I'm back

Another goal met and a day earlier than my initial expectations. I took the final stitch in the t-shirt quilt top at about 9 last night (Monday) By late Sunday I had the 5 strips done and assembled, the lettering for Donoho done and the top border completed. That just left the Falcons lettering and the outside vertical borders for yesterday afternoon, after errands were run. Wouldn't you know that I started goofing up on the letters? Even the simplest one of all--the "L"? Had to start all over on the "C " as well as it was easier to print a new one than ripping it out.

ed. note: I had meant to post earlier that someone had asked if I had used a walking foot when I pieced the first t-shirt quilt. (Veronica, maybe it was you?) I had not but did take that suggestion for this one and I am very pleased with the results. I didn't have any problems with the sashing not lining up properly with the interfaced shirt pieces, no incidental stretching. Amazingly too, all the pieces in the strip measured exactly what they should have measured mathematically and that included both the vertical and horizontal measurements. I measured them anyway to be sure but it was all right on the money. How often does that happen? The weird thing is that I never know exactly where to line up the foot when I am putting on binding but it worked for this project and worked well.

It did help that I had it all figured out on paper (in EQ after my rough calculations where in place) so I knew exactly how many pieces to cut in what sizes and could make the best use of the yardage I had bought. The t-shirts were all cut and labeled with sticky notes so I wouldn't try to stick the filler strips on the wrong blocks. I kept all that blocks in rows with a binder clip and in the order they were to be added. Also I learned on that first one---I had a ball park idea from the last one how much interfacing it would take (about 13 yards) and how much sashing fabric (5 yards with a tad leftover which I don't mind since I can use it on something else). I don't think I will doing any more of these things though.

"Done is a very good word", to quote Pam. There was not as much variety of shirts or the shirt colors this time. I had to repeat three of them and yet still get it up to full/queen. It measures 87 x 94. DJ and Eva Marie the longarmer held it up for me at the shop but neither of them was quite tall enough to get a straight on shot but I didn't think I better complain about that. Those t-shirts are heavy!! I had to promise to hurry up and take the shot but of course, DJ didn't believe me. HMMM mutiny in the ranks.

DJ has not been playing golf this month much at all. Too cold, too windy and/or too damp. He did ride up with me today just to get out of the house, more or less. I asked him if he helped that cabin fever any. He thought that riding in the car wasn't much better than sitting in the chair at home. I commented that at least it was a change of scenery on a sunny day. He compared that comment to watching TV sitting in his car. He needs to get out of the house about as much as I need him to. (We got word that his golfing friend from IL will be here on 2-7 and 2-8 as his way to Florida to paint an elderly friend's house but that is not soon enough for DJ to get out for a couple hours and practice up on his friend)

So no sewing or quilting today as I am taking the day off. Other than trying to track down some 6000 yard Tex 30 cotton cone thread, I have not done anything quilt related today. Still, it is a long time till bedtime so I think that I will dig out the July snowman block and do some embroidery. Pam emailed me that she has 4 done already and she started waaaaaaay after me. It sounds like she needs to make doubles as her momma has fallen in love with the blocks and won't let her bring them home from the care center, LOL.

Maybe I can at least start trying to get caught up with the ring and other friends while I stitch in front of the computer-------

break's over

At left--Pippi looking for trouble---she had been way up high on the top board of the kitchen pass through and coming down. Surprised I didn't get a kitty blur!

Well, my break time for donation quilts is over for the time being. Yep, my expected fabric for the t-shirt commissioned quilt shown in the EQ sketch HERE arrived just before lunch this morning. It hit the washer and dryer immediately. I just finished cutting out all the sashing, borders, fill in bits etc for the blocks.

A few blocks are just big 4 patches--that will be a snap. The lettering will be foundation pieced--that is a "cut-as- yo -go" kind of thing. but the framing sections around the letters are cut. The printouts are all printed up. I think that I can get the top together fairly quickly if I watch what I'm doing as it is basically a vertical strippie with 5 rows with lots longer rows than I was working on the past two days is all. The lettering will take a little longer but I hope to have this delivered to the quilter by midweek. Like Judy Tenuta says "it could happen!"

I suspect that I will be absent for a few days while I try to get this thing done. I had to laugh at an email I received from my SIL last night. I guess I had posted later in the day than usual and a couple of days had elapsed. She said teasingly "Ah, yes, when you are a celebrity your fans expect things of you! :)" I bet all of us blog gers hear from our friends and family if we don't post--good that they notice, right?

This morning I set up some webshots albums if you would like to look of some of the quilts I have pieced, quilted, made blocks for or just plain own. I also loaded the Belles quilts for 05, 06 and what we have for 07 so far. Click HERE if you would like to take a peek. Some you have seen on the blog over the last year, some not. Those of you who have sent tops and so forth to us for donation will spot some familiar looking items--provided we got them done, that is. (Sorry, Jeanne--next thing up!)

What started all that webshot stuff is that I wanted to comment on something I had seen while searching online for a set for those framed 4 patches. Somehow I stumbled upon someone's album with a bi-sected nine patch technique shown HERE. This intrigues me and I wondered how big the block must start out. I am going to try it! I can see how cool it would look in scrappy colors as well as planned and a good stashbuster to boot! Pat has been cutting us 4 1/2 inch strips from the donation bin so this might be a thought for mix and matching.

Almost time to start thinking about cooking dinner and I'll tell you, my heart is not in it today. Dang it, we already ordered pizza earlier in the week and nothing easy to pull out of the fridge or freezer. Must do something about that come grocery shopping day. Catch you all later-----------

checking in

Today is our 8th wedding anniversary. In a previous post I spoke about how this came about and showed our wedding picture. It does not seem possible that we have known each other for about 29 years! How did that happen?

The mums are one of my presents--there was some lovely green paper on the pot but I had to take that off when I put some water in the pot. Pippi is enjoying one of my other gifts---it is pretty cuddly, after all. Baby blue polar fleece top, hooded pullover with pocket and Eeyore on the front. It says "BORED" on the front. That is a bit odd as I am rarely, rarely bored. I think he liked the color and the hood part, LOL. We went out for catfish--about the only time we go to this particular restaurant is for a special event or when visitors come from out of town so it was a nice treat.

I have been sewing a bit the last two days as I really did not feel like quilting though I did get one done for my pal Marilyn on Wednesday. The fabric I ordered for the commission t-shirt quilt is NOT here yet--a week later. I pulled out some blocks that Pam had sent me that Nancy had shared with her. It was my understanding that Nancy did not care who had the blocks as long as they would be used in a donation quilt. And they will be.

I believe that the blocks may have been from a centralized swap at one time. I kept finding labels on the back of the blocks as I squared them up---thought that might be a good idea when things came from more than one sewing machine. There was a goodly number of pinkish/brown framed four patches that I set aside for their own special quilt which will be set a bit differently. Below (or somewhere) on the page is the top that I finished up this morning. There were a lot of

blue and green blocks---maybe that was part of the swap plan or just that the block makers had a lot of those colors in their stash at the time. A few teals and purples worked in as well---I just tried to distribute the color evenly throughout.

The 9 patch blocks are some that Carolyn and Ada made at the fall sew-in from my 3 1/2 inch squares and strip box. How about that?--stashbusting and I didn't even do any of the block sewing, LOL. Even the muslin alternating squares were cut from backing cutaways. I really thought about setting these in a more enticing way but since I already had the squares cut, thought I best use them. Naturally, I overcut the number of squares but the leftovers can be used for heartstring blocks. I marked the blocks as I joined the rows in a simple 3 x 3 grid but didn't prep any quilt backs or binding. It can wait and I'm having too much fun assembling.


Tomorrow? Borders on two tops that Jeanne shared with the Belles probably. Fed Ex better be getting here one of these days!!

Guess that's it for today-------

heartstrings, snowmen and quilt meetings

Yesterday was the Belles meeting day. Busy as usual! I believe that they pinned 6 tops yesterday and 5 were turned in. I think we all are enjoying the new quilt hanging method because there are plenty of "oohs and ahhs" as the finished quilts are hung. Carolyn got a digital camera for Christmas so she was taking pics too so she could share them with her family--one of the quilts was one she had made but that didn't matter. Some of the girls kept to the pinning table, one was cutting strips again from the donation fabrics, one was quilting and 4 of us did get some machine time in---me included!

One thing I had found was I should have used a different foot. I had the Janome and the quarter inch lipped foot was on -- the open toed one was at home. I kept catching the fabric base in that lip. Really I think my blocks looked a lot better and smoother on the back when I had just used my walking foot out of not wanting to bother to take it off the Viking just to put it back on.

Silly me had went off without my 9.5 ruler so I just "got them ready for their closeup". The June snowman snuck in too as I had just finished it right before I trimmed down the blocks. (I started it Monday evening and did a bit more of it last night so there was not much more to go this morning)--no biggie)

I had brought the 2 inch strip baskets along with the red centers and bases I had cut. Pictured above is the string output. These strips were part of a diminishing box of 2 inchers that Ellen, the WTIL founder had sent a couple years back. It was a xerox paper box packed to the brim!! I've made log cabins, RR crossings and drug them to the meeting a time or two and they are getting down but then I have added more to them as well. I had mentioned before about my cutting my way through a scrap basket that measures about 13 high by about 20 wide that stuffed to the gills last year. I vowed then that I was NOT going to keep a scrap bag or basket anymore and have stuck to my guns. I have 1 1/2, 2 and 2 1/2 inch strips, 3 1/2 inch strips and 3 1/2 inch cut squares mainly on hand. I told the girls that at our next meeting that maybe we can whip up some bowtie blocks (or make some nine patches.) All part of stash busting---just a little at a time.

I keep thinking that I should also cut some rectangular strips as well so some of the short pieces can be made up into a RR crossing or Chinese coins. What stops me is that I have a foundation pieced pineapple log cabin started with 7 inch finished blocks and it also uses the short ones. While I agree with the concept of leaders and enders, I do not work well with divided attention---next thing you know I am off piecing 8 patches instead of the project I was originally sewing, LOL.

Pictured at right, or I am guessing that it around there somewhere, is Lois' top. I was not sure exactly what to call the pattern--Stars yes, but there are also Puss in the Corner elements. The green print has sail boats on it and I thought it was cute that she quilted in a fish motif in the PIC element.

Both Lois and Carolyn reported that their husbands had really taken a liking to quilts they had done for the kids. I told them if they really wanted to keep it, I would understand and they could substitute something else in its place. It made them feel good to think that if they liked them, then one of the boys would as well. Sometimes I think it is easier to make a girls quilt because we KNOW what we like.

I spent yesterday afternoon/evening tying up some loose ends for the Belles. Updating my quilt document, assigning numbers, prepping labels for the ones I brought home, edited the pictures. One person needed a handout that I had run out of and couldn't copy so emailed that out. Another needed a recipe from a long ago sew-in to serve her circle. Another left her scissors and did she need them soon? Who all would be going to the UFO sewing retreat next month call to our hostess. Cleaned out my tote bag and my purse and put most of the stuff away though one bag is parked in front of the front door till I go out to the car in a bit. In the hurry to leave I just more or less dump anything anywhere, LOL to get it out the door. The machine foot is NOT with machine. The cone thread and holder stay out in the car and so on. Still need to run to the bank and will go in a minute. All part of being the group leader. Few other things to attend to but it can wait for another morning.

Between DJ and I the laundry is done. Lunch will be easy as I pulled some veg beef soup out of the freezer, dumped it all in the crockpot and added some more leftover beef from the freezer, broth and frozen vegs last night. Since the fabric is not here yet for the t-shirt quilt, I'm going to quilt one of the tops that Marilyn has asked me to do for her. Next thing I know it will be time to fix supper and head to bed to start it all over again. I am rarely bored when I keep busy doing what I love.

at last!

As I told you in my last post(s) I have been asked to make another T-shirt commissioned quilt. This one will be auctioned as a fund raiser for one of the local private schools. The fellow that has asked me to make this quilt and other recent commissions is on the school board.

SO Friday I whacked up the shirts to get a ball park idea of what size they might. This time, I had a lot of duplication of the shirts. Someone even donated one of those fish net looking football jerseys---no way could that be used. There is not a lot of color in the backgrounds this time either--lots of white and pale gray. Because I was told get this up to full/queen, I did the best I could with the duplicates but tried to keep them separated out in the design.

Those large black squares--the same shirt back. The small black squares in the 4 patched blocks? The front interest of the shirt. I actually pulled one out of the trash when I found I had enough 6 1/2 inch squares to squeeze out 4 blocks like that. Luckily the trash had just been empty and nothing wet or icky had gotten to it since it was on top of the heap.

Yesterday was spent doing the fusing part. Today the final trim and then laying them out on DJs bed to figure out placement. From there I could get the mathematics worked out with the sashing etc and draw up my working model. I will foundation piece the letters but have to wait for the fabric to come in from Hancock's of Paducah.

DJ and I almost went up to the quilt shop/longarmer about 30 some miles from here. I thought perhaps that something I had purchased there for use in one of the round robins might work. He said he had a bit of "cabin fever" but his fever only extended as far as the next towns north--like 10 or 20 miles worth, LOL. He also asked if my car heater was working---I hate getting hot when I drive so I don't even turn it on when I have a coat on. What a goof ball! All these conditions applied to whether he wanted to go or not. I ended up just ordering the stuff online as I would have had to get the brick red/burgundy stuff there anyway.

DJ actually cooked lunch for us Saturday. We had had some discussion about what we could have for lunch if I didn't cook supper Friday. We had a few hot dogs left from the possible ice storm preparation. He mentioned wanting some Mac and Cheese--one of the few things he knows how to fix. The thing is, I ate so much of that stuff in nursing school in the early 70s that I vowed I wouldn't eat it anymore if I could afford NOT to . The other thing was I don't cook lunch--I re-heat or will make sandwiches but that's it. He must have wanted it BAD as he got a box of it at the store. He did all right except for asking me how much was a quarter cup of butter and what had I done with the hot dog buns? I said to use margarine and that just garnered the question about where that was too, LOL. (2 trips out to the kitchen.) Other than not calculating how much time it took to bring water to a boil, he seemed to do okay. I cleaned up after him but that is often his job with me--load the dishwasher after we eat and take out the garbage. Got to wonder if the reason they act so helpless if that we will just go ahead and do it anyway OR are they really that clueless?

DJ is, of course, elated about the Bears winning the NFC championship. At this writing the Colts and NE are tied in the 4th quarter so who knows who their opponent will be? Hope have had a good weekend at your house-------

2nd quilt done

Just finished quilting a 2nd quilt--this was a top that Finn sent to us late last fall. With the holiday lay off, we didn't get it pinned until our first January meeting. I'm sorry but I'm getting a server error as I was going to link you back to her page.

I had planned on quilting two donation quilts and then taking the day off to just play with my new sewing machine (a Brother Innov-is NX 450). My replacement sewing table insert arrived on Tuesday along with two other fun boxes of quilty things from two friends and a CD of the family Christmas pictures from my sister.

You know there is BUT here, right? I got a call I was half expecting from the man that I had done the commission work for recently. We had talked about the possibility of my doing a smaller t-shirt quilt for the private school fund raising auction in December but it was left open ended. At the time that I delivered the quilts right before Christmas, I told himthat the long arm quilter needed about two months time after I got the top done, should he want me to make the top. The call came today and I'll be running in to town to pick up the t-shirts and then shop for a gob of interfacing. Got to be flexible schedule wise---looks like I'll prepping shirts and doing some design work tomorrow.

Quilting mode again

Sorry that this looks so dark---just sharing the last two bluework blocks that I have done recently--finished the May block last evening. I knew quilting would wait since I was SOOOO close to done. I set the project bag aside again.

I did get a bit of machine today though. The plaid bricks is done since I only had about 1/3 of it to go and can be seen HERE in the pre-quilted state. Just ditch work so it won't look a whole lot different to you even if the binding was done. Lois offered to take that part off my hands since I quilted her donation quilt last week. It's a deal!

Next up is that one that you see the back of in the snowman picture--that ubitiquous WTIL kit cobblestone stuff. Here Pippi is parked on it. I moved it this morning to a different spot to keep her off of it but I substituted two others that she could get on. Silly goose hops up on my desk and walks over the basket atop the printer where I had stashed it near the machine. I swear for a minute she was going to hop up there. She had given the proffered two a token paw but she almost made a beeline to get to the speckled one, LOL.

Other than that a pretty quiet day over all. Still colder but the sun was even out. The weather staff still say that there is a possibility of some sleet/freezing rain/bridge icing tonight. Nice chat with my mom this morning.

That's all for tonight-------