Still Here

Yep, I am still around despite the fact that my good intentions to be a better blogger seemed to have flown away as quickly as February.   

The weather has been so nice and that tends to take me outside more than staying inside and stitching.  It has been the calm before the storm as I hear we are in for another big series of storms starting tomorrow.  What is it that they say, "Make hay while the sun shines"???

I managed to finally get my Allietare quilt finished.  I put the binding on and them remembered that it was suppose to have a scalloped edge.  Dang!  I may eventually take the binding off and redo it with the scallops as I love the look of scallops on quilt edgings.  Of course, that means that I will need to redo the binding with a biased binding too. 

Before I do that I need to get Scrap Dance Waltz and En Provence quilted.

As those of you who have followed my blog for awhile, it is the time of the year for the grandchildren's school auction.  That means it is time to get my 18" doll uniform made.  Have I ever told you how much I love sewing doll clothing????  ;-)

See those perfectly matched plaids?  TOTAL accident, but don't you love it when that happens?

As I mentioned, we've had some really nice temperatures lately and my Temperature Quilt is "heating up" nicely. 

I'm part of a couple of bees/swaps this year.  The first is our Gridster Bee.  The block this month was a pineapple block for Sherri.  I really enjoyed this block and can see a pineapple quilt at some point in my future. 

Using the same design I made a little garden flag for Jeanna. 

The second bit of fun was a mug rug swap with a group of gals who have sewn together for several years.  This is the block that I made for my partner's request for a Halloween mug rug. 

Ida made me this darling Valentine's mug rug.  I really like the scrappiness of it.  I love swapping out my mug rugs throughout the year and keep a little quilted box of them on my table.

We went to our eldest son's for their Super Bowl party.  What a game!  Taco Man came again this year.  I am fascinated by how this is done.  It is thinly slicked meat skewered with pineapple.  It is then cooked from the back while rotating.  As it cooks, they continually slice off the cooked part into nice little shreds for the tacos.  Can I tell you that it is delicious?

Several of my orchids have started blooming with lots more to follow.  They must know spring is quickly approaching.

As well, the Christmas cactus is finishing up with its blooming.  They stay outside all year so their bloom depends on the weather each year.  This is a special plant as it is an offspring of one that belonged to my grandmother.  I have started so many new ones from the initial piece she gave me. 

I'll see if I can do a better job of blogging.  No promises!

Lighting

As I mentioned in my last post, my blogging buddy, Soma, is doing a monthly series on photography.  If you have ever viewed her photos you would know how much I love seeing her posts.  This month her challenge was about lighting.  I decided to give it a try with my sewing projects this week.

First off is my word for the Spelling Bee that I have joined this year.  I am the bee queen for March and the words I am going for are sewing related.  First off is my "scissors" photographed in a bright, but shady area.

The next one is the same shot, but taken in bright sunlight at about 2 p.m.  The colors are much truer in the second photo.

Next up are a couple of mug rugs that I made for some friends who joined me for some sewing yesterday.  Both of the photos were taken in the morning light - one in bright sunshine...

....and the other in the filtered light from a patio cover.  The colors in the second one are much truer, but the quilting shows up better in the bright light.

Lastly, it is that time of the year for the kid's school auction.  As I have done for many years, I made a school uniform.  This photo was taken in filtered light....

....and this one was taken inside with a flash.  The detail is much better with the flash as are the colors.

Of course, I am using a point and shoot camera.  I am sure that the results would be much better with a better camera.  Then again....I am so grateful to have a camera where the results can be seen immediately.  Does anyone else remember when we used to have to wait a week for our film to be developed?

I am thoroughly looking forward to the year ahead with all of Soma's great hints.

In other happenings this week... I made a batch of my favorite OATMEAL cookies for the Super Bowl party.  They would have been great had I remembered to put the oatmeal in them!!!  Talk about a big mess.  Trying to clean that cookie sheet was a nightmare.  Would one not think if you were making oatmeal cookies you would remember to add the oatmeal??  Sometimes I worry about myself.

January's Block Lotto block was Birds in the Air and guess who was one of the winners.  These are the blocks that have arrived so far and I cannot tell you how beautifully made these have been.  I think I am going to have to become a BLUE person.  This month the block is Snail's Trail with browns - a color more in my comfort zone.

We've been enjoying summer here for the last week and forecast for another 4-5 days.  Of course I am loving the temps in the upper 80s each day, but it would be so nice to get some of that El Nino rain that they promised us this year.  Now they are saying that they will come in March.  After being told they would be here in January, then February I am beginning to wonder.

A Sewing Weekend

I had a fun day of getting reacquainted with my sewing machine yesterday.  It was a perfect day!  I had the doors and windows opened in my sewing retreat and listened to the chattering birds outside. 
Sew….what did I accomplish?

I added more blocks to my Goodnight Irene scrappy sewalong.  I’m still trying to decide how big I will make it, but I am thinking maybe 9x7 blocks. 




It appears that this block is a popular choice for the RSC14.  This month the color is blue.  I had seen this block on Wanda’s blog.  She has an eye for color and design that cannot be topped and her blocks in this design are incredible.  Thus….the inspiration!  The block is very large (24x28) so I seriously doubt that I will be doing all 12 months of this challenge.



Those who follow my blog know that with spring also comes the grandchildren’s school auction.  Each year I make a school uniform that is auctioned off.
 



I received my pincushion swap from my swap partner, Leona.  I just LOVE what I received.  This is a pincushion that I have wanted to make F.O.R.E.V.E.R. and have never done it.  I absolutely love everything about it – the fabrics, the color, the weight and the design.  As well, Leona included all sorts of fun goodies with it.  What a great swap it was!



For some reason I am continually getting an error message when I try to open blogger so I am back to using Live Writer if this post seems very strange.  It just seems to be a problem on my desktop computer so who knows what goofy setting I have changed. 

Still Here

I am still here, but have just been too busy having fun to do a decent post.  More important, life is good and we are having fun.

Along with a little wallpapering at my mom's and painting at my daughter's, this is a recap of the last two weeks.

Celebrated a birthday.

Babysat for the pianist.

Entertained this charming houseguest and......

her brother.  Their parents came as well.

Spent time in the sewing studio working on.....

Our blue and yellow swap blocks this month (exchanged with Emily).

Completed block one of the Jelly Roll Quilt Along.

Finished the first two Barn Quilt blocks.

Worked on my Pinwheels for the Pinwheel Quilt Along.

Finished piecing my March Schnibbles.

Completed my Shamrock quilt that I was going to do last year.  I did this in the Carol and Amanda Get it Done Sewing Retreat yesterday.  Now I can use it as a table topper for St. Patrick's Day dinner this week.  This was a pattern that was offered here if anyone is interested in doing this quilt.

And............ 

Made another doll school uniform for the grandchildren's school auction last weekend.  This one brought in $500+.  Each year I am amazed at what these little uniforms will fetch at the auction.

The siggy blocks have also been arriving.  I so enjoy seeing where they are from and reading a little about everyone who is exchanging them with me. 

Sooooo........that has been why I have not posted and visited lately.  I will try to be better.  I hope everyone has a great week ahead.