Learning to count

So, tonight I learned to count.  I realized that I was apparently doing it wrong, which was sad because I thought I was busting a move on a quilt I started.  I'm making a quilt for my Grandma A from the Warm and Cool QAL by Jeni at In Color Order.  It's not currently running, but I love the design and I have wanted to make one for a long time.  I came home from helping with my Gma on Friday afternoon and set to work.  I stopped at Creative Quilt Kits on my way home and salivated for an hour or so.  She has recovered very well from her stroke considering she is almost 91 and is going to be moved to a live in rehabilitation center.  She loves her house toasty and in those places she is always super cold so I am hoping that this will keep her warm and her spirits up.  It is kind of like an emergency love quilt :)   Here's what I picked up:

My Grandma's favorite color is red so I'm going to do a red/pink diamond pattern since Pam's QAL taught me how to make those fantastic HST's.  Well, I couldn't find any precuts in the colors that I wanted so I just bought yardage.  I started cutting away and after thinking I had enough I devoted myself to my sewing machine.  Well, as it turns out, I only accounted for half.  I have no idea how I counted so wrong since I even drew it out and counted them up on my handy-dandy graph paper.  I'm pretty sure I'll have to grab some more fabric so I may have to swing through a quilt store in AA to pick some up.  I really, really want to get this done so I can give it to her.  I'm going to quilt it myself to save a bundle of time.

I also stopped at a quilt store in Haslett on my way home from the hospital.  It was a little store, but I managed to grab some fabrics while I was there.

I really like the blue one and the baby print was only $3/yd!  I bought the rest of the bolt :)

I also bought this:

And this:

I got the elephants at Creative Quilt Kits and the rest at Joann.  I thought the elephants would go well with the embroidered blocks I found in my Grandma H's belongings.  It was only a remnant so I hope that the little amount I have can fit in somewhere.  I haven't even began thinking about it!

I hope you have all had a lovely weekend!  Here is a (pretty bad) picture of my lovely kitty creeping on me to help envision what my weekend has entailed!

Family is a wonderful thing

I've had quite a busy weekend over in my world.  I was able to nearly finish sewing my rows together for the Sliced Apples QAL and it is a littler harder than I initially anticipated.  I have a couple of points that are not matching perfectly and I just don't have the heart or patience to rip them out and re sew the row, so that is how they will stay.  I've wondered many times if I will ever need a 100% perfect quilt.  Probably not :)  I also started on those coasters for my friend- they are fantastic!  I can't even hardly wait to send them!  All I have to do now if quilt them real quick and put them in an envelope.

Saturday one of my DH's cousins was married.  It was a very pretty wedding- and kind of eventful.  At the ceremony we were greeted by an unexpected guest:  a mouse started climbing the brick wall behind the happy couple!  It got the whole church stirring and they had no idea.  Too funny! 

Yesterday I was working on the Sliced Apples top and I got a call that my {other} grandma had a stroke and was in the ER in Lansing {where my side is from}.  Learning from a couple of months ago with this kind of thing I packed for a week, brought a book, and left.  My Grandma is going to be 91 in September and she is doing surprisingly well right now.  It has been pretty difficult because we just went through so much with my other Grandma and now we are going through these things again.  I am pretty close with this Grandma so the call itself was enough to send me into a panic.  When I got here she was in and out, but she lit up when I walked in.  It was so nice compared to what we just went through with my other side where we didn't even know if she knew us for so long.  Today she is doing even better than yesterday.  I walked in and she smiled so big and asked me when I had come into town- like I just happened to stop by on my way home :)  She is having a hard time saying things and she has been going in and out of recognition, but any recognition is fine by me. 

My family back home is wonderful and I am so thankful that I have them.  I am staying at my Aunt's house this week and will probably be going back to work and coming back to Lansing to visit my Gma and sleep.  Yesterday night we were told that my Gma needed rest so we were kicked out of the ICU and sent on our way.  We went back to my Aunt's house and played badminton and wild rummy.  It was so nice to laugh and have a support system during all of this.  I just don't think I could handle another rough patch without them.  Tonight {I think} I'm going home to drop off my DH so he can return to work and then coming back tomorrow morning.  I am going to bring my sliced apples top with me and see if I can get any more finished- but that assumes my aunt will calm down on the badminton front {she's kind of a maniac}.

Until next time!

Holy Cats!

O My Gosh, you guys!  Look what I found at Joann in the remnants bin:

Words can't even describe this

 I laughed out loud when I saw it and had to have it.  I have a friend in NC who loves cats and may potentially become a crazy cat lady in the future.  Instantly, I thought of her.  And the fantastic kitten coasters I will be making her.  I can't even hardly stand it- I want to see her face when she opens them. 

This will be the binding

I have an intense desire to make them right now, but I have other things I need to accomplish.  OK Stacey, deep breath, you can make them next weekend.

Last time I went to quilting with Pam she taught me the art of laying out a quilt.  I didn't know this existed... at all... because you're suppose to follow a pattern, right?  No.  There are quilts with no finite patterns and you have to actually be creative.  Apparently the Sliced Apples QAL is like this and I was SO intensely happy that she taught me this and some tricks to help out along the way.  Like taking a picture of it when you lay it out to see color groupings!  What a smart lady :)

I layed all of my HST's for the QAL out this week each night after work and I started sewing them together today.  I'm about half done with my rows and now I'm sweating.  I know I need to power through since my goal was to have them all sewn up this weekend.  I have a wedding starting at 1pm tomorrow to go to so today is my best window.  I also have to make a valance for the in-laws for their basement.  I'm avoiding that one, though I need to have it done by Sunday.

.... But those kittens are calling ....

My Second Finish!

YAY!

I am so happy that I am finally done with my Christmas Tree Quilt!  We were vacationing in "up north" Michigan from Wednesday to Sunday and I actually got some tasks done!  The first few days were just too hot to move so we spent plenty of time in the water and on the jet skiis, but Friday morning and Saturday I was on the move!  Well, on the move so to speak :)  Richard was playing volleyball with all of our cove neighbors while I sat back, watched, and kept binding!

This is a pretty terrible picture, but I could barely get Richard to stand still for it

I can't get this one right in blogger so you'll just have to turn your head :)

  

Pretty snowflakes from the long arm!

When we got back Sunday evening I went outside to check the bird feeders and water my flowers and this guy decided to hitch a ride on my leg.  Just about gave me a heart attack!  I was about to go inside and I felt a prickle.  Naturally assuming it was a mosquito I went to bash it's head in and holy cow!  Green Monster! 

It's like it can see my soul

There was a lot of screaming as I attempted to knock it off without killing it.  Those things have a grip, I tell you what.  I also have no idea how I used to catch them as a child since they creep me out so badly now!  Consequently, I dreamed about spiders last night :-/

I got all my HST for Sliced Apples all trimmed up and ready to be layed out.  I really, really wanted to do it last night but I just didn't have the time.  I dread the night back from vacation because it is just so exhausting for me with all the cleaning and unpacking.  I need a day after the vacation to recoup!  Good news is that I actually won something for participating in the QAL!  I couldn't even believe it because I never win anything!  Mr. Random must have known that I haven't gotten any fabric in a while :)  Thanks Pam and Cori-  I can't wait for the next one!

I hope you had a lovely holiday!

Sliced Apples has begun!

For me anyway :)

I have seriously missed the boat on this QAL due to recent events and I am very happy to be getting on with it!  I've never done this kind of block before and I really enjoy learning new things, so although it is simple I am getting a lot of pleasure from it.  They also come together super quick, which is amazing!  I started this weekend making the blocks and I'm already trimming them up.  I'd like to lay them out next weekend to sew together, but that may be ambitious since we are going on vacation tomorrow and Sunday evening will be spent doing all the laundry and unpacking.   We will see.

Super cute!

This past weekend I went home to Lansing to visit my family.  I spent some time with my Grandma Anne and showed her my XMas quilt (which I am binding- I can't wait to show you!).  She was so excited by it!  It made me so happy to see how proud she was of me.  I really want to make her a quilt now.  She is 90 so I think she will be my top priority.  I may or may not give this Sliced Apples quilt to her, though I would love to make a quilt using these blocks forming a diamond which extends.  I don't know if that makes sense or not, but I love the look of the radiating diamond!  I'm guessing it would come together just as quickly.  I'm going to draw it out this week and see if I should buy some fabric :)  You can never have too much you know!  If I end up making that design, I think I found a place that I'm happy with to donate to, but that is for a later time!

DH and I also played in a golf scramble with my Mom and Dad.  We came in last!  I played varsity all 4 years of HS but I have lost so much of it in the last 7 years.  I tend to only get out 2-3 times a year now so I tend to have just as many bad shots as good ones!  It was fun anyways and it made my Dad super happy to be able to spend some times with us :)

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!