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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Fabric... Welcome to the Patriotic Quilter where I like to share all things quilty as well as red, white, and blue! Please feel free to look around and enjoy yourself! I would love to hear from you.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

"Fiddley" But Fun

Hi Everyone,

I have been wanting to get started on two different sew-alongs the past 10 days or so, but what with my self-imposed, "patriotic projects only" period of time, I couldn't get started until after the Fourth, and then we were on our trip, so yesterday was The Day.

First off are these fun little blocks.  I know they are appearing all over blogland and I've been chomping at the bit to get them going.  The idea is to make one per day.   They are cakestand blocks that finish at 2 inches!  If you are interested, it isn't too late.  You can find all the details here at the Temecula Quilt Company. 

As the title of this posts suggests, they are a bit fiddlely, but lots of fun.  I made the HSTs a bit larger and squared them up to help with the tiny construction.  I need to make some more to catch up.  I have all my fabric cut, but I know once I'm caught up, I won't make just one a day.  I always have better luck making a few at a time.

The other sew-along that I'm working on is Pam Buda's Nabby's Dowry and you can find those details here.  The first step consisted of making 162 HSTs that finish at 1.5 inches.  You have until Friday before the next step is posted, so there is plenty of time to get those done!

Both of these little projects use scraps, so I did the cutting for both at the same time. 

I actually stayed up late working on the basket blocks.  This is rare for me as I usually do my sewing during the day so that when my husband is home in the evening, we spend that time together.  Last night was not normal, though, as my husband had a sleep study for his sleep apnea, so I was home alone.

Lately, I have been waking up around 4 and usually think I have "heard something."  In all fairness, I did actually hear a tree branch fall in the neighbor's yard last week, and that resulted in waking up my husband and making him search with a flashlight.  It wasn't until daylight that we figured out the source of the sound.  Anyway, I was nervous that I would "hear something" last night when he was gone, so I went on the offensive and stayed up late.  I woke up a little after 4 and immediately turned on the tv to forestall hearing anything, and that worked okay.  I didn't get my usual amount of sleep though.

Neither did my poor husband.  He has had sleep apnea for years and so he has done sleep studies before.  The idea is that the patient shows up around 9pm, gets hooked up to all sorts of machines, and then "sleeps normally."  He was informed that women are never in the room he was put into because it is too noisy.  I'm thinking "since when is noise a factor for just women?" but then I remembered my night, so I think I need to keep silent on that point.  He said that the air conditioner vent was blowing right down in his face, so he was cold all night. Needless to say, he didn't sleep all that much, and when he finally did, they woke him up to readjust something. 

I expect that it will be an early bedtime here tonight!

Have a great day!
JoAnne

12 comments:

  1. Love your little cakestand blocks! I was intrigued by them but resisted... esp after I looked at my seam gauge and visualized a 2" finished block! I may cave later... just as I did with last year's star blocks.

    The small HSTs are cute too but I think I need to stick with my pinwheels... so I'll enjoy watching your progress with this project as well!

    I've done the "sleep study" thing and sleeping is not something that you get much of during the study. *rolling eyes* My SIL is doing one later this month, bless him...

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  2. Your cakestand blocks are really cute. I have seen them around blogland too and have been tempted.
    I'm so very glad you are doing the Pam Buda sewalong. I'm looking forward to the next step too.

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  3. I saw the little cake stand blocks on the Temecula Q.C. site but they lost me at 2" but you go girl yours are darling. Hubby and I are both up off an on during the night and now we have inflicted our little dachshund with our insomnia. If hubby and I are up at the same time, here will come our little four legged friend out to join us.

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  4. Both of these SALs are ones that enticed me on their respective blogs, but I have put my foot down and forbidden any new SALs, and surprisingly, so far I have stuck to it! I'm glad I know where I can get my fix. At least if I can't sew along, I can watch along here. : )

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  5. Thanks for the links to the SALs. I've seen the Temecula blocks, but now I'm tempted.

    I've had four sleep studies in the last 10 years, so I can relate to your husband's experience. That said, I do love my CPAP machine - I have no doubt that using it for 10 years has saved my life, multiple times.

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  6. I am tempted by the SALs .... but I have so, so, so many unfinished projects that I am trying to resist ... trying, trying, trying ...... ;-)

    My mom and bro-in-law have sleep apnea ... and use the CPAP to aid in their sleep ... both say they feel MUCH better since using it. Not sure if I am a candidate for the study but my physician has asked me several times how my sleep is ... perhaps I need to listen more closely ... LOL

    PS: LOVED the photo of Jefferson you shared with me ... that would have been REALLY cool to have seen ... hope to get back to Williamsburg again someday ... but not in summer when it is SO hot and humid there. Christmas must be beautiful there ....

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  7. I love your little projects! I'll have to think about joining up on them....so cute! And my hubby had a sleep study done a few years back. I would be kept up all night from his horribly loud snoring, and just as I would start to fall asleep, it would sound like he had stopped breathing. He was keeping me awake for years! So he did the study, and in the morning, the doctor said that hubby was fine....no apnea, and that the whole problem was MINE, and that I should 'take a pill!' Cripes! lol

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  8. Cute little cakestands!! I have resisted on BOTH SALs as I have a "self-imposed" schedule to finish up some UFOs at my house. Plus, I have 3 baby quilts to make as gifts - so alas, I will view all the lovelies from afar!!

    Blessings on your sleep tonight!

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  9. I've been seeing the Cakestand blocks showing up all over blogland and agree they're adorable. At 2" though, they're pretty tiny. Unfortunately, I still have all my machines packed up so no sewing here.

    My husband used to have sleep apnea and used the CPAP machine for a couple of years. He didn't really like it, but needed it. Then he went to India on a business trip for 2 weeks and came down with E Coli. He lost 30 pounds and hasn't had a problem with it since. That was probably 7 years ago. I hope they'e able to get your husband's under control. It's not only dangerous when they stop breathing, it's scary listening to them too!

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  10. What I like about the little cake stand block is that I could print the pattern and make them later... maybe at my September retreat using small Christmas prints. So far that's my plan... for now! They are so cute!

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  11. The little blocks are adorable! I very rarely am home alone and I get so paranoid about every little creak I hear that I can't sleep either. I did a sleep study a couple year ago and how anyone can actually sleep is beyond me. They hook you up to so many sensors and use plaster to adhere them to your scalp--it's awful. Fortunately I just needed a guard to prevent teeth grinding--probably caused by stress from dreaming about all my UFO's waiting in the sewing room....

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  12. I was just catching up a bit... and loving your BOM guild project... then I saw that you were making these little baskets too! You are a crazy woman! But I know you are going to love each and every one of those sweet LITTLE blocks!

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