Books, Games, and Pine Tree Point is a Flimsy!

I got a surprise package the other day!  You may remember I ordered a second blind date with a book from Book_Bestie's Etsy shop.  Well, it was lost in the mail so when I contacted her she immediately sent me a new book.  Weeks later the lost one arrived.  So I get a bonus Blind date!  I DNF'ed the replacement book "Wolf Hall" as it just was not doing it for me by the half way point.  Excited to try the original second one!

I did the Booktube spin #1 and so my chosen book was Jurassic Park.  I love the movie but had never read the book.  Lots of good dinosaur info and it is a bit different from the movie.  I enjoyed it.

Read this one about the plague from 200 ish years ago.  Sounds worse than current times.  At least dead folks are not piling up in the streets.

I got another book box and read this one too.  It was good.  I thought it was going in one direction but it did not.

Currently reading and listening to "Wives and Daughters" which I really am enjoying.  I am so happy to find another classic author I like.  Taking my time and savoring this one, and I already ordered another one by Gaskell.  

I decided to type up all the books I have on my Nook, Kindle, Audible, Chirp and shelf to see what all I had and how many.  My total was 578!  I was shocked.  So since I want all the books and cannot afford all the books (still waiting on disability) I am trying to commit myself to getting through some of those on the TBR this year.  I decided that the booktube readalongs and such can help me pick from the list.  Might make it more fun.  If I do not care for a book, I am going to DNF it and put it on another shelf electronically or get rid of it if a physical book.  I had an empty journal type book so I am going to add and subtract books as I go.  LOL, I ordered a copy of a book about reading your TBR someone wrote which I happened to see on Booktube right after I made this decision.  Luckily I am finding these books on abebooks or ebay, etc.  Not paying full price.

We watched Hazel at her house last weekend while they car shopped for a larger car.  They picked out a Forester I think it was and will get it in January (along with their long ordered couch!).  After they came home we played Cobra Paw.  Hazel really enjoyed rolling the dice for us!  Next we played Bucket of Doom and halfway through Hazel was ready for bed.  Not long after that, I was too!  She is still learning signs like crazy (OPEN, GORILLA, BEANS, CEREAL, ORANGE and so many more).  So fun to see her ask me to open her pouch of fruits/veges, the gate, etc.  She understands the concept clearly!  

I spent some of last weekend working on the borders for Pine Tree Point.

Got out the strings. I pulled all the neutrals from my mixed bag and added them to the neutral bag.  I sewed and sewed.  Thought I needed far more than I did!

I trimmed them to size and then sewed them to strips and removed the paper on Thursday.

And added them to the top!  This flimsy is done. I need to choose a backing and get it longarmed. I would like to give it to Hannah for Christmas if we can swing it.  Linking up with SoScrappy for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!  What a fun year of trees I had sewing along with her and all the participants.  I need to pick a block for next year!

Bonnie's Quiltville Mystery this year is Rhododendron Trail and the first cutting and sewing clue comes out next Friday on her blog.  The paint chips are her colors.

I am pretty sure the flowers and paint chips will be my colors. I have not pulled fabric yet.  

Kathy is not planning to do it this year.  She stopped on Frolic and since we moved has not sewn much at all so she wants to finish that one before doing another.  If she did do it, she would maybe do the strawberries' colors.

 Are you doing the mystery?  What colors did you pick?  Such a fun time of year to be sewing!

June is for Purple!

I finally had an easy time with this block now that I am on number six and have written tips on the pattern (start at the bottom for example).  I ordered another aqua fabric which hopefully works with this one since I do not have anything of similar shade in my entire stash.  I never knew there were so many aquas!  I do not have enough for framing each block so I thought if I did half in another aqua and put it all together it would look decent.  Linking up with SoScrappy!

I organize my strings each month too.  I have a bag of all colors which is where new strings go since I am not digging out all the bags and sorting each time a string appears.  I pull all the color of the month out of it and add it to the current color so I feel like that is organizing a bit.  The huge drawer I keep the strings in is overflowing...no matter how many blocks I make!

I made and added another row to Wild and Goosey...it is now 9 x 10.  I need to lay it out outside for a photo but it is HOT!  I seem to overheat super easily and am just trying to stay cool.  I am not sure if I will add more, but for now I put all the paper piecing stuff away.  I can only tolerate the mess for so long!

Yesterday I made a bunch of hand warmers/bean bags for Christmas gifts for Coleman's crew.  Jay gifted me a HUGE bag of rice (plus I had bought one not too long ago) so I need to be creative and use it.  I found a frog pattern and am planning to make a few frogs for gifts too.  Anyone have any great gift ideas for things stuffed with rice?

 

Grassy Creek Center is Together!

Hazel and I made her Mama a birthday butterfly with her little feet.  Hannah loved it!  It was a nice surprise. Linking Up with SoScrappy!  

Made my RSC Challenge block for February--Pine Tree Point in yellow.  Hazel was here at the time so it took a long time to sew this one block!

My friend Andrea sent me this handmade card.  So pretty, I had to share it and say Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!

Finally got motivated and worked on Grassy Creek!

The entire center is together and I am happy about the colors.  Next up is the border.  I have not even started on the strings for the outer border so that will be a bit to get on.

 I also got my Morewood mystery quilt together. May add a dark border it the matching fabric but for now I am calling it done and the UFO for February.