moving on to a reward project

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Autumn progess

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

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

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

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

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

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

WIP Weds comes around again

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

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

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

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

Design Wall Monday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ED. Note Re: Friendship Quilters quilt show

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Design Wall Monday---wk. 46

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WIP Weds whatever week

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

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

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

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

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

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

And sew it goes------