Good bye August!

Come, September - I am ready for moving forward. August has not been the most productive month for me. I began with high hopes for the August quilt challenge - I had started a stained glass quilt (paper piecing 12" blocks) years ago. I needed to make the 4th section of a block and it would be the third one completed. As I looked at the three finished parts, I noticed they were slightly different in size than the paper pattern piece I was going to use.(Yes, I know there are only 3 here - I really did throw them away.)

   Sooo, thinking smartly (or so I thought) I went to the scanner and made a new copy of the pattern. Went upstairs, made the 4th block and - it did not match the first 3 squares!! So I went to the computer, printed another copy of the original scans I had done, made the square and ....still did not fit! Then I did the only thing I could - threw it on the floor and started completely over.
   I looked at the other two blocks that were completed and realized they were 1/2 inch different in size! Time to REALLY start over. I got the pattern book, chose 12 block patterns and spent the rest of the afternoon scanning and printing for a new quilt.

   My August challenge has now turned into a block of the month quilt (or 2 blocks a month) and I will add it the stack of UFOs for 2014!!!  Here are the August blocks, CORRECT size!

Added to the sewing frustrations were some unexpected health situations that will need to be addressed in the upcoming months and I am ready for September.

Another card

I helped Wayne with thank you cards for a recent activity, but made a few extra to send to OWH.

Move over August!

With August here, that means fall is going to come before too long! It has actually been a pretty mild summer here in our area, but I am still ready for the days when other people want jackets and sweaters to wear!

With the heat I have not spent a lot of time quilting nor working on my August challenge. I did participate in the August card challenge for Operation Write Home,  sponsored by Our Daily Bread Designs. We were to use the colors brown, green and pink on a card. This one let me use one of my seldom used Cricut cartridges - Twinkle Toes.

I was also able to send another package of cards to OWH in July. Now to start on the next group. It is really easy when I get challenges and suggestions every week from them. The trouble is taking the time to go in the craft room uninterrupted and get some done.

My August quilt challenge came up as the stained glass squares I had been working on. After spending one day to make a square, only to have it turn out too small, I went back to the computer and printed out new complete sets for each stained glass pattern. I went back to make the third square of the pattern I had already started and ---it came out too small too!!! (I had accidentally used one of the old patterns that had not been thrown away.)  :-(   So I am thinking this month's challenge is going to turn into a block of the month procedure for 2014!