15 Minute Challenge - June 28th

It's an especially nice Tuesday today.   My Guy and I are off work for the day.  We work what they call a 19/30 schedule.  If you work 8.5 hours a day on the roughly 19 working days per month, you can take the 20th day off.  You pick the date.  Other then running a car or two in for oil changes and tires, no plans.  So I'm hoping to sew most of the rest of the day.  My favorite type of day off.  

It's Tuesday, which means coming clean on how you managed your sewing time the last 7 days.  My week wasn't bad, I managed probably at least an hour in the sewing room for 6 of the last 7 days. 

I was just too tired to sew on Wednesday, which happens sometimes.  Most of this week has been spent on sewing the 4 borders for the Buck-a-Block quilt.  I should be able to finish that top today. 

Only 2 more days left in June.  On Friday the year will be half over (Why am I always shocked at how fast that happens? Are you?)   One of the reasons I started the 15 Minute Challenge was to help me meet some of my quilting goals, which I was getting way behind on back in March.  I'm actually in pretty good shape on most of my goals.   How are you doing on your goals for the year?  Is the 15 Minute Challenge helping or is it a drag on your creativity?   If you want to share your success (or rail about the evil stuff that keeps you from the sewing room), link up.  

1. Jill

2. 501quiltblocks

3. Marti

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Design Wall Monday - June 27th

It was a good weekend for laundry and sewing.  For the moment at least, I'm caught up on laundry.  I know it won't last, but you have to celebrate even the small, short lived victories in household management. 

Significant sewing happened too.  Three of the four planned borders for the Buck-a-Block quilt have been added. 

I'm happy with how this quilt is coming along. I had planned to use a print for the last border, but when I previewed that last night, it didn't work with the rest of the quilt.  So I'm going to use the blue in the last border.  I may be able to finish the top this week. 

That's it for my design "wall" update.  Check out other design walls over at Patchwork Times. 

Stash Report - June 26th

Wow it's the last weekend in June!  The year is just about half over.  I've been looking over my quilting goals the last week or so.  I'm not too far off target on most of those objectives.  The stash busting is probably ahead of target.  It's not going out fast, but it is going out.  

Used this week: 1.01 yards
Added this week:  0 yards

Used year to date:  28.07 yards
Added year to date:  16 yards

Net Used for 2011:  12.07 yards

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

Most of what went out went towards the borders on the Buck-A-Block quilt.  I'm hoping to get those all on this afternoon.  Then it will be time to piece the back.

How's your stash busting going?  Check out Patchwork Times for the latest and greatest on stash busting efforts. 

Foto Finish - Something Blue

I have peace and quiet this morning.  My Guy is off taking wildlife photos (I choose not to brave the ticks and other creepy crawlies).  Kiddo is upstairs asleep.  So I'm quite content sitting here with my first cup of coffee while I read a few blogs, and pick out a photo for this week's Foto Finish. 

This "something blue" continues my floral and Barb's June wedding theme from last week.  But these lovely blue hydrangea aren't mine, but live far away in Savannah, Georgia.  That was last year's summer vacation.  These lovelies lived in the beautiful park that was across the street from our hotel. 

Check out other "blues" by sliding your mouse over to Cat Patches. 

Favorite Things Firday - June 24th

It's not quite Friday here.  Just one more 8 and half hour day, then it will be the weekend.  It's been one of those work weeks.  My best laid plans were hijacked by multiple meetings that weren't on my calendar Monday morning.  Well, there is always next week right?

On to more gratifying topics, such as Favorite Things Friday.  Our hostess, Shay of Quilting in My Pyjamas, wrote about her new found appreciation of hand stitching this week.  Shay has some lovely hand work projects underway.  Looking at her work brought to mind my first forays into handwork, which my Grandmother called embroidery.   My Grandmother was not only an incredible seamstress, she did a lot of handwork at night while she and Grandpa watched TV.  

Her project of choice was quilt blocks.  When I was a kid, you could pick up preprinted quilt blocks to embroidery at the local Five and Dime store.  She taught me to stitch and gave me my first set of quilt blocks to work on.  Over the years I finished 3 sets of quilt blocks that she set together for me and hand quilted.  Of all the grand kids, I was the only one to follow in her footsteps there.  Grandma embroidered blocks and made quilts for all her kids and their kids.  But she never made one for me.  I can't complain, she did set together those 3 of mine.  Right before she went into the nursing home she was cleaning out the house and was looking for homes for a few of her quilts that she'd kept for herself.  I begged for one (her quilts were very popular gifts within the family).  She never realized that I didn't have one she made.  So I was lucky enough to get one of her last quilts. 

I love the setting she used for this quilt.  Since this quilt is hand quilted it doesn't get a lot of use, but I love having something Grandma did for herself because she liked it.  There was a second quilt that was in the box with this one.  Along with it was a hand written note asking me to keep this quilt in trust for Kiddo.  She didn't trust it to anyone else in the family because they were all  Republicans and might be tempted to burn it. 

My Grandmother was a staunch Democrat all of her life.  There was a running joke in the family about her love of donkeys (she had quite the collection).  In the note she said this was her "Democrat Quilt".  It's hard to see in this picture, but the border is red and blue stars on a white background. 

The donkeys are pretty cute.  This one is also hand quilted.  It's being stored until Kiddo is old enough to appreciate her family history.  

I feel very blessed to have shared a love of sewing with my Grandmother, to have been young enough and old enough to take the time to learn from her.  Grandma passed on to be with her Lord about 5 years ago.  I still miss her.  

That's it for my favorite things this week.  Thanks to Shay for reminding me of my "quilting roots".  Check out Quilting in My Pyjamas to see Shay's beautiful stitchery and other cool favorite things.