Happy Leap Day! (aka Wordless Wednesday)

15 Minute Challenge - Week 8, 2012

I was very excited this morning when I got an e-mail from Kate, at Life In Pieces, telling me that I was a winner!  Thanks Kate!  and of course, thanks for the challenge.. I had another good week -- if quilt shows and museums count.

Tuesday - bought fabric and thread
Wednesday - sewed blocks for Sara's quilt
Thursday - sewed blocks for Sara's quilt
Friday - visited San Jose Textile and Quilt Museum
Saturday - Quilt show
Sunday - sewed blocks together for Sara's quilt
Monday - nothing

I still haven't posted any pictures of the Disappearing Giraffes quilt.  I'm taking the day off tomorrow and will try and take some pictures then.

I only took one picture at the quilt show and no pictures at the museum.   I think these monsters are pretty cute ..

Make sure to check out Life in Pieces and see how everyone is doing with their challenge or link up and report on what you've been doing.

15 minute challenge - Week 7, 2012

Here's my report on the challenge for this week.  Click here to check out the 15-minute challenge at Life in Pieces or just to see what everyone else has been up to.

Tuesday - quilting on the dg* quilt
Wednesday - finish quilting dg quilt, make binding
Thursday - sew binding onto quilt/begin hand sewing binding
Friday - binding
Saturday - binding
Sunday - Finish binding; wash quilt
Monday - buy fabric at Ikea for Sara's Bird Quilt

Best week I've had in ages.  I took a lot longer with the binding than usual, but on Friday and Saturday I think I only worked on it for 15 minutes.  But I did finally finish.  I'll post a picture when I take it in the daylight.  So I've finished two quilts this year!! Yay!

*disappearing giraffes quilt

Rummaging - $1 finds

I'm sure you thought that I'd forgotten I wanted to get a bunch of $1 items this year (see my list, #21), but I haven't.  I just haven't had the opportunity to get out and do some "shopping".  However, this weekend, I went to a rummage sale at my friend's church.  I got there a little late -- they opened at 9 and I got there at 9:30 and most of the good stuff was already gone.  However, I persevered and found a few things.  There were some really cute plates, but someone scarfed them up while I was thinking about them, the same for some cute juice glasses.  There was a bunch of $1 stuff - and under $1 too, but I need to buy things that I think I will actually use. 

I got these four books for $1.  

The most fun one is the book on how to make sock toys.  Who knew you could make a sock bunny, kitty, teddy bear, polar bear, donkey .. and it goes on and on.  There are 50 toys to make in this book.

A favorite book from when I was young.  My favorite poem in this book is "Disobedience".  What does that say about me?

I got this one so that my OD could read Curious George to the boys in French.  

She spent almost a year in France and hopefully will enjoy this.

What's not to like about this? Maurice Sendak and all.  Another book to read to the boys.

These cost $.25.   I thought they would work as chip clips, but they aren't strong enough.  They are pretty though.

A pretty good haul and it won't take up too much space.

Favorite Things Friday

It's time, once again, to link up with Shay at Quilting in My Pyjamas and share our favorites.  I was going to do a post on zip lock baggies which are a real favorite; but after seeing Shay's post, baggies just didn't cut it.  As a matter of fact, there's not much that I could come up with that would really compare with her favorite.  So, my favorite this week, is pretty fabrics, made into pretty bindings..

or maybe my favorite is fun treats made from recipes found on pinterest ...

I made these candies/snacks and took them to the office on February 14 as a Valentine's Day treat.  They were enjoyed by all, mostly me.  They were super easy to make -- a square pretzel with a Hershey's hug, baked at 200 degrees for 4-5 minutes, then an M&M put on top.  I can use these for St. Patty's day or Christmas, Halloween ...

Wordless Wednesday

15 Minute Challenge - Week 6 - 2012

Tuesday -- sewed backing together, basted disappearing giraffes quilt
Wednesday - quilted dg quilt
Thursday - nada
Friday - quilted dg quilt
Saturday - zip
Sunday - visited numerous quilt/fabric stores
Monday - quilted dg quilt

I was supposed to have the disappearing giraffes quilt finished by Sunday this week, but obviously that didn't happen.  The end is in sight and I will know how much more I have to do tonight (if I spend some time with it, that is).

No pictures, yet.

If you'd like to see how others have done on the 15 minute challenge or if you'd like to link up yourself (and have a chance at a giveaway), click here and you will be transported to Life in Pieces.

Favorite Things Friday

My favorite this week is another food thing .. well, it's more than a food thing, it's good food and good friends.

There were two "events" recently that fall into this category. 

The first was Super Bowl Sunday.  I stayed home and watched the game with my father, my husband, my YS and DIL and the two grandsons.  My husband and my DIL made all sorts of great food:  two great dips to go with chips and ka-bobs - shrimp and beef.  I made bacon wrapped jalapenos.  I feel like there was more food, but I can't think of it now.  It was enough for an army but there were only the seven of us to eat it all.

The second was just last night.  After work, my boss and I had dinner with a former co-worker who has just moved into the Northern California area (we all used to work together in DC (sort of)).  We ate at The Fish Market.

We had wonderful appetizers -- oysters (okay, I don't like them, but others do), crab and artichoke dip, and ahi poke (which is sashimi), followed by an excellent entre - we each had a different kind of fresh fish.  The food was heavenly.  We talked about old times, people we knew (finding out what our common acquaintance were up to), and new times.  It was a genuinely wonderful time. 

I also found out that my former co-worker is a quilter.  She sounds like a real quilter as opposed to the newbie, scrappy, not-so-perfect quilter that I am (but that means I have someone else to learn techniques from).  We are planning on going to an upcoming quilt show together and maybe even checking out some quilt stores.  So exciting!

Anyway, that's my favorite this week -- good food and good friends (and family) -- good times!!

Check out Quilting In My Pyjamas to see what other people have picked as their favorites this week, and if you are so inclined, post a favorite of yours and link up too!!

Wordless Wednesday

15 Minute Challenge - Week 5 - 2012

Tuesday - Nothing
Wednesday - Made 5 nine patch blocks
Thursday - Nothing
Friday - Nothing
Saturday - Finished the disappearing nine patches; put quilt top together

Sunday - put border on dnp quilt
Monday - nothing

Although I only have three days of sewing, I spent more than 25 minutes on the days I did sew.  I should have done some knitting while I was watching all those movies (and the Super Bowl) but I didn't.  I did do some calculations regarding the backing and found that I need to get more of the backing fabric (56 inches more).  That's what comes of not planning and just winging it.  I hope they still have it.  If not, I'll have to figure something else out.. 

So, that's my week.  Remember to check out Life in Pieces to see how others have done this week and to link up yourself.

The List - Update Week 5

So this week, we saw Midnight in Paris, (on DVD), it's one of the Grammy nominees.  It was a Woody Allen movie with Luke Wilson and Rachel McAdams.  Interesting.

We also watched Moneyball.  I was pleasantly surprised by it.  Since it was about baseball, I don't know if anyone who doesn't like baseball would like it.

We also saw Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.  It was really good.  Of the ones I've seen, so far it's the best.  Okay, so we also watched The Help.  Really good.  I recommend both of these movies.  One of the two of these should win Best Picture.

I also finished a book Caravans by James Michener.  It was written in 1963 and was set in Afghanistan in the late 1940s.  I enjoyed it.  I'll probably read more Michener this year.

Wordless Wednesday