Taking A Little Break

I have decided to take a little break.

A break from what you ask ... a break from my routine.

Here we are in the middle of September and it is still HOT. It is still Summer.

Even though the days are getting shorter and college football is in full swing ... it still feels like FULL ON SUMMER!

I've been on vacation ... 

It was lovely, absolutely lovely.

I even watched college football while I was on vacation!

Hot Summer Vacation!

So, I have decided to take a little break from the every day ... HOT Summer Every Day ... and wait for Fall to catch up!

A peaceful boycott, if you will ...

A time to reflect and wait for those cooler temperatures.

The beautiful golden leaves, harvest, and apple cider ...

I'm so ready!

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

I Think I Have A Problem ...

I think I have a problem ....

This past weekend I completed 5 quilts.

Sometimes once quilts come back to me from my long arm quilter,

they sit and sit until I get motivated to put the binding on them.

Which usually leads to a weekend devoted to doing just that,

... binding quilts.

Moda Love Christmas Layer Cake quilt

72 x 72

Feather Bed

72 x 72

Red / White Quilt Collection

Orphan Block Chaos

72 x 81

Red / White Quilt Collection

Red Brick Road

93 x 97

Red / White Quilt Collection

Moda Love So Ruby Charm Pack quilt

37 x 37

All of this leads to the problem ... quilts ... lots and lots of quilts. Quilting is my joy, my creative outlet but, I (and all of my family members) have more quilts than we need or will ever really us. I should probably sell some of my quilts but I tried that. I had an Etsy page and after a year I only sold one quilt. Having an Etsy page (shop) costs money and it just wasn't worth the expense to keep it open. I also have a few of my quilts and things in a brick and mortar shop, with no real success there either. So ... I now have a closet full of completed quilts and quilt tops that still need to be quilted. I'm not sure what the answer is but I'm sure the problem is only going to get worse because I have no intention of giving up my quilting habit.

😁

Although, I won't be giving up quilting ... I've been considering other avenues of expressing my creativity. Such as watercolor painting, sketching, making my own clothing, luggage, and handbags ...

lots to think about!

😉

And Just Like That ... Vacation Is OVER ...

And just like that vacation is over and it is back to the grind ...

I've been awake since 3:30 a.m this morning...

getting back in the groove of working is hard!

The struggle is real ...

My sister got me some great gifts for my kitchen!

Continuing with the Mexican tile theme. I love all of the color!

It makes me happy!

I also managed to get a couple of knitting projects completed.

This is the cowl ... neck warmer that my daughter started.

I was able to get it completed while on vacation.

Knitted Neck Warmer ... Cowl

Forrest Green, it is very pretty and will keep my daughter warm and snug

this fall and winter.

I also finished this pair of toe up socks ... that I feel like I have been knitting on 

FOREVER!!!

These socks will be very wearable with my work slacks when the cooler weather arrives?

I'm glad that they are done. One color socks are so boring to knit ... and there could not be a more boring color than TAN!!!!

Vacation Mode ... Art

I have been wanting to try my hand at watercolor.

I decided that there is no better time to

begin than while on vacation.

Watercolor

Vacation 2019

Vacation Mode ... Puttering

I haven't felt well since my vacation began on Friday

but I was thinking it was just a virus or

Summer cold ...

Today I am giving in and going to the doctor.

:(

I've been puttering around on my 3rd project since Sunday

Jezebel Approved Quilt Project  :)

Red/White Collection

Cat Faces

6.5 inch blocks

Pattern by Elizabeth Hartman

Cat Faces

There will be 100 6.5 inch blocks

(to date I have 54 of the 100 blocks completed)

I have decided on sashing, this quilt will be one of my red/white quilts.

The exception on this quilt is the two black/white cat faces

in honor of my furry house beasts;

Booker and Jezebel 

Vacation Mode Finish #2

Solid Strings

KONA solid fabrics

68 x 76

The first string pieced quilt I ever made was a gift for my nephew's graduation from high school and I was totally hooked!

I love the process, I love the look, I love scrappy quilts.

Solid Strings

9 inch blocks

As my sister says, "Optical Illusion"

And, this is just one possible look or layout ... just one!

There are hundreds of possibilities with these blocks.

The magic of string pieced blocks. 

Solid Strings

My 2nd finish on my 2019 vacation.

There will also be a pillow for my Pillow Project from a couple of leftover 

9 inch string blocks.

I've not felt very well, I think I may have the flu.

I have a doctor's appointment in a few hours.

We will see ... 

Vacation Mode Finish #1

Sewing My Stash I

There is nothing I love more than a scrappy quilt and apparently buying fabrics with no real plan for using said fabrics.

It is now time to use these beautiful fabrics that have sat on shelves and in bins ... WAITING 

to be used. I love string pieced quilts ... so that is my plan.

LOTS OF STRING PIECED SCRAP QUILTS!

Improv Log Cabin pattern

Sewing My Stash I

81 x 94

I decided to pick a bin and just start sewing.

I used the last of my Lizzy House Peeps and Bracelets fabrics.

I treasured them for a long time not wanting to use the last of what I had

but then I realized that these fabrics are more of a treasure

used to make a quilt.

Sewing My Stash I

... is Jezebel approved!

I love it too!

I'm very excited to be sewing and enjoying

my vacation in my sewing room.

Vacation Mode ... Love

A couple of days before my vacation began I picked up this beautiful

Stack - O - Quilts

from my long arm machine quilter, Sharon.

She does amazing and beautiful machine quilting.

Stack - O - Quilts

Red/White Collection

Moda Love Charm Pack quilt

in "So Ruby" fabrics.

37 x 37 inches

Red/White Collection

Red Brick Road

93 x 97 inches

Made up of Red/White scrap fabrics

Red/White Collection

Chaos

72 x 81 inches

Made up of the orphan cross blocks I had made and then I made improv

blocks to complete the top.

Feather Bed

72 x 72 inches

This quilt is made up of blocks that I inherited from a lovely woman at the KMQG, who after completing a few blocks decided she did not enjoy the process and was 

giving away what she had done and cut out.

Long with fabrics that I had - I cut out a few more blocks and pieced it all together.

I love it!!!

This quilt pattern is by Anna Maria Horner and is called, Feather Bed,

and can be purchased on her website.

Some of my vacation time will be spent putting binding on this beautiful

Stack - O - Quilts

Vacation Mode ...

10 Glorious Days

Days to enjoy my sewing room ...

A "stay"cation if you will.

On day one of my vacation I finished this quilt top

Sewing My Stash Quilt I

81 x 94 inches

I'm working on sewing my stash.

I have so much beautiful fabric that is just sitting on shelves or in bins,

so I have decided to sew my stash.

This quilt is made up of 42, 14 inch blocks in a wonky improv log cabin pattern. I made 43 blocks total, leaving 1 extra for my Pillow Project.

I used up the last of my Lizzy House Peeps and Bracelets fabrics along with a bin of fabric "strings".

Strings = strips of fabric left over from other quilt projects that I couldn't 

bare to throw away.

Completed Pillow from the extra block to follow.

I love vacation days!

Today I Am Getting Ready For A Week of Sewing

For the past couple of weekends I have been ramping up for my up coming "stay"cation.

If all goes as planned I will be spending a glorious week sewing.

These are a few of the projects that I plan to work on ...

"Girl Power" English Paper Piecing project

Red/White Cat Faces

This pattern is by Elizabeth Hartman

Strings in Solids

(Kona Solids)

I love all of the color in this one! 

I love spending time in my sewing room. I love creating. I love making useful things.

Spending a week at home in my sewing room is my idea

of a wonderful vacation!

Stay Tuned! 

I'm going to try and post my progress daily while on vacation.

Hopefully, that will help me kick start posting my progress here on a more 

regular basis. It's been a bit difficult getting back into 

the routine and dedication of blogging again.

But I am determined!

:)

Today I ... Am Left Pondering How Quickly Time Goes By ...

Truly where does the time go?

School has started here and I am hopeful that as summer fades into fall that I can become more dedicated to my blog and wrap up a few of the projects that I have introduced here.

Until then, here is a bit of a recap of the projects I have on going.

Solid Strings

I have a few days of vacation coming up and I have purchased a Kona Solids Jelly roll to continue my work on this one.

I love Kona fabrics and this jelly roll does not disappoint. 

It is my plan to re-introduce the projects I have ongoing between now and vacation as a way of challenging myself to finish these projects while I am on vacation.

Until then ... I hope are enjoying whatever it is that makes you truly happy.