life, quilts and a cat too

Meeting wrap up

2012-01-26T16:27:00.002-06:00

LOL, we met on Tuesday so I am a little late in getting this post written but I was a little tied up yesterday trying to back up my computer. I was late in getting started on it, decided to make a whole new set of discs since it had been so long since I had officially done that with the Windows deal. BIG mistake! It took from 1030 Wednesday morning til 0413 this morning. Since I had tried to do this on Monday and lost like 7 discs worth I was going to see it through no matter how long it took, by golly. One thing though---I slept very, very well for 5 straight hours. Trust me, that does not happen often. I think I am in the market for an external hard drive rather than babysit the discs for hours and hours.

So want to see some quilts? At left, and probably above, you have Linda C's watermelon "Just Can't Cut It". I quilted it either late 2011 or early 2012. Jane had finished the binding on three of Linda's quilts that she left behind when she relocated. We may have taken this before I laundered it to get the blue marks out. I do NOT free motion and I never have any clue how to quilt these things so I kept it as simple as possible.

Next up, Bev is hiding behind her wild Pineapple Blossom quilt. I was happy to hear that she located her other pineapple blossom top after she had made 2 and could only find 1. I don't know how well it will show up but she "hid" some cool things on the top. Up in the upper left of the photo she has a yo yo with a folded ribbon flower. I would have asked her if she made it had I noticed it. I honestly did not spot it till I was logging it into my quilt document. There is also an applique butterfly motif and a little thing that read "this is the life". Bev and the gals pinned a large wolf panel quilt top that she will be giving as a gift as well.

At left, Brenda shared her very feminine bow quilt. The bow blocks end up looking like a pieced spool block but that is not how it was pieced, she said. The dimensional ruffle part is just plain cute. She said the pattern was from McCall's Quilting magazine and she'll update the issue for me later.

I wish I had gotten a picture of her pieced, just it all up back too but the camera was giving me a "no remaining memory on the internal memory card" message that I had never seen before. As it was I had to have DJ hold up a few quilts just to be sure I had indeed gotten the job done, LOL.

Here is another one of Linda C's quilt that I quilted as above. Jane is hiding behind it. I called it Snuggle Up variation though I don't know if she used that time honored pro bono quilt or not to make it. Seriously nothing could be easier to make if you need a quick quilt. Adjustable and you can use as many colors as you like from 2 to whatever if it gets to the length you want. PLUS quick zoom lines to quilt it!!

Not sure I took this one before or after I laundered it either but here is Linda C's Scrappy Disappearing Nine Patch. Another of the late 2011-early 2012 bunch. Poor Jane got these three done and 3 others to take their place. She was also busily working on the binding for a comfort quilt for someone in need related to a JOY group activity.

Bev said that she has been quilting for about 3 years and took classes at the local quilt shop before it closed but no one had actually shown her how to sew down binding.   She asked for help. I noticed that both Bev and Linda do what I call "skirt hemming" working from right to left with a tacking stitch and two strands of thread. If the shop never showed them the basics of how to hid their stitches, then no wonder they both adopted this method!   When I said you use a blind hem stitch similar to what you do when you hand applique and work left to right, Bev said she had not tried hand applique yet.   Aha! Teachable moment.

Brenda and I used Aline's quilt for an impromptu lesson on this. Of course, when you do that hemming stitch, all the thread shows up along the edge.   It holds it together all right but it just doesn't make for a nice neat finish to your quilt. The other thing, it is usually spaced too far apart so a little finger can get caught in there or it won't hold up to a child's use for something other than cuddling with and covering up. It appeared to me that she had done a great job on her corners as far as the mitering thing went and she had matched her thread to the binding, not the backing color. Kudos for that!    Our next meeting we do not get to use the big fellowship hall of the church as another group is setting up for a function the next day. We'll be down in one of the classrooms and I have suggested the girls bring some hand work. Binding help would be a good thing to touch base on.

It was a busy meeting for me. I had two tops to pin with the girls help but my primary assignment for the day was to measure off a large roll of batting that Marilyn was going to sell back to the group. I had ordered her a roll the last time we placed a batting order back in 08 or 09 but she had found that she didn't have to have it anymore. Some of it was gone from the original 60 some yards but how much? Teresa, Bev and I took it back to the 6 ft tables that were set up end to end and rolled it off onto an old cardboard roll.   I know what it cost us per roll including the shipping so will pro-rate it. Marilyn and Roger had dropped it off at the meeting place last week when they were headed out that direction, for which I thank them.

The other thing I had on the list: get that stuff in the donation bins sorted through and get rid of the stuff I knew we were not going to use. Some had not seen the light of day for a couple of years, therefore we probably did not need it. Teresa was a great help though I had Beverly help with some of the measuring. Some of it the fabrics went home with her---in particular, the flannel that none of us wants to work with but she makes rag quilts. And yes, some came home with me but some of it had originated thru here in the first place, LOL. (Not much but some and I have ideas in mind for some of it!)   Brenda took some with her for a beginning quilter friend who had said that quilting was an expensive hobby to have---she had a different way of phrasing it but that was the gist of it. What she may not want, off to Salvation Army.

Teresa and I measured off what kind of yardage was on each piece so we would know at a glance if it would work on our quilt tops. If there was a lot of yardage then we knew it could be seamed without routing through the whole length of it. We found some things that could be paired up for whole cloth tops and a small baby sized quilt hiding in there as well. That is hanging with some of the other tops now.   All in all, a productive day. Once I got home I had some numbering and logging into the quilt document to do along with some other tasks to follow up on----like what the heck was the matter with my camera, LOL!!

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I got a little of the machine button hole work done on the February Button Up---the last row of hearts but have not touched it since Monday evening.   Not likely to happen today either at this late stage of the game. This might just be a stitchery evening if I do anything at all. I was looking at cat themed patterns for something else and may continue on that kernel of an idea I have floating around upstairs.

We received a call from DJ's golfing friend from IL who plans on being down here either Tuesday or Weds next week. Translation: house needs to be cleaned up sometime between now and then but what also needs to be done between now and then is some cutting for the upcoming FAB Par-Tay. Norma is finally going to get to celebrate her November bday with her FAB pals a week from Saturday! She picked Atkinson Designs Popsicle Sticks as her sewing project for us. It will take a whole pile of 2 1/2 inch strips to do a full-queen sized quilt but I have stuff for it-- see THIS POST for some of the fabrics that will be included. I need to get some of the strip sets seamed so I can keep up with the gals. Some days/weeks there is just too much going on to keep up.

I have another post to make probably tomorrow---stay tuned, LOL.

this and that on a Sunday

2012-01-22T15:00:00.000-06:00

For all of you who think I get "so much done" I slowed down a lot in the last two weeks time. Actually stopped would probably be a more apt description.

The sum total of my output for that time frame has been as follows----

Binding cut, seamed, pressed and applied to a 60 x 90 ish QOV for the veterans home. See THIS post

Binding pressed for February----see the same post

2-55 x 72 ish batts pieced from batting scraps. See THIS post

a minute amount of embroidery on my basket block.

Those 4- 3 inch finished courthouse steps blocks you see on the design wall. That was yesterday's project. Wish I had made the center a darker color but it is too late now! Not much of stashbuster with those itty bitty strips, LOL.

The flying geese and pine tree block you see on the design wall are some sections that I managed to get done a long time back. Unfortunately the geese will no longer work in the spot I made them for and will be re-done---possibly today. Possibly not as I want to try a suggestion I had received about quilting my redwork Santa quilt. OR I may use the machine to anchor down the February hearts in some manner so I can pin it Tuesday, seeing as I have the right machine out for that.

If you wanted to count all the time I spent designing on the Christmas quilt plus printing and re-organizing the notebook for the patterns and printouts, then yeah, maybe I did get a little bit more done. My view is that I spent a whole lot of time thinking about sewing and planning to sew but not much actual sewing, hands on time.

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My pal Norma were talking this weekend and as we often do, start sharing websites we have seen. We can and do lead each other astray----and do it often! But I love bouncing ideas off of her. When you are slumpy and not really motivated, it helps get that creativity going again.

Turns out The Quilt Patch shop that she had visited in Moose Jaw, SK will be coming to her area to do a trunk show soon. She loved the shop in person and they had some patterns she had not seen in other places. She linked me to their kit page. I asked her which one appealed to her most. She replied Happy Trails with the strip pieced sections but added applique interest---the flower stems are made from rick rack for a whimsical touch. She is right---it is CUTE!

Norma felt that they were probably going to focus on promoting their new book Urban Country Quilts which had been released by Martingale Press this past fall. I commented on the cover quilt called Market Fresh wondering whether it was made in the manner similar to a circle quilt I had started as a donation quilt way back in 2001 or so. Possibly but maybe not as she said they were doing a workshop on it and the melons were appliqued in some manner. What I was describing sounded like something she had done called "bread and butter plate" as you actually used a plate for the template--about 7 inches in diameter.

HMMMMM Sounds similar to me what I have tucked in the project box. I told her I would pull out so she could see it. I don't know if mine really has a name for this technique. Mine is the Orange Peel set versus a Rob Peter to Pay Paul, two color deal. I did use a Quilter's Rule International Sew and Fold Circled Patchwork template set to cut the 8 inch circles. There are three sizes nested for 4, 6, and 8 inch circles which I cut from a bunch of birthday fabric exchange squares. This was all destined to one day be a WTIL donation quilt that would not need any batting. Easy to get it this far, LOL. The circles are all faced by fabric, a small slit made and the pieces turned.    I counted up what was in the box----You see 2 rows of 4 that are not joined, 14 circles are turned and 38 need to be turned plus a few more cut white squares and a few odd fats that I must have planned to include. Will I ever finish it?   I don't know but turning those circles would be an easy, front of the TV project.    Having said that, there are 8 other project boxes stacked up in there that I would more likely to do first, including a masculine looking Hopscotch quilt designed by one of my fav designers Terry Atkinson.

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RE: hand quilting on my redwork Santa. Caron from Celebrate Hand Quilting and MIquilts had commented on one of my recent blog posts. Since she hand quilts, beautifully I might add, I posed a question about how one might address quilting on a redwork quilt.   I am cross hatching it but do I go straight on thru, like I marked it initially? Or is it best to go around the design elements? I may not be the only one wondering about this! Caron posted it to her group HERE and you may be interested in the replies. Still no clear cut answer----always two sides to any question, right? I feel I am on the right track and decide as I work on the blocks. Is the Santa poufing up too much with the absence of anchoring stitches? I can certainly go back and quilt around some of the larger design elements. The beauty of hand quilting means you can go back and add more! Thanks, Caron!

And one last picture-------look at what is up in our yard! Ironically, I had just commented on Facebook to a pal in Maine about crocuses and spring coming soon. DJ came in soon after and told me to get my camera--the yellow ones are up. Nearby I think I saw the starts of the daffodil stems coming up as well.   It seems too early for this. Mid February maybe but not late January.   I know winter is not done yet.   PSSST tell that to that weird budding out camellia bush----frost is going to get you!

Now that I have this post completed do I sew or hunt for my missing set of car keys?????   Have a good day in whatever you have chosen to do and thanks for stopping by.

thank heavens for leftovers!

2012-01-19T14:37:00.002-06:00

As you know I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes---most of the time. I DO collect cookbooks and read them like novels, after all. I think you can tell by reading the ingredient list if it will work for your needs and flag it.

Other times, when I am busy with something in the sewing room, I could care less about cooking and will throw together anything as quick as I can. DJ would refer to my actions in the kitchen on those days a bull in the china shop--- in, out and back to sewing. Come on, we all do it or just give up and order pizza or run through the closest drive thru burger joint.

I also consider myself lucky that my husband is NOT a picky eater or one that will NOT eat leftovers. Lord, I would hate to see what our food budget would have to be in that case! We do not waste food around here. We are retired so that means most of the time BOTH of us are here for lunch. Last night's supper is often lunch the next day. If there is still some leftover, then it is off to the freezer to be "born again" in another form. When we need some soup to round out a sandwich meal, I usually have a couple kinds on hand in the freezer.

Last night I did what I call "spoil your husband" meal and fixed his all time favorite of turkey breast and most of the trimmings. Obviously that is NOT what you are looking at, LOL. This was my Tuesday efforts. I tried my hand at replicating Olive Garden's Roasted Chicken Potato Florentine soup. Ever since the Belles' Christmas luncheon and we tried a sample of it, I knew I was going to have to come up with my own version of it! They are only going to serve it for a limited time at the restaurant and I only get down there every two--three months or so. I liked it enough to make a stab at it. I also made a pan of King Arthur Flour's No Knead Garlic Cheese Flat Bread since we were not going to have access to those yummy Olive Garden Bread Sticks. This is all that is left for the freezer after two meals. My 5 qt. Dutch oven was full to about 3 inches from the top.

OH, this bread recipe is very good as well and would be great for panini sandwiches if you cut into squares and half it. Blitz Bread: No Fuss Focaccia. The other recipe gives a tip for using the leftover bread and turning it into crispy breadsticks.

So if you want to try making a batch here's what I came up with--------

* Exported from MasterCook *

My version of Olive Garden's Roasted Chicken Potato Florentine Soup

Recipe By : Linda J
Serving Size : 12
Categories : soup

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 carrots -- peeled and cut into match stick pieces
1 medium onion -- diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 14.5 oz cans chicken broth (or more)
1 cup water
3 potatoes -- diced small (NOTE: see below if you want the slices of potatoes)
1 10.75 oz. can condensed tomato soup
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 jar Ragú Alfredo Classic Pasta Sauce
1/2 9-10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach -- thawed
8 ounces cooked chicken -- cubed
salt to taste
1 teaspoon sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes
1 teaspoon prepared minced garlic
1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Prep the carrots and onion and saute in a 5 qt. Dutch oven till softened.

If you plan on using diced potatoes in the soup, prep them and add to the pot along with 2 cans of broth and water. Bring to a boil and cook about 8-10 minutes till the potato cubes are fork tender, not mushy.

Add the pasta sauce, tomato sauce and condensed tomato soup adding more broth or water if needed to thin the soup to the consistency you like it.

I used slightly less than half a box of Green Giant chopped spinach left from another use. It looked to be more than what we were served at the restaurant but I like my soup substantial.

Cooked Chicken: as I had no leftover chicken on hand and did not want to spring for a rotisserie one, I used a prepared package of grilled chicken pieces from the meat case. Tyson and John Soule brands are at Walmart. Any other time I would have poached a breast or two or used some leftover chicken from another meal.

NOTES : If you want to use the sliced potatoes like they do in the restaurant, I think I would get a package of the microwaveable red potatoes. Let them cool enough to peel and cut into small slices adding just at the end to heat through. I used cubes as I would for regular potato soup.

ENJOY! LOL, we did.

at it again--edited

2012-01-18T13:14:00.000-06:00

It seems that I cannot quite quit tinkering with my Re-vamped Oxmoor House quilt. I'm at it again! I am playing in EQ with the design.

Oh I did the boring stuff yesterday with the binding but it didn't get sewn on the quilt yet. I still need to study up on how to program the sewing machine to do lettering for the QOV label if I go that route. I didn't get the Prairie Window top marked yet either. What's another day??

I have been thinking about this re-design for about a week and may have mentioned it as being a hold up to actually sewing on this thing. I decided to bump up the width to 64 inches so maybe I could come closer to being able to use this on my bed. I played around with it last night till almost 9:45. Other than filling a 4 x 27 inch space with "something" I was satisfied with the arrangement when I went to bed.

Because I want to include the two blocks on the left last seen HERE in this top I needed to add another 16 inches to the length. The feathered star was made for a round robin but I set it aside when the moderator was not sharing my vision that it be set on point by the person who followed me, LOL. I eventually substituted with a fall theme that I DID put on point to start with.. The redwork was for a small wall hanging but I totally messed up the quarter square triangle that were to frame it. Too pretty NOT to put somewhere, right?? It will also fit the bed a bit better to get up to 80 inches of length before borders are added. This also gives me an opportunity to include some other blocks I had considered and did not have room for.

EQ does NOT make it entirely easy to just adjust the the center rectangle and retain the sizing of the blocks that are in the rows above it in custom set. The width might stay the same but the blocks elongate to fill the space meaning it ALL has to be adjusted and re-positioned on the worktable. You might as well just start over which I did. The photo above shows my progress in that regard and represents about an hour's work.

Before I actually get started back piecing/appliquing the sampler blocks, I need to know what size blocks I need, even an idea about coloration is helpful. I have some of the foundation pieced sections printed off already but the sizes may have changed as I try to get the puzzle all put together. Since I have a mixed bag of tricks going on here, it should be fun to work on this. It contains some of my favorite quilt elements all in one quilt plus it is Christmas!

So it would appear that seaming some binding is all the sewing I will get done at least part of this week too. Oh you all know that won't last too much longer, LOL. Hope you are having a good day in whatever you chose to do--------

ED. NOTE: And here is what I am going with---ignore the wrong colored square in square feather star block. Too lazy to try to replicate what it really is. Blank spots are appliqued blocks and the lines on some of the blocks are to help me know what size to print the motifs.

oh so true

2012-01-17T07:17:00.002-06:00

via FB from http://www.care2.com/greenliving/a-cats-map-of-the-bed.html

all in a day's work

2012-01-16T18:59:00.000-06:00

Who would of thought that piecing two batts would take the better part of a day?? But it did.

The first one wasn't too bad since I had a fairly wide piece from the extra length of batting cut for a "wider than 48 inches" top from last week. That probably had about 5 seams total. The 2nd one? 14 seams total as I was essentially dealing with long strips anywhere from 7.5 to 11.5 inches wide to build it up to about 58 wide. Even that little bit marked 9 x 56 has 6 seams in it as I was down to the last bits of batting. Now, I may be handed a bag of cutaways when I get to the meeting site next meeting OR worse, there are some hiding in the closet.

These batts are for two of the tops in the closet here at home. Dec 2010 on this one. Prairie Window Romance Challenge. Pattern source: Quiltwoman.com. I still need to mark the top in a wide grid or that WAS my plan once upon a time.

The other slightly smaller one is for the Picnic BQ 1. More recent flimsy completion on it though Sept. 2011. Pattern source: Maple Island Quilts. The edges look a little blah but it will have that red dot binding

Well, cross one thing off this weeks' short term goals. Tomorrow's plan will be:

Cut, sew and press some navy binding for Disappearing Nine Patch. Apply it if I have time.
Press the binding for February
Mark the grid on Prairie Window

See how I make out since I have a couple home tasks that need tending as well.

wasted week?

2012-01-15T20:03:00.002-06:00

Would you believe it if I told you have not touched my machine, not once, all week? I just plain have not had time. Oh by Friday I had pulled out my embroidery to put a few stitches in my green basket block but that is it. No sewing! For all the gals that ask me how I get so much done in the sewing department, I didn't this week!

Maybe it was just time to take a short break? There is not shortage of things that could be done in here.

Let's start with ugh, seaming batting. No fun but necessary esp if I am going to make tops that don't fit on 48 inches wide.

Then we have February----waiting and waiting for the needed button hole applique to be done. January is half over, after all. It won't take long to quilt or bind it but do you think it will be hanging in time for Valentine's Day??

Then we have the Christmas quilt. I seriously intended to be working this by now. I got only as far as looking at the foundation pieced flying geese part and trying to figure out what I had possibly done with the background pieces. They turned up but my opportunity for sewing that day was gone.

The more I look at it, the more I wonder if I need to be making it 12 inches wider. It would fit the bed better. I don't like that tree block in that position in the last row and want the star that WAS in there back. If I add another row to the side then I can move it elsewhere in the top. I could include a few more blocks that got left out of the design. Back to the drawing board again?

This tub is full of Christmas fabric---well some isn't but there are greens and reds that could be used in it.. The pizza box contains the little bit of the quilt that is finished. I vowed NOT to put either of them back where they belong till the top is done. I'm already tired of looking at it. I set up to quilt and have to push it around the room. I guess there is a reason why it normally resides under the cutting table, LOL.

And then there is quilting and binding that could be addressed. Two of mine and one of Linda C's from the last meeting. On top is my disappearing 4 patch last seen HERE in mid-August. The long arm quilter who is also the QOV AL contact person and member of Friendship Quilters spearheading the efforts for the Veteran's Home quilts gave it back to me yesterday for binding. I may need to make some first but it goes on my this week list. I may need to try out the embroidery stitching elements of the machine to make a label too.

The stack of quilts is still piled up. Betsy went off without the one she had and I told her I would wait till next meeting. Hopefully I can get it to dovetail to the day I am already down in Oxford OR I could have DJ go with me and we can go out to lunch on the way.

I knew it was going to be a busy week. Starting with Sunday, I had an executive board meeting so that shot a chunk of Sunday afternoon. Bama Belles met on Tuesday----that shoots most of the day or at the very least, I am too tired to want to do much once I get home and unpacked. Yesterday, regular guild meeting and a grocery errand so there went 0830 to about 1530. Thank heavens for Friday leftovers and no cooking. In between a whole lot of paperwork----for both quilt groups, meeting minutes to write up for executive board and regular quilt meeting. That one kept me busy all afternoon. I also organized my files and email on the computer so I could back up my files. Good thing too since my cooking software would not open right after. Getting it back to about where it was took most of Friday evening to straighten it out, thanks to the vagaries of Mastercook 11.

Machine, I'll be back----I promise, LOL. Just not today. Today is pretty much gone. Think I'll get the paper and call it a day.

meeting wrap

2012-01-11T09:37:00.003-06:00

We had a good group yesterday at our Bama Belles meeting. With the holiday layoff it seemed as though some of us had not been together in ages! A few that have had schedule conflicts in recent months WERE with us including one gal who had moved up to TN. She and her husband were back in the area for a few days (house has not sold yet) and their visit coincided with our meeting.

We pinned up 7 quilts and 7 are about to be turned in---3 need labels so Beverly is taking care of two of them and Betsy will do the honors on her own. I realized when I was posting the following pictures that I didn't get a picture of her cowboy quilt but I will! Meanwhile the stack of ready to be delivered ones has grown a bit higher. Said pile, last seen HERE, is even with the top of the armoire from the floor on up! Lois had 3, I had two while Bev and Linda C has one. Thanks to Teresa for seaming up the back for that last one! I was helping someone square up some embroidery blocks and explaining how to do pre-sashing so I was no help in pinning the larger of my two tops. The girls didn't care as there was plenty of help and went ahead with out me----thanks for that too! Jane always is such a help as a binding volunteer so I can move on to the next quilt. I appreciate them all.

Linda C brought several totes of scrap fabrics with her to share along with some patterns and such. It was pretty much spread out over two of the 5 foot tables at the meeting spot so several of the girls were going "shopping" over there. I guess the tote is staying with the remainders. Marilyn also had some backing yardage to share as she is in the process of cleaning and organizing her sewing space. I told the girls that at the next meeting I intend for us to go through the two fabric bins and decide what goes and what stays as we just don't have room to store too much of it. We just keep piling on more!! It might help to know what sizes pieces we have and label it with a tag and hang it in some cases. Other smaller bits can probably be used for blocks or cut into charms/strips etc. What we don't want/won't use can go to another quilt group, someone in the group or the Salvation Army. To be truthful, I am not even sure what exactly is in the bottom bin that is hard to get at in the stack. That just tells me we don't need it if it hasn't seen the light of day for a couple years.

I have more group related tasks on my list, meaning probably no sewing again but that's okay. We are almost out of batting and I have several piles of cutaways to seam which will be fine for some of my tops wider than the standard 48 width we buy. Some paper pushing duties too. Once I get that room clutter out of here then I can entertain the idea of doing something more creative.

So you probably are more interested in seeing the quilts than reading my prattling on, LOL. Here we go!

Bev S. Pineapple Blossom----I think she likes that block! This was one of two tops she has made with it plus a pile of blocks at the sew-in too. One top did not come with her this trip.

Linda C's Square in a Square. One that I quilted in December during the quilting blitz. Jane had finished the binding.

Linda C not sure what I called this for the document----Double 4 patch Strippie maybe??? Again, another of the tops I quilted during the December blitz. Jane did the binding.

Beverly H---Scrappy Rails. Isn't it happy and bright? Love the scrappy binding too.

Beverly H. Romance Challenge. I may have taken the picture of this before but it went back home with her to finish the labeling (and binding?). Block is Patience Corner and Beverly took care not to decapitate any of the little figures from the challenge fabric.

Linda C. Jacob's Elevator (Trudie Hughes pattern). She has this one professional quilted.

Linda C. This one goes by several names but when it came on my horizon back in 99-00, it was called Rainy Day Satisfaction. No pattern really needed. You can cut the center squares any size you want them to be. Good two color quilt that is not labor intensive.

That's it for now------hope you have a good day.

one of THOSE nights

2012-01-09T11:41:00.000-06:00

I don't think that today is going to be a sewing day around here. I have a feeling that my efforts would lead to more "reverse sewing" or I would be primed for a rotary cutter nick or an attempt at sewing through my finger. Oh, tell me that doesn't happen at YOUR house too!

I am definitely not at the top of my game since I could neither get to sleep till after 1 a.m. and have been awake since 4: 15. Finally I bailed at 5 and fired up the computer. It is NOT that I have a lot on my mind and that was interfering with my sleep. I certainly was tired enough at 9 or so to have gone to sleep if it had been dark, cool and quiet around here. Well, cool and dark I could manage---quiet, no. Not with a small house and a husband who is a candidate for a hearing aid. I see a nap on the horizon later today.

So what is on the horizon for me? Well, I want to back up my computer files but first all these saved files---and that is not near all of them----need to be put into their basic categories before I do that. It also helps to remind me of just what is in there or delete any dupes or the ones that no longer have as much appeal. Some will just go in that big catch all "misc, uncategorized" for later sorting if they are mixed patterned quilt.

I am sorta looking for a few things as I do this:

First off, I am considering a Bama Belles challenge consisting of me picking a pattern and then asking them to interpret it with their own fabric this year. That would be a new twist. We have done the all the same fabric ones several times. We did a scrappy challenge last year. Lord knows, THAT could be explored some more and some new ideas on how to use those cut strips and squares is always good. I have a few ideas tucked away if we go that route or it could be a choice for the spring sew date.

Second, my dear FAB pal Pam and her husband lost their long time Kitty Companion around Thanksgiving. They had taken Akira in when he could no longer stay with his kitty daddy (their son) Ryan .I know how hard that is to go through losing a long time treasured furry family member. when our Pippi passed away almost 4 years ago. It still hurts. Pam and I made memorial quilts for her; mine is seen in THIS POST. I had pulled some possible fabrics the other day for this purpose but am not quite sure of a pattern. I know I have a copy of that Rose Garden or whatever I used but still cannot come up with its proper name!! Yeah there are two grouping there. One would also be in honor of Chico the neighborhood cat who has gone missing. While we are still hopeful that Skyler's kitty buddy may show up, it is also possible that he won't after this much time passing. (Glynda said they had looked everywhere on the property as they have about 30 acres, some timber with a creek running through it.)

Lastly, some time back Cher had sent a packet to each of the FABS with this panel from the 2011 Sister's Quilt show and some of the go with's. The fabric line is "My Sunshine" by Kathy Deggendorfer for "In the Beginning". No date has been firmed up for us to work on this but she was issuing a challenge for the 5 of us to make a quilt from at least the panel piece. I was teasing her recently that this might just be what we do for her THIS year birthday since we didn't sew last year on her FAB PAR-TAY date.

I had bought some of the fabric line with my birthday money from the Belles. I have a good idea of what I am going to do. However, as I so often say "I reserve the right to change my mind, LOL". I am a quilter, after all and have one friend in particular who sends me pattern idea links to tempt me. Since she gave this to us, I have been looking at things that feature panels or large focus pieces and considering them as possibilities. That project has an idea folder set up too! And some of those files in my huge "quilt files and pdfs" folder go in said folder.

To the right: what I do when I cannot sleep. I own two very similar patterns----Criss-Cross Quilt from the free quilt patterns info site (not free) and Prairie Window from QuiltWoman and designer Anne Wiens. I have done a couple tops using the Prairie Window. Easiest way to find them would probably be to look in the 2011 flimsies and finishes tabs on my blog site proper, not a feed. Okay, I own the patterns so why did I draw it up, you might ask? Well, neither pattern is perfect for WTIL needs. We shoot for around 40 x 60 though kids come in all sizes. Prairie Window has wider rail sections and just looks a bit "clunky" to me. The lap size is too big and the baby quilt finishes at the odd (to me) size of 44 x 51---too wide and too short, for WTIL range. Criss-Cross? It is shown as a square quilt and I prefer rectangular ones when possible. I drew it up in EQ, did the calculations and then wrote up some cutting instructions for me.

I also have some other paper piddling to do today. Primarily I need to write up some minutes for the executive board meeting from guild before my notes get cold but there is some other set aside mail to deal with as well. I get busy sewing and if something does not require my immediate attention, it stacks for a few days, LOL.

It has already been a busy week and it just got started! Tonight, of course, we will be rooting on Alabama in the BCS championship football game. ROLL TIDE! Let's have a good game and no injuries, boys. Tomorrow is Bama Belles day. Some packing up involved there. I'll need to be sure to pack my camera (and spare battery this time!!) That stack of quilts needs to be delivered at some point. Saturday I am back over to Pell City for regular guild meeting. Something tells me I am not going to get a whole lot of sewing done this week----but that's okay too. I outdid myself last week, LOL.

It is staying fairly warm today with a lot of cloud cover but I can toss some burgers on the grill for lunch. Best get off the computer and take care of that! Thanks for stopping by----------

yikes!

2012-01-07T12:13:00.001-06:00

Hubbers was out working on the front bed area that got suspended due to his bilateral cataract surgeries. We still need to get several more bags of the white rock but he has been driving around for months with this black trim stuff in the back seat of his car. The weather warmed up enough and there was sufficient cloud cover for him to get out with his spade.

Look at what he unearthed out there! Kept hitting it with the spade as he had rounded the bend near the down spout. Yikes! Big 2 x 6 length, half rotted out.

As I write this, he has gotten to the halfway point, looks like. Glad it is him and not me. I don't "do" outside, LOL if I can help it.

another donation flimsy

2012-01-07T09:07:00.002-06:00

I stitched and stitched yesterday afternoon and evening till I had enough blocks made to complete half of this top. This morning, I joined the two halves and corralled Quilt Holder to "do the honors." Think I might be on a 12 in 12 plan as far as tops go?? How about quilting up the ones from last year and keeping their 11 in 11 label?? HMMM

I have no plan for where my creative muse may take me today. Right now I need to clean up the mess of strings on the floor from the past days of sewing.

I'm guessing it is time to get serious about that my adapted Oxmoor Christmas quilt thing but that is a sampler type thing. Sketch link HERE. I am going to include that Quilter's Cache Christmas 2003 block that I recently stitched up for Friendship Quilters in it so will revise it slightly before printing up my road map of what goes where.

donation flimsy

2012-01-06T11:26:00.001-06:00

Thanks to the Bama Belles' group sewing date in October----and a pile of leftover 2 inch strips this made for a fairly quick "finish to flimsy". You never know when you are working on a group project as there can be a bit of variance in one's machines 1/4 inch seam allowance.

I made sure to square the blocks up which I don't normally do on my own, "all me" generated on the same machine blocks. Also if the cornerstones did not fit the strip I verified and/or slivered trimmed the sashing strips. If I knew the sashing was correctly length and width and found the block was a tad undersized, I could fudge it in a bit.

This should be a fun quilt for a youngster. There are enough novelty bits in there to make it be a treasure hunt, or use it for a matching game. I have one block leftover which happens to be one that I made. I pulled them out of the bag just as I had picked them up and tried not to get too "matchy-matchy" with the sashing. I also did NOT look at the row ahead of it to make sure two of the same colors were near each other. IIWII, no fussing allowed.

It is early in the day---earlier than I usually find myself at the machine. I've been awake since about 5 a.m. and up since 545, thanks to a little black and white kitty boy. I only had one row to assemble this morning. I had done one on New Year's Day and the middle 4 rows yesterday. What's next?? It is Friday and I just met my week's sewing goals, after all.

I left off with this half finished 3-D bowtie quilt in mid November as the last of the Belles Scrappy Challenge. My notes got cold, LOL. Where was I headed with it?
I am guessing I need 35 more bowties if I don't want to do borders on it. It would finish up at 42 x 60 and right in WTIL range. OR 6 x 9 with 3 inch borders would accomplish the same thing.   HMMMMM -- 19 more or 35 more blocks minus the two on the design wall. Stay tuned for this momentous decision, LOL. I may get lucky and find that I left a pile in the project tote that just need to be seamed in the middle.

ED. NOTE: no such luck on a pile of blocks but what I did find was a pile of 33 blocks worth of groups of three and a big stack of 3.5 inch muslin squares. Yep, 7 x 10 set after all.   I must have been thinking of the pile I have started for a QOV quilt, with that "only need to be seamed" thing. I do love 3-D bowties and often consider them an on-going project.

2011 accounting

2012-01-04T13:53:00.000-06:00

(Mostly I do not want to lose the lists I maintained last year and want to set up the same thing for 2012, LOL. Ignore it if you want to)

BELLES SCRAPPY CHALLENGE 2011

Hot Mess flimsy
PIC flimsy
4 patch diagonal chain 8-21-11
Triple Rail 8-22-11
Diagonal Strings 8-31-11
Beachy Prairie Window
Faux Log Cabin 10-27
WIP bowties

PIF CHALLENGE---this remains as I have more to make with the donation fabric

Craftsman Sports World--to HQ as flimsy
Right Angles Sports World--to HQ as flimsy
RR Crossing top
BQ 1 Picnic print 9-14-11

QOV’s---tops to the long arm quilter volunteer

Line Art
Disappearing 4 patch

2011 FINISHES

JATH base 1-6
January JATH 1-6
In Seasons's Winter 1-6
Christmas Log Cabin 1-21ish
Kitty Leap Frog 3-5
Pam's Bday Button Up 2-17ish
Veronica's Bday Button Up 3-26
Welcome Button Up 3-28
FB Medallion 3-30
Daisy Chain 4-1
In Season Spring 4-1
Cher Gordian Knot 6 late May
Pat's bday Autumn Blessings 10-12
In Seasons Summer--10-15
Pumpkins 4 sale 10-18
July Button Up--10-21
Habitat BQ2--11-7
In Seasons Autumn 11-25
Merry Christmas BU #21 11-27
Gordian Knot 1 11-28
Norma Bday Button Up 12-15
Pioneer Sampler Plus 12-17
Give Thanks Button Up 12-13 pinned/completed 1-4-2012

the year's first flimsy and finish

2012-01-04T13:35:00.000-06:00

Hot off the press 1-4 with binding completion. Yeah mostly a Dec 2011 project with the piecing, button hole appliquing and machine quilting. It still goes on the 2012 list. Woohoo! Scratch off one of the week's goals.

And, except for the button appliquing or some sort of edge finishing, "February" Button Up is a flimsy. By the 5th heart I prepped yesterday I knew that it was better to cut off small sections of the ric rac and overlap it then try to make it bend around the corners, especially on that pointy tip! It looked like I might be running short on the ric rac as well but of two packages, I have about 6 inches of it left.

I ended up basting the ric rac down and then removing the freezer paper from the back that I had used to turn the raw edges. Then I had to use a whole sheet of steam a seam 2 to stick the thing down. I am not fond of the stiffness behind the hearts but it could not be helped on this one. I am counting this as almost reaching the week's goal, LOL but that might be close enough!

After two days of hand stitching I am most definitely ready to give my fingers a break and do some sewing. My plans are to prep the binding and hanging loops for February. Then I am moving back to the Pineapple Blossom WTIL top. And sew it goes---------

What I have so far.........

2012-01-03T10:08:00.000-06:00

After all that quilting lately, I was so ready for a reward project. I had posted that this was my personal project of choice on New Year's Day. It got moved along on Monday to this point when I "closed up shop".

I decided that it might be best to baste the ric rac to the heart and then secure down the whole deal. It does soften the edges of that angular shaped heart. Of course, stitching thru all those layers was not without peril, LOL. Between the pins, the glue, sticking myself a couple times I was happy to put it away and start fresh this morning-------with a heavier, longer milliner's needle.

Here is a closeup of the one I have basted and secured. The pattern suggests using bright yellow ric rac and then over-dying it with tan dye. I could not find bright yellow jumbo ric rac here in town on my cursory look but I didn't want to order any either. I have since found out that they do have a selection of ric rac at Wilson's up in Boaz and I will remember that should I need any again. Anyway, I found plain old white so I dyed the green stripe and the red dot fabric along with it. The texture is subtle but I think it will still work.

Now we see Skyler wanting to lend his hand to the preceedings. I have to wonder which he wants more---the thread on the cone, the thread he sees flashing in and out on the needle or that weird looking snake stuff. He wanted me to go to the kitchen to give him his "treat bite"but will be back. Too nosy not to, LOL.

This being the start of the New Year I have been thinking about what projects I might like to work on, what my goals are. I have done well setting short term goals for the day, or the week. I mention them here and that keeps me accountable. I have pictures for blog fodder too, LOL. Mulling all that over--something from several categories? Personal, Pro Bono, QOV, UFO? I told Norma we can make plans but we reserve the right to change our minds and add something totally new to the mix----go where our heart is leading us. Sometimes that is exactly what is needed to rev up the creative fires.

But for now some short term goals for this week are----------

finish prepping February button up
finish assembling Pineapple Blossom top
finish the binding on Give Thanks button up

what you do on New Years Day.........

2012-01-01T21:53:00.000-06:00

.............you will do throughout the year. Ordinarily I make a special point to work on something pro bono. Today was no exception but I also decided I was going to focus on a little bit of several aspects of quiltmaking.

First out was my green Bee Tree Designs basket block. I haven't touched this since early November but I have been busy with other things! Normally I drag this with me to the quilt guild meeting but that is going to be out since I am the incoming guild secretary, LOL. I stitched for a little over an hour so get it moved forward a little bit.

Next, I turned to hand quilting. Bird Brain Designs "Here Comes Santa". 5th block of 12 in progress. I stuck with it long enough to finish this particular block. I would dearly love for this to be up on the wall NEXT holiday season. Maybe if I set aside one day of the week to hand quilt I will get there.

I told Norma that I didn't want to do any housework, laundry or binding today, that being my least favorite part of quilting. She asked if I was going to leave it off all my quilts this year. NO! I relented. I had quilted up the Give Thanks Button Up on New Year's Eve. If I had been willing to push the hand finishing, I could have counted it as my last finish for 2011. I am no glutton for punishment, I was tired and it could wait. I got to just past the corner and the label till I set it aside. I DID do a tad of embroidery on this one too----the turkey's legs and sewed on a button for his eye.

Next I moved on to the pro bono quilt. I have 24 blocks from the fall sew-in to assemble along with a pile of strips from Jane, Lois, Bev and others to use for the sashing. Some is cut to size and some isn't. One row is done. 5 more to go. I will finish it up sometime this week so we can pin it at our first January meeting.

Lastly, I chose a personal project sewing. I was working BEHIND on these Button Up projects last year a good bit of the time. Well, perfect example was the "Give Thanks" piece---pieced in December and quilted on New Years Eve! I thought maybe I would get a jump start on February's heart piece. I had it all cut out last year but got stumped about how to add the jumbo rick rack when I have the hearts prepped over freezer paper. Actually I am STILL stumped but figured I could at least prep the base unit. If any one has any suggestions, I would love to hear them. To see a picture of where I am headed try this Joined at the Hip---#BU2.

I hate working with strips 1 1/2 inch and smaller. The red strip finishes at 1/2 inch. Ugh, fumble fingers territory. I had drawn the sashing sections up in EQ last year so I could more accurately piece it to a foundation. That's the point I was at when I took the picture. Before I quit for the night I had the blocks sashed. The vertical sections are joined and awaiting the band between the block area that says "February". I'll get that part done tomorrow and the borders on the base----maybe the appliqued basted and/or fused. I prepped all that last year.

All in all, a productive day---

A shoppin' we will go

2011-12-30T19:56:00.000-06:00

Today Heart to Heart Quilt Shop in Trussville (AL) was having an anniversary sale. Jane had offered to drive and could take 5 including herself. We had agreed to meet at 9:30 at our usual spot and took off.

All was going well till we got hung up on Chalkville Mtn. Road near downtown Trussville but a train stopped on the tracks. Finally when almost all the cars ahead of us had done a three point turnaround and went back around we figured that the locals must know another route. Sure enough----the next street down had an overpass OVER the stopped train. (That stinkin' train was STILL stopped in the same position when we were coming back home!!) That detour told us that the Chocolate Biscuit was probably not open as we did not see a single car in the lot at 11 a.m. We went to Applebee's for lunch near the quilt shop instead before we even went shopping. Crossing Chalkville Mtn. Road or turn left onto it can be a real nightmare as there is too much traffic on a far too narrow road. We immediately ran into a bunch of quilters we knew from Calhoun County too.

The shop had everything marked down at least 30%----so that meant the fat quarters I got were 30% off. Then there were a few shelves of 50% off with minimum 1 yard cuts and table with 75% off as well as a spot where you could stuff everything you wanted into a small bag ( the size they use for patterns) for 5 bucks as long as you could close the seal.

So what are you looking at here? Above, Popsicle Sticks ammunition. I pulled the fabric bin of teals out last night. I had a pretty good idea that I needed to concentrate on some lighter fabrics for the strips set stratas on our run today. Darks and mediums are pretty well covered. I can pull the purples, pinks and green bins out but basically I was going with the colors in that Amelia by Me & My Sister I had gotten as part of my Christmas present from DJ. The thumbnails on the link will show most of the included fabrics in the jelly roll. Once I took the tie off I can't get it rolled back up like they had it , LOL.

You will also see my over stuffed pattern bag above as well, next to the jelly roll. Here is what I had
stuffed in it. The pale green is quilt cut aways as I was allowed to remove the batting that was sewn to it. Turquoise gingham---about a fat's worth. A few pieces of lime green that might work for some short strips. The pinkish piece and the blue print yardage are about a half yard wide!! Score.

A closeup of my purchases. Fats in the first row and yards in the 2nd. On sale, more bang for my Christmas spending money----THX DJ!

Since I had to buy more than I really needed for this project and obviously I have stuff in my stash to use as well I have a feeling that this will move on to other alternate quilts. I have Ring Around pattern from Four Paws Quilting that would be a good choice---scroll down the page a bit.

On the way home we had a choice about which route to take. Both would end up at the same spot in the middle of Ragland on AL 144. I don't think anyone was on a "deadline" to get home so that helped too. One of the gals is in the process of making two commissioned baby quilts for a woman with twin daughters. She apparently needs to arrange for someone to machine stipple them in "pink variegated thread" according to the mama. We had talked about the reasonable machine quilting prices at Ashville House Quilt Shop. When we left Trussville traveling through the back roads, we said we could go thru Ashville on the way home. Two of the girls had not been there before and would know their way over, should they decide to have Pat quilt them for her.

At first we were not sure they were open as they were doing some roofing and repair work outside. It being Friday she normally would be open but we are talking about a holiday weekend. But the workmen assured us that the shop was open. We just needed to use a different entrance into the house/shop. The stop actually turned out to be good idea as Lois had been looking for horse fabric for another sort of commissioned piece---and Pat had some, while Heart to Heart did not. I picked up that pink piece on top with the needle and thread on it and the light purple fat quarters at Ashville House.

Once I got home I finished putting the Christmas decorations back up with DJ pitching in to help haul the boxes in and out from the shed. It is amazing how quickly that stuff can get packed up when it takes a good part of the day to put it out! So we are now in the snowman decorating phase for a couple of months, LOL.

Tomorrow I am back to quilting----personal project this time and a small one at that. Closer to one last finish for 2011?? I'm pokey with binding so I am guessing not but an early finish for 2012 may be more possible!

I wish all the best for you in 2012--------

Thursday check in

2011-12-29T18:50:00.003-06:00

I am happy to report that I finished up the last of the 6 donation quilts today. When I snapped the picture I was working on the diagonal grid I had marked through the string blocks on a top that Aline had pieced. Now it is completed with binding and label attached. Woohoo!

To celebrate I am headed over to Trussville tomorrow for a day out with a few of the girls. I think we are going to the Chocolate Biscuit for lunch at the tea room . The main reason for the trip is going to Heart to Heart Quilt Shop as they are having an anniversary sale.

Here is Skyler keeping me company in his perch this afternoon. At least he was not hoping up on the sewing table and just staring at me like he was this morning. Uh, a little hard to quilt that way but perhaps that was his point, LOL.

My plan for this evening is to see where I have some holes in my stash for the upcoming "Popsicle Sticks" for Norma's bday par-tay. Even with a Jelly Roll with 40 strips I will need about 3 times that for get it to full/queen. I don't want a lot of yardage but a few fats might help. See what is on sale tomorrow.

I still have "Give Thanks" Button Up (last seen HERE) to quilt but it will wait till the weekend. Then I am going to sew to my hearts content. I intend to get going on my adapted Oxmoor House Christmas quilt so that is probably what I will work on in coming weeks. ( EQ Sketch of it) at the link. I am already tired of having to move the holiday fabric tote around but said I would not put it back till the blocks were done, after all. Hold me to it!

Lois has been busy!

2011-12-27T16:11:00.000-06:00

Today was sort of a bonus day meeting for my quilt group. Normally we put the meetings on hold till we get past the holiday season, meaning that we meet the 2nd Tuesday of November and lay off for two months starting again in January. Oh, we meet to have the Christmas party in early December but it is not quite the same thing. Lois had some quilts to pin and wondered if anyone might be available to help and asked if we could meet on our normal 4th Tuesday. I've got the key so as long as I can be there, come on ahead.

I took my camera but should have checked the battery life before I packed it. DJ STILL had to hold quilts up once I got home, LOL. You will be able to tell what a busy girl Lois has been in 2011 as all the quilts I am going to show you are hers! Plus we pinned 5 more of her tops and re-pinned one that had been pinned a little cockeyed that I had started last week. Luckily Jane came along to help us and we whizzed thru the job in plenty of time to go out to lunch on our way back home. She also took the 3 I had quilted to do the hand finishing. THX!!! Janet also stopped by for a bit but declined the lunch invite.

I am not entirely sure of some of the names/patterns on these quilts. I'll just label them the same thing I did on the quilt document that will go to Wrap Them In Love headquarters along with pictures to be included on the gallery pages. Ellen allows us to donate our quilts locally if we chose and we do so under their umbrella.
ED NOTE: Lois called me last night with the proper names of two of these. I'll edit the captions accordingly

I am calling this Interlocking Hovering Hawks variation

Lois said this might be called Hidden Stars-----I might have called it Vestibule variation

Chiclets or sometimes called Split Nine Patch

4 patch X---Bonnie Hunter pattern in Quiltmaker magazine

Same as above---but with darker sashing

Nine patch on point with red corner flippies. Proper name was "Prince Charming"

Unless I messed this up again--this is "Tossed Nine Patch".

This used charmed squares and I think might be the name of the Eleanor Burns method pattern.

Faux Log Cabin 1

The more I look at this though I think she used a more quarter or half log cabin block. Faux Log Cabin is normally pieced with all the pieces running vertically. This has lights that run horizontally. It ends up looking the same perhaps but the piecing is different.

Disappearing Nine Patch. I love what she did with the sashing bits!

Faux Log Cabin 2. Lois said that this one had less delineation between the lights and darks

And lastly, what it looks like in my bedroom. If I have counted correctly there are 31 quilts for me to deliver to a local concern----and soon! I know that there is one more out there that is only out for label application. Once I get that one picked up, I will take them. (Ignore the floor--someone needs to vacuum, LOL)

And sew it goes. I need to cut some binding before I get back to the remaining 3 in MY stack. Next thing I know it will be time to fix dinner. This day is going fast!

Monday check in

2011-12-26T13:43:00.003-06:00

No picture this time out. Nothing much has changed on my design wall other than I added a block that Aline made me for Christmas----it may end up in the adapted Oxmoor House quilt though. I already took my quilt bag with camera in it out to the car (so I don't forget it----again!!!) for tomorrow's meeting.

I took the weekend off from anything in the creative department. I had some cooking to do to get ready for Christmas dinner so that took quilting's place. DJ and I did our gift exchange on Saturday evening as is our tradition and then watched "It's a Wonderful Life". Last night we watched the DVD I had gotten him of the 2011 World Series. Still gives me goosebumps when I think back over that last 6 weeks of the Cardinals season!

Today it is back down to earth----grocery errands, laundry and such. DJ tried to run a few errands of his own but found out the lab was closed for his standing monthly blood test as is the bank and post office. The library WAS open though, LOL. No wonder we get messed up about what day it is when all weekend seemed like Sunday.

We just took down the Christmas tree though. Poor DJ was getting tired of scolding Skyler on a nightly basis to leave the branches, needles, ornaments alone. Even if he shut the lights off, Skyler would persist. That's okay. We put it up a lot sooner than he would have liked anyway. I'll wait a few more days to switch over to the winter/snowman theme.

I did get two of Linda C's donation quilts done last week---not the one that will need to be re-pinned but two others. I am going to set up to start on a 3rd and see how far I get. With any luck I can turn it over to one of the gals to do the binding detail. I have two more in the stack to go and mostly likely, will add the one that just needs zoom lines after we meet tomorrow. I had hoped to have these ALL gone by now so I could sew something fun but looks like it will have to wait. I will definitely be ready for a reward project once this pile is done. My friend Norma is off this week so it would not take her too much to convince me to follow her down some quilting or piecing path, LOL. I'm game if she is!

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas-------

Happy Holidays

2011-12-25T12:04:00.001-06:00

This is an older picture but it will still work. The reason for the Season. Since this was taken, I can tell that one of the lost sheep has returned to the flock, LOL. These days I handi-tac the two little sheep down to keep them from the kitty paws. The angel gets the same treatment to protect it from the husband's elbows.

May you have a joyous and peaceful Holiday season. Safe travels as well.

WIP Weds, wk 51

2011-12-21T11:20:00.000-06:00

Technically you could say that I am between projects.

The Christmas Patience Corner expansion is completed. Yesterday I got the backing all seamed and with DJ's help folded up and put in the box for mailing. My pal Norma will be quilting it up for me after she does her own. Actually my quilt contains some of Norma and our pal Cher's fabrics in it so it will be fun to spot them as she quilts mine. The binding is seamed for it but not pressed.

I also added some more black solid strips to the one you see rolled on the bolt core. (Borrowing a trick from my mom there.) There is one or more of the quilts in this pile of donation quilts that will need it. I want these quilts finished and not hanging over my head in the new year. Other quilts to be made, after all. Other tops to pin too---my own tops.

So what's with the bin of fabrics? Norma will at some point announce a date for her postponed FAB bday par-tay. She would like for us to explore Popsicle Sticks from one of our favs Atkinson Designs. I have a collection of teals and purples that I have been saving for "some project, some day". The day may have come. At one point I would get one yard of this grouping from the section at the now defunct Quiltmaker's Workshop on each trip I made to Trussville (AL) and just hoard it. I would add more fabric that sorta fit in with it as they came along and think "some day I'll find the perfect pattern for these". OR more like, raid it for another project. I see a section of Marble Mate with about a 6 1/2 inch square cut out so I already DID poach a bit for something. Popsicle Sticks will probably need an infusion of pinks and limey greens, I'm thinking. I have a little holiday money to spend from the Belles so I will augment this stuff with an Amelia jelly roll designed by Me & My Sister for Moda. (Scroll down for the thumbnails) It is fun fabric for something else if it doesn't work for this. That stripe might work for binding if I have enough----that is leftover from some donation quilts in the past. HMMMMMM

In the meantime, I intend to get those donation quilts dealt with and hopefully by years end. A couple are more or less "zoom" lines so will not take too long. None of them are mine though I voluteered for one of them---6 total. The Belles are having a pinning day on Tuesday and I may get some binding volunteers. Ordinarily we would not be meeting till the 2nd Tuesday in January but some of the girls were free and requested it. I'll be there as I have the door key, LOL.

This next part is a little gross but Skyler caught a mouse somewhere, sometime last night in the living room. I found it laying on the rug near the coffee table when I got up to feed Skyler. DJ said he heard something out there thumping around just before he was due to get up. Just Skyler playing. Or worse, he thought Skyler had managed to finally pull over the Christmas tree but didn't go inspect matters. So here is this limp mouse stretched out on the floor and he barely noticed as he headed out to the kitchen to eat. I am not going to deal with it! Skyler is looking at it and about to start pawing at it. DJ says he was sorry he missed seeing the attack. What?? I swear he was almost crowing "That's MY boy! Bagged him a mouse" or something. Me, I'm just glad he didn't drag it off to my bed!

I had a couple of errands to run but it is pouring down rain. Tomorrow it is supposed clear off so I am guessing it might ever I thought was so important may have to wait. Or not if it slows down a bit.

And there you have it

expansion complete

2011-12-19T17:29:00.002-06:00

Expansion blocks, bottom row and side right, all finished up. Top measures 84 x 96 so should fit my bed fairly well.

I took the picture on DJ's bed so you could see the entire quilt from a slightly different angle than the Dec 2010 "finish". Had to laugh when I went to put the quilt on the bed though. Skyler was hiding UNDER the quilt. I didn't know that till I was removing the pillows from the bed and he started meowing at me. I waited till he moved to take the pictures but of course, he had to test out the top.

I plan on prepping the backing after supper. The binding is already cut so I can sew it as well. Hurray for another "finish!

ED NOTE: 12-20 well, that backing prep didn't quite happen. Something about laundering, prepping and ironing 9 yards of fabric just takes all the ambition right out of you. Guess what is tops on today's goal list, LOL?

back to sewing

2011-12-18T14:59:00.003-06:00

Skyler has made himself quite comfortable on the newest quilt. I cannot get him off of it long enough to make the bed, as you can see. I wanted to be sure it was completely dry before I put it up in the armoire or hung it on the quilt rack so slept under it last night. I want the darker Scrappy Bargello on the bed though for the winter months. Surely he will get up at some point, LOL. I would say it certainly passed the kitty "tested and approved" criteria!

I am giving my fingers a break from tons of binding and finger cracks to sew. Oh, I could quilt up my Thanksgiving turkey button up but not when I am in a Christmas frame of mind! The expansion project of the Christmas Patience Corner, it is then. I thought I was done with this LAST year about this time. You can see it HERE in this post. I know that picture makes it look like it has a dark green border but that is the aforementioned bargello quilt underneath the top. I like the looks of it but I have elected to go borderless. Here are some of the leftover charm squares and two packets I got recently from Connecting Threads to add a little variety to the mix. The stripe you see cut on the bias will be the binding so some of those bright greens and such will work with this perfectly!

I've got three of the 14 blocks I need completed as I am making the top 7 x 8 blocks set for a finish around 84 x 96. I have to be mindful not only of the colors on the right side and bottom of the quilt (when I get there, LOL) but how the seams are pressed as well.

Really Patience Corner is an easy block and a fun way to use focus fabrics or charm packs but you DO need to be watchful about where you put the sashing bits, esp if you have a directional print. I totally messed up the 4th quadrant of the 3rd block in the column, where you see the white trees on the green background. We made a bunch of these at Bama Belles one year. The mantra was a" laying down figure of 8" should be the result. If not, get out the ripper.

And sew it goes-----this won't be a long term project. I am considering what I will work on to follow it up this week. I have sort of promised myself that I would get those 6 donation quilts in the closet quilted up and outta here. I do not want to start the New Year behind already!

It can be so nuts this time of year so I hope you have found some time to savor the moment. If you aren't enjoying all you "hafta" do, then you have to wonder if it is worth the time and effort.

Done, done, done

2011-12-17T16:07:00.003-06:00

Actually the quilt is in the washer right now to get the blue marks out of the border but it does not look a whole lot different that this picture. If you are seeing pins, then that is why, LOL.

This is a BOM started in Pell City in 05, blocks added to and completed in June 2006. The source: Eleanor Burns Pioneer Sampler but I added 18 other blocks in the public domain, etc. I machine quilted a good bit of it several years back and stalled out with 5 to go.

Then I made the commitment to get this done this year back in November----and I did with about two weeks to go. My husband may not be excited for me or proud of my efforts but I am!

I'll get some other shots so you can see the border cables at least. Now to move it from the UFO tab to the 2011 finish tab.

Binding----and quilt pics

2011-12-16T09:52:00.000-06:00

Since my last post, I quilted up the FAB bday present and yesterday, completed the binding. Of course, I cannot show you it yet. SHHHHHH TSP. My Thanksgiving button up, while pinned and ready, will wait till the next quilting binge. You have to strike when the mood to bind hits, as it is rare, LOL.

Today, I am all set up to work on binding my large bed sized "Pioneer Sampler Plus". The forward table is ahead of the sewing table but pointed a different direction in the room so I can spread out the weight of the quilt. Of course, this is just all too tempting to Skyler. At the time he was looking for an opening either UNDER the quilt or the softest spot on TOP of it. Or he may have spotted a loose string to go chew on. I'm guessing the hiding spot though. I have yet to put the first stitch in it but I'm ready.

I also promised you quilt pictures from the Belles Party the other day. I went off without my camera so Quilt Holder had to do the honors so I'm afraid you will spot the Christmas tree, the coffee table and probably Skyler in addition to the normal hands and feet. Here goes!

Aline's " Cow Jumped over the Moon" panel


Lois Pineapple Blossom---Belles Scrappy Challenge

My Habitat Leftovers BQ2--THX Jane for binding it

Shawnee tied this and Nancy bound it---double knit top (big and heavy!)

Lois' Stack and Whack Fan. Made from the cutest turtle fabric. She quilted in some shellfish at the bottom.

Lois Butterfly quilt---she embroidered the most gorgeous butterflies over mylar so it glitters.


Lois' Fire Escape. Terry Atkinson pattern.

And there they are----waiting on a few numbers to assign to them for bookkeeping purposes. With the stack Lois has at her house I should have close to 30 to deliver to an organization here in Calhoun County.

Onwards and upwards working on a long awaited finish-------

WIP Weds

2011-12-14T11:18:00.002-06:00

So far the only thing I have managed to get done on the creative side was prep the labels for the button ups and cut/press the sewn piece of tab strap. I pinned both tops last evening. I am setting up to start quilting in a few minutes or more likely, after lunch.

We had a fun time at the Christmas lunch out yesterday. So much easier then having to make a dish to pass. Some of the girls had done that the night before for Lick Skillet Guild so I am glad we didn't go that route. We had "Show and Tell" afterwards--along with some date nut bread that Beverly shared.

Silly me, went off without the camera again. Marilyn had hers but turns out the battery needed charging so that was out. Bev took some of her camera phone but I don't have those yet. I had DJ hold up the turned in quilts anyway once I got home so I'll share those tomorrow. I promise!

Well, you know were to find me--quilting!

Design Wall Monday

2011-12-12T11:42:00.000-06:00

"Give Thanks" Button Up

The actual design wall is just holding the same old blocks that have been there awhile plus the completed Christmas Star 2003 and some sewn tabs and binding for the button up above and the giftie one. BORING! But since I should include a picture with my post, you get to see the turkey closer up. I am just about done with the piece having just the word "Thanks" to button hole applique. I am trying to match the design elements on this one so I don't know that you will see my efforts very well. Next up, the giftie applique and then off to prep backings and batting.

Tomorrow is the Bama Belles Christmas party. Since this is such a busy time of year, it will be a fuss free event. No gift exchange, no dish to pass. So many of the girls belong to more than one group and it seems they each have their own holiday routines. It can get overwhelming! We are off to Olive Garden for lunch and then do a reveal of our scrappy challenge projects back at out meeting place.

To that end, I was digging around in my primary closet for my donation quilt tops that fit this category. I have 7 completed, one more partially done. I can see that I am going to have to impose a two quilt limit on myself when it comes to pinning them up. Currently there is no place to put them since I still have 6 pinned donation tops up in the closet. These are not my quilt but I volunteered to do one of them. The others were left when one of the girls moved out of state.

Before I proceed with my next point I should probably explain the house was built without a coat closet. Instead my bedroom has TWO closets, the smaller of which is for out of season clothing and coats. The completed donation quilts that are waiting for delivery to a worthy cause here in Calhoun County are folded up on the shelf in there as are the quilts awaiting pinning. Normally those would be piled up atop the armoire but that spot was taken for my own personal pinned projects until I got caught up. And then Christmas came. VBG

Just for grins and giggles I counted up just how many tops I have in the primary bedroom closet. Let's just say that it is a good thing that my clothing has been going to a "less is more approach" over the years, LOL.

6 personal quilt tops. Most are from the 2006-2010 years meaning I should address them at some point.
8 scrappy challenge tops. Out to the car trunk for tomorrow though
5 other donation tops----one is from 2009 but still not marked or pinned. The other 4 were made this year. Two more are hanging in the closet at the church waiting to be pinned in the new year.

I HAVE been a busy girl this year! People who follow me on facebook are always asking me how I get so much done. I do keep busy in my little room. I do something creative more days than not. I don't work outside the home. My husband pitches in with vacuuming and laundry, dish washer unloading. Neither of us lives to clean. That all has something to do with output. Blogging keeps you accountable--you need some blog fodder, after all. It helps that I set small goals for the day or week too. When I need to take a break, I do.

Still, a look at the tabbed pages on my blog and I guess you see I do have quite a few finishes and flimsies for 2011. Hurray for me! Other than making donation tops, I did not let it take over my life this year. Some of my own things are done and others, moved forward.. Sure, more exist, obviously but they are not completely shunted to the side. After 11 years, I think it is only fair. I don't normally think in terms of numbers till it gets to year's end and look back. I keep plugging and doing what I love.

Well, it looks like I have been pecking these keys right up to lunch time. DJ has an doctor's appointment in the early afternoon so I need to be sure he is done eating in time for that drive into town.

I hope you have a good day and find some time to do what YOU love too----------

sewing and more sewing

2011-12-09T20:25:00.001-06:00

I've been sewing like crazy the last two days---and loving it.

One I cannot show you but this one I can. BU #20 Give Thanks. I got it to the point where I need to do the button hole applique. I prepped the binding and tabs before I called it quits.

Tomorrow is the Friendship Quilters Christmas luncheon. Show and tell, installation of officers (I'm the incoming secretary) and other program year wrap up things. I'm guessing that I will just take the day off or do some hand work tomorrow.

I snapped this picture of Skyler this afternoon. AWWWWW isn't he the cutest little thing? I almost didn't see him hidden under DJ's throw. He loves to burrow under anything cloth or fabric. Sometimes if you cannot find him he is hiding under the quilt on DJ's bed.

Nothing much else going on here today seeing as I was kind of "chained" to the machine. Hope you have had a good day---------

WIP Weds

2011-12-07T10:02:00.000-06:00

I could have subtitled this post as "cuttin' and kittin'" but that just sounds like some annoyingly pretentious movie title, LOL. Still, the action is true that last two days.

I have prepared the "Give Thanks" Button Up #20 for myself but the kit below is birthday giftie for my FAB pal Norma's pushed back bday party. She knows I am making her a button up so that part is okay. She does not know which one since I gave her a choice. I made a decision about the binding and cut it out this morning.

And while I have the ruler and rotary cutter at the ready, I am also going to cut this Michael Miller Christmas yardage into bias binding for "soon to be expanded" Christmas Patience Corner. I cut a few nickels out of the leftovers to include in the extra blocks too. I have "Tiny Snowflakes in Green Tea backing" and a couple of 5 inch charms from the Winter Fun collection coming from Connecting Threads. LOL, I am pre-spending my Christmas check from DJ in effect.

Get this ---he thought that the marked down 2.36/yd was too expensive! The man is clueless. My mistake was opening the door to this conversation because I told him I needed 10 yards of fabric for the quilt back and was thrilled with my "find". I enlightened him with the fact that that good, quilt shop quality fabrics were selling for 10-12 bucks a yard these days for comparison, like it could have been a lot worse. Fortunately I found something I liked for far less. His response was to ask how they can sell those quilts in the catalogs for 25 bucks if that were the case? I saw "red" on that ill advised remark. I do not make things that look like some factory worker getting paid peanuts churned out. It still upsets me that he thinks so little of what I personally do. It does such a disservice to other true quilters out there that are producing some amazing things, works of art really. I repeat, clueless!

Well, before I get upset with him all over again (might be too late, LOL) I better move onto another subject. He got the tree put up yesterday and the lights on it. I was too busy cutting to do the rest of the deal. Of course, Skyler was not making things any easier. He was trying to eat those plastic-y needles off the couch and carpet. Between scolding him and trying to remember just where the branches went, it took some time. I eventually had to remove the ornery little kitty boy from the action. So far he is leaving the tree itself alone contenting himself to dragging Ms. Mousie all around the living room. He won't drag it when I am watching him but DJ has caught his antics.

Today's goals and not necessarily in this order----

decorate the tree so that box doesn't become part of the landscape in the living room
finish sewing that Christmas Star---yep, still not done and up on the design wall followed by a much needed sewing room vacuuming. I see a path to the bathroom and bedroom like a trail of bread crumbs so that's a sign
start sewing on the Top Secret Project (TSP)
and, get dressed at some point!!!

And sew it goes at my house. Hope you are having a wonderful day.

Holiday preparation

2011-12-05T11:11:00.001-06:00

Just taking a little breather here-------

I know DJ will say that is it too early to put up the tree but I had set aside today to finish up MY part of the decorating. He is wearing a Holter monitor today---he feels fine but the cardiologist wanted a followup for comparison purposes along with an echocardiogram. I can drag the tree down to spare him a trip up and down the ladder as well as haul the decorations in. I've already drug in most of it already so what's a couple more?

There is a little method to my madness. By the time he gets in the mood to put the tree up (mid month) he has a hard time convincing me to actually decorate it as I am no longer "in the mood". I've done my part, now you do yours! So if the tree is up when I am ready to decorate, he might get some help. LOL

Normally Ms. Mousie and a stuffed bear (that has antlers, LOL) go UNDER the tree since there aren't presents under it. Of course, Skyler wasted no time in going after her! I had left this sitting by the fireplace. He drug it clear across the room by her braided tail. Since I have been writing this, he drug it back to the middle of the living room. The heck with puff balls and catnip mice! It will become a nightly thing to see where it will end up the next morning. Somehow I think Joy would get a kick out of that since she made it for me.

This is as far as I got with the Christmas Star block. Foundation piecing is done but the sections need joined. I just found out that they are having a decorated kitchen towel exchange/game but not the particulars. Not sure that will fit in with the week's plans but will see. I have an idea---or two.

So looks like I have sit down work to get back to after the decorations are up.

Sunday check in

2011-12-04T13:14:00.001-06:00

No surprise but I have set aside the hand finishing details on the Pioneer Sampler Plus in the last few posts. I'll get back to it but there are a couple other things that need attention first.

The block at left is one of them. It is the challenge block for the Friendship Quilters Guild and due on this coming Saturday. While I did not participate in the block of the month, others did. The organizers suggested the Christmas 2003 block from Quilter's Cache for anyone that wanted to make one. I don't believe that there is going to be any voting on them for a favorite or anything like that. I figure I can always use a 12 inch finished block for my Adapted Oxmoor House Christmas quilt so I'll bite, LOL.

One thing though the downloaded gif did not print anywhere near the scale listed on the block. I drew it up in EQ and made a little adjustment in the drawing so the rings would be even on the edges. My first attempt was not, LOL. When I inspected the printout outs I could see why and fixed it. My block, my drawing ....... it will look the way I want.

When I started pulling fabrics last night I started with other fabrics but eventually it ended up being some leftover "antiqued" Moda Robyn Pandolph fabrics that I had used to make a Lazy Girl Towne Purse with years ago. I did the rough cutting for the foundation piecing last night. I had the tree section pieced before I started this post.

Yesterday my friend Teresa and I made the run up to Wilson's Fabrics in Boaz (AL). I was on the hunt for the white on cream that I had used for the Christmas Patience Corner I spoke about in my last post.. I want to make the top biggers and had run out of the available fabric and cut a substitute as well but was STILL short. Armed with my swatches we took off. I found something very similar---it will be okay and elected to go with it and the original piece of fabric. I can use the strips I already cut from the alternative for something else down the line. I got the remaining yardage on the bolt---a hair over 5 yards and can use it for background on the next 30's quilt or whatever. I also found a nice Michael Miller stripe that I will use for bias cut binding.

Teresa meanwhile found a little somethin' to make a gift from the heart for her hard to shop for hubby. I helped her with a little of the design work in EQ when we got back. She was going to have to tell Joe not to ask so many questions and lock the door to her sewing area or his surprise would be ruined. I told her she could come over and sew here if she had to. Surely he will behave!

So back to sewing on the Christmas block. Next up Norma's birthday present.

getting closer

2011-12-02T07:47:00.001-06:00

I am getting there! Yesterday was borders day. Today's goals are hanging sleeve, label and binding application---and that is doable. This whole deal with need washed to remove the blue marks but not till the hand part of the binding is done. I COULD sleep under this one tonight if I want.

I swapped out the fall wall hangings yesterday and put my Christmas log cabin quilt on the back of the couch. That led me to take a peek at one of my other Christmas tops----Patience Corner last seen HERE, last December about this time. I don't know what I was thinking but this thing is too small as is at 72 x 84. I am guessing I was considering a fairly deep double border but didn't have the yardage I needed for that. Since I like the looks of it as shown on the bed, I need to make 14 more blocks to bump the size up to 84 x 96. Norma has offered to quilt it for me AFTER the holidays are passed and then we both will have one to grace our respective beds NEXT Christmas. (THX, my friend) I did have some background yardage on hand yet, but it might be close. It will either make a substitute or go with a square quilt if I am short. I am thinking I will cut those bits out when I deal with the sleeve thing in a few minutes. It is possible that I overcut, (I often do) and I have some of the sashing stuck in my strip bins containers or scrap basket. Worth a look anyway.

And sew it goes----today's goals in place. Thoughts of what is to come and a mental list check list is in place.

WIP Weds

2011-11-30T10:30:00.000-06:00

Actually I am not all that sure if this will BE a WIP project today. I am proud to announce that I did get the last 5 blocks that remained to be done quilted yesterday. It was no easy task either since I do not free motion (rarely) and I stitch in the ditch on a domestic machine, my old trusty Viking 500. Definitely a two ibuprofen night after wrestling this thing around. All that might get done is to quilt a line under the little flap of red.

Still, I am happy that I got this moved forward. The borders still need to be done, of course. I would dearly love to hand quilt it but I DO want this thing finished and off the UFO "list". I have used one of the Quilter's Dream poly in low loft in this thing and I honestly do not recall if it recommended for hand quilting. That is a definite consideration before I put the time into it.

If I am going to do this on the machine then I need a cable with a fairly gentle curve. The braid will work better than the egg and dart. The dark fabric will make it harder to mark and then to see the marks. I am debating about marking it on tissue paper or seeing if they have this made up in Borders Made Easy. I have used it in the past on smaller projects. I know you don't want the adhesive on the quilt for long. It is messy to get the paper off no matter which paper stuff you use too. Then too, you have to be very careful about the safety pins underneath. Ask me how I know? Will the standard blue wash out markers "Mark Be Gone" work? Looks like but I will need a couple more as the one I have is a bit dry and the tip blunter than it should be. I see a Hobby Lobby run on the horizon after lunch. I need a couple yards of white on white for another project too.

Yeah, yeah, yeah---I know you are supposed to mark these before you pin then. The batting is pretty flat so I will probably be okay.

And sew it goes at my house-------marking, not quilting for today.

Another one done!

2011-11-29T09:56:00.001-06:00

GORDIAN KNOT 1
Designed by Mary Whitehead but piecing instructions written up and class given by Nancy Allain
Completed the top on March 1, 2011 and officially finished November 28, 2011.

It just fits the rod above my bed! So far Skyler has not noticed the change out of the quilts and tried to climb in behind it, LOL.

Today I quilt on that big monster so wish me luck.

checking in Monday

2011-11-28T11:50:00.000-06:00

I have another finish to report. Woohoo! Merry Christmas BU #21 is ready to hang when I am ready to decorate---another week away anyway.

I've been binding like crazy this past weekend. I thought that I would get at those 5 blocks in the long lagging bed sized Pioneer Plus Sampler today but I am backing off that. I only have one more quilt to bind (Gordian Knot 1) and I want that decked cleared rather than having it hanging over my head. It needs to be done by the Friendship Quilter's Christmas luncheon on Dec. 9th. I would have plenty of time except for the other things I would like to have done first, LOL. What's another day at this juncture?

DJ has been scouring the ads for months now in an effort to replace our microwave. Our old one had a light that no longer worked and the 1 button had given up the ghost. You can live with some of that but not if you need a power level 1 or want to stand there and baby sit the thing to avoid overheating whatever it was you stuck in there.

My criteria was a 15 inch diameter turntable and a digital dial. I didn't really want stainless steel either. I had other errands of my own to run. Also I had to be home by a certain time since someone was dropping by. He could either wait for me or go check it out himself. He got home 5 minutes after me. This was marked down 50 bucks and he got an additional amount knocked off with a rewards card sign up. Of course, I will need to read up before I can operate it! Apparently you can code in frozen convenience foods in some manner and it automatically sets or some such thing? Not that it applies much to us.

It is a gloomy, damp day---still raining too. We have about 3.5 inches in our gauge since yesterday. I was awake a good bit of the night and it sounded like it was pouring and windy. Today I see that a good many of the trees have lost their leaves but not necessarily the underbrush. Dismal, dismal day with some remote snow possibilities in our area tonight. The temps will have to drop from the mid to mid 40s for that to happen though.

So here we have Skyler snug as bug in his little kitty cube. He will pay attention to this for a few days and then I'll have to put it up once the novelty wears off. He will run past it, not through it when we play. I don't suppose that we people are much different in that regard. Things become part of the landscape if they sit long enough.

About time to feed the boys so off I go. I'll hopefully have another finish to share in the next day or so. The Closer is back tonight so I know I won't be working past 8 CST, LOL.

a finish

2011-11-25T09:50:00.001-06:00

Woohoo! A finish this morning. Pattern source: Nancy Halvorsen "In Seasons". This officially completes the series of 4 quilt-lets.

I was determined to get this done so it could hang at least a few days until I get the urge to do the Christmas decorating. Normally I wait till we are about a week into December and then take then down after New Year's Day.

My plan for the day is to quilt the Merry Christmas "Charley Brown looking tree" Button Up next. It's all marked and ready to roll. Hanging loops, binding, label are all ready too. Hopefully THAT hand finishing will be done when I decide to hang the Christmas pieces. But for now I will re-hang and enjoy the "I Love My Cat" that Pat made for my bday----too cute!

And speaking of cats, I have one patiently sitting on the desk next to the keyboard and waiting for me to walk out with him to the kitchen for a taste of Fancy Feast. Real turkey, he wouldn't touch but give him some foul smelling salmon stuff and he's in! LOL.

Have a great day in whatever you chose to do. You know where to find me--------

Plans for 2012

2011-11-24T10:44:00.001-06:00

First off, Happy Thanksgiving to my USA readers! And Happy Birthday to my dear friend Norma! We FABS will celebrate it together down the line---once the holiday hubbub passes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was just updating my UFO tab this morning as I knew that I had not included 3 half started row quilts. I knew that my languishing Oxmoor House quilt has GOT to go on the top of the list. I have re-designed this thing twice, 3 times if you count the version I finished up for Betsy. I have been talking about it for years!

I came close in late 2010 when I printed off the small log cabin blocks to foundation piece. I've even got a small basket with fabrics pulled for it!

While I want to continue to work on the Button Up pieces in the coming year, I also want this quilt moved forward. Put up or shut up, right?

I've got plenty of other tops to finish, to quilt, to start even for this that and the other thing---and those will or won't get done right away. I've got all year. You know me, I am all over the place sometimes but when I have a deadline or a clear goal I usually get it done. Now it is in writing and I am holding myself accountable. It may not be quilted but it will be pieced by this time next year if I have to trip over the Christmas fabric bin for months..

Oops, just thought of another row thing to add to the tab but it is QOV from donated strips so no wonder it did not spring to mind. Off I go to edit.

WIP Weds

2011-11-23T13:14:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was essentially prepping and pinning day though I did take apart a small wall hanging to re-stitch it and prep it as well.

That gives me three small pieces to quilt---Autumn and Merry Christmas included in that count.

Also in this stack is my Gordian Knot that needs the binding finished. Quilt up those small ones and the binding stack will get even bigger, LOL. The black "cosmetic" case is what I keep my hand work/quilting supplies in for quick and easy retrieval.

Then there is the blue backed piece on the bottom, the quilt that keeps me from ever being caught up. Yeah, I know it is only an illusion even if it were finished as I still have umpteen flimsies to deal with. It is my Pioneer Sampler and this post is probably the last time it was seen on this blog opened full out. Oh there might be one with Pippi sitting on it while I was trying to quilt it but hard to be sure. The posts before that show the blocks close up. The quilt was started back in 2005 (probably) when I did a Block of the Month of the blocks in an old Eleanor Burns book at the long gone quilt shop in Pell City. The book only had 12 blocks and I made 30. More than 30 actually, as some were rejects. I am quilting this one in the ditch on the DSM which wasn't too much trouble till I got to the quilt's dead center. I am bound and determined I will NOT start off with that one still on my list. Not if I can help it. I do have Cher's challenge and Norma's FAB present to do and that will take some time but I think it is possible.

I believe I need to make a UFO tab on the blog that will serve as a prompt this next year to get some of these long standing things dealt with. Call it a visual reminder.

Let me wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. It will be a quiet one for DJ and I. We aren't going anywhere and we are not sharing a meal with anyone. Low key. Preparations today were minor. I still had some homemade cranberry relish in the freezer from the last time I made it. I made a butternut squash pie that I pulled from the oven at lunch time. I had just a hair less than the 2 cups of pulp that I needed in the freezer so augmented it with a tad of pumpkin. I'll put the turkey breast in the crockpot first thing in the morning and the side dishes won't be anything major. Just another day with more food than usual, LOL.

Now I am off to set up to quilt---see how far I get on something on top of the armoire.

Not a design wall but about a quilt

2011-11-21T13:52:00.000-06:00

Normally this would be a Design Wall Monday post. My Autumn In Seasons wall hanging is up there---and you just saw it although perhaps without its border. I also showed you my very recent finish on the Joined at the Hip Merry Christmas tree.

I did NOTHING on my creative to do list from yesterday. Instead I traded one machine for another---computer for the sewing machine or hand work. I took a note out my pal Norma's book and added tabbed pages to my blog for 2011 finishes, 2011 flimsies and 2008-2010 quilt files. The captions and quilt descriptions were a bit time consuming and I just gave up on the old files, LOL. I figure you don't really want to see all the pro bono quilts from 1999-2007 if indeed, I could even find the files since the computer crashed along about 08.

So what am I going to blog about today? Well, I would like to follow up on a post from back in September found HERE. I had been to a sew-in date with the Friendship Quilters group in Pell City. Betsy, Jane, Aline and I went from Calhoun County. I was sewing so I picked a spot at a table with a lady named Mary. I will include a portion of the note I had posted as background and it will explain what you are looking at here.

"Recently I had sent a good sized box of abandoned blocks to a guild member in response to a need for quilts in the Shoal Creek area of Alabama where there was significant tornado damage this spring. The lady I sent them to was my table mate today---in fact, Mary was quilting on her half of the table one.that will go to a young person."

"Mary pointed out a member of her small quilt group who had put a good many of those abandoned blocks into a top at the sew-in. She was preparing to put on the outer border when I arrived. The woman wondered if I had any information about who made the blocks. She knew she or her sister had made some of them. ( See the amended note below) I could point out the ones my mom or I had made fairly easily. ...............I went off without my camera--dang it! I'll ask Mary to have the other gal take a picture of it if she can. It made a pretty quilt for someone and will find a good use NOT hiding in my closet waiting for a "some day" to come along. "

I know now that the woman who was putting the quilt together is named Jill. She joined the Friendship Quilters after the sew-in---or at least that is my understanding. I asked her at the last meeting if she had any pictures of the quilt . Jill obliged by emailing them to me. and The two previous shots showed some of the closeups. At left is the long range view.

I can identify that some of these are some from my mom and others are from me. I thought a few might be Aline's but they were hand pieced and she would have used the machine-------

Top row last block--me or mom. Here and There is an usual pattern and we both have made quilts using that block.
2nd row, 1st block was my mom's and the 4th one, mine.
3rd row, 1st block mom and the 5th one a duplicate from Betsy B--the last one might be mom's as well.
4th row, 4th one is mom's and the 5th one is mine (old Pell City BOM) and the 6th one is mom's.
5th row, 1st one is mine (I think, LOL) while the 3rd is one of mom's, 5th one mom's (or mine)
6th row, 5th block is mom's and the 6th is mine.
Last row, 3rd and 6th are mine--and the other butterfly is mom's.

AMENDED NOTE: Jill has told me that some of the random blocks in the quilt were made by quilters from t he Northwest Quilters Guild of Portland, Oregon and her sister Becky Ray.

BUT regardless of who made what didn't it make a wonderful quilt for someone? Again, I am glad that they found a use for them as they were not going anywhere tucked away in my closet.

Jill announced at our last meeting that there had been an article in the St. Clair County (AL) paper about this. Their small group had given 70 quilts to the County Baptist Association for the relief efforts. The quilts went to people in the Shoal Creek area that was hit so hard (with fatalities) and in the Ragland area as well. Jill, if you are reading this please tell me if I have not gotten the story straight in some manner. You guys might take my upcoming office as secretary away if I can't keep my facts in order!! This last picture is one that Beth took and included in the Friendship Quilter album when Jill (L), Mary (R) and I were consulting. I "borrowed" it complete my story.

It has gotten too warm again and overnight lows just in the 50's. We may well be in for storms again tomorrow, like last week. This is the secondary tornado season in Dixie Alley so anything is possible.

Thanks for stopping by and letting me tell you as Paul Harvey would say "the rest of the story."

this might work

2011-11-20T13:06:00.001-06:00

This findings might work to embellish my "Charley Brown" Christmas tree. The snowflakes are too light for this background but I have another idea in mind for them. The candy canes and gingerbread men are "maybe's" . This is not the only Christmas quilt I have in the works--they won't go to waste, LOL.

I am really leaning more towards the sparkly "Holly Jolly" findings as it makes would pick up on the red border.

So what do I do today in the creative department? There is no shortage of ideas, really. I can take my pick really-----

embroider on my basket block
hand quilt Bird Brain "Here Comes Santa"
prep this wall hanging and Autumn for machine quilting
make some more bow tie blocks for the Belles Scrappy Challenge
Finish up the Pineapple Blossom top
Hand finish the binding on Gordian Knot

Come to think of it, I could pick something different for just about every day of the next week----and might!

Thanks for stopping by!

finished to flimsy----already!

2011-11-19T17:04:00.001-06:00

It still needs embellishments of some sort on it and a tad of buttonhole applique around the star but the flimsy is complete.

The pattern calls for 18- 1 1/4 inch key tags from an office supply store for pseudo ornaments. I think you color them in with markers or something. That would be light weight but I think I'll go with buttons, small yo-yo's or small ornaments instead.

I also need to make the hanging loops and seam some binding but that will wait till after supper. Norma is moving right along with hers as well. I had a head start this morning as she needed to cut hers out! Can't wait to see how hers turned since she was using batiks.

Hurray for another finish!

moving on to a reward project

2011-11-19T10:50:00.001-06:00

I love reward projects! I think everyone needs a fun project that was not necessarily on their radar to keep one's interests up. Yes, I have a challenge project to do and another one to finish up. Yes, I have a FAB bday present to make for my pal Norma but it looks like her celebration/sew date is going to be pushed back a couple months. BUT I have gotten a few other items at least to flimsy, quilted several and such. I make the "rules" so I'm going for it!

SOOO with Christmas coming, I want a button up hanging that will reflect the holiday. I have the December stocking pattern that I could make but I love this "Charley Brown" looking tree. This is "Merry Christmas" BU#21 from Joined at the Hip button up pattern collection. Not to say that I won't eventually make the stocking button up but this will be a quicker finish. Norma is joining me in making our wall hangings this weekend---that is always a fun time for us!

Instead of working on the Autumn buttonhole applique yesterday, I set to pulling fabrics and cutting the

wall hanging out. At right you see my "quilt kit" minus the stuff for the tree trunk sections, that is.

If you look at the pattern, you can see that the green tree sections are in a staggering length with background on either ends. The trunk sections remain a constant cut----that can be strip pieced! Oh, I'll follow directions when they make sense to me but I'll streamline the process if I think it will help.

At left, tree trunks waiting to be sub-cut. One small problem though, LOL. I knew that the background piece that goes atop the tree was cut 4 1/2 x 20 1/2 inches. My strip pieced thing measured 22 1/2 inches. Yep, I cut it at 11 inches x 29 inches instead of 10 inches wide. Easily fixed but stumped me for a few minutes.

Now I'm ready to roll again! The only other thing in the stitching process that I am going to do is be mindful of the direction I sew the strips. Since there are 9 sections of tree and trunk, I am going to join them as pairs sewing from one direction with the smaller tree piece on top. When I join the "2-sies" to make "4-sies", I will sew from the opposite end. This eases in any fullness and keeps the strata from bowing in the middle. Not sure if it says that in the directions as I didn't read the pattern all the way through. Should have maybe done that, like a recipe.

I DID get the button hole applique done but last night after supper. My plan is to quilt it along with this piece at the same time. Then miles of binding will await since I also need to get the Gordian Knot finished up in time for the Friendship Quilter's holiday luncheon.

And sew it goes----(grrr not sure where anything is going to land on this page. I may need to change back to the previous set up.)

Autumn progess

2011-11-17T10:33:00.000-06:00

Woohoo! Some progress made on this little fun project. I had most of it done last night with the exception of the angel motif. That needed a little more digging in the fabric bins and mulling over. I just finished prepping it a few minutes ago.

There will be some button embellishments added: A star with the crescent moon, pumpkin buttons on the angels dress. If there is not a heart button available for the turkey, I'll check the button box or just cut and fuse one from some red felt. I also have some fall leaf buttons I found recently and used on Pat's FAB bday present that could be scattered on here if I chose. I could start the button hole applique on this today if I can come to some decision about the borders.

I scanned this from the back of the book so you can see where I am sort of headed with this. I love Nancy Halvorsen's choices here but as I said yesterday, I don't quite have the rusty red color of fabric on hand. A dark red that looks like cracked paint, I do have but I am not sure I like it for this. HMMMMMM do I even like that dark color out in that area?? I had already decided that I did not want to embroider the word "welcome on it" so I could use a print, rather than something tone on tone.

When I was digging in the plaid bin last night for what I thought I wanted for the angel's dress, I found this neat brown, tan, tealy plaid that I think would look great for binding. I have also had this tan primitive print on the shelf for some time. I think I like this combination and I like it enough to have it up in my living room with the tan furniture and green carpet. There is enough fabric to use it for backing as well. LOL, sounds like my plan just came together.

We are back to a sunshiny day with temperatures more in the seasonal range. They said the tornado that hit in the Auburn area yesterday was an EF 2 and the one in Demopolis and EF 0. Property damage but no injuries that I know of. We had about 3/4 of an inch of rain out of the rain bands, DJ said. I think that the wind and rain probably took a bunch of the leaves down yesterday. At least some in my immediate view are looking a lot more bare while the large trees that ring my across the lane neighbor's acreage and the near by subdivision are still hanging in there. When those lose their leaves, it will make you think that winter is about here.

I've got a couple of errands to run and then you know where I'll be and what I'll be doing, LOL--finishing another top to flimsy. Hope you have a good day in whatever you chose to do.

WIP Weds comes around again

2011-11-16T13:14:00.000-06:00

I have temporarily put the bow tie project aside again but this is were I left off on Monday evening. I asked "Quilt Holder" to do the honors but handed it to him with the short side up. I had pulled the cut squares I want for the remaining 35 blocks and cut the muslin background for this and the cornerstones for the Pineapple Blossom while I was I had the mat, ruler and rotary cutter out.

This is what I truly intend to work on today. I realize that it does not look like much but it is the background squares for the "Autumn" In Seasons wall hanging. I have a few pieces pulled for the motifs as well. I don't know have that a clue what I have that could be used for the borders. The book shows a dark brick red with a red plaid for binding---not something I have but I am not married to that plan anyway. This decision may need a quilt shop run once the motifs are applied. But for now, I will can proceed.

We had a little excitement this morning when there was a tornado spotted in the area. The sirens and the NOA radio were both sounding so DJ turned on the TV to hear just where the storm was located. Pell City, Lincoln were being called out----all towns I travel thru when I go to quilt guild. My friend Teresa lives near there, right around the Talledega/Calhoun County line. She called and said they were okay. Then we hear Alabama Rt 144 and 204 into Jacksonville. Still a little bit north of our home by about 6- 8 miles. HERE is a shot of a big, black, ugly and hanging really low to the ground taken just north of us. If that won't work, then try THIS link to their flickr album instead. We ARE in the secondary Dixie Alley tornado season. You could tell that it was much too warm and terribly muggy in recent days and this might happen. So far no real reports of damage being reported though a second storm was happening in southern Alabama about the same time. There ARE reports of damage in Auburn, I just read.

Off to sew a bit--------------

Design Wall Monday

2011-11-14T07:31:00.000-06:00

Well, I had a little production going yesterday afternoon anyway. For the most part, last week was a "lost" week since I did not feel well. While the sore throat is gone, the cough and nose blowing have persisted, just enough to keep me at low energy levels.

The speaker at Friendship Quilters on Saturday was a fellow that repairs and services mechanical sewing machines, sergers and industrial sewing machines. He spoke on what we piecers can do to keep our machines in running order. My Jem was not sewing well that last time I had it out. I took some of the things he said under advisement and cleaned this out the best I could and adjusted the tension knob. (It helps that you can take the bottom off and attack any linty stuff from that angle too). It seems to be behaving so much better that I may avoid a trip for this machine anyway. The fellow lives about 10-15 miles north of me in Calhoun County but had done a pick up and delivery to the quilt meeting recently (next county over) I've got his card, VBG.

So I had to test the seaming and the bow ties were started on this machine and the blocks should be finished on it. At right on the design wall are some of the blocks that I had previously done. I made 21 more yesterday afternoon/evening but those still need to be pressed. 20 more should be enough for a block to block set 6 x 9 with borders. Or I might go for 70 blocks making me half done, LOL. That is pretty telling, isn't it? I would way rather make more blocks than put on a border but then I have plenty of print cut squares to use up Some of these are in the Belles Scrappy Challenge category so I would to get the top done before next month's "reveal" at the Christmas party. I pulled out a pile of the muslin squares and handed to a couple of the girls last week so they could finish up a few more pineapple blossom blocks. I see cutting on my horizon if I want this top much bigger.

I still need to assemble the Pineapple Blossom top from the sew in. It won't take long to do but Jane had offered me some cut 9.5 inch strips she had for the sashing. I have some I picked up from the gals for that purpose but it would be best to wait till I get those from her. The idea is that is looks scrappy and not just from MY stash.

4 other things on the list in my mind---short term piecing goals, as it were

Cher's Sister's challenge piece
Norma's FAB bday present---I know what I want to do but it is not cut out
December Button Up
I still very much want to do work on that "Autumn" In Seasons. I intended to do that ALL weekend but got distracted with the bow ties and machine testing. I vote for taking that detour and back up the ties a day or two. Seeing as I am way past due for a "reward" project, I'm going for it! Right after I have breakfast and press that pile of blocks from yesterday..............

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? And sew it goes----------

Oops, one more thing I wanted to pass on----I had included a link to the facebook album of the 2011 Friendship Quilters show quilts in an earlier post. I have the link for the QOV room for you today HERE. The Friendship Quilters Guild is leading an effort to create more than 230 quilts to be presented to service members who will be living at the new Col. Robert L. Howard veterans Home being built in St. Clair County. Margaret Rose,our outgoing secretary and the QOV coordinator said we were at 70 completed quilts at this point involving quilt groups in a multi-county effort effort. I think what you see in the album were made by Friendship Quilter members and a pile of them that were delivered from the BHM guild that day. They were NOT going back to that group's members. (There was only room for 2 more quilts in the display room but a local friend told me none of the 10 she had made were there) Enjoy.

ED. Note Re: Friendship Quilters quilt show

2011-11-10T15:09:00.004-06:00

a few of the quilts shown recently at the Friendship Quilters show. They are in no particular order. I do not always know who made them or the pattern/pattern source either. In some cases I do.

There was a separate room for display of the QOV quilts that are going to the Veteran's Home next year. Apparently not ALL of the ones on hand at the present time though counting the ones that the guilds in BHM have been making there was 62 quilts. Frankly I think we could have only displayed about 4 more maximum anyway and not block the doorways in some manner. One of the girls from the Oxford Lick Skillet guild (who has also been coming to my group in recent months) has made 10 QOV quilts. She was disappointed that none were hanging. One can only hope that that means we AL quilters are going to be able to reach a goal of 230 quilts. ( that is the latest number I heard)

This one I think was Jackie W's---the pattern is a variation of "Just Can't Cut it" done in army colors. Actually I like the pattern better with that addition of the vertical strip.

You know me and 30's fabrics! This is one that belongs to the Carole, one of the past presidents made from that years focus swap fabrics, she said. The block is a little unusual though sort of a variation of a Bright Hopes blocks. Would be a good scrappy block for Belles actually.

This is a QOV made by Terry R. I do know the source of this one----one of the Oxmoor House quilting books and the pattern is "Stars In, Stars Out" I had looked at it and said to myself, gorgeous quilt but I don't think I would be able to give it up after all that work! Soon after, Terry had one made and displayed for show and tell.

Aren't these stocking adorable!? Beth S. made them---Nancy Halvorsen pattern who you know is one of my fav designers. I thought that the Santa one looked similar to one she had drawn up in the Be Attitudes blocks and asked Beth about them . I don't know which book they came from though. Right above that is my friend Aline's redwork and pieced patch quilt. I must not have gotten a picture of the whole thing to show you.

I love the colors in this one. I didn't know the maker and no pattern source was given though I suspect it was foundation pieced.

This one was made by Betty D. and took second place honors. They had a viewers choice and you were to list your first and 2nd choices.

Sorry for cutting half the quilt off on this one. Gary B made this one and I do know him! Machine pieced and partially machine quilted but lovely, lovely well done hand quilting in the background!

And here is one that his lovely wife and fellow Bama Belle Betsy made! Love the fun colors she used and the butterfly borders. Could these two quilts be any more different in styles!

Another one I don't know much about though it is similar to a shadow box type quilt in one of Judy Martin's newer books. I just liked it. Don't know the maker.

And lastly, my friend Jane's sampler quilt. I am not sure but I think that she started these blocks as a block of the month quilt that used Eleanor Burns "Stars Across America" as their source material. She may have added more blocks to make a larger quilt

ED NOTE: I have just found out that there is a public photo album of all the quilts from the "big room" so you should be able to access the album at this LINK. I assume that they will do the same for the QOV room as well. The person who posted them did add the piecemaker's name so I can ID that part now as well as the quilt name if not the pattern.

There is nothing creative is going on here. I have neither the energy or the inclination at the moment. The sore throat that cropped up Sunday afternoon blossomed in a full blown cold/croupy couch etc by Monday afternoon. I finished quilting up the donation BQ2 top I had half done Monday afternoon but that was pushing it. I was in bed by 6 p.m. and had a very restless night. Come Tuesday, not much improvement. Feeling miserable and not wanting to share this with the girls, I delivered the stuff I needed to deliver to Bama Belles and then came home. Back to the jammies and back to bed. I am feeling a little better, but at times my throat feels like I have been eating broken glass. With medication it improves a bit, so I can eat and push fluids. Hot sips of honey lemon water are soothing too. In other words, I think I'll make it even if I am still a little puny, LOL. I used to get 3 and 4 bouts of this a year so once a year is nothing.

DJ's eye doctor is pleased with how he is recovering from his eye surgeries.20/20 in both eyes now and together, 20/15. He still wears readers for closeup but it has made TV viewing much better. Still restricted on some of his activities for 3 more wks. I, of course, still have to nag him as he is really pushing his limitations. No bending means no bending! It is not a quantative thing like "I only bent a little" GRRRRRR. We are dropping down from 17 drops/day to 12 but we don't stop any of them until the 8th of December, tapering off the dosage.

Other than that, not too much else to report------hope all is well at YOUR place and thanks for dropping by

Design Wall Monday---wk. 46

2011-11-07T07:31:00.006-06:00

Poor neglected design wall! Even my name tag is removed from this area of the sewing room. What is worse? Two of the blocks that ARE on here are my mom's: the cat and that little spider web block. I keep thinking that I am going to see my way clear to start on my autumn "In Seasons" and will need a spot to well, design!

It is not like I have been doing nothing since I last posted. Quilt show set up, quilt show all day yesterday to white glove, help at the ticket table and the massive take down effort. Saturday I was home but had to do the grocery run a day earlier than usual. I even sewed the sleeve and label on Gordian Knot and then moved on to quilting my #1 of the 11n11 challenge last seen HERE clear back in early January! Watched a few movies on the computer while I stitched and had 15 of the 35 blocks quilted by the time I quit to watch the Alabama-LSU football game. All this between making a good old comfort food type meal for our supper and putting in DJ's eye drops. Talk about multi-tasking, LOL!

That BQ 2 is the only personally generated donation quilt that I allowed to be pinned this year so I could "catch" and work on personal projects a bit more. Trust me, there are others in the closet waiting for me, just not made by me. I am still not ready to deal with them.

When I had a sit down job yesterday I pulled out my embroidery basket blocks. I am just about done with it so will probably press on this morning till it is finished. Minor areas of down to one strand to go and some french knots, mainly. Then I hope to get back to the donation quilt so I can pass it on to Jane for the binding. Bama Belles meet tomorrow. I think I am just going to work on Gordian Knot's binding and help pin there.

I will have more picture to share from the quilt show but for now, I will share a few of my entries from the archives. Well, Summer is pretty hot off the press but most of these are oldies but goodies. The "Sleep Tight, Mr. Snowman" is also mine. You see part of Aline's poinsettia stained glass peeking up from below and maybe the edge of one of her other pieces below the snowman.

I had the girls a little confused at set up. Here was spring, summer, winter---where is fall, they wondered?? At that point they were not privy to the labels that had my comments about it not being done yet, LOL. Still Shelia was teasing about that on Friday.

My Billie Lauder Bargello----if you have read my blog for awhile, you may have spotted it above my bed in the spring/summer months.

USA was made years back with Bama Belles. At the time it was a free pattern from the Debbie Mumm web site.

I have to say too that I like the hanging system they used with the slotted grosgrain ribbon (two lengths of ribbon sewn at about an 1-1.5 inch interval and small rings to slip the dowel rod through. They had them in 1, 2 and 3 ft lengths and then that pinned to the drape. The guild borrowed the frames from one of the Birmingham area quilt guilds, this being Friendship Quilters 2nd quilt show ever. It is not easy to pin wall hangings onto a moving sheet or even to pin them on straight if you lay things out on a table----I've helped set up Gadsden's show enough times to know that. The pins bend, the thing is on there as crooked as dog's hind leg.

I had two other bed quilts in the show but they have both been on here before so I will just share the photo of my Wedding Basket quilt. Made by my mom and her small group in Lexington (IL) as a pass around quilt. I even made a few blocks in it after we moved down here! The day I called to tell my folks that DJ and I were finally getting married (after 21 years!) she took this top to the Gridley church group that did hand quilting. Pattern unknown but Mom calls it "Falls City" baskets since we saw one like it in an antiques store on a trip to NE to see my grandma. Mom drafted it out and I think has made another one since. (She'll tell me for sure)

So, till I am ready to post a few more pictures from the show, maybe this will hold you?? Eye drop time, DJ says. Yeah, that happens a lot around here lately, LOL. I am hopeful that they will get the right eye (the first one done) down to daily and taper the left down to twice a day after he sees the opthamologist on Weds. for followup.

And sew it goes---------

WIP Weds whatever week

2011-11-02T09:44:00.000-05:00

Between not feeling like sewing/quilting this weekend, my doctor's appointment and sitting at the hospital for DJ's 2nd eye surgery, I have gotten a good bit of the June Bee Tree Designs basket block done. Of course, it helps that there is not near as much stitching required as the previous one(s). I did pull the next marked block and the printout and slipped it in the tote "just in case" I finished. Not quite there yet!

DJ is doing well with his 2nd eye. I had to hurry up and put his drops in before he left for the doctor's office. I had planned on driving us in but he either didn't want me to go or didn't feel it was needed. The patch is off and he can see well enough. They will write down what they want him to do as far as eye drops in both eyes and that is all I needed to know anyway---any changes in meds and administration schedule.

So what is on tap now that I suddenly have a free morning? Well, I have to finish up my name tag thing for the Friendship Quilter's Guild. It is expected that each member have one of the same type for the quilt show this weekend. It won't matter for set up day but for white gloving and any job representing the guild at the show, tag required.

Nothing like procrastinating till almost the last minute. This thing has been up on the design wall for months and months---like, March maybe?

I had cut up all the blue print I had used in the block for use in the QOV quilt tops so I dug around till I found something similar in shading for the binding. It won't take long to finish; it was just NOT a priority before. I'll try quilting one or the other of the pinned tops once I am done. Maybe the pro bono one since Jane has already volunteered for binding detail.

Next week, I think I am way overdue for a rewards project and I am leaning towards the last of the Halvorsen autumn "In Seasons". For real this time! The other three are entered in the quilt show but the fall one is still waiting for me. Yep, time to make that happen once the quilt show hub-bub is over. Two other deadline projects are in the wings and they will need to follow. One is a "top secret project (TSP)" for sure as it is Norma's FAB Par-tay next. Cher also has a challenge going that I think we are supposed to keep hush-hush as well, reveal date is not announced yet. I am pretty sure that I know what I want to do in both cases but that is subject to change, LOL.

And sew it goes------

historic day

2011-10-29T11:20:00.002-05:00

Well, YOU probably are thinking I was talking about the Cards historic run to the 2011 World Series win. You would be wrong, LOL.

DJ and I picked up my car from the shop this morning and I said I was going to get the shop vac so I could vacuum up my car. DJ said "I wish I had a camera to mark this historic event". I got mine out but warned him not to get a shot my back side.

Yeah, cleaning out cars or doing anything other than gassing them up is HIS job so why worry about it? See how happy I look about my decision, LOL? Once I got done I went after the barbecue grill but I should have had a putty knife to do really good job on it. Not happening, or at least not today.

As for the other historic day---that was last night actually. VBG. I am thrilled along with a lot of others in Cardinal nation. What a year! Who'd a thunk it?

May quilt this afternoon--what little bit I did yesterday had to be taken out so hope that the thread change helps. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend-------

finished to flimsy

2011-10-28T11:02:00.002-05:00

#19 finished to flimsy and also #8 for the Belles Scrappy Challenge. I had 4 rows done and assembled by Weds. evening and finished the last three Thursday afternoon. I interrupted DJ's flipping between the Game 6 of the WS and whatever other show caught his attention to hold it up for the glamour shot. (More on that in a bit, LOL.)

The assembly was more less random. Yeah, you try not to get too "matchy-matchy" but sometimes you just have to swap a few blocks out. I think I only have one spot where the same fabrics actually touch and two spots where they are one strip away from ea. other. IIWII---finished to flimsy. Some spots the lights are not quite light enough for contrast but it looked fine through my door peephole telescoping it down.

A friend asked me on Facebook if those scraps were all in my stash---a good many of them are but there was a good influx of other strips from the Belles challenge bag. Some are really pretty pieces that I would not mind having in my stash for a planned quilt. It is fun for me to look and remember where some of my own came from. Like any scraps some show up everywhere to the point where you are "sick" of them. When we were working on the Pineapple Blossom at the sew-in the girls were commenting on how fun it was to play with someone else's scraps since it meant more variety.

I may get back to quilting a bit this afternoon---I had my Gordian Knot and a donation BQ2 in the stack that did not get done on the last quilting binge. I welcomed the diversion that working on the Faux Log Cabin for Pat's bday par-tay and the pineapple blossom blocks at the sew-in but those quilts were on my short term goal list.

LOL, I need some binding for the next eye surgery next week. I am just hoping that we don't have to get there so blamed early just to wait 2 hrs in the waiting room for a bed and then another hour or so till surgery time. Give ME the satisfaction survey to fill out, DJ. He is at the eye doctors now for his postop check/preop visit so we will see what they say about time and/or what time his surgery is actually scheduled for.

The word on my car: some quarter sized piece of plastic that serves as door between the heat and cooling (that thing you hear go "whooomp" when you turn the temperature dial down) broke off and is missing. Unfortunately, you cannot just purchase the small plastic piece. Ford in its infinite wisdom requires you buy a 400 dollar part. Same as my intermittent door lock problem---major bucks to replace the whole mechanism. No thanks, manually opening and closing it will be just fine.

Of course the mechanic does not have one in stock, you take your chances on buying one from a selvage yard, etc. The part is due in from Atlanta sometime this afternoon and the bill with labor is up to 800 something. YEOW! I wish I could get by without the a/c but that is impossible here in the South. Well, maybe not this time of year with the cooling temps but we would still have to pay the guy for the labor and then haul it back in and pay that part again. We could not replace my car (2002 Taurus with only 58 thou miles on it) for one in as good a condition so DJ said we would fix it even if pricey. Man, I hope nothing else goes wrong around here.

What an up and down game that Game 6 was! I could not bear to watch it though I was following the score on the computer while I watched something else. Stupid errors on both teams part. Pitchers struggling. What a roller coaster ride it was.

When it was 7-4 Rangers in the bottom of the 8th, DJ and I both more or less gave up on it and went to bed. Well, he did anyway; I stayed up and was working the crossword puzzle ON the bed. I did NOT want to see the Rangers celebrating in the opposing team's clubhouse but I did want to know the final score and turned on the set. They were interviewing Lance Berkman----and he was smiling! HMMM did they actually pull this one out? I switched over from FOX to MLB network and saw that David Freese, the Cards 3rd baseman had sent it into extra innings with 2 runs scoring triple (I think that's right) and then hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 11th to win the game. The final score was 10-9 so the see-saw scoring continued and both teams battled back. Berkman had a whale of a game with some very key hits esp. late in the game. I wrote a big note and taped this news on DJ's bathroom mirror so he could see it the first time he got up. Do you believe it??

DJ's grandson and his girlfriend had hoped to go the game 6 and had purchased tickets from someone on Craiglist. They got ripped off for $300. Ouch! Still, it was Josh's 19th bday so a Cardinal win was good even if he and Lauren were not in the stands. He asked on FB if anyone would loan him $600 for tickets to tonight's game. Not sure if he learned anything or was just joking.

So game 7 tonight---anything can happen. Can I bear to watch? Well, it is the last game of the season regardless. Maybe with the sound off and the KMOX announcers. Somehow it is easier on the nerves to watch the highlights later, like knowing the end of the mystery and then looking back to see the process. (I do that too, LOL). Either way I hope they can pull it off. If they don't, they still have had one heck of a ride to get to the Series when everyone counted them out. The team, coaches and management didn't share that opinion. Go Cards!

And sew it goes------

WIP Weds/ sew-in notes

2011-10-26T09:40:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was the Bama Belles extended meeting, sew-in day. Jane and I were there early and found the room set up for an upcoming (or just finished?) holiday event. My guess is that they had some of the kids from the cottage they sponsor up from the Talladega Presbyterian Home---- or will have. There was a line of skirted tables right up against the wall where all the plugs are. That will NOT do for sewing day! I don't think we got those tablecloths back on exactly like they had come leaving time but we did our best to leave no traces of our being there. I appreciate everyone pitching in to get it that way.

I had encouraged the girls to work on their own project if they wished but we asked them to make a couple blocks using the Pineapple Blossom pattern. This bunch met and exceeded expectations, LOL. Since we were mostly sewing at individual tables I spread them out so the girls would get an idea of what it might look like minus the sashing and cornerstones. We are using a 4 x 6 set and the table is not wide enough but we got the idea....... and so will you, LOL.

I had scaled down the tutorial to 3 pages of print instead of Bonnie's 13 and passed those out a couple weeks back so the girls could cut the strips to size if they wanted or pull fabrics. I cut a pile of 3.5 inch muslin squares from the group's bolt of muslin so that part would be the same throughout the project. The only other instruction was keep them scrappy or a different fabric in each area of the block. Lois and I brought our pretty packed strip boxes. Aline shared some of hers as well. Bev cut strips to size and had them all separated out into 3 baskets. Wanna guess which ones we tore into first?

Lois insisted that she wanted to go home with an empty 2 inch strip box and she darned near succeeded, LOL. Even though I have a whole box of my own strips to use, I took a handful to use for sashing the top. By the time we were all ready to pack it in, we had 48 blocks done or enough for two tops. I have a stack of blocks to assemble as does Lois. In addition she had made a top at home but will add another vertical row, she said. Some of the girls took muslin and strips home with them to make more--homework. We'll just collect them as they show up till we hit 24 for another. Or the one after that, LOL.

We got Bev set up to quilt her Alabama quilt we helped her pin recently but mostly the 8 of us did blocks but she was really getting in the hang of those blocks too. Brenda helped by cutting in addition to cranking out blocks. That really helped especially when we ran out of muslin squares. I had thought I had cut plenty before hand!

Of course no sew-in is complete without good food and fellowship. That we have in spades!

Mostly I finished up the 7 blocks I had partially done from the last time I made any Pineapple Blossom Blocks but I made a couple more too. Then I got back to my Faux Log Cabin blocks from Pat's FAB par-tay. Monday I had done the chain piecing on the 1st and 2nd column of the blocks. Yesterday I was the last one to put my machine up because I had just a few more of that stack of 35 to seam! I just tossed them in the project box so I wouldn't hold up the clean up detail. They still need to be pressed and then joined.

I have an uneven number so will probably go with the Straight Furrows set. That version is easier to quilt too for a stitch in the ditcher like me. Of course I still have bunch of strips cut to size so the question will be: do I stash those strips BACK into the appropriate strip containers? Or do I make a few Picket blocks (not that I would use THOSE piecing techniques!) or Star Struck Or how about Strip Joint ( ctrl+F GE134) or Buzz Saw blocks which are pretty similar.

Obviously we need to come up with some ideas of how to use our cut strips for the next sew-in day we have in the spring! Bright Hopes maybe??

My car had to go into the shop today---the heat stays on no matter where you set the dials, even on vent. Apparently an intermittent problem because something shut in there and the vent was shooting cool air just as we approached the shop but it did that the other day when DJ checked it too. Anyway, the guys just called and said it could one of two things, about 400 bucks in labor and maybe Friday before we can pick it up. Thankfully, next week is the crazy busy week for me and I will need my wheels! Plenty of time to sew, right? Well, right after I do a little job that DJ normally does for me, that is.

Hope you have a great day and thanks for stopping by------

reveal time

2011-10-22T11:43:00.000-05:00

Today is Pat's FAB Par-tay celebration day. Birthday girl got to open all the packages we have been sending her this month. We will sew in a bit---some of the girls are still cutting strips and such. Pat's choice: Minnesota Hot Dish from Atkinson Designs though I am doing Faux Log Cabin instead.

Here is what I made her though there were a few other goodies in the box. The initial pattern called "Autumn Blessings" is from Kaaren Johnston at Painted Quilt. It is one of her First Friday Freebies. It contains all the elements of quilting that I enjoy---applique, foundation piecing and stitchery. But I made some changes---first of all, not working in wool since I don't own any of it!

Ignore the string on the pumpkin block. I have another picture but this one was more closer in so you could see the blocks better. I elected to substitute some flying geese blocks for more shoo fly blocks and made maple leaf blocks rather than the pinwheels the pattern showed. I also did one of the applique blocks pumpkin cart as a stitchery block---the pumpkin cart.

Most of the applique is fused though I had the bias press bars out for the little scarecrow block. Anything round shaped like the sunflower centers, parts of the pumpkin applique, the sun in the scarecrow block and the lady bug are all turned shapes like you make yo-yo's (templar and starch). I turned the candy corn block over freezer paper. Almost all of the applique elements were button hole appliqued. No glutton for punishment, I left the sunflowers, pumpkin stems and the scarecrow's felt hat alone! I would not have had to do this but all that checkerboard stuff is foundation pieced-----it finishes at one inch and I do not work well with 1.5 cut inch stuff.

I had a wonderful time making this for my pal and I hope she will enjoy it for years to come. Give her blog a peek in a few days to see if she posted her other fun gifts. FABS are the best!
Our pal Norma is next up on the birthday list and all too soon I will have another Top Secret Project (TSP) in the works. HMMMM what will my choice be?

Football games and game 3 of the World Series will be taking up part of the day and lots and lots of strips chaining thru the machine. And sew it goes----------

WIP Weds

2011-10-19T13:58:00.001-05:00

Because of the order the pictures posted, I'll write about the finishes first.

I got a boatload of binding done yesterday waiting up at the hospital yesterday. Turns out Same Day Surgery had 45 surgeries scheduled yesterday and only 18 beds to put folks in plus a few stretchers. We had to sit out the waiting room for 2 hrs waiting to be put in a room. Trust me, we were not the only ones! DJ was one of 10 patients his doctor had for cataract surgery and he was about in the middle of the pack. It got to the point that when they called anyone back we all clapped and wished them good luck---and see you at the office tomorrow morning! By the time DJ and I stopped to get him something to eat we walked in the door near 5 p.m. (and we left here at 10 a.m.)

I tell you all this so you know just how much time I had on my hands to work on binding. I had half of "Pumpkins 4 Sale" done when we walked in the hospital. Then I started on "July" Button up (above left)---all but one long side by the time we left. I finished it up here are home last night.

You may note that Quilt Holder is sitting down on the job. He was so tired from not sleeping well the night before, and a little med hangover from the surgery. I told him to stay put and just hold this up a second. I have convinced him that we can take down his beloved snow scene painting from above the love seat temporarily (till Thanksgiving) to put this up with some command strips. There are already a couple of small wall hangings in that room and I am encroaching on his space a bit. I sort of see his point but it won't be forever or mark up the wall, like my asking him to put a molly up on the other wall did. It is possible that I need to get another rod for it so it may wait for tomorrow's "to do" list.

One of the fellow patient's said to me this morning at the doctor's office said "you didn't bring any stitching with you!". I told her I had finished all that up but had something in my bag to work on. I pulled out my greenwork basket block. Cyndi Hoeller the designer calls this one "Sewing Basket" This will be a snap compared to the last one!

Normally I would not go to the office with DJ---he's a big boy and doesn't need me to "Mommy" him. Today we both had some questions and I had not gotten to talk with the doctor yesterday. First off, I was not sure he was even allowed to drive and preferred to err to the side of caution. Also I knew if DJ asked if it was okay to ride his exercise bike he would neglect to tell the doctor that he had to lift and roll it out from the wall, etc. The key words being lift---no lifting, straining or bending! I had already gotten after him for bending over to get Skyler's water bowl to change the water. He had done it before I could stop him. When you think about all the things you do so routinely, that was one of them. Nag, nag, nag! Unruly patient, LOL.

Initially I thought I might start machine quilting my Gordian Knot today. By the time we left the doctor's office and ran a couple errands on the way home it was almost 11. We had a bunch of drops to put in and I had to fix lunch. I've got about 2 hours before I have to head in the kitchen to start supper preparations. Now I am out of the notion. Embroidery, it is---or maybe hand quilt on "Here Comes Santa", last seen HERE . Either one are good start and stop projects. Decisions, decisions, LOL.

Till next time---------

Design Wall Monday

2011-10-17T13:42:00.001-05:00

So here's what is up on the wall.

Yesterday afternoon/evening I finished off the Biscuits and Honey Basket (from the Bee Tree Designs Flickr site). Lots and lots of stitching in this May block! All I basically had to do when I picked it up was finish the honey stirrer, the two biscuits next to it and the little bee on the jar label.

Below that, Faux Log Cabin. My variation of Pat's Bday PAR-TAY block for her FAB celebration on Saturday. Today is the actual day but we can't get the 5 of us in chat to open her presents and start sewing till the weekend. This will be the reminder of the block sequencing when it is time to sew.

Then, that name badge thing I need to finish for the Friendship Quilters quilt show. It has been up there awhile but obviously has not made it to the hang from the neck or pin on finished version.

So far no sewing, quilting, stitching today. I think today will be a binding sort of day, a jump start on one of those wall hangings as it were. DJ's surgery is tomorrow afternoon so it seems like I am putting in eye drops for him every time I turn around, LOL. He got back from doing his preop stuff and invited me out for lunch. That was unexpected! No cooking tonight unless I want to. Leftover Szechuan chicken it is. Actually I think both of us had plenty to eat already since we went to Golden Corral for lunch. DJ was calling it his "last good meal" since he has to do the NPO thing at midnight.

Of course I am very happy that the Cardinals prevailed in the NLCS. Congratulations to the Brewers for taking the division pennant and for having a very good year. You certainly did not make it easy. I admit that last night's game made me very nervous that I could hardly bear to watch it when the opposing team was batting. Nothing new there, LOL. What a remarkable turn around from where they were in late August. The team has a lot of heart and "never say die" attitude, even if others have given up and written them off. I am sure they are up to the challenges the Texas Rangers will present. Go Cards!

Thanks for stopping by------

Sunday check in

2011-10-16T14:25:00.006-05:00

Completing "Summer" was yesterday's project. Label, hanging sleeve sections, binding. the remaining embroidered elements and buttons----all done. Woohoo! The quilt show it is entered in is 3 weeks away. No last minute binding rush required, LOL.

After lunch yesterday, I went out to help DJ with the area out in front of the house. Our little nandina bushes appear to be doing well since their planting.

We haven't really had any rain to speak of so DJ waters them daily and was even misting them. That might be a job that will fall on me soon with the no bending rule in effect when he has his eye surgeries. We put down the last of the black barrier stuff and used all the bags of rock that he bought a few days ago. We are up to 12 bags down now. I helped him with 6 of them just to keep the paper from billowing up. There are gaps and it is not on there very heavily. We are guessing we need 4 or 5 more depending whether or not we put some around the holly bush on the end. The edging stuff will be added but not till late next month. I'm guessing. He wants to mow one more time---whatever he has on the list gets done tomorrow or waits till Doctor gives him the okay.

This is the other nandina bush that we have albeit, one that has never been pruned, watered or fertilized and generally ignored, been here since we moved in 97. It doesn't get too tall and fills out horizontally.

We have the laundry all done, groceries are bought and the next thing I know it will be time to start supper. I should work on something but I think quilting can wait another day---Gordian knot will be next. I plan on working on binding while I wait for DJ at the hospital on Tuesday. Lord knows, they will have us there hours before the procedure is scheduled. SIGH. Oh, I am thinking about doing some embroidery on the leaves of the July Button Up as well as the binding.

Hand quilt on Bird Brain Santas or finish up Honey and Biscuits block? HMMMMMMM If I have a finish to show you soon you know which one I picked, LOL. It's good to have options, don't you think?

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

quilting mode

2011-10-14T10:26:00.001-05:00

Well, I had a lot of fun piecing and appliquing in past months but it is time to quilt some of these puppies up.

I started off with Pat's bday present earlier in the week since it was a deadline project. Done and mailed out yesterday. Woohoo! Hurray for a finish!

"Summer" is also a deadline project since it is entered in the Friendship Quilter's quilt show the first weekend in November, making the due date set up day Nov. 4. When DJ spotted me quilting it, he wanted to know where the Fall one was---was I entering it too?? Nope, it is next and not even started; they will have to view just Winter, Spring and Summer at the show. It was time to fix supper last night so I didn't bind it yet. That's first on the list for today's session.

I moved on to the July Button up after supper. Since I just do in the ditch, it doesn't look appreciably different than the last time it was shown. The binding is on this but I still need to add a label and the hanging tabs. By the time I got to this point it was about 8:30 and I had enough machine work for the day.

At some point there will be a good bit of hand work to finish up. "Summer" has button and some embroidery elements to do it as well. Both will help quilt it though embroidery after the fact makes for a messier back. Can't be helped.

Next up: The recently completed "Pumpkins 4 sale" and the recently pinned Gordian Knot. Below that my only donation quilt top ( Habitat BQ2) that I allowed to be pinned while I supposedly "caught up". Yeah, right---I came so close even though that sampler quilt is still waiting.

After that, I have 5 of Linda C's donation tops. There are 3 or 4 more in the closet at the church to be pinned but I have no room to stash them at home. (She moved out of state and the quilts/tops were left behind.) There is also one of Aline's that I volunteered to do. Maybe I will finally have something for the binding volunteers to help with one of these days??

Of course, there will have to be time out for sewing! Pat's bday par-tay is coming up on the 22nd. Some of the group will be doing Terry Atkinson's Minnesota Hot Dish. Pat had a couple of different choices of patterns for us and one was GE Designs Strip Joint. Norma thought it had the same elements as MN Hot dish but with strip piecing. To me it looked more like Faux Log cabin combined with Picket Fence elements. SOOOO I am doing Faux Log Cabin instead since I already have scrappy strips cut to size though I do wonder if they could be used for Strip Joint too. I may try it with some of the stuff I already have in that FLC box. I don't have time to mess with cutting out a whole quilt right now. Hot Dish looks like it relies more on planned fabrics and strip piecing. I will do it at some point, just not now. Pat excused me, LOL.

And, the Belles are having a sew-in date on the 25th, our next meeting date. Really it just a more extended meeting day, with potluck lunch. This time, everybody will bring their machines rather than a couple of us. We are asking people to make a few Pineapple Blossom blocks for a donation quilt. Lois and I will bring out 2 inch strips to share and/or they can cut their own if they want as long as they are scrappy! I need to cut the 3.5 inch muslin squares for this which explains why there is a muslin bolt next to the 3 waiting quilt tops. That is a small morning task for me. I don't often get to sewing till after lunch. Mornings are for goofing off on the computer and household tasks, don'tcha know?

Goofing off time is done for now. DJ needs me to put in his eye drops and I have a date with my Viking. Till next check in--------

WIP Weds?

2011-10-12T17:01:00.003-05:00

I did have a WIP till about 30 minutes ago and I was binding it. Now it is officially a finish---yep, Pat's bday present is all done. Of course, I cannot share a picture of it till after the reveal.

So how about two of Lois' quilts turned in at the Belles meeting yesterday? This is 4 in 9 Patch zigzag from a previous Quilter's World magazine. I am going to have to try this one down on the line---add it to the "list"

This one is a planned color scaled down Daisy Chain. Pattern by Atkinson Designs. It is amazing to me how different a quilt can look with different or planned fabrics. I have done one in 30's prints and it just looks so different to me!

I was about half done with pinning my Gordian Knot quilt as the girls began to arrive. A few of the girls were on vacation and another had just returned from a trip but rarely if ever, are we all at a meeting. Life happens. My friend Teresa was able to come again but it was her first time at the regular meeting site.

Jane, Aline and Teresa pinned a couple other tops while the table was still set up, two from the closet supply of tops and backs. The first 3 or 4 pulled out the closet were going to need batting pieced so we passed them over for now. I know what we will be doing down the line, LOL. Brenda and I were plugging on binding in between pinning. Betsy was working on cutting up some scraps for the upcoming sew-in block. We are asking the participants to make a couple of Pineapple Blossom blocks so we can make a top(s?) for the kids but I encourage them to work on their own stuff predominantly.

Other than an errand with DJ after lunch it has been a quiet day at home. Nothing wrong with that. I have been gone a good bit lately with this and that so it is fine with me. I don't know if I am going to do anything more creative today or not. Actually my fingers are a little needle bruised from that binding. I am not entirely convinced that the stuff I used was 100% cotton. It just felt thicker and hard to needle. At one point the needle eye was poking into my fingers---owwww.

I would like to watch the Cardinal game if they indeed play it---big chance of rain and tstorms they were saying earlier today. Well, I say that but I get too nervous about the whole deal, mostly when the other team is batting. DJ has to keep me briefed, LOL or tell me that it is safe to look.

And sew it goes--------

Design Wall Monday---wk. 42?

2011-10-10T09:23:00.002-05:00

Now that I pulled the "Summer" wall hanging down from the design wall, that area looks so bare! Even though it was not completed at least I got to enjoy what I did have done thru the summer months.

The binding in the bag is for the July Button Up flag and the plaid, for summer. The buttons are needed for embellishments on Summer and Pat's bday present. That stuff is up there so I don't misplace them, to be honest.

Of course my thoughts have turned to fall/autumn and the only one of the four in the Halvorsen "In Seasons" series that is not done. I know it will be the "next up" rewards type project. Maybe leaving the book out will provide some inspiration about which fabrics to use or the push to get some quilting done on these small pieces anyway.

First, I have a few little tasks to complete to get ready for quilt group tomorrow. Possibly an errand or two as well.

In closing, Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers----

something quilty

2011-10-09T22:11:00.001-05:00

I mentioned in my post yesterday that I was going to have to add "another must quilt soon" to my list. Friendship Quilters has a challenge for the group to finish something that was taught at a guild meeting program or class. For me, that would be my Gordian Knot #1. For a full out shot of the top see HERE in March of this year. They need to be done by the Christmas party in early December. I would like to pin it at Belles on Tuesday.

Recently they had a convergence class but I had already made two of those. The one I did as a gift was finished, of course. Mine still needs borders---that should go on my UFO list to get done in 2012. Or when I ever get caught up, LOL. Yeah, right!

I had already prepped the backing for this when I completed the top way back when. I think the binding is done too but I follow up on that tomorrow. I cut the batting and marked the top with a 2 inch wide cross hatching that echoes the width of the lighter blue dot and other of the block components.

I was done with job fairly early in the afternoon and thought what do I do now? Lately I have not had a lot of time nor frankly, inclination to sew, quilt, whatever. Then I remembered that the machine was still set up to button hole applique. My Pumpkins 4 sale fall piece probably last pictured HERE needed most of the applique stitching done. Essentially I had the wagon done and the first letter of the word Pumpkin when I drug it out of the closet.

I finished the stitching about 730 tonight between IM's with two pals. The backing was already cut but I did need to seam the batting. Here it is already to start pinning on the table at home. I have since finished the job.

So a day that I was sure would not be very productive. How about that?

My friend Teresa asked what I was going to work on at the meeting. I replied binding, once I get that one quilt pinned. I supposed tomorrow would be a good day to quilt Pat's bday present! I would like to show the girls how the top came out as they saw it when I was working on some of the embroidery elements.

About time to turn in------so I'm outta here. Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday check in

2011-10-08T17:00:00.000-05:00

No quilting or much of anything productive has been going on around here. Not like I don't have quilting to do---in fact, another challenge type thing cropped up today. Another top to pin and get quilted for a different quilt group is added to the list of "things to do".

I thought I would share a few shots from the around the house since I have no new quilty ones I can share. Shown DJ's crazed cosmo plant. I cannot believe all the blooms it still has on it and more appearing daily. Perhaps he should not have planted the whole seed package in one spot but this thing continues to shoot up and out. He tied a rope to the fence to try to keep it erect. Still it one of the few things in bloom around the house. One small white crepe myrtle has some blooms but clear down at the end of our lane.

The leaves have not really started to change yet. Here and there you might see some but not the vivid colors that I remember from IL. It is still a little early for us. I've been all over Etowah, St. Clair and Calhoun County in the past couple days so I think it is safe to make that generalization, LOL.

The dwarf nandina bushes are planted and most of the black paper we need is down. DJ and I ran up to Gadsden yesterday and picked up 4 bags of these marble chip rocks as he could not find what he wanted locally. Initially we thought 3 bags might do it and at the last minute we told the guy to load in one more. Barely a drop in the bucket. I was gone to Pell City to quilt group this morning and 4 didn't even cover the entire length of the space. We looked at some edging material too but he was not entire sure of the measurement required. We may be able to find this same rock in Jacksonville but he won't know till he goes up there in person. It has been a little breezy the last two days so he wanted to put down what he could to weight the paper down.

We had started off the day fairly early with a trip into the Masonic Lodge to the pancake and sausage breakfast. Our friend Jane had given us tickets and her husband Hugh is a member there. I had just barely gotten home from that when I needed to meet Jane, Aline and Terry in Alexandria to go to quilt group.

I had barely walked in the door when a friend from Friendship Quilters handed me this bag of goodies. I had done her a small favor and shared a couple patterns I had already done. She wanted to do something in return. I think that red and white fabric may work will for some QOV things. The messenger tote kit should be fun as well. I had to wonder how she knew I had a busted a couple of Singer needles recently for that machine, LOL.

I took my two QOV tops for show and tell---shown HERE. The woman who is the out going secretary of the group is also the head of the Alabama QOV project and spearheading the area guild's efforts for the veteran's home project. She has been long arming the quilt tops or turning them over to other long arm volunteers. Two less tops will be hanging in my closet for a time! Make that 3 less tops---I am pulling out that gordian knot of mine to pin on Tuesday's Belles' meeting.

Mostly the meeting was about preparations for the quilt show which will occur before the next guild meeting on November 5-6 and set up on the 4th. As expected, I got a bit more stitching done on my basket block----onto the honey stirrer area now, LOL.

I barely got home and was off to get some groceries. One spot where I shop has a 5 buck off coupon with purchase of $25 or more. It helps when the list is long for things I normally get there. Busy day.

Lastly, here is a Skyler shot. I feel like flopping down with him as I still have some issues after my tooth extraction. Meds messing me up plus a few other things going on. UGH! Anyway doesn't he look comfortable if a little bed hoggy? All stretched out and relaxing on the bed after a stint in the window perch. He must get too hot or something and moves over the bed.

I've got my "World Series" quilt on the bed. I hope it continues to bring my team some "good luck". My mom made this one back in 1985 when my St. Louis Cardinals played the Kansas City Royals in the World Series. The name fits because there is a lot of red and blue in it. Originally she had planned it would go to my youngest brother but I said I was the Cardinal fan and had even been to Game 4 of the series games. We barely saw the center fielder all night and sat in the nosebleed section but by golly, DJ and I were there. Unfortunately it was not to be----umpire Denkinger bad call didn't help but they didn't win the 7th deciding game either.

Now in 2011, somehow my beloved Cardinals beat the Phillies to advance to the league championship series. Next up they are facing their national league central division foes the Milwaukee Brewers. Back in 82 the Cards won 4 games to 3 and Milwaukee was the American League representative. What a year both teams have had! Go Cards!

Till next time--------

WIP Thursday

2011-10-06T14:24:00.002-05:00

I have been doing a lot of stitching the last two days. Another quilt meeting on Saturday and I probably will finish off the basket part of this one.

Because I had the appointment with the oral surgeon yesterday, I had my stitchery along with me. I had just started part of the hanging down part of the towel on the right side. I had half the basket done by the time I left. You see, it took some time to get back to see the doctor for the consultation---approx. two hours. I was not expecting them to say that they could do the extraction that day. Knowing that DJ's surgery was coming up and that the doctor is only in Anniston two days a week, I didn't necessarily want to come back. I especially did not want to drive all the way home and have to drive back in again. What happened is that there were about 3 of us that went back on the list till the rest of the scheduled appointments were cleared. Once I was numbed up it only took about a minute to get that tooth out of there. By the time I dropped off my script at the pharmacy on the way home, I had been gone a total of 5 hours.

Today, I kept stitching thru the JOY quilt meeting except for when I was doing my program presentation. Jane came and helped me so I could keep talking and field questions. THX, gf! I finally got the July Button Up pinned. These are narrow pieces so I knew we could get it pinned without doing any shifting and re-clamping though I explained what I would have to do for larger tops. Shown is what I carted to the meeting with me, minus the bed risers in the trunk of my car, LOL. The other half of the basket part of the stitchery was almost done.

Good to see some of the quilting friends whose paths do not cross with mine often---traveling in different groups these days.

I got the button hole applique done on Tuesday as well as the last bits of hand embroidery on the TSP bday present. Woohoo! By Wednesday morning I pinned it and "Summer". I could have used basting spray on this one and possibly the TSP but it gave me some time to go over what I wanted to cover for my presentation today.

Once I got the pinning done, I knew I also wanted some data I could use for a handout for my presentation. Google to the rescue yet again! It started at 7 pages and a combination of this:

http://c-mann.suite101.com/basting-quilts-how-to-pin-baste-a-quilt-a321111 Christine Mann from the sewing/needlework @ Suite 101.com
Penny Halgren @ http://www.how-to-quilt.com/articles/2323-pin-basting.php
Linda J’s practical experience with Bama Belles donation quilts since 1999. I know what works and starting from the center does not nor is it necessary in my opinion. We mess up much more when we have to go that route! Mostly I just want people to stand up and pin, not cripple themselves up for days from pinning on the carpet.

Once I was back from the dentist, I put on my pajamas, had an Arby's jamocha shake and edited down to 3 pages to more closely reflect how the Belles and I actually pin. I told the girls that any one of them could have done the program today as we all have passed on what we know to each other.

I don't think that I am going to do anything else creative today. These pain meds are messing with my stomach and I need to go lay down for a while. DJ may be on his own for supper at this rate.

Design Wall Monday---wk. 41?

2011-10-03T12:47:00.003-05:00

Oh there is something on the design wall but nothing I can show you till the bday Par-tay later in the month.

Can you tell what I am up today just by looking at some of the tools of the trade? Would the comment to my husband that I needed to vacuum up the mess in here before I made more tip you off? I think that both of these mats are nearing their time to be replaced!

My TSP main part is all pieced though the applique elements need some button hole applique and embellishment. Today it is back to the pieced border and down in the home stretch. I changed some things around in the pattern but that was my choice. Enjoy the process or why do it?

I did some trimming stuff this morning but mostly I was taking care of some of the home tasks to this point. DJ had an app't with the opthalmologist this morning in preparation for his cataract surgery later this month. Lots of eye drops will need to be administered. I will also have to give him a sub-q med since he will be off his regular blood thinner pre-op. To help us both, I made up a med sheet document, similar to what I used while I was still practicing, just to keep it all on track. This week little has changed for him but next week, we will have to be on our toes.

In addition to my trying to get the bday present moved along, I see the oral surgeon on Wednesday. I was lucky that my dentist could get me in fairly quickly to glue the popped off crown back on without the tooth part breaking down any further. The broken, cracked chipped or whatever tooth next to it? Yeah it would be a post, root canal and crown combo to the tune of 1200 bucks. I asked if I could just have it pulled instead. No, I don't really want to be minus a tooth but we just plain cannot afford that kind of money for one stinkin' tooth. The dentist was surprised that it was not causing a lot of pain as apparently the nerve is almost exposed. YIKES! Hopefully we can get this taken care of in a timely manner and before DJ needs me to help him with his situation.

On Thursday I have been asked to do a short program at the JOY group on essentially " you have a top---now what?" Pretty broad subject but I guess they have some new and/or inexperienced quilters in the group. I am to show them how to pin baste but I will incorporate some thoughts about what long arm quilters expect when you take a quilt to them.

And sew it goes--------busy, busy, busy.

busy

2011-09-30T08:49:00.005-05:00

The whole household is busy, busy, busy this morning. I am prepping one of the applique blocks for the TSP. I don't care if Pat DOES see it---she still won't know entirely what I am up to, LOL.

I finished the re-stitching on the block that I had mis-cut due to a pattern error but mostly I am piddling at my own speed on this.

Skyler is sitting in the middle between the two areas of activity so he can go either way with the supervision he is providing. Mostly he is watching DJ at this point but not wanting to get TOO close.

And DJ? He is taking advantage of the cooler, early morning overcast weather to planting some dwarf nandina bushes in the space where he had taken out the bushes/shrubs, darned near trees previously.

Lowe's had them on sale in a mix and match sale 4 for $10. Can't argue about the price since they are normally about 6 bucks for a 2.5 qt. pot. We knew we wanted something that would stay fairly small and these are purported to only grow to about 3 feet in height. We have one near the end of our drive way that a previous homeowner planted. It will spread out horizontally and seems to survive in benign neglect though they should be pruned. (DJ was reading in his southern gardener books before we went to get them) He has never deliberately watered it and it still has thrived even in the drought years. Reminds me a bit of a burning bush with the fall color.

DJ says we can put down the weed barrier stuff black paper later but for now the what to plant question has been answered. I don't know if he still plans on putting down a barrier between the bed and yard or not. I don't want boards back down if they are going to rot out again or get insect infestation---again.

DJ and I were thrilled that our STL Cardinals were able to prevail and win the NL MLB wild card, even if I hate the wild card format. It was hard for us to root against the Braves and pull for whoever they were playing. Since we are out of the Midwest market and can't watch the Cards as often as we would like, the Braves are our secondary team. I do follow along on Gameday on the computer and he flips over to the ESPN crawl to check but it isn't the same as watching a game. Proud of both of our teams. STL has over come a lot of adversity this year to get where they are. Who'd a thunk it?

And sew it goes-------

meeting day

2011-09-27T17:08:00.002-05:00

Okay, hiding behind the quilts in front are some of those fabric bins but this is how things looked when DJ helped me unload the car. There is also another quilt bag full of stuff and my purse somewhere in there, LOL.

The basket: three quilts that Shawnee volunteered to put labels on this morning. She and Nancy dropped by to pick up her quilt show entries. She said she would be back with them before I left to go home---and she was. THX!

The other stack you will see in a minute. All this had to be logged into the quilt document making sure they all had a number on the label and then stuck in the closet for now. I am going to have to find another spot to store them---like at someone else's house or we donate them earlier than planned.

Lois had completed this Scrappy Trips Around the World. Bonnie Hunter pattern found HERE. One of Lois' "go- to" patterns, I think she would tell you.

Next up, Lois had this 4 patch X quilt completed as well. Pattern Source: Bonnie Hunter's "Addicted to Scraps" column in Quiltmaker Sept-Oct. 2010. I think it would be fair to say that Lois likes this one too as she had two more tops made with the same blocks that we pinned today. LINK will take you to all of the "Bonnie blocks" featured in the magazine thus far though I don't think any patterns are provided.

Aline got the binding completed on her 2nd Romance Challenge quilts. She and her granddaughter teamed up to make a total of 4 quilts from the donated yardage we used. She calls this one "Dotty" Romance. No pattern---you just put about 3 inches of sashing all around some feature fabric (or blocks) on all 4 sides and then cut the resultant block at an angle with a square ruler. Just watch out for bias stretch when you handle or press them. Makes a fun quilt and a young lady is sure to enjoy this.

Bev had this cutie purse for show and tell. I think she made it for her granddaughter?? It includes a clip for her hair.

Bev came with armfuls of the same yardage she had shared with us last meeting. I know that Aline took some with her today for backing some tops she had at home. Bev also brought a friend with her and an Alabama top she had made to pin. Bev knows that I have to do the program at the JOY group in early October on this very subject. She and Julie stayed to help pin several others to return the favor.

I was off making copies of the hand out for the block we will be using for the sew in and didn't get a picture taken of Brenda's top that she made for a grandchild. That was one that we pinned in addition to Bev's top, Lois' two 4 patch X and one of Betsy's for DHR. Guess that waits till when she gets it done.

When I first got there I had discovered that someone had been doing some painting recently in the fellowship hall. I didn't know if we would be able to tolerate the lingering paint fumes. About that time the pastor had come thru and advised us to open the doors up to air things out. Just watch for creepy crawlies! I had left a box fan from home to help with the a/c situation earlier this summer so we used that too. The humidity was up pretty high this morning with a fog advisory. I don't think any of us were too comfortable with the air off necessarily, but you do what you must. It wasn't too bad by lunch time. If we had not had quilts to pin, we would have moved to one of the vacant Sunday school classrooms instead.

I didn't get a speck of embroidery done. I had even lugged the light box and supplies with me to tend to parts of the TSP. I followed the instructions on the pattern but unfortunately the trimming size listed was incorrect in one instance. Now I will have to re-do a stitchery block for the bday present. Trimmed, it will be an inch too short. Partly my fault because I didn't verify the accuracy of the numbers before I sliced it off----darn it! Good thing I like to embroider! I have to spend a little time sitting at the dentist office tomorrow so I'll tuck it in my purse.

Oh, my missing quilt entry was delivered to me this morning too........just as I thought it might be. We were right that it was hiding with the larger quilts.

Well, time to throw something together for supper. What exactly I don't know but I do not feel like messing around in the kitchen long. Definitely not that pot roast I had initially planned, just sayin'. DJ just had soup and sandwich for lunch so he'll need something heartier than that.

And sew it goes----------

Gadsden Quilt show 2011

2011-09-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

A few of the quilts that captured my attention. Some of them I know the maker-exhibitor and/or the pattern. There is no printed program, I didn't make any notes and just liked them. Notes will follow the picture.

Made by Miss Reba in the Gadsden quilt group. Itty bitty yo-yo's arranged in nine patches. She was celebrating her 80th birthday on Saturday at the show. Miss Reba also had two sizes of Cathedral Window in the show. Obviously she loves hand work!

This lovely French Braid quilt was made by my friend Aline's daughter Fran for her husband Rick who has not see it yet. It was awarded a 2nd place ribbon. Fran is currently living in Puerto Rico, waiting to sell their home so they can move back stateside when her husband retires from the AFIS food service from the military. This has been a long, slow process for her.

Both entries by Edna Carr, a friend from the Jacksonville (AL) Piecemaker's Quilt Group. The winter scene on the right was awarded the Best of Show. LOL, I liked her African themed one on the left better but hey, I was not judging the show. The BOS was more improvisational, her own design, raw edge appliqued which may have appealed more to the judges.

This one received a blue ribbon in its category but I know nothing about it.

A pretty bargello in my favorite color. I was working with the lady on set up day pinning on sleeves but did not know her.

I do not know the maker or the pattern beyond nine patches but isn't it striking!? ( ED NOTE: I have some more information, thanks to a reader and commenter who told me "Hi! that's a "Blooming Nine Patch" with alternating solid and nine-patch squares. Widely seen at quilt shows! From the book "Tradition with a Twist", 1996, by Blanche Young and Dalene Young Stone. Enjoyed seeing this one. "

THX!!! I know that has been taught at a quilt show in Birmingham in the past. I guess I just haven't seen many of them all finished up at a show! I think even two of my FAB pals have made a version of it, years ago! Just didn't recognize it as the same quilt. Too often the entry forms or the person entering a quilt does not provide pattern source information on their submission---too bad, IMHO.)

Made by Gayle Naugher of Golden Springs Baptist (Anniston, AL) Stitch and a Prayer group. Gayle is like me in that we both love 30's fabrics and she has several 30's quilts that I have seen exhibited before. It was awarded a 3rd place ribbon in the bed category.

Made by Judy Boozer of the Friendship Quilters group in St. Clair Co. She called it "Totally Caffienated". It received a 2nd place ribbon in the bed quilt category. Very well done!

Brenda M from my quilting group, Lick Skillet Quilt guild and her own Wednesday night group made this one which took a 1st place ribbon in the applique category. I believe that this was the Robert Callahan Grandmother's (something) quilt that was featured in McCall's Quilting magazine some time back. I'll see her tomorrow to confirm that. Believe it or not, this was her first quilt!! She noted that she did not realize at the time that it was beyond her abilities at the time. Very well done!

Shawnee with her "Suitable for Framing" quilt that she made for her daughter. You can see how thrilled she was with her 2nd place ribbon in the applique division. Her daughter who was with her said "she took it right off my bed!" I told her that we make these quilts and give them to our family and friends but come quilt show time, we take them back to enter and display them, LOL.

A beautiful sampler quilt that I don't know much about other than it got a 1st place ribbon in the bed category. It may have been blocks that the Stitch and Prayer group did as BOM.

Lastly, Sue Ann R from the Jacksonville Piecemaker's group made this one for her mom. Hand quilted. Very striking and the border very unusual. It was the first one you saw as you came into the exhibit.

That's it for this note

Design Wall Monday--wk. 40?

2011-09-26T09:24:00.001-05:00

The grand sum total of my quilting process this weekend was thinking about it, LOL. Friday, I got the re-binding and labeling done on the scrappy bargello as planned but that was it. To be fair, I was gone a good chunk of Saturday with girl's day out. Yesterday was paperwork day and the grocery run. I also had to fix TWO meals, not just one since there were no leftovers on hand. Anything on the list just did not get done plus who says that there is anything wrong with NOT sewing?

The other thing that took some time yesterday was that Jane and Hugh had brought my quilt show entries along with Shawnee's back on Sunday afternoon. I knew that they would be worn out after taking down the show so I had told her not to rush over Saturday night. Hugh said that they had "worked (him) harder than a borrowed mule." Pretty apt description actually. He was the guy wielding the power tools and up and down the ladders all day for set up. Take down, same thing---only it goes faster. His usual partner in set up had been ill and could not help this time around, which may account for some of that statement. Jane said that they had to be out of the building by 630 even if the quilts were not all folded up and put in the proper numbered pillow cases. There was an event scheduled for the building on Sunday and it needed to be set up Saturday evening.

Anyway, my quilts and wall hangings needed to be put away or re-hung once they left. The wall hanging situation shifted around again . I seem to be missing my place mat entry and one pillow case that it could be in but it will show up, I'm sure. I also seem to have misplaced a small wire quilt hanger that I use for my calendar quilts, somewhere in this house!! I have things separated out and stacked up for the next show though not in separate pillow cases yet.

Just a quick note about the show because I will be posting pics in another post. Calhoun County was well represented at the show. Brenda won a first place in applique division while Shawnee's quilt placed 2nd. Aline won a 2nd place ribbon for her twin sized pieced quilt. I got two 3rd place ribbons for Happy Halloween and my FAB challenge place mats. Friends from other county quilt groups also had various ribbons for their entries.

I seem to be all over the place with this post, LOL. Okay, today is Monday. I finally pressed that binding in Friday's post this morning. The foremost thing on my list is the FAB bday TSP which still needs the embroidered elements trimmed down. I drug out the fall fabrics and some of the other bin colors that will be required. BUT I have to move all those container to get at the cutting board and then press the fabric I pull to use for the next step of TSP. That machine may not get fired up today either at this rate since I have a few errands to run this morning. Tomorrow is Bama Belles day and I have to get myself organized for that. Hand work or sewing??

The other thing----one of my crowns fell off from a lower left molar when we were eating lunch. I was just eating a piece of home made pizza so had not bit down into anything hard or crunchy. Worse still, I also had a filling fall off/out of the tooth adjacent to it. I am thinking it will probably needs a crown as well, judging from the gap I am feeling. Oh, great! I'll be calling the dentist in a few minutes to see if I can get in to pop the crown back on before the base starts breaking down.

And sew it goes or in this case, goes slowly............ or not at all, LOL

change of plans

2011-09-23T08:43:00.003-05:00

This is what I should be working on today. Press this pile of binding and work on the TSP. The embroidery elements are now complete but other parts remain. Blocks need trimming, fabrics pulled, etc. To be honest, I don't think my back is up to pulling down fabric from the top shelves of the sewing room book cases. It is still squawking at me from yesterday's endeavors. Parts of it may get done this weekend, parts not. Just sayin', LOL.

After my rant about submitting quilts without sleeves yesterday, I knew I better practice what I preach. From writing up a quilt data worksheet earlier this month I knew that one of my planned entries for a later show would need some attention. The document is marked as such as a prompt.

I swear that my scrappy bargello had one on it once! It has been in a quilt show before but I vaguely remember taking it off and re-stitching the binding. I think, LOL. Maybe I had just pinned on something temporarily. BUT it didn't have a label on it either. Yeah, some of my quilts don't have them. Some have the data entered in pigma pen. Anyway labeling of some sort is a requirement for the Pell City show coming up in early November. I can tell you that is does help if there is some sort of labeling when there is some confusion about numbers and names. Check the personal label to verify the data. You know if you have the right one to hang or if you need to keep looking.

Last night in spite of how tired I was, I un-stitched the top binding and a spot down in the lower right of the quilt back. I had enough of the backing fabric left filed away in the green container and prepped it. Prepped the label as well. I stitched that all into the quilt this morning and set up a back table to work on re-stitching the binding. Luckily I was able to stitch thru all the layers without putting on the walking foot. The thing is not easy to get off and on my Brother.

LOL, I told DJ when it came time to put a quilt on his bed NOT to use his Strip Twist just yet. I am entering it in the next show so I'm washing it up. Use my "World Series" quilt, please. I think he likes it better anyway. Skyler does too, come to think of it. (Mom, if we turn it sideways it fits the queen sized just fine for his purposes.) I may have to re-think which one goes on MY bed as the weather gets cooler!

First day of fall. It looks like we are in for some more rain today. There were a couple rounds of rain fall and thunder boomers yesterday and in the overnight hours. How it will affect the high school football games will remain to be seen. Cooler but muggy with that cloud cover.

Major league baseball is winding down and my St. Louis Cardinals are trying for a wild card berth but have to beat our secondary team the Braves to do it. The Cards have a series with the Cubs, their biggest and longest rival this weekend. Anything can and will happen. DJ's son and grandson are going to one of the games, he said. Lucky ducks!

And sew it goes------

quilt show season

2011-09-22T17:16:00.003-05:00

Looks like I am driving a quilt-mobile here. Between Shawnee's and my entries for the quilt show and the quilt meeting related stuff that stays in the car the description probably fits.

I left the house a little after 8 and got home from helping set up the Gadsden Quilt show at about 5. The guild is small and older than me in most cases. No way can they be climbing up and down the ladders or crawling around on the floor prepping the base units. Gary is happy to have volunteers from his other quilt groups over on our side of the county line---including some quilt husbands with tools and ladders.

So the show is all set up---lots of quilts, more than he really could hang as it turned out. Maybe that is a good problem to have. One of mine will not be displayed but one that I entered as an afterthought. There were probably about 8 others that can be re-entered next year. They are also displaying some of the QOV quilts that will be going to the veteran's home in Pell City. Some of those will have to be folded and displayed that way.

I am going to go back on Saturday with a couple of girlfriends and will take my camera to get some pictures to share. Girls day out, dontcha know?

My low back is killing me mostly from having to bend over to the tables to pin sleeves on the quilt. It is amazing to me that people would enter a quilt in a show and not bother to at least pin on a temporary sleeve themselves. How do they think it is going to get displayed anyway?? IMHO any quilt without a sleeve should either not be accepted or not hung if they drop it off that way but I'm not in charge. Actually two helpers who did have entries in the show minus sleeves said that they did not know to do that---the entry forms do not have instructions for that on it, so maybe. Let me tell you, when they had to sort thru the quilt piles looking for sleeves and had to help pin them on they saw the need! Hard on the back, hard on the temper esp when the quilt hanger folks are hollering for one you are frantically hurrying to work on.

But we got thru it-------I'll be happy to stay home tomorrow and work on TSP. Rest up, LOL.

another finish to flimsy

2011-09-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

.........And here is the latest finished top. I had fussy cut some of the shell elements to put them in the corner units. The stripe seems to set things off nicely but I sorta wish I had cut the sashing just a tad narrower.

The backing is prepped and the top added to the rest of the "to be pinned" at some point, hanging in my clothes closet. Good thing I don't have that many clothes anymore is all I got to say.

The binding is cut on the bias to set off the stripe. It is all seamed though obviously needs to be pressed. Story of my life lately, LOL.

On to some TSP sewing for me-----

Hope you have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by.

Design Wall Monday? not quite!

2011-09-19T12:39:00.004-05:00

So far I have gotten a little bit further with the hand stitching on TSP----almost done with that part of the process, but not quite. Still, I feel a bit like sewing so this is the kit I pulled to satisfy THAT urge. Skyler is in the window seat keeping me company.

The pattern is Prairie Window from quiltwoman. The seashell fabric was found in one of the scrap bags we set up for the Belles Scrappy Challenge. I am pretty sure the stripe was something from the donation bin but who knows for sure. The rest is from my stash. One piece reminds of wet sand actually----fitting! I have elected NOT to do the outer border bits for this one but still make a good sized pro bono quilt fairly quickly.

I swapped out the summer quilt pieces for the more fall themed items yesterday. I might be rushing the season a little bit since fall starts on the 23rd but it was time in my book. A few of my wall hangings are unavailable right now because of the pending quilt shows so I hung this one. I don't think it has been on my blog before or it has been awhile anyway, LOL.

It is a scaled down version of Tonee White's "Animal Stack" from her book Appliquilt: Whimsical One-Step Applique and Quilting. Yeah, it is country and folky but I like that stuff too.

This will be a little bit of a chopped up week for me. DJ wants to go out for lunch tomorrow. Thursday, I am going to go help set up at the Gadsden Quilt show. I am going back up to the show on Saturday with a girlfriend(s) along with a stop at Hobby Lobby and lunch out. Fun stuff but it cuts into sewing time. I will need to get working on the remainder of Pat's TSP giftie in earnest somewhere along in there----and then there is all that quilting to do with TSP and quilt show entry right at the top of the list! Just working out the action plan in my head.

But for today, I sew! Standby, Quilt Holder.

well, that's about done!

2011-09-17T17:35:00.002-05:00

The boring sewing is almost done.

Pictured is binding for 9 quilts. Most of it I pressed as I finished it rather than piling it all up like I usually do for days on end. All neat and tidy and marked with which top it goes with. My mom had sent the half cardboard in something she mailed me recently. That is how she stores her prepared binding. I just followed suit. You can see that I ran out of steam for wanting to do all that red dot stuff. Since it is two quilt's worth, that might explain why, LOL. At that point I still needed to seam the last quilt back so I moved on. It's done now and laundered to soften the fabric up. It should be fine for our purposes.

I had thought briefly about starting a Prairie Window kit that I had made up using some of the Belles challenge fabrics. Naw, not today. Maybe some handwork but more likely I will work the puzzles in the local paper instead. Or read.

And sew it goes-----day's goals almost met.

Sew-In day/check in

2011-09-16T20:27:00.000-05:00

Fun day with the gals from the Friendship Quilters group. It is far easier to visit with folks across the table than in the guild meeting set up where you basically set in a chair and vote on this and that, LOL. Except for the time before and directly after the meeting you just don't have that chatting time.

I was having some machine tension issues with the Jem so I did not get too far with the project I cut out yesterday. I had said that if I had to spend my day doing "boring sewing" i.e. seaming backs, cutting, sewing binding then I wanted to do something fun and "new to me" at the sew-in. It meant more cutting, of course. This is Billie Lauder's "Reflections" using a batik layer cake pack that my pal Pam sent to me. I did try one half of the block but really want my Brother for this one. No, I do not know where this one will be going. Some of the colors are right up QOV alley but is it allowed to put in other colors, like red, green and orange?? Does it really matter? I suppose those are campaign ribbon colors so maybe. I didn't touch the folded eight point star which I found on delaware quilts as a free pattern---later with that one.

I did get started on a pile of QOV 3-D bow ties. These will have red knots throughout which I did not color that way for the layout in EQ. That was mostly for counting purposes. I need 76 pieced blocks and will have to buy some WOW for the alternating spaces.

Of course I had to demo the bow tie block to a few of the gals. That and the EZ flippy corner version to a newbie quilter. She spotted the printout in my work space. I told her I could show her a really easy way to do them --the ez one and a FUN "how did you do that?!" one, LOL.

Our vice prez/program person gave us instructions on how to make those cute little bags from mesh pet screen and a sewing themed fabric. Fun! Of course, you can do them any size but this is what they had kitted up for us. My tablemate showed me the cute tomato like pincushion they had done yesterday. Tomorrow they are doing a convergence class but you can go even if you don't want to have the class and work on your own stuff. I don't plan on going but they were certainly encouraging me to do so. The pals that I went with today are going over to East Cobb Quilters bi-annual show in Marietta tomorrow.

That other stuff in the picture? Well, I didn't get to the binding sewing and in fact, need to cut more. I DID get the boring sewing stuff mostly done, other than that. By 930 PM, I quit sewing, though my brain was still in overdrive planning something else for down the line. Not so conducive to sleep, let me tell you. I have one more quilt back to go though (the other 4 are done). Then the green stuff needs washed as it is a little stiff feeling. Tomorrow........Sunday, I am going to do hand work. Next week probably start quilting since the machine I use for that is set up right now.

Yesterday afternoon Jane had called to see if I had any binding to do as she didn't really want to take her machine to the sew-in. She had no particular project that she was itching to do. m I had to take a little detour last night to get one bound for her to work on and it took a little time to get the quilt prepped---a re-do is always harder than the "from scratch". Aline wasn't sewing either but she had binding to finish up on a quilt entry for next week and was hand quilting on her redwork Sunbonnet Sue quilt. Betsy was working on QOV pillow cases.

Oh, I had a "treat" shortly after I got there! Recently I had sent a good sized box of abandoned blocks to a guild member in response to a need for quilts in the Shoal Creek area of Alabama where there was significant tornado damage this spring. The lady I sent them to was my table mate today---in fact, Mary was quilting on her half of the table on one that will go to a young person . Mary pointed out a member of her small quilt group who had put a good many of those abandoned blocks into a top at the sew-in. She was preparing to put on the outer border when I arrived. The woman wondered if I had any information about who made the blocks. She knew a couple as either she or her sister had made some of them. I could point out the ones my mom or I had made farily easily. A few I thought were Aline's but they were hand pieced and Aline would have used the machine. BUT I went off without my camera--dang it! I'll ask Mary to have the other gal take one if she can. It made a pretty quilt for someone and will find a good use NOT hiding in my closet waiting for a "some day" to come along.

And sew it goes--------thanks for stopping by

quilt pics

2011-09-15T09:00:00.003-05:00

These a few of the quilt turned in at the meeting on Tuesday.

Snoopy Kitty

Linda C's pieced and appliqued 30's quilt.

I do not know the pattern source but think it might be Darlene Zimmerman's Oopsie Daisy??

Linda C Twisted Sister---Ami Simm's pattern

Lois Twin Sisters---Eleanor Burns' pattern from her book

Quilts Through the Seasons

Lois 4 in 9 patch zigzag. The pattern is from a Quilter's World magazine October 2009

Lois Carolina Chain

source: Bonnie Hunter's Addicted to Scraps column in the May/June '10 issue of Quiltmaker magazine

Hope you enjoyed the mini quilt show. Skyler sure did but he liked laying on them even better, LOL. Surprised that I didn't get nipped making him move from the first picture and then the clothes basket that contained the ones that we hadn't taken picture of yet.

I hope they click bigger. For some reason when I post from Chrome some do and some don't.

WIP Weds. wk 38

2011-09-14T19:37:00.003-05:00

well it WAS a WIP but here is the finished top as of 10 minutes ago. Maybe it still is a WIP as I need to look for some backing fabric and piece it as well as the binding. I know it looks kind of blah out on the edge but the red dot binding will complete it once it is quilted. This is one of the "Pay It Forward" challenge pieces, thanks to Over the Rainbow.

I had two rows and borders to do on this one but I was busy till about 3:30 doing other things all day. Bama Belles paperwork, getting things ready to take to the post office and some minor re-organization in the sewing room.

Tomorrow will be a boring day of piecing backs and binding. I also will need to pack up for the sew-in day on Friday. Plans are to meet at 8:30 to drive over to Pell City where it will be held.

And sew it goes-------

quilt meeting

2011-09-13T16:57:00.001-05:00

When I go off to a Bama Belles quilt meeting, I never know just how the day might shape up. I thought I would get a little bit of stitching done on TSP and help pin. LOL, you just know that is not where the day led, dontcha?

We are a relaxed bunch so there is no need to have a meeting agenda, elect officers and all that. People come when they want, leave when they must. Help pin, sew if you want, bring things for show and tell, get some quilting opinions, just stop by to chat, whatever.

I get there ahead of everyone because I am the one with the key to the Fellowship Hall and the group's leader. The first thing I spotted once I opened our closet to pull out the library cart was a bunch of printouts and magazines that need to go in a notebook for our use. We have known for awhile that one of the gals (Linda C) would be moving to TN at some point so she is weeding things out at home. This is not the first time that I have had to file printouts or stuff she had torn out of magazines. I filed what I could at the meeting but still needed to stop at Fred's on the way home for sheet protectors and another notebook.

Oh, the stack of fabric you see above? I raided the donation bin as my 15, almost 16 donation tops in the closet need backings before I bring any of them in to be pinned. Some of this stuff might work. If not on what I have made so far, then down the line. Some need backs, some don't but I couldn't tell you which ones without taking them out and checking at this point. Binding yes, backing maybe not. I am thinking that the brown print right above the white with black shirting stuff will work on the Prairie Stroll top but will need piecing.

The next thing I spotted in the closet was more yardage in the donation bin and tops. Some of the tops were paired up with backing. 3 of them were already pinned but that is as far as it got. SIGH. I know I am going to have to quilt those down the line even though I begged her to try herself first. There were a few finished quilts in the stack, as it turned out.

As I went to take the quilts out to the car, a woman who I had not met before pulled up asking if this was where the quilt group met. We did the introduction thing; she told me that she goes to the Lick Skillet Guild and the JOY guild. I don't go to either of those groups but I do know folks from both, including some of the Belles. Bev said that she had come in possession of mega yards of fabric from a friend. Some of her local friends suggested we might be able to use some for our donation quilts. She had brought 5 yard sections of 3 different ones. Bless her, and bless the friends that suggested it!

I needed to get the existing tops organized a bit. Some where just folded up, others have been hanging up but what tops needed backs and just how many are there? I think I counted at least 7. Was any of the fabric she put in this pile intended to go with her tops? And, thanks to Bev, would any of it work with the fabric she just brought? LOL, we blew thru about 12 yards of it in no time at all! Those three tops on hangers on my bed that you see above?? Too wide for the backing and will have to be pieced. I'll get this taken care of later in the week and haul them back next meeting. Perhaps with a few of my own.

Next Bev's friend and neighbor Shawnee dropped by as she had Gadsden Quilt Show forms to drop off---today is the deadline. Shawnee still had binding to put on one of her entries so I suggested she drop them off at my house next week as Jane will be coming by to get mine. As long as she had it up to my on the 21st sometime, it will work. And I could have kissed her----Shawnee asked if she could take a couple of the tops to practice quilting. Girl, you don't have to ask ME twice! Which ones would you like and do want some of the batting?? No hurry either since they waited for me this long and would wait even longer for me to get caught up.

The subject turned to basting, pinning and the like. Bev was not familiar with the process being a fairly new quilter who so far had used a long armer, I guess. I said "stick around and we can do this one I just paired with backing." About that time, Beverly and Lois arrived. Yep, Beverly had a quilt for a new baby in the family, Lois had some completed tops too. We definitely could walk her through the process and provide the hands on opportunity. And did, LOL.

I had finally gotten this corner of my bedroom cleared out not long ago. Now look at it---back to quilt central appearance. See the stack on the hamper? 6 pinned tops in the stack---the one on top is Aline's that I offered to do. The one below that is one of my own tops, pinned earlier this year. The middle reddish fabric one, Linda C's, pinned today. The three below it are the ones I found in the closet today. I can't put them on top of the armoire where they normally go as my Gadsden quilt show entries are up there. But they can't stay on top of the hamper. It would take me a 10 days to 2 weeks to get them all quilted. None have binding either. SIGH.

Then the finished quilts are in the basket. I went off without my camera today so "Quilt Holder" did the honors when I got home. There are 9 in the basket, 5 "new" ones. They need to be logged into the document and roughly half need a label applied and number assigned if they are to be donated locally. I'll do the documenting but I am going to drag the label-less ones to the next meeting and ask the girls to help get those on the quilts. I prefer to sew them on the corner of the quilt, stitching it down on two sides with the machines and then putting the binding up over it. Easier to do right after they are quilted, not after the fact but that didn't happen. A few of these might fit in the closet behind till we decide where they are going but someone else may have to provide the storage space from here on out.

The other thing that needed attention? One of the members of the group stopped by with a friend, each carrying a box. Rosa had quilt magazines to share. She had recently sold her home and moved but was in the hospital with a broken ankle followed by 21 days of rehab when this all happened. She didn't have our phone numbers to call, that was packed up. She didn't get much time to go thru things before the move and is having to do it now. I separated those by publication and stacked them up on the library cart. I need to see what issue of APQ I am looking for that has the Mabeth Oxenreider pattern "Trail Mix" in it. (Brenda said she might have it in her collection. )

Half the group had brought something for lunch but those of us who didn't made the Wendy's run for half salads. We love that apple pecan chicken salad! The next thing I knew it was 2 p.m. and time to go home. Well home after I did the Fred's run. I needed two more 20 qt. bins as I am slowly replacing my storage systems baskets. Another project for later in the week, LOL.

I had thought that I would finish the last two rows on my BQ 1 tonight but that looks doubtful. They are pinned and ready to chain through the machine but I know it will have to wait till tomorrow. After all, I still have "homework" to tend to today. The stacks on the cutting/pressing table cannot stay there if I am going to sew. Don't ask me where they are going till I can get my own tops inventoried.

Since I do have pictures of the finished quilts to share, I will share those in another post. That's all for this one, LOL.

Monday check-in

2011-09-12T13:01:00.001-05:00

Skyler has had a busier morning than me! I had a wakeful night so made up for some missing hours of sleep from 6 to 830. He was monitoring the window seat in the meantime.

Then his buddy Chico, the neighborhood cat, came by to visit so he was busy running from the front door to the car port door to see him. They can head and body bump thru the front door since the glass goes all the way down but spoiled kitty gets a chair to hop on for car port viewing.

I left on a couple quick errands and he was waiting to run and play with me when I got back. Puffball tossing, catnip mouse clawing, shadow boxing and maniacal running ensued. Now the tired kitty is sacked out on the kitchen chair.

Meanwhile my BQ block pile is waiting to be pressed. I chained the section stuff through the machine yesterday but stopped at this point. It will not take long to chain the 30 blocks to completion and then start the assembly. I doubt that I will get the top done today since I plan to border it. New episodes---maybe the season finales actually of "The Closer" and "Rizzoli and Isles" are on tonight so I will be right by the TV and may push it.

Tomorrow the quilt group meets so I will probably get back to some hand work. TSP just needs a little bit more done and I could start the pieced elements. I may do one more top before I can concentrate my efforts on TSP.

Later in the week some of the gals and I will be going to a sew-in the Friendship Quilters group is hosting. It is for 3 days but I am just going on Friday or DJ would be telling me I am "gone too much". I will give some thought to what I want to work on while there. I am leaning towards my RWB 3-D bowties that would be one of my QOV contributions.

They may still have a pile of Moda "Just One Stars" that need to be worked into tops yet. The woman in charge of the project with Friendship Quilters is a veteran. She had gotten a box of at least 200 (I could check the minutes to find out) if not more from Moda that their employees and others had made up. HERE is a link to the post where Moda mentioned a goal 1800 blocks and 100 quilts by Flag Day. The pattern is downloadable in pdf format. Apparently they also shipped a bunch of the finished blocks out for quilt groups to make MORE quilts. Hey, the deadline may be passed but it is a perfectly good pattern to use to make more QOV quilts, right?

Never any shortage of things to stitch if I feel like it, right? And sew it goes--------

a preview

2011-09-10T16:42:00.001-05:00

I had cut this kit way back in February so now it is time to get it to the flimsy stage. My notes got cold and as usual, I had over-cut the number of strips. How many of these actually needed to be sewn up??? I have not made one of these for a while so the memory needed refreshing.

Sewing strip sets is boring! But it is a necessary part of making an original version BQ quilt. (There are now 3 versions). I personally would hate to have to cut and sew each individual piece. I told Norma that as soon as I had on wider piece section done, I was going to make a test block to break things up a bit. The smaller section strips are all stitched while most of the wider ones are just pinned and ready to feed through the machine.

Now, you might be asking "BQ??? What kind of a quilt name is that?" It stands for "Big Quilt" and the pattern has directions for 18 inch finished blocks along this half sized version. In the past with the help of EQ, I have done them even smaller to accommodate whatever focus fabrics that I was using. Pattern source: Maple Island Quilts--scroll about half way down the page or do Ctrl +F and enter "BQ". I have also made the BQ2 version and actually like it a bit more than this one.

This is where I am headed with my top. The picnic themed fabric, I told you, was part of a "Pay It Forward" challenge from Over the Rainbow. The red dot was among some donation fabric that came my way from somewhere. It may well have some poly in it but I am going to use it anyway. The photo is making it look a bit more orange-y than it really is in person.

I think it will be a cute quilt for a boy or girl. That really is all that matter, isn't it?

And sew it goes---------

finished to flimsy

2011-09-09T20:09:00.003-05:00

I have been piddling with this off and all afternoon but Prairie Stroll is finished to flimsy. Woohoo!

I cut binding the same as the outer border and then changed my mind and will go with something darker. Pat, you remember that brown Ginny Beyer you sent that was "too ugly to live" or something to that effect. Yep, should be perfect for this!

And here was Skyler while we waited for "Quilt Holder". I had dug his kitty cube out of the closet and he is having the best time with it, sleeping in it and running through it at 90 miles an hour. When I laid the quilt top over the top of it, it was just too, too tempting NOT to crawl under it.

Other than that, it has been a pretty quiet day. A little hand stitching this morning, grilled out for lunch, leftovers for supper and sewing.

And sew it goes-----

WIP Thursday, wk 37

2011-09-08T14:39:00.003-05:00

A start of Prairie Stroll---roughly half of it.

In retrospect I wish I had switched the position of the two greens as the Country Threads green with print figures is a little too close in color to the Red Cardinal print (probably an old Hoffman print). Having said that, it does give it sort of "depth" to the block itself. I was NOT going to take it all apart--and that would be what it took--to fix it as the two small squares would not have been in the same position. IIWII, namely a stash quilt from donation fabric.

It is going together pretty quickly since it is just two blocks, every other one rotated in orientation. Either they didn't say or I didn't pay attention (more likely, LOL) but that top bar should have been pressed towards the rest of the block IF you have pressed the smaller rectangles away from the half 4 patch unit. Otherwise, be prepared to re-press or flip seams----ask me how I know!

I will probably get this up to borders today and do a bit more hand stitching on TSP. Meanwhile I'll consider what kit I want to dig into next. Maybe I should just open one of the drawers, dig around and whatever I pull out, is the one? I was able to pick up my Brother after its being gone for about a week for servicing and I would like to check that it is indeed up to snuff. I just opened and pulled----BQ1, it is which if part of the "Pay it Forward Challenge" offered by Over the Rainbow earlier this year.

And sew it goes------thanks for stopping by!

Silly kitty

2011-09-07T08:54:00.004-05:00

To bolster my request that these calendar quilt-lets be displayed all together pinned to the same sheet at the quilt show I laid them all out to get a measurement (40 x 60, if anyone is asking, LOL). Before I got the camera out, he had been playing with the bell on the September school house block.

Mind you, he was no where around when I started laying them out on DJ's bedroom floor! He actually left his seat on warm laundry to see what I was doing.

If you are a new reader, all these quilt-lets were my self assigned 2010 "quilt-let of the month" project. Designed by Nancy Halvorsen, featured in her book Calendar Quilts and Stitcheries. It was an evolving project in that I started with applique and then jumped to stitchery instead. I even took a brief detour on the background color for a couple of months, LOL.

Individual pictures would be scattered through out the blog in 2010 but this link will take you to close up shots of the last 5 of them, August through December. See what they look like with out the kitty parked on them, LOL. Yes, of course I was lagging behind, just like I am with the Button Ups this year; it will carry over, for sure. I DO love being able to change out the quilts for the months, holidays or special occasions!

January, HERE

February, HERE

March and April, HERE

May, June, July can be found HERE

OR they are also loaded individually in one of my facebook albums. This public link should take you to it. That might have been easier, in retrospect.
______________________________
Onward and upwards-----

I had the best night's sleep in a while last night! House was cool, the room dark and quiet without the sounds of barking dogs and cars to disturb me. Light quilt pulled up. Wonderful. This does not happen often so I can count last night as a blessing. We were pretty much stuck in the mid 50's all day yesterday and into the night. Today looks like more of the same, overcast and cool though they had predicted low 70's----you got to get rid of that cloud cover first.

I plan on a little more stitchery today on TSP. See how far I get-------and sew it goes.