Tag: 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 Miss my life and sewing and quilting

A totally chaotic July has led to a somewhat rocky start to August, but I think I see the light.

I have had so very little time to sew or do anything I normally do.  I did sit down and put a label on this quilt.  It was done months ago, but sat there waiting for it’s label so I could put it in the cedar chest.  I am silly.  Yes, I make quilts for my grandchildren…..that I don’tWaterMark_2018-08-01-20-12-33 have and better not for some time.  But since I was an “Old” mom, I worry that I won’t meet my grandchildren.  Just in case, I make them quilts.  That way they know that their grandmother loved them whether I am here or not.   If my daughter waits as long as I did, I will have to be here at 80.  LOL.

A couple of weeks ago I had a bit of free time and decided to make a pin cushion.  It did not come out too bad.  I decided to send it to Nanette.  She is always so kind to me.  I think I will make one for myself at some point.  I like large pin cushions.

School will be starting here soon.  Last weekend we took the kids to Kings Island.  It was fun.  I had not dared go to an amusement park in years, however, I did pretty good.  Tried to stay off the crazy rides. The following day was school shopping.  I did suffer a bit at the early start of the week, but I expected it after a day at an amusement park, but I did it.

This weekend does not seem to have any scheduled activities, so I am hoping to get a few things accomplished.  My house is a bit disastrous and I need to spend some time in my room to get my mind right.

Sister Update:  Still not good.  Back in the ICU.  It scares me. When I do have time to do something, I lay on the couch and stare at the ceiling.  Kellie just turned 48, this past Monday.  She is my best friend. My keeper of secrets, my travel buddy on many occasions and my little sister.  I still don’t understand how this can be happening.  Life sucks. I need a Harry Potter Wand.

I am sincerely sorry for not posting for the Hand Quilt Along.  I will get back to myself, at some point.  These lovely ladies, have made great progress though:

Kathy,  Margaret, Kerry, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Connie, Susan,  Nanette, Sassy , Edith, and Sharon

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Love the ones you’re with, near and far

Couch Sewing (meaning sewing while on the couch not actually sewing the couch)

So, the dear Nanette of Chopin a Passionate Quilter, sent me this top to, as she said, “Practice On”.  I find it the perfect piece for my dining room table, since I always need to have something quilty on my dining room table.

I have a quilt that has been on my design wall for quite some time.  I am not done with it, but hope to get there.  This past week, I have done a few of the curved blocks each evening.  It is my moon and stars quilt.  So, on this table topper I practiced my moon andWaterMark_2018-07-26-20-02-56 stars quilting.  It was actually quite fun.  I made pock-marked moon and stars using my star shape ruler.  After doing this piece, I will not have a problem with my quilt.  I also have a lovely piece for the dining room table.  It adds some color that my boring dining room needs.

I do have to admit that I had everything done on this quilt before all my crazy drama.  I even had the binding sewn on.  I just needed to fold over and hand finish.  Off course, I do this while sitting on the couch, right next to my basket of sit on the couch sewing/quilting supplies.

I am getting back to feeling like a human, which I am grateful for.  Summer is almost over and in the very near future it is school shopping and princess will be back at school.  Time flies, even when you are not having fun.  LOL.

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

Fainéant, yes I am..My Hand Quilt Along and One Monthly Goal

Fainéant, means slacker in French.  Yes, I am one.  I totally meant to do my Hand Quilt Along post before and schedule it, but no, that did not happen.  It has just been an insane week at my house.  Kids and sports, spent the weekend with my sister, just non stop.  So I apologize to all my fellow hand quilters for being a Fainéant.  I felt I used the word Slacker to much, so I figured I needed a new term.  I am adding one more block to my underWaterMark_2018-06-03-20-09-20 the sea collection.  This month we have a whale.  I do have to tell you, my last months post brought some criticism form some Facebook followers (my sister mostly).  She insisted that my seahorses were farting.  I tried to explain that it was meant to be swirls of water, but no, according to her it was pretty clear.  Farting Seahorses.  Now I WaterMark_2018-06-16-21-26-44look at my seahorses in a little different light.  Darn it.

Please visit all the lovely ladies in the hand quilt along that are not Fainéants.

Kathy, Margaret, Kerry, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Connie, Susan,  Nanette, Sassy , Edith, Sharon and Bella.

 

So, for June my One Monthly goal was to complete the Star Wars  Quilt Top.  Mission Accomplished.  It needs some ironing, it kind looks all rumpled.  I think this will be a donation quilt.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

 

 

 

I thought Piecing curves was hard?…

So, I have read a lot about piecing curves.  Many people have said how difficult it is to piece a curved seam.  For this reason, I have shied away from it.  Until Now.  I like all kinds of quilts, traditional, modern, weird, you name it.  I saw a quilt a couple of weeks ago and I thought to myself, I want to make something like that.  But Oh No, it has curved piecing.  Yikes! (Me talking in my head) Maybe I better not, that is way too difficult for me.   You always want to try new things, so why not?  OK, my multiple personalities decided that I should go for it.

Here is the weird thing.  It was not really hard.  I did the first one and thought, OK, maybe I got lucky, so kept on.  Surprise!  Not really that hard.  It does take a little more time, because you can’t whip right through it like you would a straight seam.  Here is what I found.

  • I found that placing the smaller piece (the one you are piecing into the other) let’sWaterMark_2018-06-18-17-34-17 call it the outside curve, on the bottom and sewing it like that works best.  So, my outside curve (with the outside arch) was on the bottom.  My photo shows it with the outside curve on top, so you can see it, but when I pin and sew, I flip it over so it is on the bottom
  • watermark_2018-06-18-17-37-03.jpg
    • Pin, Pin, Pin.  I hate to pin, but you really need to.
    • Sew at a slow steady rate. Don’t be a speed demon.

Piece of cake.  You got this.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

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

WaterMark_2018-06-16-19-42-48

 

An Oldie but a Goodie

So, this top had been stuffed in a storage bag for years.  I had it in my head that the quality of the maker (me) was bad.  So, I was going to turn it into a Duvet cover, because I could use another one of those.  I had been thinking about it for quite some time.  Decided I would use a flat sheet for the other side.  Spent several weeks looking to buy just a flat queen sheet.  Hardly anyone sells single sheets and I don’t have any queen beds at my house so it did not make sense to buy a set.

Well, found a sheet.  When I got this top out and hung it up, I decided that I liked it.  I even had some backing stuffed in the bag with it.  So, no Duvet cover until I dig up another top.  I will finish this one that is Circa 2002.

This past week at the local guild meeting, they had Lunn Fabrics in to go over how they make batiks.  I had no idea this company that makes Robert Kaufman batiks is right in WaterMark_2018-06-09-21-20-21my backyard (about an hour or so away).  The went over how they design their fabrics and had a slide show of how they are made.  They even make the white fabric.  IT was fascinating. I knew how they were made, but watching the slide show filled in a few gaps.  Then they brought stuff to sell, and surprisingly it was very reasonable.  I bought a 4 yard bag of blue scraps for $15.00 (this is the pile after I washed and ironed them).  There were no little tiny pieces.  I have already cut them all up for a blue batik scrap quilt.  More on that later.

I never get accomplished what I have planned.  My napping schedule is currently out of control.  One of the many side effects of Rheumatoid Arthritis is severe exhaustion.  This was a side effect I had not experienced, until the last few weeks.  I have been coming home from work and sleeping on the couch until I went to bed.  Then, this weekend I slept in both days, which is totally out of character for me. Sleep 12+ hours and still wake up totally exhausted.  It totally messes up your sewing schedule.  Hope everyone has a wonderful week.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

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