I’ve been trying to time up a lot of loose ends around here. You all know how it is at Christmas time. There are last-minute gifts, cards to send, and the like. Today happens to be my birthday…I’m 55, double nickels, the speed limit…whatever you want to call it. I’ve always had it in my head that I need to be done with as much Christmas stuff as possible by my birthday so I can actually enjoy the holiday. I’m doing pretty good with the Christmas stuff but a few other things have been lagging as so much time went into my sewing room and now Christmas. Speaking of which, did you see my big sewing room reveal or did you miss it? For anyone who missed it, you can see the blog post with before and after pictures HERE and you can watch the Youtube video of it here.
I have so been enjoying the space. I used my big island for present wrapping. It was so nice. In the past, I have kept unwrapped presents in my bedroom. Carried them downstairs to wrap them and then carried them back upstairs to wait for Christmas. I hated it. This time I carried them to the sewing room…wrapped them on my wonderful island and then stored the wrapped presents in my sewing room because there is room because it isn’t all cluttered. Oh my, I’m a happy girl!!
I’ve been working on working more on my Spider web string quilt. All of the triangles are sewn. I need to remove the papers yet.
I’ve worked more on my Holy Toledo quilt. All of the little triangles have been sewn. The big pieces were in squares, so I got them cut down into triangles and started sewing them. You can find the pattern in Scraps and Shirttails Book 2. Of all the Bonnie Hunter books, this is high on my list of favorites.
I have to laugh at myself. When I pulled that project out, I had no intention of bringing it out to finish. One day I just wanted to piece something for a half hour before bed and so I pulled that out. I intended on putting it away the next day. That didn’t happen. I somehow latched onto the project and now I guess I’m far enough along that I might as well just go with it.
I’ve loved this pattern from the moment I first saw the book and knew I wanted to make it. I fell in love with the triangles on the outer border. I still love them and can’t wait to see them all on my own version of this quilt.
Even though I have gone off the dirty dozen bandwagon in a way that I’m completing whatever quilt from the list that is fastest or I want to be done, I’m still watching the numbers that Mary at Country Threads pulls. For December it was #4. (Pick highjacked from Mary-thanks Mary)
So for me, my #4s are…
4-Hawaiian Sunset
If you’re a long time blog reader, you know I’ve wanted to do this for YEARS. It is for sure getting done this year.
I would love to drop everything and just sew this, but I’m not going to. I have the momentum to quickly finish projects and this isn’t one I just want to quickly finish. I was to savor this sew…so I’m letting it wait a little longer. If I can whittle the UFO list down, I’ll feel more comfortable to actually sit and sew this the way I want to fussing over fabric selection and petting it LOTS along the way.
This is another #4. I need to stitch the stems and make this into a pincushion. That wouldn’t take long at all…but, I have to do it.
This is totally do-able. I think I’m going to make a goal to give up regular cross-stitching one night and stitch the stems.
I have one more #4 project. It’s the dog quilt. I’ve collected these prints some time ago (with the help of all of you). My plan is to make a quilt for the local animal shelter for their benefit. I don’t need that anytime soon so I think that project will sit.
I started out with 32 UFOs in July. I have finished 11 of them. I feel really good about that but I really want to keep the momentum going. So…I’m sticking with some of these quicker projects. My goal is to have the list whittled down quite a bit more before July 2021 rolls around.
For now, that’s the who’s, what’s and why’s of what I’m sewing on. For now, I’m off. I have a little time and I think I am going to get the rest of the large triangles sewn for the Holy Toledo quilt!! More progress. YAHOO!!
Before I go I am putting out one more reminder that you still have time to read the book that several of us are reading. Several readers wrote and suggested I read another book by the same author called, The Dry Grass of August. The author is Anna Jean Mayhew.
I started the book and so far, it’s AWESOME! I’ll be doing a review on December 12th and I’m hoping that many of you will chime in that day and help offer some comments about the book as well.
![The Dry Grass of August by [Anna Jean Mayhew]](https://i1.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51aSjBD5LML.jpg?resize=260%2C334&ssl=1)
I went to Amazon to learn more about the book and saw that it was available free for Kindle Unlimited members and for Audible users. That prompted me to think maybe I should offer to have a book club for the book. So many of you already use these services so many of you would be able to read for free.
You can find the book HERE on Amazon if you don’t have a membership to Audible or Kindle Unlimited. I think it was only around $8 for the book.
I did find the book available through my online library Hoopla as well.
I’d love for anyone to leave a comment suggesting another book we could all read together.
Stop back on the 12th for that review.
Happy Birthday! You’re sewing room came out amazing and I love the colors. I hope you have a great day.
Happy Birthday Jo!!! I love the remake of your sewing room. It is obvious that you picked each piece of furniture with it’s purpose in mind.
I hope you have a fun and fulfilling day on your Birthday. I look forward to reading your blog every day
Happy Birthday Jo. Today is your special day, so celebrate and enjoy all the blessings in life.
Happy birthday, besides stitching eat lots of cake and ice cream (no calories in birthday cake) sit back and enjoy the day and praise the Lord.
Happy Birthday, Jo. I hope your day is everything you want it to be. This past weekend I decided I was going to “WWJD”, What Would Jo Do? It all started when you posted your red quilt and shared your day, I needed to be more like you. If I did sit down there always needed to be something in my hands. I started my days with a list of what I wanted to get accomplished and it all got done. Thank you for sharing, you are such a great role model just by leading with example.
Happy Birthday Jo. I love your sewing room. have a wonderful day!
Wishing you a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY Miss JO !!!! I so enjoy reading your blog and LOVE your new sewing studio! I still think an upper deck outside your “door to nowhere” would be awesome for you :) I marvel at how much you get done and how organized you are and still calm,lol. We love your mac n cheese with beef you shared a few months ago, yum. So glad Miss Rosie is doing better in everything and she is too cute following you around getting in the video and pictures. So Sweet! Please keep making your sew along with the spider webs video :) thanks!
Happy Birthday Jo! Hope your day is grand! HUGS… and stitches
Happy birthday!! This would be my mother’s b-day too – but she would be 109 today if she were still with us!
Enjoy your day – and remember that 55 is still young! :)
I have an HST questions. I usually save the bonus triangles cut off but dont always sew them together. Do you accept these even not sewn? I have a bag of half and half, half sewn, half not sewn. Lots of variety. I hate to throw them away.
Hi Carol..I sure to accept them. They are perfect for paper piecing. My Pineapple Crazy quilt was made mostly with them.
Happy Birthday Jo, I hope your day and year ahead are fantastic! Thank you for being the inspiration you are, your sewing room has been a real inspiration! Thank you!
I don’t understand about the numbers you mentioned. I went to the website that you suggested but still don’t understand.
Happy Birthday Jo! You did a beautiful job in your sewing room! After. Heist as mine is going to get a major overhaul
Happy Happy Birthday, Jo! I hope your day is filled with all things that you wish for. Enjoy!!!
Happy Birthday Jo, hope its a splendid day celebrating you. I really enjoy your blog and watching all the videos have been a real treat. Keep them coming. Your new sewing room is a wonder, lucky you to have that nice big island for wrapping gifts this time of the year.
Happy Birthday. After working for years I now am down to five maybe six UFO’s. Not sure if I even want to finish one but I have decided to do what one lady called the Dave Ramsey system where you pay off the smallest bill first. Take that money and add to the next smallest and so on. So I have my UFO’s lined up that way. The one taking the shortest amount of time is first and down the list. For the first time in years I’m excited to get started on those last UFO’s! Bring on Jan!
Happy Birthday Jo. We are birthday twins and after reading your blog many years, I never knew that. Lucky for you, you are way-younger. Everyone in my family remembered my birth date because of Pearl Harbor, but luckily for both of us, we were born after WWI was over. Your sewing room looks great, and you are surely getting after the finishing on many quilts. Have a great day!
Happy Birthday!! I remember when I hit 55 I was reminded I could start getting my senior discount in just a couple of places…lol That was almost 8 years ago as I hit 63 next month. I think I get the discount everywhere now…lol I hope your day is filled with joy and everything you hope it to be!
Birthday blessings to you, jo! so enjoyed seeing your sewing room come together. Everyday I read your blog and Country Threads, You and Mary inspire so many of us, especially in these covid times! You are our social life! Thank you so much for being a part of my day! Have a great birthday!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JO!!!!
Glad you suggested the book to read. I listened since and am anxious to read your review.
Have a Blessed Happy Birthday Jo!
Your sewing room reveal was so good. I have wondered why you hadn’t put in a porch or something for the fun of being outside and up where you could see more. Then I remember the cost of doing things like that. Enjoy your special day. Oh yes you are still young our perspective on who is going changes as we get older.
Happy Birthday Jo!! Have a great day!!
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10205406094984866&set=a.1051040089288
Hawaii Sunset is one of the favorites among the quilts I’ve made. I did cut it down from the pattern and it still was a large quilt.
Wow..So pretty Katherine. Just the inspiration I need.
I can not get any of your amazon references to connect. I was trying to see the totes you had purchased. I am looking for something to store some of my fabric in and thought I would give these a look.
Happy birthday!! I enjoyed your sewing room post, it really looks nice! Off to watch the video now, too. Have a wonderful day!
Happy Birthday Jo!!!
Happy Birthday, Jo! Hope you had a great day!
Happy Birthday Jo, from another December birthday Jo! My birthday is the 10th, but I passed the 55 mark 18 years ago!
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday, Jo! Hope you’ve gotten to do some things you wanted to do today. btw, your quilt room is spectacular! I wish I had a room that large.
Happy, happy birthday, Jo!
Happy belated birthday Jo! I’m almost two years older than you as I’ll be 57 on the 12th. I hope you had a great day and that you were able to do whatever you wanted. Your new sewing room looks fantastic. I’m going to tackle mine between Christmas and New Years. I watch my 14 month old granddaughter and her mom’s a school teacher, so that week is my “vacation”.
(Oh, you’re only a few months younger than me.) Here’s hoping you enjoyed a lovely birthday, Jo! Best of luck with this month’s Dirty Dozen project(s.)
Happy birthday! Wish you many more! Hopes our day was awesome and you were pampered! Love your sewing room! It’s awesome!
Wonderful…inspiring…terrific…You deserve this….
Now, as I look around my room….I am a Jo wannabee…Congrats.