More paper and fabric that didn't get in previous post

A few weeks ago we had 9 inches of snow. Before it was all blown off the driveway by the snowblower, I stuck a yardstick in for a final measure.

This wouldn't be so bad, but Karen had a granddaughter born and she couldn't get down to the hospital to see her right away. 

I busied myself on the baby quilt I was making. It is made from blocks I won at block lotto last summer.

It's my very first attempt at quilting in a circle on my sewing machine. Except for the starting point with the tight small circles it went well going round and round. In addition to watching the previous sewn line, I had to concentrate on keeping my neck and shoulders relaxed. They were getting sore. It took a big afternoon and then some to finish the quilting. 

It still doesn't have the binding and this should surprise no one. 

And my sister's tree, doctored up in a photo app!

two finished quilts......

Jurassic Park came back from the quilters right before Thanksgiving. The timing was perfect. Crispy took this back to school with him. He didn't want to do this....

(taking a picture of him wrapped in it, but I endured all the complaining and got a picture to show how big it is)

All he wanted to do was this....

Hold it up to get a good shot of the whole thing. I thought I was being generous. He could have been hauling the ladder out of the shed and helping me pin it on to the wire on the other shed. 

But it was cold and I didn't want to be outside any longer than I had to.

For the longest time, Jacob (Crispy's friend) has been bugging me to make a Jaws quilt. I never got around to it. But, I saw him right before Thanksgiving.

The first thing he said was, "Did you get a Jaws quilt done?"

No.

The long weekend gave me time to think and dig and plan.

I found this fabric with hot babes on it. Yes! Every college boy wants hot babes.

He also wanted a sailboat and a shark.

This is what I came up with.....

He was more than willing to get a picture. I thought the shark was ugly. But he said that is what made him so awesome. So this went back to college with him.

The sailboat construction is based on this adorable quilt!

Jacob wanted the words, "we're gonna need a bigger boat!" they are stamped on with red craft paint using foam letters. 

Jurassic Park continued.....

Getting back to Jurassic Park. 

I was stuck, wasn't sure what to do next. I knew I needed filler, but had no real plan. So..... I just started sewing small blocks to use as filler. Using "E" on my Flying Geese x4 No Math Ruler, I made some flying geese and quarter square triangles.

I don't know why I picked the "E" size, I just know it worked out well.

By adding a little more to Muldoon, the new blocks were just right.

Clever girl was sewn into one chunk.

The dinosaur already had all the pinwheels attached. He still needs the top of his head worked on to make him a finished chunk.

Middle son was over here and saw this.

"Who is this for?"

I told him, "Your brother, Crispy"

"Will you make me one??"

I told him YES, and he is going to think about what he wants on his.

I LOVE HAMBALLS! 

I asked John at the Titonka Food Center if  he would be grinding up some hamball mixture. He said he could do that. He would have it done on Saturday morning.

Yes! 

On Saturday I went up to the store and there it was.

I bought every package there! I use half of it yesterday for Easter. The other half is in the freezer for next time we feel like HAMBALLS!

Here is the recipe I used. I made (about) a 1/2 recipe. I used a smaller sized scoop and made many little ones. 

Man, were they good!

for crying out loud...

Last weekend, I was asked if I could paint (or something) a sign for the grand marshal in this year's parade.

I felt like doing something different.

I made her name in letters.

The bonus triangles from pineapple blossoms! My own and some from one of the quilters that had mailed me her left-overs along with the blocks. There was just the right amount.

Perfect.

So far so good.

Wonky hearts. Perfect.

Stamped with paint words.

Lovely.

Except....

I spelled marshal/marshall wrong. I have already started quilting this. I ran out of thread and had to stop. 

I was wondering what I would work on this morning. 

I will be thinking about how to fix the error.

Some kind of cover up is in order.

baby name and green grass......

It is slow going with this baby quilt. I have her name....I am not sure I like the dark pinks in it. I went with what I had.... and this is what I ended up with.

I have some butterflies from last summer and the wonky flowers.

Just need to make it all come together.

It is finally getting green here. 

We had storms go through last night. Lots of wind and rain. No major damage here, but it seems that the grass got a whole lot greener since yesterday!!

picky, not so picky...

This month it is Clover flowers at Block Lotto  (the picky)

I was working two things at once....the clover flower heads, which needed to be exact

and then wonky flowers, that didn't need to be exact.

My wonky's were based on these free-pieced flowers (the not so picky)

Mine don't exactly look like the example, but close enough. 

It is putting the centers in that help them say flower.  These are going to be in a baby quilt.

They all look like this yet.

But the block lotto flowers are done.

I can rest easy with block lotto for the rest of the month.

I couldn't decide on what colors to use for sewing letters to make the name on the baby girl quilt.

Then I remembered.....

The Quilted Forest, in Forest City, sells cotton candy packages of precut 2 1/2" strips. A few years ago I bought the pink one. I had no plan for them, but they were pretty.

These will be perfect for the letters in the baby girl quilt. 

2 1/2 can be cut in half....1 1/4" strips 

or

1 1/2 & 1" strips....the size cuts I most often use for wonky letters! 

I don't know if I will get to sewing letters today or not, but the fabric is ready to go.

wonky town blocks.....

When we were at the auction, I noticed this real-life wonky shed. Since I was thinking about sewing a wonky house, I thought it might be good inspiration for this........

border town ....a town made of Halloween and Christmas fabrics. There will be a drawing and I could win blocks made by others at the UnRuly Quilting Blog. 

At first, I couldn't see mixing the fabrics.

In my mind these two holidays didn't mix. But I fought my perpendicular ways and went crooked and contructed some houses with the two fabrics.

And, I thought some more......and made the wonky houses as best I could.

With all that thinking..... an idea came to me.....why stick to just Halloween and Christmas?

Why not mix Valentines and the fourth of July?

Turkeys and Easter?

So, if I win some wonky town blocks.....

I will make more blocks with other seasonal fabrics....and then add the words.....

HAPPY TOWN ALL YEAR LONG

maybe add my city and state too

my future geocaching quilt.....

A whole forest has been arriving....

these are not all the blocks, but a good bunch of them, plus some of my "ooops" blocks...

(all because I won at BLOCK LOTTO last month)

The mail has been so much fun lately. These blocks have come from all over the world.

I love to go geocaching,...

and there are caches hidden all over the world....

and my caching name is joe tulips....

so,

I am going to put a geocaching quote in the trees.

something like.....

geocaching: using multi-million dollar satellites 

to find tupperware in the woods

I made my name so far. I still have a bunch of letters to go!!

blocks....

I filled a bunch of bobbins yesterday and did some sewing.
The baby quilt top I had started at the very end of 2010 is done.
I didn't get a picture of it though.  Next time.

The BLOCK LOTTO has a new block for January. I made 5 so far.
I will make more and donate them to "newbies" so they have more chances to win.

Besides.....

I was a WINNER in last months wonky trees, how lucky is that!!! They have started to arrive.
When more are here, I will take a group picture.

Then I worked on some bugs for Tonya CLICK HERE  (everything is explained there on why she wants bugs or the words Bah Humbug)......there is a whole blog for HUMBUGS too. (actually unruly stuff, but humbugs for now)

This would be like the prototype....I learned things on this one that I can apply to the next one. I am off to work on bugs and maybe some letters!

block lotto

Recently I joined BLOCK LOTTO ....you make blocks for the pot and at the end of the month there is a drawing for winners. If you don't win you send your blocks to the person who did win. If you aren't up to making any blocks one month, you don't. Pretty simple and no real pressure.
This month is wonky trees. I made 3 sets for the lotto. Those are the "good ones" (above)

Then....
I have more that didn't pass inspection.
Below you will see the ones I will keep.......

The blue-ish ones aren't wide enough.

I have two sets of purple, one for the drawing and one for me now because....

The pairs you enter must be all different colors. But when I was cutting the purple, one of the  fabrics was upside down. (they need to both be facing up or down when cutting)....and rather than cut more black, I cut more purple. Crap, that won't work for the lotto....but so what~ I now had another pair for me.

Then I just cut some pinky/red ones with fabric that was laying there. These are fun to make, so someday I will add to my collection...OR....if I win, figure out how to use them with the winning blocks!!

Plus I am thinking that making some of these wonky asterisks would be fun to throw in the mix. They look like stars or snow.

Now I am off to sew something else. We are in a Blizzard Warning for today....only so far we are on the warm side of the front coming through and all we have is rain. Either way it is a good day to stay inside and sew.

happy dance to my sewing machine