Makers Gonna Make...

Owen was in the garage with dad...  I'm not sure what he was doing, but I LOVE it.  Makers are gonna make.  It kinda looks like a mug shot to me, but he's got that so happy look going on that I know it's not that.  Maybe this sign is his alter ego?    He loves his safety vest!

We also started "mommy school" on Saturday, 3/14/20.  Our last official day of school was 3/13.  I didn't waste any time.  I didn't want him to think it was all a vacation.  He was grumpy when I told him to do it, but we made it fun when he had to make his own breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast.  His dad just happened to come in for lunch and he made his meal for him too.

One of his IEP (individual education plan) goals is to type 15 words a minute by the middle of 7th grade.  (He is in 6th grade right now.)  We are using Typing.com to help us learn the keys.  I think part of the problem is that he has to stop and think how to spell a word.  Typing.com helps with where the keys are placed, how to sit, repetition...  There's a game here and there to keep it fun.  You can tell he's wearing his "garage clothes" just in case I let him out of "school" early.

My sister-in-law has a great side-job for her.  When she doesn't work her regular job (which has had cut hours for a while now) she cleans out trailers of people that left them or were evicted.  She finds all kinds of things that are tossed.  She brought Owen a Chia Pet.  We're going to call it Chia Sophia.

Owen had to read and comprehend all the instructions.  I didn't read it in advance and didn't know that you had to do stuff and wait... and then do other stuff and wait...  It was a lesson of patience for both of us, but good quality time spent together.  Yes, I LOVE this kid!!!  He's all ours.  :)

Here's Chia Sophia after we painted on the seeds with a paint brush.

I took this photo on Saturday, 3/14/20.  Our bowling season came to a close a few weeks early.  We have new hobbies to start.  Hopefully I'll get to post pictures of them as early as next week.

Moving It Forward Monday -- Sand Castle Progress

63...  I finished these nine blocks of brown/grey Sand Castle blocks (a Bonnie Hunter pattern).  63...  I need 64 to start to assemble the quilt top.

I knew something was up when I had these two cut brown pieces (corners) left on my desk...

I'm putting in the movie, Peanut Butter Falcon, and grabbing some scraps to make one more block.  Our local public libraries are closed until 4/6.  At least they gave us a heads up on the closing on Friday.  On Saturday morning our son and I went to the library and stocked up on dvd's.  I have 23 dvd's on my checkout order.  That should hold me over the next three weeks.   

The Cronacation continues.

Slow Stitching Progress on Linen & Threads SAL

I made some progress on my Linen & Threads SAL.  Not all the bowlers were here today.  I didn't have too many people to talk to.  I seriously enjoyed a little calm stitching.  It was quite the productive slow-stitching week!  Schools in Ohio are shut down as of 3/14/20 for three weeks.  I hope to be able to use my longarm and get some of the quilts quilted during my time off school.

If you are sick, stay home and manage your symptom.  Wash your hands!

I finished my pre-printed holiday apron that was cross stitch and embroidery.  I posted about it on Friday.

I had a few good finds in the bargain bin at Goodwill.  Below are two COMPLETE projects that appear to never to have been opened for about 50 cents and a new book for 50 cents.  $1 total!

Oh how I love to find stuff like this turned upside down in the bargain bins!  Especially with the floss side to me.

There are some small cross stitch projects in this book.  I may make a special Christmas card for my sister-in-law.

I'm linking up at Kathy's Quilts today for Slow Sunday Stitching.

I forgot to mention how seriously proud I am of my sister-in-law for being FIVE years sober!

RSC20 -- Final Four

I finally finished sewing the orange scraps that I cut out in February.  I added teal to the centers.  :)

Ohio is one of the seven states as of now to close schools.  Governor Mike DeWine gave us the news of the mandatory school closings on Thursday.  Students were super calm in the schools where I was a substitute teacher this week.  Our son is super excited.  I hope to spend some quality family time together (mostly at home or in wooded/lake areas and bike paths) and some LONGARM time during this three week Coronacation.

With the extra time off school, I am searching for a new DOG (or two).  I am a very spiritual person.  When the time is right, God will put the things into our path and life as he sees fit.  My husband even seemed interested as I searched on the big-screen smart tv last night.  Our dogs have passed about 1.5 and 2.5 years ago.  He wanted me to wait until summer vacation to even consider it.  We shall see what comes our way with this extra time off.

In the meantime... here's a couple of cat pictures of Mellow Yellow.

Our son found this fun cat tunnel thing at our Goodwill Outlet for $2.  He calls it a cat mailbox.  It is definitely being used.  Oh...and the cat tree you ask?  Someone threw it out in their trash on our way to bowling.  My husband had to reinforce the leg on the bottom and it was ready for use.  Great find.

I'm linking up at Angela's blog, SoScrappy for the RSC20.

Quilting Feathers Templates from Westalee Design

 I'm very interested in quilting feathers on a border.  I found these tools:

YouTube video is here.

I got them from Sew Steady here.

Happy Holiday Recipe Apron -- A Friday Finish!

I'm excited to post about my Happy Holiday Recipe apron finish today.  I found this vintage pre-printed embroidery/cross stitch apron kit partially stitched by an unknown stitcher in a "last chance" bin at Goodwill Outlet.  I quickly snatched up this WIP and decided that I would finish it.  Today's the day!  I think it is kinda cute.  I plan to display it in my kitchen in the fall/holiday months.

This project was one of the things I carried with me in my sew-to-go bag.  I am a substitute teacher.  I have plenty of time to stitch when I sub at area high schools.  I can still monitor students and keep busy without using an electronic device.  LOL.  I love it when students are interested in what I am doing.  I often get the comment "my grandma does that".

This project was my OMG (one main goal) for March.  I'm linking up at Elm Street Quilts for the OMG March Finish Link-Up.

I'm linking up at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I get a Whoop Whoop?



I'm also linking up at Alycia Quilts for Finished or Not Friday.

WIP Wednesday 3.11.2020

I made some slow stitching progress on my Linen & Threads SAL.



I finished a few more box kite blocks in the orange scraps I cut for the February RSC.  Box Kite is a Bonnie Hunter pattern.  I took a Bonnie Hunter workshop a couple of years ago.  I will probably make a baby quilt out of these blocks.  I only need a few more.



I made progress on a dresser scarf that was a WIP that was my grandma's.



The weather is getting nicer in Ohio.  It was up to 65 this week!  I started spring cleaning earlier last week while it was still cold.  Here's all the lint I pulled out of the bottom of my machine.



My husband made progress on one of his projects this week.  Here is a board that he planed and shaped.  It may look like just a board.  This board came from one of the trees we took down at the house I owned before we were married.  We were married in 2003.  We took 26 hardwood trees down from that property.  My husband BUILT a sawmill from scratch.  He milled the wood.  We stacked it with stickers to let it dry properly and banded it with metal bands.  It has dried for YEARS on the wrap around porch to the new house.  Now he ran it through the planer and shaper so that he could use it in our bathroom in the new house.  See why I love this creative man so much?  It's not just a board to us...

Here's a photo of my husband and our son next to his 3-phase converter that he built last week.



We had fun at a Cleveland Cav's game.  Here's our family selfie:

I currently have 69 on-going projects.  

Pieces Still Need to be Cut & Sewn

1.  Cheddar Jack cat pattern from Mama Spark's World 

2.  Digging up Bones (Owen's dinosaur quilt)

3.  Rock Island Campfire Quilt

4.  Picadilly Circle

5.  ...And Sew On BOM at Quiet Play (one block to go)

6.  Go Four It! -- Scrappy 4-patches started as leader/ender June 2017

7.  Patriotic Folk Animals (from Americana Quilts Book) -- hand work-- found the book 8/8/19!

8.  Parallelogram Strings -- 2019 String Along at Humble Quilts, started 1.31.19
9.   Leah Day Building Blocks QA
10.  Jelly Roll Rug
11.  Classic Meets Modern BOM
12.  Mod Mod QA (turning this one into a baby quilt) (from block Lotto, mostly circles w/lines)

13.  Owl's Well That Ends Well (RSC19 project started 1.26.19)

14.  Kevin the Quilter's Sapphire Stars Mystery (started Summer 2017) 

15.  Temperature QA (2019 block-a-day according to high and low temps--changed to table topper.)

16.  Kite Girl (RSC14)

17.  Amish Country BOM (from Lynn, Johnna's mom)

18.  Cabins at the Lake (from Fons & Porter Magazine) (only one house block complete.)

19.   2.5" Scraps from Dani making "cracker" blocks

20.  Sand Castles -- Bonnie Hunter string quilt started January, 2019 -- an RSC project

21.  Little Houses (3.5" blocks)

22.  Pumpkins & the Beanstalk (a second quilt.)

23.  Set of note cards and envelopes

24.  Simply Summer Sensational QA with Kevin the Quilter 2.5" blocks (started 6.27.19)

25.  Slabs with White Rectangle (RSC14 started -- need blocks each month)

26.  Bonnie Hunter Box Kite class from March, 2017 (Will make baby quilt.)

27.  Kevin the Quilter 2019 Mystery Quilt -- SSSSQ, 1.5" squares

28.  2015 Orange, pink, grey kite blocks (from Accuquilt die, RSC17)

29.  Maroon Sampler Quilt

30.  Gypsy Wife QA (started again with Angie at Gnome Angel, August 2017) (2019 QA)

31.  Kathleen Tracy’s 2019 Mystery Quilt -- Facebook QA started in March, 2019. 

32.  2016 Plus Blocks (from left over pieces of Soul Searching blocks)

33.  RSC16 Folk Art Birds

34.  Waffle Blocks (August 2019) RSC19

35.  Kevin the Quilter 2019 Mystery Quilt -- SSSSQ, 2.5 " squares

36.  Gingerbread Men pattern by Edyta Sitar started November, 2019

37.  Thanksgiving apron -- A WIP found at Goodwill in November, 2019

38.  Linen & Threads Mystery SAL, Started 1/1/20 for my sew-to-go bag.

39.  Dresser Scarf (my grandma's printed WIP from the 70's) 1/1/20 for my sew-to-go bag.

40.  Veggie Patch (from Katie Mae Quilts)

Blocks Still Need to be Made

1.  Bluepatch Mystery Quilt

2.  Scrap Crystals (working on blue pieces for RSC15)

3.  We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler

4.  Drunkard's Path Variation baby quilt

5.  Finding Nemo Scrappy Trip quilt (my seams don't match Julianne's seams...)

Blocks are made but need to be sewn together (and/or some sashing)
1.  Block Swap Adventure Orange/Yellow Sampler (2011-2012)
2.  Cruise blocks won from Libby
3.  Orange/Blue Fish Blocks (that I won)
4.  Split Stars (blocks won from Block Lotto; October, 2012)
5.  African Violet baby quilt (Block Lotto inspired)
6.  Tall Fly (blocks won from Block Lotto, February, 2013)

7.  Fortune Teller (RSC14 started)--It's not long enough...needs 4 more blocks

8.  Sonja's Windows string quilt 

9.   Block Swap Adventure (2013) Churn Dash Blocks 

10.  Tula Pink's City Sampler 100 Modern Quilt Blocks (New QA starting 5/7/17 Gnome Angel)

11.  Flower Baskets (blue and white with some applique) Block Lotto win 10/1/18

12.  Pre-printed cross stitch pillow sham (May, 2018 sew-to-go bag)

13.  Bonnie Hunter Garden Party (started 3.18.17.)

14.   Cathy's CRAZY BY DESIGN.  It's the Dot Dot Dash Bag. (new to the list April, 2018)

Quilts back needs to be made (tops are done) 

1. Card Trick (pink and blue) HUGE charity quilt for local quilt guild
2. Hunter green large (bubbly -- will be a challenge to longarm) charity quilt for the local guild
3. Bubble Gum pink and navy charity quilt for local quilt guild
4. Good Fortune -- A Bonnie Hunter Quiltville Mystery started Thanksgiving weekend, 2018
5.  Soul Searching -- Julianne sent it to me 8/29/19!!!

6.  Wings of Spring -- Block Lotto win 3.31.19

Ready to longarm

1.  O - H - I - O quilt 2.5" blocks

2.  Blue & 4-Patch Customer Quilt (CM)

3.  Kim Diehl's Short & Sweet from her book Simple Charm (Started August, 2017 for to-go bag.)
4.  Gingerbread Men (a slow stitching applique project started October, 2019.)

I'm linking up with Susan at Quilt Fabrication for Midweek Makers