Welcome 2015

I would like to take a few minutes to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!  

Last year was not my favorite year to be sure but 

I am hopeful that this year will be better for me and my family.  

Many people out in blogland and on Instagram are choosing a word to help define their year. 

 I was not sure what word to choose but I am pretty sure it will be hopeful.  

That word has a lot of promise involved with it don't you think?

I have also been thinking about resolutions for the new year. 

 I believe I am just going to work on being a better person and 

tending more to those closest to me and let the rest fall into place.  

I feel like I am at a crossroads of sorts in my life right now.  

It is looking more and more like hubby will just retire rather than search out a new job (lucky him!) and that means I need to carefully consider where this quilting hobby of mine is going. 

 I have been working on designing and publishing my designs, 

but now I am uncertain if that is the direction I should be going.  

If I just sew for myself then I feel I will have more time for my family.  

I am hopeful that God has a plan and I need to slow down long enough to hear what that is.  

All that being said, I do have some things to share with you!  

I began a project as a Leader and Ender and just decided to get on with it.  

Here is the process/progress

I have been saving all those crazy triangles we cut off of everything.  

Then I cut some 5" squares out of a line of fabric I happened to have quite a bit of.  

As I was working on other things I would grab a square and a triangle and sew them like this.

Then I pressed all the triangles and trimmed them to the original 5" square size. 

 I did not cut the original square fabric away like many do.  

Yes it is a little bulkier but it makes sewing things together much easier.  

A trick I learned from Anne Sutton!

I was curious how it was going to look so I laid out a few blocks.

 Finally I sewed the blocks together and made this sweet little baby quilt top.  

I think I am going to add 2 more rows though.  It will be a donation quilt to Mott Children's hospital.

If there is anyone out there that would like the rest of my left over triangles send me and email with your mailing address and I would happily send them to you.  

I did have some help last night as I was attempting to sew some paper pieced geese.  

It always scares me when she is so close to the needle.  

This is behind my machine. 

 I am not sure why this is the favorite spot but it is. 

 I think because it is directly under my Ott light and close enough for a few pets!

So there you have it.  I am still not feeling very well but had to go back to work today anyway!

Have you made any New Year resolutions?

~XOP~

Cloud Nine

I was out shopping a few weeks ago and 

came across a pattern that I thought would make a great donation quilt.  

It is called Cloud Nine and is by Villa Rosa Designs.  

I decided it would make a couple of great quilts for Margaret's Hope Chest.  

I did one in U of M and one in MSU fabrics

First the MSU 

(of course)

Close up

Then the U of M quilt top

Close up

After working with both the black and the white as backgrounds, 

I like the look using the white much better. 

 I am making a third one for someone special so that will have to be shown later.    

This top goes together so quickly, and finishes at 56 x 70" 

 Perfect donation quilt size.  

I am handing off to the quilter tonight and

 hope to have them back by Monday to bind and enter in the 100 Quilts for Kids. 

 I am going to machine bind as that will go so much more quickly.  

Wish me luck!! 

What is your go to donation quilt pattern??

~XOP~

Take the Good With The Bad

I don't have a ton to share at the moment but there are a few little goodies. 

 I dropped off a ton of quilts and knitted blankets at the local Veterans Hospital last week,

 from one of the quilt groups I belong to.  

They are always so thankful to receive them.  

It feels good to help locally doesn't it?

I had a very stressful day last Saturday.  

That con artist that has been working on my dad, and continues to call him, 

called him and he went to meet up with her. 

 I don't know why he can't get it through his head that all she wants is money! 

 He kept on giving her money and giving her money all with the expectation that when the lawsuit she is in was done she would pay it back. 

 Well, I think we all know that is never going to happen.  

Well, all of us except for him!!!  

As it turned out she didn't show, but it was a stressful couple of hours waiting for this to all play out.  I am at my wits end with my dad right now.  

He can tell you that he will never see his money and then turn right around and

 meet with her because she has "papers" regarding the lawsuit.  

I told him I can print those papers off the internet.  

Tell her to mail you a check when she gets the money

Which will be NEVER!

So when all was said and done, my sweet hubby asked me if I wanted to go out to lunch.  

We went to one of my favorite places, Chopstick House, for Chinese.  

Hunan Chicken

YUM! 

 Good food and good company helped me gain some perspective.

Oh dad, what am I going to do with you??

~XOP~