Completed Tumbler!

I am all finished with Tumbler---including sewing down the binding. As I mentioned earlier, the sides ended up a soft scallop. It is uneven because I have an uneven number of rolls, but I really like it. Definitely, I am going to make this quilt again, only in a much larger size.

I am now working on finishing up the Peaches and Berries. Once again I have changed my mind and will not make the border as Judy has designed it...but like her other one where she doesn't add a border.

I worked yesterday and I am tired, plus my dryer went out so I am going to have to wash and then take the clothes to a Laundromat to dry. What fun!!! Hope your day will be a pleasant one!

xoxo

YOU'RE BACK!!!!!!!

I checked and looky---my followers are back!!!!! I know this isn't really a big deal, but it is so very comforting to see a list of people following my blog!!!! It makes me smile and really proud that people are actually interested in what I have to say----my son says (with love)---"---mommie, you really shouldn't talk so much, people really aren't interested in what you have to say" He gives me a big hug, and really says tells me this, because I am always ready to give advice, often unsolicited. WELL---I can tell him that at least 22 people are interested in what I have to say!---so there!!

More later! and thanks (to blogger as well)!

xoxo

Continued Frustration with Blogger!

I continue to struggle with the "Follower" gadget for Blogger. Can't figure out why it has disappeared and when I search for help, I really can't find anything that is helpful. If you are a follower, please bear with this "issue". It happened before and came back on it's own. Hopefully the same thing will happen this time.

Now on to more pleasant conversation. Posted is a picture of the quilted Tumbler. I haven't stitched the binding down yet, but you can see the uneven edges have a much softer scalloped look after adding the binding. I am definitely going to make this again. It will really be a nice bed size quilt with the scallops on the side. Today I am going to work on the Paintbox blocks and Peaches and Berries. It has gotten cold again, but hopefully the snow that is in the forecast for some areas will not reach us.

xoxo

Quilting on Tumbler Done!!!!

I finally finished quilting Tumbler. For some reason, it seemed to take a LONG time. It may have been because I did a tight stipple. I have to admit however, it wasn't quite as tight at the end as it was at the beginning :-) It is dark now and so I will have to take a picture tomorrow. I plan to put on the binding tomorrow after I get home from work as well, so I may wait until that is done. I am going to have to make some bias binding for the sides since I am leaving the scalloped edges. I have a tight headache right between my eyes, so I am going to call it a night and watch the Olympics from bed.

Have a great day tomorrow!!

xoxo

Don't Try to Make Your Blog TOO Cute!!!

Several of you notified me that when you tried to open my blog it would redirect to another page. The same thing was happening to me. Like all of you, I have a "anti-virus" program on my computer and regularly scan for infections. My program even warns me if I am going to a site that hasn't been determined to be safe. My husband and I couldn't figure out the problem. That is until I realized that this didn't seem to begin to happen until I had added that cute little snowfall widget. It appears that since I have removed the widget, all is back to normal!!!

Hopefully, if anyone stopped coming to visit because they thought it hazardous to the health of their computer, they will reconsider. The moral of this story is, "one shouldn't try to make ones blog TOO cute!!!!"

I'll be back later with picture of Tumbler.

xoxo

Third Finish!

I completed the Tumbler quilt and have it on the frame. I am doing a tight stipple and with the 100% cotton batting, it should wrinkle really nicely once it is washed and dried. I have a new favorite "neutral" thread color. It is yellow! Not a really garish yellow, but a soft butter yellow. It is amazing how well it blends with the fabrics---in fact so well, I have a hard time seeing my stitches and have quilted over a couple of lines. Even with a green backing, it still blends well!
I will post a picture when I am finished. I have decided to leave the sides uneven---it looks kind of like a scallop doesn't it? I think it will look pretty cool--and different!

I also see my "Followers" has disappeared again! I don't know what to do---just wait it out and hopefully they will return soon! Well have a great day. I am feeling much better and am even going to clean a little bit! First though I have to give Coal a bath---he smells like Frito's and since he is on my furniture and bed, we can't have that. When I finish with him he will smell like lavender-vanilla or maybe green apple this time :-)

Until next time! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Not Feeling Well :-(

I have been up since 2:00 AM!!! I feel horrible--started yesterday as I taught my class and have gotten progressively worst. It feels like the flu--sorta, but I have had both N1H1 and regular flu shots so maybe it is just a bad cold. At any rate, I have a headache and am all stuffy and feverish. Since I can't breathe when I lay down I thought I would update my blog.

Above are pictures of my completed baby quilt! I even did the fancy back---my first one and it turned out great. The tension is a bit off on the back--of course, but I certainly am NOT frogging it (the top is beautiful). I put a black/white strip binding on and it really looks nice---at least I think so.

The other picture is of my newly begun project. Just a bunch of 30's Tumblers. It is mindless sewing (sorta). I am just trying to not get the same pattern together. It isn't very big, but I am going to have to cut some more Tumblers since a couple were off when I cut them and they are "cattawumpus".

Well, I am going back to bed for a bit and then hopefully I will feel better today. I have an important staff meeting on Friday that I must attend, sick or not.

Have a great day!!

Focus Needed!!!!!!!

I can't seem to focus of late :-( I am all over the place, having difficulty setting down to complete projects I have started---so what do I do----start another one (sorta).

I did finish quilting the baby quilt AND put the binding on AND sewed it down!!! I also put the binding on Carolina Winter---which was no small feat! I will start sewing it down tonight while I watch the Olympics. I should have been working on my "Peaches and Berries" quilt, but instead started sewing tumblers together. I have a GO! cutter and had purchased the tumbler die. I cut out over 100 from scrap 30's and had put them into a box. I found them and started putting them together. I have enough to make a pretty good size lap quilt. I think I will use it in the car when we travel---no matter what the weather is, I am always a little chilled with the air conditioning, but the DH likes it cool to keep him alert. It is going together rather quickly, so hopefully, I will be back on track with more tedious piecing next week. I really am not starting another project, but completing a UFO--right?!?

Our Guild was cancelled tonight---too much snow and ice, so there is no need for me to go outside until tomorrow for work. YEA!! I will drink a cup of spice tea and relax!

Happy TV watching tonight. I will try to have pictures tomorrow!

xoxo

Second Finish!

I finished the latest OhFransson baby quilt. It is really a quick and fun quilt to make! The "whackiness" of the blocks is perfect for a baby quilt!! I however made a mistake and used a directional print. You really could have done that, but I mistakenly looked at the quilt from the horizontal when I should have looked at it vertically. As a result, when the quilt is vertical, the frogs are "sorta outa whack", but, as my husband mentioned, I am not going to obsess about it. I plan to make a bed size (of course) and this time will use only non-directional prints. In the quilt that was made on the site, she used linen/cotton for the solid squares, but I used 200 ct. muslin for those and plan to do the same for the back. When I make the bed size one though, I do plan to use linen/cotton.

Well I feel really good about this quilt! I think I will give it to one of the girls I work with who is pregnant. Hopefully she wouldn't be bothered by the "out of whack" frogs! Have a great day!!!!

Kinda-Sorta-Productive Week!

My week was "kinda-sorta" because although I worked on projects, nothing really got finished. I now have about 24 blocks completed for my "Peaches/Berries and Cream" quilt. Since I am using handdyes, it is a bit slow going trying to match fabric when I run out of one piece. I am liking it though. Although I had thought I wasn't going to make the pieced border, I think I will. Since I have added a "berry", my border will be easier to piece with what I have. Since I have decided to do that, I think I only have about 6 blocks to go---according to the pattern, these should be more light---so I am working on finding light values in the peaches.

I also worked on the OhFransson quilt I am doing. I am making mine bigger, and instead of a 10 inch block, really should have cut at least a 11 inch block of the focus. So far, because my focus fabrics are "busy", I have been able to piece some strips together to make the block, and not have to go back upstairs and find the fabric again. I hope my luck hold out---it really breaks my rhythm to have to stop and go look for something.

Today, I started yet another quilt---I read OhFransson and saw a pattern for a wonky block baby quilt. I have a good friend at the hospital who is expecting a baby and I thought this would really be cute. It is also breaking the routine so I started it--I have already completed 18 blocks. Supposedly you should be able to get 27 blocks from 9 FQ's but it "ain't happening for me". I had to go back upstairs and pull 9 more fabrics so I am done for the night. I don't have to work tomorrow so I should be able to put this little honey together. I'll post a picture of the completed top. It will make me feel good to finish something and re-energize me to go back to the other two projects.

Well, I am going to look at a little of the Super Bowl and relax. Hope your week-end was a great one and your week will be as well!

xoxo

No School Today!!!

No school again today!!! It is really fine with me---the only downside is my house continues to remain "lived in" since my grandson is also home from school. Between frequent trips home to "warm up" and out again to play in the "fort", my entrance way stays wet and muddy. I am constantly wiping up---but have decided to just "let it be" for a while and stop "obsessing".

Yesterday I did nothing but knit! My favorite part of knitting socks is turning the heel. I think it is almost magical how short rows can result in that neat little cup where your heel will fit. My least favorite (besides the beginning) is picking up the stitches for the instep. Twice I had to "unknit"---once I had done it right the first time :-(---the second time I was "doing it wrong". The truly magical part is I was able to pick up the stitches and not drop one!!!!!! As I mentioned, because I am self-taught I often drop stitches and that means I have to start over since I don't know how to repair them. I was literally holding my breath as I picked them up (I used a crochet needle to help in hard places) and of course, that is when everyone wants to ask questions! Anyway---it worked and so know I am on to decreasing the instep stitches and will soon be on to the foot. I see several mistakes---but I am just going to forge on! The yarn is from Joanne's and has elastic in it so I think it will make for a good sock. The color changes aren't stripped but make for an interesting "fabric".



I also finished sewing down the binding and washed and dried the quilt. It didn't crinkle as much as I would have liked since I used a poly batting, but it looks pretty good. Normally I just dry my quilts a little and then lay them out to air dry, but with the snow---I am afraid someone/or some"dog", will walk all over my quilt and mess it up, since the only place large enough to dry my quilt is on the living room floor, which is right by the entrance/exit that is currently being used most---a quick avenue to the "fort". I used color-catchers and although I have lots of red with white muslin, not one piece ran---very good since I DO NOT prewash. It looks pretty good.

Also worked on the quilt made with my handdyes and have decided, when I start dyeing again I will dye at least 2 yard pieces. I am running out of the original colors since I only had FQ's, so I am probably going to have to introduce some more shades of the original. I think it still should work out okay since it is a "controlled" scrappy. I am not sure what I am going to do about the border yet---that bridge I will cross when I get to it.

Well, I am tired now of sewing and think I will watch a little "First 48". Hugs and have a great evening. I have to go to work tomorrow so I am going to "get my mind into the groove" by drinking a cup of spice tea.

xoxo