A Place for Grace

Here is the beautiful walnut crib that drh has finished for the new baby! I can't wait to see it all in the nursery, with a cute little baby girl in it, too!

Quilt Story

Here is the quilt for my expected granddaughter, from fabrics to finish. I started cutting on Feb. 14, so it took me only two weeks. It would've been more relaxing to have a little longer to work on it. The fabrics above are what I picked out at first. To the left is a paper with fabrics d#1 used for curtains and some other items she likes for the nursery.

I made all the nine-patches with blue centers. There were not enough fabrics in the first batch, but I added a couple I already had, and found the wonderful tree print and the numbers on green grass which I couldn't resist. I was afraid to cut the nine-patches but I knew this is not how I wanted it to look.

After splitting the nine-patches I tried out a couple different border plans, but settled on just the tree print. Then I sewed them by rows; had to unsew one row because I put it on backwards.

Then I laid it out and pinned and started quilting. I used a fleece batting instead of the low-loft as on drh's quilt. It was awful. The quilting didn't look like I expected and the backing sort of stuck and stretched or something icky, and it was heavy! I tried the next row and it got worse. So then I spent about 3 hours picking out stitches, relaid out on different batting and pinned again! That pinning was hard as the pins are so stiff, and gave me a sore wrist for a few days.

Since the first quilting plan of a back and forth curving line didn't work, I decided to stitch blocks in the ditch and then do spirals - it worked on the previous quilt and I liked it, so why not stick with a successful method? While I was quilting, I enjoyed the fabrics so much and really fell in love with the green with tiny butterflies that you see in the lower left corner above.

This is the back and some quilting on the border at the corner. I quilted the border with a looping line, some larger and some smaller loops. The looping turned out very well - much better than stippling which I haven't practiced much. The only thing I wish turned out better is the tension on the back. It was rather lumpy looking but my sis suggested ironing it after I was done with the binding, so I did. YAY. It was wonderful! I was so happy to give it to d#1 for her baby shower. I liked it and now I miss it, but I'm sure I'll see it again.

Sunday Satisfaction

This week has gone by SO fast. Since my last post, much has happened. Monday night I made smoked sausage, potatoes and spinach with sugar, vinegar, mustard dressing. I forgot it called for bacon, but it was okay and I just threw in a sprinkle of bacon bits. It tastes a lot like hot German potato salad. Quilting was the main event of the evening, but I also cut up extra potatoes and made an egg casserole to take to work on Tuesday morning, since Tuesday was an election day. I got to work about 6 that morning. The day was calm and all went smoothly. The results were in and we all left for home by 9:30 at night!

Wednesday was a very nice day - almost 60 deg. The beginning runners program started that night, in a different location with different parking arrangements than we'd had in the past. By the end of the day, I was so tired that it was an emotional strain to get to the proper parking garage - the garage is "new" and I frankly forgot it was there, causing a major search operation. Then it was a .4 mile jaunt from the garage to the auditorium. It was SO nice out, though. I'm glad it was warm because since I was running late, I neglected to take gloves, cap, etc. The program should go well this year because there are great leaders. Then we walked/ran around the quad about 3 times, and then had to go back to the garage, and figure out how to get out of there. It was different than the garage I park in every day at work. You have to pay at a kiosk or get your ticket marked even if it's after 5 and free time! Of course no one knew this and the traffic was pretty jammed. I didn't get out of there and home on time to attend Ash Wednesday service. So I just ate, quilted awhile and went to bed early.

Thursday we had rain all day and thunderstorms when I left work, so I did not go running. Instead I stopped at the grocery store on the way home. I made leftover ribs, glazed carrots and applesauce for dinner. It was yummy. Then I quilted for 3 hours.

Friday morning I got my hair cut - looks short and spiky right now. That evening we were taken out to dinner by friends whom drh had helped with their computer. An early night, which I needed. So I finished quilting the border and put the binding on the quilt and started hand sewing the binding on the back. I thought I would have to work Saturday, but the plan was changed by my boss, thank goodness! - she decided we wouldn't be open after all.

The house was a wreck, but I cleaned and tidied and vacuumed and dusted and stripped beds and did dishes and cleaned bathrooms and hung clothes and swept the kitchen and wiped the counters, etc. from 8 til noon on Saturday morning. As much as you can enjoy housecleaning, I was liking it - things were looking good. Jumped in the shower and got out and ready just as my sis and b-i-l arrived. We cooked some chili for lunch. Then sis and I took off for town and a short visit to the fullest fabric store in the world. I'm sure there are places with more fabric, but nowhere is there more fabric per cubic foot of retail space. Always an adventure. We picked out a few things, then went to Joann's for some machine needles and hand sewing needles.

For supper I made oven roasted potato cubes, fruit salad and oven turkey/provolone/tomato/black olive sandwiches, with gingerbread and lemon pudding for dessert. After dinner my sis and I sewed on bindings - she had a couple little wall hangings from her quilt guild service projects to work on.

Today we ate fried eggs thanks to drh, read the paper, drank coffee, read quilt books my sis brought, gift wrapped the quilt and other small presents, started fixing lunch for my d#2 and s-i-l, d#1 (who was honored at the baby shower today!), a friend of hers, and my m&f-i-l, who all arrived before noon. Quite the party! We ladies left for the shower and the guys stayed home and ate leftover gingerbread. We missed d#1's hubby, but he had some other plans and didn't come.

Thanks to all the activities of the weekend, I didn't get to run, but the housework gave me a little exercise. I am ready for a normal schedule, as I always say.

Weekend was Too Short - This Report is Too Long

I didn't get as much accomplished as I'd have liked this weekend but as I look back, it wasn't too bad. On Friday night, we went to my in-laws' for supper and had a good visit. Our daughter and her husband (A&M) also came. We hadn't been together for a few weeks, and it was great to see them all. She is feeling and looking wonderful - only two more months til Baby arrives! The meal was great: bbq'd country ribs, scalloped potatoes, corn, creamed peas, salad, and strawberries on angel food cake.

Saturday we woke up to snow as predicted, but the amount was a surprise. It was only a dusting whereas the weather forecast had been for a few inches. I woke up in the night and heard it raining, and had to get up and look outside to make sure I was hearing right.

The snow didn't keep us inside, but it was awfully windy and cold. I had planned to work on sewing all day, and did get borders sewn on and binding cut, and backing pieced. I laid it all out in layers and pinned. But then I had to do LOTS of unsewing because the batting was icky. I had chosen a fleece batting, but it was heavy and the backing sort of stuck to it and puckered and stretched seemingly when I did the quilting. So I spent about 3 hrs picking out an hour worth of stitches, used another batting (low-loft), pinned it again and started quilting again.

That wasn't super successful, and I was disappointed that it wasn't turning out as nicely as the "practice" quilt I made for drh the past few weeks. Anyway, when I decided to just quilt one block at a time and not sew down the whole line from top to bottom at once, I had much better results.

I tried some stipple pattern quilting yesterday and wasn't pleased with that either. It may just take more practice. But I had practiced the spirals, so I went with that again. Well, it doesn't have to be different - I guess if I've found something that works and I like the results, I should just stick with that for now.

Saturday night I made chicken tetrazzini with some cooked chicken from the freezer, fresh mushrooms, green onions, milk, flour, seasonings, white wine, linguine noodles. It was pretty yummy and there was enough left to fill a casserole for today's church potluck.

Today we got lots of church volunteering done on one day. This whole month we've been coffee hour hosts, and drh has run the sound system. Today he also sang in choir, and we were "coordinators" for the noon potluck. That was just a matter of setting up two tables for food and getting out plates and silverware, and mixing up more lemonade. I let drh handle all that, as I also led my Sunday school class! Whew. I was supposed to go buy some supplies for the pancake supper for the Fat Tuesday meal, but another lady said she had to go to town anyway.

I worked on the quilt this afternoon, read the paper, took a nap, and ran 4 miles. Finally the wind died down a bit and the sun was shining. For supper we just had snacks since we had a big meal at noon. Spent the evening reading cooking magazines, looking at quilting blogs on the internet and doing laundry.

This will be a busy week - election day on Tuesday, beginning running group starts on Wednesday, going out to eat with friends on Friday, work on Saturday a.m. and relatives coming at noon, baby shower on Sunday. Whew - when will I get the quilt done? I better go work on it a few more minutes before bed. But more importantly, when will I get the bed changed, the bathroom cleaned and shopping done for company dinner? I think I might make turkey/tomato/black olive/provolone sandwiches - bread brushed with olive oil and oregano first, then wrapped in foil and oven-heated. With that, a romaine salad with cannelini beans and homemade herb/oil/vinegar dressing. Must think of what wine to choose...

Oh, I also want to have a bird week here - I need practice with my camera so come back - I don't know when it will be - maybe next week.

The weather this week doesn't look much better than we've been having. I am ready for spring...

Itching to Try

I have a terrible craving to try some freehand quilting in the stippling pattern. I must, I must, and feeling that I will do something about it today and before I finish sewing the rows of the "next project." It might take lots of practice.

Ta-Da!

Here it is! This is how it will actually be used - leaving my half of the bed with fewer blankets because I get hot at night and drh gets cold. He really likes it, I'm happy to say. He is glad it's big enough to cover his feet, unlike the tan throw now folded over the footboard. Now I can start on my new project! I had to take the quilt to work with me to show my co-workers, and he asked me first thing when I got home where it was. Then I had to take it back again because one lady was sick and absent, and he said, Don't lose it!

I haven't said much about running lately, but I'm still running. The weather and work schedules still seem to interfere with getting back to my old routine, but last week and this have been better, as recorded below:

Feb. 3 - ran 2.5 mi. on treadmill at the gym

Feb. 5 - ran 4.25 mi. w/ run club folks, outside on streets 5:30 p.m., 28 deg. and dark.

Feb. 7 - ran 6.2 mi. run club "fun run" for Boys & Girls Club on walking trail, 8:00 a.m., 48 deg. and sunny and breezy. There were still icy places on the trail where I had to walk.

Feb. 11 - ran 2.5 mi. on treadmill at the gym

Feb 12 - ran 3 mi. w/ run club folks, on trail 5:30 p.m., 42 deg. and still a little light out when we started! It was nice. Celebrated one gal's b'day afterwards.

I have a feeling that the cutback in miles the past couple months did a little good in that my shins are feeling really good right now. And my foot feels better the day after a run than it does two days after. And the increase is good for one thing - my waistline is shrinking back again!

There are two races in March that I won't sign up for yet because we're still debating on when we're getting together with drh's folks for Easter/birthdays celebrations. But when we have a day like today with milder temperatures and sunshine, I can't wait to get out to run more.