Goals, Weather worries

My craziness has subsided a bit, and I'm home again for a while. I have some WIPs that I really want to get finished... so I have a couple of goals.

First, I'd like to finish up the top for my two-color quilt. I finally finished those blocks this weekend, but I'll wait to lay them out and post another picture until I have more whites finished (the ones that I did had a blue border). I'm waiting on that picture because it'll be easier to see progress with more equal numbers of blue and white squares.

Second, I need to get prepared for the Prince's birthday party. We have several 5-yr-old boys coming over on Saturday and I'm not sure what to do for party favors. I sense a Target run in my future. Provided the weather cooperates, the boys will be outside most of the time...we've asked them to bring their bikes!



My third goal is to get caught up on the SQAL. It isn't as much of a priority for me and may wait until the two-color top is finished. Don't get me wrong, I want to finish the SQAL, but I need to do the other things first.

Speaking of the weather, it's been nasty. Tornadoes, flooding, fun stuff. 15 years ago we were under water... many without power as well. Our water works was under water and the area was without running water for 12 days. Yes, folks, a large metro area without running water for almost 2 weeks. Drinking water was brought in from all over the country. It looks like we're on track for the same situation again. Thank goodness my house is on a hill, though my backyard isn't so fortunate. The creek in our backyard has seen lots of heavy water lately, flooding so much that the terraces and retaining walls that hubby built have been washed away.

The prince and princess aren't sleeping very well lately with all the thunder, and the prince is old enough that he's been freaked out recently by the weather radio's alerts- and when we had to go to the basement because a tornado was in our area. Several times in the past week or two we've awoken to find both kids sleeping in our bed with us- good thing we've got a king!

Still not sewing, Just trying to breathe

I mentioned that things have been busy? And that it might be a few days until my next (this) post?

Well. I left home Friday morning to drive 3.5 hours to a church camp, where I spent my weekend. I was on camp for 50 hours and 25 of those 50 hours were spent certifying the camp staff in American Red Cross Lifeguarding, CPR, and First Aid. It was a good weekend, very productive, but long and hot. It was also the longest I've ever been away from my kids, which was really tough- good thing that I was so busy, because it was hard to be sad when I had to focus on the task at hand.



I was exhausted when I got home Sunday evening, and fell fast asleep just a few hours later. The kids were extremely excited that I was home, and hubby was thrilled, too- but he was thrilled for some relief from parenting more than anything, I think. Yesterday morning (Monday) I was scheduled to teach from 8-12 in a small town about 45 minutes south... so I spent another 5.5 hours away from the family, and then I taught another class last night (from 5-10). Not enough time with my kids, and too much time teaching! Today I also had the two classes, and for the rest of the week I'll be teaching in the evenings. This coming weekend I'll be gone Saturday evening and all day Sunday. Hubby is not happy. The princess is 2 and has driven him totally bonkers over the past few days...



Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to next Monday, when I'm done with this nutso teaching-all-the-time schedule that I've had recently. It never looks too bad when the schedule is being created, but when it actually gets here it seems to really suck!

In the past week, I've done virtually no sewing, cutting, or anything else crafty. Those darn blocks haven't changed at all- they still look like this:


I'm a week behind on the SQAL, but a week ago I cut out the pieces for last week's block... maybe this week it will get sewn... or not.

SQAL Block #4

I wanted to post this yesterday, but the camera was hiding...

I really like how this block came out! Block #5 has been cut and is partially sewn, hopefully it will be done and I'll post it tonight.

SQAL Block #3

I know, I know... It's practically Monday already (directions for block #4 will be posted in a few hours!), and I'm just now getting block #3 posted here! But I've had a busy week. And this has been finished since Tuesday- I just never got around to taking pictures and blogging about it.


This photo turned out a bit too dark- I should have used the flash.


This is a close-up, it's a much more accurate representation of the colors.

WIP Week

This week I'm focusing on making progress and finishing some unfinished projects.

Being a bit of an overachiever, I'm almost done with all 12 setting blocks for the SQAL. They just need to be stitched together (each block is currently in 3 pieces, I'll chain-stitch them and it won't take long to finish):



This week's block for the SQAL is done; but I didn't like how the last row looked, so I'm ripping out the seam and I'll re-stitch it.


I have a shirt that I started at least a week ago, I'm hoping to get back to it and finish it tonight or tomorrow.


The prince has a project he'd like me to do. He wants a tower to go with the rocket that I made a while back... please don't laugh too hard at my slightly-abstract rocket.


I'd like to make several more blocks for my two-color quilt. I really would like to be making at least 5 blocks every day. The strips are cut, they just need to be sewn together. Unfortunately, I've put this project on the back burner and haven't touched in in at least 3 weeks. Still have a goal of having the top done by the end of this month.... fingers crossed, nose to the grindstone.

Star Quilt-A-Long

I've caught up on the SQAL! With the birthday last week and everything else that was going on, I didn't even start the first week's block, but got block 1 done last night and block 2 (this week's block) done today during naptime!


My fabrics... the fabric for the setting blocks isn't in this picture.


My fabrics... the blueish fabric (on the left) will be used for the setting blocks.


Block 1


Close-up of the fabrics in block 1


Block 2


Close-up of the fabrics in block 2

Quilt-A-Long

AmandaJean is doing another Quilt-A-Long and this time I'd really like to participate. I found her blog about halfway through her last one and didn't want to try to catch up. QuiltDad is going to do both this one and the last one- he plans to do both block 1 from this QAL and the last QAL this week, block 2 next week, and so on. Really a pretty good idea, but I've got so much going on right now that Hubby probably won't be too thrilled that I'm wanting to start on the current QAL (let along 2 of them!).



BUT, here's my idea. Hubby has been wanting a duvet cover for his down comforter. I was thinking maybe I'd have him pick out colors (or even fabrics?!) and I'd do this QAL for him... I'd have to extend the borders to make it the right size, but I think it should work. Hubby, you interested? Let me know.

If he doesn't want that (and it's possible, because I do have a list of t-shirt quilts that he's requested as well), I was thinking maybe blues and greens for this. And perhaps donate it, or give it as a Christmas present. I bet my mom would like this...

Really, it's a learning experience. I've never made star blocks before.