I have moved my quilting blog to my new blog site at: The Grateful Stitcher. I have been working on lots of quilt projects such as the Monochromatic challenge, UFO Challenge, Several Quilt alongs, mystery quilts, and BOM. I plan moving all my quilting, sewing, embroidery topics over to the new site so have fun and go check it out. Oh, and I added a great page to BOM, Challenges, etc as well as a page to Mystery quilts that are in the process or upcoming. So if your looking for a new project to do, just check the links and find something that tickles your fancy. : ) Have a great and creative week. : )
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I keep hearing these songs in my head while working on the RRCB (Roll Roll Cotton Boll) Mystery Quilt. One is ” row row row your boat” and the other is the old rawhide song .. yet it goes “rolling , rolling , rolling, ……” Do you think I might need to put on some music while I work? LOL
YES, I see progress with this project. Here is my most recent photo of the RRCB project laying out on the floor.
I have recently put all these blocks together and am in the process of adding borders. First I have to find a spot to lay it all out and square up the edges. It’s a nice BIG quilt and I love Big Quilts. : )
My UFO project has started coming together this past week. You can it’s progress on my UFO page (menu above).
Unfortunately my Monochromatic Challenge is still waiting to be cut. I designed it in EQ7 – as a bed runner to keep my seemingly always cold feet, warm at nights. Here is a sample image of the design. I have to find some white/gray batik for my background. And I’m still not sure on the border at this point. I’ll make my decision once I get to that point.
If this design turns out nice enough I plan to provide a copy of my EQ file to all my followers – so stay sign up and stay-tuned. : ) Hugs and have a great creative week.
New Years Day started off with a bang here at my house! First thing was Planet patchworks New Years Day Mystery Quilt. Before even getting dressed I was up and sewing.
Back downstairs to get the next clue, brushed my hair and put on some pants – but kept in my top jammies and robe along with my warm slippers – the sewing room was still soo cold.
Next clue finished, and down for the next one (grab a bite to eat for breakfast first, and warm up my numb fingers), put on my makeup , a sweatshirt and my fuzzy slipper stayed put – lol.
This clue went fast so down for the next one. All was going just great until…..three blocks left of decorative stitching and my cheap backup machine litterly froze up. I can tell by the sound – this is not good, not a jam, something inside the machine.
I switch to the Janome and pull up the same decorative stitch, adjust it to look as close to the other one as I can get it and continue on my way. Time to pc. the blocks now – still thinking about how much it’s going to cost me to fix the little brother. Finally wake up from day dreaming and notice I have been stiching the last four blocks wrong side to right side. ACK – time to rip out and do over.
Finally done with that step, down for the last clues ( I am now behind by one).
I finish up both clues with no problem other then I wish I had maybe used a different fabric in a few of the blocks. But all looks good. 
Shown here with top completed, I will now check to see how it looks (size wize) on my large dining table. I may need to add one more border before assembly and quilting. Then I need to decide on a quilting design. This is hwere I always get a creative freeze up – picking quiliting designs. I dont’ know if its that I’m afraid I may make the wrong choice, or that I’m afraid of my inexperience. Either way, the only way to get over this problem is to do it , do it some more, and then do it some more.Yes, this is something I am challenging myself to gain more experience at throughout the year.
With the mystery done, I went back to my computer and checked out the other creative oportunitites I have been anxiously awaiting word from.
Sketchbook Challenge – you remember me mentioning it last month here on the blog. The first months challenge has been posted. Theme “Highly Prized”. My sketch skills are very rusty, but I am hoping this year to get back up to par with these monthly challenges. Then apply some of my work to embroidery or quilting or both. The theme make me think a lot about what in my life I would consider “Highly Prized”. I’m making a list this week and will set up a page here at my blog to show you what I have come up with along with my sketch progress.
Next I checked on the UFO challenge from Planet Patchwork. You can see my list of UFO’s on my UFO page and keep up to date on what I’m doing. The number of the project to be finished this month is #6. I rushed to my blog page to see which UFO I had posted as number six. Oh, No! The biggest project of all. The Buffalo Ridge Quilt. Ok, I can either think positive or negative about this. Postitively this is great that the biggest project is to be done first, so that it will be done and out of the way making the rest of the year’s UFO’s seem a whole lot easier to tackle. Go to my UFO page to read more about Buffalo Ridge and see photo’s.
Next, onto another challege from Planet patchwork called ‘Monochromatic’. I just found this one and just had to do it. First color “Yellow”. AGGG, Yellow – Now dn’t get me wrong, I LOVE Yellow. I find it very soothing, peaceful, and heartwarming. I even painted my sewing room in light shades of yellow/creams. 
But yellow is one of the hardest colors to work with in quilts, as it can be very overwhelming.
Add this challenge with my biggest UFO project this year to do, and I’m beginning to feel a bit stretched. Humm, maybe I’m over extending myself? Naw! Just pushing myself to get things done this year and use my time more wisely.
I looked through my stash to see what colors of yellows and how much, I had on stock. I’m not to impressed. All I could find were these small pcs. shown below.
Looks like I get to go shopping again. : )
Next I went to check out and download my first BOM from Fat Cat’s Blog site called “Fiesta”. Oh, is this quilt going to be pretty. At least this one, I just have to schedule in one block a month to finish.
Finally an update on RRCB. The mystery is nearing the end and I’m still waiting for my red fabric 
order . Here is a photo of my blocks/colors so far. I am sure my order will arrive this week – so I’ll be Rolling along once again to bring this mystery together.
Ok, I’ve Been talking long enough!
Have a great new year, a creative new year, and challenge yourself a little. : )
