A return to the land of snow and rain.

Not much to show this past week.  I did clean up my sewing room and pack projects into a suitcase to bring back to the land of rain and snow.  Yes, we are 'home' for awhile because of my husband's health.  He has Peripheral vascular disease and apparently no pulse detected in his legs lower than his pelvis.  So, we await tests. And here in B.C. waiting for tests is exactly that... a wait. We will find out more next week after the requests are submitted to the hospital but apparently, it could be anywhere from April to June.

This top got completed.  An interesting pattern and done in 'round's so to speak. 

I have enough four patches left to make a small quilt.

When I woke this morning, this was our view:

It is now raining and not a pretty sight. 
So, it is perfect weather to be sewing, quilting and binding.  But, am having a hard time adjusting and getting anything done!

Trying for an hour a day in my sewing space.

I seem to have too  many days when I don't find time to wander in and sit at my  machine but am making an effort to find an hour either mid afternoon or right after dinner to make some progress on projects.
Once a week is the 50 blocks in 50 weeks with Canadian Quilter's Association and I am keeping up.  These are 6" blocks, finished and so far, four weeks, four blocks.

And, my yellow RCS (rainbow colour scraps) is done for February.  Simple blocks made by stitching 5 rows of 2.5" strips together, cutting into 10" squares, matching up with white 10" squares, stitch around the perimeter and then slice crosswise in both directions.  Easy, peasy half square triangles.  Red last month and yellow for February.  Done
Plus, more 12.5" blocks completed for Sparrow Quilts, 52 blocks in 52 weeks.  It is week 14 and I have twelve blocks completed.  

I managed to get my Missouri star project done but not pressed yet.  I didn't get my hour, didn't even get 5 minutes in my sewing room today.  But, pressing will get done tomorrow and the top will get packed away to be taken north for finishing.

I started a new project this week.  Country Blooms, a kit from Connecting Threads.  I have my strips sewn, cut into blocks and then the blocks stitched into four patches.  Two rows are done and there are many more to stitch. 

The star quilt is ready for quilting and binding.  The binding is made and that is as far as I got. Maybe if we get a rainy day in Arizona, it might happen? It really isn't needed until next December or January as a winter table topper but would be nice to cross it off the list.

Gorgeous sunsets in Arizona but try as I may, it is not possible to get a great picture of the deep magenta skies as it gets dark.

We are busy juicing our oranges and filling the freezer with fresh juice with no preservatives and ready to be consumed next fall.  So sweet and delicious but feel so bad filling the trash can with the orange peels... there is no composting available here so everything goes in the garbage.  Such a shame.

This week has a short list:
1. Quilt the star table topper and bind
2. This week's blocks for both 50 and 52 blocks of the week
3. Stitch the blocks for Country Blooms
4. Tidy up my sewing room before my trip north to be home for some medical appointments.

New month with new goals.

I ran out of time in January.  Even though it is only the end of January and beginning of February, our social calendar is full with lots of activities.  There was a surprise birthday party for a friend with over 100 people attending, a thank you party last weekend here at our house, and a great tennis activity yesterday with the Canadians versus the U. S. players.  First time in three years, Canada lost!  We will return next year with more effort to get our trophy back.  And then impromptu parties happen and today, it rained.  But the necessities of life get in the way as well.. so today was grocery shopping and some laundry.
 My husband and his Canadian partner playing against some U.S. players. Cloudy day but warm and perfect for a tennis tournament.

I did not cross anything off my January goal list and it looks the same as last week.
However, I did finish my blocks for "Out of Time", a Missouri Star free video and pattern.  Simple as the blocks are, it seemed to take forever to make, probably because I didn't spend any time on Wed, Thurs, Fri, or Sat in my sewing room?

This is large enough that it won't need borders.  Hoping to get the blocks sewn together so I can empty my design wall..
I did stitch up my Sparrow block for the week and while this is week 13, I have 9 blocks made.  I am ok with that because I am choosing to make the blocks I like.  This week was called Firecracker.

I did change my mind about my blocks for the Rainbow scrap challenge and made these.  The blocks from last week will get donated to Canada Stitches and I will send them all that I made.

The oranges and grapefruit on our trees are ripening and time to start picking and juicing.

So, not a great progress report but maybe, if the weather stays wet and cool, I might get more time in my sewing room?