Picnic Time!

I threw this project into my retreat box at the last minute (and forgot to bring my pattern instructions). I love these little baskets!



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Cindy Lou, Woo Hoo!

I didn't think I would meet this month's Year of Schnibbles deadline, but I finished Cindy Lou Who with time to spare!  I love how it turned out.  I used Minick & Simpson's Winter fabrics.  I can't wait to see what our November Schnibbles will be!

My memory fails me!

Yesterday I embarked upon Part Two of my sewing room clean-out.  The previous round consisted of tidying the easily-accessible piles, but when I read about Allyson and Nicole's challenge to make this snowball quilt, I decided I needed to go deep in the recesses of my sewing room closet to find the boxes of fabric sorted by color so I could decide what color to make my snowball quilt.

I knew that I wouldn't have enough reds, but I've always loved blue and knew that my biggest box was full of blue fabrics.  Of course, it was the furthest in and on the very bottom of a pile of other boxes.  While on my way there, I sorted through each color box, pulling out fabrics that no longer appealed to me.  Yes, I was right - woefully short on reds.  Not surprisingly, judging by my blog header, I have a very large stash of orange fabrics.  But I wanted, not another orange quilt, but something different.

I have some lovely purples, but most of those have already been cut for a scrappy purple and cream quilt that I have not yet started.

Digging deeper, I finally reached my tub of blue fabrics, finding some treasures along the way that I know have lived with me since I started quilting and collecting fabric in 1993.  I opened the box of blues, and after culling out the prints that I no longer loved, here - voila - is my "huge" stash of blue fabrics.   Oh my.   For somebody who subscribes to Carrie Nelson's More-Is-Better Theory of Scrap Quilts, this will never give me the ultra scrappy look I want.  Good thing I work at a quilt store.   I think I need to go shopping!

Green Piece, month 1

I signed up for Moda U last year at the shop where I work part-time.   I was there for the "after party" from the previous year's Moda U and it looked like so much fun.   Sadly, there weren't enough people for the Thursday evening class, so they dropped it.   I still got my block packets, but no fellow students to encourage me to finish them.  And so I didn't....

This year Joyce convinced me to join the Moda You Green Piece BOM.   It wasn't hard to convince me - her blocks have been displayed in the shop for the last few weeks and the fabrics are just beautiful.  We had our first meeting last Thursday and the group is really fun.   It will give me a reason to finish my blocks each month for "show and tell."

Here are my first two blocks - each month we will have 2 pieced stars and 2 wool applique blocks.  The wool hasn't arrived in the shop yet, so we won't get started on those until next month.

I also worked this weekend on Cindy Lou Who for the Year of Schnibbles and also made good progress on my stunt sewing project (rows all completed, half are sewn together!).  Yes, that's right - I have 3 projects layered on top of each other on my sewing table.  This is NOT how I usually work.  I work on ONE project at a time.  This is making me certifiable.  But the good news is - I'M SEWING AGAIN!!!!!

It's Alive!

Well no, not really.  But my stash has seemed to take on a life of its own and started to take over my sewing space.  The need to clean and organize has been pulling at me for months, but I haven't been able to make myself do it.

My car accident has changed things for me.  I am no longer able to sit and sew for hours or even minutes without excruciating pain in my lower back.  Oh how I miss sewing.  I miss my machine, I miss watching Friends on my DVD player next to my Pfaff.

 

I went into my sewing room on Friday night after dinner.   I just received Camille's new Red Velvet Cake pattern and finally knew how I was going to use my prized Rouenneries layer cake.  I sorted squares and started cutting, but then the mess all around me stole my focus.

 

I started to think how I could sort and organize my collection of fabrics.  I started to pull things off shelves, off the floor, out of the closet.  I started to open storage boxes.  I needed MORE storage boxes!  I woke up early Saturday and went out to get more storage boxes.  I would corral these projects strewn around the room into some semblance of order!

 

I worked all day Saturday and oh, my back was killing me when I went to bed, and still hurting when I woke up on Sunday.  I completely overdid it - my body is not healthy right now and all that activity really took its toll.  But I was determined to finish what I started.  I took some ibuprofen and surged ahead.

 

I worked all day Sunday, taking time out to iron my clothes for work this week and to make a killer pot roast for our Sunday dinner.   I was brutal - if I didn't love it, or thought there wasn't a snowball's chance that I'd ever finish it, out it went!  Projects were gathered together with all the supplies and labeled in storage boxes.

 

My room looks fabulous.  I feel a great freedom and also feel my creativity returning.  Sometimes purging can be a very good thing.   Stay tuned for my upcoming stash reduction sale!

My first Schnibbles

I've collected many of the Schnibbles patterns, but have never attempted to make one.   The Year of Schnibbles club hosted by Sherri and Sinta encouraged me to take the plunge, and I am really happy with the result.   I made their September pattern selection - Winter White - using 2 Spooktacular charm packs.  I wasn't so sure I liked these bright colors while I was making it, but I do really like the way it turned out and now I finally have a little Halloween quilt!

I want to thank all of you for your supportive comments following my accident.  I'm slowing improving and hope things continue to get better with each passing day.  Now I'm dealing with insurance companies (hers and mine) and that's a whole 'nother kind of pain....

Hit by a truck

Have you ever used that expression "I feel like I've been hit by a truck"?  I'm pretty sure I've used it before, but now I can actually say I know what it feels like.

Yesterday morning I parked my car at the park-and-ride and - bus pass in hand - was walking through the parking lot to the bus stop.  Over my shoulder I could see a truck cut through a line of empty parking stalls and thought "gee, that truck is coming awfully close to me, are they trying to run me out of their way?" but the next thing I know, the truck hits me from behind and knocks me to the ground!   I am in a total state of shock and disbelief.  The driver comes flying out of her truck saying "oh my god, oh my god" and my first words to her were "I can't believe you just did that!"

She whips out her phone as I gingerly get up and asks if I want her to call an ambulance.  I say I think I am okay, besides being dazed and scraped up (thank goodness I chose to wear a jacket or my elbows would have been hamburger.  I don't even want to think about my knees if I wasn't wearing jeans.  I told her I would like her to call the police.

We wait in the 5 a.m. darkness for the police to arrive, her nervous chatter making me want to slug her.  The police came and wrote up a report.  She isn't cited because in the officer's words, she wasn't driving fast enough to be charged with reckless driving.  Still, wouldn't you consider it reckless to HIT A PEDESTRIAN in a parking lot???

I drove myself home and my husband took me to urgent care after we got the kids off to school.  After 3 hours, I learned I had no broken bones, but by now it was 6 hours after the accident and the pain was starting to set in.   I also went to my chiropractor, who can't do a full assessment until 72 hours has passed.  He also warned me the pain would increase and by Sunday I probably won't be able to get out of bed without help.

I am stunned, in shock and incredible pain.  And I lost my bus pass.