My Block Challenge Marches On

                                                   Month Three of 350 Block challenge 

First off these are 12 Buggy Barn stars. Yikes! It took about 2 of these before I stabilized. I plan on making a Quilt of Valor from them.

The heart block is mine. Our guild members made these Dreamcicle blocks for Lovina Payton, our Sunshine and Shadows chairperson. She sends us birthday cards, get-well cards, just generally takes care of us in joy and in pain. It was a fun surprise! 

These are the last 4 of my Film at Five Blocks. My next step will be to make the sashing. If you look closely you can find a sock monkey, 2 ducks, a pickle, pink panther, musicians, a pink monkey, a rug rat(I think that is what they are called), and other surprises just in what is visible of these 4 blocks.

The total for this month was 17. Didn't quite reach my goal of 30(I did go over 1/2), but I now have a total of 118. I have some more started, but hopefully they will be done next month.  My life was productive in other ways. The Mountainburg Lady Dragons made it to the Arkansas State Tournament Finals and ended the season with the state runner-up title, 32 wins and 3 losses, Conference, District and Regional championships, and many post season individual honors including Arkansas Coach of the Year from both The Southwest Times in Ft Smith and the Media Group in Ft Smith. I'm very proud of both my husband and his girls!

State Runner-up Team and trophy!

Kathy

Hand Stitching—My Winning Basketball Strategy!

Being married to a basketball coach has a multitude of responsibilities. I wish I had kept a tally of all the games I have watched over the past 48 years. I watched Dan play college basketball for 4 years and then independent ball leagues after we married and graduated from college. I then watched him coach for the past 43, almost 44 years. During that time I also watched our sons play high school and college ball.

I have also had to deal with quite a bit of bipolar-like behavior—from the agony of defeat to the exhilaration of success. I am always amazed that he bounces back so quickly!

As coaches, players and fans, we are required to follow many routines that help us be successful. My husband was in bit of a spot the other day when he could not find his "brown" socks. These are no ordinary pair of socks-- they are his game socks! Luckily he found them. Then there's the matter of the pennies found face up, his blue shirt, travel routes, food, music, and on and on. I have bought him new ties in the past that were worn once and discarded if he lost wearing them. Players and Fans are no less symptomatic.

Embroidery Project

This season I decided to bring along handsewing to ballgames for pregame, half-time, etc. I have done this before, hand appliqueing an entire Sunbonnet Sue mostly at ballgames. I started with paper piecing hexies. I ran out of the papers and the team was doing well so I needed another project. I found an embroidery project that was at least 20 years old and started working on it. I finished it last night at the Regional Finals. Praise the Lord, my hexie papers got here in the mail! I am locked and loaded for the State Tournament!

Game Project Bag

Now, don't get me wrong, we are not superstitious, just careful and systematic. Tomorrow I will drive 5 1/2 hours to the State Tournament site by myself. Sure I could ride the bus or take someone with me, or ride with someone else, but I have always driven by myself. That is the routine and YOU DON'T CHANGE THE ROUTINE!!!

Ever heard the legend about the Emperor Nero fiddling while Rome burns?  Well, I hand stitch while the Lady Dragons play basketball and usually win(29-2)!!! I find it amusing that I am sewing hexies. Perhaps I can put a "hex" on those teams we play next week. Amusing or Diabolic—you decide! He! He! He!

Diabolic Hexies

Kathy

350 Block Challenge Month 2

Well, here's the report on my blocks completed in February:

First: Margaret's chenille blocks started by my friend who died several years ago at 90. She had completed 10 and I finished 30 of them this month. The top is done see post  UFO NUMBER 3 DONE!  

Next: I completed 9 more of my 25 patches for my Film at Five from Wedding Dress Blue. I now have 21 of the 24 I need to complete this leader and ender project.

That gives me a total of 39 blocks for February. Pretty good considering it was basketball season in the home of a girls' basketball coach and a lot of babysitting duty in Tulsa with the grands.

That combined with my 62 blocks in January gives me a total for 2014 so far of 101!

I don't think I set a goal for February, but in my head I was hoping for 30. So I exceeded that.
My goal for March is 30!

I'm getting ready to head out to the 2A Girls' Basketball Regional Finals! Next week we go to the state tournament! Basketball continues!!


Kathy