LQS Block of the Month

You read about me going to the local quilt store (LQS) once a month for various clubs.  One is the Block of the Month (BOM) group.  

This year’s project is paper piecing New York Beauty Blocks.   Before it started, I got a picture of the blocks just pinned to a design wall at the shop.  

We just started in February.  I have my triangle sections paper pieced.

Now I’m putting the arcs together.  The center:

One section:

We will piece 4 of the same block like this every month.  Then the final arrangement is up to us.   There is a ton of room for play with the whole design.  

I think I will use this as a wall hanging when it is done.  

In the composite above of all the blocks, the blocks I’ve just made were used in the outside corners.  

I’m just heading down to assemble my last of the 4.  Each one got a bit better.  (practice!)  And I’m right on schedule with today being the last day of the month!  🙂

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Puppy Preschool 1

Miss Nina did her little houdini somehow and met Phil outside of her pen this morning.  One knows not how long she had been up playing, pestering, and pouncing. 

She arrived at the house with some sticky but not greasy sort of black stuff on her side.  😦   Phil helped me clean the spot.  🙂

But the little stinker was tired!  Her eyes get red when she is tired and they were red early this morning.   Finally after all the usual morning activities, she took a 20 min nap before we headed out.  

I was thrilled she even tried to sleep on the ride to class (25 miles) but it was as if as soon as she would fall asleep… she’d jolt awake and wonder where she was.  

We arrived and Miss CementLegs was NOT interested in getting out of the car since the last car ride ended at the Vet’s office.  This place was different!  And it smelled like a lot of animals…. not to me… to her!  

There are 4 puppies and their “moms” in the class.  Here are 3, the German Shepherd’s mom was peeking over the movable fence to see her puppy’s sister attending Doggie Day Care.

The German Shepherd is taller than Nina and 2 months older.  They had a blast running together and wrestling.   Nina, the little white one, and the reddish dog were all born the beginning of December. 

(The pictures are goofy… I was trying to take them one-handed while I still held onto Nina’s leash.)

Mostly the class is on socialization (roll your eyes homeschoolers!) not tricks and commands.  Today we worked on helping them learn their name.  I was actually surprised that Nina did well with that.  Seems to not know it when she is being called when playing outside.  

{The little white dog is itty-bitty!!!  She did NOT like the German Shepherd wrestling with her. } 

Nina was exhausted from all the fun and serious studying so was zonked out within 2 miles of leaving the kennel.   Then she slept another 2 hours here at home.  

This is the first she has really slept in the car.  Whew!

The instructor encouraged us to take our puppies to the vet’s office sometime just to say hi when we don’t have an appointment.   I think we’ll take Nina along when Phil needs to run in there.

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ON!

Mr. Repairman arrived at 3:12 p.m. this afternoon and installed a new motor in our furnace.  

(I know the time b/c I was actually taking a nap for once.  Puppy Preschool and a short night did.me.in.  The one in charge in the house didn’t notice Mr. Repairman pulled in.  Mr. Repairman rang the doorbell.  😦 )

It was so sunny we didn’t need to use it until about 7 tonight.  Seems to be humming right along.  

🙂  🙂  🙂

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Which Title?

I took this video out the kitchen window Sunday morning after our 5″ or so of snow.  Phil was out with Nina…. pitching snowballs from the side.  

No music…. I hope you don’t mind.  Usually it drives me nuts w/ music!

So we could call this Nina in the Snow

or Snowball Fight

or Why Joyce Won’t Have a Pretty Flower Bed This Year!

Here are BIG puppy paws –

11 week Great Pyrenees paws

Lovin’ on Molly –  heehee

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Status…

quo.

.

.

.

Today came and went.  

Without a call from Mr. Repairman.

 

But you know what… JP & I slept better than ever last night.  🙂  Phil was up a few times to make sure all was A-OK.    Tonight Phil will sleep just fine as well.  It is only to drop to 26′ tonight.  

This morning he was met with a wife who proclaimed, “It was warmer in here than normal!”

When I got a glass of water from the filtered spout, it was warm!  We had the cupboard doors for the sink (pipes) open last night with a heater in the kitchen aimed there.  Unnecessary.  

So…

no fretting allowed,

we are fine!  In fact, we have a few space heaters left over!  🙂   Our friends said we can still use the heaters tonight – thank you!!  🙂

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No Furnace!

Last night Phil said he didn’t like the noise the furnace was making.  

Noise?  I didn’t hear anything… until he mentioned it.  🙂

Then at 4 a.m. he bolted out of bed!!  The noise!!  The motor was screeching and the house was cold.  

He manually started it and ran it high… until at 7 a.m. I suggested he could shut if off since the house was 78′.  

He called the repairman who arrived at 7:45 a.m.  The repairman took the motor with him.

11: 20 a.m. The repairman just called to give us the heads-up that he isn’t finding a motor nearby, the motor  now is completely froze up, and if he does find a motor it could be 3 or 4 days to get it here.  

Can I come over?  

For now, it isn’t too bad with the bright sunshine.   However, when the sun goes down….  I’m not sure our little heaters will hold this house.  

This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 24. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.    Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 15. Southeast wind between 5 and 10 mph.

ETA: 2 p.m. update 

The repairman found a motor to the tune of mega-bucks.  He is hoping he can get it here by tomorrow.  We have 3 little space heaters.   Elinor, my dear friend/neighbor, has 1 we will borrow.   We will rehang the blankets we have on the doors.  (down to let the sunshine in for now)

ETA: 7 p.m. update

We have 6 space heaters now.  One in JP’s room and I keep having to turn it down it is so warm!  One in our room.  I want it just not cold but certainly not hot!  One in the living room and it is still toasty here.   We’ll put one in the kitchen once Nina goes to bed in the barn.  She doesn’t need warm!  And we have one for the bathroom.  🙂  In the morning, I’ll probably bring the one from our bedroom near the computers to keep us cozy.  

The outside doors all have flannel sheets covering them and all the blinds are drawn.  

I gave up the idea of baking bread tonight.  I’m exhausted.  Up since 4 and about a 35 min nap.  (yawn!)

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TQS Block of the Month 09

I am working on the block of the month from The Quilt Show.  I ordered the kit for it and didn’t receive it until the beginning of February so I was already behind.  

I’ve worked on it in bits & pieces.  The week before, I finished the center star for January.

This past week I set the star on point and added plain borders and the pieced border.  These 4 patch pieced borders took some time!!  I’m glad we had good directions on how to fit them just right.  

I still should make 8 star blocks for the February assignment (they are for a later border) but I’m not sure I’ll get to that.  This is my last open weekend until April and there is a lot of work to be done!

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K’s activities this week

This week for K’s new intership she had interesting experiences.  

The first job was on the 80th floor at an exclusive club.  (Floor number eighty!)  Yada Yada!!  (I would have been   s i c k   over that elevator ride!)  She said her ears popped twice on the way down.   (Blech!)

The second job was on the 11th floor of Macy’s.  You say you’ve never been to the 11th floor?  That is because it is a private floor.  This was a ‘by invitation only’ event.  She met one of the VPs.  Such company she is keeping!  🙂

Here is a hat she made out of wool and added ribbon roses she made:

We got a watercolor flower in the mail this week which was a nice treat! 

She learned how to make her own silk flowers.  So of course she dyed her own silk fabric to start.

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Raffle Quilt & Puppy Grows

At Quilt Guild on Monday, they had the raffle quilt finished and done for us to see for the first time.  

It is so pretty… I love the fabrics!!  CW Repoductions.

TOO BAD we don’t have tickets to sell since we don’t have volunteers to do that!  Ugh!!   (And that isn’t even what makes me cranky…)  I guess if we don’t have tickets to sell the president gets the quilt.  🙂 

ETA: Friday 5:30 p.m. I have a 3 person team to get the tickets ready to sell!!! Yeah!!!  

We can’t believe how much Nina has grown!  We’ll see if the pictures show it.  These were from Tuesday night.

Nina starts Puppy Preschool with me next week.   I mean that I am taking her… she won’t be homeschooled!  🙂  

But she really is doing great at home.   In the mornings after Phil brings her up to the house, I’ve been having the gate at the kitchen open and she is doing great with staying off the carpet.  

This morning I told her to stay while I got towels for the washer.  She stayed and just sat there waiting.  🙂  

She loves to wander to the basement and hopefully find Molly to pester.   

So far there are 3 in the puppy class and the receptionist said one is a tiny breed and will be able to perch on my puppy’s head.  When I took a little tour of the place yesterday, I met the owner’s 2 Golden Retrievers.  Nina’s paws are bigger now than their full-grown feet.  😀  

I’ll keep you posted!  Hopefully I can take pictures at class.  LOL!

Goal: 4 batches of soap today & tomorrow. 

Meanwhile: Winter storm warning 6 – 8″ due for us.

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The Quilt Show Prize Package ROCKS!!

Friday my BIG box arrived from The Quilt Show.  I would have done a M A J O R happy dance but I had just gotten home from myofacial work at my massage therapist’s.  I was sore… in an odd kind of way… so basically did nothing Friday night but I did feel better from what she did on Saturday.

So anyway… 

my one big wish when I won the Pet Contest was that at least I wanted my prize to include a Bernina bag.   I’ve seen them given away on the show and they were a gift with purchase AFTER I got my machine.  

So I opened the box and there was a Bernina bag STUFFED full!!  

A very kind note from Lilo at TQS was on top.  

I only peeked inside until today.

Today before we headed to church, I unpacked.  I pulled out a book… Fat Quarter Frenzy TWO (looks great!) and there was a piece of fabric sticking out.

Autographs from Alex & Ricky!!!  🙂

Here is the rest of the loot!  

Computer programs, patterns, FABRIC, neat-o notions, and the coolest new mouse pad.  How did they know I needed that!!  🙂  Phil will be so happy with our bright flowery mouse pad.  

I think I’ll take it for Show & Tell at quilt guild.  Do you think?  

Thank you ALL!

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