Snow is the big news..........

Yesterday there was a little snow on the ground when I got up and it was light snow in the beginning.  This photo is from 10 yesterday morning.  By noon there was heavier snow.  By afternoon, there was a break in the storm and we were under that area.

This photo was at 6:30 last night when we had around 6" of snow.  On Chicago news they said my town had 7.2".  The snow total for a day in November may be broken in Chicago's records.

I spent the day sewing the columns and then sewing them to each other.  I finalized my ideas for 2 of the insert strips so it is sewn all the way to the third one which needs pressing before I can continue.  This quilt was a nice experiment, nothing more.  Someone will love it when it is finished.  More than half of the strips were already cut (and in a project box) and the rest were fresh cut strips.

I have one more day to finish November projects so my monthly recap may be on Tuesday.

A few changes................

Still playing with this one......

I moved the 2 tone green strip one column to the right, oh, and I cut it into 1.5" segments.  I'm not sure that dark strip will stay in there.  After an hour or so I left this project and checked back at it a couple times during the day.

There wasn't room on the design wall for the flannel blocks so I laid them on the floor to see how they look together.  This probably isn't the final layout.

I needed to do a load of laundry, so while it was washing and drying I worked on backings and battings for the next quilts to go to the longarmer.  I had already sewn the long back seam for the one on the left so I just needed to cut batting and trim it to the right length.  It is pieces of 2 different batiks for the back.  The one on the right has 3 pieces of Kaffe collective fabrics for the back.  They were all trimmings from previous backs, 2 were wider and one narrow.  Then I cut the batting for it too, and trimmed it to length.  That is easy to type, but a real workout to do.

I'm glad I kept looking for a back for this quilt.  The teapot fabric is one of the Liberty fabrics that Kaffe did the coloration for.  With the purple and red, it was perfect for this medallion quilt top.  I sewed the long seam and trimmed the excess backing fabric.

When all of that was finished, the clothes were ready to come out of the dryer.  Yes, I'm one of those people who remove the clothes immediately so they don't have time to develop wrinkles.

All blocks....................

Yesterday morning I got all of the strippy blocks up on the design wall.  I think I might have moved 2 of the blocks after this photo was taken.

I decided to sew the columns I'm happy with so the three at the left are sewn, but not sewn to each other.  I need to do more playing with the insertion strips.  I don't like the grouping of the strippy block columns right now, 3, 2, 3, and 2.  After I sew some columns I can move them around and also move the narrow strips to new locations.

I decided to make 2 more flannel bullseye blocks for a total of 12.  The blocks will finish somewhere near 10" so that would make a 30" x 40" quilt which is a good size for a baby.

I hope I can convince myself that today is Friday.  These holidays mess with the brain.

Flannel.............

Standing at the design wall didn't sound appealing to me yesterday so I got 2 boxes of flannel pieces off a shelf in my studio.

I decided bullseye blocks was a nice mindless project.  They will probably be made into a baby quilt.

They haven't had their final press yet so they look a little crooked.  Some of them used a variety of short pieces and others were just 3 fabrics for the whole block.

I still have tomatoes ripening in the garage.  A lot of them are golf ball size or smaller but they taste great, better than the ones I could buy at the grocery store.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my US readers.  We have a snowstorm headed our way for Saturday and Sunday and then temperatures in the 20s on Monday and Tuesday.  December is going to look like winter right from day one.

Auditioning ideas........................

The morning yesterday was spent making a backing for an older quilt top.  I'm using a full width piece and a cut away from another back for it.  Now I just need to cut batting.

I have a bunch of ideas on the design wall to audition what works and what doesn't in this strippy quilt.

This is my favorite new block.  The stripe is Twigs by Martha Negley so now there are 2 Martha fabrics in this project.

In the middle of the afternoon I had a PT session for my weaker leg.  

I bought the Kaffe collective fabric on the right at a good sale price.  I tried it for the backing of the purple Rosy and I like it.  I had a 25% off birthday discount at a store that had it in stock so I ordered a little more so the whole back can be this fabric.

I finished a dishcloth last night and when I spread it out to take the photo I noticed a mistake (in the top edge).  I'll probably keep this one because it might bother anyone that I would gift it to.  My dishes won't care at all.

 

Starting a new one................

There are 2 blocks of each combination except one so this is half of the blocks.  Getting them up on the wall helps me see what colors and values need  more representation.  After I make about 5 more combinations I'll continue with the design.  I ran the blocks crosswise on the last one of these and thought I would do a vertical setting on this one.  I'm just playing with some ideas here for a quick small quilt.

I need to make a list of all of my started quilts and see which one I want to work on next.  Also I need to quilt a couple baby quilts.  This seems like a good week to make lists.

I spent the morning making two batches of Chex Mix to send with traveling family for Thanksgiving.  They are going to arrive Tuesday afternoon so that gives them plenty of time to enjoy this before they have turkey dinner.

First quilt top finished in November 2025

The corner blocks were sewn yesterday morning and then I just kept working on it.  In the afternoon it was pressed and photographed and measured. It is 66.5" x 84". The difference between this one and the original Rosy (Kaffe) pattern is that I added one more row of small squares in the border.  I used 3" finished squares in the 9 patch in this quilt and used 2" finished squares in my green Rosy quilt.  I'm glad I made this one but I like my green one best.

This gives a better idea of the size.  The double design wall is 84" tall and 98" wide.

My cacti are striped early in the  morning before I open the blinds.  We have had sunshine for 2 days.

 

Sample block and other things...............

I made one sample block for the corners (bottom left corner).  This one is  made with just 2 fabrics but the 4 I will make (now that I know it works) will be an assortment of fabrics, just like the side border blocks.  I will be happy to have this quilt top off the design wall.  I don't know why the camera thought it should look pink in this photo.  It is very purple.

I finished sewing these blocks and got them trimmed.  This is one batch of them and there are 2 alike of most of them.

This is the rest of them, so far.  I won't know how many more I need until I can start working on the design wall.  All of the fabrics are Kaffe collective fabrics except the dark blue one on the right.  It is a Martha Negley fabric.

The sky was pretty last night.  Those are Redbud tree branches with all their seed pods hanging on them.

The champagne color bloom has a slight peachy color.  It is hanging with its buddy, the deep rose bloom.

The second plant with pink rimmed white petals is blooming now.  I love this one.

 

Explanation of the corner blocks.......................

Thanks to everyone who has tried to help me with the dilemma of the corner blocks of my purple Rosy quilt.  Since several were no reply I couldn't comment back to them.  This post showed my first trials for corner blocks.  This photo shows a side border block.  The 2 larger squares touch the outside edge of the center and the rows of 3" squares are on the outside edge of the quilt.  I'm showing that the block will finish at 9" x 10.5".

The corner blocks need to measure 10.5" square.  This photo shows that with the one larger square at the inner corner, that the 3" squares are lacking 1.5" to reach the 10.5" size.

Using spare parts I did a mock up of what will work.  Four of the pieces will need to be rectangles instead of squares.  I will sew one of these and put it up on the design wall and see if I like it.  I have already made a 9 patch block that measures 10.5" but I didn't like the mismatching size of the squares from corner to border.  It is up at the top left corner on that photo.

I have a dark rose, light pink and champagne color group all blooming here.

I moved the red and white one over to the coffee table because it was bumping into those other 3 plants.

The white one doesn't have many blooms but the ones it has are beautiful.

Yesterday I got 4 Lidocaine shots in my back to test whether they have the right spot.  There will be another set of those shots and they will analyze whether radiofrequency ablation, which is complicated because I have a pacemaker, will be the next step. 

One more audition..............

More fabrics were auditioned yesterday for the coping strips and this is the only one I'm considering.

I cut some more strips for my other project and sewed them last night.  I pressed the first batch made previously while I was in the basement doing laundry.

We've had some gray days and today they say we will have sunshine and 50 degrees.

Auditioning corners..................

The center of the quilt is still folded up and pinned on the design wall and I tried 3 fabrics as coping strips to use with some of the leftover 9 patch blocks for the corners.  

I don't want the corners to be what catches attention first.  Still no decision made.

I pulled out some strips for some mindless sewing while I glance up at the design wall.

I will eventually figure out how to finish the purple Rosy.  

 

Purple...................

I pieced a 10.5" nine patch block to try in the top left corner.  I don't like it with seams not lining up.  Next I folded the 5 row sewn part so I could see both the top and bottom edge and pinned it back on the wall.  I now could reach to design a top row and lean down to design a bottom row (minus corner blocks).  I sewed those 5 blocks together for both rows and they will wait for my decision on corners.

I had PT in the afternoon and stopped for grocery shopping on the way home.  When I looked out my  kitchen window this is my new view of my back yard.  The neighbor behind me has 2 dogs so the crew was there early yesterday morning starting the fence.  It was all up except the gate on her driveway by the time it was getting dark.

5 rows sewn together.......................

The lower 5 rows are sewn together, the top row is loose blocks and there will be one more row of border blocks across the bottom.  The border blocks are 9" x 10.5" so the corners will be 10.5" square.  

I have placed 2 9" squares up there to test ideas for the corners.  I have several 9 patch blocks left over and they would need 2 coping strips or a narrow border all around if I use them.  At the right corner is a fabric I didn't end up using in the center but I had cut a 9.5" square of it.  That is a test to see if I want a plain square in the corners.  I have enough of that fabric to cut 4 squares the correct size.  I have other fabrics I could try too.  Lots of decisions to make. 

Back to purple Rosy................

The left column is all border blocks.  I finished sewing the last batches of them last night.  I just need to decide now if I like the position of each of them.  Next I need to move all of the blocks 9" to the left so I can work on the right border.

l have enough blocks made for the remaining 3 borders.  Last thing is deciding what I will put at the 4 corners.

We are back to normal weather for this date now, mid 40s to low 50s and mid to high 30s at night.  It was nice to have those days in the 60s and even 70 one day. 

Front entrance decor..................

I took both daylight and night photos of the front porch.

My front porch lights are motion activated so there is no way for me to take a photo of the porch without them unless I turn off the switch inside.  Then it would be too dangerous for me to walk out there in the dark.  If you click on the photo and enlarge it you can see the lights on the greenery are on.

Even though some of the other cactus plants had buds before the red one, red was the winner in this spot by the east window.

There is one pale pink bloom and the plant is loaded with buds.  The one in the front left is a champagne color.  I should have lots of flowers here in a couple days.

The parties are over, back to sewing soon.

A wonderful birthday...............

Just one photo today of my delicious cake before we cut into it.  I have out of state family here and there will be a party today with all of the family.  

I have 3 bouquets of flowers and a box of my favorite candy. 

All of the outside decorations are up now and we were successful in getting all of the timers to work.   

Showing the quilts.............

I was showing someone my recent finishes yesterday and I left the quilts out overnight on the couch, coffee table and bench.  They are relaxing.  😊

Here is another batch of them on the love seat.  It's fun to see them all out together.

Today is a big day.  I made it to 85!!  My goal at 80 was 83, my goal at 83 was 85.  Now I have to pick a new goal.