WIP

I am still working on the string blocks. I have 23 completed and 25 to finish. At least all of the strings are put together; I just have to add the corners.
School is going well this week. I got my test grades back from last week...96 in Investments and 95 in Managerial Accounting. YEAH!!!
Hope that everyone is having a great week.

Trying to post a picture

If this actually posts, this is my baby, Bea. As a proud Mom of this furbaby, I will be posting more pictures of her pretty face. She is a black Persian that will be 2 on Feb 5th. She likes to watch my sewing to let me know if I am doing it right. These are the blocks that I am working on. I am sure that you all recognize Bonnie Hunter's string X pattern. I am using patriotic reds and blues with a white fabric with stars. I have a great red for the inner border and I am going to have to find something for the outside border. I don't have anything and I have not found anything in the LQS that I have checked in. I can't decide on the size to make. Being a large person myself, I always want to make large quilts. Do you think there is a connectiion there???? :). I have the strips made for a 3 by 4 and the blocks are 14 inches. Do you think that is big enough? I have no plans for this quilt other than I wanted to do some string blocks.

On another note, I had 3 comments. That is so encouraging!! Thank you so much for taking the time to post something. I was asked if I was a student. I am a 46 year old student. I decided several years ago that I needed to finish my degree after working in the banking industry almost 25 years. I am a senior pursing a BS degree in Business Administration - Financial Management. I still plan to stay in banking. Also, thank you Sister for your anonomyous comments...I think that it is cool that you stop by to see what I am up to.

Hope the picture works as I plan for it to be the first of many!!!

School

I haven't posted or done a whole lot of quilting this week. School is officially back and it is kicking my behind!!!! 4 nights a week in classes and homework is tough when working full time. I know that I have signed up for the classes and this is necessary so I can finish before I am 50 but it takes a toll. Enough whining about that....back to quilting. To keep on track to feel like I am doing something, I am incorporating the Flylady method of spending 15 minutes a day in my sewing room. I finally have all the strips cut out so when I go in, I am only sewing. 15 minutes goes by quickly and I find myself not as tired as I thought I was when I went in so it stretches to usually about 45 minutes. So progress is being made. What I haven't accomplished is reading the manuals to the digital camera so I can take pictures of my progress for the blog. Goals for this week: I have 2 tests so I want to make good grades, work 15 minutes in my sewing room everyday and have some pictures loaded to the blog by next Sunday night.

Sunday night

Well it is Sunday night and I am in my usual panic mode of it's the end of a weekend and I have more to do than what I have gotten done. Don't you remember that from school....Sunday night with nothing to wear to school tomorrow plus you don't have your homework done? That would be me. Except tomorrow is a holiday and I feel extra pressure in not making good use of my time.
I am working on my first string quilt. Of course, I am using a pattern from Quiltville (thanks Bonnie). It is the Sting X Quilt and I am using patriotic fabrics with a white star background. I am using my stash (don't quite know how I have patriotic stash when I have never made anything patriotic but I do). I did have to buy my background. I am using foundation paper that I bought from Joann's. Do I have to remove that? It feels so much like interfacing. Can you tell that I am trying to do a shortcut? But I don't want to regret leaving it in if it will cause a problem later.
I purchased a digital camera from Circuit City so that I can start sharing photos with you. My first one will of my baby "Bea". She is a furbaby but she is my baby. I am reading all the manuals so hopefully I will be up and running on this soon.
I have enjoyed reading everyones posts and am starting to make comments. There are many talented people on this ring and I am awed by your work.

Gators

How about those Gators???!!!! We are celebrating in Florida!!!!!! National Champs both in football and basketball. It's great to be a Florida Gator!!!! I have got to get the binding on my Gator fleece throw for my brother. As an alum I know that he is besides himself with joy.
Enough about football, let's talk about something serious....sewing. I am handstitching the bottom of the monogrammed pillow that I finished this morning. I really think that I will work on the binding for the Gator fleece. It would be a quick project to finish up. I am in the mood to work on projects, get them finished and keep my sewing room picked up. Since it's been cleaned up, I have enjoyed going in there to work. Let's see how long it stays that way.

UFO's

The sewing room is cleaned up. Or it is better to say that it is the best it can be with all of the "stuff" that is in there. I have listed my UFO's. There are not as many as I thought that there were. However, that is only because I have not counted the kits that I have purchased but have not started. So here is the really true confession: BOM's that are all there but never started: Santa - Throughout the Year, Snowman - Throughout the Year, Monster Quilt, Kansas Troubles, LQS Christmas BOM. 3 of these are applique which I have never done before. Then I have 14 kits that have not been touched: Green chenille, Cream chenille, Safari kit, Crazy Quilt, Gators Too, Chenille Cuddler, Jack O Glory, Cat Scratch Kit, Great Pumpkin tablerunner, Cheniller, Raggedy Hearts, Redwork piece, Snowman felt purse, cell phone holder. Whew!!!! It's good to get that off my chest. Now that is behind me I feel like I can move on. My goal this week is to make a mongrammed pillow for a new friend and to start my rag quilt. Those are both fast and fun which I feel like I need to have a sense of accomplishment. Hope that you are getting accomplished what you want to have done!

To shop or not

Well, I haven't finished cleaning up/out my sewing room. I keep finding more and more stuff in little plastic bags. I had forgotten so many things that I have purchased. Many times I have wondered which I like more...quilting or buying things to quilt. Makes you go, hmmmmm. So I said, No more shopping. 2007 would only bring fabric to finish items not start new ones. I have made it to the 5th of the month. Then I got the call. A quilt store is going out of business in Dunnellon (about 20 miles away) and everything is 30% off. Do I go or stay home. What's a girl to do????

Sewing Room

I am not starting the New Year off sewing but in organizing my sewing room. What a chore!!! I am grateful at this point that I don't have pictures to show because I would be mortified! However, maybe that would be my motivation to pick it up. I did go out and purchase 2 new 5 drawer organizers along with 2 more bins to help stash everything. I have started on my list of UFO's and projects still in the bag (I like the term PIGS - projects in grocery sacks) so I can decide which project needs my attention first for the year. So how many UFO's do you have? And does the number bother you? Maybe UFO's are like weight....it's only a number unless it bothers you. Just more of life ponderings....

1st Entry

I can't believe that I setup a blog account. After months of lurking on other quilters blogs I have taken the plunge and have gotten started. My first New Year's resolution has been completed. Now on to other victories..... It will be a while before I start posting pictures as I have to buy a digital camera and learn how to work it. I am looking forward to learning and being inspired by other quilters. Happy 2007 to all!