OC progress

I'm still working on step 2. All the pieces are cut and I've made about 10 or so blocks. Had some emergency sewing that took over. Spring birthdays! All my nieces and newphews have spring birthdays! The party is Sunday and I'll be gone to Cancun. Decided a card with some money wasn't enough so decided to make some pillowcases for them. Also it was a good chance to do some stashbusting! I made 10 pillowcases, finished an apron, and made a boxy bag. So I'm counting 13 yards of fabric busted! Yeah! Here's a few pictures....
The other project that has been keeping me from working on the OC mystery is this...

What is it? It's my guest bedroom believe it or not. It's where I have been putting everything that I don't know what to do with to take care of later. Well later has come...I'm going to have an overnight guest and I'm going to have to find the bed!

Unfortunately the clean up doesn't just involve this one room...oh no. I had to work in the garage to clean the mess I have there so I could put some of the stuff from the quest room that I still don't know what I want to do with but need to move somewhere so I can find the bed!

And this is the closet under the stairs...before
I had to clean out the closet under the stairs so I could make it into a coat closet to hang up all the coats that were piled on the bed when I took over the closet downstairs for more pantry space. Whew! I'm tired now of going up and down the stairs moving all this stuff I have to have all over the place!

The closet after...

The coat closet has been created! And look see what is hiding behind my coats! I found more batting and some pillow forms! There is a whole bunch of minkee and a little bit of fleece for socks and hats, my foam mattress for quilt camp and the extra vacuum. I'll probably be able to stash some more in here too...

Barb is coming Friday. I have a doctors appointment and I need to pack and clean house and still find the bed! Didn't do any work on it today...had a hair appointment and ran around doing errands and picking up things I would need for my trip. Finished the last of the sewing and then met Beth for dinner to give her my goodies for the kids. Working tomorrow, so I'm starting to feel alittle pinched for time! So no OC for me. Good thing step 3 is a quickie, maybe I will be able to catch up when I get home. But once I'm there....no worries, just sun and relaxation! Pass the margaritas!

May not be posting till I return from Cancun...haven't decided if I will take the laptop or not. I hope to have a hand project to take along.

A Good Day

Today Dad came for a visit. It was good to see him again. He's been gone away south over the winter, but did get back home to enjoy about 6 inches of April snow, I hadn't seen him since before Thanksgiving. He's a big help to me. Knows how to do all kind of things...he's a do it yourself kind of guy. Maybe cause he can't bear to pay anyone to do it for him. I have to admit I am following in his footsteps. He still rides me about how much I spend....and I do spend too much, but on stuff, not someone doing something for me if I can do it myself, or Dad can do it for me! I help him sometimes too, but not nearly enough. I think that should change. He slowing down some...we are about even now...I've never had alot of get up and go...wish I had inherited that, but I've always had trouble keeping up with him when we are working.

But today I did good. He always gets here early, around 9am anyway. That's usually about the time I'm thinking of getting up on my day off. Not today, I was up about 7:45 and moving. Stripped my bed and started the sheets in the wash, vacuumed the mainfloor and downstairs, mopped the floor and cleaned my master bathroom and refreshed the other two and then started a second load of laundry. I was ready for a cup of coffee when he got here about 9:15. Why oh why can't I do this always? It wasn't that hard and it felt good. I'm going to try and give it a shot. That little bit didn't make my house clean, but good enough. I'm such a procrastinator and there is lots I would like to do around here.

Anyways, after we had coffee, we decided to do a little project. One that I had tried do a while back but ran into issues. And it took a few trips to the hardware stores and then to order on line the right size drawer glides. But I had done all that so I had all the stuff and we got to work.

A while back the upper slide out had broken and I decided that when I fixed it I was going to make a second one for the lower level, it makes it so much easier to see what you have and get at it. I need to make my storage space work for all it worth as I have so little. I did get it fixed, but never made the lower slide out. But today...Ola! Dad, he knows how to do everything! So in a few hours we got it made and installed...had to do a little problem solving there...but it's in and the stuff is put away!

The big loss of the day was that I broke one of my favorite pans when putting them away. Why oh why couldn't it have been one of those yucky pyrex pans?

And then we had lunch. Still alot of time left in the day...and I had done so much! Not at all like me. But I hadn't been on the computer all day, or had the TV on.

So we went on to figuring out some other projects I want to do, but will wait for Travis to be available. He's my 20 yr old nephew who's got muscles...and is a good worker. I'll hire him and Dad will teach him and I'll supervise and make lunch. That's how it usually is. So we looked at the plumbing job I had in mind...which I did have bid on and it was outrageous! And we looked at the fence that needs repair. So then we went to Lowe's and got all the supplies we will need. I didn't know what the plumbing would take, but it should be pretty simple. Not too many things needed. So we are all set for when Travis is finished with baseball season and college finals.

I also picked up a birdhouse and bird feeder. I'm hoping I can entice the birds that are trying to get into the side of the house next to me to make their nest in my birdhouse. Put it outside my kitchen window when we got home.

And then we had a break and visited a bit more and then he headed home. Bye, bye Dad...thanks so much for getting me off my duff! I love you!

It was just after 3 pm. So I headed off to the post office to get my mail. A few packages of stuff I bought online...yeah, yeah I buy too much. But the best was the Fons and Porter new magazine. It has several projects I want to make, especially the one on the cover! I sat down and, and well, that was kind the end of my getting stuff done. I read for a bit, was on the computer, watched the news, took a nap and then watched the Mariners game...the usual kind of stuff. I was still hoping to finish cutting step 2 of OC...guess it will wait till Saturday when we quilt at the library. Gotta think about going to bed now, have to be at work at 6:30 tomorrow morning! Night, night!

Beautiful quilt giveaway ... go see!

This beautiful quilt is in a give away! Go enter for yourself at Camile's blog
and don't forget to say that I sent you!

Step 2 is trouble!

I was going along just fine on step 2. I had made a trial block and it came out great. So I was cutting away using my easy angle ruler. It's a 4 1/2 inch ruler, I thought I had a bigger one, but I couldn't find it. Well it is okay for cutting the 2 inch strips but when cutting the 3 1/2 inch strips I was having trouble...my fingers were getting in the way...almost, yes almost, close enough mind you, cut my finger. That was it. Started turning things all about in my sewing room looking for the larger ruler. It must be in a good spot cause I couldn't find it. Lightbulb idea! JoAnn's has rulers on sale 50% off...I'll just pop on over and get another. Easy, peasy....right? You might think so...the ruler was no problem...on sale for $3.00. So why did I spend $50.? Look what else came home with me....The quilting fabrics were 40% off, so I had to take a look...and while I'm at it, why not just get a little more variety for my lights. Oh oh! Look at these cute fat quarters...how did they get in my basket? And then there was this pink paisley...I walked away once...but it called me back. It'd make a cute tote bag. I want to make some whatchamacallit bags for the girls, it'd be good for that too. Ok, I'll get it...just a yard...well there was another 1/2 yard on the bolt so they offered that to me at an additional 50% off...who can refuse? So total 4 yards of fabric purchased. Not helping my stashbusting. My balance sheet is in the RED. Gotta get some quilts finished so I can change that balance! I don't count anything used until it is finished, finished. Incentive you see.

Also got these books...I love quilt books! They were 40% off too. I really want to make something from the Simple Traditions book....they are lovely, but it's applique...I'm going to try it....soon!

I do need to go on a book reduction diet as well as the fabric reduction diet...but not this year...that is just too much deprivation.

Orange Crush progress

The 4 patches are done! I have 150 of them sewn and pressed. So what is all this?

It doesn't look like I've made a dent in the pile. I know there are at least another 150 here, probably more. I decided that since step 2 was posted and I am notorious for always being behind that I would save these 2 patches for a leader ender project. That way I would have a chance to stay up to date on the OC mystery. So on I go to step 2! Gotta get cutting.

Where is Spring?

Brrrrr! It's cold out! So strange from last weekend where it was 80 degrees! It's been snowing. In April. In Seattle. Those of you who know me know that I'm only a fair weather gardener, and while I have good intentions I really don't like working outside unless it is reasonably nice. I don't work in the rain and I don't work in the cold. I've cut the grass once so far this year...that was last Saturday. I have these plants I ordered because they make them look so good on QVC...they don't tell you how much work they will be outside when it is not nice out. Well I've been waiting to get mine outside...but it's been too cold for me and too cold for the plants. So here they sit on my counter. I'm proud that they haven't died yet. Good thing I didn't get to them last weekend or they would have. There are multiple kinds of tomatoes, 6 different varieties, 9 plants. I'm going to give the duplicates to one of my sisters. If these grow I'm going to be sick of tomatoes...how many can one person eat? I know I will be sharing them. I hope we have a nice enough summer to get a good crop. There are also 3 different kinds of clematis here and 2 wisteria plants. I really do want a nice looking yard...if I could only do it by remote from inside the house! Where it is dry and warm.

Orange Crush progress report

I spent my quilting time last week cutting my scraps into strips for my scrap storage. I concentrated on 2 inch and 3.5 inch strips as that is what we need for the OC mystery. Also added some 2.5 inch and some squares if that was all I could get out of a scrap. I've cut up about half of my leftovers and fabrics I had pulled from my shelves, the not so loved fabrics. My scrap drawers are getting full! I'm using Bonnie's scrap management technique. I figure if I have strips I can get squares with only alittle cutting and if I need strips I'm ready to go. I used my 1.5 inch strips for Carolina Crossroads and it was easy to get started...not so easy to keep up! I'm so glad this time we have 2 weeks between clues, maybe I will be able to stay up with the mystery :)!

Last Sunday, at our sewing outing at the library, I worked on my 4 patches. Here is the pile of strips I sewed! Will it make 15o 4 patches?

I think so, and maybe a few to spare. These are all the 2 patch blocks I got from that pile of strips. Haven't got them into 4's yet, I'm not worried if there are extras, I know what I can do with them. Haven't counted them but I'm sure there will be aleast 150. Biggest regret is that I forgot to bring my shape cutter plus with me so had to cut all of these individually.

Here's the troubling part...the drawers for the strips hardly seem if there is a dent in them...the lights alittle, but the darks are still overflowing.

March accounting

I'm alittle behind with my March accounting...seems we are nearing on mid April already. So what's new? That's how I seem to do eveything these days. I've been very tired and keep getting my sleep all messed up by napping during the day, if I'm not working, then not sleeping at night well and then working my 12 hours shift on only a few hours of sleep and feeling even more tired and sleeping all day when I'm off again! A vicious cycle! Went to the MD the other day tho and had some labs drawn, maybe my thyroid medication needs adjusting, or there is some other explanation. I did it again today...after running some errands, I came home and started reading email and watching the Mariner's and fell asleep. Not really awake again till 9 pm...should be going to bed about now, but I'm not tired and I'm fighting the urge to go downstairs and sew! Want to finish my 4 patches! So I'm having a glass of wine and hoping it will make me sleepy and I'm going to head off to bed soon! Really!

Back to the accounting...I updated my sidebar to show that I sewed 27.5 hours in March, busted 43 yards of fabric (gave it away) and only purchased 1.5 yards, well, not quite even, it was 1 yard plus a charm pack, but I decided to count the charm pack as half a yard for easier accounting.

This is a little box bag I made for one of our traveling nurses who was leaving us for retirement...lucky her! I filled it with all kinds of kisses. It is made from the shop hop fabric from a couple of years ago. Love this "Washington" fabric! Still haven't done anything with my shop hop blocks or fabric now and it's been 2 years (almost)! Here is the tutorial for the Box bag. This was the first one that I made and I followed the directions exactly...it's a good technique for the zipper, but in the future I will use different dimensions, I would like it alittle shallower I think, but it was easy to do and a good starting place.

Ipod touch giveaway

Well this isn't a quilting post but thought I'd share this with my friends. I found it by browsing around in blogland. I've been up to alot of that lately...aren't laptops great? I sit and watch TV and read blogs and email. Multi tasking at it's best! Anyway use the link and go find out about the giveaway, and then get back to quilting!

I did cut some strips today to get ready for OC. I hope to sew clue #1 over the weekend.