Sunday...A Day to Relax

Baked steak is in the oven.

The kitchen & bathroom are clean.

A&E's Pride & Prejudice is playing.

I have a binding to finish and socks to knit.

Life is good!

Today's Priorities

It's another yucky, dreary day in West Virginia.  

Overcast & grey.  

Too cold and wet to go outside.

Too hard to get motivated.

While drinking my coffee I figured I'd better get a list going of the things that need some attention.

Now, I'm not talking about laundry and dishes and making beds.

Those things can wait...as long as I manage to get a shower before I have to pick the kids up from school.

Here are some of the "important" things that need to be worked on:

I did manage to finish the quilting on Colleen's Quilt and I even got the binding put on.  Now the binding needs basted and hand stitched.  Her birthday is on the 25th and I'd like to get it in the mail to arrive on time.  She doesn't live far, but she has had a rough year and you know as well as I do that its just a lot of fun to get a box in the mail...especially one that isn't expected!

Speaking of birthdays & boxes in the mail, Did you sign up for my (and my blog's) Birthday Giveaway?  Well, hop on over and leave me a quick comment! 

I have been trying to get that Little Blue Bag finished for quite some time.  It is still just waiting to have the final seam slip stitched closed and it will be ready to go.  I think I keep putting this one off because I don't like the looks of my hand stitching.  It always seems to end up as a whip stitch and looks really ugly.  I'd love some suggestions!

Then there is my knitting.  Thing 2 wants a scarf and its taking FOREVER!  Its just a basic knit stitch, but its really boring and it takes forever to even get an inch done.  Oh, well, Just Keep Stitching, right?!

I have the first sock ready to turn the heal and the second one is catching up.  I'm trying to make them as close to the same size as possible.  My last pair was a round or two off and one looks shorter than the other when Morgan puts them on.  I keep telling her that the socks are perfect...I made them, how could they not be?...and its her leg that is the problem.  Yeah, she's not going for it.

The little mug rug is probably going into the Birthday Giveaway goodie box.  It's a little bit of who I am and what I love.  The color red, Civil War reproduction fabric, Jacob's Ladder (my oldest son is Jacob & this was the first block I attempted on my own).  Anyway, there will be a few other goodies included as well, but this is a start.

Since I've managed to get in a little computer internet time, I'm going to go poke around and see who I can link up with today.  I'll come back and let you know where I end up!

Hope you have a good one...and that the sun is shining on you!

~Kristy

Oh, I forgot the most important project...Thing 1 has had a little problem with his snake's stuffing coming out.  It's been hibernating in my room for over a week now and I think it's about time he moved back in with my Little Guy!  

I've been having some really weird dreams since the snake arrived...

Birthday Giveaway!!

Over  the past couple of years, I have figured out that I am a "Gifter".  I love to give things to other people.  It doesn't have to be something fancy.  It doesn't have to be for any particular reason.  If I see something and it makes me think of a particular person, I have to give it to them...sometimes its just a picture of the item since I can't just throw money down at the drop of a hat.

That being said, I'm doing a give away to celebrate my birthday later this month & my blogs first birthday that slipped by in January while we were buried deep in the winter drama of post holiday bills, broken down cars & the inevitable strep throat and flu season.

So, I've decided to send a mid-winter pick-me-up to a special person.

Here are some bits and pieces that I've been playing with...

When I think of February, I think of Valentine's Day...Black History Month... President's Day...and of course, MY BIRTHDAY!  

Just leave me a comment on this post answering a few short questions:

1.  Coffee, Tea or Hot Chocolate?

2.  White, Milk or Dark Chocolate?

3.  Design Lines or Mix & Match?

4.  Historical or Whimsical?

(You can also tell me what you think of when February rolls around.)

I will be putting the names in a hat & letting Thing 1 and Thing 2 choose a winner.  

Good Luck!  

Pass the word along...There is lots of time...We'll pick a winner on February 26th (My Birthday) and post it on the 27th.

Hugs & Best Wishes!

~Kristy

February List Update

Thought I would update my list for February 2013.  

There were 2 UFOs from my list finished in January.  I will plan to finish 2 more of my listed UFOs this month.  I want to get Colleen's Table Runner done for her birthday on the 25th & I have the small bag sitting on my bed with thread & needle ready...I'm thinking this is do-able!

I've seen lots of lists so far this month.  Hope you are doing well with your UFOs & listed projects!

Quilting/Sewing:
**1.  Small Blue Bag (stitch the bottom closed)
2.  Sock Monkey mug rug (hand stitch binding) FINISHED! 1/2013
3.  "Ole Glory!" mug rug (attach binding)
4.  "Ole Glory!" mug rug (quilt)
5.  "Ole Glory!" mug rug (quilt)
6.  Mom's Red, White & Blue table runner (quilt)
7.  Kelly's Quilt (hand stitch binding & return) FINISHED!  2/6/2013
8.  "Prairie Paisley" 1/2 square mini (finished top)
9.  "Prairie Paisley" 1/2 square mini-mini (finished top)
10.  "Prairie Paisley" piano key mini (finished top)
11.  Christmas mini (finished top)
**12.  Colleen's 9 Patch table runner (needs borders) Purchased Fabric
13.  Star table runner (hand quilting project)
14.  Bird house Kindle cover (finish piecing)
 
Larger Projects that I started last year:
15.  Paper Piecing for the Terrified (log cabin block finished)
16.  Morgan's Sampler (1/2 of the blocks are finished)
17.  Craftsy Block of the Month (stopped at Hexies)
18.  Stella's 4 patch (4 patch blocks are finished)
19.  Barrister's Blocks Farmer's Wife (stopped somewhere around October)
20.  Cinnamon & Nutmeg (mostly cut...3 strip sets need cut) Out & Ready to cut...need to find the pattern
21.  Morgan's Flannel Quilt (flannel is cut; needs batting cut) Counted...Needs more small square sets cut.
22.  Rapha's Fireman Quilt (pre-printed blocks are cut)
30.  Crabby Apron...FINISHED! 1/2013
31.  Also started a 4 patch ender-leader project.
 
Knitting:
23.  "Spice" socks for Sidney (1 sock scrapped; 2 sock finished; 3 sock working heel flap)  FINISHED! 1/2013
24.  "Spice" sock gauge with size 3 needle
25.  Kelly's 2nd "knitted knocker" On the Needles
26.  Crocheted market bag
Added:
27.  Pink Sugar socks... Guaged & FINISHED!  1/2013
28.  Ocean socks...On the Needles
29.  John's Scarf...On the Needles
 

Then there are other kits, pre-cuts & a variety of ready to go projects:
"Prairie Paisley" throw (basted...still not sure if I want to hand quilt it)
"Pinwheels in my Garden" (waiting on quilter & cash)
Halloween wall hanging
Kansas Troubles jelly rolls (2)
Small bags (cut & waiting for batting or a coordinating fabric)
Denim squares Dissected all of my jeans...Need to cut into usable squares & strips.
Basket of sock yarns (Morgan, Meredith, Sidney, Me, Darren, James & John)
John's blue scarf (He's been asking for one for the last couple of months) On the Needles
Ruffled scarves
knit dish cloths
weaving projects (3 are on the rug loom...need more rags to use up the warp)
spinning (wool is in various stages...some washed, some picked, some still in laundry bag on the porch)
spinning (purchased locks...needs combed)
spinning (purchased roving)
I've also purchases several yards of the 2012 3 Sisters Christmas line when it went on sale after Christmas.  (No Projects in mind as of yet.)
  

February Check In

January was not so kind financially, automotively & general health-wise.

BUT...being forced to stay home I did manage to get some things accomplished.

I did a little free motion on my machine & broke it. Still not crazy about the idea of doing my own quilting but realizing that if I want projects to land in the "Finished" pile I'm going to have to do it myself.

I finished the Pink Sugar socks.

I dissected several shirts & jeans.

I finished my Funky Monkey mug rug.

February is starting off with the following projects:

1. I've started another Tit Bit knitted breast for a friend with breast cancer. (All you knitters out there... Check it out! What an amazing idea & my friend says they are perfect! Better than any other prosthetic she has tried!)

2. John's scarf is on the needles. He wanted a small fairly tight knit so I have to do at least 10 rows a day if I'm going to get it finished before summer rolls around.

3. I started my Ocean socks earlier this week. Loving this yarn. It's the Loops & Thread sock yarn from Michael's.

4. Last night I finished the binding on Kelly's quilt. She & I have swapped favors. Her quilting for my binding. It's been a great deal for me. Anyway, she just about has my t shirt quilt done so I figured we could make an even swap if I got busy on her binding.

5. I have Cinnamon & Nutmeg sitting on my desk. I still have to cut a few pieces & it will be ready to start assembling rows. This one is a little more complicated with bias cuts but I really want to get it going.

6. Morgan & I have counted and sorted her flannel quilt pieces and need to cut a few (30) more square sets and ALL of the batting squares.

Hopefully the pics I've added aren't in reverse order... But I'm sure it will be easy enough to figure out.

Oh! And I'm planning a give away for my birthday. My blogging birthday slipped away in the chaos of January but I'm prepared to make it up on February 27. Not sure what I'm going to come up with just yet, but I have a few things in mind. Look for my "Official Birthday Giveaway" post coming up this weekend.

Hope you are all staying warm & cozy!

Hugs!