9patchnurse: February 2013

Hello and welcome. Marlene over at Stitchin By The Lake has been posting a weekly series introducing other blogs so we can get to know our bloggy neighbors. If you have come to visit via Marlene, then thank you and make sure to enjoy your visit.

How about I just share a little bit about myself?

I have been a pediatric nurse for years. I have worked in the Pediatric ICU, Labor and Delivery, Pediatric Oncology, and currently in the Pediatric Operating room at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. I love taking care of kids and their families. However, when I'm not at work, I want to spend all of my time in my sewing room making quilts. I am constantly rearranging my sewing space and trying to find the magic formula for staying tidy and organized. Somebody needs to smack me on the head and clue me in that it just ain't gonna happen.

Here is a picture of my sewing room midway through it's most recent renovation. Yup! The floor is spotted. So now you know I am a little wacky. Since this picture, I have put wooden blinds on the windows and I have big sliding doors on the closet to the left. They are covered with cork and batting so I can use them as my design wall. I moved the light fixture too. I love this space and spend a lot of time here.

I live on a family farm and all of my neighbors are family. A couple of weeks ago, I looked out front and there was a HUGE flock of birds out front. What a ruckus.

Out back we have trees. The last few years have been hard on the trees. Twice we have had little tornados come through and take out a few trees (with our power lines). This past fall, Hurricane Sandy blew this one over. I just happened to be standing at the kitchen door and saw it go over. So lucky it fell the way it did.

Oh yeah, it was a big one!

Like most quilters, I have UFOs. This year I have committed to trying to get a few done in addition to just having fun trying new things. A few years ago I started this quilt along and got 36 of these round blocks done. All hand appliqued, eesh! Last week I sewed four of them together, again by hand. I am SO SO tempted to just finish it up by machine. Until I decide, I'm just going to leave these on the design wall to taunt me.

Here is another UFO whose days are numbered. I usually refer to it as 'The Orb quilt' and I found the pattern here. I didn't intend for it to be so dark so I stalled. Very soon I will commit to some kind of border and git er done.

Another plan for this year is to keep playing with my scraps and use them up. Lol, ha ha ha ha, guffaw guffaw! Use them up! Good grief, let's just settle with using them. I put this top together a couple weeks ago using this tutorial. So much fun and shockingly easy.

I picked out these fabrics for borders and can't wait to get it finished.

I am also having a love affair with half square triangles. I finally got this wallhanging funished and hung. Two inch finished HSTs. The wall is pale yellow and now I think it needs to be painted.

I am weak when it come to fabric. I have such a hard time resisting. In the past month, I have gone on two delightful daytrips with some pals to the Lancaster, PA area where there are awesome quilt shops. Great prices just add to the fun. Wanna see what I got?