Blog Hop

     I finally chose my fabric for the It's All About ME blog hop coming up in February! I have this vision of my older self and I hope it translates well for the hop. The pattern we were sent to follow is very thorough -- which is very nice and much appreciated! I'm getting so excited! I am pretty sure that I will be doing a giveaway; I'm just not sure what yet. Madame Samm and Marlene have been so good about sending out the information -- it's going to be a great hop. I'll be posting the schedule and details after I receive the information!

     This week I have been working on some UFO's. i finished this little purse for my grand-niece, to give her when her baby sister is born next month. What have you been up to?

Baby quilt - top done!

Hello to my new followers! I'm so glad you are here! Sunday night was not my most successful sewing night. I'd been plugging along all day, making good progress on the baby quilt. I half thought that I could finish the top and was feeling pretty pleased with myself..."Pride cometh before a fall..." As I was pinning the last group of blocks on, I realized that the entire previous row was on upside down! I have no idea how I managed that because I really was trying to be so very careful. After ripping out that set of blocks, I decided to take a break from it until Monday. I am still hoping to take it to the quilter this week so I really do need to hurry! (That's what I get for deciding a month before my niece's due date to make her a baby quilt!)

I go to therapy in the morning. Then hubby and I are going out to breakfast, probably at Bob Evans. When I get home, I'll try to finish up the quilt. I also need to finish making a calendar for 2013. I started scrapbooking one and didn't finish it. At least I have January and February done but I need to put in some more pages and pictures for the rest of the months!

Monday: I have finished up the baby quilt. I still need to piece the back. I don't have enough fabric to make a solid back piece so I'll put some solid color fabric with some of the print fabric that I have for the quilt. I called the long-arm quilter; she should be able to get it done by the end of next month. That should work out well with the baby due in the middle of February. After the baby is born, I will find out the name and will be able to embroider her name on the quilt, also.

Back to school tomorrow for a teacher workday. It's been nice having an extra day off! Number one son is out looking for a job today. I guess since he's back home temporarily, I'm no longer an empty nester. I should be again, soon - but perhaps my blog name is false advertising right now. LOL.

There are some blog hops coming up arranged by Madame Samm. There is the Valentine's Day one - Hugs & Kisses - and then the It's All About ME! blog hop. I am only in the second one but am so looking forward to both! It's All About ME! was to start Feb 21st, but now it will be a little earlier. Marlene from Stitching by the Lake is our cheerleader.

I guess I should show off the quilt now! Thanks for visiting today! (And sorry I got so wordy!)

Hello!

Hello and Welcome! I appreciate you stopping by and hope you will come back to visit. My name is Debbi and I live just outside the small town of Arcanum, Ohio. Please don't feel too bad if you have never heard of it! (We are west and slightly north of Dayton.)

Why did I start to blog? Several reasons! I see all the nice blogs out there with great hints and tips on crafting and quilting that I wanted to join in the fun! Plus, blogging is a way to keep track of what I have accomplished recently.  I may not have many of my own tips and hints, but I can direct you to ones that I have found!  Here is my current project: a variation of the Sugar & Spice quilt by Lyn Brown featured in Quilt It - Today magazine. I have finished 7 of the 12 blocks; I should finish the top this weekend.

I also believe that we should always be trying something new, so blogging is my adventure into doing something new - deliberately and (I hope) thoughtfully. I try NOT to vent about my job, (I teach middle school math), my husband (of almost 30 years), or my sons, (almost 20 & 21, one at home again and one away at school), but I have to admit it - sometimes venting just happens! Plus, since one of my medications (I was diagnosed with Parkinson's last year) has a side effect of causing obsessive/compulsive behavior, I think I am completely justified in acting on my current quilting, crafting, and sewing obsessions! Why not blog about it all?

I won't scare you away with pictures of the family yet - lol- so let me introduce my cats - Zorro and Hoshi! They, of course, believe they own this house and the humans are just "staff."

Thanks for stopping! Hope to see you again soon!

My first blog hop!

Okay - so I bit the bullet and signed up for my first blog hop! It's called "It's All About Me." I think it will be lots of fun. The blog hop begins February 21st and runs through the 28th. The design is by Amy Bradley. The design is of a lady and we are supposed to adapt the pattern (there are options given) to represent us in the future! Hmmm...have to start thinking of what to make...I could use a new purse or I could make it into a pillow or wall hanging for my sewing room!

Anyway...Marlene from Stitchin by the Lake is our cheerleader and this was organized by Madame Samm at !Sew WE Quilt!

So this weekend, I've been working on binding a baby quilt and I have also been working on making a t-shirt quilt for my oldest son. I haven't gotten too far. I've only finished adding Pellon fusible to a bit more than half his old t-shirts. I also cut them to the size I wanted. They are all different sizes so I will need to choose a good background fabric to coordinate the group. I am thinking gray flannel. Here are a couple of the designs we will be using.

And I'm off!

Okay, for me, I've jumped in with both feet this time! Retro quilt is done except for a label, Purple Craze quilt has a backing, is spray basted, and I started to tie it. The scrappy binding is made, so once it is all tied, I have a head start on the binding. The Lil Twister quilt has the binding sewed to the front but I still need to stitch the back by hand. And tonight, Matt (son #1) and I cut up his old t-shirts so that I can make him a memory quilt. I suspect there are enough cut designs for two sides but we'll have to wait and see! I am planning to group the MS/HS years onto one side, elementary school years on the other. PLUS, I have now added another quilt to the stack of things to do. I won some fabric from XO Gigi Fabrics so I ordered some extra fabric - enough to make a baby quilt for niece Erin's new little girl, (due the middle of next month). I am adapting a pattern from a quilt magazine. It is a basic, geometric pattern made up of two complimentary block, but the blocks are 16 inches square! Add in the borders and sashing and you only have room for 2 x 3 block arrangement. I think that is too little, so I recalculated the design measurements so I could create a 3 x 4 arrangement. I think it will be more attractive on the slightly smaller scale. Wow, I am rambling! That's all for now! Oh - here's a picture of one of the blocks on this Purple Craze quilt and then an overall pic of it in my quilting area (excuse the mess!). Yes, it is weird and ugly!

One UFO done!

I finished the binding on my Retro quilt. Almost 40 years in the making, it is finally done! Woohoo!

First two BOM blocks finished!

I joined my first BOM this year. It is the Sisters Ten Modern BOM. You complete two of the same block design each month. I thought of joining another but really believe I can only keep up with one BOM. I also joined 52 Quilts in 52 Weeks "13 in 2013 UFO Challenge." The premise was to make a list of 13 unfinished projects, a number would be selected each month (plus one bonus!) to correspond with the list, and that is the month's project to complete. So far so good! Well, it's late. Here are pictures of my blocks.