Some New Year 's Ideas Rolling Around

Yes, I know...still 20 days or so for just Christmas, and I'm already pondering ideas for the new year. What can I say? I'm a bit bored this afternoon. It's been down right COLD in here today with Dewey going in and out constantly with measurements, boards and sheet rock. We pulled the walls out of the boys room yesterday and it needed to be rocked today, no ifs ands or buts about it. It's far too cold to leave a wall half apart, even in Mississippi. The fires have been eating up wood left and right trying to keep up.

Dinner is done -- 2 big venison roasts and lots of potatoes, carrots and gravy! YUM! The wood bin is full with overnighters and chunks, and we just brought laundry in from the line...can't tell yet how much is still damp and what is just cold, but dry. We hang out laundry every day we can here. When it rains, it rains for a while, so it pays to keep on top of laundry needs so we aren't dodging clothing hanging around inside :o)

Got some sewing done today, but with power turned off and my treadle not oiled up for ready use (note to self: clean and oil the treadle, it's been a while!), I didn't get as much done as I'd like. I have a couple dresses cut and a couple of shirts, but I could have gotten more done I think. I just wasn't motivated with the continual draft in here I guess.

And that is what brought me to some pondering. I have those 2 quilt tops to get backed and tied for Christmas gifts for the middles. I think, seeing as it's near impossible to get something like a quilt done without someone taking notice and my having to lie about what it is and who it's for, we will wrap the tops for Christmas and they will get to help batt, back and tie afterwards :o) Cheating to give a do-it-yourself gift, but my brood won't mind one bit. They eat that kind of stuff up here. I'm hoping to cultivate some enthusiasm with that hexagon quilt we came across, too.

Have you seen a Cathedral Window quilt?
They are remarkably easy to do really, even though they are hand-stitched (there are a couple portions of the initial block prep you could machine stitch...). Great Go-n-Sew projects :o) Years (and years) ago my cousin and I had a chance to visit a local quilters group and the block that month was the Cathedral Window. LOL...we went straight out, bought a bolt of muslin, started cutting 9 inch squares and...and the excitement sort of died out as babies started coming for both of us. Ahh, the joys of a short-lived idea.

Well, I have long since used up my portion of the muslin on other projects, but I always have a lot of scraps that are at least 2 inches in size. And I love the look of a Cathedral Window quilt. And I like the fact it isn't a pull out the big frame, or even the quilting hoop to work on sort of project. It is very much a sew-as-you-go-quilt. Portability is the big bonus.

There are tutorials all over...This one is good, so is this one (good sew along kind of photo's here) (and I got carried away with all the great scrap projects at Quiltville...always a bunny trail with me, I know...but string quilts, those great Crumbs, even a scrappy bargello...can you beat that? And more scrap ideas here as well)

Ah, I know...I'm bunny-trailing on my own ideas. It's the ADHD kicking in :o)

Ok, Cathedral Windows. I want to do one. I haven't decided for certain that I want a white or off-white muslin backing for sure -- solid colors looks so good, too. I need to get materials for the backing first, then I'm off...here's my general plan of action, from pondering a bit today:

(from a paper pattern I have here...)
Twin (66x78) 19 yards of muslin cut into 572 7 inch squares...needs 1100 2 inch scraps
Full (72x84) 23 yards muslin, cut into 672 7 inch squares...needs about 1300 2 inch scraps
King (96x108) 38 yards muslin, cut into 1152 7 inch squares...needs 2215 2 inch squares

I was toying with the idea of maybe doing a swap of sorts with folks. Trading charms...I have found a bunch of packs online here, here, here, here, and here...but I'm planning to use my own scraps, and maybe some swapped scraps from others. Well, mostly :o) I would like to make it a 'traditional' charm type of project, with no two fabrics being the same, but with that many 2 inch squares, I'll go bug-eyed long before that will happen, so we'll just do what we can and see how it turns out.

Would anyone like to swap some scraps? Anyone interested in working a Cathedral Window along with me...even if turns out to be just a throw pillow? C'mon...who's game?