A Pre Storm Day

 We're going to do a few errands today, and have lunch with Frank and Charlotte, before the storm comes in late tomorrow.

 Tree skirt flimsy! I have to pick backing and get it quilted. I'm planning on just doing some straight lines. I left a review on the Shabby Fabrics site, where I got the pattern from, and gave it 2 stars because of the waste of fabric, and the not great directions. I also went on the designer's site and left the same comments. 

Baby Boone's Temperature snake! It was going to be her first year, but I'm scaling it down to her first six months, because it would be way to long for her to play with anytime soon if I did the full year. When I did the other six snakes, for my 4 grandchildren and two great nephews, I did the year, and they were smaller around, and they ended up about 12 feet long. They also had safety eyes, but I'm going to embroider the eyes for Boone. I did 21 rows yesterday.  I have 40 some rows to get to August 12, which would be her six months. 

Grandchildren Eddie and Julianna are having a good start to their spring semesters at Stockton. Hard to believe it's Eddie's last semester and he'll get his BSN in May! He still wants ER, which he's been saying for years. 
 

Progress!

 We're supposed to have a beautiful day in the 50's today, a tease before we get blasted with snow over the weekend.

Yesterday I had to get Ralph to help me with the Holly Jolly Tree Skirt pattern, because he's so much better at geometry than I am. (it's a low bar.) 

First off, the strips sets did not match the diagram, even though I followed the directions. Mine were upside down. And trying to figure out a 60 degree angle for the trapezoids! We ended up making a fabric template, and that worked well. The directions said we'd get two trapezoids per strip set, which is correct. But the amount of waste is appalling!

This is the amount of waste per strip set, times 3 strip sets! If the trapezoids were an inch shorter at the base, we could have gotten 3 trapezoids per strip set. I actually wrote a review on the Shabby Fabrics site, and emailed the designer. I'll use the wasted fabric, but it up for binding or something.

 

This is how it looks put together but not sewn. That's today's goal.

 11 rows on Sally Snake last night!

 After checking sizes with mom Samantha, I ordered this bonus gift for Baby Boone. She's in a 12 months size, so I ordered 12-18 months. Samantha texted me that I'm the best, after I sent her a pic. It'll be delivered to their house on Friday. 

I'm waiting for Ralph to get home from breakfast with the Veterans. We have to go pay the water bill, and get some cash, since he's hired a snow plower.  

Brrr!

 It was 12 this morning! The high will be in the low 20's! And a storm coming in this weekend. We're set with bread, milk and eggs, yarn, kindle books, and fabric. 

 This is the pattern I'm using for Steph and Dan's tree skirt. The strip sets are sewn, today will be cut into triangles day.

First day of spring semester at Stockton University! They live close enough to commute, and neither had any interest in the dorms. You'll notice that they are in hoodies even tho it was 17 degrees. Mom Heather asked Julianna if she wanted gloves, and got an "are you crazy?" look. It's Eddie's last semester, and Julianna's second semester.

 

Sallie the snake is growing! I did 20+ rows last night while watching last season's Will Trent. It was going to be Boone's first year of temperatures, but may turn into her first 6 months due to size.

 My best score ever on Wridges, the WaPo daily word search game!

Snow and heaters

 We got a new heating system a few years ago, and have a service plan, thank goodness. In the last two years, the circulating motor has gone out about four times. Ralph thinks it's just not big enough. It's been replaced, the last time in December. Last night it went out again. It got down to 60 in here. He left a message with the company, and they called first thing this morning, they will be out. We plan to tell them that the owner needs to figure out what the problem is and fix it, because this is ridiculous. They have been great to work with, and I hope they can come up with a solution.

So. Yesterday- sleet, snow, sleet, snow. Total about an inch or so, but the roads are probably a mess, so we stayed in yesterday, and will today. I was productive in the sewing room!

 Strip sets laid out and ironed. There are 3 strip sets.

There are 9 strips in a set, and each strip gets offset by one inch. They will be subcut into triangles. This is the first of three, I hope to do another today.

 

I did another 20+ rows on the snake last night while watching last season's The Rookie. I'm thinking Sally the Snake for her name.

 

Winter weather Sunday

Rain, sleet, snow? Yes to all the above yesterday. Today no sleet (so far) but rain and snow all day. So we are staying in. 

Yesterday my back hurt, so I alternated ibuprofen and tylenol, and took up residence on the couch, with the snake and the TV. I'm catching up on last season's Rookie on hulu, after our DVR deleted it last year.

  Over the course of the day I added 28 rows, so up til the end of March, using the high temps of the days. 

I got into the sewing room Friday and set up my strip sets for the tree skirt. Yesterday I wasn't up to standing or sewing, so better luck today.  

Snake!

 I've gotten the snake's head done, and started on the rounds.

 I have to put some more stuffing in to make the snout more pronounced. I can't call her Sammy the snake, because Boone's mama's name is Samantha. I have to think about other S names. 

It's cold! It's 26 now, and next week could find us in the teens! Yikes! 

Plan for today is to stay in. I want to get into the sewing room and read the directions for the tree skirt pattern. 

Forgotton Flower

 I have a finish!

 I named her Forgotton Flower because I have no memory of making her! I do remember that she is paper pieced, so she must have been a class. She's machine quilted, but not by me. I sewed the binding on, so now I just need to get a curtain rod and clips, and decide where to hang her. 

This beauty is now 11 months old! She's the picture of her daddy. Since her birthday is in a month, that means the temperature snake of her first year better get worked on!

 

A terrible pic of the snakes head and first two rows of days. Once I get some stuffing in, you'll be able to see the nose of it. But it's in progress!

For the sewing room, Steph and Dan's Christmas tree skirt is up next.