ALYOF August Finish

How did I do this month ?

I finished piecing all the main blocks for Sylvia's Bridal Sampler. All 42 blocks! I've been stashing the finished blocks in my regular Super Satchel box...it keeps them flat, together in one place, and dust-free.

I got the last two triangles of Hawaiian-style appliqué basted and a good start stitching. I didn't get them finished because I had to wait so long for the fabric to arrive. That was out of my control.

I'm hoping to get some machine-quilting done tonight.

Jay starting kindergarten has put a hamper on things. Everyone says "aw, it'll just be you and the baby and restful and quiet". Not. Afternoon kindergarten isn't as easy as I thought. I'm trying to walk Jay to school, so I can start exercising again. (Weight gain and swelling from pregnancy is not fun. And I don't lose any weight while I'm breast feeding.) But taking him to school, then going back for him less than 3 hours later, is not easy. And the baby isn't getting much rest. He'll just get to sleep after nursing and I'll have to put him in the stroller or car seat for school. Then when I get him home, I'll feed him to sleep again and he won't get much sleep before going back. And I'm all hot and sweaty because it's still summer hot outside and it's afternoon. And not much time for me to do anything in between.

It's just the start of the third week of school for S, and the second week for Jay, so hopefully some routine will take shape. And hopefully, baby will get more rest on the day hubby is at home, so I can be with baby if he falls asleep, and hubby can bring Jay home.

Finally came

My order of fabric finally came from Joann.com. It took 5 days just to process and ship the order, and another week before it arrived!

Last night I washed, dried, and pressed the fabric, and cut out the second square for the Hawaiian-style appliqué. I got a good start on the basting, too.

I also completed all 42 blocks for Sylvia's Bridal Sampler. Well, ok, I need to paper-piece the corner posts for the border: four little 4-inch American flag blocks.

I'm not sure what happened with the Missouri Puzzle, or New Mexico as it's sometimes called. It was a block in the library on my Quilt-Pro, so I didn't need to enlarge my pieces. I cut out the pieces according to the Quilt-Pro rotary chart, except I strip-pieces the 9-patches. The whole block turned up about 1" short, even unfinished, as you can see.

Simple fix: I added background strips on two sides, and used my 12 1/2" square-up ruler to make it the correct unfinished size.

I love the Missouri Puzzle block, but no wonder I was leaving it to last, because the sizes of enlarging it to 12" finished just left me guessing.

I seriously don't know what happened with the Winding Ways block: the triangles are seriously practically gathered, and the background pieces are stretched out. This is the extra block, #43, so it's not going in the quilt.

But good news: my little guy started kindergarten this week! So proud of him!

Progress

What's progress?

I finished two of the Hawaiian-style appliqué setting triangles. And I'm out of background fabric big enough to cut the other two triangles. I'm waiting for more fabric to come in the mail.

I've got just 1 1/2 blocks left to piece for my Sylvia's Bridal Sampler. The Winding Ways block is being a pain. The outside curves are too long for the background pieces, so they're practically gathering. I'm afraid they might not ever lay flat, even with steaming the seams. I think it's an extra block anyway, so it's probably not going in the quilt.

I've been a little busy, with baby getting two teeth in, middle brother getting a cold and giving it to baby. Nursing has been a pain, with a baby so stuffed up its hard gor him to eat, plus him not sleeping well. But he's on the upswing, I think!

School open houses happened on Monday, to meet teachers. My two bigger boys are attending two different schools. S is riding the bus to two towns away for his new autism unit 2nd grade, and J is starting kindergarten next week at our neighborhood elementary school. S is so excited to start school again and ride the bus--I think he just completed a great first week back.

I'm a little flabbergasted to learn J will have a homework every week. Not just reading with mom/dad. Is homework in kindergarten common?

(my mom homeschooled me until 3rd grade, so I have no idea.)

Birthday

It's my birthday, shout hooray!

I realize that I am now as old as there are inches in a yard!

Last night at work in the ER, I walked up to my friend and neighbor and coworker, who is a nurse, and said "I feel old. It's my birthday in 15 minutes. 18 years ago we graduated from high school and we were freshman room roommates." 

she's like "wow, it has been that long! Now I feel old too! ". And we chuckled, and the secretary said "what a small world!" and wished me happy birthday.

My birthday present to myself was a Solstice by Kate Spain layer cake, plus a mini-charm pack of Solstice. Thank you, Cotton Bliss !

http://www.shopcottonbliss.com/

And my hubby bought the dVD of Divergent for me, so we will cuddle and watch the movie tonight after all the little ones are in bed, and before he goes back on shift.

We already had dinner and cake, and I'm taking a break nursing the baby. Gotta go back and chat some more with my hubby's mother and brother who came to party.

See you later!

ALYOF--August goal

Ha! It's August, and that means it's my birthday at the end of the week!

Ok, so I need to decide on my goal !

1--Finish the appliqué and the top of the Hawaiian-style memorial quilt for my cousin Vai. I need to get it done as fast as I can, since I just don't know how long she has. (yes, I need to tell her story).

2--Machine-quilt the HST star medallion quilt.

3--finish the Sylvia's Bridal Sampler blocks. I think I have just three left.

Wednesday

I'm so tired all the time right now. I guess I'm just wearing a lot of hats.

Work.

Trying to finish more pieces of projects.

Baby got his 6-month shots and got a bit sick, then his first tooth crowned! Talk about keeping me up nights. And he's nearly crawling, and the past two days, he's been doing awesome, getting up to sitting on his own.

Biggest brother's first two adult bottom teeth crowned and he lost his first baby tooth.  It was the week of the teeth!

The first center block of the Hawaiian-style appliqué.

I was able to cut two of the background triangles for the on-point setting. Then I cut another appliqué, and got two sections basted onto the two triangles. I'm definitely getting faster at the needle-turn appliqué.  Now I need to wait for payday to get more background fabric.

It was fun listening to book on CD while I cut and basted and stitched this week. Jennifer Chiaverini's "The Aloha Quilt", and I was so glad to learn more history of Hawaiian-style quilts, Hawaiian history, and symbolism behind Hawaiian-style quilting. As I stitched, I could recognize parts of the symbolism in the Plumeria design that I'm stitching.

Sylvia's Bridal Sampler blocks that I finished this week:

ALYOF: July Finish

I accomplished some of every goal!

--I finished one block and almost finished a second block for Sylvia's Bridal Sampler

--I finished ditch-stitching the Star medallion Autism quilt; it's now ready for FMQ.

--I have nearly finished the first block of my Hawaiian-style appliqué.

And look at this lovely bundle of rainbow fat quarters from Studio E ! I won one of their weekly giveaways! I love the tonal swirl print.

This bundle is going to help me make a Jaybird Quilts' Night Sky quilt! Whee!

I also celebrated my hubby and I's 10th wedding anniversary this past week. Holy cow, where did the time go? Although, I guess in being married and sealed for eternity in the temple, 10 years isn't a lot. But I still love and live for the flame of my life, and look forward to forever too.

Notes on my wedding dress: yes, I sewed my own wedding dress, and my aunt sewed my veil for me to match my dress.

My dress was white satin charmeuse with overlays of white chiffon. Three tiers of layered bell sleeves. Two tiers of layered skirt with the charmeuse and chiffon...and I loved the slight train that it created, puddling gracefully around my feet. I finished the V neckline with clear rhinestone trim, and the bell sleeves are rolled hem on my serger with white and white iridescent wooly nylon  thread (the edges of the veil are finished that way too by my request).

French seams are not hard! Just slippery with charmeuse!