PATCHWORK PARTY

I wanted to share with you the 4 blocks that I finished over the weekend for the fall Patchwork Party blocks. There is a total of 12 blocks and then I am going to make 8 alternate blocks with 2 borders.

I am really loving how these blocks are turning out. Don't you just loves these fabrics. I do. Love the blacks and reds in this line. I just have to square them up but I will do that once I have all the blocks done. I guess it is time for me to take my Xmas table cloth off but I think if it didn't have the Santas on it it would be so appropriate for what our weather has been like since the weekend. I need to do some birthday shopping for my hubby this weekend so hopefully I can find a Valentine/spring table cloth. Hubby's BD is on February 6th and then have to turn around and get him something for VD. It is so hard trying to think of something to get him so close together.

Hubby is having his gall bladder removed next Wednesday. I am hoping this goes smoothly since this is his second stomach area surgery since November. I am so hoping that his fixes his problems that he has been having.

Tonight I am working on my challenge quilt. I am going to start to put that border on. I know, you are saying it's about time and I so agree. I off to measure it right now.

Hope you all have a good evening and if you are in a place where the weather has been cold, keep warm.

Hugs~~

CHALLENGE WEEK #7

Well I have one more week to get my borders on. I am under pressure now. LOL. Have you checked with Perry, Nicole and Lisa, they sure did make a lot of progress this week and are catching up with me. The pressure is on now. I must get my qult finished this week.

It was so cold here over the weekend and I started to straighten my sewing table. Can you believe it. Yes I did. You wouldn't believe the things that I started to uncover. One of the projects was the winter Patchwork Party blocks. Well since Spring is right around the corner and will probably bring a new Patchwork Party I decided I better finish the 2 I have. I only have the borders to put on the spring one and now I am working on the winter one. I must say, I love the fabrics chosen for the fall/winter party. Has anyone else participated in these. I must say I am addicted and am looking forward to the ones that will be offerd in 2008. IStay turned. I will post pictures of the blocks I finished over the weekend tomorrow.

The weather here has been dreadful. It has been so cold. This morning when I went to work it was 6 degrees. Yes that was 6 degrees above zero. Yes you heard it right, even though the court house was closed my firm was still open. I hated it. I should have been home keeping warm and sewing. Temperatures are supposed to remain the same tomorrow but now they are saying it is supposed to start snowing tomorrow afternoon. Great, just want I wanted to hear.

Well until tomorrow, keep warm.

Hugs~~

RECESSION AND THE FAT QUARTER SHOP

All I have been hearing on the news lately is how we are heading into a recession and in some ways I really think we are. Here in NE PA we really haven't had much of the crisis that the rest of the country has been having with these mortgages but when I went to the grocery store and starting receiving the gas and electric bills I have started to notice it. The week before I bought a gallon of 2% milk and it was $2.58. This Sunday when I went shopping for my mom at Walmart I paid $4.58 for a gallon for 2% milk. I almost had a heart attack. My grocery bill has almost doubled and it is very preplexing to me. Where do we cut expenses at because our salaries haven't increased to coincide with the cost of living.

One of the things that I might have to cut back on is fabric shopping and that really breaks my heart. One of my favorite places to shop is The Fat Quarter Shop. I have received 3 packages this week from Kimberly and 2 of them are BOM's.

The one thing I love about shopping there is the customer service and the other thing is the way they package all the fabrics before shipping. Usually, my backing fabrics are separate from the fabrics I am going to use for the inside of my quilt. I just love that because then I can just pack the backing away somewhere until I piece my quilt. For that reason, I give Kimberly and her staff a 2 thumbs up.

I have only done one mysteryquilt from Glad Creations andI liked how they packaged the original fabrics also along with the initial instructions. It was all nice and tidy and I will definitely do another mystery quilt from them. They gave plenty of fabric so in case you might have made a cutting error you would have had enough. I am doing some other BOM's from another quilt shop and I am not so happy with them right now. They never give you enough fabric at all so if you don't do the BOM as soon as it comes in your running around to try to find the fabric.

Do any of you have a favorite quilt shop and if so, what are your reasons I would love to hear about them.

Haven't heard from any of the gals that are participating in the Road to California. Hope they are having a good time.

The weather here has been terrible today. It snowed all day, then turned to rain. Then it is supposed to get colder tonight and turn to snow again. I didn't want to go to work but just stay home.

Well off to get something done.

Hugs

CHALLENGE WEEK #6

As you know, this is Challenge Week #6 and I have nothing to report. I only have one border to get on and I am so hoping to get that done this week. You probaby have already checked with Nicole, Lisa and Perry and saw that they have had more progress than I did.

On another note, Nicole challenged us to show pictures of our sewing room table so here are pictures of mine. I am really ashamed to show them and now you know why I can't find anything. See Nicole and Lisa, I told you it was bad. Do I win a prize for disorganization? LOL.

Just forget about 15 items, I might just have about 15 unfinished projects on this table. I am slowly working my way through these BOM and just when I thought I had finished with these churn dash blocks this weekend, I found that I have to make 12 more. URGH. This will have to wait until after I put my borders on my challenge quilt.

Also received today in the mail my first package of the week from The Fat Quarter Shop. I will probably be getting 2 packages this week. I sure love getting packages from Kimberly just for the packaging she does. This is the first block of the BOM called "Butterfly Kisses". I ordered the backing too so I would already have that. Isn't it pretty. Can't wait to start on this one. I am not going to fall behind on this one.

Well need to get off and run the sweeper and throw some more laundry in. Have some potatoes in the oven for dinner and have to figure out what else I am going to make. I think my camera needs new batteries. It keeps on going dead everytime I turn it on. I thought I had put new ones in but these must have been older batteries too. Then it will be off to the sewing room.

Talk to everyone soon.

WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING ALL WEEK

Well in some ways I can't believe it is Friday but in other ways, I am so relieved even though I have to work for about 4 hours tomorrow. I am doing quite a few BOM's and my goal before I start anything new is to get caught up. So I have been working on one of the BOM from Homestead Hearth.

I know, I know the picture is blurry but you get the jest of what I have been doing this week. I was starting to breathe a sigh of relief that I was caught up on this one and low and behold I got a package yesterday to make another 14 of these darn things. To me this is really boring and hasn't challenged me at all this week so I think I will hurry up and try to get the remaining 14 of these done. I orderd that Precision ruler that Nicole talked about on her blog yesterday. I thought it was a pretty interesting little ruler and hope it helps me square these little blocks up correctly. So this weekend I will be making the remaining 14 and then I hope to start back on my mystery quilt from Glad Creations. I really want to see how this one is going to turn out.

I have a question and I hope I can someone can answer it for me. I love to respond to everyone who leaves me a comment on my blog but sometimes that is not possible especially if I don't have their e-mail address or they don't have a blog of their own that let's me go on and get their e-mail address. When you hit the reply button it says something like "non blogger". Does anyone have any suggestions on that? I just feel bad if I don't answer everyone.

Friday night's my hubby and I usually watch tv together but he has come down with a really bad cold and I hope this means I can sew tonight. The flu and colds have really been running rampant here and I truly don't want to get sick.

Hope everyone has a good weekend. Check out Perry's blog this weekend. She is going to have some exciting photos to show you of some gorgeous quilts.

Hugs, Cindy

CHALLENGE WEEK #5

Well nothing to report to me for this week. With trying to get caught up last week before I went back to work and then going back to work, ran out of time. So-------therefore, I didn't get anything else done but I plan to have the border on by next Monday and then I will be finished. Does that mean I made the deadline. Oh yeah, I do. that is a good way to start out the new year. Don't forget though to check with Perry, Lisa and Nicole to see their progress. I know that have been working diligently this week.

I have been working on catching up with all my BOM's and I am not going to start anything new except to keep on working on them. I am making a deadline for myself and will post a picture on Friday of what I have gotten done this week. Don't forget, I only really have 2 hours a day to sew.

The diet, I mean reformed eating habits are going well. I am taking so much more time in grocery shopping and figuring out what I am eating but I guess that is what needs to be done. I am increasing my protein when I am still hungry and increasing my vegetables. I can have all the vegetables I want can't I????

DREARY WEATHER

Well this week was my first week back at work after the New Year and I was slammed like usual. So many deadlines and so little time. One of my friends at work makes jewelry and we had walked to Barnes and Noble on Friday at lunch. She was looking jewelry magazines and came across this bracelet.

Isn't it cute. Of course I had to have it so I ordered a kit for her to make it for me. I figured it just wouldn't be for Valentine's Day I could wear it with other things also. Not much is new here at all. Did a little sewing today but not much. I am working on getting caught up on my BOM's and will start working on my challenge quilt again some time next week.

The diet went well this week so far. I have been really concentrating on my portions and what I am sticking in my mouth. It seems like I am starving all the time though. I don't think I have been eating enough protein so I am going to adjust some things next week. Tomorrow I will start working on cleaning the basement to make room so there will be room when we go buy the treadmill. I am hoping to be able to make a trip to Sears by next week sometime. I don't think I am going to have a lot of spare time to start exercising next week but it is supposed to be nicer and I think I wmight just take a little walk once I get home and before I start eating dinner.

Well have a great Sunday gals. Will check in later.