Make-A-List Monday - It's Crunch Time!

Hi, all!

I have come back to the real world with a bang and a half, realizing that I've got a bunch of quilt-top-making to get done in the next couple of weeks!  But before I elaborate on that, let's see how my list (from two weeks ago) went....

1.  Finish the pattern testing quilt top.

Done!  And I can even share a picture of this one - Paper Hearts by Kelli Fannin Quilts!

If you love the look of half square triangles, but don't like making them, this is definitely the quilt pattern for you!

2.  Finish writing the first two tutorials.

Done!  The tutorials for these two quilts have already posted...

...AND I have the remaining four planned and in draft form on the computer, waiting for the photos I will take while making the prototypes!

3.  Graph out a fourth quilt for the series.

Done!  All the quilts are lined up and ready to be made!

4.  If time permits, cut out the third quilt.

Done!  And not only cut out, but well on its way to becoming a finished flimsy!  That should happen tomorrow....

5.  Keep up with walking, yoga, and Italian!

Walking and Italian are coming right along, but yoga has taken a back seat while we were traveling, and I haven't gotten back to it yet.

So I'm really pleased with the progress I've made on the writing of the tutorials.  Now I just need to get the actual physical making of the quilts rolling!  Here's what I'll be working on this week....

1.  Finish the third prototype quilt top.

2.  Cut out the fourth prototype quilt.

3.  Start piecing the fourth prototype quilt and TAKE PICS!

4.  Pull fabrics for the fifth prototype quilt.

5.  Pull fabrics for the sixth prototype quilt.

5.  As usual, walking, Italian and hopefully some yoga!

Enough to keep me busy and then some, but hopefully if I knock some of this out, I'll feel a little less stressed.  Right now I feel like I've got a train breathing down my neck, pushing me down the tracks.  Not a pleasant feeling, but I'm sure if I can get some things done, it will get better.

Oh, and I did get a nice surprise this past weekend - and it has a funny story.  Right before we went on our trip to Florida, my husband texted me and said he had a "new doorstop".  I thought he might mean the dog so I went into his office, only to find him making very sour faces at his work computer.  It was dead as a doornail.  The IT guy said he could bring him one in Florida, so no problem there.  When he got his new computer, he was so excited - a new MacBook Air with an M2 processor.  Doesn't mean much to me, but he was really excited!  He was comparing it to my laptop, looking at the size, the weight, the screen size - and then he asked me how old my laptop was.  I guessed five years, about the same age as the one he had that had just died - but no, it was an early 2015 - 8 years old!  He suggested that we get me a new computer so that I didn't drive him nuts when this one finally gave up the ghost, so when we got home, we went to the Apple store and got me one just like his work computer.  It's sweet!  I particularly love the fingerprint touch id button, and the keyboard has a nice bounce to it when I type.  And the battery!  On my old computer, the battery ran out after two hours working by the pool on vacation.  I have charged the battery on this computer one time since Friday!  I can tell we are going to be very good friends......

So now, I really want to know - - - what are YOU working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? Pattern Testing Is Fun!

 

Hi, all!

It's been a great week, and it's drawing to a close - and it's Friday!  We all know what that means, too - it's time for us to get our whoop whoop on!  Are you ready? Let's go!

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Since I've been gone all week, I haven't done any sewing to speak of.  Mostly I spent my spare time by the hotel pool while my husband was working....

Not such a bad way to spend a day, is it?  And I managed to get all six of the tutorial blogposts started.  One has posted, one is ready, and the others need photos and finished quilt tops - so I've still got a lot of work to do!

And I do have a quilt to share today - well, a top at least.  I tested a beautiful, fun quilt for Kelli Fannin recently, and I don't think I've shared it yet!

The pattern is called Boulangerie, and this is my version of it.  Kelli's pattern has twelve blocks - ten donuts, a cinnamon roll and a cup of cocoa - but I decided to make mine a little smaller because I wanted to be able to hang it on a wall.  Kelli's pattern makes it very easy to assemble this quickly, and it's so fun choosing fabrics for the donut toppings.  She's just released it recently in her online shop, so check it out!

And as I was getting the link for her shop, I noticed that she has also released the most recent quilt I tested for her - Paper Hearts!

Isn't that a gorgeous pattern?  And the best part? It looks like a LOT of half square triangles, but it isn't!  This quilt was so much fun to make, and now I want to make it in other color ways - maybe even a reverse coloring, with a light background and dark motifs.  Who knows?  The possibilities are endless!

So - - - can I get a whoop whoop?

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And now it's your turn!

What's got you whooping it up this week?

What's making you do a little happy dance?

Share!  We want to dance right along with you,

And it's always more fun to dance with friends!

The party will stay open until Sunday midnight.

Hope to see you there!

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday - Best Laid Plans and All That...

 

Hi, all!

It's been a busy week around here - although I did several things that weren't exactly on the list, but it's all good!  I'll tell you about those later, but first, let's see how last week's list went....

1.  Quilt a couple of ministry quilts.

I only got to one of these, but isn't it pretty?  And it turns out it was exactly what was needed for a specific request...

2.  Write the tutorial for the first prototype.

It's in progress!  Hallelujah!

3. Finish the blocks for the second prototype and decide on a layout.

I finished the blocks I was originally working on, but found that it was a very finicky quilt to assemble - NOT what I was looking to put in this series of easy tutorials.  So I re-grouped, put together another super-simple top and here's a sneak peak of what is coming!

4.  Start writing the tutorial for the second prototype.

It's started!

5.  Five days on the treadmill.

You bet!  I'm actually starting to enjoy my time on the treadmill, and I'm learning a lot about Majorca and Menorca!

6.  Get started with yoga!

That crazy yoga instructor tried to KILL ME today!  Seriously, I hurt in places I didn't know I had muscles.  But as my husband (so sweetly) says, no pain, no gain (yes I thought about hitting him when he said it!)  So I will be back at it, if not tomorrow, then Wednesday!

7.  Keep up with the Italian lessons.

My Italian is coming right along!  Having been fluent (once upon a time) in Spanish, it's sometimes confusing, but I feel so accomplished when I find myself naming things I see!

I also started a new project, testing a pattern once again.  And unfortunately, that's got to bump a lot of things because it needs to be done ASAP and we are going out of town on Saturday.  So it will be my focus for this week!

And I did some much needed clothes shopping so I have some nice things to take with me on our trip.  It's a work trip for my husband and I have to appear by his side at some work functions.  My wardrobe has degenerated to jeans and t-shirts since COVID, and it was time for a refresher!  

So here's my list for this week....

1.  Finish the pattern testing quilt top.

2.  Finish writing the first two tutorials.

3.  Graph out a fourth quilt for the series.

4.  If time permits, cut out the third quilt.

5.  Keep up with walking, yoga, and Italian!

Short and sweet this week, and some of it is stuff I can work on while on vacation, too - writing and designing is easy if I take my computer. 

So now, my big question is - - - what are YOU working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

I May Have A Scrap Problem... But This Quilt Could Cure It!

Hi, all!

You may have seen that I was doing some pattern testing for Christina Cameli of A Few Scraps - I got to make this beautiful quilt using her soon-to-be-released pattern called Light Speed...

It's a great pattern, fat quarter friendly and so easy to make!  But Christina also included some tips for making it scrappy, so I dug in my scrap boxes and came up with this completely, totally scrappy version...

This one was made with absolutely no rhyme or reason to the colors, prints, placement or anything - and I love its total scrappiness!  I think it would be fun to make one all in shades of one color (but scrappy) and can see lots of possibilities here.  It kind of reminds me a a "scrap vomit" quilt (don't you hate that name?) but it's so much easier.  You really need to watch for this pattern and get a copy when it releases!

On another front, this week I've been totally distracted from sewing (okay, well maybe mostly distracted, but not totally) by a reno project - painting the living room!  And amazingly, everything went like clockwork, no glitches (a minor miracle in itself) and this afternoon I moved the furniture back in place!  

I still need to hang the pictures, and tweak a few little things, but it's nice to have a nicely refreshed space!  

Have a great week, and carve out some time to tame those scraps!!

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday - Making Up For Lost Time!

Hi, all!

Here it is, another Monday rolling around - and that means another list!  This will be a different week, as I'm planning to paint my living room - hubby is out of town, so I can make a big mess and not have to worry about cleaning it up every evening! But before we get into this week's goals, let's take a look at last week's list.

1.  Try another test of Christina's pattern using scraps.

Done!  I made this one using all scraps, no color plan in mind, just what I had to hand.  I really like it!

2.  Quilt the Hopscotch quilt.

I didn't quilt Hopscotch, but I did quilt this one that had been on my stack for a while!

3.  Make some decisions about upcoming events on the blog.

Done!  I wasn't sure if I would be doing the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop this year, but I contacted some of my friends and they're on board!

4.  Make quilt backs for all the unquilted flimsies and get them ready to put on the frame.

I made backs for most, and got material for a couple that still needs to be made up, but there's a bunch that are ready to go!

5.  Keep up with any quilt ministry needs that arise.

Done!  Only one quilt last week, but that gave us a chance to get some cleaning done in the quilt room.

This quilt went to a woman going through serious medical issues.

We are currently working on two long-term projects at church - making quilts for the support staff and bus riders at our local elementary school (we gave them to the teachers last year), and also making children's quilts for a local charity, Love on Wheels. This group is very similar to Little Lambs Foundation of Utah - they provide a suitcase filled with personal care items and a comfort item, such as a stuffed animal or quilt.  I contacted them when I heard about the ministry and they were very excited to connect up with us!  We'll be supplying them with children's quilts over time - not enough for every suitcase they give away, but as many as we can.  It's an exciting new project!

So that's how last week went.  This week will be different, but interesting!  Here's my list...

1.  Paint the living room.

2.  Quilt a special quilt.

3.  Quilt the Hopscotch quilt.

4.  Work on my 12 Days of Christmas in July quilt-along quilt.

5.  Keep up with any quilt ministry needs that come up.

That feels like a short list, but it should keep me busy!  I spent today painting the trim in the living room, and cutting in the corners and around the baseboards, windows and doors.  Tomorrow I will roll the walls, and then hopefully I'll move the furniture back Wednesday morning so it will be all finished when my husband gets home!  I'll work on the other stuff in between bouts of painting.

And now the question is - - - what are YOU working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday - Back To Normal!

Hi all!

It is so nice to feel like things are starting to get back to normal!  Hands2Help is all tucked away for 2019, and I've had time to get back to my sewing machine, so I'm a happy camper!  I hope you've had a good week, and that your summer is starting off well.  We're starting off with a bang - Vacation Bible School is this week, so I've been having fun sewing at church while the kids are learning about Jesus!

Let's see how last week's list went...

1.  Package up and mail the H2H prizes.

Done!  Six trips to the post office and lots of quality time with my postal clerk, and it's finished!  And as several of you suggested, I took her a quilt as a thank you for her patience!

2.  Cut out a gift quilt.

Done!  And not only cut out, but a finished top to boot!  This pattern is so quick and easy, especially after you get it cut out.  It's called Colorblock LOVE by Sam Hunter of Hunter's Design Studio.

3.  Sew something - ANYTHING!

Well, as you can see, I did sew something - but I also had time to sew this...

...as part of pattern testing for Christina Cameli of A Few Scraps.  It's called Light Speed (because it works up so fast!) and should be released in about two months.  You'll definitely want to check out this clever pattern!

4.  Keep up with any quilt ministry needs that come up.

And it's baby season!!!  We had three quilts for newborns this week...

...three little boys all cute as buttons!

But we had some sadness too, as a young couple's first baby was stillborn.  We are sending them this quilt in hopes that it will wrap them in God's love and bring them some comfort.

Getting the packages mailed was the most important thing last week, but I'm so happy to have been able to do some fun sewing too!  And here's what I'm hoping to accomplish this week...

1.  Try another test of Christina's pattern using scraps.

2.  Quilt the Hopscotch quilt.

3.  Make some decisions about upcoming events on the blog.

4.  Make quilt backs for all the unquilted flimsies and get them ready to put on the frame!

5.  Keep up with any quilt ministry needs that arise.

I'm so unused to not having immediate pressing needs, I can hardly think of what I want to work on!  That's a good problem to have, though!  

And now the question is - - - what are  YOU working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday - It's Crunch Time!

Hi, all!

Monday has come again - and not just any Monday, but the one that begins the last week of the Hands2Help Challenge!  That means I will be spending a lot of time at the computer this week rather than at my sewing machine - but it's all worth it!

So let's see how last week's list went...

1.  Make a back for, and guilt the collaborative quilt.

Done!  I really like this one...

2.  Test a pattern for a friend.

Done!  This quilt is huge - but so quick and easy! Pattern is by Christina Cameli and should be available soon...

3. Make a back for the hopscotch quilt.

Done! (At the very last minute!)

4.  Start working on sorting that tub of scraps!

Done!  Turned out this tub was full of flannels - which I'm not currently sewing with - so I folded them up and managed to get the contents into a smaller tub.  I'll call that a win!

5.  Cut out another gift quilt.

Well, I didn't get it cut out, but I did get the fabric all pressed and ready for cutting!

6.  Hands2Help administrative work.

Well, it's in progress - and I think that's the best I'll be able to say for the next two weeks.  I'm trying to keep on top of it this week so that the final count will be quick and easy!

7.  More yard work? Who knows?

I suppose this counts as yard work - I cleaned up the front porch, moved a set of chairs around from the deck, and added a rug.  Emmy gave it her seal of approval, as she insisted we sit in the chairs and watch the cars go by for about half an hour Saturday afternoon!

6.  Keep up with any quilt ministry needs that come up.

I don't think we gave away any quilts this week.  Thankful for a quiet week!

So last week went well, and I got a lot accomplished.  I don't think this week will see as much sewing, though.  Last week also saw us switching over to try a keto diet, which also meant a lot of research, grocery shopping and cooking - because it ain't easy to eat out and stay on keto!  But even though it's only been a week, we both feel better, we've both lost weight (twelve pounds for me!) and my blood pressure was excellent this morning!  So it's worth all the added effort.  Plus it will make it easier when we go on vacation with our kids in June, since they've been doing keto for about six months now.

And here's what I'm planning to work on this week..

1.  Total up all of the Hands2Help quilts and 

divvy up the giveaway goodies!

2.  Organize those giveaway goodies so my friends 

can help me get them ready for mailing.

3.  Deliver the repaired vintage quilt.

4.  A little more yard work!

5.  If there's time for sewing, put the hopscotch quilt on the frame.

6.  Keep up with any quilt ministry needs that come up.

I'm hoping there will be time to sew, but I'm not holding my breath!     But it's a great time of year with H2H drawing to a close, and I'm excited to see so many beautiful quilts as they are linked up!  You can also see them by checking out this post - there's lots of inspiration there, and lots of love by amazingly generous quilters!

So now the question is - - - what are YOU working on this week?

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I hope you have big plans for this Memorial Day weekend - but be sure and remember to play safely!

Hugs!

Sarah