Indoor Grilling

After several days of warm sunny weather winter has come back to visit us once again. So today we built a nice toasty fire to take away the chill.

 Later in the day Jonathan called to see if I was able to fire up the grill before the wind began. Nope, but I told him I would "figure something out". My solution? Indoor grilling.

 It was pretty easy once I pondered for a minute or two. I simply moved some of the logs in the fireplace to one side and moved some hot coals under the grate.

It worked very well but goodness was it ever hot! I feel for all the pioneer women who had to do this everyday!

Using Up Scraps

While cleaning the sewing room I noticed I had enough scrap fabric left over from the quilt club quilt to make a pillow slip.

I normally prefer the outer edge of my pillow slips to be a separate color but when working with scraps sometimes you just have to make do. There was just enough black to add a little color; and as long as Elizabeth was happy then I'm happy.

A Cold Winter Morning

 On a cold winter morning Elizabeth thinks it's fun to sit by the fire sipping on hot chocolate.

And even more fun to do school work by the fire.

On a cold winter morning I think it's fun putting a bowl of bread dough by the fire.

 It produces a perfect rise.

I just love cold winter mornings!

My Completed Quilt

I am truly excited about my newest quilt! My plan was to make the quilt a twin size so it could be used on Elizabeth's bed until I have time to make her one with lighter colors.

 The edge of the quilt hangs nicely on each side of Elizabeth's bed.

 I used the same fabric on the back as I did on the front; plus I added a strip of the light fabric to add variety.

 The quilting is just a variety of designs that were made up as I stitched away.

 Elizabeth is thrilled to be the one using this quilt first.

Here is how the quilt looks after we added some animals, a pillow and another quilt I made Elizabeth a few years ago.

This posting has been linked to Crazy Mom Quilts' Finish it up Friday.

Quilting Tips

As I have been working on my quilt club quilt my mind has been focused on all the work that is needed to complete this project.

Pinning a quilt is very hard on your knees and back if you are working on a project larger than a toddler size quilt. So to help relieve some of the aches I like to put my cutting boards on our king size bed; it works very well and feels like you are working on a large table.

 I read on the internet if you use a crochet hook to help close your safety pins it will ease the sore fingers you generally get after closing hundreds of pins.

And yes, a crochet hook works very well, once you get the hang of using one.

My quilt is almost finished and I'm excited we will be able to use it during the cold weather!

Slow But Steady Progress

 I have been giving my iron a good workout.

First the bottom side;

And then the top side.

Now it's time to construct a back.

Red and Black Tiered Skirt

 This week I made Elizabeth another skirt.

It was cold when I took these pictures but outdoor photos turn out better than indoor photos.

I love the fabrics used in this skirt.

Elizabeth loves that the skirt is twirl-able!

Quilt Club Quilt Progress

Today I chose two fabrics for the sashing on my quilt club quilt.

 Both are Moda fabrics that were purchased last year on clearance.

 After arranging the block layout I added the sashing and center blocks; I still need to cut the border strips.

Nothing has been stitched yet...everything is just waiting for me to begin.