Tetris QAL Catch Up: Week 1 & 2

Hello, all!

Last week I posted about joining Melissa's Tetris QAL.  (It is the previous post)  I had great intentions but night shift so kicked my butt last weekend.  Then may kids all decided to come home.  You get the picture.  I didn't do anything!

I was supposed to work this past weekend but took Saturday off to be with the kids.  We have some temporary summer help and she wanted the hours.  So, it was  a win- win.  I will just say that between 9:00 p.m. Friday night and 9:00 p.m.  Saturday my dishwasher was ran FIVE times.  I did a lot of cooking but no sewing.

I am off today and back on nights again tomorrow.  I made these blocks my priority.  Did I mention I had not cut the fabric yet??  I was trying to decide on a size.  I debated and calculated and mulled... Finally, I got out the Tetris game and looked at it.  I can be a little anal wrapped up in the details at times.  I wanted room to have a block or two "falling" when the quilt was done.  I decided to cut my fabric at 4" and make the six blocks in the quilt along and then two more on top with whatever sticks up and one falling, I hope.

After cutting wrong twice, here are my fabrics.

 The bottom right IS purple. I was having a hard time getting it to show true today and then the camera battery died.  I don't know why.  I charged it before I went to Texas.......in March!

Being a week late I noticed folks were taking pictures of their grid.  So, I did, too. Coloring has never been a strong point for me.

Melissa's directions called for white as the filler but I wanted black like the game.  I wish the detail on the fabric showed up better.  All of them are prints of some sort.  The orange has a little diamond design in it.  I now wish I had not used that pink batik. It is flimsy and it stretches too much.

This is Week 1

Here is Week 2.  See the orange and red in the first row are carry over from Week 1.

Tomorrow she publishes the tiles for week 3.  Hopefully I can get it done before I go to work tomorrow and be caught up!.

Thanks for looking.

Going to do another post today about other quilty things.

Keep Stitchin'!!
Mary

p.s.  I didn't want to rethread another machine or move anything.  So, I am just doing these on the Janome 6600.  I do love that machine but it is kind of noisy right now.  I need a new bobbin case after a broken needle.  Don't ask.  It was ugly.  Brought my husband up the stairs to laugh at me as I muttered and cursed.

Tetris Quilt Along

Hi, all!  Back on nights again.  One more and I am done with them for a week.  I found a quilt along I am going to do.  I will be a week behind but I think I can catch up on my days off. It is a Tetris quilt along over at Happy Quilting.  I have looked at several of this week's blocks and I laughed at myself.  Everyone kept saying, "I have never played Tetris."

Boy, I have!  That is the one video game I could kick my boys' butts at. When they were in elementary school they played chess competitively.  Just as soon as the kids went in for a match we mothers picked up the Gameboys to play Tetris.  I just couldn't resist this QAL even though I have more irons than I do fire right now.

I did go to my sewing room and sew a strip on the wrong side of 10 blocks.  I was very upset until I set down to take them off and realized the tension was messed up.  The stitching came out easily.  I will have to fix the issue and try again.  I want these blocks done before my kids come home this weekend.  This quilt is for my DIL and I want her to help decide the layout.  Then I can work on my tetris quilt blocks.  Kind of excited about that!

Hopefully I will have some pictures to post tomorrow.  It isn't too late to join in.  Hop on over the Melissa's and check it out!

Keep stitchin'!

Mary

Little Finishes For Friday

I was busy this week.  Seems that I spent a lot of time ripping stuff out on the Orion's Star.  Finally figure out what I had done wrong. I really shouldn't work on something like that when I am having a migraine.   It is on its way again and there are no pictures of the glaring mistakes.  So, only you and I know!  I have 9 blocks completely done and the all of the centers for the other sixteen are finally correct.

I posted last Saturday about making pillow case dresses.  I made a couple more this week.

The trim on the bottom is white cotton lace that I threaded some 1/8" ribbon I won in a giveaway at Craft Nurse Quilts. It is a piece of teal and a piece of purple.  I then had to tack that ribbon in place every 6" to keep it from sliding.  Sometimes my lack of forethought is astounding.

One of the others I had made was too small.  So, back to the scrap heap.

That little button says, "Cute as a Button" and she surely is.  I can't wait to see her in it.  I used the hot dog pillowcase technique to add the bottom accent.  If you google it you can find several references if you have never seen it.  I have done it for years and just didn't know what it was called.

Okay....what else did I finish.  Hmmm....on Sunday I did a bag for Meghan's Birthday.  It turned out cute and I hope you check it out.  I also finished my BOM blocks that evening.

 I love this block.  Those larger blocks are actually red.  It is such  a cute block but I am sick to death of the yellow in this quilt.  At our meeting on Monday she tried to get us to sign up for next year's Civil War BOM and I said no.  Then I went back yesterday and signed up (after she offered to change one of the fabrics for me)!

I also went to the fair and looked around.  Next year I am entering some things in the fair.

Today the UPS man came.  He brought me this.

I know.  She looks a lot like Ida.  She is the same model but she really needs a face lift.  So.... We are going to paint her RED!  She will look so smoking hot!  I can't wait.  I hope she is done for the next time I go to retreat.  I may actually do some work on decorating my sewing room if I have her around to look at.  I am going to name her Barb after my Aunt Barb.

Aunt Barb was a lot of fun and wilder than a March hare.  She got married at 15 at the business end of a shotgun.  Rumor has it that gun was pointed at her!  She pierced her own ears in the bathroom one evening and when she asked if they were even her husband passed out.  Aunt Barb had three sons, too and her favorite color was red.  She would approve I am sure.

I am going to link up was Sarah over at Confessions of  Fabric Addict.  She is having a great giveaway.  Whoop, Whoop!!!  Be sure to hop on over and enter.  Say something nice on some of the blogs.  We all love comments! Also linking up with Richard and Tanya.

Keep Stitchin'!

Mary

Mary Had a Little Lamb...

....three times over.  And, apparently, one of the lambs grew up (actually all did) and is having a little lamb of his own.  First grandchild is due in December.

Happy Birthday, Meghan

Today there was a family dinner for my husband's niece, Meghan.  Tomorrow she will be eighteen.  We didn't decide to go until this morning.  So, I had no gift.  I have to go to "town" tomorrow. Figured I would pick something up then.

Not wanting to go empty handed, I made this this morning.

I would change a few things on the next one but I thought it was cute. I wish I had taken more pictures but I forgot in my rush.  I have since added buttons on both sides in the center of the yellow.  They are pink flowers with yellow centers.  The zipper doesn't show up well but it is lavender/purple and I had a heart charm I put on the pull tab.  It is lined in green.  I know the picture gives no perspective but those are 2" squares and a 12" zipper.

I think it turned out kind of cute and she seemed happy.  I also made her card since I didn't have one!  For some reason she really liked it.  So, it was a good day.  Even better is I spent no money.  Everything I used was from my stash AND all of this had been bought on sale!

Now I really need to work on the blocks for my BOM meeting tomorrow night.  Nothing like procrastination!

Keep Stitchin'!

Mary

Simmering Saturday - Lots of Pots!

I thought about this post all day.  I was just too busy to make it!  Today I canned two loads of green beans.   That was kind of iffy for a while.  I had a stove in my basement for canning.  My husband took it to the shop last month to use as a powder coat oven.  This morning he brought home a used one. I had to help move it in but I now have a stove in the basement, again.

Nothing special but it does the job.

While doing that I also did the laundry, including the bedding and hung it out to dry.  Since my quilting machine is in the basement I also quilted a quilt for my aunt.  She told me to use it to try new things.  So, I did.  Some turned out okay and others not so okay.  Nothing spectacular.  Still trying to develop those skills.

I made homemade pizza for supper.  I was and still am in a bit of snit.  I am not talking and that worries the men in my life.  That's because they are smart.  Sometimes they are smart asses.  Today might have been one of those days.  We will see what tomorrow brings.

After working all day I decided I was going to sew whether or no.  I am in such a mood that I knew piecing wasn't going to cut it.  I needed to SEW!  So, I made my nieces pillow case dresses.

The larger one may be a little long but that will be fine.  I used some decorative stitches on some bias tape I had and added rickrack.  Both of those packages were labeled as fifteen cents.  I can't imagine how old they were but they are still good.

I used fun ribbon I had to hand from another project and added a button to the front of each.  I bought those buttons off the clearance rack for fifty cents a package.  So, each button cost more - a quarter - than the rickrack!  

All the fabric is scraps from other projects, too. 

These are actually for my grand nieces.  I am making one for my niece and stopped this post so I could take pictures of the lace I am working on but forgot!  Guess that means I should stop.

So, what is simmering in your world?  You?  Sewing?  Quilting?  Cooking? Canning?

Keep stirrin' and stitchin'!

Mary

Apple Cheesecake

I am posting a recipe but I am cheating and using one I already had typed up.  Everyone that likes apple pie loves this.  I served it last Thursday night when we had friends visiting from New York.  Their sons loved it as do mine.  I failed to take a picture before it disappeared but it is worth the work.

Apple Cheesecake from Mary

Bake at 350°F

2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
2 8oz pck cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup  + 2 tbsn sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
dash of cloves, if you desire...I desire!
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled & finely chopped


Combine flour & brown sugar.  Cut in butter w/ a
pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.  Press
evenly into a 9x13 pan lined w/ heavy duty foil.
Bake 15 minutes or until light brown.

Beat cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in 1/2 cup sugar,
eggs and vanilla.  Pour over warm crust.

In a small bowl stir together chopped apples, 2 T sugar,
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.  Spoon over cream cheese. 
Sprinkle with streusal topping (see recipe at end).

Bake 30 minutes or until set.  Drizzle with caramel topping,
if desired.

Streusal Topping
1 cup brown sugar
2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup soft butter

Combine all dry ingredients and cut in butter.


Linking up with Cole for Tuesday at the Table.  Be sure to check out everyone's tasty ideas!

Keep stirrin'!

Mary

Blondes Have More Fun

Hello, all!  Warm enough for you?  My aunt lives in San Antonio.  It has actually been hotter here the past two weeks than there.  Today was 107°F with a heat index reaching 130° in places.  One of the local state parks caught on fire today.

I went to the beauty shop - sorrry - hair salon today.  One of the women there had a jar and if you mentioned the heat she wanted you to contribute a dollar to her vacation fund.  I didn't have to contribute.  I had goose bumps.  Should have realized what that was a sign of.  I finally told my hair dresser, "You just have to reach a stopping point as quickly as you can no matter the results.  I HAVE to leave as soon as possible!"  So, thanks to Mr. Migraine (I assume mine are male because it takes a man to cause me this much pain), I currently have blonde hair instead of my normal brown with blonde high lights.  We will see if I have more fun.  This afternoon, not so much!

I did work on a teeny tiny bit of sewing this afternoon.  I made new bags for the corn hole game.  We are going SOUTH to our son's tomorrow and he wants to play.  Fool....

In preparation for leaving the dogs home we have buckets in the freezer making ice blocks for the dogs' bowls.  It is toasty here!

Last weekend (Sunday I think) I finished these clothespin aprons for my sisters. (You would think that someone that sews, has multiple machines set up at all times and more fabric than a lot of stores would actually have curtains on those rods.  This is my "temporary" sewing room.  I don't want to commit that much!)

The fabric is from Connecting Threads and called Canning Day.  The embroidery designs are from Embroidery Library.  The pattern is self-designed.  I have three more to make and am working on a tutorial/pattern if anyone is interested.  Only one has been delivered (actually picked up) and she seemed to like it.  I really like mine.  I came home the other day and hubby had it hanging on the line with the hanger.   So, it worked just like I intended.

I crocheted some this week, too.  I was trying (unsuccessfully) a new pattern.  I like to try something small like a dishcloth first.  Dishcloths wear out so fast that you always need more.

Even if I didn't get the pattern just right, it is pretty.  I will give it to my DIL tomorrow when we go there.

The garden is producing.  It is a struggle with the drought.  But we have beans to pick tomorrow evening or Sunday morning.  We are also eating squash, zucchini, broccoli, peppers and cukes.

I am continuing on the baby items quest.  Right now I have three crocheted caps, a half dozen wash cloths, two hooded towels and ten burp cloths.  I have the yarn to start a sweater and the fabric for one of the quilts I am making.  I just have to pick the design.  Very happy to have a use for all the pinks and browns I collected!

I am linking up  with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Richard and Tanya today.  Please go check everyone out.

Have a great weekend and try to stay cool!

Mary