BRRRRR

The wind chill is about -20 degrees below zero.  And we're anticipating the same the next 2 or 3 mornings. Yikes! 

I should be used to this since I've lived in the upper midwest my whole life. But I am dreading the task of going out to start my little car this morning. Usually my work car sits in a nice warm garage. But last night it sat outside - at a motel 100 miles from home.  I drove here through blowing snow and sleet so that I would be here this morning for a morning classroom observation and an afternoon classroom observation. Right now I'm still in my motel room working on some paperwork and wishing I didn't have to go outside at all.   I'm turning into a winter wimp!

Palm trees in winter?

This is just a quick look at the project that I'm handquilting right now.  I'm hoping to have this quilted and bound in time for Valentine's Day for my daughter. But if I miss that deadline I'll shoot for their 1st wedding anniversary in April. 

I made this wallhanging for their Jamaica wedding last April.  The guests all signed this half of the quilt which features a palm tree.  The bridal shower guests signed the 2 flip flop blocks on the other half. 

More on this one as I make some progress.

Another UFO nearly done

I just put the binding on a UFO that was not in my New Year's list of projects that needed to get finished. However, when I pulled out my hand quilting frames this week, there was this little Halloween table runner that was 1/2 quilted and just waiting to be finished. So I finished the handquilting on it. Here is a little peek but I'll show the whole thing later in the week.  This morning I sewed on the binding and I'll do the hand work on the binding some evening this week.

And now that my frame is available again, I've begun the hand quilting on a very important UFO.  I'll post more about that tomorrow.

A Year of Wallhangings

I just have to share a great blog and the new project that the blogger has just posted.  Denise Russart at http://justquiltin.wordpress.com/ designs some wonderful quilt projects both large and small.  She has just posted about her newest project - A Year of Wallhangings.  Once each month she'll add another design and post the pattern.   

For a link directly to the wallhanging page, just follow the link on the button on the right side of my blog.  But while on her blog, check out her other lovely designs.

Dick & Jane Quilt

This is not a new project, but . . . Just had to show off the cute Dick and Jane quilt that hangs in my office.  I made this a couple of years ago (handquilted) from fabric I bought on a vacation to Michigan with girlfriends.  They are also quilters so of course a quilt shop was on our agenda.  Since I work in education and my office is in an elementary school, this is a perfect decoration for my office.

Sewing room storage

How do you store your WIP and UFO projects?  I have some of them hanging in the closet in my sewing room.  It's a huge closet and I'm not sure I want to admit what the rest of the space looks like right now.  It's a mess!

But here are 4 projects hanging on skirt hangers, waiting for attention: blue star blocks, summer friendship exchange blocks, X blocks, and some old Thimbleberries blocks.  Each set is hanging front and center so that I can't forget about them. 

I think the blue star blocks may be my next UFO after I finish the pink and brown Saturday Sampler top.  Unless something new catches my eye of course . . .

31 Below Zero

Yikes - just came home for lunch and the wind chill here is 31 below zero!! But the sun is shining and there is no snow blowing around for now.  Wish I didn't have to go back outside to go back to work. This would be a perfect day to curl up in my family room to do some hand quilting and soak up the sunshine pouring in the big south windows.  But it's not to be . . . work beckons.