Project #2

No one tells you, or at least you don't fully realize, just how much of a money pit it is to own a home.  It's the gift (of spending money) that keeps on giving.  This Fall we tuned our piano, and within a month is was completely out of tune.  The window had lost its seal and you could feel cold air seeping through.  All the windows are original to the house, and several of them had come up on the home inspection with issues.  That particular window wasn't one of them, but with cold air coming through all Winter we knew it needed to be addressed this Spring when the weather improved.  We put it off because of Covid, but then we finally started getting price quotes, and then we had to wait for the windows to be manufactured.  Our house happens to have a lot of large windows.  It's fabulous for light, but it's a lot to replace.  We have 27 windows, and windows are expensive!  Since we didn't feel like selling a kidney on the black market we decided to only replace a portion of them for now.  We chose to replace all the North and East facing windows since they get the most exposure, and it also included 4 of the windows that had issues. 

Of course, it's the largest window in the house that's next to the piano, and the front is covered in bushes, so that was a nail-biter install.  A couple of the storm windows were stuck and wouldn't come out on the second floor, so they had to kick them out, and it was also extremely hot and humid.  The poor installation guys earned their money for sure! 
Joel is the most excited about the windows of anyone, because it included the 3 windows in our master bedroom.  Our room is by far the hottest room in the house, because it's over the garage and the windows get quite a bit of sun exposure.  He's always so miserable up there when he works from home even with 2 fans going.  You can already feel the difference after a day of the new windows, so he's one happy guy!

Monochromatic Blocks

May and June blocks were combined for do.Good Stitches.  Stephanie kept it simple, because we have several quilt circle members who are recovering from surgery and other life complications.  We just needed to make 4 monochromatic 4 patch blocks.  We used 5 inch squares for the blocks.  As I was making them I was thinking that this would be an awesome way to use my scrap pile.  I think I might start cutting more squares, so my next quilt can be 4 patches. 

Finally Finished

Since my friend is pretty much due any day now I thought I'd better get my act together and finally finish her quilt.  It had been almost a month since I pieced the quilt top together, but now that school is out I'm determined to chisel away my list that has been getting longer and longer.  I don't typically get a lot of sewing done in the summer when all of my kiddos are home, but they're starting to get old enough to entertain themselves more, so I'm choosing to believe that somehow I'll get some things done this summer.  We'll see if it actually happens, but there's always hope!

I'm most excited that I've been able to make 3 quilts from the same fabric.  I kind of want to see if I can make a fourth from it, but that may be pushing it.

Privacy Window Quilt Top

I finally got a chance to piece together the quilt top for do.Good Stitches.  It's so bright and happy.

 ...and so are Little Man's socks that are peaking through the bottom of the quilt.

Stitches Progress

I was in charge of the quilt blocks in February for do.Good Stitches.  The quilt is for a teen-aged cancer patient, so I asked for happy and bright colors.  It needs to be a little bigger, so I pieced together 4 more blocks.  Here are three of them:

I've been working on these blocks in tiny increments on days that Joel is at the hospital for clinic.  If I can get an afternoon or evening to myself I may actually be able to piece the quilt top. 

Happy Blocks

Steph was in charge of both March and April blocks for do.Good Stitches.  She asked for 2 Improv, Scrappy blocks in rainbow colors for both months.  I'm glad I had 2 months to get them done, because my sewing time has pretty much disappeared.  My sewing table is now my husband's office when he's not at the hospital.  And let's be honest, even if he wasn't there I have very little free time at all these days.  I've been averaging one block a week, but I finally got the last one done yesterday.  Wahoo!!  The blocks are all cut down to 9.5"

Fidget Quilts

There is a group of ladies at church that get together once a week to create and sew.  They make fidget quilts for young autistic children, children with severe illness, and also for the elderly in the dementia wards.  Sometimes they put it together based on a theme and sometimes it's based on a specific person they want to give it to.  I joined the group at the beginning of the year and it's been a lot of fun.  These ladies are seriously so creative.  I can't believe some of the crazy things they come up with to put on quilts for people to play with.  It's so cool!  Here are a couple of the most recent quilts we've finished.

Up until this week I was labor - they told me what to do and I sewed it for them.  This week they set me to work trying to create one.  They wanted a fidget quilt inspired by Spring.  This is what I came up with so far.  It was so fun trying to come up with ideas.  I'm excited to put together the final product.

Quilt Squared

I had enough fabric left over from the quilt made this Fall to make a second one.  A friend is having a baby boy and her baby shower is tonight!  Life is so busy!  I need another 2 hours in the day.  With two days to go I had only cut out the fabric.  I put some of my other projects on hold and quickly started working on the quilt.  I finished it late last night!  Phew!  Little Guy was my model before we quickly ran everyone to school this morning.  He wanted his Blankie in the picture with the quilt.