Baby, It's COLD Outside!

Brrrrrr! Yikes it's been cold. I LOVE winter. Love it. I'm always sad when it's over. I do love the change of seasons and part of me gets a thrill when the windows can be opened, the leaves start to bud and a trip to the car isn't an ordeal, but at the same time I lament the passing of winter. We're supposed to get another 3 to 5 inches of snow tonight, people all around are groaning and it's hard for me to contain the smile.

This month in particular my sewing is going gangbusters and I get more and more excited about these projects I'm working on.

Here is the block for the paper piecing project. The plan was to set aside this one to do the anniversary party table toppers but now I have a new plan. I have geen going round and round trying to figure out how I wanted these toppers to look and nothing was doing it for me. Using all gold and white (50th anniversary) sounded BORING, even with different shades and fabrics. I like brown and gold, but that wasn't doing it for me either. I thought about not worrying about color and using jewel tones and while I think that would be pretty, that wasn't quite right either. I kicked around using one big block, 4 smaller blocks, 16 little bitty blocks...nope. I knew I had to find just the right thing.

I think I finally have it. I thought about applique but dismissed it as too much work. One big applique block? That might work. A ring of flowers and leaves would leave a spot in the middle for the vase to hold the candles. I could use the platter or not depending on if I can find enough of them at the right price. How do I make the perfect circle, though? Leaves are really fun to applique, do I want to mess with all those posies?

As I sat yesterday I glanced at my pegboard. There was the perfect sized hoop for the circle. As I dug through my basket gathering up thread, etc, for the applique bag for my purse, I saw the little yo yo makers I just bought. I had the passing thought that they were probably a waste of money and then remembered I thought they would be really fun to use for flowers on an applique vine for a quilt border. DING DING DING! We have a winner! A ring of leaves with posies made of 5 small and/or one larger yo yo. A small quilted motif in the corners and then cross hatching. I quickly ran through the project in my head...I'd need bias for the circle, too...and I have some made for another project I'm working on...more than enough to finish the project and do at least some of these toppers...which means I can get some of them to the quilting stage before I need to make more...IF I need to make more.

I have to finish these project blocks first, though, so I'll have used all the vine that I need for them. I guess I could cheat and just do the vine part (I just realized that as I was typing, LOL) but I really want to finish them and assemble the top. That was my planned post holiday project so it would be nice to finish it and get it basted.

I still need to figure out an album block, too, but in the meantime I have plenty to keep me busy. I'll assemble the paper pieced block top, finish the flower blocks and assemble that top. I can prepare the applique for the toppers and get a few of those tops assembled and then quilted to see what kind of time I need to do thirteen of them (if they come up with a few more party guests, I made need a couple more...I might even just make a couple extra just in case....I can always use them here or save them for bridal shower gifts.) Thankfully I've been writing all these projects down so none get lost in the shuffle!

And somehow through all of this quilting my house is in decent shape, too.

Usually once I get on the computer, my morning ends up gone, which is why I haven't been posting nearly every day like at the beginning. Generally I think my life is pretty boring! I think the key will be figuring out what I really want to say before I get on...I'm really charged up about all this quilting so it was easy to pop this one off.

Someday soon I'll tell Ruthie's story, but for now I'll leave you with a couple of pictures of her. She nearly always blinks when I take her picture, so her eyes are closed or have that half-drunk look, here is a pretty good one with her beautiful eyes opened. I love her profile but it's hard to get that, too, she's a ham and will turn to the camera if she knows one is there. This time she turned to me, but I was able to get her to turn her head to take the picture (in both she has the ever present bowl of noodles, LOL.)

Happy quilting and keep warm!

Sue