Computer Problems

Add It Up Wednesday

I'm adding up my more pieces on the Orca Bay Mystery Quilt.

Step 1  228 quarter square triangles - DONE
Step 2   72 blue string blocks - DONE
Step 3  350 half square triangles - 100 done  I have 250 cut out
Step 4    64 red string blocks -1 done
Step 5  700 black triangles - zero
Step 6  112  2.5 inch black squares -DONE
            112  2.5 inch light squares - DONE
              52 2.5 inch red squares - DONE
              26 light Ohio Star blocks - 11 done
              26 dark Ohio Star blocks - DONE
Step 7  127 red string triangles combined with the 254 half square winged triangles - zero
            100 half square winged triangles set with 100 light triangles - zero
Step 8  The big finish  put all of the blocks together in rows and sew rows together. -zero
            Make borders using the 100 blocks made in Step 7. - zero


Some days I wish I could be at home sewing all day.  When the desire to sew and quilt is high, it's hard to go to work.  I have sewing on the brain!  Have a good evening!

Four A.M.

I woke up this morning at 4:00 am thinking about sewing and cutting.  So I got up did some cutting and a little playing on the computer - Pinterest - to be exact.  I love that.  I have so many ideas that I have bookmarked and am putting them on my boards.  Love it.

I did get the last of my half square triangles cut out, all 250 of them.  Don't they look nice?  All clipped together?

To the right is the last 2 dark Ohio Star blocks to sew.  Makes me feel like I got something done this morning and evening.  (Don't you just love the sponge painted walls?  I really do need to paint that room, but I don't want to disrupt my sewing.  I'll have to set up another place to sew in order to paint.  Not sure I want to do that just yet, but the time is getting near.  Maybe this summer when I'm off work.)

Declutter item - a couple of magazines.

Does This Happen To You?

I spent time yesterday doing some reorganizing in my sewing room.  OK, sidebar here: when does a sewing room become a quilt studio?  I want to have one some day.  Any way, that's what I did for my 15 minutes.  (I really spent more time than that, but for the record, 15 minutes was used.)

So in the middle of the night, about 2:00 A.M. , I wake up and start thinking about the Orca Bay Mystery Quilt and how I really should be further along than I am.  I'm not staying focused.  I really need to just get the Ohio Star blocks done and get on with it.  You may know the drill.  So - I got up and I cut out 100 half square triangles.  I didn't even work on the Ohio Star blocks.  Does this happen to you? Wondering if it's just me or what?

But, while cutting, I did decide for the Twister quilt to leave 2 of the white squares and add 4 yellow ones and to make the border that I need for the Twister yellow also.  So maybe that was it, I just had that hanging over my head and needed to make a decision.

Declutter item -  Yesterday -more bookmarks off the computer.
Today's item was a tote being donated.  

Twisting The Morning Away

I spent the morning at my Twister class taught by Jean.  I got the rows all sewn together and here's how I put it up on the design wall.

I picked up some yellow that goes well with the fabric.  It's a layer cake, "Sophie" by Chez Moi.  I'm thinking I'm going to replace the white squares with the yellow.  Hoping that what I see in my mind will be the way it comes out.  I'm thinking I'll like the color better than the plain white.

I made another Ohio Star block and cut more red strings.

Declutter item -  I finally spent some time sorting buttons into old canning jars and I threw away broken bits and pieces of buttons.

Plug, Plug, Plug

Another Ohio Star block finished and 40 half square triangles cut out.  Plug, Plug, Plug.

Declutter item - t-shirt taken to school to be used as a paint shirt.  

I have my class tomorrow, so I promise I'll try to post some pictures.   :-)

On A Roll

I was on a roll tonight with my Ohio Star blocks.  I only have 4 dark ones left to sew!  YEAH!   (Still have lots of the light ones.)  But it felt pretty good to make so much progress.  Not much to tell tonight, so I'll keep it really short.  Have a good evening.

Declutter item - kitchen towel

Add It Up Wednesday

I'm adding up my pieces on the Orca Bay Mystery Quilt.  Feeling pretty good....


Step 1  228 quarter square triangles - DONE
Step 2   72 blue string blocks - DONE
Step 3  350 half square triangles - 100 done
Step 4    64 red string blocks -1 done
Step 5  700 black triangles - zero
Step 6  112  2.5 inch black squares -DONE
            112  2.5 inch light squares - DONE
              52 2.5 inch red squares - DONE
              26 light Ohio Star blocks -11 done
              26 dark Ohio Star blocks - 18 done
Step 7  127 red string triangles combined with the 254 half square winged triangles - zero
            100 half square winged triangles set with 100 light triangles - zero
Step 8  The big finish  put all of the blocks together in rows and sew rows together. -zero
            Make borders using the 100 blocks made in Step 7. - zero

I saw that Shelly at Prairie Moon Quilts is starting a "block a day" group.  That's kind of what I've been doing, but not a commitment to it.  So I'm trying to decide if I want to sign up for this.  I'm thinking if nothing else, I could whip out a string block and count it as the day's block.  The more I write, the more I'm talking myself into this.  OK, I'll do it.

Along with all my other commitments, I may end up committed.

Decluttered item - A book my husband just finished reading, going in the donate pile.

Fun Evening

I had a fun evening!  I went to the Piecemaker's Quilt Guild.  Tonight was a soup supper (delicious food)  and found out about this year's challenge and a group quilt-a-long.

I'm really excited by the Paint Chip Challenge.  There were 3 bags of paint chips; light, medium and dark, and you pulled a chip out of each bag.  Here are the chips I pulled.

The first chip is called Saybrook.  It's kind of a very pale blue/grey.  The medium chip is called Aqua Smoke and the dark chip is called Rockaway Beach.  Rules for the challenge are:

1. All 3 colors must be used in the quilt.
2. Use as many fabrics as you want, but all fabrics must have one of the 3 colors in it.
3. One of the 3 colors must be your focus fabric.
4. You may add one neutral: white, cream, taupe, grey, or black
5. Your fabrics can be whatever you prefer (solids, prints, batiks..) as long as the colors match your chips.
6. You can use any block or quilt design.  And it can be anything you want to make.
7. Paint chips are to be pinned to your finished project.
8. Project is due at the November 2012 meeting.

I don't think I have anything to match these chips.  May have to go shopping. (But, I'll check out the stash before I head out to buy.)

Declutter item: Still clearing out files on the computer.  It's amazing the amount of stuff I have bookmarked.

Still Plugging Away

I'm still plugging away at my mystery quilt.  I worked on Ohio Star blocks and I made one (1) red string block.

I'm pretty excited as I'm taking a Twister Class this Saturday (the 21) and finish it on the following Saturday (the 28).  I bought a layer cake from The Fat Quarter Shop called Sophie, which is my granddaughter's name.  So I'm using that and I'm adding some brown Kona cotton to fill in the number of squares I need.  Hope it turns out as cute in person as it is in my head.


Declutter item -  I cleaned out some old files on the computer.  I'm as bad about free patterns as I am about buying fabric.

A Change Of Pace

I had a little change of pace today.  I needed something that wouldn't take long and would give me a feeling of finishing something.  So I put the binding on this quilt for Quilts From The Bluffs.

The quilt was one I brought home already sewn, quilted and needing a binding.  Found some hot pink fabric in my stash, so I cut binding, pieced it and sewed it on the quilt.  It's now ready to go back for a Project Linus quilt.

I also finished clipping my Ohio Star blocks together with the binder clips and cut more red strings.

Declutter item - 2 magazines (These aren't even my quilting magazines.  The quilt magazines are going to be hard to part with. )

Am I Behind Or What?

Am I behind or what???  I haven't posted since Wednesday and I noticed I forgot the declutter item.  SO, I decluttered another textbook on that day.

Thursday - I made a couple more Ohio Star blocks and declutted an old mop head.  ( This has been in the basement for at least 10 years.  I bought it and it was the wrong size for our dust mop.  Why I didn't return it, I'll never know.  Just stuck it in the basement.  No wonder I have clutter.)

Friday - Again I made a couple more Ohio Star blocks and cut red strings for the string blocks that are coming up soon.  I've had the red fabric sitting at the end of my ironing board, so I decided it was time to get it cut.  Decluttered item was tube of lotion I didn't care for.  I love trying new things, but sometimes they aren't what you hoped for.

Saturday - Today was Quilt Day.

 We made rag quilts today.  I was cutting batting.  Here is a link to Quilts From The Bluffs and the pattern we used.  

I stopped at Office Max and picked up some small binder clips.  I am clipping the pieces of my Ohio Star blocks together.  It's so much easier to keep it together and not have pieces falling all over as I work at the table.  I did have them just piled at the back of the table, so I could knock them off pretty easily.

Declutter item - I bought a new toaster and the old one is going out the door and NOT to the basement "just in case" the new one quits working.  I know, where is the logic in that?  But that is an old habit that I'm trying to change. I grew up with parents who lived through the Depression, so I think I learned some hoarder habits because of that.

Add It Up Wednesday

Today is the day I take stock and find out where I am on my Orca Bay Mystery Quilt


Step 1  228 quarter square triangles - DONE
Step 2   72 blue string blocks - DONE
Step 3  350 half square triangles - 100 done
Step 4    64 red string blocks - zero
Step 5  700 black triangles - zero
Step 6  112  2.5 inch black squares -36 done
            112  2.5 inch light squares - 36 done
              52 2.5 inch red squares - DONE
              26 light Ohio Star blocks -9 done
              26 dark Ohio Star blocks - 9 done
Step 7  127 red string triangles combined with the 254 half square winged triangles - zero
            100 half square winged triangles set with 100 light triangles - zero
Step 8  The big finish  put all of the blocks together in rows and sew rows together. -zero
            Make borders using the 100 blocks made in Step 7. - zero


I'll just keep at it, slow and stead to win the race!

Same Thing, Another Night.

Doing the same thing, just another night.  But I did sew 30 half square triangles and 4 Ohio Star blocks for my "15" minutes.

I don't know if you read 365 Less Things or not, but today's post was about cookbooks.  Now I have gotten rid of some, but I have a terrible habit of ripping out recipes that I think I would like to try.  I have tons of these slips of papers.  SO... I think getting rid of the clippings is going on my list of things to do.

Declutter item - 4 old magazines

Coaster

I was going through some things and came across this coaster that was all cut out but not sewn together.  So I took a couple of minutes and put it together.  For me!

I also sewed and trimmed 20 more half square triangles and 2 more Ohio Star blocks are put together.


UPDATE:  I forgot my decluttered item!   I threw away a triple wick candle that doesn't stay lit.   It would burn for about 10 minutes and then go out.

Something

I didn't get to spend much time in my sewing room today, but I did get 20 HST sewn and trimmed.  At least I did something.


Declutter item - Silk flower bush. Taking it to preschool as we strip the flowers and leaves off the stems and then the kids can glue them to paper.

I Know

I know, two posts in one day.  Like I said, I forgot to blog last night.   Been cleaning and sewing today.  I cut out another 70 half square triangles for a total of 100.  And I made more Ohio Star blocks.  I have a grand total of 12 blocks, six of the light and six of the dark.   I decided I'm going to have Add It Up Wednesdays and every Wednesday I let you know how each step is progressing.  (It will help me too.)

Declutter item - Old college textbook.

Another Oops!

I forgot to blog last night!  Another oops! I did sew the 30 half square triangles together.  If you remember, I cut them out the night before.  And I trimmed them up.

Decluttered item - Christmas dishtowel

Plugging Away

I made two more Ohio Star blocks tonight and cut out 30 of my 300 half square triangles.   Plugging away and trying to not think about how much has to be done.  Just focusing on what I'm doing right now.

But I do have to share something else with you.  Last weekend we went to Minneapolis to see family and I wanted a project for the drive.  Miranda at The Craft Bot  made a cowl and it reminded me of my project.  Thanks Miranda!

 

I started looking for an easy pattern online.  And I found this at Speckled Frog Crochet.   Super easy pattern.  I didn't do as many rows as she called for, I just tested it out on myself as I went.  I wanted something I could pull up over my nose in really cold weather, but I didn't want it to be too tall.  I love how it turned out.  But the weather is really warm here , it was 62 degrees today, so haven't had a trial run yet.  Soon, I'm sure.

Decluttered item - 15 catalogues
 I know, I could have made this last for the next two weeks, but decided not to.

Yipee!

I did it!  I finished sewing AND trimming all 228 quarter square triangles!  I thought of laying all of them out and taking a picture, but I decided that would be time that I would rather spend sewing.  I made two more Ohio Star blocks today once I was done with the trimming, my reward.  :-)

Now I have 4 done.  And I'm going to keep going with this step.

Recapping using Terri's method from UFOs & UBIs - My crafty blog

Step 1  228 quarter square triangles - done
Step 2   72 blue string blocks - done
Step 3  350 half square triangles - zero
Step 4    64 red string blocks - zero
Step 5  700 black triangles - zero
Step 6  112  2.5 inch black squares -16 done
            112  2.5 inch light squares - 16 done
              52 2.5 inch red squares - done
              26 light Ohio Star blocks -2 done
              26 dark Ohio Star blocks - 2 done
Step 7  127 red string triangles combined with the 254 half square winged triangles - zero
            100 half square winged triangles set with 100 light triangles - zero
Step 8  The big finish  put all of the blocks together in rows and sew rows together. -zero
            Make borders using the 100 blocks made in Step 7. - zero

Decluttered item: tossed a tube of self tanning lotion

Same Old, Same Old

I now have 122 quarter square triangles all sewn and trimmed.   I have another batch, not sure how many, all sewn but not trimmed.  Since tomorrow is my last day at home before going back to work, I'm going to hit it hard and finish those babies up.  I'm really, really ready to go to another step!

PS  I have decided on one more goal for 2012.  I am going to declutter one item a day and I'm going to list that item at the end of my blog.  I have to do something to keep me honest. :-)

Jan 1-  necklace
Jan 2 - pair of men's shoes
Jan 3- 3 plastic plant pots

New Year's Resolution

Happy New Year!!

I have high hopes for 2012.  After finding all my finishes for 2011, I decided I need to make some changes for 2012.  

First:  I am going to quilt AT LEAST one quilt a month on my longarm quilting machine.

Second:  I am going to do one UFO or WIP  a month.  I did this in 2010 and I felt like I got so much more done.  

Third:  I am still going to do my 15 minutes a day and blog about it.  This step helps to keep me focused on completing projects.

Fourth:  No buying fabric UNLESS  I need it to complete a project.  I have lots of small pieces such as fat quarters and half yard pieces, so I may need sashing, borders or backing.  But I could even piece some of the backs which I will try to do first before buying more fabric.

So there it is.  All the hopes I have for 2012.  Wish me luck!