How to Hibernate Because…

 ... "Baby it's cold outside."

We have been hit with snow & cold big time in the past week out here in the boonies of Mid-Michigan. And with all that measurable snow & bitter cold, there was hiding the perfect excuse to sew. I had set up a schedule of my week at the beginning of the year with the goal to myself to become more productive.  I was wondering how it would work but knowing what I'm going to work on daily is refreshing.

I have been scrap cutting this week for several projects/challenges. I have all the bricks that I need for at least one quilt top and just have to trim out some more black & white pieces to make the little 4-patch blocks for this quilt. This one is for my Scrappy Quilt for 2015 Challenge.  I'm going to have it completely finished by the end of the year.

So that mean to playing the large collection of scraps that I have gotten from various friends. This picture shows a shot of 2” squares that was part of a Christmas bag from Ms. C in Alanson, MI.  They just needed to be sorted and added to the box of the other scraps that I have spent time sorting, ironing & cutting this all about weekend.  And let me in on something - my back, legs & joints are really telling me that wasn’t the smart thing to do.

 

I have also been spending time using my evenings productively.  I have been found working either my appliqué project or the cross-stitching projects. But last night I spent time unstitching some blue strip scraps that was cut away from a project that the owner stuck in the box. Most of these strips are in the 2” range so yup, you guessed it. Waste not, want not. Good towards the “nope not buying”  theme. In for a penny in - for a pound of frugalness.

I'm taking part in a Pat Sloan challenge that is actually a 2-fold challenge. I'm sort of doing a rainbow challenge also with it, so I'm currently playing with blue scraps. You can see the little stack for 2” that I have started on my own.  It doesn’t look like much but there was 50 pieces.  As a good start for those “Hip …” blocks.

I'm also taking part in TQPM's  "Over the Rainbow" challenge. They are doing the 1st block for free here. I love this magazine!! I received it as a gift & I'm totally hooked! There is a button on the right if you want to check it out. I even put some blues in there too. LOL.

If things go my way this week  - I should have a finished quilt top by next week.  Now if you remember, the goals for the UFO's is to have the tops done in order to remove it from the UFO list. It's thrilling to see the finish line so close in the near future.  It's just a WOW!! moment and it has me thinking/looking for the next one already.

I have to get the second set of laser injections in my lower left hand side. I can’t wait!! The cold is really crippling me with pain but I’m trying to still stay on my sewing day-to-day schedule as a way to cope distract myself.  Every stitch is like a mini victory. And sitting in front of the fire is the way to pass the time away.  Just ask the Girls.

But then there is the whole play time thing too.  There is always lots of things to play with or in. There are mice to fetch, moving lasers to chase and boxes to play in. As they prove here.

 

So you can see there is always things to do around here. Some way to past the time this cold & bitter start of the new year and the time of measurable snow. You never can tell what the camera can catch or what quilty goals can be met. So until next tme…

Toodles,

Tricia