Choices

What do I want to work on today? There are no shortage of choices!  I did get a few things done since I last posted.  Mending job is done, carrot tops appliqued.  The Farmer's Wife Sampler block drawing project is done. I even have that to  "the quilt top stage" though I will probably keep tweaking it.  Some of those blocks just don't look right on point---sorry!

So do I---------

QUILT?  I got these pinned on Tuesday evening but haven't started doing the honors yet.  I could also put the binding on my 76 Bow tie QOV for some next week meeting(s) hand work.

CUT?  Friendship Quilters is having a sew-in April 12-14.  I have tons of things kitted up that I could sew on but there is also a class on making a purse that has straps that would convert it to a backpack.  I've got the cutting direction posted above the cutting/pressing table but still need to pull fabric.  I know it means a run for either Decor-Bond or heavy duty interfacing as I only have the lightweight variety on hand.  The supply list also asks for two zippers and D rings, which I may or may not have.

FINISH CUTTING?  Cher's bday is coming up and the FABS did not get to sew on her special day as the rest of us did once the cycle was complete.  Instead, she had sent each of us a panel piece "Nature's Symphony" from the 2011 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.  (Scroll down a bit to see the panel)  This was to be a challenge piece but we never really got it scheduled.  We are shooting for later in the month.

I know what I am going to do. I even purchased most of the fabrics last year with birthday money the Bama Belles and my husband had given me.  (THX again to all of you!)   I need just a tad more since my plan changed slightly but I cut up the panel that I must use.  Some of it must show up somewhere in the piece, in some fashion.  A little drawing in EQ verified how to proceed, once the order arrives.   But I could do some cutting in the meantime and get things kitted up for the sewing day.  I think Cher said we can get started sewing too if we want.  We just want a day or a few hours of sewing together and chatting!

SEW?   Some questions have arisen from a couple of the Belles about how to mark cross hatching for quilting as well as how to use bias press bars.  The two items are sort of related.  I have a basket block cut out that will either go on my Katrinka Designs "Multi-Seasonal Calendar Quilt" to cover May OR become part of a Basket Sampler since I have some fabrics friends have sent me.  Either way, this thing needs a curved handle and I need a demo piece for our meeting next week.   I spent some time yesterday preparing some hand outs and other general reference material that I think would be helpful.

APPLIQUE?  Well, there is always this one.  I piddle with it off and on since I am doing the April button up by hand.   It would be faster to just give up and machine button hole it but I have gone this far with it with only the letters fused down.  I did one raindrop last night and part of another before I packed it in----wooooo.

Chances are, I will go with a combination of things.  It may take longer to get something done but I don't get bored with any one thing.   My inclination is to do the little basket block first though.   BUT first, a foray to the kitchen.  I need to make a seafood pasta salad that will be our supper tonight and Skyler is parked by the keyboard waiting for me to give him a treat bite and/or play with him.

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

some progress

 This morning shows me prepping carrots.  No, not for eating though I toyed with the idea of making some carrot raisin salad yesterday when I bought a two lb. bag of real carrots, from Georgia even!  These go to the base part of the March Button Up.  I think mine are going to have slightly blunter tips on them as I am having problems with knowing how close to trim/clip or cut fabric out of that area.

I don't needle turn so freezer paper, modified yo yo over templar and fusibles, it is for this girl.

I ended up doing some hand applique on the basket elements and the bunny tail.  I had a nice turned edge for the bias cut basket handle, basket trim and all the eggs shapes so why not.  I won't need to do much button hold applique this time out especially if I ditch the lettering.  Just the nose and carrot tops would require it.
I did prep the nose and ear accents last night but didn't baste them down yet so the bunny still looks a little blah----but he's getting there!

Thanks again to pals Sheila for the basket fabric and Maggie for the bright yellow rick rack that will serve as bunny whiskers!  Hopefully the yard of brown plaid I ordered will show up before too long and I can complete the bottom part.  I see machine quilting on the horizon.   Who knows?  Maybe this WILL be up for Easter after all!

I've got a few errands to run and the laundry is started.  Still a lot of day ahead of me to do bunny ears.  My primary objective this afternoon is to get the trunk of my car emptied out a bit so I can load up the quilts I will be delivering to the Talledega Presbyterian Home for Children.  There is stuff that needs to go to the recycle center in there now and that is easily delivered.

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

some progress

Shortly after I posted on Thursday, my friend Nancy came by to pick up the borders and binding I had cut for her Civil war quilt. Her friend Shawnee was with her. I had met her recently at one of our quilt meetings last month so it was fine to have unexpected guest. For the 2nd time this week, someone wanted to see my quilts, particularly the 30's ones! My friend Teresa was over on Tuesday and wanted to see my stuff too. I obliged---on both counts, LOL.

I knew Nancy was a real animal lover so I pulled out my Amy Bradley Kitty City quilt and her Dazzling Dog blocks that haven't made it into a quilt --yet. Also, like me, they both do "redwork" so I showed them my Bird Brain Santa's too but I forgot about the calendar cat top in the closet. They might have been on quilt overload by that point anyway. Even I was! Of course, not all my quilts were made by ME personally. My mom is responsible for a few of them too.

I don't know how well you can see it in the picture above but I did get most of the Overall Bill button hole applique done yesterday. Just the fish still needs to be stitched down along with a few accent buttons. I'll use some black perle cotton and hand embroider the fishing pole and black floss for the line and hook.

BUT, and you knew there was a "but" with me, one of the things on my quilting "to do" list was to pre-wash the most recent patriotic fabric acquistions. It evolved and I ended up just washing the whole lot of it-- crammed in a 20 qt tote's worth. My mom had given a good bit of this stuff some time back and she probably DID pre-wash and press it. Me, anymore I don't. This is red and blue though and notorious for bleeding so an exception had to be made.

Shown to the right is the pile of fats and such that I washed and pressed yesterday till my back was begging me to "sit down, will ya??" I take that back, that pile of lighter blue stars that I am not sure where it came from is cut into approximately 16 inch squares. While the Cardinals and Cubs played ball last night, I pressed all that blue stuff and the smaller pieces I had washed in an lingerie bag--- while seated, LOL. (Cards won, thanks to good starting pitching from our new to us starter Edwin Jackson and Albert Pujols got his 1999 and 2000 hit, both doubles.)

Here is the pile I had to press this morning. 1 yard and longer pieces. Two fans blowing, the thermostat reads 81 in the hallway and I am standing over a stinkin' steam iron. HOT, HOT, HOT! I have been growing my hair out for about a year now and thank goodness, the top and sides are long enough to yank up and out of my face now, just sayin'!

And, here we are---I've been up since 615 so that job is done and packed up for now. (Yes, the lid does close. ) I want to cut some of this for my birthday party project, the red for knots on QOV bowties but just not today. Button hole applique needs done first. On the list, finish the Overall Bill above, do the other one and their hand embroidery, then it is "Summer" and the July Button Up--last seen HERE waiting for the last two weeks.

I did do a bit of the embroidery on "Biscuits and Honey" basket block as I planned but detoured slightly when I swapped out the July wall hangings for August's. This was the only one that I did not fix the tabs on when I did the other 11. Now they all can be snapped on and off the closed hanger rather than sewing them on! I finally wised up, LOL. (shown, Nancy Halvorsen's July "Be Attitudes" quiltlet)

Have a good weekend and thanks for stopping by!

a little progress?

In the past days I have gotten a little bit more done in several areas.

I almost have 4 blocks completely hand quilted on the Bird Brain Santa. I am still looking for a cable idea for the sashing and have a few on order that MIGHT work. I think it needs something more than in the ditch. I did check in my inventory at home and have one that may be more in keeping with what I am visualizing though. I have NOT looked in any of my quilting motif books yet either.



Next we have most of the flower stems hand appliqued down on this project---the one on the extreme left is only partially stitched. Note: this is April's quilt of the month of the Joined at the Hip Button Up. I am so far behind since I elected to go with hand work. Oh well, that is why the" Welcome" one is done and hanging. I am considering jumping ahead to July since I so far behind and catch finish this up more at my leisure. Actually if you leave off the July wording, this one would work for any of the patriotic US holidays. HMMMM

I am also thinking that I should pull the stuff for the "In Seasons" Summer wall hanging. DJ even was commenting on the fact that the one hanging says "Spring" but it sure feels like Summer is here with a vengeance. Not by the calendar of course but tell that to the jet stream, LOL. I am drawn more to THAT than what I was working on yesterday though. Maybe it will get me out of my doldrums a bit?? I can hope.


This was what I was piddling with yesterday but did not get too far. I am using the Puss in the Corner method from Billie Lauder's Quick Quilt Tricks book #2 for this. This is not what she calls it, however; "Four = Nine Uneven Nine Patch " is its name in the book. Anyway, you start with a big 4 patch to make the finished block. This is part of my scrap bag challenge for the quilt group. One of many kits and a few started projects in that area.

I was going to cut some 6 1/2 inch blue blocks and try the disappearing 4 patch blocks that my pal Pat had featured on her blog but have not done it yet. I was thinking that they might work for a veteran's home quilt. Just two colors like hers shown HERE --classic look, don't you think? So striking in the green fabric she chose making me wonder why they all insist on RWB or service related colors. Shades of blue might work for the Air Force folks though. HMMM again.

I took this bit of embroidery with me on my trip last month but barely touched it. It was a fast trip and I really did not have a lot of time to just sit and stitch plus we were sharing driving duties in order to get up there and back in one day. It is the Button basket block from Bee Tree Designs. Scroll back to previous post to find the link from the Flickr page if you want it. (Being lazy, LOL) There is a ton of stitching on this thing and I think the next one, honey and biscuits, is a similar situation! But I am liking how the green floss looks. This will be my meeting project. I have quilt guild coming up this Saturday and a Belle's gathering on Tuesday.



And here is the other thing I have been doing---reading. Some days, it is all I can do to look at the local newspaper but I enjoy reading. It reminds me of when I was a kid and we used to head up to the town library almost daily in the sumer to check out some books, read them and head back to get another stack. Some of these, my mom just sent back with me and a couple I had on my shelves. I finished up the Kristin Hannah book last evening and started on 3 Nights in August right after that. The next thing I knew it was almost midnight and Skyler has been waking me up around 5:30 in the morning. Short nights!

Normally I prefer fictional works but this book written by Buzz Bissinger, the same guy who wrote Friday Night Lights is an interesting account of Tony LaRussa and managing the St. Louis Cardinals. Since I often wonder why they make the moves they do in the course of the game, it ia enlightening. Actually I remember the 3 games the title refers to--classic Cubs/Cardinal series played in STL. Since it was written back in 2005 and the events took place in August of 2003, you see the turnover in position players and pitchers. I would have to visit the MLB site to even know if some of these guys are still in baseball or when others began their time with the team. Chris Carpenter and Albert Pujols might be the only holdovers that spring to mind.

And so it goes----not getting much done but doing what I want to do even if I still feel like I am in a slump. Hope you are having a good day and thanks for stopping by

try this again---midweek post

After two days of rain, the sun is finally out though some dark clouds persist. Parts of the state did have flooding, flash flooding and tornado warnings yesterday so it could have been much worse. Some wind damage down along the I-20 corridor in the south end of the county, the paper said. Boy, is the wind whipping around out there today! I know it is nature’s way of drying things up but it is howling. I don’t remember it ever being this windy even when we had the effects of Hurricane Katrina this far north. If I were Skyler, I would be hiding under the bed or something by now.

The picture was taken through his cube as we were playing this morning. (ed note: I just plain cannot get this picture to load!! Grrrrrr and what's more I am giving up trying--maybe later then) Sometimes we put his warming mat up against it to make a longer tunnel and he shoots through there and back at about 90 miles an hour. Usually there is a mouse or too in the cube or near it. There is a pocket on the bottom of the cube, just under the sheepskin fleece that holds catnap but I believe he is one of those cats who has no effect from it. (Pippi and Tyson definitely were) His routine at the moment is to nap in the cube for several hours after supper till he migrates to either the recliner with DJ or hogs the love seat till DJ heads to bed.

I am still working on the machine applique on my FAB project—well not this minute, I’m obviously typing and on the computer. One last segment to complete and then I can get ready to quilt said project. I got quite a bit of the work done yesterday while I listened to "Dewey" on audiotape. Cute story about Dewey Readmore Books, the Spencer, IA library cat. I got up to the point where Dewey's health is failing at age 18-19 and it sounded so much like my Pippi's situation that I didn't think I could handle it and shut it off. I will finish listening to it at some point but yesterday was not a good day for that. Tears, machine stitching, not a good mix. Anyway, I’m afraid I won’t have anything "quilty" to show you till the reveal in early February on that score. The Belles meet in a week so that might be my only hope for quilt pictures since I am not sewing anything else. (Red work doesn’t count.)

I got lucky on my thread run on Monday. I had 2 definite shops that I was going to try---Hobby Lobby was one but it is a good 14 miles or so from my house at the Oxford Exchange. Maybe the Discount Fabrics place out on US 78 would have what I needed? Just about as far away but on the way to Hobby Lobby. One of my girlfriends said that they carried off brand stuff but I could look. The one and only quilt shop was just down the road from that discount store. I don’t know what they have in the way of thread but the shop used to be an heirloom sewing place—only been in there once since it opened. Another option was the thread box at our meeting place. All those locations were within a mile or so of each other and I would go if if had to. Another option in the back of my mind was to mail the two spools to my mom and ask her to make a Joann’s or Hancock’s run. (You are off the hook, Mom but thanks for offering!)

As I hit town, I thought I would stop by a store that sells mainly upholstery fabrics though some other stuff as well and gardening stuff just on the off chance that they had thread. I had only been in there once in the 11 years I have lived here. I honestly did not remember what they had in the way of sewing notions. I was able to match the rust colored thread exactly. A gold they had was a better choice that what I had. Woohoo!

I practiced some bread baking again this morning—Onion and Herb Focaccia from Prepared Pantry. I had initially thought that I might use it for our lunch sandwiches as the bread but it was not done in time. Mine did not look as pretty as theirs. Sorry, no picture as I cut into it before I thought about it. My plastic wrap stuck to it as it was rising. Maybe Press and Seal is not exactly what they meant by plastic wrap in the first place. My fingers did not leave the nice dimples that they had in the picture but looks were not everything. It was tasty! Nothing like warm bread from the oven. The instructions say that you could use this for a thicker pizza dough or even breadsticks so I might do that with the 2nd mix down the line. I put most of it in the freezer once it cooled. I would love to try their Orange Blossom rolls next but DJ said we should not get in the habit of having a sweet roll with coffee mid morning, even though he loved those cinnamon rolls I made recently. He is probably right but how else am I going to learn how to bake bread if I don’t keep practicing?? Maybe for our anniversary for a little treat.

No more cooking today as there is chili in the crockpot for tonight. Guess I should go do something productive---maybe a few stitches in Santa #2. Sunday I finished off the one in the last post that was almost done and started on the one with him holding the large star and heart. See picture HERE for what I am talking about.

Is anyone else having problems uploading pictures on Google today? I have been posting lately on Windows Live Writer without any problems but today it kept saying there was an internal feed error. Then I tried just copy/pasting my narrative and adding the pictures through Google. No dice after several attempts. Then I tried posting the pictures through Picassa "blog this". The pictures loaded finally but who knows if they will take the whole post. Guess I'll find out. Actually I had another picture of Skyler on the sewing table but I discovered that it showed too much in the background----Norma might see what I was working on. That won't do!

Hope that you have had a good day in whatever you chose to do--------

ta-da!

No quilting today either but I did get the last of the Dazzling Dog blocks done--only because I stitched almost all of it on the machine. I guess I proved to myself yesterday that yes, I could do the edge finishing and spare the fingers. The only part I hand buttonholed on any of the blocks was the curves on the flower that "Ralph" below has tucked behind the ear.

" Winston" is the monocled fellow.

And this is "Skipper"

So all 12 of the blocks are now complete but I'll set them aside till I can purchase the sashing/border fabrics at some later date. It is important for me to get those 4 and half quilts done since I may be going out of town for a week or so next month.

Since DJ's son and family were just down to see us, he does not want to make the trip back to see our family this year. That's okay---I can make other arrangements. My friend Marilyn called today and said that they will probably be heading up to the Midwest in early June to see relatives and there is room in the car. I can share a ride back to Illinois since their route takes them right past the town my youngest brother lives in. My parents are about 15 miles north of there. I'll know more by week's end. You'll know where to find me..........

Still at it

I was having so much fun with the "Dazzling Dog" blocks that I moved onto a couple more. Meet "Dan the Dane" at left-- finished up last night though it is amazing I have any fingers left. Handstitching on those ears and glasses was not easy in spots. You know how you can feel like your fingertips are bruised by the needle?

"Garcia" is at right. This time I sucked it up and did the stitching around the glasses and necklace on the machine. All the rest is by hand because I thought that those hair spikes might be too much of a challenge for my fledgling attempts. I had always thought that my hand blanket stitching looked better than my previous machine tries at it but I believe I did a passable enough job. DJ came in here to see why I wasn't sewing at breakneck speed, as I normally would be doing, LOL.


I have three more blocks to do but I will probably get back to the machine quilting tomorrow. Well, maybe part of one more as the machine is still set up for applique but then back to quilting! The snowmen and the dogs were a nice diversion though and provided the break I needed. It will be almost a week till the quilt group meets again and someone is always looking to pitch in for the binding detail---bless them all! Just means that I need to do MY part as well.

I mentioned that I had already made the "Kitty City" quilt in yesterday's post but I couldn't find where I had hidden the pic from myself. I rounded it up so here you go. It got a third place ribbon in the viewer's choice for applique category at the Gadsden Quilt Guild a few years back. DJ was upset that it didn't get a first place ribbon as he had gotten most of the patterns for me as a birthday present one year. He was always wanting to know which one I was doing next and showing more interest than usual in the process. The first place ribbon was deserved and told him that. Now, the 2nd one, I didn't think so-- it was a cross-stitched kit quilt and you could still see the blue markings. UGH

I received the next round robin box in the mail on Saturday which should be a lot of fun. Debora picked a Halloween theme and has sent a bunch of fun fabric that can be used. Nag at me a bit so I don't procrastinate till the last minute, will you? I think I have til June 2nd or 9th?

Hope you all have had a lovely Mother's Day---

anything but machine quilting

The past few days I just have NOT felt like machine quilting--so I gave myself permission not to. Like DJ often says to me "Who gave you all these jobs? Aren't you retired?" Good point. Also good to rest my aching right shoulder a bit---used to be my left one acting up. Now that one is okay and the right wants to get into the act.

So anyway, a little hand stitching to fill the time a bit. I had a good start on this August block before I set it aside a month ago. I finished it up. The color is absolutely not right in the pics --the background is a white on white that looks as close as I could find to snowflakes. The DMC floss color #798 is not purple or navy either. Pam is using purple and it looks great but mine is actually more of a primary colored blue, like the color of a hyperlink. Norma is doing these blocks as well and I think with the same color! I have to watch out though as these girls are gaining on me, not that it was a contest to get done first, LOL.

Here is the one that I finished up yesterday afternoon. I had thought that I would skip the french knots on his body but it looks a little bare. The blocks were found HERE and originally designed for machine embroidery. An online quilt group I moderate had permission to use the graphics but do them by hand. See, the color looks almost black in this one--again, not a bad choice, just not the one it actually is.

I still had time--what to do next? I sewed down a label on one of the recently turned in quilts but I sure didn't feel like binding. I thought about my "Dazzling Dog" blocks--- it is on my long ignored personal UFO list though the snowmen are on there too. Everytime I see the "Major" block on Laurie Ann's blog it makes me smile. I really should finish that quilt one of these days. I have already done the "Kitty City" one after all. Out came Prissy, the Poodle---most of the hand blanket stitching was done except for the dress and glasses. I have only four more blocks to stitch as the blocks were all prepped some time back.

I recently purchased Amy Bradley's Seasoned Quilter set from the same designer that has the detachable quilts for Christmas, Birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, 4th of July, Easter, Valentine's Day and St. Pat's. I can't wait to get started on those. Amy was generous enough to include the "Bountiful Beauties" pattern along with my order for free. Another fun pattern though I am afraid I resemble those girls a little too much.

We finally got a bit of rain yesterday along with some thunderstorms. Quite foggy this morning so I waited to go walk. Yesterday I had lost track of how many rounds I had gone so I may have overdone it a bit. I told DJ that maybe I better lay out 6 or 7 rocks in a row and then remove one with each successive round and quit when I was done if I can't keep track any better than that. I get lost in the tunes, I guess.

Well, enough prattling from me. I've cooled down enough to get in the shower and not feel like I need another one as soon as I get out. Till I fire up the blowdryer, that is. Why did I cut my hair?

In conclusion I love you, Mom