Sunday Hiking

 Today we hiked Piestewa Peak...well really we tried to find the easy trail...spent about an hour and hiked a mile and a half before we finally found it.  There are maps all over but not real helpful when sun faded and only one said "you are here" HAHA!  We had a good time anyway and got some exercise in.

 We accidentally started climbing the Summit Trail, did not take us too long to figure out the steepness was not the easy trail we wanted.

Just about the time we were going to give  up--we found it!  We walked on it a bit and then headed back to the car.  We will go again next week and start here and see what happens!  Can't wait!

Busy, Busy Weekend!

I feel like I had so much to do this weekend to be caught up to where I wanted to be...it actually stressed me out!  And most of it was sewing related.  Ah to turn off  my type A personality!  So Saturday I made a list of things to do and got to it (I was supposed to go to AZ Blankets for Kids with a friend of mine and her mom, daughter and another friend--I stayed home to get to work on my list).  First up was cutting fat eighths for the Cotton and Steel Hatbox swap over at Sew at Home Mummy.  Done and will be mailed on Monday.  I am sending out the top fabric (and bought myself some extra kitty fabric) and will be getting back fat eighths in all the different fabrics.

Next up was to prep Herringbone for next Saturday's PHXMQG meeting.  I will be going as a guest (haven't been there all year) and am looking forward to Danny teaching us this quilt as you go quilt.  I haven't starched my fabrics like she recommends, but I did finally pick up some starch today.

 I sewed up one Wild and Goosey block so I could post my weekend check in on Quiltville's Open Studio.

 Almost enough for another row!

 I made the maple leaf block for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge but didn't pay attention enough to the directions and made my leaf too small.  I was using up hst's that I had in the right colors and they were too tiny.  Well I slept on that and then decided to add fabric to two sides and call it good.  I am happy with the results, especially since that maple leaf fabric is the fabric I bought near Trego right after my dad died.  Every quilt it winds up in makes me happy.  (I added it to the Wild and Goosey block today too!)

 This one is Prairie Queen.  A strange block if I ever saw one!

 and this kitty cat I shall call Greybear after my daughter Hannah's cat.  Really a fun block!

Linking up with SoScrappy!

A Grand Illusion Takes Shape!

 Bonnie Hunter surprised us early with the pre-mystery information for her 2014 mystery "Grand Illusion" and folks are all abuzz on Quiltville's Open Studio!  Bonnie will post the first clue the Friday after Thanksgiving--Black Friday for all you shoppers!  She then posts a linky on the Monday after where all can show off how their mystery is coming along!  Then we do it all again the next week until we are done.  If you follow my blog, you know I am Bonnie's #1 fan and I have made all the mysteries!  You can see them here! 
I haven't decided if I will change up the colors yet, but here are Bonnie's colors (plus black and neutrals) don't they look yummy?

If you have never done a mystery quilt or a Bonnie quilt, consider joining us.  It is tons of fun and lots of support.  I have to start planning the second annual mystery kickoff party!  If you are in the area (Phoenix) and want to come, let me know!  Last year we had a dozen people get together at In Stitches (which is sadly now closed) and you can read about the fun we had here!  This year we are hoping to have it in Chandler..details to come!
If you live far away and you read my blog please comment on me if you are doing this so I can be sure I am following your blog too!  I love nothing better than a Bonnie mystery and all my sewing friends working on it!
PS I lost 3.6 pounds this week and got through my plateau!  That is a 63.2 pound loss so far I believe!  WHOOT WHOOT!

Traditions BOM

 Block ten of the 35th Ave. Traditions pattern is stitched up.  Two more months to go and my great aunt will be getting this one (and my other great aunt Kathy's).  I cannot wait to surprise them!

 My new favorite healthy thing to eat is this!  It is really good and tastes like pie!  Of course it is a limited edition so of course I LOVE it!  I am now more willing to try out some other flavors.  If any of you are into greek yogurt, what is your favorite?  The other one I like is coconut something or other.  I must have a pie thing going on!

NewFo for September!

Some months I don't start anything new and cannot play along with the NewFo linky party.  This month I started LOTS of projects so I can play along!  First off, I started the Choose your own Blockalong and I am doing Tula Pink's City Sampler.  This is what I accomplished so far...this will be onging for a while!

I also made this little twister Packer top which still needs quilting.  Go Pack Go!

 I also finally made this Barn Bats block which will become a pillow!  And a happy little peiced Jack-o-Lantern too!  Linking up with Cat Patches for the NewFo Linky Party!



Hiking and Honking!

 Kathy and I went hiking this morning--this is South Mountain, the Pima Canyon Trail which is a beginner trail.  It was challenging enough for us.  It was also a little hot, but we had a nice breeze and plenty of water.  We hope to be hiking more often now that it is cooling down and we are about 60 pounds down each!

 And for the Honk part of the post, here is my latest Wild and Goosey block.  Since I did extras last week I am only two more from another row!

I about went BATTY!

 Started off the day by putting Heidi Powell's white chicken chili in the crockpot, then Kathy and I ran to 35th Ave. to get our BOM.  Two months to go on this year's quilt!

 I then sewed up block number 13 and 14 of City Sampler for the Chooseyourownblockalong!  Each one I make is my new favorite.  LOVE # 13 right now best!

Linking up to Choose Your Own Blockalong!

 Then I tackled Ooh Rah!  This is my BOM Quilt of Valor.  I wanted to change it up and add red and I was going to have two different blues.  I realized quickly that it was enough with to get this block right without changing up the blues.  I am happy with how it came out though it was labor intensive!

Then I decided I should tackle this Halloween project that I had printed out and selected and cut fabric for--TWO YEARS AGO!  I really don't have too many UFO's and only a few things that I have not even started like this.  Really, after reading the directions I thought it was too complicated for me--and I might have been right!  The tutorial is over at Oh Fransson!  Her tutorial is great with lots of pictures, but I have trouble with angles!

So here are what I think are bats (but someone else described as fat barn cats!).  Luckily I did not sew the rows together til after Kathy came home to help me with the angles.

Also, I cannot count one row has one too many bats!  Seriously, this was after I had had my coffee!

 So in the above picture, I think I have this right but I wait to sew the rows.  (I do NOT have it right!)
 Kathy then helped me  to stagger the rows like I was supposed to (I struggled with this part of the directions and knew I was not understanding quite right).  We stepped back and I thought, NOW it is right.  It was NOT!

 Kathy realized I had the whole thing angled wrong--what a surprise.  LOL, so below it finally is starting to look like bats!

 Finally the top is sewn together and I love it!  This is for my son Mac...he is going to love it--think it will become a pillow.

Tomorrow morning Kathy and I are going on our first hike of the the season!  I cannot wait!  I lost .2 this week despite working hard and eating right.  I am still .4 from a 60 pound loss...UGH!  Kathy reached 60 (YAY for her!) and I am hoping to get mine this week.  I did get into a way smaller size this week (thanks Becky for the clothes!) and that sure helped me to not completely go batty!  I think I need to change up the workouts some and up my game!