The Constant Blogger

Today is the final day of participation in the Blogathon 2012---I did a post a day for the month of May.  I not really sure my goals were met (increase readership [I did gain a follower then lost one] get over my self-consciousness with regard to writing, write better, and stop being so damn lazy already) but it has been interesting.  At times it felt like an unpaid job, and at other times it was a piece of cake, at times I whined I had nothing to say (thanks for listening, Natalie) but amazingly did say something, at other times I woke up and actually looked forward to posting.  All told, I don't believe I'll be joining Bloggers Anonymous anytime soon!

I've learned a few things about myself along the way.  Writing doesn't come easy to me, it's hard work.  I'm still trying to decide if I like it.  I take myself way too seriously and coupled with my perfectionist ways, are not a good mix.  Many times I avoid posting because I am lazy or, get this, I cannot come up with a post title!  There is much I need to work on. And I think posting two to three times a week is what I should aim for.  That's it. 

Thanks for visiting ~talk to you soon~

Sewing

Here's the latest Sow-A-Long block that Randy posted this past Sunday.  I think I'm cheating with that brown dotted fabric lumping it with the Civil War reproductions but I couldn't resist using it.

I pressed all the seams open and that helped immensely getting the block to lay flat.  The blocks are all six-inches finished.

Because the HSTs are small, two-inches unsewn, I've been making them a bit larger and then trimming them down to size.  I originally used a small square ruler but it kept slipping until I tried my very large fifteen-inch square ruler.  It looks silly but is really stable!

Next up, more work on my Ugly Fabric Challenge---the green batik being the ugly one.

This is the collection of uglies I received.

And part of a block I made.  I am having a difficult time working in my favorite, the vegetable print on the lower right.  I have until October to figure something out. 

Lastly, a picture of some baby heirloom tomatoes.  I've been seeing these recently at Fresh Market and thought I'd try them.  My understanding is they are not hybrids and are from historical seeds, the way tomatoes used to look before big agriculture got involved.
Talk to you later~

Wordle Day

It's Wordle Day at Blogathon 2012.  Wordle is a service that generates a word cloud using the text most frequently found in the analyzed text.  Make your own here.
Thanks for stopping by~

Memorial Day

Remembering those who have died in military service for our country so that we might be free, thank you~

Out Of The Bag

I started work in earnest today for the In The Bag ~ Ugly Fabric Quilt Challenge.  I kept some of the fabric that went along with my uglies that I  originally pulled, a 'first draft' if you will, but mostly changed direction for the project.  Here's the first draft fabrics. 

I found 2.5 yards of this wonderful floral in my 'deep stash' and fell in love all over again with it. It's from 2004 and it so vivid in person.  I think I might use it as a border.  I sure hope it works as I have never been able to successfully pick border fabric at the very beginning of pulling fabrics for the quilt.  I've learned to wait under the majority of the top is through.  It's amazing to me to run into quilters who can pick everything right down to the binding and backing for their quilt and have it all work out.  I suppose that it what the intent of the layer cakes, jelly rolls, and charm packs is sold alongside the matching yardage~no thinking necessary!  What I've chosen is all from my stash.  I had a hard time coming up with that turquoise~it's not a color I use very often.

Here's a sneak peak at my first block before sewing. 

I am bending the rules a bit:  I am substituting that upper purple for the lower one even though the lower one is an 'official ugly'.  Its quality was, well, not up to par with the others.  It's too bad because I really liked it. 
Thanks for stopping by~ 

Caught Up

I am caught up with the Sow-A-Long.  This is Road To Fortune.  I ended up making two blocks as I made HSTs by mistake and decided to make a basket block with some of them.

Here's that one. 

Then I needed to sew the last block in the 2011 Designer Mystery BOM from the FQS.  I emailed Kimberly Jolly this morning and asked where the finished quilt was and she pointed me in the right direction.  I think I'll probably come up with something on my own as I am not nuts about what's offered.  I also modified the last block, something I have been doing throughout the year long series.  I just wasn't crazy about those tiny pieces in the middle and on the outer edge.  It looked like a variation on the Memory block so I went with that.

I bought a pamphlet back when I first started making quilts that has 171 different blocks with directions in 12-inch and 9-inch sizes.  It has come in so handy through the years I marvel that I only paid $7.50 for it. 
Talk to you later~