Rainbow Scrap Challenge in Green and Mystery Fabric Pulling!

Barb and I decided to make Whimsical Wishes from the Mystery Quilts Anon Group.  So for this mystery only has the fabric pull clue out so if you want to join in, join in!  Really love mysteries and looking forward to this one.

A year or so ago the same group did Soul Mates and I love the reveal.  All these clues are available and Barb, Becky and I and maybe Dr. Kathy are going to do it and some online sewalongs together.  Here is my fabric pull.

Here is Barb's fabric pull.  She is making a Quilt of Valor with this one and I cannot wait to see how it comes out!

I have also made eight or so of these pillows for this month's Christmas in July but did not get pictures of them all together.  I used the Shabby Fabrics pattern and adjusted for two smaller pillow forms that I had and bought the rest the right size.  Most of these will be given to Coleman's stepkids and daughter for their "happy unbirthday" box this summer.  I will put flashlights (I already bought) and a book and maybe a snack in each of them.  I hope the kids like them.  They were super fun to make!

I did want to show anyone who does not have this handy gadget how it works for making handles.  I have used this far beyond what I paid for it.  You thread the fabric through (they have different sizes so you cut a strip depending on the size you use--this one is 2 inches wide) and then you iron it as it comes out.  Then iron it in half as you see on the top part and viola!  So easy and it looks great.

I did do the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for May at the start of the month but the link was not up yet.  I then forgot to blog or put it up so I made it in under the wire today!  

Big Book Summer Challenge

This summer I will be participating in the Big Book Summer Challenge over at Book by Book for the first time.  This is her tenth year at this and I am glad I found Sue!  We not only have reading in common but CFS/ME too.  Before I show you a few of the big books I have coming up this summer I wanted to show you the mail day that made me cry last week.

One of my high school ASL students, Kira, just finished up her first year at college.  She was involved as an officer in PAH club and I had her for three years as a student.  Her mom was the room mom and did so much for my classroom (she was an ex Math teacher) and we have kept in touch.  Kira made me this "I love you" diamond painting and wrote me two cards and sweet stuff on the back too.  I miss teaching so much and immediately moved stuff and gave it a prominent place on the mantel.

Now on to books.  I got this book cart from Target and Kathy put it together for me.  This color was not my first choice, but it was 50% off!  I also had over 15 dollars worth of Target bucks so this was less than 5 bucks.  Winning!  I wasted no time in filling the cart.  

My sweet granddaughter fell asleep while I was rocking her the other morning.  She is the light of my life.  I save all my energy for this girl--it may not be much energy, but she gets it!

And here are some of the more than 400 page books I will be reading this summer!  I am sure there are more...I plan to start "House of Sky and Breath" tonight.

Here is my Pile of Possibilities for June...the books under "Upgrade" are all for book groups or my spin from the Off Your Shelf Reading Challenge.  The books above that I am hoping to get to.  I also have some books on my Nook from way back when that fit the June Austen read so hope to read or DNF some of those.  I also have "The Widow" for AJ Dunn's read from the library on audio.  

If you came here for sewing I will write another post here in a few!  If you are a reader or want to join in (and maybe when a prize) head over to Sue's blog and check out the Big Book Summer Challenge and leave me a comment so I can follow you!  Happy reading!
 

Ruby Jubilee and Lori Holt Block Progress

Finished up Ruby Jubilee part three I think it was.  Barb's is looking great in green.

Becky's is looking great in purple too!

The UFO # for this month brought up my Lori Holt blocks...I finally came up with a plan to make these blocks to put between those.  I will be making two quilt tops, but no rush.  Hoping to get these blocks made this month.  I started out by using four patches and cut up squares that were already waiting for a use.  If I am not happy with them I may switch them all up for the more modern fabrics.  Not sure yet.

These are all the books I read in April.  I do listen to some or go back and forth or do both at the same time.  Lots of reading happening since I spend a lot of time in bed or with my feet up.  Thankful I can read and it does not seem to tire me the way almost everything else does!

 

Grassy Creek Take Two!

Here is the kit Barb sent me and the other two patterns I already had...I am likely nuts but I am thinking I want to make about eight birthday/party table runners for Christmas gifts.  I may still wind up combining these patterns into what I have in mind, but I like a pattern so may just pick one!

Barb sent me all the parts for her Grassy Creek quilt since she decided she did not want to finish it.  She had one block made and the colors are turned around.  This turned out to be a happy accident...

The above is the correct color placement (she also oopsed on the dark blue in the center which was supposed to be lime green) but after some studying I decided I liked it better flipped around so that is what I did.

I sewed up all the centers...

Then sewed them into the blocks...though not all are pictured here.

 Now I am working on the light blue string parts.  I am a little more than half way done with that.  I cleaned out all my strings and have had to raid my blue strips too since I used this same color for mine and they are quite depleted!

I am liking the bright and happy spring colors...now if spring would arrive.  Raining out today but the sun was shining yesterday.  Good things are coming!

Chickie Art, Working on a Border and Quilty Gifts!

Hazel loves to do art so she painted a paper plate and got almost no paint anywhere else!  We are thinking she might be a leftie (or ambidextrous) as she seems to go back and forth some but has a preference for her left hand.  This runs in our family a bit--my great grandfather Clarence Rushman was able to write with both hands and my mom's generation does many things with their non dominant hands.  My youngest son Jay is also primarily left handed but he could not decide until he was about five with the help of OT at school since neither was more dominant for him. Here she is with her chickie (Gramala, or LaLa as she calls me helped put the stuff on in the right places since the paint was still wet).

I have been sick since about Feb. 20th.  Hazel brought me a cold (she goes to daycare three days a week now and is a walking petri dish) and it almost went away before I caught her new cold.  This one has lingered and so I went to urgent care Tuesday night and I have sinusitis so they gave me antibiotics and steroids.  I am sleeping in the recliner since the drainage wakes me up coughing all night long.  Looking forward to getting back to my usual sick self.  Speaking of which, I found out I medically passed the hoops for getting disability.  My claim is on the last step where they determine if I get back pay and how much I get per month if my income didn't exceed the limits while waiting (believe me, it didn't).  So relief is coming which is good since we have about run through savings in the past two years with me not working.  We decided to not move this year too since there was just nothing in the area we want that allows four pets.  We did not know for sure about disability at the time we had to give our notice and we did not want to increase our rent budget so...our current plan is to save money each month (one DA starts) so we can hopefully have a down payment and buy a house in the area we want near my daughter.   Then we can settle.  So crossing fingers that will work out or we are likely to struggle to find a place next year too--though we would have more of a budget at that point.

I have not done much sewing (and even my reading has slowed some) since I am so ugh!  This morning I am feeling pretty decent no doubt due to the steroids so may sew today!).  I made and attached the inner border on Packer Bliss and made and sliced up and joined into pairs the outer border.  I would love to get that completed and on today if I can.  

Barb (my sewing bestie) sent ma a FABULOUS box of sewing goodies!  I have not taken pictures yet, but it made my day yesterday.  She sent some red scraps in case I could use them for Ruby Jubilee, a few Eye Spy squares, An entire tablerunner kit and pattern of the type I want to make several of for Christmas gifts this year (I have two other patterns and may try to combine elements of them to use as one uses applique and one uses foundation piecing to do the bows).  She also sent her Grassy Creek parts that she had done up to the reveal.  She decided she did not care for it and did not want to finish it.  I love the colors and will be working on that soon!  She did not want to make the string pieced sashing so that was a huge factor for her.  I could buy the right kind of fabric to avoid doing that or change up the layout, but likely will just make a pieced one since I have plenty of strings.  She also sent me two pair of new hospital slipper socks--I love them and she hates them, lol.  There was also a Quiltmaker magazine which I never got and a few patterns.  Will share pics soon!
 

Sewing, Reading and Life Update

My UFO for March was my Packer Bliss (Quiltville's Winter Blues).  I grew it row by row slowly!

                                                  

I was planning to make this originally in green and then decided I would do a pair so I could do them with green and yellow.  The pieces are VERY SMALL and in the course of making one I decided I really did not want to make the pair--though the green sixteen patches are done and the sashings and cornerstones are cut. I thought maybe I could use those sixteen patches in the border, but them realized what I LOVED about the quilt was the braided border of Bonnie's pattern so I will eventually continue along and make that.

These are the 27 books I read in March.  Glad to have "War and Peace" off my TBR and enjoyed exploring many middle grades for middle grade March!

We got Hazel a little baby doll to celebrate being 18 months old!  She loves it.  She signs and talks really well now and can say her own name as well as all of ours.  She is the light of our lives!

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge color is pink this month so I whipped my blocks up yesterday for that.  Here is Log Cabin Love.

And here is Butterfly Bush. I accidently made two sets of four again instead of two sets of two as I did in yellow.  Oops!
                                         

My cousin's husband had a serious accident the end of March. He fell off a forklift and landed on his head.  He is forty something and is a great husband and father.  He has a long recovery after a seven hour surgery and hopefully will walk again one day.  He is hard working physical guy and I am praying for his full recovery.  Life turns on a dime.  

In other news, we gave our sixty day notice here and plan to move to Waukesha before summer.  We are going to look at a place today.  Smaller than here (oy!) and not as nice but only five ish minutes from Hazel and her parents which is our goal.  We hope to be able to save money up and buy again in a year or two in that area.  Still waiting for my DA hearing results--and much depends on that.  

                                                                                                

Ruby, Emerald and Amethyst Jubilee!

I managed to get my Ruby Jubilee part two clue done in the past week or two.  Moth in the Window above and Grandpa's Star below.

Spinning Stars.

Jack in the Box.

All the part two parts.

Stacked up clue one and clue two.

Bonus hst's.

Becky joined late and whipped up clue one followed rapidly by clue two. Love her purples!  

Even Barb beat me on completion (which she is still shocked about) with her Emerald green version.