Color on a Dreary Day

It’s always nice to get a splash of color during dreary winter days.  

Just for fun I put some of my pieced hexagons on the design wall, in no particular order.  They are bright!

This amaryllis opened the first of four buds yesterday.  I found bulb kit this fall at a big box store.  It was half the price I had seen them in the past, so I couldn't resist it.

My Christmas cactus is also blooming.  I brought this one home last year and it immediately dropped all its buds.  I was afraid I might never see it in bloom.

An Early Arrival

An online order arrived unexpectedly ahead of schedule Christmas Eve.  This is the box it came in.

  

...and here is what came in it (the ruler, not the dog).  Remarkably, this 15 inch rotary ruler protected by a little wadded up brown paper was totally undamaged! Maddie, of course, had to check it out. It was specifically called for in a project I will be doing, and was not a size I could find locally.  I thought it would be useful, so decided to get it.

I included it in an order so I could get the free shipping and thought it would be sent with everything else; but it came early.

Progress on Ugly Fabric Challenge and Stash Additions

As time permits, I've been working on my Ugly Fabric Challenge quilt.  All center blocks are done and on the design wall.  I've already changed the arrangement since taking this picture and will probably tweak it some more.  This has become my “sanity” project for the holiday season. 

Santa Claus arrived early for me.  Hubby suggested a spontaneous outing yesterday that included a stop at a quilt shop.  These came home with me.  They will be the borders and bridge fabrics for a workshop scrap quilt I will be making in February.  I also picked up some neutral fat quarters that may go in the quilt as well.

To all my readers I extend a heartfelt Merry Christmas wish.

More Pineapple Blocks

It doesn't take me long to make a mess when I’m working with 1 ½ inch strips of fabric.  

My collection of pineapple blocks using the ugly fabric from the Quilt Club Exchange has grown to 16.  I think I will aim for 25 to make a usable throw.

Stars Over Hawaii Is Bound, Labeled, Done

My Carol Doak designed quilt, the last from the September 2013 Hawaiian quilting cruise is finished.  At 49” square, it is not a large quilt.  However, it was fairly labor intensive to construct and was entirely paper pieced.  It is a design with lots of secondary patterns. 

Coincidentally, this is also my 100^th post this year, the first time I have ever blogged that often in one year.

Officer Term Draws to a Close

Our Quilt Club’s outgoing board members gathered for a last meeting and luncheon this week.  I confess I am ready to hand over the responsibilities to my successor, though it has been a very good experience to serve as an officer the last two years.  

It has been a special joy to serve with our outgoing president.  She took the job on very short notice when our president-elect was unexpectedly forced to relocate.  She served with humor, grace and courage, all the qualities you would hope to have in a presiding officer.  

Each of the outgoing board members was given a small quilt.  No two were alike.  This is the one I received.  She made it using the pattern from the Karen Stone workshop we had earlier this year.  I will treasure it.

One Comes Off the Quilter

I finished quilting the last project that was part of the quilting cruise I took in September 2013.  While trimming it, I spotted some areas that needed a little more quilting and had to take it back to the machine.  I'm calling it done now.  This quilt was designed by Carol Doak.  I hope to have it bound and labeled before year end.

A few more of our Winter Texans have arrived, though some of these have started staying here all year.

She's Back!

Somewhere in my collection of old cookbooks, I have one with the notation “Beware of friends bearing gifts.  They may make you fat!”  Our winter Texan quilter friend, “North Dakota Carol,” has rejoined us for Tuesday’s Sit ‘n Sew gatherings.  She gifted us with these cute containers of honey which had been harvested from bee hives on land owned by her family.  It’s so good to have her back with us.

I have made two blocks for my ugly fabric challenge.  I’m using Gyleen Fitzgerald’s pineapple block tool and find it really is an easy process and a great way to use up scraps.  Hopefully I will pick up speed and get the 16 made I need for this small top.

I have a plan, of sorts...

Our final quilt club meeting of the year is a pre-holiday party and usually includes some kind of quilty game.  This year we were told to bring one yard of ugly fabric.  The rules were that the fabrics would be passed around the table (we had 7 at our table) until we were told to stop.  Then we would tear the piece we were holding in half, keep half and pass the remaining piece for the next round.  By the time we finished, each of us had a mixture of fabrics ranging in size from half a yard to a small rectangle a little bigger than the palm of my hand.  We were then told to make something with it.

I have to say that some of the fabrics were okay but others, well, what were we thinking when we paid good money for them.  Happily, none of mine came home with me.  We are permitted to add other fabrics to the mix, but we must use at least some of everything we received.

So this….

Has become this….

We’ll see how it turns out.