Christmas Quilt-a-long Year 2 Session 1 Check In

Just dropping off a quick note to say I finished the BOMs for this Month of the Christmas Quilt-a-long.  This month said to make two so I cut double of everything and they went just like clock work.  Here's a bit of trivia for you - these are 9" blocks and I've never made 9" blocks before.  12" yes, 18" yes, 24" yes, 3" would you believe yes.  I've even done 6" blocks but these are my first 9" and I've been quilting for 3 years this Spring.

First thing I did when I pulled out my fabrics was check and see that fern fabric is a print and it's the only non-flannel in the block.  Can you see the little blue speckles on it?  I have a great baby blue flannel that matches just right planned for the borders.

In case you're wondering those are little puppy dogs peaking out, of my flannels that I plan to use I have puppy dogs, monkeys, kitty cats, and frogs all printed with pink of course. Should make for quite the quilt!

Cats Together and my 4 year old with a SNAKE?

Do your pets cozy up to each other?  Mine don't.  I've been trying to take a photo of Sunny and Tiny together for MONTHS for the Cat blocks I still have from that block challenge.  It's my intention to capture the photograph and then have it custom printed on fabric to be the centerpoint of that quilt. 

So today the first oppertunity presented itself.  Here's what I get.  My first thought is that I could use the Magic Wand in Photoshop to loop the two cats and slide them together, but that sort of looses something and misses the point.  I do have photos of them together, Tiny was a wee kitten then, and one year old Sunny adored on her. 

Yesterday afternoon the Spring was in the air.  Okay not really.  What really happened is that my knee was bothering me and I've found soaking up a bit of sunshine somehow really helps ease the ache, so Jessica and I went outside.  As I was out there anyway I went ahead and did a bit of transplanting.  Right away I found a little snake under one of my potted plants.  Rob of course comes right up and picks it up.  The surprising part was that Jessica held the snake too.  In fact I spent over an hour trying to tell her to let it go, but nope, she kept holding it.  Poor little thing must have slithered as far as it could away from our property in hopes of never being caught again!

A Plan and Everything for the Plan

Happy February! Most everyone I know is happy to shake the dirt of Jan. and leave it behind them eagerly looking forward to a new month still bright with the possibilities. As for me I am looking forward to have a little spending money in my pocket, perhaps to buy a little fabric with, but for now I have some eye candy to share with all of you.
This is the current layout plan for the apple quilt. It will involve a bit of seam ripping, but I think the black on the diagonals will suit it just fine. That leaves me with four squares of apple fabric and four squares of embroidered apples. And a deficit of 8 blocks for the completion of this quilt. I'm not sure how it will work out. I'm hoping it will come to me as I purchase a bit more black and sew together a bit more of the layout. I have also added another block to my sampler. This was a nice looking block from a BOM so of course I couldn't help but go ahead with the pattern. Aside from planning a Dresden plate and or a Grandmother's fan, I will also be sewing a circle block into this Spring Sampler of mine. So be on the look out for those.
A couple of copyright issues have arisen on the Quilting Board, so I will be posting my personal creation, the April BOM (block of the month) right here first. Yes, that's correct a previously unpublished Elizabeth Rogers original will appear right here for my follow bloggers to see. Look for that sometime later this month.

I have also begun to process a concept for my Charity Quilt 2009. This one is destined for a suffering young child, as I have heard quilt lore that if an ill person sleeps under a quilt. The quilt having been made of love will heal the sleeper. This is to be a large Carpenters Wheel in Shades of Purple. I look forward to working on it.

Now before I depart I would like to offer my congrats to my Row Robin ladies. I have had confirmation from all but one that their rows were sent out by our Jan. 31st deadline. Kudos to all of you. As we embark on the second row look within yourself for the answers that lie within.

CatchUp

I have been so immersed, that I have been neglectful. Well let me catch you up. I altered some old curtains to fit my bedroom window (and most of the other windows in the house, just in case). I took before and after photos. That has been part of my mending mission. Hey reuse! They had been floor to ceiling, but I cut them down, as a bonus I even have a bit of denim leftover for some future project. Yesterday afternoon I FINALLY got to the mixer cover for my mixer that I've been wanting to make so long ago. I made one for Jessica back then and ever since mine has been on the to do list. Well I took it off last week, I was sick of seeing it, that was just the right push to get it done. The fabric is easy clean indoor outdoor so it's a real witch to sew on, I broke more needles than I'd care to admit, but I think it turned out nice, complete with pockets. One is just right to hold my small cookbooks and another is perfect to hold the box tops that I collect for my brother's school. There is another small one, I don't know what I will use it for, but something will come to me. A new Block of the Month came out for the 15th of Jan. This one is Hole in the Barn Door, I'm happy to make anything that looks nice for the Spring Sampler 2009.

Focus?

Apparently a little whining was just the thing I needed to do yesterday. I didn't go to bed until around midnight, but I slept okay. Dreams, but none that I can remember thankfully. I've made beautiful progress on my scarf for Soldier's Angels. It is currently 43" inches long minus the tassels. I'm on my second to last ball which has gotten noticeably smaller so the home stretch is coming up. So sorry you can't see the original green and the tassels very well on the navy, perhaps if you click on it you'll be able to see it better, either way I will be certain
I feel at ease enough that I did a bi-block of the month for Jan. 1st, it is called Flower Bud Block, not to be confused with the Rose Bud Block that I used in the Butterfly Bouquet Quilt. Note for the Rose Bud I did make my a bit differently (I used the Eleanor Burns method from her Quilt in a Day Egg Money Quilts Sampler show, which can be found in her book but costs money). This block was used with some of the colors I have picked out for my 2009 Sampler, so it will be set aside for doing that.

As well as starting the BOM I have also signed up with my quilting board to create one pattern for the BOM myself, how exciting is that? I'm planning on a Crossed Pinwheel. I could not find a pattern to feature, but I did find a cross stitch version that I will be creating the quilt pattern for. Pictures and everything folks so be on the look out for it. My date is April 15, but if someone can't do theirs mine could move up.
Nearly the entire time I have been writing you I have been watching my cat. It's Tiny our Alpha being crazy this time. She was talking up and down the back of the couch and showing off her beautifully long and lean body. DH found some CD's in the shed of all places and she's been trying to smell them. I've tried and tried to take a photo but alas, this one was the best. :( Silly Kitty.