Spring Break

It’s sooooooo nice, or should I say SEWWWWW nice to be off from work!  The trees here in northern Virginia are in full bloom and the lovely lime green film of pollen is beginning to cover all horizontal spaces outside….aaaaachooooo!!

so for me, another good reason to stay inside and in my sewing room!!  I live on antihistamines in spring…and  summer…and fall…sigh…

So, for the first two days of our spring break,

Yogi and I are holed up in my sewing room finishing my next set of projects for the Moda Bake Shop.  The two piece project sorta grew as I went… to another 5 piece design set!!  :-)

Soooooo, what does your sewing space look like when you in in the middle of a project???

Do you listen to music while you sew, or have a movie or show on the tube in the background?  I have a very old little TV/VCR device in my sewing room that a few years ago, I attached a tiny DVD player to… and I have a nice collection of chick flicks in my sewing room.  I rarely look up at the screen… but can sure rattle off the scripts for most all my favorites films!!  How about you??

Yogi usually just sleeps as I sew…or looks out the window at the back yard.  Those darn squirrels!!  They just torment him constantly!! When  he’s not in the sewing room, he loves to sit in the front doorway and watch those punk squirrels cavort around out front!  He has evil plans for them…
 
P.S. FINALLY saw the hand doctor and sure enough I need a little 10 minute surgery to release the tissue at the base of my thumb that is making the tendons catch...but of course, he can't fit me into his surgery schedule for another 3 WEEKS!!!!!!!!  Grrrrrrrrrrr!  :-(

Hip Hip Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!

I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY!! I have all next week off for Spring Break! YESSSS! I have sooooo many things on my list to do next week. See???

1. sleep in

2. sew

3. read

4. trim back my dead peony stalks

5. sleep in

6. quilt

7. shop

8. get some fresh air if it stops raining

9. walk Yogi

10. sleep in

11. sew

12. sleep in

See any patterns developing??? :-) Just NOT being at work is such a treat! I can't wait to retire!! This is my 31st year teaching... as soon as my youngest son is done at Virginia Tech, I am soooooooooo retired!! At least another year of grad school for him. Retirement can't come soon enough!

Anyhoo, back to quilt stuff! I love sewing up jelly rolls... being pre-cut into strips makes the cutting and sewing so quickly. I have about 6 of them collected and have sewn up several already.

Have you sewn up quick projects with jelly rolls? Do you have a favorite pattern to share? Here are some patterns I've made.

This pattern is called "Field of Flowers". It's a five strip rail patch block set on point. I've made it several times. It makes a really good sized lap quilt.

This one is from a Halloween jelly roll. The border is not pieced- that is a patchwork print from the collection. Here's a close-up of the pumpkins I free-motion quilted in the green setting triangles.

This one is from a Moda jelly roll in gorgeous fall colors. It comes out at Thanksgiving time! I also have the blocks all done from the Moda Roman Holiday line but will sew them into a top at our next retreat. I like to finish up UFO's at retreats!

This one is from a book called On a Roll by Anka's Treasures. I made it out of the first American Jane collection. Love it!

This one is from a store made jelly roll in Christmas fabrics of my own design called "Ribbon Candy".

This jelly roll quilt is from a pattern called "At Home" with a more traditional look. I made it at one of our retreats, as well.

I've got a jelly roll from the Blossom collection, a Kaffe Fassett one, a Mary Englebreit Christmas line one, a 30's prints one....and a few more I can't remember right now. So, I think I may work on a jelly roll quilt this week that I'm off... maybe two... who knows how many I can get done in a whole week off???? Let the sewing begin!!!! God Bless! Polly :-)