2014 Last Finishes and New Project Plans

I don't know about you, but I have a ton of projects in the UFO (Un-Finished Object) stages.  Some of them are finished blocks that just need to be sashed or sewn together and then borders added (or not) and some of them just need one or two borders added to be a complete quilt top.  This year (2015) I am going to complete a few of those items (mainly because I need the plastic tubs they reside in for more fabric and projects).  Below is one of those items that just needed a few steps to be called complete.  I have blogged about this one before (picked up the jelly roll at the Lovington, New Mexico store on a shop hop a couple of years ago, tried to find yardage of this fabric - no luck, just need to finish blocks, add a border, etc.)  Well, now it is a finished QT (quilt top) and the next thing I will whine about is having to make a back for this thing and get it quilted, but not today. : )  I know this isn't the best picture, but I promise to get one made as soon as I return to school and can post it up on my white board.  I just don't have the space here at my house to do that.  Truthfully, I just needed to post a picture of the colors so my mother could see them.

 

 

 

 

While I have been on winter holiday, I have scrolled through some blogs and pinterest (just a bit) and found a couple of items I wanted to make.  The first of those was a trash bag for my car.  I read through the directions while I was writing them down and asked myself, why?  So, being me, I threw away what I had written down and did it my way.  Below is my prototype.  The fabric is from a pair of pants that had ripped, but I thought the fabric was interesting and would make cool grocery bags. So, I cut apart the pants and kept the usable bits.  Then I cut them up even more and made this bag.  Instead of having a separate lining and a timtex insert, I did a self lining and inserted the timtex in between (next time I will sew it in instead of trying to line up seams)  I have also included a handle with button holes that attach to a button sewn on the back (sorry no picture of that) The handle can go around the stick shift to hold the bag in place.  If anyone knows me, you know I have a problem with trash in my car (I have a lot of it) Maybe this will help me keep it corralled and make it easier to dispose of.  I can put a plastic trash sack inside this bag to keep it all in one place (and not all over the passenger floor like it is now)

 



 

 

 I need to try it out in my car - in a few days after all the ice has melted and it is safe to drive in town again.  (yesterday afternoon, according to the news, the police were working 20 wrecks that happened within a one hour period  AND by the 10 o'clock news, Midland police had worked over 100 wrecks!  That is how inexperienced and crazy people around here are on the ice and why I choose to stay at home!  I think most of these people think that if you just speed up, you can slide to where you want to go) I had a great time at the store yesterday morning (about 8:30 or 9 - before it iced over) meeting up with friends who were also stocking up on supplies and trying to get off the road before the crazies woke up.  I wouldn't have had to go if I had just remembered to get black eyed peas when I went a couple of days ago!  Oh, well, it was good to see my friends at the store. 

Now to go work on my word of the year.  Last year, you may recall, my word was

And even though I struggled with this at the beginning and ends of the year, I did get out and be more social.  (my friends may not think so, but I really did do a bit more stuff)  I will continue to try being more social this year, too, but I am adding another word to my list.  I will post it as soon as I have my quilted word done.  I think I will do pieced letters for this one.  (a new technique!)

Two New Tops

I am sitting here playing Candy Crush (don't hate me) and every time I begin this game (level 152) I forget that the sound of the boxes breaking sounds like my toe breaking and it makes me nauseous for the for a little while until I get used to that sound.  Speaking of which, how long should it take for a bone to heal?  It seems like it is taking forever for my toe to heal.  (it hasn't even been a month yet)  I don't think it took this long for my little toe to heal, but I have to remember that I shattered that toe back in the 70's and that every time I break it now, it is just the shattered pieces putting themselves back together in a hodge podge way to create some kind of stability in that toe.  I think I have broken that little toe about 6 times now.  The toe that it currently broken is the toe next to my big toe and it hurts!!  It has hurt since day one.  Sorry, didn't mean to start this out to make anyone else nauseous, too. 

What I did get on here to do was to post these two quilt tops.  I don't think I have posted them yet since I still had them on my camera and not in my computer files so here are the latest two tops I have completed.  A while back I asked for your opinion on which border you thought I should go with - the flowers or the plaid.  I only had one friend post and she said to go with the flowers.  That was the way I was leaning also so that is what I did.  This one I call Christmas Crosses and it was a lot of fun to put together.  I think I blogged about it here.  (hopefully I will go back through the blog and find the particular one in question and link it to the word here in the previous sentence.  Otherwise that sentence is useless)

 

 

This next one I have named Lovington Quilt.  This is from a $5.00 packet of fat quarters, some fabric from my stash and JoAnn's for the borders and here it is.  I think I blogged a bit about it here.  (see the part above about linking, etc.  Sorry if it doesn't get linked up, but it is 11:30 while I type this) 

 

 

 

Normally I like to start a new quilt this week or at the very least on New Year's day, but I am thinking that I really, really need to empty some tubs (so I can put new fabric in them) and get some of those blocks and partial blocks and projects finished up.  The last couple of days (okay - yes, it's been over a two day time period, but it has only been about 6 hours or so of actual working time) I have pulled one project out and finished up the blocks and they are now sewn into rows and then tomorrow I will put the rows together and try to find some fabric in my humongous stash to use for a border (or two or three).  This latest one was a jelly roll of very unusual fabrics that I picked up at Lovington two years ago on the first shop hop and there was no yardage at that store (I have checked several times in the last two years) and no yardage anywhere (at least not anywhere that I have found) that matches this fabric.  I can't remember the company, but I do remember it was one I had never heard about before.  I will hopefully be able to post pictures tomorrow.  We will see how I figure out to do that.  Or like before, you may have to wait until I go back to school and I can hang them on my white board like the two above.  

Stocking Swap Exchange

The plan was to go to the laundry mat today and finally wash those chef jackets and hats from school.  However, it's a rainy cold morning and I am not sure I want to get out into that mess.  Maybe a little bit later - or like this summer, not at all, LOL.  Yesterday, a few of us met up at McAllister's here in Odessa and exchanged our Stocking Swap goodies  There were only three of us participating thing year - which is good, more is better - but, the fun part was there were 4 others that came along just to eat, visit and see what all we made and got to take home. 

Even though it's raining, that sounded like ice hitting the window just now.  I don't think it is, considering we have been in the mid to upper sixties to lower 70's for about a week now, but wouldn't it be fun to have a bit (just a bit) of the white stuff for Christmas?  I know it won't stick or stay around unless we have some colder weather, but a girl can wish, can't she?  I only say this because I know I might not be getting out on Christmas day and therefore won't be driving in any of it. 

Back to my tale of Swapping.   We were there almost 3 hours visiting and swapping goodies and it was such a pleasure being "social" with my friends in another setting other than Bee.  Even though I love going to Bee Friends group, it was just another special time with just a few close friends.  Maybe the next time (if there is a next time - we will see at the end of 2015 if there are any interested parties for the 2016 year Swap.   I only host them in even years!) we will have more that want to participate and we have to "rent" out a room somewhere for a special party.  That would be sooo cool!!! 

Oh, yes, the swap. I know you are biting at the bit wanting to see pictures so, here are some of the stuff I made that was swapped.  First up is a pot holder.  This one I made a couple of years ago - I couldn't find one I had made more recently when I was wrapping the packages for the swap.  (more on that later).  This one is made with Christmas fabrics and is quilted as I stitched.  I was demo-ing for our group and made this one.  As you will see, Liz got my Swap goodies. 

 Next up is the mug and mug rug.  I got the mug at Tuesday Morning about a year ago and made this specifically for this swap.  I loved the little houses on the mug (changing stations at the beach) and decided to make a rug that matched or was a close match.  This one was fun to do.  I may have blogged about it back in January, but that was a long time ago, so here it is again.  The mug is a delicate cup and I suspect it will be used for hot tea and cider instead of coffee.

 

My journal cover was an "I am not wanting to do the current project, so let me just sew some stuff together" happenstance.  After sewing "stuff" together, I thought I could use that fabric to make my journal cover, so I did.  I really like the way this turned out.  I even had fun quilting it (large triangles that sometimes go all the way to the top and definitely cross over each other) That band of fabric goes all the way around the cover.  With this one you also give a nice pen and I gave her a sharpie pen that writes in turquoise ink.  This cover is made to go over the standard size college journal books that can be found almost anywhere so once she fills this one up, she can just take the book out and put in a new journal.  *note to self - make yourself a journal cover some day soon!!  

This is one of my favorite pillow covers of all time and I didn't even make it and I can't believe I gave it away!!  I love this one.  I acquired this cover one day when a bunch of goodies came into our group and it all needed to go to a nice home or get thrown out.  Of course, when I spotted this jewel, I knew it had to go home with me immediately!  I have never used it and have just admired and petted it for years, but when it came time to wrap up the gifts, the pillow cover I had originally made for this swap, just didn't want to leave my house and this one volunteered to go in it's place.  Thank you for the sacrifice and now I need to make me my very own bull's eye pillow cover.  (I think it secretly knew it would be going to Liz's home since she was part of the bull's eye party that helped me make my own bull's eye quilt)

 



The placemats, there are 4 of them, came about because I had this fat quarter stack of fabrics and thought that they would make lovely placemats.  They all have insulbright inside so you can place a hot plate on them if you need to.  Each one of them is unique since I didn't have a pattern, but just cut  up squares and rectangle willy nilly and sewed them together quilting as I went.  Some sections got added in chunks, but for the most part it is a flip, sew and quilt.  The binding is all sewn down by hand.  



Okay, I gave in and purchased a travel sewing kit.  I know, it's bad to give in to peer pressure all the time, but in this case, I am glad I did.  I found this lovely kit at The Sewing Cottage in Andrews and in each one of our boxes/bags we all got a store purchased travel kit.  It's not what I had originally planned for this swap, but it works.  I made a prototype of a sewing kit, but haven't put it to the test quite yet.  I will show it in a future posting and then discuss the pros and cons of it.  This sewing kit has a good size pair of scissors inside and Liz loved the clear plastic case so she could easily see what this zippered pouch contained.  (also in this picture are the placemats and pot holder)

 

 

I had picked up two needlepoint stockings at an estate sale that I was going to include in this swap, but since I knew the three people swapping were all single ladies, giving two stockings (even though they could give them to someone else) seemed like one too much and I think these should stay together.  So, I went to my box of made goodies and pulled a stocking I made a couple of years ago.  This one is made from leftover fabrics from a quilt I recently got back from the quilter.  (I probably should have kept this, also)  It's a good size stocking and fairly light weight since the only part that has any batting is the cuff.  (it is lined so when you stick your goodies inside it doesn't mess up your seams and come unstitched.  A bright colorful stocking to hang on your mantle.  

 

 

Last, but not least, of the pictures I took and didn't delete off my phone, are the pillow cases.  I loved this fabric when I was making these, but didn't have a place/person in mind and they have been sitting in my quilt room for a couple of years.  Here again, when it came time to wrap pillow cases, these jumped up and volunteered to go and they are perfect for Liz.  

 

Along with these items, Liz also received a book, some nuts and candy, a pin cushion and pins, an ornament and a bag.  I had some pictures of a few of these on my phone, but deleted them because I thought I had better pictures previously posted on my blog, but I apparently do not.  Oh, well.  Maybe next time I will think sooner to get my phone out and take pictures of everyone's goodies.  Sometime this week I will post pictures of what I received (it's all still in the box).  

 

I think I am ready to post this.  I hope that it hasn't messed up with bits inside other bits of writing.  It has been randomly moving things around and deleting other items while I am typing (one of the pitfalls of typing on a laptop)   It deleted entire sections at one point and if it hadn't saved it on it's own, you wouldn't have anything to read at all.  Merry Christmas to everyone!







Jingled!

I got Jingled!!  What is that?  At our school we like to change things up a bit and try new practices.  This years Christmas practice, instead of drawing names and giving several small and one large gift to a single person, we have been divided into two groups (we have a very small campus inside a larger campus.  We have a red group and a green group of about 6 or so people) and one person gives a gift to anyone on the - let's say green - list.  Then you put a jingle elf outside your door letting everyone know you have received a jingle gift and you have 24 hours to jingle someone else on the list.  The trick is to figure out who hasn't been jingled - the reason for the jingle elves.  No one is to know who jingles who (or is it whom? I always get this wrong).  The good thing is I have the entire weekend to gather together the gift I wish to give.  Plus make 4 dozen cookies for a cookie exchange on Monday, plus get together my finals for my classes, plus finish sewing that one last item on my stocking swap that I still haven't figured out what I want to do, plus . . . the umpteen million other things I need to do this weekend.  Thank goodness this jingle thing is the easiest.  Okay, what did I get?  I know you have all been chomping at the bit to see so . . .

 

 

It's an apple shaped canister that was filled with these marvelous Lindor truffles - they taste like coconut cream inside - they are to die for!!  I have never had them before.  AND Ferero Rocher.  I will confess I have already had two pieces this morning - okay two of each!  AND a wonderful Candlewishes soy candle in Creme Brulee.  I wish I had my candle warmer here so I could smell up my classroom.  (we can't light candles at school)  Speaking of which, it's time for me to start school today.  

Food Truck

Last night I messed up my dates and ended up going to a local business, Home Made Wines, waiting on the others to show and of course, they didn't.  I was a week early!!  Have you ever done that before?  It is so embarrassing sitting at a table, having the waitstaff look at you.  Having the other patrons watching what this single person is doing.  She is not having a drink.  She is just sitting ther uncomfortably reading the wine menu, looking around the place.  However, the good side of this is that I discovered a food truck here in Odessa, Texas.  The name of the food truck is "Roosters" and they serve a Korean fusion style of food. 

Fusion meaning that they have a Korean style taco (Mexican food), Lettuce Wraps (Chinese food) and Pizza (Italian food).  I ordered the soft corn tacos with the beef and was blown away.  It was so delicious!  The sauce on the beef was sweet and tangy and full of flavor, but the touch of cilantro put it over the top!!  Apparently they are there almost every evening.  There being - in the Harrigan's parking lot over by the 7-11 and that new bar.  I encourage everyone to stop by there soon and take this delicious food to your family.  I can't wait to go back and get those tacos again or maybe try out that pizza.