It's been crazy today!

I take a day of vacation and my desk was covered with paperwork this morning.  There were lots of emails that needed dealing with also.  I didn't get as much done this weekend as I wanted. My legs were hurting. Friday I was up and down a ladder painting the entry to my bedroom.  I paid for that!  I did finally get my R.E.M. wall hanging back up.  As you can see I need to install the baseboards too!

I did a bit of stitching and finished stitching this small.

The large font sampler is almost done. I was pretty proud of myself to get the over one letters in Mary's name and the date done.

My brother sent me a picture of the new arrival that I had made that baby quilt for. Now I need to get a label on it and get it mailed. I figured while I was at it I would make the label for the I Spy quilt too.

My sister sent me pictures of a cute little project. I need to make a couple of these too. She gives them as little gifts when someone needs their spirit lifted. She puts some candy in the jar. I already have the first initial almost stitched for several I want to make.

I did get some trim for around three doorways marked, but it was too cold be out in the garage cutting it. I was glad just to get them marked and the trim sorted out to make sure I had enough. It is all sitting in groups by the front door ready to be carried out to the garage for cutting.

Harley quilt progress, Harley quilt parade, banana bread, and sampler

I didn't have much to report yesterday, but I have made some progress on the Harley quilt top. More t-shirts are cut, interfaced, and pinned to the design wall.

I haven't decided how I am going to arrange the shirts yet. Yesterday I put all the previous Harley quilts in a folder just to see what I have done before and that maybe I would get some inspiration from looking at them. Would you like to see the eight previous quilts? Well, here they are! 2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

When I got home from work I headed straight to the kitchen and made two loaves of banana bread. I took most of it to work. 

I have been working on the large font sampler and only have three more of the large letters to stitch. I then have to finish the over one name and date at the bottom. Here is where I was the last time I post a few days ago, and where I am now.

I am taking a day of vacation tomorrow so I will catch up with you all on Monday. Have a great weekend!

Next project

There is always a next project isn't there? LOL!! Well, my next one is the Harley quilt for this year's fundraiser poker run. This will be the 14th poker run and the ninth quilt I have made for the event. I have no idea what the final quilt will look like; I will just cut the shirts, stick them on the design wall and see what happens. I got started last evening and here is what is on the design wall now

I still have some shirts that the lady that has the poker run gave last fall to cut up and interface

and I have this box of cut up shirts from previous years to pick from too

I took a walk around the yard and saw the Lenten Roses are getting bigger and the flowers are blooming. Maybe the temps into the teens Saturday, Sunday and Monday will slow them down, but they seem to like the cold.

I did stitch on this piece while I was at the doctor's office. When I got home from work I didn't have much left to finish so I stitched for about 10 minutes and now it is done.  I need to figure out how I am going to final finish it. Frame it? Make a flat fold? I will figure it out.

2nd finish for 2024

The I Spy quilt is finally done! It measures 55 1/2" x 69 1/2". I machine sewed the binding on since this quilt will get a lot of hard use.

I started another little sampler on Saturday. This one is going quick. I am stitching it from a photo of a sampler I saw somewhere. I am using 32 count natural linen with a dark gray Cosmo floss. Here is the picture I am working off of and where I am on the stitching. I didn't realize that the little letters in Mary's name are over one. Not my favorite so I am working on them a few at a time to make it less painful. The sampler measures about 7" x 7 1/4".

So glad it is Friday

I am looking forward to two days of not dealing with a stubborn architect who won't sign paperwork. It's a long story and I am just done with his antics. When I got home last night it was so beautiful outside. I decided I needed to do something, so I got the rake to clean up some of the dead grass from the ornamental grass that had blown everywhere.

I raked it down the hill

Now that looks better

While I was outside, I noticed that the neighbor had a contractor at her house adding a handrail. I went over to look at it and was talking to one of her grandkids about it. Yes, he was only 7, but I was killing time until the fellow came back outside after he was paid. The fellow did a really nice job! He had to attach the railing to brick and concrete. He used pressure treated lumber and even caulked the joints! I have never seen that done, but it is a great detail. Can you believe there has never been a railing on those steps?!

Well I talked to the fellow and he said he does decks, so I escorted him to my house to show him my problem. He is going to send me a quote. He is a small business and the guy pretty much told me his life story. Let's hope this fellow works out. He says he can do a lot of different things so if the deck works out I may have him look at another project. After he left, I walked around the yard to see what was going on. I have daffodils coming up in the flower bed that is in the center of my front yard.  It has been that warm. 

and the Lenten Roses are blooming! They always start to bloom in March, but with all this warm weather - it was almost 60 here yesterday - they are really coming up early!

The amaryllis had another bloom open. Here is where it was and where it is now. Holding up the bulb are two of my covered bricks I use as extra hands in the studio. I worked at a custom drapery shop decades ago, and we used bricks for all kinds of things like to help hold down the fabric as we cut and when we would mark out the the pleat spacing. I wraped a piece of batting around the brick and used scrap drapery fabric for the cover. I just whip stitched it on - nothing pretty, but I use these all the time for holding down batting, when I lay out backing, and the list goes on. They are like having a friend you don't have to entertain or feed!

The end of the workday can't come soon enough today. I know you shouldn't wish your life away, but I'm tired and just want to chill. My plans for weekend are to finish the I Spy quilt and work on some stuff around the house. Have a great weekend!

Still quilting, cross stitch progess and amaryllis

I am now 77% done with quilting the I Spy quilt! Getting close to being done! I need to figure out what fabric to use for the binding.

I worked on the Kathy Barrick cross stitch a bit yesterday. It is close to being done. I need to fill in the stripes in the basket/pot, fill in the bird's wing, add a needle, and add thread coming off the spools. It has been a pretty quick stitch. I have a doctor's appointment on Monday, so I think I will save the stripes to stitch while I wait.

The amaryllis is blooming like crazy now. Here is what it looked like Wednesday and what it looks like now.

The weather has been beautiful here. This is more like April than February. It got up to 55 degrees in NE Ohio and the sun was shining. Today and tomorrow partly cloudy with a high of 57 degrees.

Quilting progress, amaryllis flower, and fabric purchase

65% done with the quilting! Yeah! I ought to be putting on the binding this weekend!

Here is the first flower on the amaryllis. The flower is small compared to other ones I have had in the past. It is very pretty though. It looks like I will get another 4 or 5 flowers eventually.

I received my order from Hancock's of Paducah. I shop mostly the sales. That purple and black skull fabric was only $3.99 at yard! I bought 7 yards for backing one of the Harley quilts.