Another Year Started

Another year is upon us. My wish for the New Year - "May this year be better than the last. Not just for me, but for the entire country and even the world."

I have followed the family tradition of eating: black eyed-peas, cabbage, and pork for my first meal today. I cooked a small ham, fried the cabbage with garlic and onions, and just opened a can for the black eyed-peas. The peas are said to avert the evil-eye and bring luck, the cabbage brings good health, and the pork is for prosperity. I had a double serving of everything. . .LOL. . .need all the help I can get.

Tradition says that what ever you are doing when the new year arrives, is what you will be doing all year. I was in bed - maybe I get to be lazy this year. Hope that this is one "rule" that proves false. My best friend, Arlene, was admitted to the hospital yesterday. She is a great lady and does not need this, her husband is diabetic and his kidneys have stopped working, the doctors don't foresee a good outlook for him. She is in my prayers.

Hope to get some sewing done today. Yesterday I made a start on a kids quilt, got one block made, that should count for something. Fussy cut the center motif, put black HST's in each corner and framed with black. Then added HST in blue/black print and framed again in the same print. Thinking about adding a red/black print as the final border on each block, and then setting together with a yellow print. The colors are all found in the focus fussy cuts. Might never get any further on this, another orphan in the making.

I have also been playing around with "square in a square" blocks. I took a pair of 4 1/2 inch blocks and cut on the diagonal, then sewed to a 4 1/2 inch block. Might make several and use up some of my scrap squares, possible future quilt. I also have lots of 5 inch squares in batik, would look good with black, something to think about. Made no progress on my UFO's, can't seem to get motivated, not in the mood to work on the old, want to work on the new. That's one reason why I have so many unfinished quilts.

Even though I have lots of fabric and even scraps, I fell off the no-buy wagon, and bought scraps from a quilt store. Received them yesterday, and I'm having a blast sorting and planning what to do with them. I was getting real tired of the scraps that I had to work with. That's me, never happy with what I have. . . LOL . . There was two pieces of blue that will work great with a set of orphan blocks I have. Going to make flying geese and put on each side of the blocks, making them into stars. Only have 10 blocks, they are square in a square with animals in the center, and have a blue batik for the outside 4 corners. Adding the flying geese will set these blocks off, or at least I hope so. Since I only have 10 blocks I will need to combine them with others. Another project, will I never learn.

Happy New Year to you and yours!