What Was I Thinking?

I'm finally back trying to finish up some of my MANY UFO's.  I have this Ohio Star that I made as a part of a series of classes I called "Skill Builders"  We started by making Chinese Coins (for straight cutting and seams, them moved on to a Log Cabin (to reinforce the accurate 1/4" seam, the third class we did a Double 9 Patch on point to line up intersections and work with fabric on the bias.  The Ohio Star was the 5th class working with triangles.  We went on to do Drunkard's Path for curved piecing and finished with Diamond Stars.  I'm trying to get them all quilted.  I don't know if I'll ever have the opportunity to teach the class again (I'd like to) but I want to get them quilted.  I had every intention of doing very simple quilting but I got carried away.  I guess I'm incorporating my second goal of the year-to improve my machine quilting.  

I've started including some of the designs I learned with the Free Motion Quilt Project.  I really should get back into that routine soon.  

It's not the greatest picture of the original sample I did.

I'm doing my current favorite meandering feather design in each of the corners.

You can see the leafy vine I'm using in the sashing.

It's been incredibly hot here the past few weeks so I had to put away my lap quilting.  So, at night to spend some time with my hubby, I've picked up and old BOM that I started YEARS ago. This is the last block of the 12.  It's been folded for a LONG TIME

Hopefully I can finish it this summer.

I have not spent as much time at the machine as I have been going to the pool and reading quite a bit.  It's something I really love to do in the summer.  I can hardly wait to go to Cape Cod in a few weeks to be with all my girls, romp with the nieces and nephews, visit with family and reading on the beach.

Today I finally had it with the closet by my back door!  I took everything out, wiped everything down and re-organized.  I put anything of the girls in their rooms so they can take them home with them on their next visits.  What I thought would take 1-2 hours took 4 hours!  So much for sewing today!

Happy Stitching!

Ta Done!

They're done!  I really got them done yesterday but wanted to get outside to enjoy the pool for an hour or so before getting ready for a Fourth of July party.

Quilted and bound!  I'm so glad to have these done!  I'll take them with me to Cape Cod in 2 weeks where I'll see the boys.  They have no idea that I've done this.  Their mom shipped the tee shirts to me in April.  I had to finish Bryn's quilt and the baby quilt before I could get these done.  I'll have to say, doing 3 tee shirt quilts out of the last 4 quilts was pretty tough!  I like to mix it up.  I'm looking forward to getting back to my UFO challenge.  I have some other quilts in my head I'd like to do but I'm going to finish a few more that I've started before I start anything new.

 Here's Guapo inspecting one of the quilts before it was bound!  I was pressing the binding and looked up to see him cuddling with the quilt!

We went to a party on the 4th and I wanted to try strawberries dipped in white chocolate then dipped in blue sugar sprinkles.  They turned out SO CUTE!  and they were a hit!  I also dipped pretzel rods but forgot to take pictures of them.  They weren't quite as popular but I liked the salty with the sweet.

 Bryn made this cake.  The recipe calls for using a white cake but she wanted to use angelfood.  I think it was really cute and GOOD!

 We've had some big storms coming through with all this heat and humidity.  Last night a big storm moved through and we thought there was a loud clap of thunder outside only to find this waiting for us in the morning!

Thank goodness it fell like it did!it missed the house and the deck!  I talked with the lawn guys and they said they could probably get to it on Monday!  I'm hoping my dear husband does not see this as an excuse to go out and get a chain saw!

Off to the movies this afternoon with Bryn.  I have yet to see The Most Exotic Marigold Hotel.  I've wanted to see it since it came out but the weather's been so good and everytime I plan to see it with someone something comes up!

Happy Stitching!

Almost Done!

I'm almost done with the twins' quilts!  I got Brendan's quilt pinned and quilted over the past 2 days!  I fortunately have a large island in my kitchen-it's so big we call it "The Continent!"

 Backing stretched and clamped

 Batting laid out.  Notice how it's lined up in front of the Olympic Trials!  I'm a total Olympic Geek!

 The top laid out.

 Let the pinning begin!

 This is the tool I use to close the pins!  It is worth whatever I paid for it to close the pins!  Before I got it my fingers would be so sore after pinning even a small quilt!

 Close up of the tip of the tool.  Please excuse the quality of the pictures.  It's difficult to take the picture while trying to demonstrate how it's used.

 I slide the tool under the tip of the pin so that it is one of the grooves.

 Push the pin tip up...

 And slide it home!

 Even though The Continent is big it's isn't big enough for the entire quilt.

 It's pinned and ready to be quilted!

Meanwhile, Guapo made himself comfortable on the couch!  He's so funny!  His butt's up in the air!  The funniest part is that we never allowed any of our dogs on the couch until we had Grand-dogs!

Today, I bind!  Then I'm done with these quilts!  WHOO HOO!!!

Happy Stitching!

I've Been a Very Bad Girl!

I will admit.  Making 3 tee shirt quilts (Bryn's and my twin nephews') all in 3 months gets very tiresome.  Basically I'm bored with them and it's difficult to get my quilting mojo on!  Besides, it's summer and the weather here in Michigan is warm and sunny.  I'd much rather be outside.  I did get a portable sewing table with the intention of sewing out on the covered deck.  Unfortunately, I have to quilt the tee shirt quilts which I have to do on the machine in The Lair!  I really should get down there and get them done!

In the meantime, I came across my Grandmother McGregor's sewing book from Coffeyville High School!  She graduated from high school in 1915 so it must be at least 100 years old!  It's still in great shape except for the cover.

 It's amazing to read her notes!  Some things never change!  She was one of the most amazing needle work artists I've had the pleasure of knowing.  She made clothes, did needlepoint, cross stitch, and just about everything else EXCEPT QUILTS!  When she was about 5 she got blood on a quilt she was helping her mother and aunt quilt.  She never quilted again! 

Anyway, the book also contained samples of her handwork! 

                                                 They are attached to the pages by brads!

My stitch group got together recently and told me of a place where they can hopefully preserve it!

I really will make an effort to finish it up this weekend!  I also need to get back into doing the Quilt Project to help improve my machine quilting. 

TIME TO GET BACK ON TRACK!!!

Happy Stitching!

Where Has May Gone?

 So much to do in the spring!  Getting the yard in shape, planting annuals and some veges, and shopping for fabric to finish quilts!  My friend, Mary, has been dying to go to The Door Mouse in Bettesville, Ohio.  I needed to find the perfect backing for my nephews' tee shirt quilts.  If it's out there, I'd find it at The Door Mouse!  I should have taken more pictures!  This is the view down one aisle of about 9 or 10.  And there's more stacked around this barn!  Bolts on shelves 3 high, rows of fabric in front of the shelves and more stacked on top of those!  I was looking for something to tie in the boys' high school colors, royal blue and gold, without being floral or too light-who knows how often it will get washed if it goes to college with them!

 Lots of Paula fabrics.  Had to get some for a new, easy quilt.  Now I just need the time!
















I worked on putting the binding on the baby quilt.  Why am I doing it by hand?  I really like the look a whole lot better.  It probably took longer to hand stitch the binding on than it to to piece or quilt the entire quilt!  I used a striped fabric cut on the bias.  This is the first time I used the ladder stitch for the binding and like it!

Stitching the binding on

 

The binding from the front

On top of this-I decided my "Lair" was not a peaceful place to work so I started to clean and rearrange it.  My gosh!  Today it looks like a bomb went off!  I've been pulling things out of the storage unit from out Cape house and trying to put some of the stuff to good use or sell it.  I want to label where everything goes to try to keep me in line.  I got myself a new labeler!  I love it!  Nothing like a new toy to make organizing fun!

My Little Brother!

 The tea tin re-labled!  I'll show you the whole set once I'm done.

And I finally finished to baby quilt!  I love it!  I'll be collecting more I Spy fabric so I can make more!

 Then I had to make this wreath I saw on Pinterest.  Supplies from the Dollar store.  Spent $3.50 for the base wreath and it still came to under $20.  I think it's cute and summery but Joe doesn't really like it.  He usually doesn't say much but asked me not to put it on the front door.  So it's on the back door!  It's the door most people use, anyway!

Tomorrow's supposed to be cold and rainy so hopefully I can finish "The Lair".  Dad signed up to be a part of the community wide garage sale.  I convinced him that we should not sit out in the damp cold tomorrow and we'll concentrate on Saturday.  I'd much rather be sewing but he's 90 and I adore him so I'll go deal with the "salers"

Happy Stitching!

Did You Think I Got Lost?

Oh my gosh!  I can't believe how time is flying by!  I've gotten quite a bit done but I really do have to get better about taking pictures of my work.

My biggest distraction was my youngest daughter's college graduation in Boston! I was so proud of her and glad that our eldest was able to join us!  We had such a great time!

 Me, Bryn-the Graduate, Ally and Joe

 The view from our room

I finished piecing Sara's Baby Quilt top. I should have taken pictures of the piecing.  I used the Accuquilt Go to cut the fabrics.  I can't believe how easy the triangles went together.  I'm usually such a purist when it comes to cutting and piecing traditionally(cutting squares, marking the center and sewing 1/4" down each side of the mark).  No dog ears and they lined up perfectly every time!  I do prefer to use starch or MaryEllen's Best Pressed to stabilize the fabric before cutting so the bias doesn't stretch.  It went together so quickly and I love the result!

Baby Quilt

I picked up a backing and forgot to check to see if I had batting.  That may be on tomorrow's agenda!  I'd like to get it quilted this coming week and start getting my other nephew's quilt started.  Between that, work outs, golf and a crown prep I have a busy week coming up!

Happy Mother's Day and as always,

Happy Stitching!

Monday, Monday....

I really got a lot accomplished this weekend and was hoping to keep the ball rolling today.  I did in a way.  I got my workout in this morning and am feeling it tonight.  After coffee with my dad I went to the quilt shop to look for some more novelty prints for the baby quilt.  Got what I needed, came home and had lunch.  By the way, I'm really loving My Little Pony!  Joe told me this weekend he was surprised I went ahead with the Mustang convertible.  He thought I was going to get another SUV.  Even though it was not the greatest of days- not a top down kind of day, it's still fun to drive.  Again, distracted!

I needed to start thinking of what I need to bring with me to Boston for Bryn's graduation.  I usually get my handwork together before I worry about what I'm going to wear!  Priorities!  I needed to clean out and organize my travel sewing bag so I thought I'd share it with you.

 

Jinny Beyer Travel Bag

 I got this bag one of the years I was at Jinny's Seminar.  You can get it on her website.  It's "legal" travel size for your liquids on airplanes.  The size tucks in my pack and contains everything I need with room to spare.

 

Bag Contents

 In the bag I put a box of applique pins, my needle threader (my favorite quilting tool) a finger pin cushion (just got it today!), thick quilting thread, needles, 1/4" steel, sandpaper covered seam marker, 2 mechanical pencils, a marking pen, scissors and a couple of thimbles.  I just realized I need to put in some regular thread for piecing.

Thimble Pin cushion

I found this little thimble at the quilt shop.  There's a piece of elastic that holds it on your finger.  It will be perfect for holding those little applique pins where I can keep track of them while in a plane or in the car-as a passenger!  I have told people I like to piece while in the car and they thought while I was driving!  I think that would be worse than texting!  Anyway, I found pleasure today for $2.50 with this little pin cushion!

 Then I have my baggie filled with cardboard diamonds for English paper piecing.  I cut the diamonds out of poster board.

 I've cut rectangles of scraps and threw 6 of each color in a bag.  I then pin the cardboard diamond to the scrap, leaving plenty of room around the edges.  I did adjust this after I took the picture.  I do have to change the pin to an applique pin-less likely to get stuck!

 I then trim the fabric so I have at least 1/4" around the cardboard.  Next I baste the fabric on the cardboard.  Since I am traveling and they are thrown in a bag and get thrown around a lot I use a thicker needle and baste it directly on the cardboard.

 When I have six made I whip stitch them together WITHOUT removing the cardboard.   I don't take the cardboard out until every side has been stitched to another piece.

 English paper pieced star from the back.

 Here are a bunch I have already put together.  It's coming together!

The other thing I needed to do today was get my projects organized.  A few years ago I started charting my projects.  Along the top I have the steps to finishing the quilt from planning it to binding it: Plan Quilt, Calculate yardage, buy yardage, cut pieces, make blocks, (of course, I can't read it from here and I'm sitting in a very comfy chair but I'll try to remember the rest) arrange blocks, sashing, piece top together, trim, borders, baste, quilt and binding.

 I then list the projects along the left.

 As I complete each step I check it off.  There's something satisfying about checking the steps off!

As I complete a project I'm able to cross off the line.  I really should date it as well.  Okay, that's what I"ll do from now.

It's getting late and I want to get a little hand quilting done so for now...

Happy  Stitching!