A little sewing anyway

I got my sailboat row done yesterday afternoon.  This is the June selection from "Seasons in a Row" that Friendship Quilters is using as it monthly quilt pattern.   Those that did not purchase the pattern pick something else that they like for the month.  (I swapped out a few previous rows and I DO own the pattern, LOL.)  I am done just in times as guild meets on Saturday (tomorrow).

Trying to get a picture of this length is always a challenge though------it is quite overcast and the chain link fence might work but the birds have been hopping (pooping?) all over the best light spot in the yard.  Besides that the grass is wet, I've got sandals on and the fire ants have been busy digging since the last rain.  Any more complaints, Linda?

On the pressing/cutting table?  Have to divide it in halves

On the bed?  Too busy against my summer quilt and again, halves.

Let's try the couch!  Naw, that won't work either with Mr. Nosy Nose

Then we have this conversation:

Me:  Here, DJ hold this up please!  

Him:  Wait till I get my shoes changed .  Oh, it's boats.  Which direction do you want it?  

Me:  Yep, boats for June.  Like they are floating but it is kind of long.  

Him:  Of course I am wearing my oldest yard clothes.  I'm going out to work in the yard.

Me:  I'll crop it.  (I caught him with his eyes closed anyway, LOL.  I take horrid pictures)

So what do I want to do today?  HMMM.  This has not been the most prolific of weeks but you know, I think that's okay.  Take a breath and recharge.   I had gotten procrastinated mending done on a couple hanging kitchen towels I had made, after the button fell off of one of them in the wash a few days ago.  I don't know how to make a buttonhole in crochet so we sort of poked it through the double crochet stitches which worked for a while. I could either take that old topper off and re-crochet the top OR mend the tears.  I mended the tears and started knitting a feather and fan dish cloth.  Hated it after about 8 rows and unraveled  it, going back to a hat I have in progress.  I put a few stitches in my Halloween embroidery row this week as well.

Around that time I had an odd conversation with DJ.  He saw me knitting and listening to an audio book on the computer (love camellia.net!) and  he asked if I was having problems with my eyes.  "Is that why you are working  on all that other stuff?"  I had done a ton of knitting when I had the cataract surgeries.  I guess he meant some of the blog hop things, I guess.  Some of it was quilted.  Huge stack is still on the armoire and he sees it all the time like I do.   I told him my eyes were fine but I do have other hobbies and yes, I will get back to quilting. I'll never give that up!  I guess he knew something was off if I were MENDING of all things.  Just a few days before, I had given him that line about quilters and buttons-----you know the one.  "Asking a quilter to sew on a button (hem, mend, I'll add)  is like asking Picasso to paint the garage" or the other one, just the flat out but I'll edit it to my version "quilters don't DO buttons-----unless it is part of the embellishment"

Anyway, I had thought about foundation piecing the May row of flowers to get caught up.  I have since ruled that out.  After testing out Bev's Clover kanzashi flower makers I have ordered a couple of the sizes/shapes that I liked the most.  My friend Pam has offered me a couple that she no longer wants.  The snowball part that forms the flower head in the Seasons in a Row pattern is about a 3 inch square.  I will applique the stems and leaves and use the flower makers instead.  Jane or Aline may want to use the papers I already drew up and printed off for that row if they are running behind like me.  I'll see them tomorrow when we car pool to guild.  

I am thrilled that I got word that I can indeed participate in the HO HO HO Christmas in August blog hop.  Signups were just announced yesterday morning.  Dates are July 31 to August 9.  I figure that this is just the impetus I need to work on two promised holiday items (2PHI) that naturally I cannot show or share till August.  Going to be pretty quiet on the blogging front once the "Tammy Bag Hop" is completed, LOL.  (I am participating)   Mdm. Samm is essentially declaring July a non-hopping month except for wrapping up "Put Your Stamp on It" ( I am not participating) and starting up the HO HO HO one.  

SO holiday items it is.  Who knows?  Maybe if I have enough time to play one of my ancient, long planned personal items will finally get tended to.  Two come to mind.  Wouldn't that be something!

DJ is now back in the house from weed whacking and is asking to see the Cardinal game highlights so I'll wrap this up.   Till next time-----------  

Christmas Eve Eve

 Today's achievements----

DJ had requested some white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.  Since it is one of my absolute favorite cookies (Pride of Iowas would be the next one, LOL) I happily obliged.  The recipe on the back of the Ghiradelli white chocolate morsels bag was the same one on the back of the chopped nuts so I went with it.

These are a little too crunchy once they cooled completely or else I should have baked them a minute less.  Actually I wonder if a half shortening, half butter deal would have been a better way to go.  Don't get me wrong, they are very tasty!  Also I was experimenting a bit as I only have one airbake sheet.  SO I put a sheet of parchment paper on the large old cookie sheet and baked on the lower rack using the airbake in the middle rack as I always do.  Those cookies baked smaller and over browned a bit but that could have been from the low rack.

I am going to track down the other recipe I normally use to see what the difference were---if any.  That last batch I made was not this firm---does that have something to do with the proportion of flour to fat???  There was plenty enough sugar in there!!  The yield was listed at 5 dozen and drop by teaspoons.  I used my cookie scoop, not completely full though and got 6 1/2 dozen.  Most of them went to the freezer!


2nd achievement---the row of snowmen is completed except for some embroidery for the mouths and button eyes.  I put some fusible on the back of some orange felt and cut them free form.  Drew the mouths on free hand too though the pattern had some shapes that could be traced off.  I don't know if I am doing anything more with this tonight.

I have some ideas about the next blades I want to work on for Allison's tree skirt and I may do some searching through my available Christmas patterns.  I am enjoying some Christmas music from a new to me group "Point of Grace" as I putter around in the sewing/computer room.  DJ is busily watching yet another Christmas movie while Skyler is sacked out in his kitty cube.   If you put his stuff away for awhile he stays interested for a little bit anyway.  The catnip underneath the bottom pad might have something to do with it, LOL.

And sew it goes-------

quilt plans and making lists

A blogging friend who I have recently met and began following at  A Left Handed Quilter posed an interesting question today.  (Her alter ego Quilter BOB has separate blog and has some even more takes on quilting!!  Some that I agree with---a lot!  But I digress.......)

Anyway she asked

If you KNEW that you had only one more day before you died and in that day you could make one more quilt, what quilt would you make?

She named several styles of quilts and oh, there were some good ones to chose from!  I don't think I am what you would consider a MODERN quilter but the reasons/rants about that will wait for another day.  Scrappy, Traditional, more my speed really.

She also wondered if you would take that day to finish up a UFO or start something new.  I thought about it for a bit.  Actually I think about it a lot---no, not the only having one more day to live part but what I want to work on next.  I especially ponder this when I am working something like binding.  (The Row QOV is done but does not look appreciably different than it did  the last time I posted it on the blog but you might check the 2012 finishes for a better picture of it)

 So, even though I stated that I had three bed quilts that I have started and would like to see completed,  vaguely, "sometime this year"  (Popsicle Sticks, My Sunshine and Cheap Trick/Two of a Kind) I selected TWO different projects.  I guess I would have to beg for another day, LOL.

My choice would be to complete my Christmas JOY quilt begun with the Collinsville Rowers as a pass-around quilt. I fell in love with this quilt featured as a series quilt in the Fons and Porter "Love of Quilting" magazine the first time I saw it.  I guess it was quite a popular pattern and they sold out of the magazines it was in as they now sell the pattern as a booklet. Poinsettia row back in Sept. 2007 and then sent it on its merry way.  We had a retreat the following August and the rows were revealed then.  I take it out every now and again but so far it has not been completed.  Basically I need to find a nice Christmas red and a cream or white to make the checkerboard bits between the row elements.

And my other choice would be to make my version of Farmer's Wife Sampler.  I have been living with this quilt in my head for about 6 weeks or more.  I blogged about it in THIS post.

I have been studying the materials from Marti Michell that would allow me to convert the templates from the book into her perfect patchwork sets.  I have been editing out superfluous lines in case I want to foundation piece some of the blocks.  I have been drawing up more blocks in EQ from other sources to use them in my quilt.  I have tinkered with the layout incessantly and will most likely tinker some more.  I have spent a lot of time in BlockBase picking out blocks that I feel look better on point than in the original.  I have dumped the blocks that I would have no interest in making at 12 inches let alone 6 inches as the sampler calls for----too many pieces for me!   I have looking at what other bloggers have done and viewing all kinds of blocks on The Farmer's Wife Quilt-a-long on Flickr.  I have joined a yahoo group to get other's input as to how THEY are proceeding with this quilt.  I have considered what fabrics I might use, over and over again.  I have my notebook set up with printouts and sheet protectors ready to go.    I am ready, mentally anyway.

Now I am NOT saying that it will look exactly like this----it is a sketch and what I will follow for the layout PROBABLY.   The quilt requires 111 blocks and I have 176 blocks in my EQ sketchbooks----some are already substitutes for the ones I didn't bother drawing up.  Some others, I like a lot better.   I see a few more that will NOT make the cut or be moved at the very least.   I love baskets and want to include some basket fabrics that my mom, Maggie and Sheila sent me so a few more of them will show up.  I DO like the distribution of color more of less, so may stick to that when actually making the blocks or closely anyway.

As much as I love 30's prints I keep coming back to scrappy.  I could go with Civil War or earlier 1800's repros but I don't think it will work for this.  I have dreams of some day doing a Dear Jane too---start at 6 inch and work down to 4.5 inch??   I do not care for the quilt on the cover----not my palette at all.  I can use my stash for the most part but will probably need some more background lights and blenders but not so dark that I can figure out what to use for sashing.  The sketch is also making it look like I don't have any sashing between the blocks until you blow it up bigger. In the drawing I had three tones of that taupey, golden brown going on.  That part is odd as well since I don't normally care for browns  I tried switching out to shades of green but there is a good bit of green in the blocks so that probably won't work either.  Blue would be out for the same reason.

So back to what my blogging friend asked----if I consider it that important to me, what is stopping me from getting started on this???  Uh, maybe that pile of pro bono quilts in my bedroom and the fact that I need to straighten up the sewing room before I can cut or press or make more of a mess by pulling out fabric bins.    For now, top of the list for me!   There are 12 quilts in there and 10 are mine, 2 are group members.  I make a promise now that once I get say 3 of thm quilted, I will at least cut out the 1st 10 blocks and get started on it anyway.  That would be a terrific reward project.   It will be on-going---many people aim for making two a week and figure on a year long journey.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Followup notes:
My New Balance 606's seem to be working out okay.  Even though I am not diabetic or circulatory impaired (thank heavens!) I got two pair of the socks to try out because they felt a bit thicker than the others.  A large bandaid to my heels is padding the still tender area so that helped too.   Still at 4 laps every other day but I think by Monday I am going to go 5 days out of 7.  It is just 1.1 miles and I don't feel taxed by the activity.  See how 3 days in a row goes first.

The binding on the Row QOV is done as yesterday afternoon.  It does not look appreciably different than it did the last time I posted it on the blog but you might check the 2012 finishes tab for a better picture of it.  I laundered it to get rid of the cat hair and it crinkled up beautifully.  I need to find out what kind of batting the quilt is using as I really like it.  It got a little fluffy around the edges of the quilt after I was done man handling it quilting it---maybe some sort of bonded cotton??

Supposedly there is some rain on the way in this evening.  We got a little over a half inch night before last but remain about 5 inches behind on our rain fall totals for the year.   We are in the 70's today with all that cloud cover and that kept it pleasant for walking.  Trust me, I am not complaining about that after the recent spell of 90's and blazing sun days.  So far the box fans and over head fans are keeping things comfortable in here.  Or at least it is until I decide to do something "stupid" like clean or dust!

I feel like a bit of a jinx today anyway----cleaning might be injurious to my health, at the rate I was going.  Mr. Fix-it told me I was just full of good news when I reported almost simultaneously that 1)  my right turn signal was going off like a hazard light does again and not working on the exterior of the car  2)  the blind I had just raised shirred off completely at the header on two of the three strings.    Fortunately it was just a bulb on the car and Cobb's didn't charge him for it.  The blind?  He bought the wrong size first and then we had to discuss whether the one other the adjacent window was alabaster or white. At my insistence, he got white and it IS a bit lighter in tone.  Why would I have approved alabaster when white was really cream and alabaster was overly tan colored??  Who names these things such weird colors anyway and why do we let them get away with it?  It is up and not going back.  I accept full responsibility for the color variance.  Now remind me what I said when the other one falls down, LOL.

Well, somehow I don't think my sewing room is going to get tidied up or bathroom any cleaner with me pecking on the keyboard.   Thanks for stopping by-------

catch up post

Well, it has been a few days since I posted. The first holiday of "summer" has passed. I tell you, it may not be summer by the calendar but here in Alabama it feels more like July 4th! A glance at the weather map shows a good part of the US is having a hot time of it as well. There are no effects for us this far inland from the first two named hurricanes but I sure hope that Florida got some rain and drought relief.

DJ and I basically stayed home though we did make a run down to Kohl's to find a pair of walking shoes. You may recall that I was trying to get started back with a walking program a few posts back. On Day 2 my shoes started chafing so badly that I barely made it back on the last half lap. (Huge blister on my left heel and irritation on the right.) That pair of shoes had never fit right! I had tried to pad the heel counter plus two pair of socks with some success. (If someone wants a pair of 9 Nike walking shoes these have barely been worn and I don't want to just toss them) Anyway, when DJ asked how walking went, my response was "how would you like to make an investment in me or give me my birthday money early? I need new walking shoes." We had to wait a few days till I could get a pair of shoes on first but found a pair of  New Balance 606  that felt comfortable as soon as I put them on---a little lower profile on the foot and should breathe better.   I wore them around the house over the weekend and gave them a spin this morning.  Should be okay on that gravel track I walk on.   My heel is still a bit tender so I am going to go look for new socks, NuSkin and/or large bandaids to pad it for a bit but no further breakdown.

I did manage to get the row quilt quilting completed after I marked some "piano-key like" lines on the borders.  After talking with Norma, I used 45 degree angled parallel lines 2 inch apart but they change direction and slant the other way once you reach the middle of the 4 sides.  I doubt you can see them on the picture.  Yesterday I got the binding applied but I still need to hand finish it----that is today's task.

LOL, you can see Skyler's rump over on his perch.  When I threw the quilt on the bed to take the pictures, I half expected him to jump on it.  It already was graced on the back side with some black kitty fur but I am going to wash it before I turn it in anyway.  I wrote May 31 for completion on the label so I best get to it.

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

Almost!

Just the side borders to go and this puppy is done.  I had it laid out to measure and both boys were lending a hand.  DJ moved back to the AL-MSU basketball game and Skyler wants my measuring tape.

Okay, back to sewing as I WILL have this done tonight.

I should be sewing........

Okay, two of the turnstile blocks are done but neither meet in the middle as well as I would like.  The other 4 blocks are pieced but in halves.  That is as far as I got yesterday.   Want to make a bet on whether I will have any better luck with the centers on the other 4?

If it were not for the time I have already invested and my great desire to be done with this top, I would scrap these and substitute something else.

And I DO want to move on..........I got a pile of 3-D bowties in navy and white with red knots to address for another QOV top.  I love 3-D bowties way more than pinwheels.

Just whining---fire up that machine and make it happen, Linda!  Think that is enough of a kick in the behind?  LOL.

WIP Weds

One more row to go----that turnstile block you see in my work space.  6 of them.  Ordinarily I do not like to do pinwheel type blocks with all that stuff landing in the middle of the block.   Still, it seemed to go with the mix of rows and will pick up the same yellows in the friendship stars that I did yesterday.

Hopefully this whole top will be done in a day or two so I can move on-----to lets say, that pile of 3-D bowties with the red knots I had started at the fall sew-in.

And sew it goes.  Still pluggin'

this and that

Here is a little something I just finished-- sweet pea heart from Alex Anderson 12 Days of Redwork posted in late December-early January. Norma has started these hearts for a seasonal wallhanging. I had downloaded the designs but didn't trace them off till yesterday afternoon. She knew, and I knew, that I would probably cave, LOL. Between these hearts, the on-going Bird Brain Santa blocks and a series of redwork from Brownyn Hayes, I can stitch as much as I want when the mood strikes. But I love it!


Next up:
I had pulled out an old UFO to finish up the bottom row. How old is this project? Well, way back in 2000 I and another friend had headed up a row robin project on a quilt list I moderated for several years. I had picked a summer theme and had sent around a Country Threads book for inspiration. I did the top row of stars and sent it on. The girl that was also in charge did the appliqued row but it did not fit on the quilt---measurements had gotten off as they will on a group project. It sat.

I needed some filler pieces to compensate for the width of the project and I thought flying geese would work since they echo the birdhouse shape. I drew it up in EQ since it was a goofy length. I re-sized the applique piece slightly and used the green sashing that was originally there but much narrower. I supposed it should be bordered but this will hang on the sewing room door perfectly or another spot in the hallway so I'll pass on those. What colors would you use anyway? My pal Cher did the butterfly and veggie row. Two others were done with friends who I see on facebook. The bowtie and cat row, sadly, was made by a friend who has since passed away. I'll pin it at the next meeting and get it quilted up on my next quilting session.

Lastly, here is a little wallhanging I recently made for Pam's birthday. She loves all things Mary Engelbreit so it seemed like a good fit for a charm pack I had on hand. It certainly went together a lot quicker than the large sized Cheap Trick/Two of Kind that I have been piecing off and on. It all came from my stash except that I had to order some more of that red dot to bind it. She shows it hanging in her kitchen gallery area HERE. She told me that she had already planned to make placemats, napkins from ME fabric for her kitchen. I guess that I just made an accessory for her, LOL.

What's next because I have had a few finishes lately? I have a few goals. Piecing, back to my bed sized Cheap Trick. Handquilting, the plain squares on RR crossing but that will be on-going. Machine quilting, 3 donation quilts are in my stack. Cutting, Big & Bold. Applique, the March Calendar block. UFO, maybe I will get around to finishing up my own convergence wall hanging. Embroidery, whatever strikes my fancy. Oh and a donation top to assemble---I'll do that tomorrow actually.

I hope you have fun with whatever you have planned for the weekend-----thanks for stopping by!

Collinsville Rowers and rows revealed

A lot of pictures to share for the Rowers retreat. I was in such a hurry to get everything, and me, out the door that I forgot to pack my digital camera. I stopped and bought a disposable camera thinking it was better than nothing. Flash wasn't working. GRRRR. Patti spent some time last night uploading pics to an album to share so that helped. First the group shot---the quilt shop also has custom embroidery machines and did up these shirts for us! Stylin', aren't we?

I got up there about 10 and was home by 4:30 electing not to stay over this year but it sure would have been fun to stay on with group. Joy and I don't see near enough of each other since she moved home to Collinsville. We were missing two of the original rowers this time around. In fact, Patti took a picture of the rocker than Kim sets in to hand quilt, newly recovered with her shirt draped over it. They were going to put a sign on it that said "wish you were here, LOL.

Nessa has a chef cooking now so you order off a menu now. They had a few Greek entrees so I had some yummy moussaka and could have had baklava for dessert had I wanted. I had a cupcake instead as I hauled up half of the Magnolia's Chocolate Cupcakes I made the other day to share. The recipe made two dozen plus some I had to put in a muffin top pan! I would have tried the chocolate buttercream recipe but I swear that the proportion of butter to powdered sugar is not right! It needs tons more from the other recipes I have viewed--like tripled, I'm guessing. I opted for the Fluffy Chocolate Frosting in the Cake Mix Doctor instead.

I got sidetracked and had promised you some row pictures---on with the show!
First, my rows--I had sent along the Fon's and Porter booklet for "Christmas Joy" but I certainly did expect the girls to replicate the rows. I am thrilled that they did but it was not mandatory. Two people teamed up for the baskets so they are still loose. One person is a new quilter and opted out. I have not decided if I want to do all the red and white checkboard sashing shown on the pattern as I have some nice Jinny Beyer border fabric in my stash that might work out well. (I made the Poinsettia row )


Next up, Betsy's rows with Betsy telling the story behind the blocks she made---how they managed to wind up in quilters jail. The row I made was in the last post and was not attached to the body of the quilt. Betsy said it will probably be added just before the 2nd row of Elvis blocks since that will balance the quilt better.

Oh, behind the quilts you will spot some Mariner's Compass blocks that some of the group had been doing as a Block of the Month with the patterns coming from Brenda Henning's book. I'll share that picture next time probably with a link to the book as I don't know the name of it at the moment.


Teresa's Christmas rows finished a little long so the girls were having a hard time holding it and had to do it by halves. I pieced the row at the top--trees on both ends and foundation piecing out the letters for "Merry Christmas" The girl loves red, she says! Here's the top part then in pic one and the lower half follows---



Next up Joy's heart rows--she did not necessarily want just a red and pink row that screamed Valentine's Day so you see multicolored hearts. The row I did is the one that Debora is pointing to above the blocks that used heart fabric.


One of the three fall themed quilts--this one is Kim's and will be shown in two sections again. I made the turkey row in this one using an old pattern from Country Threads which I modified so I could foundation piece it. Patty, her SIL had told me this was a good choice because their husband's hunt turkey.


This one is Debora's--and it might seem like deja vu to you as three of the girls used the same center sections but each one did turn out differently. I did the Ozark Maple Leaf row. The turkey block was still in progress but the maker was intent on getting it done by retreat's end if her machine would just behave itself!



Here is Patty's--again in sections. To balance the quilt it was thought best to not attach the rows so the last four rows are shown in the 2nd shot. I did the row of pieced leaves, using a pattern from Judy Martin's Creative Pattern book and modifying it for foundation piecing. I am being too lazy to go get the book but I think it was called Autumn Whisper or some such thing.



And lastly, here is Vangie's quilt with a Mardi Gras to St. Pat's theme. I did the spiky stars using the fabrics that she had included in the pass around box.



I spent my time at the retreat tracing off the Birdbrain Designs "Here Comes Santa" (link in the previous post) and finished up the job except for the itty bitty cornerstone bits once I got home. I need another pigma pen before I attempt to finish up as I mushed down a bit too much to make a fine enough line. I would rather start stitching anyway! I did enough last night to realize that I would prefer NOT using the #8 perle cotton and removed what I put in. I love the IDEA of it but IMHO it looks too thick for what will be fine detail areas of the designs, especially the aforementioned cornerstones. I'll start over with two strands of embroidery floss in the same color DMC #498 in turkey red. I'll be happier with the end result, I know.

Other than that they are going a different format for next year: 16 inch blocks, how many you make depends on how many want to participate, no mailing or delivering blocks till next August. I am resisting for now, LOL. I am an original rower so they won't kick me out of the group if I don't want to do this. For now I am sticking to my guns about no deadline work.

I stubbed the snot out of my 5th digit left foot this morning when I banged into the quilt rack---it bruised and puffed up in to time. YEOWW! I think Skyler entered into the equation a bit as I was trying to avoid stepping on him but I am not telling DJ that part. He ( Skyler not DJ) has been getting in trouble lately for hopping up and running on the pass through plus the plant in the living room has been getting some unneeded kitty attention. Cats will be cats! Well, no getting walking shoes on to walk today though we have less humid and much welcomed cooler temps this morning. Guess I will just have to stay home and stitch a bit---oh darn!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend in whatever you chose to do---

checking in

Lest you think that I dropped off the face of the earth---I thought I would post while I had a few spare minutes. I have been mostly busy trying to finish up with the row robin that is due, like tomorrow, the 8th. For various reasons that I won't get into I lost both Monday and Tuesday this week for finishing up the job. Yesterday I buckled down and did the machine stitching on the applique sections--the last thing that needed to be done. This was the 3rd row I had to do in basically the last month but the only one I am going to show for now as the owner is already up at the retreat. I elected to just go for the reveal day this time around so will have more pictures when I get back.

Betsy chose a Jailhouse Rock theme inspired by a Time 2 Sew quilt shop up in Collinsville, AL which is where the retreat will be held. Long time readers will remember me telling you that there are two old jail cells in the back room of the shop that were not removed when the quilt shop moved in. The building used to be the city hall/water department/hoosegow in a past incarnation. Quite the conversation piece and a lot of pictures of have been taken of unrepentant quilters behind those bars! I know that there is probably a picture way back in my archives of this but I am being too lazy to go look for it. The shop stores sale fabrics and batting in one sell and the other is now used for storage.

Betsy had been making blocks that showed various quilters in some of the "no -no" behaviors so I went with this idea. Actually, my mom had made a wallhanging years ago that was similar to this when she was quilt show chair at the Hands All Around Quilt Guild show in Bloomington, IL. I begged Mom for the wallhanging (it was gone) but she did better than that and found me the drawings of the figures walking down the hall. Why re-invent the wheel? She had them going to a black hole while and I foundation pieced mine the color of the jail bars. I also needed to cover 60 inches of space for the row so that led to modifications of the lettering placement. I stenciled mine on with a pigma pen and Helix stencil I picked up at the Gadsden Office Max on our way back from picking up the t-shirt quilt from the long armer. The stuff I used for the carpeted hallway was some that Mom just sent back with me for my Bama Belles challenge quilt plus those quilt panels have been in my stash from HER stash for some time. Thanks all around for that, Mom!

(Skyler at right looking cute-- we had been playing hide the mouse and he was taking a breather)

I fully intend to take a break from "hafta sewing" --no more rows or blocks for me this time around. I only want to work on WHAT I want to work on, WHEN I want to work on it---no more deadline work or commission work if I can help it. Oh, I do have 4 donation quilts that pinned and have been waiting for me for several months. I also have to do the binding on that aforementioned t-shirt quilt--that will take you to the pic of the top. Susan did a great job of quilting it but the whole thing is going to end up costing me more than I charged the owner. See why no more commission stuff for a while?? I am so bummed. My fault though--I should have taken that amount and doubled it.

(Another picture of Nickajack Reservior near Chattanooga, TN--don't have quilt pics so you get scenic ones and the cat instead)

Earlier this week I did something that I have been thinking about for about a month. As background information, way back in February or March I had gotten a request from someone I have done some commission work for before---two decorator pillows made from his deceased former FIL's ties that would be presented to his former MIL. I have made two pillows in my life---with ruffles, not the cording and decorator fabric that I would have to be dealing with. Oh boy--what do I agree to do here? Subscribing to the notion of tap dancing till I figured it out, I bought the fabric for the background behind the ties but that was as far as it got. Even bought that "Daddy's Ties" book for reference to see if Shirley Botsford could shed a little light on the subject. Quilts for Mexico, row robins, t-shirt quilts, a couple of challenge quilts (actually I like those!) intervened and the months passed.

You know what? I finally decided that I wanted no part of dismantling those ties. I was just not comfortable with attempting to produce something that would do justice to the ties, and at the same time, please the former mother-in-law's decorating tastes. (thanks for that line, Cher!) I did not want someone dictating what colors for the backing, what kind of batting, what size pillow forms, and so on that I have had with this last project especially when it is coming out of my pocket. I boxed up the ties, typed up the accompanying note and mailed those puppies off to the person who requested the pillows with some suggestions of who he might want to contact instead with my apologies for not following through.

I used the background fabric for a fall row two weeks ago as it was just the right shade but replaced it, LOL with more--nice shade of Moda Marble that probably matches the paint color in his office wonderfully. (the ex-wife's suggestion---see what I mean?) Fabric rarely goes to waste, right? Sold the book the day after I listed it. I am out from under the obligations that were wearing me down and quite honestly, stifling any feeling of creativity I have. Pam asked me the other day if I was "out of jail" yet, meaning had I finished Betsy's row, but I sort of feel like I have been released from a "jail" of my own making.Yes, I'll get those tops quilted but there is no rush on them as the Bama Belles and I don't have a pressing donation location in mind this year. My own projects will get the attention that they have been denied for too long. I am going to scale back on the donation work for a bit---the need is still there but I need a little breather.

So I ask myself, just which one do I really, really want to work on or do I start something new? I am ready to trace off so redwork Santas from Birdbrain Designs. The snowmen blocks are all done now so I need another stitchery project for meetings and carry around. Maybe I won't sew at all for awhile and do some other things that I enjoy---knit, read, bake. Well, did that today already when I made two dozen cupcakes, some of which will go with me to the retreat to share. LOL, the house was up to a toasty 85 degrees till DJ turned on the a/c for the day but hey. I was having fun cooking.

Hope you are doing something that floats your boat---I sure am going to find it, just give me a day or two.

contrasts in style

At left my wedding quilt---Mom had started this top as a pass around project with the small quilt group in her town. I believe it was in the late 90's as I made a couple blocks for her after we moved south to Alabama. Not being able to find the pattern name or source, we named it "Fall City Baskets" after the one we saw in an antique store while visiting my grandmother who lived in Fall City, Nebraska at the time.

I have probably told you this story before but my husband and I were a couple for a very, very long time before we got married--one of those "are you sitting down?" moments when informing my parents. This top went to the hand quilters soon after my call. When we traveled back to Illinois to visit some months later, my family gave us a wedding reception and we were presented with the quilt and a trip to Sea Palms Resort on St. Simon's Island, GA. What fun! I love the quilt as it uses my beloved 30's prints, some real ones and repros. Mom has since replicated the quilt for herself--only fair since she gave us the original one.


So what should I see at the quilt show a couple of weeks ago? This one---wider handle, less "petals" in the arc. I believe that the owner/maker? said that the pattern was found in a magazine. Close but not quite it. Mom drafted hers up from the picture of the one we saw so that might account for some of the variances. While I like the scrappiness of the one at the show (and I am a nut for yellow fabric), I think mine is prettier and not as clunky looking.

I haven't even touched the machine in two days. I guess I have still found a way to wait till almost the last minute to work on that round robin after all. Two blocks are done, one is just barely started and I need 5 of them.

So what have I been doing instead? A big chunk of one day was spent getting an upgraded tracfone coded in over the phone and then adding the phonebook to it while deleting the numbers from the old phone. I guess the system in my area is switching from the old analog type and that would render the old phone useless. I didn't have to pay for it except for the time involvement. I kept messing up the text for the names and it was taking way longer than it should have to teach this old broad some new tricks.

Yesterday it was uploading some CDs into my music software and re-loading the MP3 player--twice. Danged error messages were messing up the works and only half of what I wanted got added due to some snafu or another. How could I upload to their software and it not recognize the format I used??? Annoying and again, time consuming.

What I DID get done instead while I watched the computer screens was some more knitting rounds on my headband tube to cover my ears while I walk (the ear muffs are pinchy and my hat makes my head sweat too much). I think I am about halfway there. I told Cher the other day that I would be lucky to have the thing done by spring but perhaps that was an exaggeration, LOL. Great ambitions to knit up some mittens from the same "Lipstick" Red Heart yarn---now that probably WOULD take till spring. DJ said I could make him some new headcovers from that pretty yarn---yeah, right! Two sets of those was enough, thank you very much.

On the trying to get fit front, this week I've added an afternoon stroll up and down our little lane a couple of times--a bit of an incline on both ends to boost the calorie burn but still haven't started my strength training though I have my ducks in a row. Definitely getting the 10, 000 steps thing in--more, if I have errands to run. I sometimes add an extra lap around the park as I did this morning making it 3.08 miles. My neighbor's are having a garage sale and have a bike for sale---I have considered it but then think of the added expense of a helmet, bike rack and probably will pass especially since I won't even get on DJ's exercise bike and pedal to nowhere. Keep walking for now.

So back to the machine with me and some stuff I have taped on the DVR--have my own little "Cold Case" and "Without a Trace" marathon this weekend.

Happy dancing! I am done with my part of the row robin and ready to mail as soon as the local post office opens today. As planned I finished piecing the three blocks that remained on Wednesday. Thursday, I concentrated on appliquing down the stems, leaves and the flower centers. I decided to buttonhole stitch around the flower centers with two strands of floss though as I thought it added a bit of texture to the Poinsettia centers.

I love the piece of pine needle fabric I found for the setting triangles. A few weeks ago Judy L mentioned an online shop that specialized in Christmas fabrics called the Christmas Cloth Store . Thanks, Judy! Because I was not sure that I had enough of what I thought I might use in my stash, I went over posthaste to check it out. The pattern showed a warm brown tone piece but I wasn't so crazy about that idea. I found some snowflake stuff that might work with my bluework snowmen blocks and this Maywood "Ho, Ho, Ho Pine Needles" in gold. It seemed to be the perfect choice with the block background fabric I had used. That is some of the yardage I got at the retreat in August, the red a piece from the yard sale earlier this month and the green, a Debbie Mumm from my stash that I probably had purchased for some fall raffle blocks. Not much stash busting there but at least some of it got used, if not used up.

My row measures 72.5 inches across so it was hard to get a good shot of it from across the room. I knew better than to ask DJ to hold it up though unless it was held sideways or something, LOL. But there it is........

So what do I want to work on today? HMMMM. I have 6 donation tops pinned but there is not a rush on any of them. I promised myself that I would work on something of my own for a change. Maybe some more 4 patch posie blocks?? Or that friendship star that I had been working on months ago and had to set aside--on my top ten list for all these months. So far back that I cannot even find it to refer back to?? No shortage of things I could sew or finish up. But you know what I really feel like doing today? Hand quilting some hearts on the Joanne BOM--at least for a little while.

I had to laugh at Pippi last night. I was working on the row so needed the pressing surface for something other than her pathway to the water bowl. She was just standing and appeared to be looking for something. Hey, there was no quilt for her to sit/lay on! As soon as I laid one down she was snuggling down and keeping me company. Is she spoiled or what?

Other than running a few errands yesterday, my morning walk and going back to the hairdresser to get the "Hooty Owl" look trimmed out from above my ears that is about it around here. It is probably too short now but DJ thought it looks better without the tufts. I was beginning to regret ever getting it cut in the first place so this IS an improvement.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend----

Ridin' the Rails and other stuff

I believe that I am about to "ride the rails" a bit though I did not officially sign up for the challenge Finn suggested. First, I didn't think I had enough blocks laying around here for inclusion in an abandoned block quilt. I had some appliqued butterfly blocks that the Belles had made, a nine patch basket block Theramae made, some oversized bowties from Beverly had done and some old BOM's of mine. Well, maybe I did after all.


I started pulling out block bits---some block components that were not stitched up leftover from previous quilts, a stack of peach colored HSTs from the snowball and Ohio Stars. I found a pile of odd sized big flying geese that needed to be used some way but the size discrepancy made the originally planned Cyclone blocks out. I also thought I could part with 4 log cabin blocks that were leftover from a quilt made for me in my old moderator days on a yahoo group---after all, I had the quilt and had not done anything with the blocks in about 8 years.

So I started in: the peach HST's turned into 5 churn dash blocks by raiding my 2 inch strip bin. The flying geese I trimmed down into HST's---the broken dish strip of 7 blocks. The remaining HST's of any color and stripe--friendship stars with hollow centers, six of them. I had a nine patch basket started when I demo'd it to the quilt group but hated the colors so I made another one from leftover backing bits. I finished the nine patch star that had been pinned to muslin for demo purposes. I stitched 3 "Here and There" blocks (those arrow looking things in the center top, from an early fall Quiltmaker in '89)

Then I looked at the old log cabin blocks. None of them measured the same size and I have had hard time dealing with that much non-precision. I pulled them apart Sunday evening and saw where the things had gone wrong. Yesterday I re-cut them---logs cut 2 1/2 are just kinda big in the first place--and re-sewed them back in the order they had been in---just remodeled. So now what???

Well, I got a phone call from my mom telling me that she had some blocks that she was sending (among other things--quilt tops for Pam's Mexico project that I will quilt up and donate for us). From her description, some of them might fit right in to the scheme of things. After all, two of the Wyoming Star blocks are hers (peeking out from underneath that green Grandmother's Choice). I'll hold up till the box arrives before I start tweaking things in EQ to see how this can all go together. I think I have two donation quilts in the making

What else? The boring but necessary. Errands. Fixed some reuben sandwiches for lunch and reheated Sunday's leftovers for supper. A search, cursorially, for the leftover basketweave blocks. Here I am making more as scraps arise and I cannot find the original bunch! I cut and sewed binding for two quilts, pressed some for two others but not the stuff I made yesterday. Pippi has developed an attachment for the pressing/cutting table lately so I have a hard time working around her when she is all stretched out. She is right in arm reach for pets and loves so I am not complaining. I am not ready to quilt the tops that it goes to yet anyway. Next week, but not this one. I am having too much fun piecing.

This is what I am supposed to working on---5 appliqued house blocks for the last of the row robin obligations. One is supposed to represent my house so I could make it a green ranch if I chose. It has to be done by Friday and the three day retreat I am going to. Fortunately it can be machine appliqued but I am half wondering if it might be easier to just do it by hand.
The stumbling block is that she cut the pieces out intending to hand applique them so they need to be trimmed down. That's not the part that has me puzzled though. There is no template available to get the shape drawn to cut out the fusible. How do it get it from that to stuck on the background?? I like to window that fusible stuff out so the piece is not so stiff so I don't want to just slap the stuff on the pieces. Suppose I can copy those sections and get a reasonable size replication?? Where do the windows and doors go in the scheme of things? Won't know till I try. Best get with the program..............
Oh, one last thing. Ginny, one of the members of my local quilt group, has just received word that two of her quilts have been accepted into IQA in Houston. She has a website where the quilts can be seen HERE--one of the accepted is a self portrait Faces in Cloth V and the other is her FIL, Faces in Cloth IV. Very talented girl.
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1:25 pm Edited note: Woohoo---copying the sections worked! I trimmed the two sections with straight edges down by a quarter inch all around and then copied off the peak-y one but made sure it was evenly cut first. Copied it and then I can rubber cement the piece to template plastic so I can cut the fusible. The roof piece, I did a little differently and just copied it, marked off the quarter inch lines all the way and then glued the corrected piece down to the plastic. Still need to cut those down to size and then mess with the Steam a Seam.
Also I thought of one other thing that I was asked about in comments and had meant to include in my post: what/how did I mark the quilting stencil for THIS quilt. Mechanical pencil with 0.5 HD (I think that is right--can't find the extra lead to verify) lead and a light hand. Then I washed the quilt with a Shout Color Catcher to get the markings out. Most of the lead disappears as you quilt but not all of it -- there is always an errant marking. You can use regular #2 pencils but be sure to keep a sharp tip on the pencil to keep as light a line as possible. I got a little Fiskar sharpener, free, from an office supply concern when I ordered enough 18 x 22 quardrile paper to last me a lifetime -- that thing is wonderful! Dual sized and mechanical but it works better than my battery operated Bostitch sharpener that probably needs the knife replaced. But I digress--for colors you might try Berol Verithin pencils from an art supply house. They come in myriad colors even the turquoise that we associate with wash out markers. Depending on what background color I am marking I have used red, silver, yellow. Test first though.
Now back to applique work. lchj

done--for real this time

Late Sunday afternoon I was celebrating that I had taken the last stitch in the blanket stitch on the blocks I had made for the row quilt assignment---just in time to pop them in the mail by Tuesday. Seconds later it hit me---I needed 48 inches finished in 6 or 12 inch blocks. DUH! (6) 6 inch blocks sure doesn't make 48 inches, LOL. Talk about being mathematically challenged---only took 4 days to realize that these were not 8 inch blocks.

Back to scrounging around in the fabric bins to make two more in two different color ways. I just barely managed to squeeze out what I needed for the background WOW; one had to be seamed. Any more than that and it would not have been possibly without more than one seam. Really, it didn't take all that long to pull, press, cut, sew, baste down and then blanket stitch but it did delay the celebration till this morning. I delayed walking till I got the last one done and the package readied for mailing on my way into town. (The color of the blocks is a tad off in these pictures as I have a flourescent type bulb in the desk lamp. )

The pink/rosy blocks use mostly Peppermint and Sassafras double pinks from Judie Rothermel line from Marcus Brothers about '94. I know this because I made my niece's Indiana Puzzle with those and had included little snippets in her baby shower card. The moon shape is a Hoffman though. The blues--mainly Smithsonian reproductions of the "Groom's Quilt" with a couple of recently acquired repros that I thought I might use for Gary's row robin, Maybe Wyndham Fabrics? I know a few pieces of the greens are from that line and again from the Smithsonian prints with a blade of Debbie Mumm and the stripe from a SW basket line coordinated, maybe from Springs---guess I should have turned that moon so the strips when the direction of the blades but it's too late now.

Continuing on---mainly a mix of yellows--one blade and the moon are 1800's repro, the center blade leftovers from last years round robin. Mix of both my red and purple fabrics.

The teals are a mix of the yardage I am hoarding from the quilt shop that is now closed but I think that blade on the bottom is some that my mom shared with me. Peach block is one that I had to cut and prep last night---just stash pieces except for that moon--that was a scrap left from something one of the Belles had made. It is a little light in comparison to the others but I thought it a better choice than bright orange stuff. A little of that goes a long way.

Joy's row and then mine atop it.

What you will find me doing till our next meeting 5/8---the ones on the armoire are to be quilted including a top I am supposed to mark with Baptist Fans for Theramae. The ones on the hamper are finished but there is no room in my closet---I need to call Linda S and get those over to her house. Wednesday is already shot as I have a nursing CEU seminar to go to--keep my license active even if I don't really want to practice. I keep busy enough at home, thank you very much. Catch you later----------

Happy Birthday/general chatter

Happy Birthday to my dear husband--though it really is tomorrow. Also one of my nephew's is the 29th and a dear friend's is today (you know who you are!) Actually he wanted to just skip it this year but I told him "no cake" in that case. LOL, he wanted cake. I told him what kind I would make if it were my birthday----so he had a couple choices. Come to think of it, I didn't get one as I refuse to make my own. I just finished frosting this---I used the banana cake recipe from The Cake Mix Doctor . (The author Anne Bryn was a first cousin to one the Bama Belles, now deceased.) I think I used a different recipe when I have made banana cake before--probably one that used some leftover buttermilk or some such thing. This uses a non pudding'd yellow cake mix as a base. It is topped with her "Quick Caramel Frosting" recipe which I have made before. Normally I would not mess with toasting pecans but hey, it is his birthday and the recipe DID call for them. DJ had to come help me top the cake while I worked to get the frosting on before it hardened. Stuff tastes like penuche or maple fudge.

He wanted to celebrate today by a trip out to the golf course--rent a cart, play nine holes and have me along as "caddie/cheerleader". I really should have taken my camera as there are some really pretty spots on the golf course with the "mountains" off in the distance etc. We got done in plenty of time to take a 2 lap (about 1 1/2 miles) course around Oxford Lake on a gorgeous, breezy day in the high 60's. He wanted to go to Cici's for pizza buffet. I didn't quite know how to take it when the manager rang it up as two "seniors" but DJ corrected him. I'm not sure what the cutoff is for the senior discount but I am reasonably sure I'm not quite there yet.

Here is the birthday boy in his reading spot. (Jan, he said to thank you for the Patterson book---it saved us a stop at the library on the way home) Oh, he also said that he is going to start counting those birthdays backwards. I said he should repeat the last number again then---can't have him catching up with me at some point, after all!

Quilting wise, I finished up the last 6 blocks on Aline's "54-40 and Fight variation" quilt in those lovely batiks on Wednesday. Yesterday I pulled fabrics for my part of the row quilt that needs to be sent out by Tuesday. Joy had requested 6 or 12 inch blocks that will total 48 inches finished and had sent a section of Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks. The green she chose for the "paths" is similiar to 30's green but the blocks themselves almost had a jewel toned look to me so I didn't go with 30's colors but did chose a 6 inch pointy bladed fan that might be faithful to the period taht GFG suggests to me. Technically called "Mary's Fan" -- Brackman number 3328. The blades are all cut but I need to sew and prep the quarter circle thing that covers the base for applique---what do you call that thing????

Weirdest thing---the colors that to me seemed to "go" best with this project were some of my prized Civil War Repros and the Smithsonian "Grooms Quilt" pieces from 12 plus years ago. The stuff that I would rarely cut into. I raided my reds, purples and my quilt shop yardage in the tealy range that I would get a yard of each trip to a particular shop. Proving yet again, that fabric is meant to be used---not stored---and they will make more. Besides, I only had to rough cut about a 5 inch square of any of it---plenty left for something else. I'll get a picture when the project is done.

I'll get busy on the sewing after we have supper----another 20-30 minutes and I'll have to head out there start meal preparations. Seems like I just left, LOL. Ham, candied sweet potatoes (his choice) , green bean casserole (another fav). He only wants a pot of vegetable beef soup for the real birthday meal. I live to serve, LOL.

After I took the picture of Ms. Pippi she decided to flop on the rug in front of the door and soak up some sun. She always stops at the end of the hallway and looks towards the door as she approaches the living room like she expects something or somebody to be standing there. There never is, LOL. The catnip scratching pad is her "safe" spot. DJ had recently cut down the overgrown bush that was almost directly in front of the door so there is plenty of light streaming in. Not sure how we will get the stump out though----he already tried chopping it up a bit with an axe and destroying some of the roots. I vote that the next one he takes out is the other one that is blocking air, light and visibility from my sewing room. He was not amused---go figure.

I think that I have finally been around to all the blogs on my list, not always commenting. but just trying to get caught up with y'all. That's what happens when I get myself chained to the machine quilting---limited computer access and when I am done, I just want to get off my butt and rest my legs and back and not sit some more in front of the computer. You all continue to inspire and challenge me in ways you will never really know.............