almost finished to flimsy

Tada! Done with today's sewing with almost a completed flimsy of the January Joined at the Hip button-up. There is supposed to be a snowflake made with wool strips on either side of the wording. I'm not sure what I can substitute. Felt maybe?? The vest is supposed to be embellished with buttons but not till it is quilted!

I will work on the machine applique part tomorrow. While I am it, I plan to do the honors on the "Winter" wall hanging. It has been up waiting for me on the design wall since mid-November and last seen HERE.

That's my plan. It has been fun playing with this project!

It has been a busy day. Because we are expecting rain by week's end I thought it might be a good idea to take down the Christmas decorations. We store the boxes out in the shed so this way there was not tracking in mud or the elements. Why does it always take so much longer to put this out than up? The snowman decorating stuff will remain out and all the wall hangings were switched out. Guess we are all ready for 2011 now!

WIP Weds, wk #52

Ready, set, sew at my house this morning.

Yesterday I pulled fabric for the January Joined at the Hip QOM AKA JATH QOM along with backing and binding for the base and the QOM. You can catch a peek of it in my work area. The pieced sections are all cut out and kitted up as are the appliqued bits.

I am going with a black background though. A search through the plaid and homespun box Monday night yielded no blue stripe to go under the applique word "January". What I did find was two selections in a black that would work. I also have black star fabric in the stash that could be used plus backing options for both the base and the quiltlet. Black, it is then! Shop your stash first, right? I am not seeking to make an exact replica of the picture anyway.

While re-organizing the plaid/homespun box by color groupings the other night, I pulled scraps that would work for the Oxmoor Christmas sampler. I have several courthouse steps and ornaments to foundation piece for it. Also found a square in a square project I had started (wondered where that had gone!) and a pile of cut bricks from a previous donation top. You can call those bricks "seedlings" towards another top, LOL. That box is stuffed to the gills since I came back from a trip to IL with my mom's plaid collection to add to my own. Even though I raided it to make the calendar quiltlets I have barely made a dent in it. The reds and green plaids can used in the Christmas quilt but I definitely should re-visit those two UFOs.

I have been up about an hour and a half now---still schlepping around in my jammies but have pressed both backings and cut binding out for the base unit which I forgot to cut yesterday. As soon as I throw beef stew makings in the crockpot and get dressed I am going to hit the machine. A couple of my FAB buds are off this week so I have company while we work together on our projects.

By New's Year day I will switch gears and pull a project from the UFO drawers. What you do on that day you will do all year long so it has long been a tradition for Wrap Them In Love supporters to sew for Wrap 'Em and commit some of our time and talents to the cause. I was a less active participant this past year, probably a year where I quilted more than I originated again. Seeing as I have been at it since the fall of 99, I was due a little break for personal projects, I would say. I have already established my 2011 goals of emptying out two drawers in new storage unit with UFO/donation project and then a reward. I will put that into practice even if the base and January are NOT finished up or quilted. Hold me to that?

finished to flimsy

Whipped this base for the Joined at the Hip QOM last evening. Not much to it really but this is probably the quickest any Christmas gift got made up. I substituted a different fabric for the center they sent with something from my stash. Seeing as the center will be obscured by the quilt buttoned onto this, I plan to use the kit center from piecing one of monthly/seasonal projects.

It is marked for quilting a basic grid. Last night I toyed with the idea of quilting it up today. That didn't and won't happen. With further thought and a wish to avoid switching out the machines yet again, I will wait till I have the January quiltlet done and do them both at the same time. I had also thought I would pull fabric for the aforementioned quiltlet but that didn't and probably won't happen till tomorrow.

This has just been a rather odd day. I had one of those sleepless nights so slept in later than I planned. When I did get up, I had grocery errands to run. After lunch, DJ and I needed to return a gift but finding a replacement took an extra stop. We also did a "while we are close" stops and the day is just getting away from me. It still feels like today is Sunday..... after the last 3 days feeling like Sunday, LOL. These holidays will throw one for a loop, won't they?

Time to start thinking about supper preparations. I'm guessing it will be a redwork plus TV viewing evening. 2nd part of the two part "Closer" is on.

Have a good evening and thanks for stopping by-------

finished to flimsy

The Pieces from the Heart stitchery cat blocks top that I dis-assembled last weekend is again a top. I sewed a bit yesterday afternoon and evening and finished up this afternoon.

Since it is always good to shop your stash first, the backing fabric is an old Alexander Henry fabric that I have had for years. The selvage reads 1995 if that gives you any idea of just how long, LOL. There is a bit of it left that will probably make its way into a donation quilt at some point. The cat heads are like 4 inches in height lending themselves to something fussy cut. A bit of that creamy sashing fabric is left as well but a big dent was made in both yardages.

What is next, you may ask? I am definitely doing a "reward" project. Well, DJ gave me the money to purchase some Joined at the Hip Button Up BOMs that I have been considering for some time. (I got another fabric type gift that will surface down the line as well.) I have loved doing little monthly projects to decorate our home the last two years. 2011 will be no different. The seasonal ones offered on the website, maybe the cat might be added to my wish list. I ordered the base unit kit mainly to see what color fabrics they used that will blend with future months and the first 3 months patterns. I surely have similar fabrics that I can use my own stash for the quiltlets. I plan to get the base unit done this week, maybe even do the snowman for January. Then I want to make some of the blocks for the Oxmoor Christmas quilt while I am still in a holiday mood.

Thanks for stopping by--------and Happy Boxing Day to those of you who celebrate it.

Merry Christmas y'all!

It is snowing and has been since about 8 this morning. The temps must have been very close to the freezing mark and fluctuating . The ground and bushes were dusted once but it appeared to have melted off at one point but it is covered up now! Almost 5 p.m. and still coming down in big fat flakes.

Now to let you know just how rare this is---our weather guy said that there had not been measurable snow on Christmas day here in central Alabama since the 1800's when they started keeping records of such things. Unbelievable!


I went out to take a few pictures a little bit ago. The gardenia bush branches are getting a little weighted down with the snow. It is that wet heavy kind that is perfect for snowballs or for making a snow ball. I tried to get a picture of the folks across the road who were doing that very thing---the kids were laughing and having a ball out there!


This looks a bit fuzzy but I took out a ruler to see just how much snow has fallen. I poked it into both the yard and several spots on my car---1 inch and counting.

I hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas weekend. DJ and I celebrate ours on Christmas Eve and had our holiday meal at noon. It is quiet here with just the two of us and Skyler. Holidays tend to make me homesick for our families and Illinois but it is just not feasible to be driving back when who knows what kind of weather you would get into between here and there.

If you were fortunate enough to get away to be with family and friends, be safe in your journeys.

WIP Weds, wk #51

Not the best picture but I am quilting my long ago Christmas log cabin. I am not even sure when exactly that this top was made---just that was started after I had been asked to show a class at the tech school in Jacksonville how to piece. I had shared my strip boxes with the class. Sometime in the last 10 yrs anyway, LOL.

I know you don't usually sash these but there was just sooooo much red and green that it needed the gold that I had used at the centers. It is big but with thin batting I have not been struggling with it as much as I thought I might. I was not sure how I wanted to quilt it but it occured to me to just quilt a big star on it with multi-color red and green quilting thread. I've quilting on it for two days and have 12 of the 48 blocks to go.

LOL, you know where to find me--watching movies or Hulu on the computer and finishing up tomorrow. And if you were wondering, this was NOT on my "10n10" list but it will be one less thing atop the bedroom dresser in the coming year.

looking ahead and a finish

Norma asked me over the weekend if I had considered what goals I wanted to reach this next year with regards to the UFOs and such. We were going to try to commit to completing 10n10. Of course, that led to some re-examination of whether those goals were attained or whether they got shoved aside in favor of something new that attracted our attention. How many things are we going to carry over into next year?? Are we even interested in continuing with them or is it time to give them away, make it a smaller project, whatever. Would we be biting off more than we can chew it we call it 11 n 11?

I know how I work and having to list every blessed half done project or kit I have in my possession would depress me no end. I have better luck if I work on the reward system---for example quilt my way thru a stack of some donation quilts and then I get to piece something that I have wanted to do. Similar to a carrot dangling in front of me, LOL.

Because I want to move two of the cut strips bins into the new storage drawers I just got I would like to commit to " sewing my way to space" and empty out two of the UFO drawers to replace them with strips. Each month I think I will pick a project from either the storage drawers or one of the pizza box kits. That seems do-able. I have a good idea of what the "rewards projects" could be. There will always be deadline work (gifts to make, quilt group challenges) There will always be a BOM, either piecing or stitching but I should be able to make this plan work for me.

So what are you looking at above?? My Pieces from the Heart calendar cat blocks (designed by Sandy Gervais) pinned top that has been living first in my bedroom closet and then the armoire top antiquing. I was unhappy with the setting. What was I thinking making it a landscape rather than a portrait set? It will never fit in the hanging space above my bed like this!

I got out the ripper to make it "right" to my mind, anyway. It took me most of yesterday afternoon and evening but it is ready to be re-sewn in a 3 x 4 set. To put the blocks in order by month, I had to take the whole thing apart. I had sewn the blocks in vertical columns with a long piece of sashing between columns which is something I never, ever do. Yeah, it was work but I will be more happy with the quilt for doing it. Sewing in the opposite direction, right?

Saturday and even this morning I was still dinking around with the Oxmoor quilt designs but more of less, trying to patch draw. UGH but I need more practice there. EQ7 has a nice free hand drawing button but I have such problems trying to work with the bezier curves. I feel like a cowboy with a wild lariat with that thing! I have declared myself done, for real this time and will start piecing on it next week. Should be fun to see that sketch come to life. A couple of my pals have some extra time off between Christmas and New Years so no doubt we will spur each other on as we often do.

Now this one you see is a Joined at the Hip pattern that I pieced who remembers exactly when. I quilted it during my last quilting siege in late November. I got the binding finished right after supper. Cross another thing off the 10n10 list. If I decide to do the binding on my Daisy Chain, I can cross something else off my list but I sincerely doubt that will happen tomorrow, LOL. My fingers are not happy with me after a small project let alone a queen sized quilt!

Just looking at the list I posted about a year ago, the specific Dinosaur UFOs I wanted to work on were not touched. My Two of a Kind/Cheap Trick is still half done. One that I wanted to finish quilting is still waiting.

BUT I refuse to beat myself up about that. I still got a lot done this year though less donation quilt work than in past years. Even that is okay as my own stuff has been put off long enough. I had a ball working on the redwork hearts earlier this year. That top is waiting to be pinned but it IS done. I am still working on my Santa redwork too but the main blocks are done and WILL be a flimsy next year sometime! I loved working on my 12 BOM quiltlets too. I made birthday gifts for each of the FABs and participated in two challenge projects, three counting the quilt group one. DJ has a new made by me quilt on his bed (strip twist) and I will have another one soon. (Daisy Chain). I just whipped up that Christmas Patience Corner this month---still needs borders but that will be done at some point.

So one a month will work for me-- 11 in 11 and use the reward system so I don't get bored.

THX for stopping by-----till next time.

I think I've got it!

Oh, but I stayed up far too late last night drawing and re-arranging the lower half of the quilt. I was half listening to the "Burn Notice" season finale with the TV at my back that I was up actually watching the encore performance till one-------and then still couldn't go to sleep!

TADA! I'm not saying that I won't flip stuff around again or make some more substitutions in the block holder spots. Some of the blocks in my previously started projects may still show up in here. A row of hearts or those candy canes may become a mix of blocks by the time I actually execute my design, LOL. Just sayin'.

The empty spots will contain re-sized patterns such as a snowglobe, reindeer possibly with a sleigh, gingerbread house and the like. The larger one spot atop will have one of the applique patterns original to the quilt. If you are recall, I gave away my copy of the book and patterns but I would have made substitutions anyway.

I am going to write up a document to remind myself of what I have in mind before my "notes get cold" Some will be foundation pieced and I will need to know the block sizes and what size to cut the applique bases. A little more planning to do, in other words. Who knows? One of these days I can actually start working on this!

Here is what occupied a part of my day yesterday. DJ had wanted Christmas ideas for me and I told him I wanted some stacking drawers to replace my worn out UFO hamper. I re-loaded the unit after lunch and purged. I like the idea that things are a little more visible so I can see what is actually in there. Some bags contain a quick project that can just be grabbed and worked on. Another, I still can't figure out what Mom and I were planning to do with the kit contents, LOL. We have since learned to either put a copy of the magazine page or sketch with it.

My goal in the next year is to actually work on some of these things and get this emptied out a bit. Trust me, there is more in here---all those pizza boxes with UFOs and/or kits! I count 20.


And here is the desk sentry. I am never quite sure just what he wants---food or play. Maybe both. Eventually he gets his way provided I figure it out OR he finds something else to amuse himself.

It will soon be time for lunch and then run a few errands. Mr. Mr. needs some cat food plus a run to the recycle center and drop some stuff off at the thrift store. Thank goodness, the sun has finally come out and the threat of freezing rain/ice is gone, for a little while anyway.

THX for stopping by------

WIP Weds, wk #50

Well, I finished up my Christmas Patience Corners ( shown HERE) so "now what", I asked myself?

I had some vague notion of quilting as really, really want those personal tops dealt with. BUT, and you knew there was a "but" I still have piecing on the brain and a half designed scrappy Christmas quilt shown a week ago HERE.

To that end I started hunting for those little blocks you see in mid photo and the half done Thimbleberries snowman wall hanging. I went thru the largest tote of Christmas fabric. I have more red and green than I remembered in there but my memory is now refreshed. I completely tore up the closet shelving area before I went to bed......where I found some more stuff in some of my quilt library that I might include if I can re-size it and/or make it fit.

I knew when I got up that nothing was going to get done in the sewing room till I go things organized a bit. Foundation piecing stuff needed to go in one container---not stored in three different spots. I couldn't find anything on the fabric shelf on the right with it all crammed up there atop the baskets. Pinks and blues needed their own containers too. I was tired of needing the step ladder to get up to my embroidery floss. You know how much I love my "redwork". I also needed a different way to store my cone thread--the old container was no longer working. OH, OH serial cleaning! Shown is the AFTER version---trust me, it looks much better than it did.

I was able to move some books from the shelving unit to the file drawer since the foundation piecing stuff came out of the file cabinet. Doing that made more room for some of the newer notebooks of mag clippings and computer printouts. I would still like to go thru the drawer and purge but it can wait.

Things also shifted around in the storage spaces in the TV stand unit. That houses some sewing supplies and some personal UFO's while the hamper contains the donation UFOs, another spot that needs some re-work.

I could tell that I was going to need some larger storage containers to get the job done. Off I went on a run up to the Fred's in Alexandria because they have the hinged, handled storage containers that I like up there. 3-20 qt. containers and 1-35 qt came home with me.

Let the shuffling begin! The next three shots are the closet organization and re-shifting. 35 qt was filled with Christmas crafting supplies. It is now stored with some other like materials in the storage closet off the carport.

I share closet space with the air exchange thing so I have to make the best use of the space that I can, including the back of the door.

I was tired of the spray cans etc always hitting me in the head when they fell off the closet rod area so I found them a new home.

Fabric groupings are in the bins. Some of specific projects and have the fabrics needed to complete them. Quilt kits are boxed up above with more on the book shelves. SIGH--someday.

Also I got the paper products out from under the cutting/pressing table---woohoo! Two of the emptied out open containers went out to the utility room to corral DJ's paints, adhesives and other home maintenance stuff that cannot be stored out in the weather extremes. Look out --this cleaning is moving all thru the house! The surplus stuff I emptied out will go to a donation spot soon. Out to the car trunk with that!


Tight quarters in here--looking to the closet right behind the wall. I was able combine both pineapple log cabin projects. Foundation piecing stuff excluding books has it own spot, in one container. I will still have to move stuff all around from the left to get at it but that is what you have to do when they don't install a wide closet door opening in your house.

The batting rolls are stored to the left of all the hinged containers and the little drawer unit under it--directly below these containers.

I still want to replace the old hamper unit that stores the UFOs and told DJ that is how I will spend my Christmas money. No surprises for me but it makes shopping so much easier for him---and I get what I need/want. There is a bit more straightening up to do before I call it quits for the day. Vacuuming up would be good but Skyler is asleep on the window perch in here.

My desk needs clearing so I think that's next. Quilt designing can start when the room is better picked up. SO it remains a work in progress, don't you think?

hot off the press

Woohoo! I just took the last stitches in my Christmas Patience Corner, joining the top and bottom halves. I had left off last night with 5 1/2 more blocks to make in the last row.

12 inch blocks 6 x 7 set. At present it should measure about 72 x 84 but I'm shooting for about 88 x 100 when done.

A pattern is available on Quilter's Cache linked HERE but I did not use her cutting measurements. Come to think of it I didn't sew it like she said either, LOL since I was using a mix of 5 inch charm squares I had collected or was gifted with. (Thanks to Cher, Norma and my mom) With the changes, I cut the sashing bits 2 x 5 and 2 x 6.5 for the same sized finished block. Personally I like the sashing a bit narrower so it doesn't looks so "clunky" and overwhelm the feature fabric.

I started sewing on this 2 weekends ago---sewing on parts of Saturday and Sunday ea weekend plus yesterday and today. Not bad for six days of sporadic sewing!

DJ asked me what I was going to next. Not entirely sure but I am leaning towards quilting some of those tops atop my dresser, antiques all. One is a Christmas log cabin so who knows---maybe that could be done in time for some seasonal use??

THX for stopping by--------

what cats do at night

DJ and I often wonder what Skyler is up to at night. Sometimes he is in bed with us, but not always. Does he take that opportunity to do all the things that he is scolded about during the day? "Paws off the table, stay off the counter, don't chew the Christmas tree..........." mean nothing when kitty mama and daddy are not around.

Yeah, I know--- like he understands anything we say but " NO" and a sharp clap of the hands as a deterrent. I have noticed that he does stop messing with the tree after DJ scolds him and I come in the room. That is all it takes---he comes meowing to me as if to say "I was being good" pleading his case. Yeah, let me be the enforcer, DJ.

DJ put up the tree a few days ago. I know what Skyler has done the last two nights besides dump over the living room wastebasket. See Mz. Mousie sitting under the tree? Someone, not mentioning any names here, has been dragging her around by that long braided tail. He does this mostly with his teeth as he has no front claws................


Night before last he managed to pull it to within 4 feet of the kitchen entry way. Last night he got clear into the kitchen with it!! I suspect that it drug a whole lot easier on the laminate floor than the carpet. DJ stepped off the distance as about 22 feet away.

What a busy, busy boy! Bet he takes a long, long nap this morning.

The overgrown cat toy was made by my dear friend Joy when I was her secret pal. It was made from a man's sock and lightweight stuffed with fiberfil as it is.

What antics will we awake to tomorrow, I wonder? LOL

WIP Weds. wk whatever

One more post and then I will hush, LOL. Three in one day! That doesn't happen much any more.

Other than putting a few stitches in my #12 redwork Santa block this is what has had my attention the last two days. I am working on the re-design for my Oxmoor House Christmas quilt. I gave my pattern book away but because I had no intention of making a duplicate of the original. I don't really need it.

Now, some of the blocks won't quite look like this---like the church and mittens for one. Some designs are placeholders for a different pattern from another source that I don't want to bother to draw in EQ--like the teddy bears will probably be gingerbread men if I can get them down to fit on 3 inch squares, that is. The colors are not etched in stone either.

So far I have only made some of the top two rows: the big pine tree block, those three star blocks and most of the flying geese. The church block is an entirely different block but finished. The big blue square is done too: an appliqued cupcake/stars/buttons thing. The smaller blank one you see, is a small redwork Santa that I re-sized to a 6 inch block from a transfer book.

I spent a good part of the day looking for gingerbread houses and gingerbread men. I remembered sewing Diana McClun demonstrate a gingerbread house on Simply Quilts some years back that she trimmed with giant rick rack and stitched over it with perle cotton. I did find a video of it but no pattern though I could probably make a stab at it if I want to use it. Sindy Rodenmayer has some really cute Christmas designs on her fat cat site that may well find their way into the quilt. I also have a stack of books and patterns piling up with flagged pages for other things I have spotted in my quilt library---Debbie Mumm flying angel, for one.

I also spent some time re-drawing a wreath I want to use from today's date on my 365 Quilt Blocks a Year calendar to foundation piece it to eliminate some lines. I did the same thing with the ribbon block from a few days ago, come to think of it. The train area was another spot that needed some re-work. It uses blocks from Sew Precise 3 with some adaptation---coupling between the cars, etc.

I am visualizing this and just need to make things fit into the available space. Some things that I put in the one I finished for my friend Betsy's family will go in mine, some already are in the design. Photo of that top is shown HERE. It all keeps me out of mischief.

more quilts

Here are a few more of the quilts from yesterday's meeting. Lois' Many Trips around the World. I volunteered to quilt it for her but she gets to bind it.









At right, another of Lois' recent completions. The pattern was recently featured in Quiltmaker magazine, one of Bonnie Hunter's "Addicted to Scraps" contributions that she called 4 patch X. Bonnie used 2 inch cut squares while Lois bumped hers up to 2 inch FINISHED. The block finished at 11 inches with this change.




This is Judy's log cabin that will be her husband's Christmas gift. Very pretty! Judy favors the blended tones. The aqua is a nice accent to the browns. It goes perfectly with her area rug too. Since that room has a fireplace, I imagine her DH will be "snug as a bug in a rug". Working on the binding may be a challenge to keep this project a secret, she said.

Hope you enjoyed seeing the quilts---I sure did!

Challenge reveal/Group Christmas party

We had our annual Christmas party yesterday at our pal Judy's lovely home. Good food, good friends and just a relaxing day. Time just flew! A few of the gals who have not been able to come very often this year were able to attend as well.

Part of the event the last few years has been the reveal of our challenge tops which will be donated to Wrap Them in Love. I thought that I would share those with you today.

This year's fabric was "Romance" designed by Michael Miller but you will see some of the lunch box fabric from the previous year's that were turned too. I don't care when the quilts get turned in, just as long as they show up at some point since that was the stipulation of the donor. We each had about a yard of fabric to work with so it is fun toss how we all find ways to work with that limitation.

Beverly was concerned about decapitating the figures so she fussy cut the squares using a Block Aid AKA Patience Corners block. (shown above, left) I love the bright frames she chose! The top is not assembled yet but I suspect we will be pinning it at our first meeting.


The quilt at right was made by Nancy, Beverly's daughter-in-law You will spot the lunch box fabric here. Nancy used the quilt as go method so there is a lot of hand finishing involved on the back side. She used a star fabric and a blue forming a checkboard design on the back. Beverly said that Nancy also used strings of our friend Theramae's (who passed away) fabrics in it.











These two tops were made by Aline's grand-daughter Leann with some help from her grandmother on the outside border on the one of the left. I quilted both of them along with a 3rd top Leann had sent during my recent donation quilting binge. They need the binding from Aline's stash so yes, you are spotting untrimmed batting and pins.


At left is Betsy's food themed lunch box challenge quilt. She quilted in the neatest spiral in the blocks. I need to learn how to do that, LOL!


Marilyn had three tops but as you can see, she combined the two years of challenge fabric in the top at right.





Here is her #2 top but I suspect maybe it was the 3rd one pieced since she added the 4 patch blocks to have enough. Marilyn was working with some of Lois' leftovers so she had a little extra yardage.

At right, top #3. I can see that we are going to be busy finding some backings and pinning up these tops.




Lois borrowed my Trudie Hughes Crib Quilts book to make this Interlocking Squares quilt. At one of the earlier this year we had been looking thru our photo albums looking at possible choices with large display areas. She said something to the effect that she and the ripper became quite close. The red, green and yellow are so striking against the fabric, aren't they?


And here is mine. I shared it on my bed in the last post but maybe you can see it a little better with this full on shot.. I do like that black against the aqua fabric that keeps photographing like turquoise, LOL.

There are a few more quilts I wanted to show you but I will do that in another post so I don't upset Mr. Google with too many pics.

Stay tuned!

piecing

A "completed to flimsy"---woohoo! I finished up my Bama Belles challenge quilt top yesterday. Those of us who participated will have the show and tell on Tuesday at our Christmas party so I just got done in the nick of time. Pattern source: Anne Wiens of Sweetgrass Creative Designs available on Quiltwoman.com.

I finished off the day by prepping the backing and binding. I was able to use the same stuff that I backed my Daisy Chain with and still have a bit leftover to go in the 30's stash. The binding will be that same stripe but cut on the bias as I love stripes, checks and plaids that way when possible. The color is a bit off in the picture---it looks more turquoise here when it is actually more towards the aqua and greenish tone. I also elected to use a fussy cut challenge print square for the larger cornerstone but all in all, the pattern is easy enough and went together easily. Initially I was going to go with the baby sized top but I had enough fabric so went with the lap which finishes at 56 x 68. It covers the top of my full sized mattress very well! The baby one instructions were a little short for what we shoot for in Wrap 'em quilts. Having made the first one, I know it could be adjusted to finish more in the 60 long range.

Some of the FABS and I have decided to work on "something" Christmas this weekend. I had any number of things I could work on but I elected to pull out this Patience Corner that I had cut out and kitted up some time back. Norma has one that is probably about 3/4 done and I am hoping that she will join me and get her top done. I just barely have a start on mine, as you can see. That is just 4 of the 42 blocks I will need for a full sized bed quilt. Actually Norma was whipping up another of Anne Wiens' patterns for a Christmas gift first. I'm waiting for her to show me a picture of it. I know Pat has been sewing on Christmas things this week and Cher will be joining us in a bit.

I have made Patience Corners before as donation quilts. Judy Hopkins offers this as a pro bono quilt pattern done as a mystery. The Belles and I made a good many of them one year in all manner of sizes, colors, etc. It is fun to insert pieced blocks in the open spaces. Good scrappy and good planned too. Really it is like making a souped up 4 patch but you do need to watch what you are doing. If it doesn't look like a figure of 8 laying on its side, then you have done something wrong-- get out the ripper, LOL. I know one of my pals would not consistently pick up the pieces in the same order and would seam the wrong side of the block. She got plenty of practice taking it apart.

Well, back to "work" for me...............cool, damp and ugly day outside so can you think of anything better to be doing than something you love? GO Auburn!

sidewalk supervisors

I should be working on my challenge quilt but I decided that I would put up the Christmas decorations instead. The prospect of pressing all the pre-washed fabrics really has no appeal to me.

I must have made umpteen trips back and forth from the outside utility room and the shed, with no help from the hubby. He could have at least offered to carry the boxes in, but no. Not sure why he is so tired when he didn't do anything, LOL. The tree is NOT up and that is HIS job. You can bet he will think he needs my help in hanging ornaments when it is time. No doubt he feels that December 1st is too early to be thinking of the holidays.


And here is the OTHER sidewalk supervisor. He is not much help either. I made sure to use some handi-tack behind the angel as DJ has knocked it off a time or two and definitely on the two sheep as Skyler has taken off with them before. If I don't put any other decorations, the nativity set always goes up.

I have shown picture of the decorations before so won't post more though things have turned up in different spots this year. My display space always seems to be shrinking. I forgot that I tossed both of my sorry looking wreaths last year and did not get/make anything to replace them. The front door needs something so I will have to give that some thought as to what I want.

WIP Tuesday

When I posted on 11-22 I was preparing to really hit the pile of donation quilts atop my armoire. At left you see 6 of 8 quilts that I took care of during that week's time.

My rail fence on point, my Bridge Creek Blossom, Lois' Many Trips Around the World, Leann's pinwheels (not really sure what the block is but will find out for the quilt documentation). The two you see folded are Aline and Leann's challenge quilts. I'll get pics of them at the Christmas party next week when we do the reveal.


In addition to the donation quilts I also quilted Linda C's Redwork Garden quilt designed by Alex Anderson for pay. Those blocks were a freebie last year that she called "12 Days of Redwork" so I guess it has been renamed and put in a different spot on the website. LOL, I gave Linda my printouts once I had my quilt done but I used a different setting blocks and ironically, mine is hanging in the closet because I never took it with me to the meeting site to get it pinned. Linda C's is quilted but mine isn't.

I got done in enough time on Saturday with the 1/4 of Lois' quilt that remained that I quilted Linda's redwork quilt and then this little primitive cutie from Joined at the Hip which had been pinned and stuck up on the shelf since late January 2008. About time, dontcha think?? I don't think that this pattern is still available but was one of their yard longs "Best Friends" I think was the name???

I wrapped yesterday by completing the quilting on my on point rail fence (about a 1/4 of it was left) and then spent the rest of the day binding my two donation quilts, the little quilt above and even my Daisy Chain I picked up last month got binding and a sleeve applied. Poor Skyler wanted me to play so bad that he kept hopping up on the quilting set up and just sitting to get my attention. DJ thinks I was taking this quilting too seriously---my retort was that I want this stuff done and that means I have to work on it to make that happen. Fairy dust and wishful thinking does not do the job.

I am currently down to 4 pinned quilts of my own on the armoire. I want them done by year's end if possible. Daisy Chain is up there to hand finish the binding and there is another one that I want to dismantle and re-sash but that is another story. But I am taking the day off though I may press the fabric I laundered for the Belles challenge piece I need done by 12/7. The other stuff can wait---it waited this long, LOL so what is another day or even another week?

Some of the FABS and I are planning on doing some Christmas sewing this weekend. I have a pretty good idea what I will work on but there are few choices in that department so I guess it depends on what floats my boat come Saturday morning. Start something new or make some blocks for the Oxmoor Christmas quilt??? HMMMM.

We are in an unstable weather situation at present so I think I will sign off and shut down for a bit. The weather alert thing went off at 4 in the morning and after two hours of trashing about in the bed and not going back to sleep, I just got up and got my day started. A nap might be in order today as 4 hrs of sleep are not enough. Thanks for stopping by----------

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all the U.S. celebrants!

(turkey insert made by Veronica)

what is and isn't going on

Not the most prolific of week's in the creative department. Machine applique, stalled out. File re-arranging and other things on the home front took center stage. Besides, I honestly didn't "feel" like sewing........or quilting. I know better than to push it when I don't feel the creative muse. I DID a little redwork embroidery on the #12 Bird Brain Santa block but that is about it.

I also went thru a lot of my Christmas patterns and books. Some magazines as well. I did a bit of re-design work on my proposed Oxmoor Christmas quilt in EQ. Just no sewing or quilting as previously stated. That quilt seems to have more of an attraction for me lately. In a couple weeks, maybe.

My errands are all run and I do intend to set up to quilt starting today. My goal is to get at least 5 of those top 7 donation quilts done this week, working around the holiday meal, of course. It's doable. I don't mind having a quilt on my lap so much when the weather cools down.

The Belles annual Christmas get together is coming up in about 2 weeks time and that means that I need to get my challenge top done. The Michael Miller "Romance" piece on the right is the challenge fabric. I really don't want to whack it apart and chop those cute little figures apart.

After, again, looking thru my patterns this week, I found that I kept coming back to this Prairie Window pattern from Quiltwoman.com. I love that stripe that the designer showed around the focus piece on the pattern jacket but would it work with anything that I had on hand around here? Turns out, I had this wonderful striped fabric that I bought in Portland, OR during the FAB retreat with no purpose in mind other than I liked it. I was thinking "purse" at the time perhaps but no real project for it. It is a Michael Miller piece as well so the colors seem to be right. Things from my stash for this---good, right? I think there should be enough fabric aqua bow fabric leftover from my Daisy Chain to back this as well. That just left ordering something for the outer border which should be here sometime this week. At last, a decision is made and sewing it will be my reward for getting some quilting done.

I DO like Anne Wien's other patterns as well---I could see giving her Right Angles quilt a whirl down the line. and I already own the Mahjongg pattern. I just didn't feel that I had the right fabrics on hand for THIS quilt to try it. But there is always something down the line that it might be" just the ticket."

Skyler---silly boy! He runs at top speed down the hall from the bedrooms tagging my leg on the way in an effortto beat me to the couch arm. Either I roll him over or he deliberately falls off so we can play box or toss his catnip mouse around. Back and forth we go till he wears out or he finds something else that takes his attention more. We do this several times a day. Problem is, the heat has been on and he builds up a lot of static electricity pushing around on the couch on his back. ZAP!


DJ told me to come out last night with the camera so I could get a picture of his rose bush. This shot is not doing them much justice as the color is off. We have already had a hard freeze (I think) so we both were a little surprised to see these come out. I guess the day time temps in the mid 60's have allowed that. DJ has been able to get some outside repairs and painting done with the good weather. So far the rains are not really coming but we need it.

Time to go fire up the grill to toss on some burgers for lunch. Catch up with you later................

Design Wall Monday

This past weekend turned out to an impromptu FAB "sew and check in" time. Some housework, cleaning and cooking, kept me from joining in until after lunch on Saturday but I made some progress.

I'll show you what I got done in the past 48 hrs, LOL. Some stashbusting and both wall hangings I am working on have been moved along

Borders applied to winter "In Seasons" and I dug around in the red bin to find an old Mary Ellen Hopkins geometric red on black that I will use for binding. A scrap of it is hanging there next to the quilt-let. Binding is cut and awaiting seaming but this whole thing is in a holding pattern till both hangings are prepped.

By quitting time last night I had the wagon area of "Pumpkins 4 Sale" all prepped. I had to seam the teal piece in order to use if but I love the way it looks----like faded paint. It is turned over freezer paper as that seemed to be the easiest way to deal with that long narrow piece. It is thread basted in place.

I got lucky and found that the wheel shape was just a hair bigger than the moon shape that I had just used in THIS "Happy Halloween" wall hanging. I turned the raw edge by treating it like a giant yo-yo over the piece of Templar, stitching it was a heavy carpet/buttonhole twist.

I tried to turn the edges on the big red stars on freezer paper but was not pleased with the points so gave up and windowed out some fusible web. I knew better than to try it with the smaller ones----fused those down along with the wording.

Then I had a little setback when it came to the lettering. Those were NOT reversed in the pattern. I don't see anywhere in the meager directions where it suggests you should reverse anything! Did they expect us to make templates and needle turn this project?? I am not fond of my efforts at needle turn-- no, thank you. I want this done, sooner than later. Of course, it did not even occur to me that the letters should have been backwards in the pattern till I had traced them all off on the last bits of pellon stuff I had. By the time I started to cut out the letter, it finally hit me. That will NOT work, there is no goo on the back of this. Tossed that attempt and re-grouped.

I ended up flipping the pattern over to the plain paper side, putting it over the light box, tracing it off on steam a seam, the regular stuff not version 2. (bought the wrong stuff in error a few months back) Warm Company tells you to trace on the web side which is NOT easy to do. By marking the reverse of the shape, I was able to trace on the paper side instead. I know that sounds a little confusing in its description but it worked! I called it a night once PUMPKINS were fastened down.

Today my task was to pull fabrics for the pumpkins and stems. Templar is pricey so I am not going to turn edges over pieces this big. See above, I don't needleturn. Those are on freezer paper but I still need to turn the edges back. I just wanted to see what this will look like. OOPS! At first I managed to put brown stems on the taller pumpkins but that was blending in too much with the border fabric. Easy enough to fix that--just trade places with the green ones. Would you have known if I hadn't have told you, LOL? The stems will be fused down once the pumpkins are in place.

Well, you know where to find me---with glue stick in hand turning pumpkin edges till it is time to think about fixing supper.