Category: Crafts

2017 Q4 Finish Along – Can I do it All?

Well, I this is new to me.  Seems like a really good idea.  I have had much success with the One Monthly Goal.  I am hoping that this one will give some extra incentive to get projects done.  I have ambitiously put 6 projects on here.  Yikes!  I hate to lose, so I hope I can get them all finished along with the 10,000 other projects I will start along the way.  If you are interested in Participating, Please go to She Can Quilt.

So, for Quarter 4 I am going to finish the following:

20170905_203052_resized#1 Flannel Baby Quilt – Needs quilting and Binding.

 

 

 

 

20170813_185057_resized (1)#2 Safari Baby Quilt – Needs quilting finished and Binding

 

 

 

 

20170816_193127_resized.jpg#3 – The Ugly Quilt – Needs quilting and Binding.  Jeez, I hope I can stand it.  still Might have to change something on this in order to tolerate it.

 

 

 

20170702_182615_resized#4 Zipper Quilt – Needs quilted and Binding.

 

 

 

 

20170310_094411#5 The Fourth and Final Dog Bone Dresser scarf.  This is an EPP project and is partly pieced.  I am so tired of these, since it is the fourth one I have done.  Ughhh.  The last one is taking forever.

 

 

20170511_184141#6 – Table Topper that has been laying around for quite some time.  Needs borders, quilting and binding.

 

 

scan q

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

#2017FALQ4QuiltingNeeds

Just a little Scrap Busting with Flannel….Ehh

In the midst of my crankiness, I kept looking at this pile of scrap flannel that was just taking up valuable space (on my pool table AKA quilt project table).  So, I just decided to cut it up and see what I could get.  I had a bunch of blues and some lavender and purple.  This is what I got out of the blues with just a few squares left over for the scrap bin.  It will make an OK gift or donation baby quilt.  Just some weird sized square blocks.  I had to use what I had the best way I could.  Just did some meandering for the quilting.  Nothing special.  This was a thinking quilt, meaning I did a lot of thinking while I was working on it,  not about the quilt, it did not take much thinking, but about my general crankiness.  I came to no real conclusions.  I am still a bit cranky.

So, I often wonder if I am the only one with weird issues.  I don’t really like to make quilts out of flannel.  The weirdness is that I think/feel that the fuzziness of flannel always looks dirty when I am done.  It looks like it has been laying around a while and needs to go into the washer.  I even try to be careful and make sure that my machine table is clean and that I always have clean hands, but the fuzziness of the flannel always looks dirty.  Just wondering if that is Compulsive Lori overthinking or anyone else ever feels that way?

I need to get over it, because at some point in my life I bought a bunch of flannel.  I need to do something with it.  Some of it is actually cute, but it is flannel.  Ugh.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Something New to try and get out of the Funk and One Monthly Goal

Yes, I know a petal is missing.  This is supposed to be a pointsettia.  I am finding it quite challenging to get it together.  I have laid it out countless tiems today, unsuccesfully.  I a confident that I will get it at some point.  Sometimes challenging things are good.  I have a halloween quilt wall hanging that i want to hang on my front door and I would liek to hang this there too.  However, I need to get it figured out before that can happen.  I will get there.

So, for my One monthly Goal, I need to create a test block for this quilt.  I know it does 20171001_195157_resizednot look like much, but these are such complicated blocks.  I have had the stuff for this quilt for months and I am scared to try and do one of these blocks.

So, this is a special quilt.  All the dogs will be wearing Ohio State Sweaters and I will create a border with Footballs and the block “O”.

For a long time I have been wanting to make someone special to me a quilt, but could not figure out the right design.  It needed the quilt to say Me (crazy Dog Lady) and him, Huge Ohio State Fan.  I think this will come out cute as soon as I can get past my fear of this block with a million pieces.  If it is to difficult, then I am back to ground zero (and I already bought all the fabic).  Hoping it works out.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Block #6 I wish you a Merry Quilt Along

Had to stick with my snowflaked themed fabric.  As crazy as this sounds, all these different colors are from the same piece of fabric.  It started with small snowflakes and the dark purple and changed colors and snowflake sizes about every 14 inches.  I think it goes well with the other blocks.  I thought I had my sashing figured out, but now I am not so sure.  Maybe trying to plan in advance was not such a good idea.  I need to wait a bit longer.  Trying to imagine what the next blcoks will be like.  For Instructions, please visit Sandy Star Designs.

20170928_200355_resized

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Finally got Caught up on my Free Quilt Blocks, but lack inspiration

I really like this quilt.  I think it might be because I love Orange Fabrics.  I never feel like any shop has enough Orange Fabric or it is because Red Rooster Quilts gives me the fabric for free.  One block every two weeks.  It is not just for fall or Halloween.  My daughter Haley actually likes this quilt.  That is a surprise since she usually has something negative to say about my quilts.  This is a quilt I will keep for me and hang up somewhere in the house.

Been feeling a little uninspired lately.  I have many many projects started, but don’t feel like working on any of them.  I have like 4 quilts that need quilted, laying on the pool table, multiple other projects started.  Yet, I just stare off into oblivion.  I usually have more time on the weekends to work on my craft, but I always get a pile of things ready for during the week, even if I only have a few minutes, I usually sit down and sew some of these things, so they are ready for the weekend.  The pile is still sitting there untouched and then there is Block #6 for I wish you a Merry Quilt Along.  Need to get that done.  It does not look to hard, some piecing, some applique.  I will get to it, eventually.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

One Monthly Goal for September – WooHoo!

I had serious doubts as to whether or not I could actually get to 15 blocks.  Finished #15 on Saturday.  This is not necessarily the order I will use when I put them together.  The last 15 will contain some specialty blocks, I think.  Meaning, not just books on a shelf.  I was considering doing a could of photos in frames on the shelf.

So, it is likely that I will put this quilt away for a while.  Partly because I am tired of it and partly because my daughter Haley hurt my feelings when she told me that my blocks did not look like books on a bookshelf.   Too Bad she didn’t wait until I put them all up on the design board before she chose to run her mouth.  It could easily become a 10 year project.  I hate getting my feelings hurt.

All the same, I finished them.  I do love the the One Monthly Goal.  It really is a great motivator to get things done.  It has nothing to do with prizes, but more of finishing what I said I would finish.  I have to come up with something for next month.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Opinions are just that, Opinions

So, I felt a little guilty about my AccuQuilt post.  There are quite a few people that love the AccuQuilt system.  I love it for applique shapes.  I have one and many dies.  What I had a hard time with was cutting square, triangles etc…  I felt that I was double cutting and there was a lot of waste.  Many people chimed in on both sides of the fence, which really was the intent, to hear form those that use it for that and those that don’t think it is for them and reasons behind their thoughts.  I truly love everyone’s opinion and that is what they are, opinions.  Some things work better for others, some are wondering about things.  Just meant to start some good dialogue and hopefully get some to try things they might not have in the past.

I truly believe that I don’t care for the AccuQuilt for cutting my traditional shapes because I also have/use every day, Alto’s Quilt cut.  I have had it for maybe 15 years.  It is a super fast and accurate way to get things cut.  You can tell by my photo, that mine is well used.

This has a base that holds a cutting mat.  You have the ability to move the ruler all around the mat.  It has something called a Speedcut (metal ruler on right).  This let’s you cut row after row without measuring.  Just move the ruler to the desired measurement.  Cut and move (to where metal ruler is at edge of previous cut).  You can cut and cut without measuring and each will be the same.  The ruler also tilts at any degree.  Super helpful.

So, what is the downfall?  It is pricey $229.95 on Amazon.  However, I use this every day.  I always cut with it.  Downfalls, well the cutting mat wears out as any cutting mat would with constant use.  It is a special size, so you can’t go buy it anywhere.  You have to buy it from them to get the right size mat.  Those are truly the only downfalls I can come up with.  I can cut things very accurately and quickly.

I am not advocating that everyone run out and buy one, just explaining why the AccuQuilt for traditional shapes is not my favorite. Does not mean that it can’t be yours 🙂

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

I Wish You a Merry Quilt Along Block #5 Snowman

I am not sure why this block gave me fits, but it certainly did.  I still don’t like how the scarf looks, but I am going to have to live with it.  I have never been interested in making a holiday quilt before.  Not sure why since I was collecting snowflake fabric, but I didn’t have much else.  A few scraps of this and that that I am not even sure where they came from.  I do like these blocks.  I think it will make a cute quilt.  All the tiny pieces certainly did test my patience though.  I had to go back and cut things multipe times becase I lost track  of the pieces.  I now know for sure that one of the quilts I have planned will make me crazy for sure becasue it has a bunch of tiny pieces.  Dredding it already.  Haley gave her seal of approval on the snowman block.  That is a surprise becasue she has something to say about everything.  It does look sort of cute.

Starting to imagine what the other blocks will look like.  I have a couple ideas of things I think we will see.20170916_214220_resized

This past week has not been very production for me from a sewing persepctive.  Lot’s going on in my personal life and then I thought I was catching a cold, which is a no-no when you take biologic drugs for rheumatoid arthiritis.  I think I managed to kill it with Zi-cam, which tastes awful by the way, but it seemed to do the trick.  Hope to get some things done tomorrow.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

I wish You a Merry Quilt Along

 

In Honor of I wish you a Merry Quilt Along

So, Long term, I have been figuring out how I am going to put together this quilt at the end.  I need to keep with my snowflake themed fabric, so I am putting these snowflakes in all the corners of my sashing.  I think all my sashing will be this dark red.  I have done 20170910_144145_resized-e1505246987713.jpgreverse applique on these.  Interesting way to do things.  I think it lets me see more of the snowflake.  I like it.  We will see as I go along.  I think I figured that I will need 20 of these.  They are 5.5 inches square.  better get busy.  Not to mention Block #5, which came out today.    Super cute snowman.  If you need to download the instructions, they are here.  Block #5 was designed by Sherri Shish of Powered by Quilting.  Stay tuned for my Block #5.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Quilting Like A Crazy Woman

I certainly have gotten brave in a fairly short time with my quilting.  Not only did I put pebbles in the sand, but I did some thread painting on the palm trees.  I am thinking that my alternate personality must be taking over again.  She seems to be better and braver with quilting than I am.  I should name her.  I will have to think about that one.

I am finding that this quilt with all the quilting is quite time consuming.  I don’t mind, especially since this is for my one day grandchild.  I think about that while I am quilting it.  My daughter, who is only 13, thinks I am totally crazy.  But being an “Old” Mom, I worry about not being around when she has children.  If she waits as long as I did, it could happen.  I need to make sure that those grandkids have quilts from me whether I am here or not.  While she thinks I am crazy now, I hope she apprecaites it some day, whether I am here or not.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Stay Safe Florida