I think I need to start

calling this blog....Ranette's Less Than Once a Week Stitch....seriously!!! I'm not sure why, but it's been hard for me to blog lately. For one thing I'm still just working on the same projects and not much progress has even been made on those. Also I seem to have very limited computer time...I haven't even been looking at many blogs in the last couple of weeks, sorry and I miss you guys. I've been really busy at work meeting with sales reps to get ready for Football Season 2010, I know hard to believe, right?! But it will be here before we know it. February is OVER folks...time flies these days. Also I've started sleeping later, not sure why, but that cuts into my blogging time as well.
Anyway here is an update on JanieBright....as usual not a great picture because it was very dull light this morning when I took it.

Progress is being made, slowly but surely. The once a month DJ group met at the local quilt shop on Thursday night and that was fun.

Also I thought I'd show you a picture of the quilt that started my little block craze...this was probably a year before I made my first DJ quilt and these blocks are 4.5" finished as well.

It's a Lori Smith pattern I believe and it was great fun to make. It hangs in the dining room of my house.

I'm going to take some time today and get my sewing room organized. I have a huge fabric pile on my cutting table and it's just a mess. Every time I come in here I have a moment or two that I almost panic, so I think it's time to clean, don't you?!

Also I think it's time for a little give away and I'll write about that and post a picture tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Have a great Saturday....it looks like the sun may shine here today, wouldn't that be something....lol

Ranette

Here I am :o)

I didn't realize it had been so long since I had posted...this is supposed to be a "daily" thing for me. I just haven't been very inspired for a little while though. I think when I finish a big project, like the NI quilt, I'm left at a loss for a little while and I have trouble focusing my attention. I could focus on housework...I really need to....lol, but instead I think I've decided to focus on these little jewels.

 

 

These little blocks really are like candy and they seem quite tame to me after the red and white blocks.
I've also been working on these blocks....

 

Also like candy, just not quite as sweet.
And a lot of prep and a little stitching has been done on these blocks...

 

Oh and we've been watching the Olympics every evening....Go team USA!!! WooHoo!!

I did see a pretty quilt at Sooner Quilts in Guthrie yesterday, made by Michelle out of the Martinique fabric by Moda....Gorgeous fabric!!

 

So there you have it....not much going on here but a little of this and a little of that!

Thank you....

I just want to say thank you for all of the kind and generous words about my red & white Nearly Insane quilt. If you haven't heard back from me then you are set to "no reply" and I can't contact you personally though. It means so much to hear nice things when you've put so many hours into a project, although my family is also very complementary.

It has been hard to break-up with the reds and whites though....so I finished this little wall hanging just a little while ago.

 

It's another one of the season samplers from Crabapple Hill and I love how it combines embroidery, wool, beading and quilt blocks to make a cute little quilt. I am going to quilt this myself and I'm open to suggestions on quilting in the embroidery area...idea's anyone?

I think I'm going to move my Pie's and Tart's to my downstairs sewing area so that I can get the rest of them ready to applique and that means putting the red and white fabric away...sigh....

Well I'm off to do some cleaning...have a great evening everyone!
Ranette

My Red & White Nearly Insane is finished!

 

Ta Da!!!! This is about the best picture I could get because this quilt is HUGE! That's Kara holding up one side of the quilt. I took these pictures at about 8 p.m. last night so they are pretty dark, but I needed extra people to hold the quilt up...lol
Here's a close-up of some of the blocks.

 

I decided to add this photo so you could see that the zig zag border does go all around the quilt. That's Jay on the other side and Jacob is behind the quilt :o)

 

This quilt has turned out far better than I thought it would and I just LOVE it, but I am very glad to be finished as well. I had planned to try and quilt it myself on my Bernina, but as soon as I realized how very heavy and large this quilt is I decided to just wait and have it quilted this Fall.
Well I'm off to get ready to run some errands and go to work. I hope we have sunshine today as I've forgotten what the sun looks like and I really, really need to see it.
Ranette

The last blocks are done!

I'm finished...with the NI blocks that is! Woohoo! Actually I finished the last one early Sunday morning, but I've just not had the mojo to blog about it. I have a bit of a cold and very low energy right now, most of which I'll reserve for sewing. So here are the last few blocks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry about the shadows on some of the blocks, but to get the true color I have to turn the flash off and then there's a shadow. I had thought about laying the blocks out on a snow bank, but we've had no sun for days and days. Just gloomy, snowy and really cold weather.
Oops...just hit a button and published too early....blogger must not want me to complain anymore...lol....just when I was really getting into it too :o)

Have a great day everyone!
Ranette

I can see the light....

at the end of the tunnel that is...Four more NI blocks finished and one of those was a doozy. See if you can guess which one.

 

 

 

 

I only have 7 more blocks to do and none of them look too hard and then I can start laying all of the blocks out and putting on sashing and cutting cornerstones. My daughter Emily said I should remind you all that these blocks are 6" finished. The doozy has 182 pieces in 6 1/2 inches. It took me several hours to make and that's why I kept the fabric simple...so much going on with it.

We didn't get the "ice" that a lot of southern Oklahoma got. We got more of a sleet than ice which is better because there is a bit more traction. I do think that we have around 10" of snow though. Jay shoveled snow on and off all day yesterday. Also we never lost electricity, thank God! It is very cold here today though, 19 degrees right now and not expected to get high than 25F. Brrrrrr!!!!

Okay, I'm headed back down to my NI room....lol Later!
Ranette

Good morning!

I have four more NI blocks to show this morning. That means I only have 11 left to do and one of those is in the middle of construction. No celebrating yet though. At least one of the blocks that I have left to do will take hours....seriously....hours. Oh well, I can see the finish line, almost :o)

 

 

 

 

It looks like my part of the country is in for a huge (8" to 15") snowstorm. I'm fine with that as long as we don't get ice. If it really does snow that much I'll close the store and stay home and sew and cook. I'm pretty sure you know what I'm hoping will happen...lol

Have a great Wednesday everyone....
Ranette