Tag: Fall Into a QAL

Block #11 and a big DUH…..

Only one more block to go.  This one is sort of OK.  My color choices were a bit ugly, but it is a barn, so I guess it is OK.  Only that pesky owl is left.  I am doing quilt as you go, so I have no idea what it will look like.

WaterMark_2018-10-20-18-30-51What is this photo?  Well, this would be a group of 4 inch square blocks that was somewhere on my table and I managed to quilt it into the quilt I was working on.  Lesson learned – TOTALLY CLEAN OFF YOUR TABLE WHEN YOU QUILT SOMETHING.  Duh.  SO I picked out some stitching after mumbling under my breath quite a bit.  This was the second oops while quilting this quilt.  The first one was when I tried to use a silky thread on the top and in the bottom and crazy stuff started happening.  Loops and well…just plain crazy stuff.  Once I went to a cotton on the top, all craziness ceased.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Love the ones you are with

 

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A little more progress…

So These are my jars for the fall quilt along.  At least I got something done.  I am still one behind.  The final one came out this past Tuesday.  I am hoping this weekend that I can get the rest of them done…just to get them done.  I have embarked on yet a another project to go along with the 15 others.  I need to make a dinosaur baby quilt.  I have the fabric and have begun some of the cutting.  It has a bunch of , so I better get moving.

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I had been saving this photo to send to my sister when she felt better.  I found it hysterical and very true.  I hate that I can never send it to her.  I remember sitting in the hospital and showing it to Matt (her husband) and he said “Man, I sure hope you get to send it to her”.  I never thought in a million years that I would not have my chance.  sigh…..

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Love the ones you are with….like there is no tomorrow.

 

My turkey from He!!….

OMG, this turkey for the Fall Quilt Along gave me such grief, but it is done, ahhhhh.  Never to be repeated again.  It is cute, but I could go a lifetime without completing that activity.  So, some of it is my fault.  I fail to read instructions well (or at all sometimes).  I went right to cutting and did not Label anything.  Susan at DesertySkyQuilts mentioned that there were labels.  How about that?  I had no idea because I did not read the instructions.  For an educated woman, I sometimes feel really stupid.  Needless to say, when I went to sew, I could not figure out what was what and spent multiple hours sorting them out and figuring out what fabric I had assigned to sections and counting and re-cutting.  I also did this in the middle of things with my sweet sister Kellie, so my mind was not right either.

I am not going to tell a sister story today.  While sometimes it makes me happy, sometimes it also makes me sad.  I am still waiting to dream about her.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Love the ones you’re with

My Leaf Block for the Fall Quilt Along

So, I have some experience paper piecing.  For this block, there were 2 versions.  One for beginners and one for someone more advanced.  I set out to do the more advances one, but I could not get it to print correctly, so I ended up doing this one, which I actually like better.

So, I had difficulty with this block.  I struggled with paper piecing such large pieces.  Since I am using scraps (Thank you Nanette), I had to make them fit and found it extremely difficult with the larger pieces of the block.  My seam ripper and I became quite good friends.  I don’t need those type of friends.

I really do like the Fall quilt along, but have notices that my blocks vary quite a bit in size.  I have some that are 13.5 and this one finished at only 12 inches.  This will make it very interesting since I am attempting the Quilt as You go method.  We will be doing some creative trimming.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Quilt as you Go? Hmmmm…

So, I made a baby quilt when I was pregnant using the quilt as you go method.  I did not like it at all.  That was 14+years ago.  I am thinking over time I may have gained skill, knowledge and patience.  Jeez, I hope I gained something.   I belong to a Facebook group for quilt as you go.  I have seen quite a few beautiful quilt as you go pieces, so I thought maybe I should re-investigate this method.

So, since I am participating in the Fall quilt Along, I thought this might be the time to give it a shot.  So, I watched a few videos again on quilt as you go.  I was especially fond of Leah Days videos on this technique.  Gosh she makes it look easy.  So, Since the fall quilt along is blocks, I figured that it would be a good one to do.

So, I took the plunge.  I quilted my hedgehog block.  I don’t hate it yet, but I have not tried to put them together yet either.  That will be the tell-tale sign for me.  Time will tell.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Cute and Ugly

I finally got caught up on my Fall into a quilt along blocks.  At some point when I get the current design off my design wall, I will take a picture of all the blocks together.  Love the pumpkin block.  I did not like it though until I looked at the photo.  For some reason it all looked wrong to me.  Then when I looked at the photo, I thought, OK, It is not that bad.  Lucky for me Nanette had sent me some Batik scraps and there were some lovely orange ones.

Eww, the pie.  Don’t care for this one.  I think it was mostly my choice of colors on the bottom half.  Well, I guess there is bound to be one out of the group that I did not care WaterMark_2018-08-10-21-45-57for.  I am leaving it through.  I will keep it with the not quite right sunflower.

So, I think I may try the quilt as you go method on this. Obviously I am not doing it as I go….LOL.  I tried this technique a long time ago and decided I did not like it.  But lately, I have watched a few videos and decided I need to give this another try.

Sister Kellie is sounding a bit better the last few days.  I am hoping things stay that way.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

I forced myself to Sew…..

As a norm, I do not have to force myself.  Lately, it seems that I do.  Not because I want to, but because I am so drained, removing my big but from the couch is more that I can actually deal with most times.

I did manager to finish my next block for the fall into a Quilt Along.  It was a really simple block, which I guess is good for me with now.  I feel pretty simple these days.  I used my batik scraps.  I have not yet decided what to do with my sunflower.  Roseanne offered to fix it and Nanette found the problem with the block instructions.  You are all wonderful.

I had someone explain to me that there are circles in life and most people can deal with something in 1 circle.  Problems occur when things are happening in more than one circle.

My professional life circle.  OMG. totally on the crazy train here.

My Personal circle – Good God.  Special-K (his nickname) has gout so bad he can not walk.  And no, we will not go to the doctor.  Daughter Haley has been sick for over a week.  On a plus side Summer swim is over.  That makes me happy.

My Family Circle – My sister seems to be improving.  She actually called me and sounded not to bad. For that I am grateful.

My ME circle – I feel crazy.  I need to do more sewing, that always helps me relax and get my head straight.

Deep breath.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Sewing-Quilting and other nonsense…(some nonsense, some not)

July 3rd was the fifth anniversary of my Husband Derrick’s death.  That same day, I find fb_img_1503081791295.jpgthat my little sister Kellie has blood clots in her lungs and is in ICU. Two of my absolute favorite people.  Damn it.  Derrick was the love of my life.  I think about him every day. Not a day goes by where I don’t think of him, laugh, smile, shed a tear.  My little sister, my best friend, keeper of all my secrets.  Come on.

I went to Cleveland.  Things were bad.  They got worse.  I wondered at one point if we would lose her.  I could not bear the thought.  How could someone else I love be taken from me?  The list is quite lengthy for someone my age. I stayed for five days.  She got better, then worse, then better.  She got to leave the ICU the same evening I went home.  Here in the next couple of days she will go to a rehab hospital.  She does not want it, but knows she needs it.  Besides the blood clots, she had pneumonia and was septic.  Lots of things to recover from.  The picture was from Las Vegas. Derrick was playing in a pool tournament and Kellie and I needed an excuse to go to Las Vegas.  It was fun.  The best time with two of my favorite people.

This is my fall quilt along block.  I was done before I left for Cleveland, but never got to post it.  I had issues.  It does not look right.  I don’t know where I went wrong, but I am convinced the instructions did not match the example.   If you look at the top row and then the bottom example, they do not match (or I am crazy.  Either is possible) .  The one time I attempt to actually follow instruction and look what happens.  It is going to stay ugly for the time being.

One of my sewing machines is down.  Of course, it is the one in the cabinet that I quilt with.  I will try to drop it off this weekend.  Broke a needle and it kept making a weird noise.  I guess a piece could be stuck somewhere.  It needed cleaned anyway.  No quilting for me for now.  I will just have to work on piecing.

With all my personal craziness, I did not enter anything into the One Monthly Goal.  ☹.  Next month, maybe things will get back to normal.  A girl can hope.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Treasure your Family

Fall into a QAL Block #3

So, I enjoyed block #3 of the Fall Into a Quilt Along.  A little bit of everything, piecing and applique.  It is very cute.  I managed to keep background fabric in this block.  I am hoping I can manage to do this throughout the Quilt Along.

Today was my lucky weekend.  I can home from work on Friday and had a package from Nanette at Chopin-A Passionate Quilter.  She sent me a “Quilters care Package”.  In it she20180615_195721_resized sent me some wonderful batik scraps.  I used some to make the applique on this block.  I had mentioned that I was going to be using batik scraps with my background fabric.  She sent me some other lovely items, that I will show later as I complete them.  She is one of the kindest people I know and it certainly brought a smile to my face.  It has already proven to be a very valuable resource.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

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OMG and Fall into A quilt Along

qal_logo_abbie_designSo, I finished block #2 for the Fall Quilt Along.  I am trying to stick with the same background and all my small pieces of batik (AKA scraps).  Hoping it will come out nice.  I enjoyed making this block and find it pretty.  So far, they (partners in Design) are 2 of 2 with me.

For My June One Monthly goal, I am going to finish the star wars WaterMark_2018-06-04-19-54-42top.  It was originally intended as a donation quilt, but we will see what happens.  I found this two yard remnant of star wars fabric for $4.00.  It was all odd rectangles, so the best way I figured was to make odd 4 patch blocks.  It needs some sashing.  It is just sort of hanging there in strips, but I think it will be OK.  I thought about making my goal to complete it entirely, but I currently feel like laying on the coach a lot, so I am going to stick with finishing the top.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting