Blog reading and commenting

I've never done a poll before but I'm curious whether most of my readers come directly to this site or use a blog reader service like bloglines.

I use bloglines myself and usually only visit the actual blogs when I want to make a comment. I cut down my bloglines subscriptions a while ago, intending to use the blog rings to get around to the blogs I like to check on once or twice a month - that hasn't happened.

Right now, I have about 45 feeds in my bloglines, when someone comments on my blog - I click on their profile and visit their blog if they have one, and try to occasionally get around the blog rings I belong to....but I still feel like I'm missing things.

Please take my poll and let me know how you manage to balance the desire to read the blogs that interest you AND still control the amount of time you spend on the computer.


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Winter is not over yet

They're calling for 6-8 inches of snow today - believe it or not - I'm still enjoying it.

It may not look like it - but I'm making progress. This small 8x10 den is my biggest challenge with the move. We're having the movers do our packing but other than a couple boxes in the longarm room and a couple boxes in my bedroom - this is the only room I feel a need to pack up myself. Since many of the files will stay in storage boxes, it makes sense to sort them now.

The painters come to the townhouse tomorrow at 7AM so I'm going to walk over now to put post-it notes on all the walls so they won't get *confused* at which colors go where. Hopefully, I can get a haircut on the way over - no appointment but they can usually fit me in.

I love walking in the snow!

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It's Sunday again

I am happy to say that the townhouse has been scrubbed from top to bottom and all the cooties from the previous owners are gone. It's sparkling clean and I used a ton of Pine Sol so it smells clean too (does anything smell cleaner than Pine Sol?).

We also had a chance to take a short bike ride late this afternoon - I managed to not hurt myself. We even rode across the Mississippi on a bridge without a bike lane and I didn't even panic about riding in traffic.

I don't have much progress or stashbusting to report this week but here goes:

• 3 postcards made - all from stash :)
• I pulled fabric for my Wonky Tree quilt that I'm making in Tonya's online class and started making trees - all that fabric is from stash also.
• No fabric purchased.

I think I'm going to go make a couple more trees and then start packing up my desk and files tonight. I slept late this morning so I know I won't be able to go to bed early.

I'll just warn regular readers of my blog that there won't be much quilt related content for the next 3-4 weeks. I hope to be back to my usual quilty content by the end of April.

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I'm so tired

We're back at the apartment - our sleepover was fun but this cold is keeping me from sleeping. We spent all morning cleaning and then walked to a local bike shop - we'd decided we couldn't live right on The Grand Rounds in Minneapolis (50 miles of bike and walking trails) without bikes.

I haven't been on a bike in years and almost killed myself in the short stretch we had to ride on a busy road coming back from the bike shop. Luckily we made it safely to the bike path and from the townhouse - we can ride for miles on the trails without going on the roads at all.

We have more cleaning to do tomorrow but we're hoping to get a bike ride in too.

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Sleepover!

We'll be at the townhouse *camping* out for a night or two. See you when we get home!

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I couldn't sleep

I just had to see how this would look. I used card stock for the back and it's different but I like the combination of fabric on the front and paper on the back. I think I'll make 2-3 of these to use the other garden charms.


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Progess!

I've finalized the arrangements for having the townhouse painted - they should be able to do it next week and then I ran out to Sears and bought a washing machine and a dryer. I wanted the sexy ones in a bright color but in the end the ones that are going to work best for us are kind of boring....and white.

I ran into Joann's to pick up some index cards - I want to try some card stock backings for my postcards and I found these cute gardening tools. This is the idea I'm going to try for my April postcard for our family exchange.

Finally, I just had to make more trees - my forest is growing!

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No progress today

No sleep last night and my cold seems worse so I didn't accomplish much today. Tomorrow I meet with the painters to get an estimate for the new townhouse.

Deb decided we need to get back to doing a family quilt project. We've decided to do a postcard exchange and there are 7 of us participating. We'll each make one card and get one card each month. I dug into my blue buttons again and made this one this afternoon while I was writing some instructions for Mom and I'm sending it to her. Since our first deadline is April 25th I might make mine before packing up the postcard stash.

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avoidance? denial?

I had my sewing room clean 2 weeks ago - ready to be packed up even. Then I just had to make a log cabin quilt from my scrap bins (still only 2/3 assembled) and made a big mess.

Yesterday instead of assembling the rest of the blocks, I pulled fabric and started making my wonky trees. A couple more trees were made tonight and if that wasn't enough I had to pull out my postcard stuff. These button flowers are from the book Fabric Leftovers and the background fabric was hand dyed by Deb. While I'm not completely happy with this first attempt, they are cute and I'll try them again. After the move. Tomorrow I get serious about cleaning up and packing what I can.

It's 1AM now and I'm going to bed - to read. I'm too stressed to sleep.

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I couldn't resist - a couple more trees!

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It's officially ours (and the bank's)

We closed on the townhouse this afternoon. We have plans for some work in the kitchen and painting PLUS Keith took one look at the washer and dryer and gave me the go ahead to replace them. Of course, he also told me he'll be traveling most of the 2 weeks before we move so he won't be much help. BUT, I've talked him into a *sleep over* this weekend. We're going to go clean and we'll take sleeping bags and camp out in front of the fire.

I'm standing on our back deck that's right off the kitchen - see the skyline! I don't usually like photos of myself but here's the 2nd one I've posted in a week.

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Wonky trees

I'm participating in Tonya's summer class but the plan was to wait until the move was done to start after all it's just MARCH! My quilt will be made up of freeform pieced trees in autumn colors so I decided to pull the fabrics and put them aside so I can find them when we move - that way I can work on the quilt while I'm unpacking.

So first I pull an autumn print to use as a guide to pull fabrics for the trees.

Then I decide I have to just try one or rather two because I decided I'll cut two at a time from squares or rectangles. (Nope, didn't even iron that green square first!)

After piecing the first one (on the right) I realized I needed to cut down my tree a little before piecing the sides so I won't lose my points in the seam allowances.

Then I had to make another set of two just for fun. As I go along, I'll try different trees too.

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We close on the townhouse tomorrow!

It's so difficult to plan a move when you've only been in a place a couple times. In fact, we're having some painting done before we move in and I haven't even decided for sure which rooms need painting.

I feel like I've been running in place the last week or so but with the closing, things will finally move forward. I had plans to go to Denmark with Keith the week of the 6th but that's NOT going to happen. We'll actually move the week of April 14th and I'm so ready to have it done.

I had some questions about the vacuum I bought. We have an upright that Keith bought about 10 years ago - back when he did most of the vacuuming and I've always hated it. I bought a Kenmore Canister vacuum - it will be much easier to vacuum under furniture and on the stairs plus the controls are a lot easier reach/adjust on this one.


I'm fighting a cold and today seems to be the worst day so I don't know how much I'll get done. I feel like sitting in my chair wrapped in a quilt and doing a little knitting.

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Sunday stashbusting and progress report

I didn't get all the way through my list this week but other than getting a top quilted I did pretty well. I haven't quilt finished the binding that was on the list either but it's in the process of being stitched down.

Plus I bought a new vacuum - that task wasn't officially on the list but I'd decided I'd buy a new one in time for the move. Our vacuum is terrible, old and not the best for trying to vacuum under furniture or stairs. The new townhouse has lots of stairs!

Stashbusting:

• The log cabin blocks are completely from my scrap bins and I'm about 2/3 of the way through assembling the top.
• The binding on the donated top from Sandra/Stashbusters is from my leftover binding bin.

Purchases:

• No fabric purchases this week but I did buy some cotton yarn for more dishcloths. Joann's had a sale and I got the 6 skeins for under $20.

Are you impressed with the diamond pattern I'm knitting? You knitters out there are probably laughing at me but remember - I only have very, VERY basic knitting skills but I'm having the fun with these dishcloths. The projects are so small I'm not afraid to try some new patterns that normally I wouldn't attempt. This is one that Mom picked out for me to make her when I was at her house last weekend.

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Happy Easter

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Not too pretty at this point

All the log cabin blocks are pieced and up on the design wall and I see from the photo that I need move around a couple blocks. It may not look like much at this point but I have faith that I'll like the finished quilt.

In case you missed an earlier post - these strips and strings were pulled from my bins and are all different widths. As you can see they aren't color coordinated either so if you don't like scrappy quilts to begin with, this one probably looks ugly to you. Since I tend to get bored fairly easily, it's nice to do a different block and STILL be using my leftover strips and strings!


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Winter's last gasp?

Maybe it's still a novelty for us - after all this is just our second winter in Minneapolis, but we love it. I know everyone is tired of the snow and cold but we had a wonderful day. First we walked to brunch and then took a long walk down by the river.

One of our favorite pubs, Brit's put their chairs and tables out this week in anticipation of spring - a little early I'd say!

You know we had to have a snowball fight. He tried to hit me several times while I was taking pictures but he missed!

We walked part of the Grand Rounds by the river (near the new Townhouse).

I love walking along the Mississippi River - once we move we'll be just steps from it.

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Snow!

We're getting snow! It's so beautiful, I can't wait to go out and play!

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Postcards

I haven't forgotten my postcard journal project - I just haven't slowed down enough to make one since Valentine's Day. I was amazed to find this card from Gayle in my mailbox this past week. She's participating in the postcard swap at MQ Resources with Deb and sent me one too. What a wonderful feeling to receive an unexpected gift. Thanks Gayle!

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How am I doing?

I spent WAY too much time at Home Depot today working on my *to do* list for this week. Afterwards, I ran by Joann's to pick up some more yarn for some knit washcloths.

Here's my updated list

• Bind the 2nd Stashbuster/HeartStrings quilt
• Quilt 1 top
• Start a string log cabin quilt
• Knit another dishcloth
• Set up start and stop dates for all the utilities for the move
• Pick paint colors for the new townhouse
• Write and send out change of address notices

In addition, I picked out and ordered new countertops, picked out tile for the kitchen backsplash, set an appointment for the painters to come give an estimate. I think we'll need a new kitchen sink too.

So good progress but I'm not sure if I'll get the last two items finished this week - we'll see.


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Another dishcloth

I think I'm being counterproductive here. This was all sorted and cleaned in preparation for the move but now it's a disaster again thanks to the string log cabin blocks. Only 10 more to make and then I'll have to clean this up again.

Can you tell what this is a picture of? Click on the photo to enlarge if you need to.

This one is from the book Garden Dishcloths to Knit and they're smaller than the ones from the other book. Believe it or not, it came out to the exact right size (I never knit anything that has to *fit* so I never do gauge swatches).

I'm off to Home Depot to pick out paint.

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