Prep work!!!!!!!!!!!

Wouldn't it be great if someone did all our prep work for us? Sometimes I think the prep work takes WAY more time than the actual sewing. Yesterday was a PREP day. But the important thing is that I stuck with it and got lots ready to sew.

I started the day by working on Farmer's Wife. You know - 111 blocks - 40 are sewn together, 41 are cut and ready to sew and there are THIRTY more to cut. I guess I should be happy that there are only 30 blocks to cut. Some of those blocks are FIDDLY!!!!   Have a look..................

This isn't even the most fiddly block!!!!   (I know - all of those working on Dear Jane are telling me to suck it up!!!!!)

Look how small some of those pieces are!!!

My bits of fabric are getting smaller and at one point I had to do some piecing before I could cut the small pieces!!!!

Oh crap - I am still missing a couple of pieces. I dug through that basket and I found the same fabric. Slightly different shade, but I can live with that. Then after everything was cut - I realized that I screwed up. See those parallelograms????   The dark ones? - Well there were supposed to be 4 and then 4 in the mirror image. I cut all EIGHT the same way even though I knew they had to be mirror image of each other. I just got mixed up on the angles. For the next block like this - I placed the fabric right sides together and got the mirror image that way. 

The book almost lies flat!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is what is left as far as fabric (and thirty more blocks to cut) and NONE of those pieces are very big. I went back through the next batch of blocks and sorted the fabric and so twenty of those remaining blocks are ready to cut. But I am taking a break. My left wrist is NOT a happy camper when I cut too much. 

Here we are - 41 blocks  ready to sew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Oh - I can't wait to sew them. I think some of them are going to be a tad tricky!!!

And here are all the left over bits. I know exactly what I am going to do with them. The big question will be - how to find the time to make that happen. 

Oh - I lied - I did NOT start my day with Farmer's Wife. I went to spin class with Joseph. You remember the other day when I said that I passed the time by thinking about what I would do if I won the lottery? Well in Joseph's class, you just worry about not getting physically sick and falling off the bike. For some strange reason, when he pushes you (and the entire class is PUSH PUSH PUSH), you react. I was sweating like crazy in that class. A good workout!!!!


Then I went to the mall where my kid had picked out stuff and I just had to pay for it. Don't you just love that. But I did tell her to go shopping without me. I hate it enough to look for clothes and shoes for me, I couldn't bear to do it with someone else. We even looked at a few clothes for me and I was BORED in two seconds so I didn't get anything. But of course my kid has to find something outrageous and I bought it for her. Actually we went to buy SENSIBLE shoes (but still attractive) so M would have something comfy to wear to work. Hey did I mention that M is going to be volunteering at Fashion Week this coming week. I am so excited for her!!!!!!!!!!!!    I'll get all the juicy details.

It is a panda ONESIE!!!!!    I know - even when they think they are grown up - they are NOT!!!!   But I know she will wear it (a LOT) so why not. It wasn't that expensive. 

Then I got busy with trying to finish up those spring wall hangings from the $10 quilt classes. I had to do some cutting as not all the pieces for the flying geese were cut. ICK - more prep!!!!!!!!!   Oooops - looks like we have a problem!!!!!!!!!!!!

The lid has popped OFF the green scrap box. Actually this is the second green scrap box and I think the other one is in the same state!!!!!!!

Lots of green scraps. I know exactly what I am going to do with them - just need some time to make that happen. 

Here are the flying geese - all laid out and ready to sew. 

In the trimming stage

I was also working on the 6 inch block for the Gingerbread quilt.    I got all the half square triangles for that block trimmed and FORTY flying geese - sewn and trimmed. Ready to assemble. 

Don't call me crazy, but I found a little bag of little bits and LOOK - I can make a VERY small Half square triangle. This would be good for a VERY mini quilt. Got to think about what to do with it. 

And I also got the big 12 inch block done for the gingerbread quilt.

Twelve inch block for the gingerbread quilt

This is part of the embroidery for the gingerbread quilt. Since this one was done - I cut it off so there would be less fabric to handle when working one the others. I have left room in the event that I want to close the gap between ginger and bread.

I am making good progress. The bottom two blocks are done - I've left them on to make it easier to hoop the row above. I figure at this rate - two more nights (I am good for about one hour of embroidery in the evening) and I should be finished!!!!   Almost 1/3 through my audio book (15 CDs). Not the most interesting book, but I suppose it will get more interesting later on?????

I am also trying to keep the studio tidy. OK - so that doesn't happen, but I try every day to put away a couple of things. It is amazing how things accumulate. So this is what I dealt with yesterday. Marian was on vacation and we looked after Kaylee. Look what she brought me......................

My name in Scrabble (like) tiles. The values of the tiles are NOT like the original - probably copyright issues!!!!

Hmmm - where to put them. AHA!!!!!

Found the perfect spot. I can see that as soon as I walk in!!!!!

The mints and the needle threader went into the BLACK BOX - my hand work box. 

 There was also a little Eskimo (are we allowed to say that any more???) - anyway a seal skin thimble. It is upstairs and I am NOT walking up to take a picture. I have already been running around like crazy taking pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Marian!!!!!  


When I was talking to Rose Anne the other day - we chatted about some of the swaps that we did. One of them was a friendship star. As I was putting something away this morning - I happened to be in the group project section and I dug out the friendship star exchange. OH OH - we did that in 2004!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friendship swap done in 2004 - NOT DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yikes - well I am happy to report that I am working through my projects. There are just so many of them that it will be hard to get them completed in my life time. And the worst thing - I was lying in bed the other day thinking about a quilt that I saw and I HAVE to make. When I got up and checked one of my drawers for scraps (it has to be scrappy) and I found a bag of pre-cut strips that was labeled just for this quilt!!!!!!!!!!!    How bizarre is that????   I am NOT going to share that information until I get started on the quilt.

Oh yes - I also worked on the Block of the Month quilt. I will be posting a tutorial on that later today. I had to do a lot of cutting for that, laying it all out, etc. etc. Anyway - that tutorial should be up later.

And if you have NOT had one of the pumpkin spice muffins at Tim's. Then you better RUN and get one. They are so yummy. I love them. Thank goodness they only happen at this time of year.


Well on that note - I am out of there. Got a few more things to tidy up for today's quota. The entire day is MINE MINE MINE. No immediate deadlines so I can work on something for me. But I doubt that will happen - I do have a couple of commitments so will work on some of those.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!