Sorting my 1 1/2" squares from 10 years of swapping on the Postage Stamp group.

Sorting my 1 1/2" squares from 10 years of swapping on the Postage Stamp group. I admit it. I am a hoarder of major proportions. I save almost everything as I may have a need of it later. Dear Hubby has broken me of saving plastic containers. But when he wants one I remind him of his teachings. HA!

I watched 10 episodes of Season 1 of Boardwalk Empire as I sorted my hoard of scrappy postage stamp squares. The bottom container here is full to the brim. (But there are more that are color sorted. I will explain later.)

The top round basket has only neutrals. We need to swap some of these this next year too!!

 Closer view of the neutrals. I had somewhat sorted them a couple of years ago. That little plastic basket fits right into a gallon baggie keeping them clean and together.

My first sorting venture. They are all below this...forgot to take a photo. I am making 16 patch blocks of all close in value patches. This warms my OCD heart. And the sorting is a humbling experience. You need a really good light.

Here are the first blocks made before I started sorting all the color squares. I wanted to see what these little blocks looked like. Love the blocks and love making them.

I made 5 blocks before I decided to just sort all of the squares. I filled a wastebasket three times with plastic bags. I also came across some sets that were sewn together as we used to swap them when I first started. They were difficult to swap as the thread always broke creating a mess.

And here is a birthday quilt for my Granddaughter Arika. Birthday is in March.

XOXOXO Subee

Quilt for Great grandson Lucas

And I had two panels...so what did I do? I made two quilts!!!

And folks we have evidence that Lucky and Bess are more than just our pets. They must like each other too!!!

And on a sad note. I have resigned from all the swaps I have been hosting for the last few years. (5?)
I need to regroup and spend time on my house and stop buying fabric. I always felt as if I needed to play more than once in these swaps and money was spent. I have great fabrics here and need to use them up.
XOXOXO Subee

Feeling free

After coming home from the WONDERFUL Project Linus retreat I felt as if I had been reborn.

I started going through my fabric drawers pulling out all my Civil War fabrics.
I love them so!!! Then I lost my mojo. But I did put them all into a plastic container. They are no longer scattered through my stash.

The only Mojo I have is making Project Linus quilts. But I did whip out a Hello Kitty (Minkee backing) for GDD Caitlyn's January birthday.

I have quilted two more quilts for PL.

The panels were given to current PL members. I was gifted a panel just before the retreat. The Bunny quilt was finished and donated at the retreat. The Bear quilt was finished here.

I have been wanting this print for eons. I remember when it first came out. I bought 8 yards. I will save it for a special quilt.

I started this quilt at the retreat. It was a Mystery quilt which I love doing. I finished it here. Still need to quilt this one.

Wonderful snowstorm this weekend. It was so bad that Hubby had to drive me to the specialist this morning. A lovely lady doctor. I felt comfortable with her from the moment we met. I have never had a female doctor before.

XOXOXOXO Subee

A lovely Fall day

Our pine trees have grown so much that I had to go to the end of the driveway to take this picture. I prayed no one saw me as I was in my indoor clothes that one may call pajamas...
These colors on this tree just makes my heart sing.
I have an entire tote full of Fall fabrics. Trees, leaves,acorns,grasses are all in there. This is a problem for me as I want to make the perfect quilt from them but do not want to use them in error. Sigh.....

I used a link on Face Book and bought this pattern last night. I printed out the 13 pages...yes thirteen pages. I prefer to work off a chart not lines and lines and more lines of abbreviations. Anyway I started this last night and finished it this morning. I lost my place a few times. And since I need to make 35 of these motifs, I need to use stitch markers. But I am loving how it looks. The next motif will be much smoother. I am using Caron Simply Soft in Victorian Rose. This yarn is so soft and wonderful but it splits all the times. I have made 8 Corner to Corner afghans for Christmas presents using this yarn for the last few months.

XOXOOXXO Subee

October sewing...looks like I am really back now!

I have been at the sewing machine for three days in a row. Well actually one day was just cleaning the machine and changing the needle.
I started slow. I was not sure how I would feel. I have been denying myself the sewing because I was in mourning for my cat Macy's death. A death that I made the final decision on. A death that I had to carry out. A death that seems to have broken me a bit. But a death that could not be avoided. A death that was a mercy for her. A death that I had to assume the broken heart for myself to help her.
Enough...I am better. I am.

I got my little Leader & Ender container out and sewed all the 3 1/2" BowTie blocks together. This was all I had prepped. I have more cheddar 2" squares cut but no more calicos cut. I am guessing that this will be all it will be and will get it sewn together tomorrow. Then I look at the two extra blocks on point over there and my head is designing. Hummmm...maybe I will wait and look at them for awhile.

And before I sewed I moved all the furniture out, used my new Shark Rotator vacumm, washed the windows and the curtains and then put all the sewing furniture back but in Winter mode. I am facing the picture window again. I cannot do this during the Summer as the sun is way too strong and I have this issue with bright light in my eyes.

I won a gift basket through FaceBook. I had to go get a prize form notarized and was thinking maybe I had won a longarm machine. But no, a few days later a box arrived that was full of goodies! One of the goodies was a white box that had 6 spools of SO Fine threads. How did they know that is my favorite bobbin thread??? I even have the color charts and have the numbers checked off that I have purchased. A couple of the colors were ones that I have but hey!!! A gal can never have too much thread. Thanks so much APQS!!!!

And I also sewed on this monster of a green quilt. I used the free Sister's Choice from Bonnie Hunter's website. (www.quiltville.com)
There are no repeats of greens in all the blocks. I need to get the backing made and then off to the quilter lady with this one.

And there is Maggie Mae helping me. She LOVES those measuring tapes. I have to keep them in the drawer. She loves to bite them. She is scheduled for her Lion cut on Wednesday.

And here is the Lucky kitty helping me. The trick is to lay on anything Subee seems to be picking up. Could be the book. Could be the tray could be the blocks she is hiding.
XOXOXO Subee

Crochet Stitch-cation afghan completed.

All done. This is destined to belong to GD AnnaMarie.

http://thecrochetcrowd.com/stitch-cation/

The link below will take you to this Awesome site with FREE designs and tutorials. The above afghan is called Stitch-cation. It is a challenge to make two blocks each of ten (10) different stitches using at least eight (8) different colors. I have been crocheting for 55+ years and some of these stitches were new to me. The end result is wonderful if I do say so myself.
I can say that each square was a simply "okay" in my book. But after they were all joined the magic happened. Even my jaded hubby thought this project was unique and cool!

The magic happens this way in making small quilt blocks. The end result always is better than each little unit by itself.

And another challenge was getting the blocks to all be the same size. Different colors, even in the same line of yarn, (Red Heart) behave differently. Some I had to make smaller using a smaller hook. And when that did not work I had to reduce the # of stitches per row. I have only two (2) blocks that were not up to my standards. And they were the first two blocks I made. Practice...they may end up being a pillow.

http://thecrochetcrowd.com/

And here is my precious Lucky Lucy. She wanted to know what I was doing outside with that afghan. Well...even more what I was doing outside. I am an inside girl.
XOXOXOXO Subee

Crocheting up a storm

I sure miss sewing. I have not been able to lose myself in quilting since the loss of our Macy. Even Pearl is still calling for her. Macy left a mighty big hole.

 And I am a Happy Hooker as the cup says. I am happy with the 20 ounce mug. I bought two mugs. One for me and one for my friend Victoria.

Yarn all over the place. Many different projects. My head cannot seem to concentrate of sewing so I am crocheting.

This is a Face Book block challenge. I finally have all the 20 blocks made. It was a challenge getting the blocks all the same size. And working with different colors of the same brand of yarn makes a big difference in the finished size. I used Red Heart Super Saver yarn. I use this yarn mostly for slippers. It seems a bit coarse for an afghan.

Evidence that I have 2 of each block design. But my project sure lacks the "groove" of the ones I have seen done. Perhaps when I add the joining yarn and a few borders mine will be a keeper!!