Arctic Blast

 I really don't like complaining about the weather. I usually roll with it. But this is pretty ridiculous. Chicago hit a record low for this date this morning, as temperatures plummeted to minus 16 at O'Hare International Airport at 8 a.m. The previous record was minus 14 set in 1988. I don't remember that freeze at all since I was in baby heaven daze - my son had just been born and I had other things to think about I guess. Right now the temperature near me is -14 F. But it's pretty sunny and it's supposed to go all the way up to -9 degress F.  Imagine!

 

Those of you with dogs will love this. My little pup was afraid to go out in the backyard because of all the snow, which was over a foot. She yearned to go out there - I could tell - but she stayed close to me, near the door. We were both getting a little bit of cabin fever. I try not to walk her on the streets where there's so much salt to irritate her paws and the sidewalks are just too full of snow now for us to manuever well (okay, I'm really afraid of falling). When our other dog was alive he would blaze the trail in the back and she would follow behind in his paw prints.

 

Last week, my husband was kind enough to shovel a path for me to get to the bird feeders. On Saturday, when it hadn't gotten quite so cold yet, I went out and shoveled a series of paths in the back yard so she could run around a little. She had the best time and didn't have to venture into the far reaches of the yard, the paths were close to the house and just long enough for her to run around like a crazy puppy at least 5-6 times then come inside, dry off and rest - then whine to go out and do it again in 1/2 an hour. Today it was too cold - she went out for about 1 minute to pee then she turned around and ran inside. FYI - when she comes inside I always dry off her paws with a soft towel and later apply lotion to the pads. Cesar said to do this a couple of times a day, just as we rub lotion on our hands to keep them from drying and cracking.

 

Gopher tunnels? No, puppy tunnels!

 

 

 

 

If the temps stay cold at least she'll have someplace to run around for awhile.

 

I just peeked outside and even though I have errands to do I decided to stay in today. If you placed an order for a book or pattern on my website over the weekend, sorry, it will not go out today or tomorrow and may take a little longer to arrive.

 

 

Maybe I'll work on some blocks.

 

This one, titled Cabin Fever, perhaps?

 

But I'm leaning toward this one because it looks like it would be more fun.

 

Stay warm and safe if you're also in the middle of a freeze.

 

Winter Means Snow

Winter in Chicago means snow. It's been snowing non-stop for 2 days. Happy New Year!

 

 

 

Roads are slick but at least the main streets are plowed.

 

 

 

 

My street wasn't plowed until very early this morning. And then it snowed even more.

 

It's still coming down.

 

 

 

My pup and I had cabin fever from staying inside yesterday so we drove over to the park this morning, which surprisingly was also plowed in parts.

 

She hates it when I make her stop for pictures. "Ok, mom, enough  - next time I'm going alone!"

 

 

They say we'll be getting even more. Can't say I'm not prepared . . . .

 

 

It's a Winter Wonderland out there. I love it.

 

 

 

Small Accomplishments for 2014

I love making small quilts with an antique look and, if you follow my blog, you probably do too. Making small quilts can be so much fun. Why, I've even made a career out making small quilts and writing about them . . . .

 

 

For the past few years my Yahoo Small Quilt group has attempted to make one small quilt a month from patterns in my books. Some members make all of these challenges and some just make a few. And every year I give them my suggestions to help organize and plan in order to accomplish some of their goals. Worth repeating here.

 

(Small Quilt Talk members, I know you've already heard this a few times - bear with me as I repeat myself . . . again.)

 

*   *   *

 

It's almost a new year and I know we all want to make a bunch of small quilts again. I suspect many of you get very busy with other things at times. So much can get in the way of our quilting. Sometimes it's overwhelming. But don't let that happen.

This year, 2014, we are going to continue to try to make one small quilt a month all year long. Many of you have bought my books because you like my small quilts and feel they are doable. Make time to make some of  them and, trust me, you will feel so good about actually finishing a few. It does not take as long as you think. Remember, at the end of the year, if you keep up, you will have 12 small quilts made. Or maybe 5 or 6, or even 2 or 3, which is better than none.

Every year I post my suggestions on how to get these quilts finished. If you are determined to make a quilt a month you have to disipline yourself and really really want to make them. If a quilt for a certain month is not to your liking, then choose another from another challenge.

Some of you can make one of these all in one sitting. But I know it's not easy or practical for some of you to do it this way. Don't beat yourself up. Break it up into regular chunks of time and don't pressure yourself to make each quilt all at once. I think you can easily finish one little quilt every month if you do that.

Get yourself a "Small Quilt" notebook (Goody - another reason to run to Target for cute notebooks!) and keep track of your progress. Keep yourself accountable by writing down your small quilt goals every month and do your best to accomplish some of them.

1. First Week - Spend an hour or two to choose your fabrics and cut the pieces. Don't pressure yourself to finish the whole quilt that day unless you want to and have the time. Put this somewhere in a zip lock bag where you can easily see it and return to it.

2. Second Week - Make your blocks. This also only takes a few hours (sometimes less, because remember, the quilts are small).

3. Third Week - Put the blocks together. Probably takes an hour or two. Maybe add the border if you have time or at least cut the fabric for it.

 

4. Fourth Week - Finish borders, layer your quilt with batting and backing and spend the rest of the time finishing/quilting. This often takes the most time, but if you like handwork it can go fast.

All it takes is a little discipline. I find I work best with a schedule and some of you may find that helpful too. You just have to keep at it.

When I have a few projects I need to finish I write them down on a list (or in a notebook, actually) in outline fashion. Then I make a point of breaking the quilt into parts and then checking off the parts as I finish them (cut pieces, make blocks, sew together, add borders, quilt, add binding). This gives me something concrete to look at and remind myself of what I have accomplished on that project. Even a little bit of progress makes me feel good.

Bottom line - You can do this!

-Kathy

*   *   *

 

Join us this month as we make a little Bear's Paw quilt from my book Prairie Children & Their Quilts (and also in the recent book 101 Fabulous Small Quilts published by Martingale & Co. )

 

 

(In case you're thinking you cannot do this, no way, keep in mind that all of these quilters finished their small Bear's Paw quilt tops in a 3-hour workshop! Thank you, Cedar Falls, Iowa, quilters for your diligence!)

 

 

What Would Jane Say?

Christmas is over and it's less hectic around here so I thought I'd finish off the year with a bang and try to knock off a few of my Dear Jane blocks. I figured out yesterday that if I make one more block I will be 1/4 of a block away from being a quarter of the way through finishing (That will make Block #56. So, 225 blocks divided by 4 is 56.25. Make sense?) I decided I now really prefer to think of it in these terms - working on my quilt in quarters makes finishing not seem so far away. That's just the blocks, though. Putting the quilt together and quilting it may take almost as long I'm afraid. People around here are being very supportive:  "Way to go, Mom!" "Wow, that's great, Hon." But I can tell that they secretly think I will probably die before I actually finish, LOL. Then what are they supposed to do with this huge unfinished project?? No one has asked me yet.

 

 

Yes, I know, some of you will notice that I forgot to reverse the pattern for this block. I wasn't paying enough attention and when I figured that out as I was cutting the pieces I just kept going. I don't really mind. It's finished.  And I have a feeling Jane would say: Hooray for you! Maybe hers wasn't reversed  either; we'll never know where she got the pattern from or if she designed it all herself. I have a feeling she struggled with some of the blocks too and often said, okay, it's done, I'm not going back and changing this one. On to the next one . . . .

 

 

 

(Dear Jane is the registered trademark of Brenda Papadakis and is used with permission.)

 

I was going to knock off a few easy blocks this week but as I looked at my list of blocks according to difficulty I realized I had probably made too many easy blocks already and was putting off the more difficult ones. So I decided to change tack and make some with reverse applique (easy for some, difficult for me.) I'm not good at it yet but I think I like reverse applique so maybe I'll do a couple more this weekend.

 

Buy Brenda's Dear Jane rulers. They really help with trimming your blocks to the correct size and come in a set of 2 for the squares and triangles.

 

 

The biggest help for me is the DJ software by Electric Quilt if you can afford it. I know I would not be likely to do this if not for the software. It alows you to print out the rotary cutting directions, templates and foundation piecing patterns for the blocks. Such a time saver. (Dear Jane is the registered trademark of Brenda Papadakis and is used with permission.)

 

 

Anyway, if any of you are itching to get going on a Dear Jane quilt next year or just want some support for continuing or finishing yours, don't forget I recently started a new DJ Yahoo group. It's sort of an offshoot of my Small Quilt Yahoo group, with a lot of the same people, many just beginning this quilt. Maybe you'd like to Join us . Some in the group are experts and have finished not only one but several DJ quilts. Some, like me, struggle because there is always so much else we have to do in life and yet we keep going, learning new things with each block, picking up another one and feeling exhilarated at crossing it off a list when done. My blocks are not perfect, most are far from it, and sometimes there are months when I just don't have time to make a block so you will fit right in if you are just beginning and worried about keeping up. I try my best and I do think Jane would say "Hooray!" to that.

 

 

*   *   *

As far as gifts went this Christsmas, I was focused on what I was going to give others and did not really make out a list for myself. Therefore, because I didn't ask for anything I did not receive anything sewing or quilting related. Oh. Yep, I should have done that. Don't get me wrong, I received some wonderful presents, just not in the fabric, tool or quilting book department. My son was kind of sweet - he gave me a necklace with a sewing machine and the letter K on a chain. That was one of the most thoughtful gifts he's given  me and so I guess that sort of counts.

 

 

My daughter also came through for my husband. You see, he's addicted to Tootsie Pops. The red ones.

 

We all thought this was so cute. It's not really a huge Tootsie Pop, it's filled with smaller ones. I got some Swedish Fish in my stocking. Oh yeah, don't worry, we know and we both solemnly vow to limit our consumption  of  Red 40  . . .  next year.  

 

Have a happy, healthy and productive New Year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas

Love came down at Christmas;

Love all lovely, love divine;

Love was born at Christmas,

Stars and angels gave the sign.

-Christina Rossetti

 

"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus."

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas and may hope and peace be with you all for the New Year.

 

  

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night,

 

                           -Santa (Kathy)