Saturday sewing

A little more progress had been made on the Criss Cross quilt.  The two block components I wanted to add to get to the half way point were pieced with just sashing bits to go. 

Then I added some sashing bits to the left hand side of the block---that didn't need left handed sashing.  Only the first block in the row gets those.   That was last night.  I was tired, it was late and just quit.

Then today---I took off the part I goofed up, patched up the seams and promptly sewed the block on---to the wrong side and rotated a quarter turn clockwise. I meant half way horizontally, not vertically, LOL.   I was beginning to think that sewing was not meant to be on today's schedule.

If you are going to sew, you have to be ready to unsew as mistakes will be made.  I got it straightened out and the last block added in so I am officially half done with this.

Not entirely sure that I like it but you know what?  It will NOT be living at my house when it is done. Maybe one of the teens at Gene's Ogden House project will be the beneficiary of this one?   I am half done and the rest of the colors will blend in with these choices as I know there are couple more gold to mustard colored ones, more of the rusty red too. 

As part of my Christmas gift from my husband, I had ordered a walking foot for the Kenmore electronic machine.  It arrived yesterday and I am going to test it out but nor more sewing for the day.  I had promised myself that I would do some redwork (blackwork, greenwork, whatever color floss I am working in, LOL) on Saturday's.  I'll be pulling that out of its tote bag shortly after play time with the machine.

Nothing else to report, I guess.  I hope YOU have had a good day creatively-------

Thursday check-in

When I left off on New Year's Day, I talked about the old quilt list adage about what you do on NYD, you will do all year long.  I am striving for a balance in the aspects of my creative life so I did a little bit of everything.

So I knit----and did a little bit on hat number #2 out of this Mexicana yarn.

I finished all but the gathering yesterday on a run over to Springville with Aline and Jane to deliver a couple quilts to one of the gals from Friendship Quilters that does long arm quilting.  It looked like I had a bit more yarn leftover than usual (change in the needle size) so I started hat #3 casting on as we were about home.  I posed the question on FB about  how far I might get that ball I rolled up.  A pal offered to send me some of her leftover yarn the same color if I didn't have enough to finish the job.  But it's done too, LOL.  Started another more girlie looking one.

Tuesday also found me putting a few more stitches in "Witches Hooray" from Bird Brain Designs.  This is supposed to be a table runner but I am going to use it in my Halloween row quilt. 

Then I pulled out the hand quilting----this design is also from Bird Brain Designs called "Here Comes Santa".  I love hand quilting and I don't know why I don't make more of a point to do it especially since I would love this to be hung above my bed next Christmas.  It would make a nice quilt show entry as well.  My plan is to hand quilt on Sunday afternoons-----then I will be able to put a little time in towards getting this done and have a more laid back day.  Maybe work on my embroidery on Saturdays.  Unless I am on some sort of deadline or push on a sewing project I think I can make that happen.

Next up was a few blocks of the re-sized Patience Corner blocks that I am going to use for Allison's tree skirt.  I KNOW for sure now that I am on the right track and she saw the pic I posted on facebook---and loves it.  That blend of traditional and non-traditional holiday colors will be fine. 

Finally I got another block of the Criss Cross quilt foundation pieced.   That one with the red half square triangles in the middle and started sashing some of the blocks.  Today I got the top row joined and that lonely block in the 2nd row.   I was trying to get a picture taken so I can post it to the Wrap Them yahoo group or point them over here.  BUT look who had to come in and see what was going on!  When I pulled out the camera he was sitting in the upper left corner but then decided to try crawling under it.  The colors are way off---that brown is more a milk chocolate color and the greens are brighter. 

So here is the official shot once he decided he was tired of that, LOL.   I am going to foundation piece and sash two more blocks to get this to the half done point and then put it up and get back to the Christmas tree skirt(s).  I can work on this at the Belles' meeting next week if I want to haul my machine.   Ignore the filthy floor!  You know what a mess it is pulling paper when you foundation piece even though the newsprint sheets from Dick Blick come out pretty easily.  ( Get it by the ream, 8 1/2 x 11 sheets that I can put through the printer and use my EQ project files.)

And sew it goes----just like that it is time to go fix supper. 

Tuesday check in

 Another day almost gone----another day closer to Thanksgiving day. This year has seemed to go by so quickly when you look back.

So what have I been doing with myself other than obviously NOT posting?  Well, Friday I was off to the Friendship Quilter's last sew-in of the year.  I thought that two of the Calhoun County contingent would be riding along with me but it ended up just being me.  At left was my project of choice----Fun and Done! Criss Cross.  I had started this a few months back but I only got three sections done and decided that I hate the technique.  I do NOT want to do a whole quilt this way but I am not going to waste the fabric that I had already cut.  I took those apart and will pass the batting square on to Teresa who likes to do rag quilts.

I could see that each of the segments in Criss Cross (above) was 1/4 of a larger block called The Priscilla  Brackman #2975.  I plan to use it in my Farmers Wife Inspired Sampler (FWIS) because my dad had wanted to name me Priscilla but mom put the kibosh on that---obviously!  The sampler uses 6 inch blocks so it was easy to see where I needed to make my angled line in EQ to maintain that cone shape.  Figuring that it would be easier to foundation piece the block sections since the fabrics were already rough cut, I printed off a "bazillion" of them before I left for Pell City.

I can still use the backing fabric that I had cut but now it will act like sashing between the block sections.  I had decided too that I did not like the randomly placed segments of color and would go with a positive-negative thing with the backgrounds---that is how it was cut out but maintain the same three colors in a block format.   Other than unpacking my supplies this as far as I got on Friday.  I had taken the "Tons of Black" Challenge kit with me but did not touch it-----I STILL haven't touched it unless you count moving it from spot to spot in the room, LOL.  Nothing on my list got gone last week---nothing!

Saturday, I had decided to a "pay it back" day and worked on more of the potholders for the 4-H project sewing up all the leftover ones they had cut out and paired up with batting.  The others had done theirs on Thursday so they could play the other two days.  They were out of hanging loops too---so I made a pile of those before I started sewing from the odd bits of muslin left from cutting the muslin strips.  Shelia said that they had about 700 done now with about 200 more needed by mid January.  Not panicking yet or asking folks to do "homework"

Sunday and Monday I was back to embroidering-----turns out my contribution to the president's quilt was misplaced.  The organizer looked but was not able to come up with it.  I had said that I would just put it in high gear and stitch another one.  I met her this morning for the hand off .Since we were down in Oxford, we ran over to Hobby Lobby.  A couple more skeins of yarn followed me home---for kids' hats.  I had several other stops to make along the way today.   It was a great day to be out with picture perfect weather, the leaves are still out a good bit too making the running around pleasant to look at. 

I had decided to try knitting the 6th (or is it 7th?) hat on double point needles to avoid anyone having to seam them up---not my favorite part and in fact, I mailed what I had done to Cindy un-sewn.  I told her I was going to do that though, LOL.   It was working out okay but I did not have any double point needles over size 9 for when I switch from ribbing to the stockinette part of the hat.  Oh I have double points just short ones and not 10 and up.   I did find a set of  75--5 for each size US 0-15 in the 8 inch length, bamboo at amazon.com for 20 bucks, 40 bucks off and ordered it.  It can be part of my Christmas present from DJ.  Between my circular needle set and these I should be set for life in the knitting department.

My Christmas Patience Corner was waiting for me when I got home on Saturday.  Woohoo!  I will get to it in a day or two but first I need to press the binding.  I don't know how well you can see the  those neat swirls Norma used to quilt it.  I used backing fabric from Connecting Threads in a snowflake pattern so that might be obscuring the quilting a bit from this angle. ( Pictures of the front side are in the last post.

What else is coming up?  Aline has a quilt that her sister made that I will quilt for them.  I say "them"  because Aline had pieced a flying geese pattern for the outer border. I may be wrong but I think this might be her sister's first quilt?  You'll see it soon enough, LOL.   We will probably pin it next week at Belles.  It will need tending fairly early on so they will have it and the binding done in time for Christmas.  It will need to be mailed to Rhode Island too. 

Other than that I plan to at least work on the strip sets on my challenge piece tomorrow.  DJ has a pair of pants tossed over the machine that I need to do a little minor repair on.  The Christmas quilt binding after that.   I found a pattern for a tree skirt today.  Actually I bought this one Mc Call's 3777 at Hobby Lobby today but I really liked the scallop shape and the loop and button closure better on McCalls 6453 instead.  They did not have it in stock but I found it from an alternative location.  I believe that this will work well for Allison's crazy patch piece rather than the vague directions to piece 44 inches square and then have to draw off the shape with a string and pencil.  Knowing me, that is a recipe for disaster.  Piece the petals---better plan.  She is not expecting this to be done in time for decorating this year though who knows?

Thanksgiving will not be a big deal for DJ and I.  Not going anywhere.  I make turkey breast dinners for him fairly often so the only thing I have to do ahead is make a pumpkin pie using a " no bake " recipe.  Easy peasy.  Still will have time to sew----or chat with Norma like I did this afternoon, LOL.  No ambition on my return home, sorry to say.  The only creative thing I did today other than cooking supper was try to re-string one of Skyler's cat toys since I remembered to get some corded elastic.  Then could not find the little toy that went on the end of it.  I used something else but it is a good bit heavier.  Actually I think monkey boy may have run off with my Black and Decker steamer instructions!  I wasted more time today looking for both of those things.  That's what I get for taking things down from the refrigerator!!!

DJ has most of the cabinet doors on the upper part done and re-hung.  I was just holding the trouble light up so he could do so on the two in the corner----not an easy spot to work in by any means.  That just leaves the 4 small doors---above the door and the fridge.  What do you think??  Ignore the dirty dishes---someone by the name of Linda still needs to wash the wok, LOL.  That and the sweet and sour sauce boiled over on the burner so I need to get that sticky mess deal with too---ugh.

 And see who want to play??  Wild kitty on the loose.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

off on another tangent?

I don't know who's bright idea it was to hand quilt around 29 water melon seeds (that's a lie----it was me, only me). Other than pulling fabrics for another project that is all I got done in the creative department yesterday. UGH! This was just not an enjoyable process and took way longer than it should have because the backing was hard to needle and pull the quilters' knot through.  When sewing a bead on the blackbird for the eye was the easiest part of the job, then you know it is not going to be much fun.  I am done now and the last of the quilt show entries is labeled, in the pillow case and waiting on quilt pick up or deliver to a Gadsden Quilt Guild member (Click on the tab for 2012 finishes or see THIS POST for the August Button Up if you don't know what I am talking about)

Do not get me wrong though. I love to hand quilt---always have and always will, way more than machine quilting. I machine quilt out of necessity, if I ever want to get something done in this lifetime. Some of the old projects that have gotten done 10 and 12 years later would still be waiting.  My old row robin is a perfect example of waiting "forever"  Or Pioneer Sampler---6 years later from top to quilt.   The list goes on.

I was debating the other day of how many more of these Button Ups I might do.  LOL, I have 7 of them entered in the show leaving three others at home.  Now that I finished the row robin (and it fits on the base) summer is covered.  January through April are completed.  Other than a Thanksgiving turkey,  the fall season is lacking in representation.  I want to do the May basket one and the October one since it could be hung for Halloween---black cat and pumpkin.   Or maybe got for the "Happy Halloween" one instead since I like it better??  Then I am considering doing a multi-purpose fall one but will need to bump up the width from 18 inches to 22 inches to fit the base.  Joined at the Hip's book Folk Art Favorites has a Harvest Door Banner that has really caught my eye and has both a sunflower and a pumpkin eliminating the need for a September sunflower Button Up and a November pumpkins Button Up.    I can totally see me doing that towards the end of the month!

I mentioned the "Fun and Done!" Criss Cross pattern in a recent post.  It just hit me that the guild's "impromptu" Sit and Sew is THIS week----just days away.  I have to get to cutting it out IF I plan on working on this project at that time.  I want to demo it at Belles on the 11th as well---- double whammy.  and I am off on another tangent.

Yesterday I pulled a bunch of the fabrics that might work in it, including the fat quarters from the guild birthday draw.  Some donation fabrics and some that have been around for quilt a while may have found a home. That chocolate with olive green vine will be the backing and the folded over sashing bits.   I have also pulled the batting bits from the closet after the picture was taken.  You can use fat quarters or quarter yard cuts for this.  I am not entirely sure what all these cuts are but they say to pair them up in pleasing combinations with both of them right sides up and then cut the rectangles as listed in the pattern.   I'll have to press them at some point.  I've read the pattern through about 3 times now so I know where I am headed with it.  I've got a new blade in the rotary cutter.  You know what today's goals are, don't you?

I could also go get groceries but I am apt to procrastinate that for another day since I do have something I can fix for supper.  We are not out of anything that we can't do without either.  What's another day?  It is quite overcast this morning and we did have some rain during the night.  DJ said 3/4 inch, according to our gauge.  Stay home and off the roads.

The holiday weekend will make it confusing as to what day it was.  DJ and I both felt like yesterday was Monday.  Now today it IS Monday but it will seem like a Sunday as nothing is open and the mail won't come.  Makes me wonder what day Tuesday will feel like---back to Monday again??  LOL.  I hope those traveling for the last summer blow out will have a safe trip home.