Catching Up On Things

Didn't get to post last week at all --- DH was on vacation and I admit I get distracted when he's home.  Partly it's because I start making lists of all the things I figure we can try to tackle while he's off from work.  Next I think about places I want to go since I have unfettered access to the car (he usually takes it to work). Of course, all that has to be balanced against DH's desire to spend his ideal vacation week -- doing absolutely nothing, vegging out on the couch in front of the TV.  Always a challenge to reach a "Honey Do" détente agreement!

So to catch up on the quilty doings:

First:  a Win!

I had participated in the last (for now) NewFo link up at Barbara's Cat Patches blog at the end of December and lo and behold I won (thanks again Barbara)!  I received these lovely fat quarter cuts of Moda's Half Moon Modern Zig Zag fabric.  I have some great polka dot fabrics and batiks cuts in the same colors so I'm thinking a modern quilt project might be in my future. 

1/28/15 Edited to Add:

I also won this pin!  I completely forgot this was part of the prize and was putting away the Fat Quarters when I realized this was nestled between the bundles for safe keeping! 

 

 

It will look great added to the collection seen in this post!

 

Second: a Flimsie!

I FINALLY got the top finished on my "High Strung +2" quilt top!  This was an easy top but a slow finish because I underestimated the time it takes to blanket stitch around all those little applique pieces and make all the thread changes.  It's done now and I looking forward to quilting it and permanently adding the button embellishments and the reindeer's bell harness.  However, since Christmas is literally a year away right now, it will have to wait.  Why?  Because there are other holidays 'a brewin'....
 
Third: a new project!

This is the start of "Vintage Cherries For Valentines".  The original design is also from the same book -- "'Tis the Season" by Jeanne Large and Shelly Wicks -- that the "High Strung" quilt is from (Note:  both of these are also available as individual e-patterns from the Martingale website:  just click on the "epatterns" link on the book's page).

When I saw the quilt in the book I was immediately struck by the color palette but it reminded me of a chocolate candy assortment and that reminded me more of Valentines Day than of Christmas.  Raiding the stash, I found I had a lot of starter for it and since I don't already have a Valentines Day quilt and last year had bought a wool table topper pattern also for that holiday, it seemed the perfect time to get it started.

And throw in some Slow Sunday Stitching (that didn't get done until Monday so I'll post about it with next week's report) and Sunday's Downton Abbey installment (did the Dowager Countess have a fling in Russia back in the day?!?!?) and it all adds up to this being a bit of a busy week.

Hope you've been able to stay inside and combat the cold with the warmth of quilting.  I know I have!