Hop to it Block Eleven----

My humility block..... I don't know what I was thinking.  I cut it out right after Christmas-- a little tired of the whole green/red thing I guess.  I tried dressing it up with alternating thread colors(which were tough to find!!!)  the light green leaves were supposed to be on top of the vine-- I realized after the fact.  Well, no one ever accused me of being perfect I tromped out in deep snow for this picture.  Oh-- and the block is going in the quilt regardless.  It reminds me of all the above.  Sometimes great colors just don't go together.  Most of my quilts are displayed from a rack or my quilt ladder.  I've been contemplating rearranging the blocks of this quilt that I'm doing with Sue and Mary--- This pretty much seals the deal.  It's OK if everyone doesn't see this block.

I can still laugh at the snow in this photo...an this quilt block.....

Happy Monday Everyone....

My Weekend....

I had a completely quilting weekend.  Don was off on Friday and did the weekend chores.  We slept in and did pretty much what ever we wanted. I went snowshoeing with the pups in the morning and evening. I finished my tablerunner.

 It kind of looks like Valentine's Day only not so much. It's a closeout pattern I found at the quilt shop.  I though the snowman was cute---maybe another year.

 So I changed the stichery in the middle.   I wanted an "anytime" table runner.  It was fun and easy.  I am no good with the triangle edges, so I made squares and then got my ruler and cut them to make the straight edge.

I smile because I pulled from the fabric cabinet.  The solid squares are an old Thimbleberries print. The beige in the nine-patches are an old piece of Walmart fabric that I tea dyed last Saturday.  Yes Folks--- My name is Melanie and I have been known to purchase pieces of fabric from Walmart.  When you live in a small town and until a few years ago the nearest fabric store was 50 miles away-- you try to plan, but when you don't...there's walmart.

I've got a trip to Omaha this week, so I have two wool blocks cut out for airplane stitching. It should be a great week.

Binding--

Almost a year after I started it---I have made and started binding the edges.

I'm going to have a Spring quilt to display before you know it....

Kicking around making a few lists-- Works in progress.  Dreams in progress.  Plans for spending,  Plans for  NOT spending...Truthfully it's a little intimidating...still just kicking it around.....

I do know that I want complete projects this year instead of having several things so close to being done that I could just taste it. I want to start a project and see it all the way to the end....

I stayed awayed from Pinterest for as long as I could---probably about six weeks--- but I am slowly building boards. It's inspiring.

There truly isn't enough hours in the day....

Keep stitching....

Project Pieces....

I had planned on sewing tons tonight-- but my pups decided it wasn't in the game plan.   So maybe we'll just write about it instead.  Here is the project I'm working on :

Hopefully by this weekend it will be a table runner for my kitchen.  Nine patches are relaxing.  There's nothing new in this project-- I just pulled fabrics from the cabinet.

Well-- why haven't I been sewing-- aside from the usual, work, laundry,exercise rituals that we do for life... I went to the Packer playoff game ten days ago.  You know you are having fun when they lose and you still consider it fun.  My college kids brought friends home for the annual chinese family cooking one weekend.  We had so much fun.

Last weekend we had Don's cousin from Florida-- who had never crossed the Mason Dixon Line--- Visited for 4 days.  We gave him the Ultimate U.P. Experience--- hiking, snowshoeing, sledding, icefishing  plus all the local foods.... Oh how we had fun.   Sometimes you have to see your home through others eyes to renew your appreciation for it....

My First Finish--- Almost....

For Chelsey... wishes for a Christmas gift....it's looking more like her birthday present.  Not my colors or even my style--- but I just smile when I look at it because it is ---so----Chelsey.  Made with a fabric line called 'Harmony', it fits my daughter's life for this brief window in time. 

 She dating a nice guy (I probably just jinxed it), her job is going great, her newspaper wants to pay her for writing, school is chugging along... Harmony....It may not last, but we have to bask in the moments.

It hasn't snowed all week.  But if I grab my clothes pins and camera and sure enough it starts peppering down.  You can see the tiny flakes...

We had my office Christmas party last night.  I won a television for my sewing room... I was thrilled. I told  everyone I planned on winning it--- they just didn't believe it...

Lesson to the story--- You have to believe........

Enjoy the football playoffs this weekend....

New Year's Day

We were home before midnight-- as predicted. There was just something comforting about laying in bed listening to fireworks go off down the road.  We went to church this morning. The afternoon was based on an afternoon nap, snowshoeing the pups, and football.

Yesterday we took the Christmas tree down and put away the decorations.  Don always laughs and says we'll be sweeping  evergreen needles until it's time to bring out the Easter grass.

I cut out my block of the month for January.  Ready for a change--- there's no red or pinegreen in this one.

Fresh snow made snowshoeing fun.  The winds are howling tonight. The electricity has even blinked a couple of times.  Makes you feel glad you are tucked in at home.  I've got the day off tomorrow.  I'm knocking out the chores early so I can spend time in my sewing room.

A new year is a chance for new starts--- realizing however-- we truly get a new start every day.  Believe in yourself.  Mark today as the time you stop comparing yourself to others.  There's no one quite like you...

Am I trying to convince you -- or myself.... maybe a little of both... Happy New Year.....