First And a Close Second

First....I finished the top for my Primitive Sampler.

I used the same dark gray and added a 1 inch border.  Then I added a 2 1/2" border of the light gray.  I love it.  It is now on the pile of quilts to be hand quilted.

My Close Second is the Quilt Doodles 2014 BOM.

The picture is a little wonky and you can't see all of it.  That's because it is so big that I have going sideways on my design wall.  I also noticed that where I have my blog address in the photo that one of the rows fell off the design wall.

But at any rate...I have now emptied another project box.  Today I will finish sewing the rows together.  BTW...although the fabric looks gray it is a blue check.

The weather continues to be cold.  On Sunday we expecting a high of 12 degrees.  So I see lots of sewing and quilting in my future.

Thanks for stopping by.  Keep warm and keep busy.

Hugs, Cathy

Weather Forcast

Cold and Sewing....

Yesterday was the first time I ventured out in a few days.  I have a Motorola Droid and a Verizon Tablet.  Both were acting up.  The battery was going bad in my phone and my tablet kept shutting down.  Well I got a new phone, Droid Maxx.  I love it.  It is so good to be able to use my apps without taking forever to download or blank out.  Turns out when I got my Tablet they downloaded everything from my phone.  Games and all.  And it took up almost all my memory.  So after deleting a bunch of things it is working fine.

Now to sewing....

I finally got the borders on this Monday Mystery.  Later today I will pin baste it so I can get ready to machine quilt it.  This is from last October.


I sewed what rows I could on my Primitive Sampler.  I had 3 applique blocks to make.  I finished one..2 to go.

I really love how the flower block turned out.  I can't wait to finish the other 2 blocks and then I can get it ready to quilt.  I think I am going to hand quilt it.  I'm going to add a smaller border in the dark gray and then a larger border using the light gray.


While getting my blocks ready I came across a block from Cheri Payne's Common Threads Quilt that just needed a little applique.

The colors don't show up well...but these are in dusty purples.  The fabric I used for the flower buds didn't cooperate to well so they look a little lumpy.


On the weight front....I have lost an additional 1 1/2 lbs.  I've not lost 8 pounds.  Pretty good considering I wasn't feeling well last week and didn't go to the gym.  I did go with my daughter last night.  Taking today off and going tomorrow.  I feel so much better and have more energy when I go.

That's it for today.  Stay warm and get some quilting done.

Hugs, Cathy

Good Day to Stay Inside

Because it is so cold outside.  

I have to share this with you.  It was sent to me on Facebook by my son's girlfriend.  She knows me well.

My husband said this is definitely me.  Lol


I spent a day cleaning out my closet.  I found clothes I haven't seen in years and some that didn't fit then....do now.  Yeah.  It's like have a new wardrobe.


Then I spent 2 days parked in front of the TV.  Didn't feel well at all.  Congestion was back and sinus headache.


Then the sun came out, congestion was clearing up and headache gone.  So I visited my sewing room.  I've been working on The Sampler Quilt from Primitive Quilts and Projects.  It is on there website under free patterns.

I auditioned background fabrics.

I liked it but.....

I liked this better.

I finished up all the pieced blocks, cut the side triangles and started sewing the rows together.  The 3 blank spots are for appliqued blocks.  The pieces are prepped and I hope to get them done this week.  I am loving it.

Stay warm and get some sewing done.

Hugs, Cathy

Woo Hoo!!

Today I emptied a project box.  

This is the 2014 Country Threads BOM.  I had 2 sections of it sewn together.  All I needed to do was make one block and frame another.  Easy right...Don't know what took me so long to put it together.  Oh yeah...Christmas.  This will now be put on the pile of quilts to be quilted.  There are older ones that I want to quilt first.


I machine quilted my Spools Table Topper.  It was an easy job.  I just quilted in the ditch.  I finished sewing down the binding last night while watching Downton Abbey.

Working out with my daughter and watching my diet is finally paying off.  I have lost 6 1/2 lbs since the beginning of December...


I got rid of Google+.  I was having trouble leaving comments and having people contact me.  Just wanted to let you know.


Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great day, keep warm, and be creative.


Hugs, Cathy

Another Finish

My 1996 Signature Quilt is finished.  It's not perfect...but it won't be entered into a quilt show.  It will be hanging in my sewing room.  In my haste to finish this quilt and to use up some batting on a roll I had...I used too thick of a batting so it has a puffy look to it.

It looks a little wonky because it is up on my design wall.  It feels nice to finish something that has been lingering in my UFO pile for so long.


I finished this month's #Bittyblocks.

Don't you just love Bow Tie blocks.  I can't wait to see what next month's block is.  These blocks finish at 3".

I finished the first 10 blocks of Sharon's Super Simple Blocks.  Not my usual color combinations.  But I'm looking forward to making the next 10 blocks.  I will finish up next month.

I want to give a shout out to my daughter Kelley.  She ran a 5K race this morning in the cold.  The race took place in Detroit.  She took up running this year and is doing fantastic.  She is also my workout buddy.  We go to the gym together and she inspires me.  Love you Kelley.

Well stay warm and keep busy.  I'm off to the sewing room to get my spool table topper ready to machine quilt.  Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

Hugs, Cathy

I'm On A Roll

This cold weather is giving me plenty of time to sew and quilt.

My 1996 Signature quilt is all machine quilted.  It looks a little puffy because in my haste to get a UFO finished I used up some left over batting that was a little too thick.  The binding is waiting for me to tack it down and I will have myself another finish for January.


I've dug in my pile of UFOs and found a couple of smaller quilts to finish this month.

The first is this spools quilt.  Just the right size for a table topper.  I'm going to machine quilt it and then bind it.  I've had this one for a couple of years.

This was a "This and That Monday Mystery" quilt from last year.  I want to add a couple of borders and then machine quilt it.  BTW..she is doing another Mystery Monday Quilt .  It just started.  All the mysteries are listed on the side of her blog.


I had a real surprise yesterday.  I got a package in the mail....

I was so surprised.  I don't remember ordering them.  I usually get books for my Kindle.  There wasn't an invoice or note or anything.

They were both autographed too by the author.  So if someone got them for me I thank you so much.  And if I had a senior moment (which happens often) good for me.

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you are staying warm.  I just got back from doing a little shopping and it is 11 degrees out.  Heat wave.

Hugs, Cathy

I've Been Busy

Doing what I love best....sewing and quilting.

Every evening I've been doing some hand quilting on my Henrietta Whiskers quilt.  I've gotten the outline quilting done on the 2 remaining blocks.  Just need to mark them for the cross hatching.

I got the binding done on my Scrappy Bears Paw quilt.

It is now hanging on my living room wall.  I love Scrappy.

I started my QM's Bitty Blocks.  This weeks is Bow Tie Blocks.

I decided to make mine using charm squares.  Once started I realized that I only had 2 packs of these charms.  Tried to order more but couldn't find any so I ordered 3 packs of similar charms in blues, browns, and neutrals.  I will intermix them and it should be fine.  These little bow ties are 3" finished.

I also started on Sharon's of Color Girl Quilts Super Simple Blocks.  She just posted Block #20.

These blocks finish at 6" and I have made blocks 1-7.  They go together quickly.  You may notice the fabric I am using is not my usual style.  But it works so well with these blocks.  I'm using a coordinated fat quarter bundle.

Now I know I wasn't going to do any on going projects with so many projects that need to be finished.  But I couldn't resist these blocks.

I have chosen the next UFO to finish.

This quilt top dates back to 1969 oops I meant 1996.  I've mentioned before that I was a member of Interquilt (an Internet quilt guild) for quite a few years.  I must have signed up for every block swap they offered.  The blocks in this quilt is from one of these swaps and the blocks are signed by the maker.  My plan is to get this machine quilted this week.  Wish me luck.

Well it is very cold here in Michigan.  My son lives in Marquette and it is -2 this morning.  Brrrrr....it's a good day for quilting.

Thanks for stopping by, keep warm and get lots of sewing done.

Hugs, Cathy

It's Frigid Out

Baby it is cold outside.  A good day for blogging, sewing and quilting....and maybe a finish or two.


Box of Chocolates is finished.

I really love this quilt.  I did it in muted shades of pink, brown and tan.  I machine quilted it using a serpentine stitch.  It took me 2 days to cut out and stitch and one day to machine quilt and do the binding.

My second finish is "Simple Stripe" by Temecula Quilt Co.  Just before Christmas I saw on their blog that they had a 2015 Calendar which gives you a mini quilt pattern for each month.  I thought this was going to be a wall calendar and was originally disappointed that it was individual cards that are approximately 4" x 5".  Not any more.  I have a small plastic picture frame just about the same side.  I put this months calendar in and then made this sweet little quilt.

The quilt is 12" x 14" and will eventually hang on my table quilt stand.  It took 2 days to make.  One day to cut and sew the strips and one day to machine quilt and do the binding.  I only showed you this months calendar.  I show you a new quilt each month.


Part of my New Years Resolution is to finish some UFO's and if I start a new project....finish it right away.  Mini quilts make this possible.


Speaking of finishing UFO's......

This is a wall quilt I made last year, I even managed to hand quilt it.  Then it got put away.  Today I hope to get the binding sewn on and finish it up this evening.  Woo Hoo....I'm on a roll.


Each evening I try and do some hand work.  I am making a dent in the hand quilting on my Henrietta Whiskers.  I'm hoping to finish it this week.


I said I wasn't going to do any BOM's.....well.....I'm not working on anything big or anything that will last a year.

But I am planning on doing Quiltmaker's Bitty Blocks.  This link will take you to the blog.  They are also doing a Mystery quilt.

Another project I hope to start on comes from Sharon at Color Girl Quilts.  She has designed some super simple sampler blocks.  These blocks are so cute.  I just happened to have acquired a FQ bundle that I am going to use for these blocks.  She just posted block 18....but don't worry she has a link on her blog for all the other blocks.


Now for something other than quilting.  At the end of October I went to the doctors for my usual 6 month diabetic checkup.  I have Type 2.  The doctor said my sugar was higher than she wanted and was going to put me back on lantus.  Ugh...I hated putting needles in my belly.  I asked her what I could do to not take the shots.  Easy she said....loose weight.

Well to me that is not too easy.  I'm 65, overweight and not very active.  I was told I had to loose 6 lbs. a month.  The first month I lost 4 lbs.  Good for me, I have such a hard time loosing weight.  The second month was December.  Not good...to much celebrating.  I didn't loose a pound.

So now it is a new year and a new start.  In December I joined Planet Fitness. My daughter Kelley is my workout buddy.  We didn't do well last month as she was busy and I was sick.  But we are doing much better.  I lost a pound this last week.  The goal is 1 1/2 pounds a week.  I even got a fitbit.  Yesterday was the first time I wore it.  This thing is amazing.  It keeps track of steps, calories burned, calories consumed and even monitored my sleep last night.  I have it sinked with my Fitness Pal and is keeping me motivated.


Well that is it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  Keep warm and keep quilting.

Hugs, Cathy

A Year Of Finishes

At least that is what I hope it will be.  I want to finish old projects and if I start a new on it will get finished right away....maybe....lol

Last night I finished hand quilting another block of my Henrietta Whiskers quilt. That makes 7 total.  Tonight I plan on quilting around the figures of the last two blocks.  The plan is to finish this quilt this month.


Last year I signed up to join Huckleberry Stitches to make a mini quilt a month.  Sadly I wasn't too good at keeping up.  New year new resolve.  This year each month we will be making a quilt from the book "101 Fabulous Small Quilts".  The first quilt is called "Box of Chocolates".

I finished the quilt top yesterday.  It will measure at 14 x 21.  Today I plan on getting it machine quilted and up on my living room wall.  


If you remember I was a member of Quiltmaker's Scrap Squad.  Well Paula Stoddard of Quiltmaker Magazine contacted me about a new free monthly quilt blocks they are starting in January.  Each month they will give directions for a 3"-4" block.  

The first block has been published on the Quilty Pleasures blog.  The first block is an adorable 3" Bow Tie block.  This is going to be so much fun.  I hope you will join in and I will share my blocks at the end of the month.


Well I just got done un-decorating the Christmas Tree.  I usually get it done on New Years Day but since I had that lingering cold I didn't get to it till today.  By the way I am feeling MUCH better.

Speaking of Christmas.....We got this Christmas card from our Son and Daughter-in-law (they live in Virginia).

It didn't come as a complete surprise as they called us before hand.  But I think it was a wonderful way to announce it to friends and family.  They know it is going to be a girl and have chosen the name Ella.

So naturally I will be making a baby quilt.  I have the pattern and fabrics.  Now I just need the time to work on it.  LOL

I'm typing this in my sewing room ready to start working on Box of Chocolates.  I have one of my favorite old movies on "Unconquered" starring Gary Cooper and Paulette Goddard.  Love my old movies.

I hope you stay warm and get to spend some time doing what you love.

Hugs, Cathy

Happy New Year!!!

I wonder how many blogs will have this as the title of their blog....

Well I am looking forward to this new year.  2014 ended with me being sick the last couple of months.  I've been congested, sneezing, coughing and eyes tearing up.  Here's too to better health for the New Year.

I made a New Year's Resolution.  I'm not going to get involved in a zillion BOM's like I did last year.  I still have some, who am I kidding, to finish.  So I resolve to finish up projects from last year.

First up is to finish hand quilting my Henrietta Whiskers quilt.

As you can see I finished the top in 2013.  Sandwiched it up in 2014 and started quilting it off and on during the year.  I have quilted the bottom 2 rows. I am hoping to get this quilt done this month because I have.......

33 large quilt tops to be finished and 11 small quilt tops.  I have 6 small quilts sandwiched and want to start quilting them.

Most  of these boxes has a project that I started in 2014.  I'm hoping to empty most of them this year.  Some are on going projects that I am sure won't get finished any time soon....Like my Dear Jane quilt.

This is one of the projects in my project boxes.  Yesterday I made the bottom right had block.  I need to make 6 more blocks so I can finish this.

I want to wish you all a Very Happy New Year.  I hope you keep all your resolutions and have a prosperous year.

Hugs, Cathy