Finally, some progress.....

Yea!  I'm so excited to finally have some completed projects around my house.  Some of these I didn't think would ever get completed, but persistence has finally paid off. 

T-shirt quilt to be quilted - check

Baby afghan with matching hat - check

Apron for local bakery owner to wear to events - check

Sunflower quilt bound (thanks to Debbie)- check



pay no attention to that woman behind the apron :-D



It feels so good to be able to check things off a to do list.  I think the added pressure of most of these projects being for others and not myself got to me a bit.  When it's something for myself, no big deal it doesn't have to be picture perfect.  Proof of this is easy to see in the sunflower quilt.  This quilt by far has been then largest project I've attempted.  I was so proud of myself, until I took it to Paula's Quilt Pantry to be bound only to find (as I was showing it off) that I'd missed the center of one of the sunflowers when I was quilting!  ( I seem to remember reading somewhere that "perfect" quilts were bad luck)  Needless to say, we had a good laugh over it.  But if that had been something I was doing for someone else....I think I would have croaked.

empty sunflower :-/

Looking froward to March it will definitely be full of "madness".  We have 3 dance competitions (one of which will include an overnight stay), my husband's birthday, my Granny Betty's 90th birthday party, and my sister Amy and daughter Katelyn have birthdays the first of April.  Not to mention all the other UFO's that need some attention.  So in a couple of weeks we'll start dancing and partying every weekend, but for now I will bask in some laziness before the next round begins!

Sad, but happy....

Patsy's quilts

On Thursday night I lost my Great Aunt Patsy.  She was such a wonderful person and crafter.  My Granny Alice taught me some basics of crochet when I was a young girl, but Aunt Patsy taught me how to read patterns and thus opened the world of crochet to me.  Aunt Patsy was always making something for someone.  Sometimes she sold them and other times she gave them away.  It always amazed me at the things she would come up with to make, what a truly creative person she was.  Like myself she liked the "figuring it out" part of any project.  Once when we were at a baby shower and an afghan was opened, we both were first to say pass that over here so we can see how it's made. 



my baby blanket(left) - Hannah's baby blanket(right)



Aunt Patsy was always full of spunk, and rarely hesitated to say what was on her mind.  Last year I got the opportunity to take both Aunt Patsy and Granny Alice to a UK basketball game at Rupp Arena.  We were even fortunate to get lower arena seats.  If you've never been the opening lineup announcement is quite theatrical with spot lights and fireworks.  After the players are announced the student section is introduced as the "sixth man" for UK.  This is a group of students who get to sit behind the ball goal, and is referred to as "The Eruption Zone".  I almost lost it when Aunt Patsy leaned over to my baby sister and asked, "Did he just say 'erection zone'?"  (Poor Amy)

doily made by Patsy

She suffered many ailments toward the end, but she found comfort in Isaiah 40:31;  "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and be not weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."  What a wonderful promise that she is enjoying right now!  She left behind quite a legacy, both as a person and crafter.  I will always cherish all of the projects I got from her, and will looking forward to seeing her again someday!



Great Aunt Patsy and Granny Alice (left to right)



It' groundhog day!!!!!



UFO #6



Well it's groundhog day, and I'm feeling a bit like Bill Murray. The past couple of weeks seem like part of a wild dream. I joined the UFO challenge as a way to motivate myself to finish all of these projects I've got laying around the house(literally), but instead I seem to have even more projects popping up. So far for the month of January I was to complete a table runner, but instead I've crocheted baby hats, agreed to crochet a baby afghan (with matching hat), quilt a t-shirt quilt, and make aprons for a girl's bakery when they vendor!



apron fabric



Needless to say my UFO project for January did not get 100% finished, but it did get some much needed attention.  The deadline was 1/31, but I'm going to give it until the end of the week.  My work schedule is nice in that every 3rd weekend I work Sat and Sun, which then gives me the rest of the week off (woo hoo!! 7 days off in a row).  It's like being on vacation every third week!  So I have dubbed these "vacation" weeks as crafting weeks.  Hopefully this week I can catch back up and even finish a project (or two)!!!



0But alas, besides these projects there are of course all the little nuances that pop up called life. Things like my dad's 18 year old truck getting stolen right out of his driveway. That thing was like a part of the family. So, when it was found completely torched we almost feel as though we needed to have a funeral. Then of course with 3 kiddos if 1 gets sick odds are there will be more sickness to follow (they are so very good at sharing the good stuff like flu and strep germs)! Poor planning on my part...can you say grocery store, first of the month, during a winter weather advisory.  Good times for all.  And don't even get me started on this weather! At first it was nice and pretty, but know it's just annoying. With a 4 month old you kinda feel like a prisoner in your own home because you don't want to expose them to the harsh temperatures, rain/snow, gusting winter winds, or germs of all shapes and sizes!!!



baby afghan



But, with all the craziness aside I have even more to be thankful for everyday. Another self issued challenge is to read my Bible thru from cover to cover.  My dear, sweet husband got me an iPod for Christmas to which I can down load music, games, and all kids of apps.  While browsing the app store at the beginning of January I found a Bible reader app, and since it was free had no reason not to download it to my iPod.  I don't get to read as much as it recommends everyday, but what I do get to read has proven to be very encouraging and uplifting.  So here's hoping ol' Puxatawny Phil is right and spring will make an early arrival. Just can't wait to see what will "hatch" next!?!?!?