April UFO is a flimsy

I had shuffled my UFO numbers this month, so that I could be working on a UFO that needed very little done to it. I had originally planned on putting a last border on this out of the dark purple. But after the last yellow border went on, this quilt told me, in no uncertain terms, that it considered itself finished. All it wants is to be quilted, and bound with the dark purple, to go with the narrow dark purple in the quilt. Who am I to argue with what a quilt wants? So, April's UFO is finished, into a flimsy, at least. When it will actually get quilted is anybody's guess at this point. But, at least it is done up to this point. One more to scratch off the list. Woohoo! I wonder what number will come up tomorrow? I think I'll work on whatever gets pulled this time around, even if it doesn't get completely finished.

Bear Tracks progress

In the last couple of days, I've gone from thinking about starting a new quilt, to doing it, and enjoying every minute of it. I think this has to be one of my favourite blocks. It is so graphic, and has such a strong contrast to it, depending on the fabrics used for it. I have to make 4 more of these blocks, and then 28 more separate paws that end up in the final border. The I can move on to the nine patch blocks. Unfortunately, I can't do any more on it today, since I have to work this afternoon.  I'm starting a new job on May 6th. It's at the same hospital, but it is a regular part time position, rather than the casual part time that I've done for at least the past 10 years. I really liked the casual. It had a large degree of flexibility to it, since I was able to pick and choose the shifts I worked, and take time off when I wanted to, simply by saying I wasn't available. However, with the closing of one of the veterans units, the available shifts for the casual nurses has really dried up, to the point where it has lost all it's flexibility, since there aren't a lot of shifts to pick from. That's why I've been working almost exclusively weekends for at least the past year, since that is all that has been available. With this new position, I'll have a semi-regular schedule, and actually be able to work it so that I'm off at the same time as my husband. With a new baby coming into the family very soon, that is an important consideration, since we'll want to be spending as much time as possible visiting with him, and getting to know him. We've booked some vacation at the end of May, and booked a campsite at a park less than 10 minutes away from their house, so that should be fun. I hope it warms up by then, but if it doesn't, it's a hydro site, so we'll be taking electric space heaters. Should be fun. However, I'd best go get ready for work.

When what I need, is the last thing I need....

 I said yesterday that I was going to exercise some self discipline, and get that customer quilt loaded and start quilting it. Well, I actually did, and it is done. Woohoo for me! I really needed to get this quilt done by the end of the month. I used on of my favourite pantographs on it, called "Wild at Heart". I love the curves and dimension this particular design gives to quilts. I've pulled another of the quilts for customers I need to finish out of its storage place, and currently have it hanging up, waiting for some ideas. There are some coming, so I'm accomplishing something. I think, though, I'm going to give myself permission to play for the rest of the day, and maybe do a few more bear tracks. I know the last thing I need right now, is to start another project, but sometimes what I need is the last thing I need, if that makes any sense at all.

Design Wall Monday Week 17

I still don't have much up on my wall. But I can show you "My Tweets" block #3. Block #4 come out on April 15, and I have some of it prepped, and glue basted down, but not enough to show yet. I was hoping to get more of it done while we were up in Collingwood, but I spent the spare time that I had reading, instead. Like all of my other projects, I'm behind in this one as well. I reall want to start a new quilt. I've had the pattern for a while, and I love it It's called "Bear Tracks" and there is a picture of the pattern here I've pulled all the fabrics I'd like to use for it, and even cut out and did enough half square triangles last night to do 4 of the paw blocks. Here is a pic, although not a very good one, of the fabrics I've pulled.

But, I have 3 customer quilts that need quilting, and I really have to use some self discipline and get them done before that baby up in Collingwood decides to make his appearance. I promised one of them by the end of the month, which is only 5 days away. I'm going to have to ration my viewing of the design walls, over at Patchwork Times as well,or I'll never get anything done today. I'd like to get that quilt at least loaded onto the machine today. And as long as I sit here, nothing is going to get done, so I'd best be off and doing.

Stash report Week 17

I haven't done a stash report in 4 or 5 weeks now. Too busy getting ready for the baby shower, finishing up the little guy's quilts and diapers. The rest of the snaps for the diapers came on Thursday in the mail, so I can get back to work on those and get them finished as well. His arrival date was supposed to be around May 22nd, but I suspect that he's going to be here a lot earlier than that. At his 32 week ultrasound, he was already clocking in at approximately 6 pounds. So, I sure hope for Laurie's sake, that the doctor's arrange for him to arrive in the next week or 2, or that will be one really big baby with a really big ouch factor to him. LOL! She has a special set of ultrasounds booked for tomorrow, so we should know more then.

We came up to Collingwood this weekend to give a little bit of assistance to getting ready. Scott helped Noel paint the room that will be his nursery, and Laurie and I went through all the clothes and towels and blankets that are here. We finished sorting them according to size, and got all the new stuff she received at the shower washed and folded and into their proper storage boxes. It's a good thing she doesn't have a lot of newborn sized clothes, since I don't think he'd fit them for too long. Anyway, this is supposed to be a stash report post, so, to the numbers.

Used since week 12:            7.1 yards
Used year to date:              56.2 yards
Added since week 12:         4 yards
Added year to date:           95.5 yards
Balance                             +39.3 yards

To see how others are doing managing their stashes, check out Judy's Patchwork Times

Design Wall Monday April 18

I don't actually have anything on my wall today. But I do have pictures of the quilts that were delivered at the baby shower on Saturday. We had a great time at the shower. There were 26 family and friends there to celebrate with Laurie. Laurie's mom and grandmother did up sandwiches and punch and the usual shower games. Becca and I did up some chocolate candies and the cake, which turned out wonderfully, considering neither Becca, nor I had ever worked with fondant and cake decorating before.


 She received so many wonderful gifts. There was so much love for that baby in the room. And, of course, I have a couple of pictures of the quilts. They are doing a tropical decorating idea for his room, reflecting back to their wedding in Hawaii. So I did up a wall hanging for them. The fish and palm tree patterns came from Fat Cat Patterns One of the things that they saw when they were in Hawaii were a lot of kite surfers, and they asked if there was a way to pit one of them into the quilt. I found a public domain picture, and turned it into a silhouette of the person, and a colourful parachute.


And then there is a picture of Laurie and Becca holding up one of the other quilts. She looks like that baby could come any day now, even though her due date is over a month away. Something tells me he isn't gong to wait that long. So very, very exciting!!!!

                                                                                       

Design Wall Monday April 11

I'm starting to suffer from quilting withdrawal, so I pulled out my #4 for the UFO challenge and stuck it up on the wall to look at.  This is Freeze Frame, a quilt from Patchwork Times, but the last time I went looking for the measurements to finish the last 2 borders, it was no longer on the website. I think the next border will be a gold, the same as in the centre of the quilt. I hope I have enough of it. And then there will be another narrow border out of purple. I haven't checked my stash to check whether I have enough of that, either. If I had been organized at the time of making this, (like that's ever going to happen, LOL), I would have stored them in the same place as this quilt. Oh well, if I don't have it, I can always substitute something else. I've run out of snaps for the diapers I've been working on, and have to wait for more to be delivered, so I guess I can move on to something else. Lets see, what other fun grandson things can I get done before the shower on saturday???? I have a few secrets, and am having fun keeping Laurie in suspense. To see other design walls, go on over to Patchwork Times There is lots to see, and lots of inspiration to find.

More diapers

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 Wow, it's been almost 2 weeks since I posted anything. I've been busy with secret baby projects, as well as diapers. There are now 2 dozen of the cloth diapers done, and 4 of the pocket diapers, which are quite labour intensive. I was going to make then all the same, but I've discovered that the ones like the product pictured here, aren't wide enough to cover the cloth diapers. So I'll make the pocket diapers, and the covers differently. The first job was to put in all those snaps. I bought a snap press, and it's a great thing, except that I don't have the upper body strength to use it properly, so my poor husband got recruited.  I told him that it was his contribution to all the sewing and the shower gifts. LOL

 The next step was to create a cut in the lining of the diaper to allow for the insert. It got sewn to the wrong side of the fabric, cut in between the lines of stitching, turned to the wrong side, and stitched in place so that it won't flip back out during use

Then the lining got stitched to the right side of the water proof fabric, and elastic added to the back and the legs. Turn it right sides out, and top stitch the whole thing. The snaps are what make it so adjustable for size. They go across the waist for adjusting there, as well as down the rise of the diaper so that it can be shortened and lengthened as the            

 baby grows. The baby shower is a 

 week from today, and I was hoping

 to have them done by then, which

 won't happen, if I continue to sit

here in front of the TV, playing on 

 the computer. I'll have lots of 

pictures of lots of stuff after

               the shower is over