Quilt History Class Block--Christmas Star

I finished this Christmas star block on Tuesday night and blogger was having issues so I couldn't post. First time that has happened to me! Last night I worked and then got a migraine (had been waiting to appear all day) and in the middle of the night it peaked. So I took my imitrex and called in sick to work so I am home today and finally feeling better. I just hope it lasts because sometimes when the imitrex wears off it comes back...I can't complain too much because they are so much better than they used to be, but I hate each migraine just the same!
So back to the block...this was a tough block for a few reasons. The one section in there had five pieces and was complicated for me to figure out. The directions the group gave me included mainly a picture and so I had to find the block in the same size online and print those directions which were very helpful http://www.quilterscache.com/C/ChristmasStarBlock.html this is not the site, but this is the same block although in opposite colors. The one I used had different mauve colors and that also confused me! I didn't cut enough of one color, had to use a different fabric, etc. It was confusing but I think I am growing better at figuring out these kind of blocks and so that is good. I also love the way the block looks though not real sure what I will do with it. I was thinking I should maybe put it in a small wallhanging with the words "patchwork heritage" and "Obama 2009" on it. Our new President used those words in his inauguration speech and it just spoke to me somehow! I don't know when I will find the time to do it, but I will type it here so maybe one day it will come to fruition! Otherwise I am not sure what I will do with this block and the one I did last month since now the quilt history group is moving on to the 1900's and a whole different look.

A Little Progress on Double Delight

So far the weekend has been busy and I have not sewn a whole lot. I managed to get 36 blocks done on clue three (the pink and white nine patches) but that is it! I went with Randy and saw "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" last night. It was interesting, gave us some to talk about but was strange too. I don't really recommend it I guess. One thing that was amazing was the make up to age and unage them. It was INCREDIBLE! Other than that....

Also hit some thrift stores yesterday and got some amazing half price deals on bags of fabric. I figured I would pick some of it up to add to my scrap bins now that I am doing more scrappy quilts. Very cheap way to stock up. I even found two large pieces of Coca-Cola fabric which I thought could be used for backings or made into fat quarters for sewing bee prizes.

My sister has invited me over to her best friend Karen's house for Cardinal football party with the girls. I am all packed and ready to head out over there and most likely will spend the night too. So no sewing happening this afternoon.

Go Cardinals!

My Week, Back to Freelancing and Long Weekend Goals!

First off wanted to show you all the cool fabric and needle card I got as a sewing bee prize this week. Always fun to get something like this in the mail! Thanks Sharon!

Last Sunday we had Kathy's sister, brother in law, nephew and his gf over and played this mystery game. It was okay and I turned out to be the murderer! Can you believe that? Some of these mysteries are really fun. So far our favorite is "Bullets and BBQ" it was nice though to just relax all afternoon with company. We made hot beefs and some of us drank more than others. I won't name names...smile.

Last night Kathy, Randy and I went and saw Fiddler on the Roof. My second time I have seen this play and it was good and fun! So tired today though because I was a little later to bed than usual. My favorite scene was the dream scene where hubby makes up a dream to get his wife to agree to breaking off the oldest daughter's engagement. It was done really well and I could tell they had worked hard on that scene. It was opening night, so I am sure this play will get even better in the next two weeks.

I also went to one of the local colleges and got myself another job. I will be interpreting two nights a week this semester (4 to 10 pm) since I have bills to pay and want to be able to afford more fabric! Good thing I am used to working alot. I am excited to get back to interpreting, this is the longest break I have had since I started doing it (6 months!) and I have good skills and don't want them going anywhere. The other exciting thing is that I will get to work with a team...one team person is Sara who works with me at the high school (she interprets for my Deaf TA so she is often in my room 7th hour and is SO NICE!) and another is Hannah who is another ASL teacher in our district. Out of everyone I have met she is the friendliest and I think it will be fun to work with her in person. We have been sharing lesson plan stuff through email and now and then this will give us a chance to talk about what we are up to in the classroom too! So I am as excited as I can be. Economy here sucks right now, the three of us are each working two jobs! How insane is that? I can't imagine the days when hubby worked and the wife stayed home and there was money to go around. Way a thing of the past. My first check from freelancing I am treating myself to a trip to the quilt shop! Bills after that, smile.

Now on to the goals for this weekend....I am still stalled out on step three of the Double Delight mystery. I am going to get going on step three and start putting these blocks together. With any luck I will get at least half of them together this weekend..maybe more since my machine is back from getting the timing fixed (thanks, John) and I am off work on Monday for Martin Luther King day. I need to put together my quilt history block too since we meet soon. I also hope to get some scraps cut into strips and into the bin...I try to do that now and again and I need to do some more. Will be nice to get back to my "Change of Heart" audiobook too.

I am enjoying reading other people's blogs and especially seeing Bonnie's DD progress on other blogs. You people are SO talented! Smile!

Pay it Forward 2009, My First Join!

2009!
Amy at http://skattebo-skattebo.blogspot.com/2008/12/pay-it-forward-2009.html asked me to join the "Pay It Forward" fun with her so if any of you would like to join me, leave a comment to join. I am to find three more people to play.

This is how it works--The "Pay It Forward" rules
Three people will be chosen to participate when they leave a comment on this post asking to join. (The first three are chosen).
You are agreeing to post a similar announcement on your blog, and Pay It Forward to three more people, who will in turn agree to Pay It Forward to three other people, etc.
You will create a hand-made item for your three people sometime over the next 12 months.

THAT's IT! Here's how it'll work...Amy will send one hand-made item to the three people who have signed up with her (me and two others) I will send one hand-made item to the three people who sign up with the challenge via my blog; then the three people who sign up with me will send hand-made items to each of the three people who sign up with them. And so on....

This is the first challenge like this I have ever tried and I have no idea what I am going to make, but I have almost a year to get to it so I think I can manage that!

Comment away if you want to join--first three are in! (Amy, bettter late than never, smile!)

Bet You Can't Guess What I am up to....

Did them in sets of ten for a long while, then decided to just go to town so that I could trim them in front of a movie. By the time these get trimmed there won't be many more to go...I ran out of brown triangles, apparently Kathy and I can't count accurately! So exciting to finally be getting clue two accomplished! I have a feeling clue three will go much faster (and lots of strips are already cut and some together!)

A is for Adaminaby, Quilting Done

I quilted little cross stitches on here tonight. I worked on it a few other days and it was taking too long tying and cutting threads for every x. I finally decided the back looked like heck anyway, it is going on a wall and it is for me so I just ran the thread all over in the back so it finally got done! I won't show you the back, but I need to work on my technique! I don't care, I love the front! I need to put binding on it so I can handsew it in front of the next movie we watch.
Tomorrow everyone here but me is working, so hopefully I will be sewing on DD, clue 2!

Double Delight Clue One is Done, Clue Two is in Progress!

I was determined to finish up clue one tonight after reading all the blogs and posts of people's progress on Bonnie at Quiltville's Double Delight so I set to work! I got all done and realized that when I recounted I forgot to include the four up on the wall already so that is partly why I was short! I had a few wonky ones to fix and that was the other part of why I was short. So I now have an extra four blocks for part one...we will see if they are all there at the end though! I decided to quick whip up ten of clue two so I could feel progress...so I now have 10 pinned together, four on the wall and two that need trimming so I am at least started--read that 104 to go! I really do enjoy sewing them though so many at once is nuts! Kathy cut a few strips I had already sewed for part three so I may do a few of those here and there between sets of ten. Someone on our group mentioned that doing them in sets of ten (sewing then trimming and pinning) really helps with the wrist fatigue and such and so I thought I would try this set that way and change it up a bit. Smile. You know I was thinking that one day quilt historians will be able to date this quilt by saying there was this Bonnie at Quiltville Craze and many people all over the world made pattern x in year x. Seriously I wonder if there is any other quilt group this large and this spread out that makes the same quilt at roughly the same time as Bonnie Hunter's group? That seems like a story for a magazine to me! Mark Lipinski are you reading? LOL...just seems like one heck of a phenomenon...We have almost 3000 members now on the list and I am sure hundreds are sewing on this quilt. You can even go to http://www.zazzle.com/forestjane/gifts?cg=196611343877289267 to see the AWESOMIST quilt block replica of Double Delight and other Quiltville quilt blocks that Jane put together for us along with the new button on my sidebar...I put a few of the items on my Valentine's Day list..one is greater than the next. I loved Orange Crush, but I am thinking I might love this one more! Which is really a good thing because we gave away both Orange Crush quilts and I seriously mourned the loss of the second one (which has never happened to me before!) so I know I am keeping this Double Delight!

And I played around today trying to make some Andy Warhol prints of me for a challenge I am doing on the lgbtquilters list. Couldn't resist trying it out on Orange Crush too!

Kathy put both her NYE Mystery Quilt tops together (two crib sized) the other night too. She did a great job matching up all those seams! The back of these ones will have circus ticket fabric on it!

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