What's On The Bookshelf Wednesday - Almost a Full Rainbow!

Hi, all!

It's Wednesday, and time to check out the bookshelf again!  I was blessed to get some new books for Christmas, and one of them was a book I had been waiting anxiously for - the continuation of a great series of books!

With the acquisition of Blue, my collection is almost complete!  The fifth in the series of six, Blue lives up to the high standards set in Vanessa Christenson's previous books...

There is a section that explains color theory - the difference between hues, tints, shades, tones, values, and saturation... 

...and then a section that shows how to use the color wheel to create beautiful color combinations!

But then you come to my favorite part of the books - The Projects!

I love the interplay of color in this "mainly blue" quilt!

And have you always wanted to make a Hawaiian-style quilt?  This is a thoroughly modern take on the ages-old technique!

But I have to say that after re-organizing my studio and seeing the volume of blue scraps (let's just say my cup runneth over!) I will probably be making one of these sometime soon!

And this design will be perfect for a little boy baby quilt I need to make very soon!!

I really love this book, just as much as the previous four.  The wonderful thing about the projects is that you can swap around colors - for example, that bubble quit would be just as cute in pink and gray, I think - but not for a boy!  If you want to see the peek into the previous four that I posted, click here.

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So that's what's on my bookshelf today!  Have you taken a look at yours lately?

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday - A New Year Begins!

Hi, all!

Welcome to 2016!!  As so many people do, I've been cleaning and organizing this week, so I can have a fresh start for 2016.  I made sure I had finished all my long-standing projects in 2015 so they weren't hanging over my head, and I'm looking forward to doing some new and wonderful things in 2016!  How about you?

Last week, my list was pretty simple - clean and re-organize the studio so I can have a fresh start for the new year.  A bad back episode slowed me down a bit (it's still not back to normal, but it's getting better) but I do have some progress shots to show off!

Last week when I started, my sewing station and surrounding area looked like this...

 

...but as of this afternoon, it looks like this...

 

And underneath the studio window?  Here's last week...

        

...and here's what it looks like now!

Here's behind the quilt frame "before"...

...and after!

The batting shelves got a slight overhaul, mostly cleaning there - this is last week...

...and this is today!

The storage bins stacked on top of the shelves may get used and moved from there by the time I finish this job.  Time will tell!  And here's a few shots of some other spots that have been cleaned and re-organized...

OK - so that's what I've been working on all week, when I wasn't working on the kitchen floor with my hubby!

We also gave away a bunch of quilts, all of which I went to mail at the post office today.

This quilt went to a sweet older lady who lost her leg due to diabetes...

This one went to a man with multiple health issues who needed a quilt-y hug!

This quilt went to a woman just diagnosed with breast cancer...

...and this one went to a little girl who is dealing with some pretty big medical challenges.

This quilt went to a gentleman who just had a double lung transplant...

...and this one went to a gentleman who is battling cancer.

And now it's time to figure out what needs to be done this week!  

1.  Clean and re-organize the fabric storage wall.

What a mess!

2.  Get all of this stuff back in its place in the sewing studio and out of my husband's office!

3.  Take on Nana duties all day Wednesday while Nathanael is having his second cochlear implant surgery.  The other grandkids need to be ferried back and forth from school, so I'll be spending the day at my daughter's house!

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

Not a long list, but I think those last two parts of the studio clean-up and re-org are going to take a little while!  But if I finish it all, I'm hoping to actually get some sewing time in - wouldn't that be nice?  Oh, and I probably ought to start putting away all the Christmas stuff and take down the tree... too bad it can't stay out all year!

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

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? The First of 2016!!

Hi, all!

Can you believe that it's the first day of 2016???  The past year seems to have just flown by - at least for me!  I'm looking forward to another year full of quilt-making and creating, and I know you are too!  I hope you've been able to do some whooping this week, so let's get started and see what everyone's been up to!

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I have not had the opportunity to sew much at all this week.  On Saturday morning after Christmas, we cleared out all the furniture and appliances from the kitchen...

...then over the next two days my husband ripped out the hardwood floors and laid down rosin paper...

...Monday and Tuesday he put down new sub-flooring...

Meanwhile, I was at work upstairs cleaning and re-organizing my sewing studio...

It's definitely a work in progress, and promises to get worse before it gets better...

...but at least I found the floor in front of my window again!!

And I re-organized all my thread!  The top of those two bookcases is going to be an ironing station now - I have a spare piece of plywood left over from the flooring to cover with batting and a pretty canvas.  I can't wait!  There's still a long way to go, but hopefully by next Friday, I'll have a clean and organized studio to share with you!!

After my husband finished with the sub-flooring, it became my turn to work on the floor.  

I spent Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday laying tile...

And when I quit Thursday night I was almost finished!

I still have about four pieces to cut, but they are going to be very tricky and I needed more brainpower than I had at the end of the day to do it then.  So that will be my project for Friday morning!

And one more thing I'm whooping about - - -

Thirty-seven years ago today I said "I do" to this great guy - and I haven't regretted it for a minute!  Here's to thirty-seven more!

So that's what I'm happy dancing about this week - can I get a whoop whoop??

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And now it's your turn!

What have you been whooping about this week?

What's making you dance a 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 and Happy New Year!

Sarah