Happy Pi Day!

Hello Quilters,
It's Pi Day today, March 14th... just one of the wonderful things you can learn while reading blogs. No, I did not misspell. This is the circle circumference figuring Pi, not the yummy cherry or blueberry pie. (Hey, when is PIE day?)  It is a day we quilters should celebrate - I guess - but when did you ever use the formula C=2pi r?  I just go to the kitchen and find a cup, glass or plate that is near the size I want for my quilt. I'm not an engineer.  I don't need all that math, and now that I'm diabetic I can't eat the pie either.

So I've been changing my mind for the past few weeks - guess that proves I'm still female. (4 different quilts were on the docket.) I could have gotten a lot done on my Granddaughter's wedding quilt if I was more definitive. I guess I'm afraid to disappoint, and I want her to love it.  I decided to make a Good Night Irene quilt like some are making for one of the current quilt alongs. (Spoiler Alert! Ashleigh - if you want to be surprised, don't Click here to see the design. Mine will be a multicolored version.) I have started the cutting - OMG! what did I get myself into this time.

Really nothing new to report - no new photos. I'm cutting on GNI (see above) and sewing on an H2H. I've always got to start early, I'm such a procrastinator... I take way too long to get anything sewn. Here's a picture of the layout for the H2H quilt. (If you are a follower you seen this before.)

Since this was taken I've got the blocks all in rows, and 4 rows together... lots of corners to match, and since they are hand sewn blocks I pin the marked seam lines together and then sew by machine.  I guess that's why they were UFO blocks. Takes a lot longer. I do like to hand stitch, but NOT on a deadline.

 

Sew, cutting and pinning two plus quilts over the weekend, and through the months...

Hope you have a sew-filled weekend.

Hugs,

Terri

Coming soon to a blog you may know

Sunday - the one coming soon - March 16 is the start to Hand to Help - see the (square) button on the side. Sarah has the "rules" written up - go here to see - It's my favorite QAL.  There are sponsors and prizes, tutorials, and Linky parties are planned. This year there are 3 different charities waiting for donations!

Last year I made these 2 quilts to go to the Happy Chemo:

Jazzy Snowballs - 2013 entry for H2H Challenge

 

 

California Earth Tones - 2013 entry for H2H Challenge

 

I used two of my UFOs for the H2H Challenge. I'm not a fast worker, so this works out for me. This year I have two more UFOs that I'll finish for the H2H Challenge. It might be just the thing for your collection of UFOs. 

Hugs,

Terri

 

Only one seam all week!

Oh the horror! Last week my machine started making a grinding sound... I was confident it only needed oil and lubrication... I'd just cleaned it a day or two before, because of the noise.  Did it, and no relief!  So Monday I took it to my local fixit guys... 2 weeks before they can even get to it!!!!!!!!!!!  No loaners available either.  I started having withdrawals... So then I bought an interim at Wal-Mart. That might have been my first mistake.

It's a Singer Sew Mate. Even though I have had 2 other Singers there was quite a learning curve.  The threading, bobbin filling and installation were so different.  When I felt confident enough, I sewed the one seam. It was bunchy at the start, but we overcame that problem, and finished that seam.  Stitches looked good, so we loaded up the next seam with pins, and tried again... that was the second mistake. After that only bunchy happened. I must have the bobbin in wrong, or the threading wrong somewhere. Anyway it was time to fix supper...  I'll try again this morning.

(Notice my sewing buddy, my Hedwig? She keeps me company while I sew.   Do you have a sewing buddy to keep you sane?)

 

 

One bit of brightness through all this.... Some Swappy goodness from Val. (Check out her blog.) Thank you, Val.  Love the fab fabrics and the cute card, and the support for my swap! You're good folks.

 

Have a Fab(ric) Weekend!

 

Hugs,

Terri

 

New Grandgirl (pictures and everything)

 We went to visit on March 2---Sunday. Elaina was a month old (almost).  Here with her Mommy and big brother, Mason.  What a bright penny he is.

 And he is brave, too.

 

 

With his (scary) dog.

 

Another of the new lass.  She is likely to be my last grand. #9  Pretty, huh!

 

So now you know.

 

Hugs,

Terri

Does this ever happen to you?

Too many projects at once....

I had to lay these out on the floor. (There was no place on the design wall.)

 

 They are leftovers from two other quilts I've made... Why did I make over 100 extra blocks?  These are made up of three squares in the middle and 2 rectangles on the outsides of those 3 squares. Really easy. They are mostly blue or green with orange centers, except the orange ones with blue or green centers. I had to sew a couple of rows together right away, so I could get around it.

 I really love it, so it's going to H2H this year. (Last year I used some of these blocks for a quilt for H2H as well.)

Still nothing new here,

 or there. (below)

These 10" pieces are on their way to Val... Hope they help you think Spring.

Thanks for joining in on my Spring Swap!

Happy Weekend Friends!

 

Hugs,

Terri

One Name on My List - Exciting News, and an H2H flimsy, I'm cheating

So last post I suggested a swap.... Valerie Reynolds commented that she'd like to participate.  Well, Val, I guess you and I will swap springy colors. I'll send you  3 - 10" squares, and  you do the same. We'll have a bit of stash exchange; something to take the edge off of winter, some happy snail mail. Thanks for joining in. I really appreciate it.

In other news, our company has moved on to Las Vegas, NV. We had a great time with them! (Bill's brother and his life partner)  Love you guys! We took them up to Lake Tahoe and had a bit of a snowball fight along the way. Snow at 6500 ft. - about 50 degrees.

 In the biggest news.... My Oldest Grandgirl is Engaged!  They haven't worked out a date yet, but they are thinking June - OMG!  How's a granny supposed to get a special quilt together that fast?  I made this sketch - I'm thinking low density colors except for the center. What do you think? It might be too incongruous for the center to be red and everything else low impact.  Any  ideas?  I want it to be special, but easy.  She's the first grand to marry.

And now some floral views

 

Seems awfully early for my pear to be blooming... daffodils in the background haven't a single bud, strange.

Somehow, I've got this out of sequence... Talking again about the Grandgirl's wedding quilt: I have some UFO's, but those are earmarked for Hands to Help Charity Challenge... (See the button in the side bar.)  I finished this flimsy last night. It was already cut and partly assembled. (It had to come off of the design wall for the grandson's quilt... the one currently on the top of the blog.)  I inserted some paper pieced lady bugs  and a saw tooth piece or two. (The pink behind is a piece of thank you fabric from Val. I need to get that washed up. It isn't part of this quilt.)

So to summarize:  Help! and sending you some Springtime, Val.

Hubby's birthday tomorrow... off to Red Robin for his free burger.
Happy Hump Day!
Hugs,
Terri

Pig Faced Orange, Gift and Spring Coming

Now don't let yourself be scared by this picture... It isn't evil. It's just the Pig Faced Orange - famous throughout our house. Lol  I'd guess a branch gouged into the outer parts of this orange right where eyes would be.  (We leave our oranges to store on the tree - and ripen as long as they can. Once picked they start to rot. They are amazingly sweet! So we pick some for a week or so, and when we run out, pick another batch.)

 Above is the lovely gift I got from Val  in the mail this week. Thanks Val. It lead me to an idea for a swap. Anyone interested in swapping bright or springy fabrics in a kind of chain letter sort of way?  I'll accumulate names (links) if you leave a comment  saying you want to join in on the fun. We'll each send  3 - 10" blocks (from stash) to one name on the list that I'll make up and show on Wednesday next week. (I'm having company from England on Monday and Tuesday.)  Val's gift lifted my spirits, and we all need a bit of that now that winter is old.  What do you say? Are you in?

Here I'm going on about winter being old, and we have hardly had one here.  My flowers are starting to come out...

 

I have no idea what these are called, but they are reliable bloomers twice a year! (Don't you love reliable bloomers? Lol)  I call them Pig Ears, a gift from my neighbor to help with the Halloween plant give away. I've given 4 or 5 plants every year since, and the plant just keeps on giving.

Buds on the apricots!

Buds on the oranges!

 

So I hope this bit of California Sunshine lifted you out of the white stuff for a while. Remember to leave a comment to get in on the swap.

 

Hugs,

Terri