Wanderlust - quilt, attach binding, label, bound, no
Round Robin (RR) blocks (14) - mail by 15th, Attach my row yes
Grand Illusion (GI) blocks made, label made - no
Sewing Mats complete - yes
Valentine project for retreat kitted up - yes
Zyra tea set complete - no
BOM blocks (3) complete - no
1st - Happy New Year! It is exactly midnight and Miss Bonnie has posted the reveal for the Grand Illusion Mystery. I am ready and lay out a block exactly 5 minutes later. What do you think? Now I am off to bed for some sleep before my class in a few hours.
Today I am off to Plano for another class with Bonnie Hunter. We are working on Bow-Dacious today and please check this link for details on the class. It's a great day and I get quite a few of my little bows finished while spending some choice time with Bonnie. I love these days together each year. My show and share for this class is the Gratitude quilt that I made last year. (Photos taken by Bonnie)
2nd - It's Day 3 at Fabric Fanatics and today's class is Scrap Crystals. The weather outside is nutso cold, but inside we are snug and working away. I spent quite a bit of time chatting yesterday and didn't accomplish quite as much as I wanted. Today I plan on being more focused so that I have a few blocks to take home. This quilt is going to be for the master bedroom at home and I am excited about it. I rarely do Bonnie's quilts in colors different than hers, but this year I am stepping out a bit. For details on the day, please check out this link. After class, Mister and I make a HORRENDOUS drive to Weatherford to pick up the girls. Freezing rain all the way. ugh.3rd - My last day in Plano and I am sad but yet excited as today is the Garden Party mystery class. I wish I could show you all about it, but be on the lookout as it will be in Quiltmaker magazine in a few months. For more details on the class check out the link. Since it is the mystery class, my show and share is the mystery from last year although it is still in a sandwiched state. I do so love this quilt. (Photos from this class taken by Bonnie)
4th - Today is Sunday and it is a day devoted to time with Mister and girls. We are off to the Children's Aquarium to play with the stingrays. If you are a glutton for punishment -- the link is here.
5th - A day with the girls. I get a little blog work finished, pay the bills, and determine my cutting list for RR. Time is a flying by.6th - Girl time --- off to the Zoo by train.
7th - This cold weather sucks so the girls and I are stuck in the house again. Today's adventure includes:
Drawing on bowls!! Doesn'e everyone do this? We are using Sharpies and once the girls are finished, they will be baked. Next: mixing the dough for our sugar cookies. I start cleaning the office and cutting the remaining strips for Bow-Dacious and Weed Whacker. In the evening Elena and went out for the fabric for the skirt she wants to make and I found some border fabrics for for Bow-Dacious and Scrap Crystals. All in all -- not such a terrible day.8th - It's another creative day today. First thing, I put the bowls in the oven to bake. Didn't they turn out oh so cute?
and now -- we are baking cookies. I have also prewashed the fabric for their skirts so we can cut those tomorrow. Once the cookies are finished, we decide to try and do a small photo shoot for Mama. Cooperation is high on the 5 year old level -- not so much on the 2 year old level. To be expected but I though I would include a couple of the pics as they are pretty sweet.
My evening is spent cutting the remainder of parts needed for Scrap Crystals.
9th - It's sewing day and Miss Elena is ready to make her skirt. She does such a great job and operates the Featherweight without even a single issue. Proud Gammy here.
I stay up until almost midnight cutting for the RR's that are in my house. I now have two of them since Row 4 arrived today. Goodness but I need to put this train in gear and get going.10th - My morning is spent making a second skirt for Malea and the rest of the day is devoted to Mister and girls. We are off to the DMA and then going to see Great-Grandma for the rest of the afternoon.
(SANDRA BROOKS - If you are reading this -- stop now so that your surprise is not ruined as I am going to show the block that goes on your row.)
11th - My babies are gone and I am a pretty sad Gammy but as in all of life, there are opposites and today I get to SEW! Woohoo. There are all sizes of geese flying around today. Oh this feels so good.12th - All of the RR units for one row are sewn and I get the blocks together? What do you think? Do you recognize the block?
13th - I am packing like a wild woman this morning. I am meeting Lisa for lunch and then flying to Boston with my nephew --- see you in a few days.14th - In Boston all day -- first thing in the morning I quickly work up a new scarf to wear around town today. My nephew is stunned. Yay me. Will show a picture tomorrow.
15th - We are on the plane for our return flight from Boston. What a great couple of days. I plan to work on another scarf and a hat while flying home. (I was successful - picture shows all three items -- the darker scarf is the one I was wearing in Boston. If you want to see more about the trip -- here is a link.
16th - I sew the RR blocks together into row and attach to the main row. I can't stand the way they are fitting together so I take them apart and make the duplicate row, starting with units. Yep, it's an all day project but I end the day with the row attached and in the mail. Only one day late. Ugh, but at least I am happy with it now.
17th - It's a me and my sweetie day. We start out at an estate sale where we find yards of shirting and some great denim for backings. I also get a lovely piece of wool and some wool yard. Total expense: $16.00 We also stop in at a local store to peek around and get to talking vintage machines. They send us to Garland where they have seen some before. We don't find any machines, but come home with three featherweight/301 tables. To see all of the tables plus the fun story behind us getting them please click here. In the evening I spot a post online about quilting mats/rulers/cutters on sale at JoAnn's for 50% off with an additional 15% off total. My mat is shot so I make a quick trip and pick up some fun new rulers and two nice new mats. Woot woot.
18th - Mister wants to walk so we are out of the house and off to do just that. When we return home, we both pitch in and get the Christmas decorations down and put away. Mister then gets to work cleaning the 301 that is coming in the house and I start cleaning the studio. Oh my, it is such a mess out here. His devotion lasts longer than mine and I go into the house to make dinner. My last picture of him tells a story all by itself. I do love my man.
She is all clean and ready to go into the cabinet. Yay! I can't wait to try her out.
19th - It's time to start really thinking about retreat and our plans for it. Stephannie and Jennifer are helping me with a cutting party today to prepare. Let's hope our plans all come together for some fun in Granbury. More detailed post here
20th - First things first. Put the office back together so I can work in there. Once the table is back and my machine up, I start working on my samples for the retreat project and also on starting to do something with my monster pile of scraps that need to be managed. I get all the fronts of my samples finished and make the sandwiches. See those cool pictures in the bottom right of the picture. I bought my 5 year old granddaughter a wallet for Christmas and since she has been in Mexico ever since, I am just now mailing their packages after staying here. I promised her I would put pictures in her wallet and also some other fun things. These just need to be cut.
22nd - DID NOTHING - what a wasteful day.
23rd - I put away everything from recent shopping trips and what I had cut in the office. I try to FMQ my samples on my Featherweight but am not very successful without a table set up and I'm too lazy to go and get it. Another day.
23rd - Okay, I have a new attitude and head out to the studio first thing to quilt my samples and also the sewing mats that have been sitting around. I even get brave and try a new pattern on one of the mats and one of the samples. Woohoo. I am hot stuff. I love them. While working on them, I receive word that my very dear friend is in the hospital so I finish the last mat, head into the house, box up the packages that need to be mailed, and walk myself down to the post office where I can catch a bus then a train to meet Mister and go to the hospital. I am a mess already and I haven't even gotten there yet. I grabbed some yarn before I left so I start making Jason a hat while on the train so that my hands have something to do and my brain must count instead of fret.We stay at the hospital for quite some time and help out wherever we can. The entire time, my hands are working if I am not caring for Jason personally. He will be leaving under hospice care. They are stopping all treatment of his cancer. This is a heartbreaking day. I leave him with his hat to cover his head as he is always cold.
24th - Mister and I have the day together and he starts working on my 301 table as the weather is beautiful. I, however, accomplish nothing. All I can do is weep today.
25th - Another day with with Mister and he continues the work on the table while I make and put binding on the sewing mats and samples. I also get the papers cut for working on the RR blocks at retreat. That's it and all done while watching 4 episodes of Sons of Anarchy.
26th - I am home alone today and simply cannot concentrate on much. I put on Sons of Anarchy and watch 10 episodes while I cut scraps. That's it -- nothing more. I DO get through the pile of scraps though and everything is now worked into the Scrap User's System again.
27th - Jason is home now so I am going over to care for him today and for the next few days. Not much to say about that. During the quiet moments of the day, I sewed the binding down on the samples and started on the sewing mats.
28th - Back helping with Jason for another day. He is deteriorating quickly and my heart is breaking. I did finish the binding on the sewing mats while sitting at his bedside. I wish I could be happy about completed projects.
29th - At Jason's again today caring for him. I kept my mind busy in down time by making a scarf for his wife, Tina. She needs loving on and I will be here for her as much as possible. This day is one of the hardest I have experienced in years. 30th - I lost one of the greatest friends I have ever had today. All I can do is function enough to do laundry. Nothing else.
31st - Helping Tina and the girls this morning. Will be back Monday to go over her finances with her. Went home and literally slept the day away -- sad end to month.
I'm sorry to end on such a sad note this month, but that is how life goes sometimes. I watched two girls hold on to a quilt I had made for Jason when his cancer was first discovered and determine who gets to sleep with it. They are such sweet girls and my heart is full of love for them.
Please join me again next month. Tomorrow is another day and the healing process is already beginning. Thanks for sharing my world.
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