Meeting date

Yesterday (Tuesday) was the Belles meeting date.   As I may have mentioned. I was going to show the girls how to use the Batting Buddy templates that went with this particular Fun & Done! quilting pattern.  I actually doubled my output over the one I produced on Saturday at the "sit and sew" event, LOL.  One more in a darker background  and I wil have enough for a grouping of 4.  Woohoo!

I have a feeling that I will end up doing a grouping of the four like sections so there is a bit more continuity.  Rein in the chaotic appearance of the Criss Cross cover quilt a bit.  I think Bev may have borrowed the template set thing but I can do without it. and use my regular ruler.  It is there for all of our use after all.   I decided yesterday that I want 505 or similar temporary batting adhesive if I am going any further with this.  Doing a sew and flip thing it would be too easy to leave a pin in the batting or sew/attempt to cut through when trimming.

Bev, Beverly and Lois all had quilts to pin.  Actually Bev had a couple of donation quilts to pin but silly me had totally forgotten that I needed to get the other half roll of batting out of our storage shed.  If I had done it while I was thinking about it, I would have had to ride around with it in the back seat of my car for two weeks.  Oops!  Since Bev's main concern should be finishing up the items she is making for Christmas gifts, I suggested she wait on those till I get the roll delivered.  Lois had just enough for her two plus some leftover that I will seam here at home for a couple of my over-sized donation tops.   Maybe next meeting.    Others in the group had other tasks keeping them busy.  Most of us left for lunch and then out to  Hobby Lobby before we headed back or towards home.

There were no finished quilts turned in so I really don't have pictures to share this time out.  Aline was kind enough to bring me some fabrics that she wanted to share for possible inclusion in my sampler quilt.  THX a bunch!  If not for this project, then surely for something down the line.  I sorted through it by color when I got home.  Those little 6 inch sampler blocks won't take a whole lot of fabric and some of these will be perfect, theme wise.

I started off my day yesterday by sewing in my p.j's till it was almost too late to get out the door---a little cherry basket that I wanted to add a handle to.  I basted that down at the meeting and finished the applique on it this morning.  As soon as I get another one finished up, I'll post the first 5.

I had asked the girls on the Farmers Wife yahoo group how they took pictures of their blocks since I could not find a spot where I could get a head-on, good light shot of the block. Not the skewed on the desk top or floor view.  A decent picture.   Later I thought I could temporarily take down a small wall hanging that is on a wire hanger and hooked over the pegs of a wooden shelf unit.  It is right across from the bedroom door and certain times of the day I have good light there.  I could rig up a plain backdrop with some fabric, maybe run a line of stitching for a pocket even.  Another suggested I just scan them----that might just work till I figure something out.

Well, something called #106 Wild Rose & Square needs my attention.  THX for stopping by.

Saturday check-in

Today is 2nd Saturday so that means Friendship Quilters guild day in the next county over.  As I think I posted last time, they had planned an rather "impromptu" 3 day sit and sew session.   We decided to just go on Saturday, more or less for the regular meeting but take our machines.  I rode over with Jane and Terry but they had a conflict in their schedule and knew they would have to cut out early for the quilt shop's Block of the Month day.  Aline hung with me to sew for a bit and I rode back with her.

So what's with the sewing machine??  Well, we have big sew-in date coming up in November.  One way that the Ways and Means committee pays for the food for the sew-in's is having raffle tables so we do this about 4 or 5 times a year.  The more money we raise, the better we eat!  Today's choices were a big surprise bag stuffed with various goodies, a q-snap floor quilting frame and this Kenmore 17921.  Judging by the styles of the sketches on the manual cover,  it is probably 70's vintage??  For a $7.00 buck investment I won the machine.   It looks like it came with a single hole needle plate which is nice.  I accidentally broke off the spool pin getting it in the sewing room (no case!)  but I don't use those ordinarily anyway since I sew with cone thread.  I'll look thru the manual later and figure out how to use it later.

I was too busy chatting with various groups prior to the  meeting that I didn't quite get over to Janice at the raffle table fast enough.  The next thing I knew the VP was off and running with show and tell (at warp speed!)  and I was supposed to be taking notes!!!  I messed up and put all of my tickets in the baskets and neglected to save the other half.  When they called out the number it hit me what I had done-----and had to go help Janice find the string of numbers I had from the "Keep this Ticket".  I swear if I had not been in such a hurry I would not have been so silly!!  BUT I was not the only one who did it either---there were about 10 other tickets in the basket that someone may or may not have kept the other half.  Sheeesh!!

I got very little production done though.  Actually 40 minutes before I was supposed to be at our meeting place to car pool (about 10-15 mins away from here)  I was still in my pj's rough cutting 8 different pink fabrics for the block you see at right.  I guess that is how you tell you are "quilt bit".

I finished cutting the wedges for the pointy blades and made the circle piece.  19 blocks are now prepped----one more and I will start sewing FWIS.

And, this is all I got done of Fun & Done!  One little block.  Could I have done it without the windowed acrylic tool?  Yes, of course, I could.    I've got rulers.  I know how to use them.   It was on the quilt group library cart and I didn't have to shell out the bucks for it.  Actually I am a hair off on one side even WITH the tool.  Not much maybe but I can see it with my naked eye.

My bloggy buddy alefthanded quilter/BOB even talked about this on her "something new" post today.  It deserves the quotes.   This is not a NEW technique at all---she did something just like it back in 95 and without the fancy-dancy (and pricey!)  windowed templates.   I remember doing a sew and flip log cabin block to some thermolam back in 88 or 89 maybe?  For a pillow top as I recall----Mom would know since she had the fabric kitted up.   Yeah, it quilts it when you sew stuff to batting.  I can also add some quilting lines if I care to.  Then I just fold the extra seam allowances once the block is joined to the one next to it to make the sashing.  It has been done.  Nothing new to see here.

She quotes me as saying "nothing is truly ever new".  Yep, I say that...... a lot.  Here is the rest of my statement on this subject.   Fabrics are often inspired by past eras.  Tools are made to make the piecing easier, tweaked, if you will.  A quilter figures out a better way and has a marketing plan.  It is still the same geometric shapes driving it all. 

I will finish this project though---pro bono quilt, after all.  Do it once and don't have to repeat it ever again if I don't want to, right?  Demo it on Tuesday to Bama Belles.  Maybe I'll more than one done that way??

Oh, I should also point out that alefthandquilter/BOB was right when she pointed out that I had flipped one of the segments of the block components in my last post.   Yep, not only was the too blendy fabric choice wrong but I had flopped the template over as well and that reversed the shape.  THX again before that became a block BOO-BOO!!  Not everyone would be willing to tell you to take a closer look but I appreciate the heads up!

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

Finally cutting FWIS

The long awaited day(s) have arrived---woohoo! I am cutting out the first blocks that will go in my Farmer's Wife Inspired Sampler (FWIS). Monday I got the fabric cutting done for the Sit and Sew project this weekend(Fun & Done! Criss Cross)---pro bono stuff. Yesterday I was patching together batting bits with what remained of my Heat Press tape to squeeze out 48--7.5 inch squares of batting. The only leftover package of the same type of batting contained enough for two Button Ups so I left it alone and prominently marked the bag!   But the best thing to me?  The decks are finally cleared enough that I can stop and do this and have a little fun sewing.  But first some prep work!

I did a little cutting for FWIS last night and resumed again this morning.  I hope to get the first 10 blocks readied and then sew them up when I have time to do so.  Maybe two a week is an achievable goal as many others have done.  Lord knows, I do not want my sewing room constantly looking like the mess it is right now!  I can't function in chaos.

I am using the Marti Michell Perfect Patchwork Template System templates for this---where I can, that is.  She has in the past sent out via email 10 different conversion charts for the 6 inch Farmer's Wife blocks using her templates and rulers.   About 10 per email every two weeks.  They are starting up another session like  now---if you are interested, let me know and I'll get the contact information for you.  Normally the instructions are grouped by template sets---like this week, you use set B.  The next one, set A.

Some blocks she cannot make those substitutions.  I am not doing all of them in the book anyway but have substituted a lot of my own choices.  I will have to skip around but have the blocks I am using highlighted when their turn comes up.  Others such as one I pulled from my Dear Jane software above----I can either cut according to EQ or know which template to substitute from another set.  BUT that block has a square in a square center---just in case I printed that much out to foundation piece if I want to.  Confused, yet??

Then there is the book to refer to but I already decided not to do them in order, 1 to 111.  First of all, I am skipping around and adding/dropping.   Second, at some point I will add the sashing and cornerstone bits so I can begin assembling the quilt in the order of my layout, row 1 to row 15, on point.  I still think I want a different container to put the envelopes that will contain the cut block, any foundation piecing bits or printouts and save this for the completed ones but it might be okay.

My notebook and road map is in the three ring binder---some of those documents I was making up to help in locating by block name, techniques I plan to use and whatever.  All the mess on my desk is taking over any available space at the moment.  The sew-in project is stacked atop the printer, waiting for Friday and/or Saturday.

And then there is fabric that I would like to use------some of the birthday stuff on top that I don't have room for until I take out what I thought I might use for cornerstones or backgrounds, that is.  I was already digging in the closet for basket fabric as the 3rd block is a Cherry Basket.  Sheila, Maggie and my mom were so helpful about sending me some so this is the perfect opportunity to include it on this project.  Also in the same container is fabric that once belonged to my dear friend Theramae.  While I am going for a vintage feel, some of this might actually BE vintage or reads as it anyway.

This is the "vibe" I am going for anyway---the aquas, reds, clear blue, even the grays with yellow and pink, etc.  I think some of the fabric is feed sacks---and I have those.  I don't know if I caught the navy blue bowtie in this angle or not but it has that stylized ribbon shape used for breast cancer awareness/quilt for the cure deal.  Nothing is ever truly new, is it??

And this is where I am headed-----though it has been tweaked several times since then!  A few blocks swapped in location and possibly a few more added---or not!  

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One last thing----I figured out what was making my B button and nav bar disappear though I certainly appreciated the suggestions several of you made!  You could see it on YOUR end but not mine.  I could not see it on YOURS either.  Finally it occurred to  me that my "do not track plus" button was interferring.  I knew I was on the right track when I uninstalled it.  Re-install it?  Gone again.  I just needed to allow my own blog and those of others that I would search.   (alefthandedquilter/BOB recently suggested I look for other past versions of a few of her tops to see the different colorways, for example.)  If you are interested in using the free software, here is the link  http://www.abine.com/dntdetail.php  but know it might not allow something you DID need, LOL.

Okay, almost time for lunch and I have a few side setting triangles for that square in a square section of the block that is in row 2, block 3.    And sew it goes---------

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.

where to start?

Well, my Farmers Wife Inspired Sampler (FWIS) is still waiting for me to get to cutting.   At this point I can just about say it is not going to happen today either.  It is mid- afternoon and I promised DJ I would make some pizza for supper, meaning I'll be measuring out flour and trying to get the water temp up to make dough in a hour or so.  Cutting and this project was at the top of the quilting "to-do" list.   I want to do it but there are always obstacles to that plan. Piles of quilting, QOVs, something else.

Yesterday turned out to be paperwork day.  Quilt show entries, balance the checking account.  Take care of something for one of the Belles.  Mailings to prepare.  Couple errands to run.  No sewing, in other words.   I kept busy clear up till 2030.  Made a good dinner too.

Today, I've been up since 6 so you would think I would have more done.  The laundry is done.  Some minor household tasks are done.  More should be done, LOL but I don't live to clean.  Work on a handout was hampered by the fact that I either totally forgot how to do an exploded diagram and/or draw and color in simple shapes.   OR EQ whatever version doesn't want to play nice with Word 97-2003.  Where's those manuals when you need them!?  I got it finished up but not quite like I originally envisioned.  Downloaded some patterns and found something that might work for some Western themed fabric from the donation bin.  The link HERE will take you to EE Schenck and the free pattern site---take a look at one of the last ones "Galaxy Bunkhouse Blanket".  ( It is a pdf so I don't want to link to it directly).

One of today's tasks was to bag up all my show entries in their own individually labeled pillowcases.  New twist this year, all the contact information along with the name of the quilt.   Whatever!  I am not going to write all that info on a pillow case that I might actually use.   Take that back---this one isn't bagged as I am finally going to quilt around those watermelon seeds since I found the black quilting thread and dredge up a bead for the crow's eye.   Put that on the list of quilting "to-do's".

Oh, and see that document hanging off the bookshelf in the sleeve protector?  That is the Friendship Guild BOM.  We are having a rather impromptu sit and
sew on Thursday, Friday and meeting day Saturday next week---6th, 7th and 8th.  The days are supposed to be devoted to UFOs and comfort quilts.  I could cut out the blocks for the BOM and use them for one of my pro bonos for guild.  Or not, LOL.  I kind of like the blocks but I have another BOM up on the sewing room shelf that could be used too---already kitted up.  Now that one is really a UFO too.

And then there is this-----I was looking for the Batting Buddy templates that had been at the meeting site.  (Linda C left the batting template and the 4 patch on point pattern "Chit Chat" when she moved)  A couple months back Bev had asked for some help in figuring out the "Criss Cross"  pattern using the Fun and Done! Quilting technique from Prairie Sky Quilting.  Take a look as they have whole bunch of patterns that use this technique.   I was busy at the time but I did intend to get back to it and possibly demo it.   The others would probably be interested in seeing it as well.  Brenda had the template set as they had done this at another area quilt guild but I don't know that she took the class.    That was fine!  That is why we have a library cart in the first place---to share stuff  we no longer want or need but she thought I needed it back right away. I didn't and tried to tell her to keep it as long as she needed to.  She insisted that she was not ready to start her project.

Now I really do need to try it before the next meeting, LOL---the 11th.   The fabric on the right---the 4 fat quarters were what I pulled from the birthday bag at Friendship Quilters.  I like them but not really my palette of colors.  Then there is the stack of fabric to the left.  Marilyn gave me large pieces to use possibly for backs but there is some smaller pieces that I think were some of Linda C's leftovers.  I also have some olive-y greens that would work with it and can dig in my stash for others that might go with this.  Maybe for a more masculine appearing quilt or a fall flavored one.  Or it could possibly be my "sit and sew" project---kill two birds with one stone??   I am leaning towards that idea once I review the fabric requirements for a lap or crib sized project.

And sew it goes---------I do think I better quilt the watermelon seeds first though so I can put the quilt show entry deal behind me.  FWIS waited this long so what is another day.... or 5?  Grab the bags and go---and take them to Jane's or Betsy's next week or however they want to handle it.  I am going for set up but that might fit into the chair's plans.

The other change over the usual routine with the Gadsden show is that the quilts have to be turned in on the 10th about 11 days prior to the event.  Even  hanging sleeves are required, people still don't get the message.  It takes too much time to get the temporary ones pinned on when the guys are up on the ladders waiting for the quilts.  Jane said they were going to address the "sleeveless ones" at their meeting on the 11th and eliminate the last minute scrambling.  Still, it would be helpful if the quilters would bother to follow the directions.  Even more,  the chair person could stuck to his guns about "hanging (the ones) without sleeves at the show chair person's discretion".   I am afraid I would be a hard a** about it and say "no sleeve, no hang" but that is only because I have been one of the volunteers having to break my back bent over the table doing what they should have done in the first place!!   Did I say that I don't even belong to this guild but go to help them as they have a bunch of elderly members that physically can't help??

Auburn starts off its football season at 6 tonight on ESPN and Alabama plays Michigan at 7 on the ABC affiliate.   I had to laugh yesterday when I was in Walmart after ink cartridges.  Hard to print up hand outs and quilt show entry forms without that!  Right across from electronics they had a huge display of Alabama t-shirts and other items.  I said aloud "hey where is the Auburn stuff?"  thinking equal representation, right?  Lady going by with her cart dressed in black and it turns out red and white too says "they must have tossed it out".  Guy with her has a U of A cap on and grinned when she said that.  Never did see the AU stuff.   Actually DJ and I tend to cheer on both teams till they have to play each other.  We are not from here originally so we didn't have to declare allegiance at birth, LOL.  Truthfully, I do happen to have Alabama championship 2011 checks but that is more because they were cheaper than the others when I changed my account.

And for those wondering how we fared in my area--Isaac went so far to the west that we only got a 3/4 inch of rain at our house.  While overcast for days, no further rain.  It is back to being more humid than it had been----ugh!  I guess by now he is spreading joy up in the Midwest.

Well there is no shortage of things I should/would/could be doing---see what shakes out and what can be crossed off my list.  I hope you all have a safe holiday weekend.

Doesn't take much.............

..............to make me happy, LOL.   Remember my saying that my 2 1/2 inch fabric bin was looking a little sparse after a couple of group sew-in's?  I also had raided some of the strips to toss into PopStix.   At one point this thing was so full I could barely keep the lid on it.

Well, Lois reads my blog and came to the meeting today with a pile of 2 1/2 inch strips and said that she hoped she was not too late.   Ahhh even if I was a done with my top, there are lots of other projects that call for 2 1/2 inchers!  Album block is one of them that is in the "has been set aside" category.  Each of the PopStix blocks takes 14 different strips, or it does in my version anyway.  Since I am down to the last 3 blocks at this writing, it seems that the bits that I do have pieced contain all the same pieces.  :-( and then I gotta un-sew more than sew.  SO I pulled out about 16 bits that are NOT in my quilt and when combined and strategically placed, it should be fine.   WOOHOO!

Also there were some really pretty browns, neutrals, tans, etc that would look great as a log cabin block(s) especially when combined with already existing stash fabrics.  I grouped them together when I put them in the bin.   Two other strips may make it into my Farmer's Wife Inspired Sampler that I am getting every more closer to starting.  WOOHOO again!

Oh, Lois also had a whole container of half square triangles, possibly the cutaways from other projects. Bev took those off her hands!   Brenda relieved her of some blue and white bits---little flying geese pieces or star points it looked like.  I told Lois that passing on your stuff to other quilting friends is STILL stash busting since it is not living at your house.  It certainly makes both parties happy, like it did me!

Here is the other thing that makes me smile-----abandoned blocks. Marilyn brought them to me and some of them will combine with the ones I have from mom, her friend Linda H. and my own set aside bits and pieces.    That one has a more pastel, country feel so a few of these will probably have to go to another project.  I think there are a few more dresden plate blocks at her mom's that I just need to pick up that Marilyn said were lighter in color.  (One of those butterflies needs a body!).  I found two more blocks that I had stuck in my embroidery bag---another butterfly and one called "Bed of Roses".  I'm tired so I do not want to take throw them all back down on the floor to take another picture.  Maybe when I post a quilt finish, or the donation quilts but not now-------

I'll write more about today's meeting later.  After all, I have donation quilts pictures to show you.  I don't know why but I could not keep track my camera at all today, LOL.   Somehow in spite of my being a bit scattered I managed to take them.    I didn't get a lick of embroidery done today but that's okay.

I was looking for something on the library cart and found some patterns that needed to be put in the notebooks.   This cute owl quilt was one of the loose patterns, hiding in the stacks of books.   Owls are so "in" these days!  BUT guess what----pattern is from 1985 and get this, cost 2.50 from wherever the person who donated it found it.   Nothing is every truly ever "new".   I would want to make it not square if I try it.  (Kids aren't square after all!).  It turned out the thing I was looking for was out with one of the other gals---which is fine!  I was going to try that "Fun and Done" deal that Bev needed help with but it can wait.

I've just been following up on things from the meeting since I got home.  It was a rainy day due to the effects of Isaac but no wind problems or tornado watches or warnings. Thankfully!  Of course, I hope whatever he does down in southern AL, MS and LA especially is minimal.  7 yrs since the disaster that was Katrina ---a hard thing to recover from.

Well provided we don't lose power tomorrow,  I believe I will get that quilt top done!  That's my goal anyway.  Later--------