Done and Done

I finished both the quilt tops, quilt #1 ( which was really quilt #2) and quilt #2 (quilt #1) and they both look pretty good, if I do say so myself. Obviously, there are lots of flaws in both, but they are done, and now I just need to get them layered with batting and backing, and quilted. And bound. But for me, the hard part is done.

Here is yesterday afternoon's effort--

the sashing strips around and between quilt blocks on the original, favorite blocks

 and today, I added the border strips.

Same fabric, just making it large enough to fit a crib size batting and backing

and the second quilt, with all the sashing pieces and corner blocks, with the borders around it, also large enough to fit crib, batting and backing.

Done, and it's not even lunch time!

A Good Morning's Work

I psyched myself up, put on my Big Girl panties and got back to work on the baby quilts this morning. I cut the newly purchased peach fabric into 3 1/2"x 12 1/2" strips and sewed them to the blocks for Quilt #2. I'm doing quilt #2 first so that I can make all my mistakes on it, since it doesn't have my favorite blocks in it. Now I'm ready to start work on quilt #1, but here is proof of my efforts...

 Quilt blocks with peach sashing strips in between them,

 Quilt block strips with sashing strips and corner block strips laid between them,

and the finished quilt top.

 I still need to put border strips around the quilt top, then layer the batting and backing, but this is a good indication of what I've gotten done. Not too shabby for 2 hours work.

Busy

I had a crafty day last week. They are getting to be few and far between, but it was lovely to have an idea of something to do, and all the supplies with which to make it.

If you've read anything of this blog, or have looked at my blog followings, you know that I love the Our Best Bites blog. I print lots of their recipes and put them into my family cookbook binder. Well, between those recipes and others that I had collected and put into the cookbook, it was overfull. The cover sat open at about a 30 degree angle. I decided to create a new cookbook to hold all the new, collected recipes, and keep the Taylor Family Cookbook with the original recipes.

Last Wednesday I spent a few minutes perusing my patterned paper stash and found the perfect line of paper that I wanted to use in my new cookbook. It was Studio Basics 101 by Creative Imaginations. The embellishments were simply buttons and ribbons I have in my supplies. I have had this paper in my drawer for a year or so, waiting for the perfect  project. The colors are bright and cheerful, and "match my kitchen!" Here are the results of my crafty day.

  

I spent a few minutes putting the printed recipes into this new book. It's full.

Shortcut to Love

We celebrated Valentine's Day over the course of the whole weekend. Friday morning Tad brought home this lovely red rose. I love receiving flowers. :)

We went to dinner Friday, intending to eat at Outback, but it was overcrowded, so we went to Panda Express. Hello, Honey Walnut Shrimp! Yummy! We saw the film "Gulliver's Travels" and enjoyed it lots more than we thought we would. Afterwards we went home and watched "Despicable Me" with Hailey, and totally loved it.

Saturday we spent doing our usual Saturday activities--cleaning, cooking and reading library  books. In the last week I've read "Fall of Giants" by Ken Follet, "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" by Alan Bradley and "The Confession" by John Grisham. That's a pretty steady diet of reading. It's been good to come up for air. I enjoyed them all, in various ways.

Monday was the actual holiday, and after exchanging our gifts, (Scrapbook magazines for me, Boise State cap for Tad) we went for lunch and to run a few errands. I made frosted heart shaped sugar cookies in the afternoon. (A food blogger, I am NOT!--This explains the title of the posting.)

We wanted to celebrate with Hailey, too, so we picked up a heart shaped pizza from Papa Murphy.

We watched "Cars" and ate Pizza and cookies for FHE. It's been a fun weekend. Happy Valentines to all my sweeties!

Still Here--Really!

It's been nearly 2 weeks since I've posted, and there's been absolutely nothing to post. Seriously. Tad and I have started cleaning the family room, post demolition, and I can't take a picture of that. "This picture shows the tons of dust left behind, and that picture shows clean". I don't think so. I haven't even been able to quilt anything because I only found the fabric 2 days ago that I need to finish the quilt tops, and I haven't had a chance to start working on it again. Taking a picture of my rearranged scrapbook room shelves would be absolutely too exciting for words, and pictures of my library books would be underwhelming. Suffice it to say that it's been an uneventful couple of weeks, but things are looking up. After two weeks of idling, I feel like things are moving forward again. Stay tuned!

Happy Valentine's Day to my eternal sweetheart!