STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Fabric used this week  0 yards

Fabric used year to date  56 yards

Fabric added this week  0 yards

Fabric added year to date  33.25 yards 

Net used 2013  22.75 yards

Still no progress to speak of this week!  This is getting boring......

I did finish the tops for both versions of my quilt guild's BOM for this season.  I have the backing for one, and I made the binding for both.  I even pieced the batting for one from the trimmings from the 4 quilts already pin-basted. 

I spent some time cleaning my Pfaff and then I installed the Juki in my sewing table, oiled, threaded, ready to quilt at least one of the 4 waiting in the wings.  I want to baste one of my guild quilts, but I don't think I have enough pins remaining until I get the basic quilting done on #1 of 4.

I spent some time sorting leftover fabrics, and stashing them in the appropriate container.  I also cut some of my 1 1/2 inch strips into squares so I can prep some 1/2 inch hexagons on the trip north.

We had company this week, went to a friends' home for dinner on Thursday, and an end of season potluck party for the "band" members.  DH had lots of practice  time this past week, and the band, the jam session crew, and even DH and I performed at a patio party, poolside Saturday afternoon from 1-3.  Lots of people came out to listen and enjoy.  It always amazes me that adding a few small activities to the week makes it fly by.

Head over to Judy's blog, Patchwork Times, to check on all the progress this week. 

GOOD NEWS THURSDAY

We just had a great 2 day visit with our cousins.  We were able to get up to date news on them and their family, watched a couple of movies together and shared lots of laughter.

Yesterday, DH and his "band" (friends who enjoy making music together), played an afternoon concert at a local nursing home.  They had fun, and the residents really enjoyed the musical interlude!

My quilt group had its first "show and tell" day, and lots of wonderful projects came in.  There were cameras at work all over the room, and very little sewing was accomplished.  Some of the items had been made at home and it was the first time we'd all seen them.  Lots of fun, and a special day that will be repeated each year! 
These are some of the "Pick a Pinwheel" projects that were created this winter, using Judy's great pattern at Patchwork Times!  Thanks to Judy for her wonderful sharing nature....  The participants made variations from the full quilt to table runners that just used 3 blocks.

  

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

I've been working on my guild's BOM projects for the last few days.  I finished the top of version 1 - picture to come later.

The final border for version 2 is supposed to be paper pieced.  This required 40 sheets of paper to print all the parts.  Instead, I made templates, after printing one copy.  There were some funky angles in the design, but I taped the template to the back of a ruler to cut the angle and it worked perfectly.
 This is the two different colours for part one of the border block.  Part two will get sewn tomorrow.

Our final company of the season is arriving tomorrow, for a two day visit.  Yesterday I baked 4 loaves of fruit bread, and a sour cream coffee cake and some whole wheat bread today.  That will be the final bread baking before we re-locate.

Every year we have the difficulty of trying to use up all the perishable groceries.  We've been working away at it, but dinner invitations have caused some set-backs.  Most of our full-time neighbours do very little cooking (breakfast and the odd lunch).  They seem to prefer eating out with friends, so they have little requirement for extras.  Everyone is having "must go" parties, but I found that even when taking a dish to a pot luck, it doesn't seem to help. 

Check out all the creative progress at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Fabric used this week  0 yards

Fabric used year to date  56 yards

Fabric added this week  9.5 yards

Fabric added year to date  33.25 yards 

Net used 2013  22.75 yards

My numbers are heading in the wrong direction......but only temporarily!  My favourite local quilt shop, Quilts on Plum Lane in Dade City Florida had their 30% off sale today, so I had to have a look, just in case some fabric needed to come and live with me!

Before I headed out, I looked at a quilt pattern in a recent "Australian Homespun" magazine - another hexie quilt, so I chose fabric for one of the "backgrounds", knowing that I'll have the other two shades of "backgrounds" in my stash up north.  I also picked up some fat quarters so I can begin preparing the 1/2 inch hexagons!  (I know, I must be crazy).  

I picked up a yard of a rich turquoise batik - DH pointed it out to me, so its all his fault.  I also found a fabric that I think will make a wonderful "stack n whack", although DH asked what I was thinking when I chose it!

I took my friend along, and she picked up some cute fabrics as well.  Met another member of my quilt group, who was buying brights and starting her black and white collection so she could make a quilt like mine!  

Now I really have to get my sewing room tidied up, so I can start quilting one of the 4 quilts that are basted and ready.  That will also help take my numbers in the right direction!!!!

Check out all the progress at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.  

FUN QUILT OUTING TODAY

25 quilters headed to Plant City Florida today to have an "end of the season" lunch.  We ate at the Whistle Stop Gourmet Coffee & Eastery in historical downtown Plant City.  Great food, and we were serenaded by a lovely lady at the piano!
Then we headed to Inspire Quilting and Sewing which is just a few steps away.  We swarmed the place, and there were many discussions about colour, patterns, and almost everyone left with a bag!  (I was good, and I also spent time helping everyone else).
Next time I hope to explore the other shops in the area, but it was time to return home!

If you are ever in the Plant City area, I highly recommend the Whitsle Stop cafe and Inspire! quilt shop!   

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

Due to visitors, etc., I've been sewing regularly, but not finishing anything.  I've been trying to find time to pin-baste, but now have 4 quilts waiting!

 Here are the first 3 finished quilts.  The top one is a pattern from Quiltmaker, but made completely from my stash and looking totally different from the original!  The flowered fabric below it, is the pieced backing, which was also made from left-overs.  The second quilt it a Noah's ark quilt, with plain backing.  I picked up the panel, a wide border print and a coordinating stripe for binding at my local quilt shop up north in the fall.  The final quilt, also made from my stash, uses a yard of Paddington Bear fabric, with the blue and red fabric added.  This is made using the "disappearing 9-patch pattern, and I picked up the blue checked flannel for the backing.

This has been my final large project of the winter season.  I used the Dusk to Dawn pattern by Judy Laquidara from Quiltmaker magazine, but chose my own fabrics.  Most I managed to find on sale, but I did pay full price for two of them!  This quilt took lots of sewing, but I worked through the "units", and once they were done, the two blocks went together quickly.  It is draped over my ironing board, and is half-way through its final pressing before basting!  I probably won't get all these finished before we head north, but since I don't have a great place to pin-baste large projects there, I like to have some ready to quilt when I arrive home.  For me, quilting season is every season!
Check out all the creativity shared at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Fabric used this week  0 yards

Fabric used year to date  56 yards

Fabric added this week  0 yards

Fabric added year to date  23.75 yards 

Net used 2013  32.25 yards

My only quilty shopping lately has been rotary blades and a couple of books!  That may change this week coming, as my quilt group is going out for our "end of season" lunch, a block from a new-to-me quilt shop!

Everyone gets really busy this time of year in Florida, as some are preparing to head north (some sooner than others).  There are lots of dinners and BBQ's, get-togethers with friends and activity groups.  In the quilting group there is lots of finishing and pin-basting going on as well.  One person in my group sent a quilt to a long arm quilter, who is associated with my favourite quilt shop, and she did a wonderful job, and at a reasonable price.  I think she'll be getting more work from the ladies in my group!

I now have 4 quilt tops finished - everything from a large queen size to a baby quilt.  The backings are prepared as well, with 2 being diagonal pieced backings (as taught by John Flynn), and one has pieced batting - using all the left-overs from the past couple of years.  I hope to get them basted this week!

We're having a dinner party tonight.  One guest is trying to make the "perfect" key lime pie.  We had test #1 a week ago, and he's changed the recipe a bit, so test #2 will be coming to dinner.  I'm trying a new recipe, so I'll let you know how it turns out.

Monday night we're off to the pie maker's place for a belated St. Patrick's Day dinner of corned beef and cabbage!  Then we'll be back to planning to use the meat in the freezer before we head back north.  The meals get very creative near the end of the season, as we try to use up as much as possible.  Canned and package goods are fine left behind, but the freezer has to be emptied, and the refrigerator cleaned out of all the items that could spoil.  

Check out everyone's stash progress at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.   

A HAPPY/SAD DAY

Since DH retired, he has enjoyed his G-Scale garden railway in the front garden of our winter southern home.  It has provided hours of enjoyment for friends and neighbours and visiting kids.

This year, he hardly had the trains running, and has been spending more time with his other hobbies.  Thursday, he decided it was time to say farewell to the trains.  He sent a message to some members of a local garden railway club, and today 2 sets of enthusiasts arrived.

One group is building a small layout for a young man with MS, so they took a loop of track, some bridges, train and some accessories.
They also set up a layout at the Heritage Village in Largo, whenever there is a special celebration - about once a month.  They set up a train at the botanical gardens (part of the same complex off Ulmerton Road) for the Christmas season.

The second group sets up trains in the local hospital childrens wards, so we know that it will continue to bring joy for many years to come.

(I kept the "Proficient Needle Quilt and Social Club" building!)

     

I'VE BEEN AWOL

DH and I discovered that it is hard having company when you are recovering from a cold, and I have a "wonky" knee that acts up from time to time, and of course, it acted up the whole time they were visiting.  DH was great, and took them out a day or two, leaving me at home to catch up on mail, bills, a bit of cleaning and cooking, as well as a couple of minutes of sewing.  I was suffering from withdrawal!

I have been working away at the parts for my next project.  I managed to get the 4-patches stitched before our company arrived, and I cut the parts for the half square triangles, stealing a few minute now and again while our visitors were here.

One of our neighbours, who we dog-sit for, has a trip planned to the Florida Keys from Monday to Friday, so sweet Sophia will be staying with us for the week.  We also heard that our elderly neighbour has to go to South Carolina for 2 weeks for tests and treatment, and can't take his small dog.  He leaves on Saturday, and so we are organizing several neighbours to take the dog for a walk, and provide some play-time for it.  Since we have Sophia for the first week, we can't keep it here, and we are not sure how well trained it is.

The annual Variety Night in our community, is this Sunday, and DH had not planned to participate this year.  He got a call on Thursday, asking if he could MC the show.  The person who had planned to do it, as well as sing 2 numbers and various other things, had to head north after a death in her family!  He just returned from the dress rehearsal, so I'm anxious to hear how it went!

STASH REPORT SUNDAY

I can't believe is it Sunday again.  We've been really busy with our Florida company.  I've only been able to do a few minutes of sewing once or twice - I'm in withdrawal!!!!

Fabric used this week  0 yards

Fabric used year to date  56 yards

Fabric added this week  9.25 yards

Fabric added year to date  23.75 yards 

Net used 2013  32.25 yards

We had to go to Orlando on Monday to pick up visitor #2, so DH and visitor #1 were dropped off at the golf course, then I spent some time shopping.  A visit to Joann's to pick up flannel to back the Paddington Bear kid's quilt, and some cute prints to make a bag (which I haven't even looked at), added to the numbers.  I also received an email from a shop that had some of the stabilizers I like to use when doing applique and thread painting on half price, so of course I checked out the sale fabric there as well.  Found an interesting black and white print, as well as a beautiful neutral, so that made up my yardage this week.  

Hopefully, after our visitors are delivered to the airport on Tuesday, life will return to normal and I'll get the 3 quilt tops basted and ready to quilt.  I enjoy having company, but after a week of theme parks, beach trips, etc., I'm ready for some down time!

Check out Judy's blog, Patchwork Times, to see everyone' progress this week.