Chubby Charmer Tote

I finally finished this tote last night.  It's for me! I repeat, it is for me!  The last 3 I made ended up not for me. I'm going to use it to lug my stuff to quilt classes.

My friend Libby and I went shopping yesterday to The Quilt Co., then lunch and finally Jo Ann Fabrics. It was a good day.  We were suppose to get together and have a sew/gabfest at my house, but she needed wide backing and a few things and we decided it was too cold and snowy to drag all her stuff to my house, so we shopped instead.
 
A few months ago I bought the One Block Wonder Book, but I was scared to make it all by myself.  The Quilt Co. has offered a class on it a few times last year and lo and behold they're doing it again. So we talked to Marsha, who will be teaching the class and we both signed up.  The class is 2 part and doesn't start until March, so I have time to get some other things done; like my 2 t-shirt quilts.    Actually, I bought a jelly roll of the Aviary line from 3 Sisters, I cut it up last night to make a baby quilt gift, no pictures yet, but I'm using the directions from Mary. I think it's going to be a lovely quilt for a baby girl.
Oh and my calendar finally came so I started my Block-a-Day.
It has been so long since I've cut out "patches" and put a quilt block together like this; I really had to think for a bit.  I'm just so used to following a pattern where I cut strips or use HST.  I haven't cut out a template for a triangle in for-e-v-e-r.  I have a feeling that will be changing this year, if I can stick to this BL-a-day thing.

Design Wall Monday

  I got the string blocks sewn together yesterday and it's to heavy to pin back up on the wall.  I need to add a border, right now this measures 54 x 72. I arranged the blocks for  a  color wheel effect going around the black and brown blocks in the center--that's about as artsy as I'm getting!  

I used up almost all of my light strips.  I have a ton of the different colored ones though.  I was thinking of another one but all  random darks with a light center strip...still letting that one simmer.

This evening

I made this little cutie.

It's called Mmm....Hot Cocoa.  It's the first of a BOM series from Patch Abilities. Libby (no blog) gave me the pattern and the matching hanger the week before Christmas, our LQS will be carrying all the patterns.  I used my scraps, even scrap batting, sometimes just a quick little project is just what I need to do.  I will hang it somewhere in my kitchen tomorrow.

We're doing this mini series, and Many Thanks BOM, which we plan on getting together once a month to work on the block and anything else we have going on and have a gabfest, we are still planning on doing the block-a-day with this calendar; I already received the companion CD but the calendar has yet to arrive.

Design Wall Monday

This is on my wall. The 2 blocks off to the upper right are my BOM from Shannon's blog that I decided to do this year. It started in November, but I didn't make mine until last week--made 'em both at same time so if you think you'd like to do this, you're not too far behind!

The string quilt I'm not sure if I'm going to make another set for a 4th row of squares to make it twin size--going to have to think on that.  I do want to put wide borders around this one though, we'll see.

Remember to go to Judy's to see what's on other's design walls.  This is the last one for '09!

I'm ready, I think

and if it's not done, it's not getting done.  I enjoyed baking cookies yesterday and I finished today.  The food it bought, the few gifts we have are wrapped and under the tree.  My very own quilt is fresh out of the dryer and I can't wait until this evening to sit under it and maybe finally finish The Hour I First Believed  by Wally Lamb.  It's taking me forever to read and it's good.  It looks like Otis approves; it's good for napping.

Last night I stayed up way too late and made 2 quilt blocks.  I'm going to make a BOM quilt this year. I saw it on Shannon's blog a few weeks ago.  

I bought background fabric for it last week, a light brown batik, but when I started pulling from my batiks the brown was not giving me enough contrast so I nixed that.  Amazingly, *wink* I had enough of another lighter batik already on the shelf that will work fine.

The pink one is November's block, but it was a bit more challenging so I made December's block (purple one) first. 

I've made a little process on the strings quilt too.  I need to go and organize the sewing room and maybe make a list of my ufo's and new projects etc. 

Design Wall Monday

This is the same picture as a few posts ago.  It will likely be the same next week.  If it changes, I'm being very bad; not doing what I should be doing!  

I think I'm finally in the mood to bake some cookies, so that's the non-quilting thing I'm planning on doing today.

I've also started the quilting on my Quilt Block Memories quilt (formerly known as the leftover/orphan quilt.) I'm giving it to me for Christmas (I hope it's done!-ha) 

A Winter Wonderland in my own back yard!

 Woohoo it snowed. 

 I got all bundled up and Annie and I went in the back yard to play.  I also shoveled out 3/4 of the driveway, hey, I'm not as young as I am in my head,  and it's a big driveway.  And yes, I took 2 Advil as soon as I came in so I'll be able to walk around later without making little gaspy noises. (With age come a little brains...)
 Paul shoveled it this morning before he left and there was a good 2 more inches when I did it.  No pictures of me, Annie is a worse photographer than I! 
But here are a few of her having fun.  She's going to be 9 this summer, which gives me a lump in my throat to think about.  We've had some great dogs share our lives but she is the best. 

Oh how she would love to run free in those woods, so dark and deep.  But see that spanky new fence, no more running free for her.  It also deters the deer, they can still jump in and out easily to get to the apples from our trees, but at least this fence is sturdy and they have to go over, not through.

And the kids rope swing.  Paul put it up a few years after we moved in (1989).  I still take a swing occasionally in the summer--one of these days that rope is going to give out.  And boy, is Paul going to have a good laugh...after he makes sure I'm OK, of course.