Showing posts with label scrappy stars quilt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scrappy stars quilt. Show all posts

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Scrappy Stars Renamed...Center Finished

Lo, and behold...a mostly finished quilt top! This pattern is called "Scrappy Stars", but I had to rename it considering that I have lots of scrappy star quilts already. I think Zigzag Stars will be the new name for this. It still needs a thin inner and wide outer border to be complete, but this is a great start! It measures 68" square now. The original pattern only had 3 rows of blocks, but bigger is better here at the ole homestead. If you want to see past posts about this, search for "scrappy stars".

Just got some great news. My family will be "house sitting" for one of my husband's cousins for a week in July. They have a large in-ground pool (that's a big plus for us), and we can use their house for housing. It would cost a fortune for our family to pay for temporary housing for a week (hotel, condo, cabin--you name it!). So this is a huge blessing for us. We will be close to my WH's family, so we will be visiting with them as well.

~Joan

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Order of The Day

The order of the day? First I walk uphill (this hill is Mt. Everest in my mind...it's not far into my walking route). It's not that big of a grade. For a woman like me who is physically phphphphphittttttt (read that "fit"), this is a mountain. I am so glad to say that even though this is only the 3rd day in a row that I've gotten up early and walked, it was a little easier than the past two days, which were agonizing torture. That was one my excuses in the past..."I can't exercise...it's too hard." Hopefully it will get easier as I shed some pounds and get used to the routine. Then at the end, I join my lovely walking partner of the AM (in this case, Rachel), and gently stroll down to our house, only to repeat the circle one more time.

If you look closely, you will see "for sale" signs in 3 of the yards, one on the left and two on the right. Signs of our times for sure. I thank God daily for food and raiment (that's KJV). A house is just a bonus, but I surely am grateful for that, too.

I did my best not to exceed the speed limit!
And last, but certainly not LEAST, is my Bible-reading time. I read while I'm cooling down from the walk before I shower and wash my hair. I'm reading in Deuteronomy. Those children of Israel just didn't get it, but God made it very clear...follow His way and be blessed, or go your own way and be cursed. It was as plain as the nose on your face. But I am the same way. I do something that is not "just right" and think it won't matter. Then I cry and lament when I have troubles. Could some of those troubles be brought on by my own wrongdoings? Preachin' to the choir here. Hmmm...definitely food for thought.
I can hardly believe that I've gotten up early (that might be the most shocking of all), walked (also shocking) and read my Bible first thing in the AM for 3 days in the road. This is not of my own strength. Any glory for this should go to God. I am not a naturally disciplined person.

We've been trying to involve our children in more family activities. Left to themselves, they'd be watching movies (albeit, approved-by-us movies) and playing computer games on Friday nights. When I saw the 100-degree-reading thermometer yesterday, I had a brainstorm (you probably thought that was heat lightning!). Susanna made our homemade pizza for Friday night as usual. I suggested we eat in the basement. Our former kitchen table (bless its sad little existence) is now in my sewing room. I called while I was still out doing errands and had a couple of the boys clear off the table and put the 3 leaves in, once again making it a table that can seat ten. We gathered up chairs and ate down there. It felt 15 degrees cooler than upstairs. Then the fun really began...

We all played Bible Pictionary. Ever drawn an ambush? or a leek? or Gideon? It was fun (at least *I* thought so).

I had to stay up until 10 to pick up my son when he finished work. That was a challenge since we've been getting up at 5:30. So I sewed a few units of my Scrappy Stars quilt together to occupy my time. Only a few units as I was drawn into a Dutch Blitz card game in the meantime.

Today I hope to clean up my sewing area. Too many odd units floating around down there. I want to find a jumper pattern that my oldests daughter wants to use this coming week. It just might be buried under a pile of scraps.

~Joan

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

The Big ONE OH OH Give-Away

give
My 100th post, and I don't know what to say! I'll just report on my everyday life as usual, with a surprise at the end.

Above is DD3 and Houdini, her parakeet. I'm not giving either one of them away!! Houdini is the one with the bright blue feathers. Aren't they cute together? Houdini kept tickling DD3 as she walked around on her shoulders, making DD giggle...such a fun sound. Wish you could hear it!



And here is my accomplishment for this AM and last night. Half of the center of a Scrappy Stars quilt top. I added a block to each row to make it larger (if you've been reading along as I write, you know I need to make larger quilts these days). Can't have anyone complaining about cold feet or shoulders.

This section measures 68" x 34". I like the zigzag coming down like a streak of lightning between the rows. As much as I love scrappy quilts, I like to control it a bit. In these blocks, I've used the same cream background for a block (although each block has a different cream). I've also used the same print for all 8 triangles in the star. Again, each block is a different print.

I am going to go upstairs and hand quilt a while and visit with the children up there.

In honor of my 100th post, I am conducting a give-away. If you want to be included, leave me a comment (and make sure I have your email address to reply to you) before Friday. On Friday night (9 PM EST) I will draw a name and post the winner. I haven't completely decided the prize yet, but you can be sure it will be quilt-y. Probably a bunch of FQs and a pattern. But that remains to be seen. If you comment and want to be included in the drawing, be sure to say so. I'll be keeping a basket next to my computer for names as they are entered. If you just comment and don't mention the give-away, I'll assume you don't want to participate. You don't have to have your own blog to participate, but I do need your email address.

Blogging has been so fun. I know there are always bad things no matter where you go. I have read a blog here or there where the mood is dark and the language is in the gutter. Of course I have since avoided those folks. But I have enjoyed making new acquaintances and making friends of former acquaintances here!

I enjoy reading many of your blogs. It's like peeking over your shoulder while you sew. Thanks for the inspiration and encouragement.

~Joan

Monday, February 4, 2008

99th Post :)


Welcome to my 99th post. And I thought I'd never keep on with blogging. Some of you are wondering when I'll stop!

Above is a block I pieced this AM. It will be a whole quilt some day. I am cleaning up my cutting table. It has so much of this and that on it that I can't find anything. I am cutting down my scraps into usable sized pieces. This block is 17-1/2" square. That's right. After working on the Carolina Crossroads, everything over 1-1/2" wide seems big, but this is humongous!!

Off to do a little grocery shopping. I'll come back later for post #100.

~Joan