So What Has Been Going On!!!???!!!

I can't believe that I haven't blogged in over a week--in fact almost 2 weeks. All I can say is that "life got in the way". I think though that things have settled down a little bit---at least I hope so.

So what have I been up to? Well, for a minute I thought spring was here. The temperature was in the high 70's, on some days in the 80's, so I got my muslin down and washed two bolts. I ended up with a sore arm from all the tearing I did to get it into FQ's, then when I was about to clean the Dyeing Studio (AKA the garage), it got cold again!!!! Bummer----it has been really chilly, near freezing, so there has been no dyeing! I believe that once this latest cold spell is done, it will be Spring, so I am ready (see the picture above---with still more left to fold). I am going to have to buy a couple of more bolts of muslin since I really do want to replenish my stash. I have some real plans this year and am going to be more deliberate in documenting the colors I get so I can do them again.

The hex quilt is coming along nicely (see picture above). I have almost half of it done. I am liking how it is turning out. I am going to make it extra long---maybe about 14 rows since most dorm beds are long twins. I really hope Grand baby likes it. I purchased some fabric for the border but am now thinking I might get a polka dot instead---or maybe use a polka dot for the back. I also have some cupcake fabric that would make a cute back as well. I will have to wait and see. I really don't try really hard to match my backs to the quilt. I really like fun backs and as long as it is loosely within the same color family I am okay with it.

I am also quilting the apple core. That is one big quilt!!! I couldn't figure out how to load it evenly on the frame, so I cut the top and bottom straight across. After I did that I thought I could have just floated the top and not had to cut it, but I did so I am not going to worry about it. Because of the scallops I really can't sew the sides down easily, but since I notice when I loaded it that there were some stretched out areas I am doing a tight meander. I had almost decided to use a panto, but decided against it. I am glad I followed my mind since I am able to "quilt out" the stretched areas flat. I am also using a plain white muslin back. The stitching shows up nicely on the back and when I wash it the crinkle will really be nice. The downside though is that I matched the thread so closely, that I can barely see it on the beige blocks. I can see fairly well on the blues, but I really have to look closely to not quilt over stitches. I really think I am going to leave the sides scalloped. It is looking pretty good.

Diane will be here next month for AQS and so I am making a mental list of what I would like us to do. We have so much fun together, this is sorta our time to relax and really have fun doing quilty stuff and discussing how we would handle things if we were in charge :c). She will be here for a week and I am going to have to be careful I don't over-plan. It is nice sometimes to just sit and sew and not always be on the go. One thing we will do a little different this year is go on a bus with one of the Guilds to the show on Saturday. I did that last year and really enjoyed it. It is nice to have someone else do the driving and just relax and enjoy the company of others. We will leave early in the morning on and not return until late. What fun!!!!!

Well, just wanted to check in. Didn't want you to think I was abandoning my blogging. Take care and we "talk" later!

xoxo

Hey!

Just wanted to stop by and say "hey"! Today was an absolutely beautiful day! It was 70 degrees out and I went prom dress shopping with my daughter and oldest granddaughter. This will be her senior prom, so she had to have something special. When my girls (her mother and aunt) were in school, I made every prom (and party dress) dress they had. We started at the beginning of the year and designed it ourselves. What we actually did was look at a lot of prom dress patterns, taking a sleeve from here, a neckline from here, a bodice from her, a skirt from another, etc. and came up with a totally different dress. Since we were using the same pattern, it wasn't difficult to interchange the different styles. It was a big secret, no one knew what you were wearing, not even the color, and because I made the dresses, the girls were sure to not see anyone else in their dresses. Things are a bit different now---for one, girls go shopping in a group! One young lady even put her dress on Facebook---that would have NEVER happened in the old days :-). My little Honeybunny chose the most beautiful dress---red! It was expensive---and she cried when my daughter told her she could have it. It took her a good 15 minutes to agree---she kept saying it was too expensive and it was selfish of her to allow her mother to purchase it. It was so refreshing to see her so appreciative---I gotta say (and I did) her mother would have NEVER done that. She would have gladly taken that dress and not thought about the cost for one second :-). My granddaugher is such a good girl---a member of the honor society, her schools first Homecoming Queen, the schools first Poet Laurent, a christian, a all around good baby---so she really does deserve it. We (her Poppi and I) are going to purchase her shoes/purse---and she will be all set---she actually is thinking of wearing flat shoes (how sweet is that). I am hopeful that this Grandbaby will come to the nursing home and feed me my carrots and wipe the spittle from my face :-)

Well, just wanted to touch base. No new quilting pictures this time. Hugs and have a great week-end!

Spring Break Is OVER!:c(

Well, I go back to work tomorrow! My clinical's begin at 0700 in the AM but I have to be at the hospital to make assignments by 0645 at the latest, so my week will begin EARLY! I really didn't get as much done (in quilting or housework) as I wanted. Life kept getting in the way via adult children and their crisis'. Oh well, in the end it all worked out and I have again resolved to not care or try to be such a good mother, but alas, I have made this vow before and broken it each time.

I went to my monthly Saturday Guild meeting and as always, came away invigorated and validated. This group of women are really empowering. We laughed our way, sang (or in my case hummed) own way through the morning and I always leave feeling better. A member is now making soap (this is a artistic group) and I came away with a couple of really good smelling bars. Did you know that the soap you spend so much money for is actually a detergent! I didn't know that----anyway, I used the bars and my skin really did feel better and cleaner! I plan to buy a bar and put in the guest bath for Diane when she comes. It is nothing like a warm shower with really nice soap to get you ready for a quilt show!!!

I restarted my Granddaughter's hex quilt and got stumped. How do I handle the beginning and ending of each row. Since it is a hex quilt, and because every other row in indented by one, I was coming up with this very uneven sides. I would have liked to figure our a way to add a piece so I didn't have to cut a hex in half. I think I have it figured out now. I cut some solid hex's and every other row will end with that hex. I just add a triangle to the row above and below and then when I cut it even, I will not have to split a hex. Because the solid is the same color as the star points, I am hoping the hex will look like they are floating. I am going to add a border. What I may do is add a very thin (maybe 2 inch) border of a contrast color. Maybe a green. What do you think? Is there another way to begin and end the rows?

Poor Coal is sick. We had to clean the carpet upstairs and I had to get out the pink medicine (Pepto). He seems to be feeling better, but DH (who coaches Little League) is at my grandson's baseball game and Coal is missing him. When no one else is around, I will do, but he would much rather be laying in DH's lap. I am pretty sure it was the boiled chicken my husband gave him. He has such a sensitive stomach, it looks like the only thing he can eat without getting sick is that expensive dog food and occasionally a piece of cheese.

Well, gotta go, he is looking at me weird---he may need to go out!

Hugs!

February UFO Finished!!!!!

I finished the apple core today!!!!! 20 rows of 19!!! It is actually a BIG quilt---it would probably fit a king size bed. I just started putting the cores together and pretty soon I had a LOT of them, so they all went into the quilt. It is laying on the step down into my living room so it looks a little odd. I plan to quilt it in a tight stipple and use a plan muslin back. It looks so very antique and I think that tight stipple will make it all crinkly when it is washed to add to the "old" look. I can't decide whether I should leave the edges scalloped or not, but I am leaning toward leaving them scalloped. Since this was truly an endeavor that I will not take on again soon, I am going to go all out.

I also decided to take the hexs I had put together apart. When I looked at them on the design wall, the muslin around the hexs formed a flower with the hex as the center of the flower. The muslin though seemed to fade into the background. I remembered I had some Pepto Bismol pink Kona in my stash and so I got it down and laid the hexs on there and it really made them "pop". I went to Joanne's today and found the perfect pink 30's print for the border. I think with the pink it will be a much cuter quilt, and more like my GD. I am going to go get out the GO! and cut out the little triangles in pink and put it together. I also pulled some 30's I had and I will cut out more hexs to replace the one's I have already sewn plus a couple more to make it a little bigger (this is how it began with the core---I sure hope I don't end up with another BIG quilt---I will have to keep reminding myself it is for a dorm room bed). I also think the different fabric will add some variety since I am using 3 charms exactly alike. I also think I figured out what to do with the sides. Although I am not designing this quilt per se, I have never seen one quite like the one I hope this will be.

Well, I am going to sit and finish "Road to Perdition" and then go downstairs and cut out the triangles. I am going to try to load the "core" on this week-end and work on quilting it all next week. It will probably take me a month just to do the hand binding.

Have a great week-end--- if we don't "talk" before Monday!

New Quilt!

My Granddaughter is graduating from high school in May. Of course, one of the gifts she will get from me is a quilt. We have been talking about it for a while and she really doesn't have anything in mind. I was going through some magazines and saw this really neat hexagon quilt. Now I am NOT a hand quilter and so the Grandmother's Garden is out of the question, but I remembered that one of the very first GO! dies I purchased was the hexagon. Recently I got the triangles that you could put in the corners that made it easier to sew together. I looked through my stash and found 4 Charm Packs---Snippets. I also have some unbleached muslin that is perfect for these 30's/40's prints----so I am making her a quilt using them. I got them all cut out with the 5 inch hexagon. I figure that I will have 13 rows of 12 blocks and then add a border. This would bring it to a twin size which is perfect for a dorm bed. This will be her quilt---which as I think about it is perfect!!!!

It looks like I am in the mode for quilts made from one block shape. First the apple core and now the hexagon.

xoxo---

What Have I Been Up To Lately?????

I am having computer problems....at times my mouse doesn't work and so I have a hard time posting. We have other computers, but I try to use one primarily for my blogging. I am treating the mouse carefully so hopefully I will be able to finish this post.

I am on Spring Break next week----HAPPY DANCE!!! I think I will pretend I don't have to work so I will not keep watching the calendar to see how many days I have left :c) I plan on getting lots of quilting done---I will clean the house and cook some meals, but I am one tired girl and really just want to rest! I finished quilting a donation quilt for my Guild (another member pieced the top)---see picture above. It really is a nice quilt---it quilted nicely---I just did a simple meander, but I like it. I will pass it on to Becky who will give it to another Guild member to bind. All of us will get a chance to participate....so that is off my list to do.

My plan is to work on the Tumbler, and several others I have in various degree's of completion. It is my hope that at the very least I will complete Tumbler. I am so looking forward to the week --- I will have to live each day slowly so the time will seem to last longer.

Well, gotta go---just wanted to post a short update. Take care and hopefully I will have some completions pictures next week.

xoxo

UFO #1

Judy chose the March UFO which is #1. For me that is the "Scrappy House" quilt. I HATE that quilt!!!!! I looked at it and it is too scrappy and just looks weird, so I had decided to not even go through the trouble of making it. Since I didn't finish the February UFO and really only had 10 anyway, I am going to make the decision to continue with the apple core. I have completed 4 rows of 19 and have the next 4 on the design wall just needing to be sewn together. After that, I will have 7 more rows to go. It is relatively slow going, but I am determined to get it done. I got a little bored and decided to put one red block in---sorta quirky like me--but I think it looks nice.

I have several other quilts that I alternately take a little time to sew on--wouldn't it be nice if I finished two quilts in March. I also now have 2 charity quilts I need to quilt and I am picking up a couple of more on Thursday, so I am going to get Harriet oiled up and get to "cracking".

Hope your day goes well!

Patricia

Life Gets In The Way!

Just a quick note----I know I have been "missing in action" for the last couple of weeks. Things have been VERY busy around here and although I have been quilting (of course) I just haven't had time to blog about it. Work is consuming me right now---I have LOTS of deadlines, but hopefully, after next week I can take a bit of a breather.

I have had to prioritize what I want and can do, in relationship to my quilting goals. I am not going to complete the CW blocks "Of the Week". The blocks are too small and too much trouble/time for me to enlarge to 12 inches, so I am putting this to the side....plus I don't have enough CW fabrics anyway. I am going to try instead to do the GO! Mystery Quilt. This is an opportunity for me to use fabs from my stash. Unfortunately (for me) I didn't have all of the dies that are being used, so I HAD to purchase several (tongue in cheek). Several places were having sales so I have the Chisel, Circle, Critters, and Blazing Star on their way! .....I will need to work a couple of extra shifts to repay the budget---oh well, such is life! Except for a couple of strip dies that I would like, I now have the majority of the dies that I will use. Diane purchased herself a Valentine Gift of the GO! so it will be fun to have someone to really talk to about the cutting system. This also gives us yet another thing in shopping common so it will be fun!

My UFO Challenge for Feb. is coming along very slowly. I knew it would though---you can't whip through a apple core like I did the January quilt. I will just have to be behind those who finish, but I still am anticipating that by year's end I will have completed my list of UFO's---I may have though added 12 to replace them, but compared to some, I don't have that many UFO's anyway.

I am also going to enter a couple of quilts in a show. I have them completed, but will need to sew the hanging strips on........so you see, I am a pretty busy girl!!!!!!!!

Well, gotta go---I have work to do to prepare for an important meeting on Tuesday. Take care and don't give up on me. Although I am not getting any comments, I can see I am being visited! Keep coming, it does a heart good to see that so many are interested in my little blog! Have a wonderful Sunday and coming week!

xoxo

How Many Applecore's Are Too Many?

I have cut 922 Apple Cores. The quilt I am making needed 461 blocks--that is one light core and one dark core per block. Although I have always loved the Apple Core block, there is NO way I would have made this quilt and cut each of these out with a template. The GO! allowed me to cut them all within two days. I could have cut them all at once, but I had other work to do and so couldn't devote the time in a block. The quilt will be 19 blocks x 19 rows. I would have liked to make it with 23 rows, but I ran out of blue and white, so it will be square. I am working hard, but I don't' think I will have this done by the end of this short month. My special machine foot makes sewing the core pieces together easy, but I have to switch to my regular foot when I start putting block to block. I do think this will be a pretty quilt. I think I will back it in muslin like most antique quilts are, since it really does look antique to me.

Well, just wanted to keep you updated. The sun is shinning bright here although it is very cold!!! Next week it will be in the 60's---almost dyeing weather!!!!!!

Hugs! and have a great week-end!

Super Bowl Sunday!

I am making my apple core's using my GO! This makes it possible for me since I would NOT cut all these out with a template. I love my GO! I think this was a appropiate purchase for me. When you cut the core there are little notches that make it much easier to put them together. It is still curved sewing but with my little gadget below, it is a little easier.

My curve master foot that I am using to put the apple core's together. It makes it easier, but there is a learning curve I am still on (the picture is turned sideways for some reason--sorry). I am a bit inconsistent, but I have decided to not obsess about that. I am also trying to not obsess about the placement of the colors either. I just want to have fun and moving things around 100's of times isn't making this fun.

This is UFO #10. ...my blue/white/neutral CW apple core that I am working on. Diane gave me some of her blue CW scraps so I have a pretty good variety. CW as I have mentioned before isn't really my favorite period or fabrics, but the blue and white/neutral looks so crisp to me. It will be a nice summer quilt I think. It will be queen size when I finish (of course). I haven't decided yet if I will leave the edge scalloped or not. I think the scallop will look pretty, but it all depends how I feel once it is finished. I don't think I will finish this in February....but I am going to work really hard to. I have about 50 of the two core's put together, and about 200 blocks cut. I think I will put them together by 4's and then 8's and then sew those together...(what I did on the far right in the picture). I will still have a long seam to sew in joining rows but I think it will be more manageable. The way I am figuring, I will need 20 rows of 18. I am going to put the first 4 rows together and see if it will be big enough. No, I will definitely NOT finish this in February.

Normally after church I go to a LQS or to Joanne's to look around at the very least. I really didn't feel like doing that this year. The weather was sunny but cool and after coming home from church and putting on my pj's, I really didn't want to get dressed. After church I had dinner with two of my kids and got a take-out for DH, so I didn't even have to cook. I did make some cookies for my grandson and his friends (my grandson is such a picky eater, I made him a grilled cheese sandwich with sides for dinner and he was happy), but other than running the vaccum in the downstairs den I really didn't do anything other than sewing a little.

Hope you Sunday was a wonderful one and your week will be just as great!.