Monday, December 31, 2018

Finally

The Last day of 2018!
I finished two quilts today - well, quilted them and put the bindings on -- still need to stitch the bindings down.
These are two ufo's:

The top one is an old Bunny Hill quilt that was offered as a block of the month online for free -- years ago.  I only did 6 of the 12 blocks and finally put them together a few months ago - it's been aging further on my design wall til today.  The second one was a kit I bought this summer called Old Glory.  Bought it from my favorite quilt shop - Lucky Quilt Co. in Pecatonica, IL.  It's where we meet to hand applique a few times a month!  I just finished piecing it yesterday, so wanted to get it quilted and bound right away.  I hope to stitch the binding down on both of them tonight, but at least one! 

I'm hoping to finish more quilts in the new year.  I have at least 10 applique quilts in progress.  I only hand applique and I only seem to have time to do it at applique club.  Four of us friends are working on the same quilt -- a Bunny Hill quilt called 101 Maple Street. We all bought the kits for this quilt.   The other three are at least two blocks ahead of me, but it's not a race, its a journey and we all enjoy the applique process.
 See you next year!
 Until then......blessings.
 

Sunday, December 30, 2018

Nearing the End!

Of 2018, of course.
I've talked about goals for next year, and I've added another one.  This is what my storage area in the basement looks like:




It's an "L" shaped room that contains the furnace, water softener and water heater also.  All those bins and boxes have been moved at least twice - and I had to pay to have them moved!  It is time to purge.  And I will be tough!  I have some silver-plated coffee sets and platters that were my mother's that I have never used.  My daughter won't want them - no one entertains like that anymore -- nowadays its a more casual get-together.  They are all going to a charity.  My DSIL made me promise not to give any of the stuff to my DD!  So, as I go thru each box/container, I will decide whether to keep, bless a charity, or toss and I hope to reduce the stuff by at least half.  2019 will be the year of the great purge!

Until next time.....blessings.
 

Friday, December 28, 2018

Dec. 28, 2018

Getting pretty close to finishing this year!  Can't wait for it to be over.  It wasn't one of my best - spent 5 days in hospital in July for dehydration and hypercalcemia and another 2 days in September to have my Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm repaired.  Hope not to see another hospital room next year!


I said yesterday that I've started thinking about goals/resolutions for next year.  For all intents and purposes, I think once Christmas is over, we're into the new year - maybe not by calendar days, but in my mind!  One of my goals for next year (which means I start now, I don't wait for the 1st!) is to try to knit a hat a month for the hat and mitten tree at church. We always have a hat/mitten tree for the kids in the neighboring schools.  There is always a need.  I'm just a novice knitter, but I think this is doable.  Of course, quilting the quilts for the homeless is my first priority, but this would be a good thing.  
I've always liked the idea of knitters and crocheters making hats and scarves for the homeless and in Rockford, IL, they hang them on bushes and trees in a downtown park and whoever needs them, takes them.  It's one of those "make your heart fill up with goodness" things!
So, that's one of my goals for 2019.  And I'll be working on it most every evening in front of the tv.
Until next time.....blessings.

Thursday, December 27, 2018

The day after the day after Christmas!

Took this picture last night.  Best remodeling I ever had done was taking out the old wood burning fireplace and putting in a gas log fireplace with brick surround.  It is remote controlled -- I just turn it on like the tv and off the same way!  I started binge watching Bosch on Prime, again, so that's what's on tv!
This is what was in here when I moved in.  And I am glad to be rid of it.  The brown on the fireplace is actually just suede paint and pretty darn ugly!  They also left a huge pile of ash in the fireplace - along with a whole lot of dust and dirty rooms elsewhere.

I spent the day making ham and bean soup today.  It's cooling on the stove -- gotta put it in containers in a little bit - it'll probably be enough to get me through 2019!

Been thinking about new year's goals/resolutions.  More about that tomorrow!

Til next time......blessings.


Wednesday, December 26, 2018

December 26, 2018

I finally managed to finish a couple of pillows.  I joined a great "Skill Builders" club on the Statler longarm and the first project was these pillows.  The quilting and applique was all done on the Statler.  I took it off the longarm before Christmas, but then life and Christmas got in the way and I didn't have time to finish them.  So today, I finished them.
And, after eating a lot of Christmas goodies yesterday, and for the entire month, actually, it's time to get back on track on the weight loss front.  Today I started back on the dreadmill - goal is only 10 minutes a day of some type of exercise.  I'll try to do more, of course, but a minimum of 10 minutes.  I managed to walk a block down the street to my mailbox and back this afternoon to get in more steps!  It's a start.
Until next time......blessings.