15 Minute Challenge - May 31st

Wow, how did it get to be the end of May?   It seems the busier the month, the faster it goes (maybe not at the speed of light, but it sure seems fast).   

It's Tuesday, time to report on how well I stuck to my challenge to spend at least 15 minutes a day working on quilt projects.  I can't say that the last week has been a dismal failure, but I definitely struggled a few days. 



TX BOM = BAB BOM = Buck-A-Block BOM

 Three days last week I struggled with getting much of anything done.  Part of it was the weather.  It was a stormy week here in Oklahoma, which is not conducive to sewing or computer time due to the risk of lightening strikes.  The other part was just needing a break I think.   One night I read a book, one night Kiddo had a thing, and I have no memory of what I did the third night (no wine was involved, I've just slept since then). 

But 4 out of 7 days isn't bad.  I started the 15 minute challenge to help me take the time to sew.  I like sewing, it's a great source of stress reduction and gratification.  But it's not my job and I don't want it to become a job.  For all the quilting goals and tracking spreadsheets (I'm an Excel geek), it's really about doing something that engages me on another level.  Sitting at my sewing machine with beautiful fabrics and seeing something come together on the design wall energizes me.  It's that feeling that I'm going for. The excitement of seeing how all the pieces fit together, the challenge of solving the assembly problems to make the vision work, the feeling of accomplishment that all that activity brings.  It's not about finishing quilts, though that is a nice side benefit.  

I'm not usually so philosophical.  Quilting in My Pyjamas posted some interesting  meditations on crafty mojo yesterday and that got me to thinking about why I want to spend 15 minutes every day at my sewing machine.  Check out Shay's Monday post.  Lots of food for thought. 

Why do spend time in your sewing room?  Why did you challenge yourself to spend 15 minutes a day sewing?  There is no wrong answer.  Share your thoughts in your blog and link up below.  

Design Wall Monday - May 30th

Happy Memorial Day.  Today my family is remembering my father-in-law who served in WWII and one of his brothers who was a prisoner of war during the Korean war.  If it wasn't for their sacrifices and those of all who've served this country, we might not enjoy the freedom of speech that allows us to express ourselves regularly in our blogs.  So thank you to all who have served and the home front families that share those sacrifices. 

It's also design wall Monday and I actually have some progress to show on the Buck-a-Block quilt. 

The setting blocks and part of the sashing are done.  I'm hoping to finish the setting triangles today and maybe get a start on the rest of the sashing. 

With all the piecing for the Buck-a-Block, progress was also made on the leaders and enders project, the purple and yellow scrap quilt.

Row 7 is finished.  This quilt just needs 2 more rows of blocks before it's ready for assembly.  Rows 1 through 3 are stashed in one of my project boxes. Rows 4 and 5 will have to join them so I have room to put up the last 2 rows on the design wall.  I'm looking foward to laying out the whole quilt to see how it looks. 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Click over to Judy's Patchwork Times for more design walls. 

Stash Repot - May 29th

Happy Memorial Day weekend to all, hope it's been relaxing and fun.  We are using this as a "fix stuff around the house weekend".  I did get in some sewing time yesterday, which is a good thing or I'd have nothing to put in the stash report.  The storms earlier this week kept me out of the sewing room, too much lightening to feel like it was safe to turn on the machine.  So how did  I do?

Used this week:  1.06
Added this week:  0 yards

Used year to date:  23.8
Added year to date:  16 yards

Net used for 2011:  7.8

Fabric Budget:  13 yards for April to June
Bought/Budget:  9/13 yards

So my stash busting is going, just really slowly.  I had hoped to get more done on the Buck-A-Block quilt, but that just didn't happen this week. 

So how did your stash busting go this week?  Check out Patchwork Times for more stash busting tales.  

Foto Finish - My Mother's Garden

Before I get to Foto Finish this week, I wanted to thank all of you for the prayers and best wishes sent yesterday for my brother.  My Mom reported yesterday that he's pretty much back to his normal growling bear self. All indications are that he'll be released from the hospital this morning.  The doctors expect him to have a 100% recovery pretty quickly.  So it's all good news on that front. 

This week's Foto Finish is acutally supposed to be "My Garden".  Well, being the black thumb that I am, I don't even attempt a garden.  So I pulled an image from my Mom's garden. 

I'm not sure what kind of flower this is, but Mom has an abundance of them every year.   Her back yard is full of color and I love to sit out on the back porch in the summer and just take it all in.  

If you want to see more garden grandeur, click on over to Cat Patches.  

Favorite Things Friday - May 27th

There are weeks where I really feel like the name of my blog fits, this has really been a week of living life-in-pieces, really good pieces, really stressful pieces, and really scary pieces.   Last night the really scary piece brought home to me just how favorite certain things in life are. 

This week my favorite thing is my baby brother.

This isn't the greatest shot of him and it's about 3 years old, but it's all I had in my vast collection of photographs.  Well, he's in our wedding pictures, but he looks like Lurch (from the Adams Family).  He towers over everybody.   He and I used to get to stay up late and watch Creature Feature (monster movies) when he was little.  He was too scared to watch them by himself, so I'd have to sit with him.  Just how many Godzilla movies are there?  

When he was 3 years old he started carrying around one of my Dad's motorcycle magazines because it had an add for this little Indain motorcycle that was just his size.  Dad finally brought one home.  He learned to ride that little motorcycle before he learned to ride a bicycle.  He still rides motocycles, every chance he gets.

He's got a wicked sense of humor, he'll have us all rolling when he gets going (not that it takes much with my family).   I'm amazed Mom didn't kill him somewhere along the way.  He'd make all kinds of faces when she was getting on to him about something (to be honest, he still does that).   It was hard not to laugh.  Now that I'm a parent, I understand that strategy, as I'm sure he did. 

We almost lost him yesterday.  He's fine, resting in the hospital.  I'm a bit shaken, sounds like more then he is, which would be typical. 

For those in the US, happy Memorial weekend.  Enjoy the time with your family and friends, appreciate every moment. 

To check out more favorite things, click over to Quilting in my Pyjamas.