My Spring Stay-cation Begins!

The seats are empty, the lights are out and the first day of Spring finds me officially on  Spring Break from teaching this next nine days. 

(I think we teachers look forward to this break more than the kids do!)

I have a quilty list of projects I want to tackle, along with some spring cleaning. So, mostly to entertain & motivate myself. (I wierdly like to cross things off my lists. Notice the house is already cleaned. YEAH!!) This week I'll be posting my 2nd Annual Stay-cation blog series. 

Here's my list of Spring Stay-cation Activities I'm hoping to accomplish:

(And if I don't, that's okay too.)

My Quilty List:

1. Quilt Sat. Sampler??
2. Quilt a top for Project Linus (I got three done!!)
3. Enjoy sewing my curved dots??
4. Scrap Secrets Book Release Blog Hop: (My day is the 27th.)
5. Cut eye spy fabric (Stay tuned: I'm organizing an eye spy swap this summer.)
6. Rainbow girls made into a flimsy
7. Sew Bloom blocks 7,8,9,10...prep 11, 12.
8. Create purple RSC Flowers :)
9. Begin Master Bedroom Quilt...this will be a queen size...may wait till summer??
10. Plan a bright happy H2H quilt. (This will be my third year donating to Happy Chemo.)
11. Finish Spring Wool banner.  Done! Saving to post this one the 1st Sunday in April.
12. Make new (tied fleece) dog blankets/donate old ones to vet. (Good idea mom)

Other Spring"Things":

30 of  30 miles walked

1. Mow and fertilize the yard
2. Trim all my back yard roses and remove and replace front roses.
3. Wash my car inside and out
4. Spring Clean the house 
5. Continue training for Race to Robie Creek (Goal: walk 30 miles this week)
6. Jackson gets a playday and groomed
7. Create a new "budget" book
8. Get my toes ready for Spring with a pedicure 
9. Enjoy Easter with our grand-guy
10. Relax: enjoy stitching outside in the evenings with a glass of  wine. (Too cold to stitch outside...but did enjoy ourselves.)

As you can see, I won't be sleeping in.  But, I do hope you'll stop by often and find yourself a smile and maybe even a little inspiration. Stay tuned.

Pattern Give-Away!

Anyone interested in adopting an Amish With A Twist pattern?

Cynthia over at Quilting is More Fun than Housework  is hosting her  Quilty Orphan Adoption Event once again for those WIP that we have lost our motivation to finish or in my case, even start! 

Yep! As we watched the finale of Bachelor this week (And....next week a new season of Dancing With the Stars begins....I can't wait!!!! I love Monday night TV!!) Anywaysss....I have had this kit of fabric for three years!!! After some thought, with all the time this quilt would take, I've decided to repurpose the fabric and put the pattern up for adoption. 

I now have all this fabric to add to my stash...it felt like I was shopping at home!

This Give-Away is now closed. The winner was announced here.

Thanks Cynthia for the extra motivation to do some "spring cleaning". 

I'll ship these free to anywhere in the United States (So sorry to my oversea friends.)

Just leave me a comment if you are interested and I will select the winner using the random selector on Tuesday March 22nd and announce it here on the blog and notify ya by email.

And, hey, if you are looking for some new projects and/or have a WIP you've just lost your inspiration to finish, stop by Cynthia's and check our her event!! 

FMQ: Play Ball!

 Many of you know I enjoy quilting for Project Linus....
And well, I thought this one made an appropriate share for Saint Patrick's Day!!

I especially enjoy when the Project Linus ladies give me a fun strip quilt like this one below.
It provides the perfect opportunity for me to practice my free motion quilting: 

I wish I took a picture of this quilt before the quilting (I need to get better at that) as the quilting, with it's wishbones, stars and spirited words, transformed this fun flimsy into a quilt some little guy, somewhere, will really love. (At least that's what the PL ladies said when I dropped it off.) 

Happy Quilting for sure.

Wishing you a little luck of the Irish!!

Click on the picture to read more about Project Linus:

Tuesday Archives #106: Cross Hatch Quilting

Hello! Hello! and Happy Tuesday Archives! 

The linky party that let's you rejuvinate OLD blogging posts.

. If you are new to our linky, click over the here to read the details about this fun, weekly linky party.

(You can also check out all our past Tuesday Archives themes by clicking right here.)

This week's theme is: CROSS HATCH QUILTING

I've been reading Kathy's blog, Stitch by Stitch, before I even jumped into blogging myself!

She specializes in long-arm quilting and I'm always inspired by her clean, simple style.

Like this uneven cross-hatch quilting:

I'm not a "pro" at ruler work ...maybe I will be someday, maybe I won't. I'm okay with that, as it seems my  natural style right now is to use pantographs that accent the theme of my quilt...and that's fun too. I hope your week is off to a great start. I know this "spring forward" has made getting up for work a little harder but then again, easier to get in that afternoon walk. Go figure.

Sunday Sew Day

"Yep! I got got her back in the studio guys. 

 Keep reading to see everything my creative mom is up to. 

Oh! And thanks for all the belly rubs!" Jackson

It felt good to spend the morning catching up on all your blogs and we got in a long walk.

I finished this cute bear and star pantograph I was commissed to do for a friend.

I also prepared two blocks for the Bloom QAL

Now it's time to get the rest of the laundry folded, um excuse me Jackson, 

and myself ready for the work week. 

Happily, I'm four teaching days and one work day away from my Spring Stay-cation! 

My list is already started and I look forward to sharing it with you soon. 

This week's theme is Cross Hatch Quilting.