UFO Finished; some yarn stash BUSTED!!!

Well, here it is Sunday and I have the thrill of showing pictures of a finished project and the ability to report that I busted quite a few skeins of baby yarn that had previously lived in my basement!! Yippee!!!


I've provided 3 pictures in graduated close-up so that you might get a better look at the design ---- if you so desire.


This is a gift for a friend's daughter's first born. The baby (sorry I forgot his name) is now 3 months old. . . and as the weather has definitely decided to become winter-like he probably won't get any use of it until the spring. At least he will still be able to enjoy it & it is very light and airy -- perfect for a spring-time stroll.

I also busted some FABRIC stash with a Christmas gift. . . but that is a SECRET so I don't want to put a picture up quite yet. . . .but in a month I will be able to. It's just good to know that I have now gotten more OUT of the house than I brought IN.

Oh, BTW, I have been perfect for 24 days on my Fabric Diet. . . no purchases since November 1st. That is another great Yippee!!! since I have actually been on-line and in quilt shops during this time.

Have a wonderful day!

Sherry

WIP Wednesday. . . . a day late

I am in a couple of Secret Santa swaps. . . both on-line & off-line. . .this is the start of one of the projects. . . but I'm not saying whether it is being mailed or handed in. . . you're all just gonna have to wait!!! lol














My sister was married either 6 or 7 years ago as of May 2008. At the time of her bridal shower I told her that I would make a quilt for her as a wedding gift. . . here is one of the blocks. As she & her husband have a king sized bed I have to make about 135 more of these blocks. . . . guess I better get going.

These are hand pieced because I have a hard time with curves on the sewing machine.















This was the original plan (well, a portion of it) for the Fall Four Seasons Quilt Swap project. I wasn't really happy with it since I goofed up & did not cut the pieces correctly (the pieced diamond sections were to all have radiated out from the center solid block). I really like the fabrics though so I am going to finish this to use as a doll quilt.














I hope you all have a wonderful HAPPY THANKSGIVING. . . .and just remember, it's not the turkeys fault that you get so tired (yeah, that "T" word thing that was all the rage last year doesn't count this year!!!) Don't you just love "the experts" that don't know it all???? he he he he he

In peace & pieces,

Sherry

I'm gonna start Busting some Stash!!!

I read Judy L's blog (Sunshine Quilts) quite regularly. . . and have decided that her "call to arms" regarding stash reduction has really hit home.

As I may have mentioned, I am still relatively newly wed (we just celebrated our 2nd anniversary). . . and the house we live in was the house that I bought 10 years ago.

When I was living by myself the fact that I had 1/2 of the basement full of fabric, thread, yarn, hooks, needles, pins, patterns, books (both reading & project) did not concern me.

When I started dating my husband it was necessary to start "tidying up" a bit more (meaning that I wasn't leaving WIPS and WHIMMS all over the house so that I could pick up whatever project called to me at any one point in time).

After the wedding it came time to move his stuff into the house. . . and I knew that we were going to have a problem.

He has not only his possessions, but those from several deceased aunts & uncles that he just cannot bear to part with (including 6 big plastic tote boxes full of rocks, stones, quartz, etc. --- these, at least, are sitting on the patios outside)!!!

After reading Judy's entry about her stash I decided that I was not going to keep asking him to put his stuff away. . . . I was going to take "the bull by the horns" so to speak and tell him that I fully expect to have our home "company ready" (for upstairs) and "quilting studio" (ready for the basement) in 3 months.

He has agreed, in theory, to do this. . . . time will tell how much of his stuff ends up getting stored in the travel trailer while he is deciding what to do with it.

My main reason (besides the usual--- the house looks terrible) is that my sister will be celebrating her 6th (or is it 7th) wedding anniversary in May 2008. . . and I still have not finished the DWR variation quilt that was to be her wedding gift.

I have more kits & partial projects going than I care to mention. . . and that will be my first battle. . . .well, that & not running to Joann's with a coupon to buy yet another pair of fabric scissors since I can't find the 12 pair that I have in the house!!!

I look forward to being able to post weekly progress reports. . . .and willingly accept any "finger wagging" from my fellow challenge members that I may deserve.

But right now I have to get to the bank before they close. . . .gee, maybe I'll be brave enough to show pictures of the "dump site" also known as my basement in its current state????

In peace & pieces,

Sherry

Tales from the Vacation

As I had mentioned previously my husband & I went on vacation for the first full week of November. We travelled to Hancock, MA. . . . which is very close to the New York State border & somewhat close to the Vermont state border. And close to nothing else!!! he he he he

With gas prices the way they are it was disconcerting to have to drive at least a half hour in any direction to get to anything.

Yes, I am spoiled & I will freely admit it! We are lucky enough to live within walking distance of several small shopping areas and within a 10 minute drive to several major shopping malls and at least 4 major food stores.

We were out in the "boonies".

Ok, we were at a ski resort. . . .too early for ski season (which neither of us know how to do anyway!), and too late for tourist season (which meant many things were closed for the winter).

We decided to go to Great Barrington for some antiquing. . . . oh boy, talk about sticker shock!!! There was one shop that had a place setting of china (for 6 mind you) for $22,000.00!!! We decided that we were in the wrong town.

After deciding that we better find cheaper shops we got into the middle of a hail storm. . . that ended up with at least 1/2" of slushy stuff on the ground. . . and lousy driving conditions! All of this while going UP the mountain!!

At that point I was ready to turn around & come right back home!

Unfortunately that was not an option. . . . so I figured that I better get used to being up in the mountains for 5 more days.

The rest of the vacation was ok. . . .my husband seems to have had a much better time than I did. . . I would have rather stayed home & gotten either some more painting done or been able to work on my quilting or crocheting (yes, I did take projects to work on. . . but did not get much done) --- hours of riding in a car just seem to drain all my energy.

BUT, I did become a Moose hunter in Vermont!!!

Here are pictures to prove it:






It seems that several years ago there was a "Moose Walk" in Vermont. . . I have not had a chance to Google it to find out what it was all about, but I'm guessing it was a charity fund raising type thing (I believe that New York had a similar thing but with cows a while back also).

Any way, there was a moose that got away (too much traffic every time we went through town to stop) so I am not a Great Moose Hunter, just a plain ole moose hunter!

On a craft work note, I am almost done with the circular baby afghan that I have been working on for my GF's first grandbaby (a boy). . and as the child is now 3 months old I need to get my fingers moving a bit faster!

Until my next post. . . . keep stitching!

Sherry

BTW, I noticed from Margaret's blog that there are only a limited number of spaces for the Winter 2008 Four Seasons Quilt Swap. If you haven't joined yet you better get going!!

Four Seasons Quilt Swap. . .Winter sign ups have started!!

Oh boy, I go on vacation for a week & I come back to see that the sign ups for the Winter Four Seasons Quilt Swap have already started!! Wooo Hooo

I answered several urgent messages & then had to make sure I got my email off to Margaret (just click on the Four Seasons button on my side bar) so that I would be part of this great swap. Have YOU signed up yet???

I tried to copy the info from Margaret's blog but my computer is acting up. . . so, please, check out the Four Seasons Quilt Swap blog & see if this might be a swap you would like to take part in.

Have lots to tell about our trip. . . but that will have to wait until later in the week. . . this computer is just too finicky tonight!

Have a wonderful evening,

Sherry

Here are some Halloween pics!

My nephew was Buzz Lightyear for Halloween. . . and my mother, as had her mother in the past, had to get into the action of being scary to her grandchild.

The "monster" is my mother. . . . she posed with my sister (Ty's mom) for a group shot. And since Ty was a little scared (and wanted to know what the monster did with Mom Mom) so my mother decided on a photo op of attacking my DH.

















I can't figure out how to rotate the pictures so I apologize in advance for making you turn your head to the side!

Have a ton of stuff to finish before we leave tomorrow morning so I better get off the computer.

Have a wonderful day,

Sherry

On the Road Again!!

Gee, it seems that lately most of my postings have been telling you that I am not going to be posting! LOL

DH & I (and Mr. Wiggles) are heading out early Sunday morning for a week's visit to Hancock, Massachusetts. We will be staying at a time share property at a ski resort & will not have computer access (since we do not own a laptop) unless we can get to a library with internet access.

I plan on taking several crochet projects that have been lingering in my UFO pile for much too long. . . .one is the circular baby afghan that I have shown pictures of previously -- once it is finished I will post another. Then I have a scrap yarn afghan (the Jacob's Ladder one that I have also posted previously) and a couple of doilies that are in half finished status.

It would be nice if I could find some hand piecing to bring with me. . . but I think I may just bring the rail fence baby quilt that I got from our quilt guilds Free table and just never got to finishing the quilting on --- it is more than 1/2 way done & there are several babies coming soon that it could be gifted to.

Other than that I hope to be able to find lots of flea markets, antique shops, "old time" country shops and the like to nose around in . . . and I will try to take pictures to pass on.

I have pictures of my nephew from Halloween but haven't uploaded them yet. . . will try to get to that before we leave on Sunday.

Stay warm!

Sherry