Quilters Block of the Month for January is called Bohemian Dresden.  Since it is a little more detailed than some of the blocks, I didn't want to wait until the night before the meeting to make it. 

Last month that is exactly what I did - and in my hurry, I made my block wrong. (3 other gals made the same mistake as I).  I didn't even notice until they were pinned up on the design wall.

I did ask the winner of the blocks if she would let me take it home, fix it (which I did that afternoon) and return it in January.

As you can see on the top picture my blades don't match up with the bottom of the fabric.

And of course this choice of fabric didn't work very well either.

The idea is to have ten blades of warm color against the cool side and the ten blades of cool colors against the warm side.  Using a stripe for one background and a dotted fabric for the other.  The backgrounds were to contain on white.

This is my final block for the BOM.   It is 16" square.  

The black dotted fabric was provided for the center.

 They also provided the blade and circle templates.

Now, this is a BOM I'd like to win.  

So now I am ready for the meeting January 12. 

Sample Finished

Last week I finished the borders on this sample for Ladybug.   It is 44 by 56".  I think she will probably offer a class in Jan. or Feb.  It was pretty fun  - used a specialty ruler for half square log cabin blocks.  Now I can work on some of the other things in the little spare moments that are hard to come by this time of year.  This is the prime weekend for parties and other Christmas activities.

I dusted  off my little sewing room tree - I used it in my dining room last year so I had really cleaned it up then.  You can imagine how much dust it collects in the sewing room.

We had a fun and games party on Friday evening.

Molly and Hannah home for Christmas break.

They're just home from work!

 Catching up 

Oops - a different punch maker tonight.

Now she's the craft leader.

 We had lots of fun - charades - games  - food and even a craft.  We made scented sugar scrubs.  A full evening - Jesse, Vince and Paul even watch the Polar Express.  Too Funny!!!

Saturday at the Extended Family Party.  We all put on Molly's red lipstick for a Girl Pic.

Three Years - A Little Cutting Bee

Merry Christmas.

Gordon at three years in 1963.

 I hope he's listening to his favorite music and thinking about working on an old jeep.  Or cooking up a barbecue or maybe a pot of chili. I know he's thinking about his boys.

We'll be missing him -  but I know he and his dad will be together, spending their third Christmas with their Heavenly Father. 

Pulling out all the purples for step 3.

Have to have the iron close by - I wonder how many strips I need to make 168 four patches.

After three hours  - I finished cutting strips.  As long as I have the fabrics out and pressed, 

I cut one or two 3 1/2 inch strips as well as the 2" strips I needed for the four patches.

The smaller pieces of fabric, I cut as many strips as I could rather than put them back on the shelf.

Now for some sewing time.

Pinwheels for Caroline

This is a large quilt top that I finished in early November.  It's from a purchased pattern called Pinwheels for Caroline.

Love the pieced border

I finally chose a backing from some fabric that I bought at Quilt Lizzy in Warrenton, NC.  

I don't get there very much now that the lake house has sold - I drove right by it so ......most times if they were open I would stop in.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Time to swap out the wreaths

This

for this 

This

for this

This 

For This  - sorry to the little newt who likes to hide out under it!

The noel sasanqua is so pretty  - my photo skills can't begin to do it any justice.  So cheery outside my side door.

Christmas Lights - Mystery Quilt

Oh yes - of course - I started making blocks for the Bonnie Hunter mystery.  I did manage to make step 2 but I am way behind on step 1.  A friend gave me some of her extra four patches Tuesday so I only need about 100 more. Thanks Wanda!  

Yesterday afternoon I went to the movies with a friend.

We saw Allied which was really good.

On the way home we went by Piper Lights out on Fixit Shop Road.

It has been there for years and I have passed by it many times ( it's only about 5 miles from here) but never realized that they had so many lights out behind their place.  I never even knew they called Piper Lights.

They won the Great American Christmas Light Show this week!   WHO KNEW!!!

Well long story short we took the back roads home and checked it out - good job Piper family.

Last year a family in Clayton which is about 12 miles from here won - amazing.

May have to check them out too.  

John and I used to pack the kids in the car before Christmas to see the Christmas displays and lights. 

We sure never saw any like this but we enjoyed all the same.