New sofa

Yes, it's blue. Maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but it's my favorite color. And it's exactly the color of the lighter blue in the Oriental rug.

Quiltville mystery part 2

Part 2 is completed. Thirty six sets of four matching HSTs in pink and brown. The instructions were for 30 sets, but I'm making extras in hope that I can extend the design from 87" x 102" to 102" x 102" king size. I'm betting that there are thirty blocks, arranged 5 x 6. If I'm lucky it won't hurt the design to make it 6 x 6, a bit larger.

On other fronts, our new living room couch is being delivered this afternoon! I can't wait. But, it is delaying us putting up the Christmas tree until tomorrow. We decided to decorate earlier this year and enjoy it longer. I put together my Christmas village last weekend. But now I'll have to move part of it temporarily to make room for the couch to come in the front door. Afraid it will be bumped trying to carry the new couch in and the old one out past it. Rats!

Last of the Christmas gift quilts

I finished the binding before bedtime yesterday, in spite of spending the day cooking. I was sooooo tired, but was determined to get this gift completed. It's 62" square and will be a couch quilt for my brother in law and his wife. I know that parts of her house have light green carpeting, and am hoping that includes the living room so it will coordinate. Rather happy with how this one turned out. Sherry's quilting is perfect, as usual.

Quiltville Mystery Step 1

Zippity-doo-dah, look who's completed step one! Contributing to the general speediness this morning: 1) Shape Cut ruler - genius, genius. If I had one quibble it would be that the ruler is made of more flexible plastic than the usual rotary ruler and I'll have to be more careful in storing it and using it - easier to accidentally break it and easy to nick the slots with a sharp new blade. 2) Sewing room - lots of space to spread out and a spot at my right side to erect the 2'x4' folding table to hold strips as I sort and pair them for sewing.

(sniff) Now what will I do the rest of the weekend? LOL

Synchronicity

What are the odds? Two days ago I bought a shape cut ruler to make cutting strip sets into segments easier (prompted by a Carrie Nelson pattern I was making) and today the initial Quiltville mystery instructions call for making - strip sets! Don't you love it when a plan comes together?

Cock-a-doodle-eeeewwww!

It's 5 minutes after 4 in the afternoon and the neighbor's rooster is crowing. And crowing. And crowing. That darned chicken is about to push me over the edge. I haven't figured out how to report the illegal poultry without causing a neighbor-to-neighbor stink. The old lady next door plays her TV so loud that she probably doesn't hear them. The other neighbor behind me is gone at work all the time. I guess I'm the only one being driven crazy.

On other fronts - I indulged today and bought a specialty rotary cutter ruler, which is something I usually don't do. A 40% off coupon from Joann's enticed me to try a Shape Cut ruler. After trimming a lot of pieced strips into 1 1/2" segments for four-patch blocks, I thought that one of these rulers where you position it once and cut through the slits to produce multiple patches looked like a good idea. We'll see. Maybe Bonnie Hunter's new mystery will give me a chance to use it.

Finding quilts a good home

Part of my recent decluttering effort has been to attack the mass of stuff relating to my quilting hobby. I weeded through fabric several years ago and took two lawn/leaf size plastic bags of the culled fabrics to a quilting group at a church in a nearby small town. The ladies were flabbergasted but delighted. And even though I have purchased more than my share of fabric since, the input and output have been well balanced and the stash hasn't outgrown its storage closet. It got a little messy, though, so I took care of that when relocating all the boxes to my new sewing room.

Tools were next and were organized and stored where at last they have a permanent convenient home. Kits were neatly stashed in bins.

But the quilts? I have lots of quilts. LOTS of them. Quilts I have made, quilts my mom made for me, quilts my grandmother pieced, quilts I pieced and mom quilted. Kits. Mystery quilts. Scrap quilts. Magazine patterns. Lots.

Over the years we have used many of them, rotating which one was on the bed. But some are just not big enough now that our cat Molly sleeps with us. I can't tell you the times I have awoke with the cover wadded down between us in the center of the bed by her not-inconsiderable self and some or most of me uncovered. With Molly sharing the bed, I'm making big quilts now. Less than 90" wide? Don't even think about it.

But there are quilts that I made that have never been slept under. Some of them are finding new homes this year. These are generally large bed-size quilts, which is what I normally made until I started to be involved with Project Linus and segued into child-size patterns. While folding the quilts to store in the top of the closet, I realized that it was getting a little ridiculous. How many quilts does a gal need, anyway? And isn't it sad if they just sit on a shelf and not do what they were meant to do - warm and comfort someone?

So I started pulling out quilts that could find new homes with my husband's family. First were three quilts for three of his first cousins who grew up around him and are practically as close as brothers. He still talks to them very often even though we don't live nearby now. Then a smaller "couch" quilt for his sister and one for his brother (this one is a completed top that is being quilted right now). Both have received quilts from me before but for their bed, not for snuggling watching TV. Then a wall hanging for his sister, which I thought she might enjoy (this was my husband's idea).

And then I started thinking about the charities that Project Linus supports locally. The coordinator is always asking for larger quilts for teens in foster care as well as smaller baby and little kid quilts. A perfect home for them. Shortly, ten quilts were selected and bagged to take to her house. I delivered them on Saturday and she was thrilled. She unfolded each one and oohed and aahed. (She's a VERY nice lady.) Let me tell you, a little ego stroking is always in order!

I haven't figured out a way to get the five quilts to my nephew's family in Germany yet, but they will go as soon as I can. And now all my quilts fit neatly in the space allotted. Until I start sewing again.