Only Little Old Ladies Quilt……REALLY?

So, this was my conversation the other night with my significant other.  The conversation started because I was telling him that Lynn and I were going to do our own “Sew In” in our dining room. One thing led to another and he informed me that only little old ladies quilt.

“So, I am a little old lady?”(me).  His response was, “well if the shoe fits”.  Then he went on to tell me that his Mom did this stuff.  What stuff?(me)  “You know did things with yarn” (him).  “You mean like crochet?”(me)  “Yah, that kind of stuff”(him).

Well, just for your information, not all the people in my quilt guild are old”. (me)  The majority, the average age?(him)  !!%%%&&& (words I should not type).  “Just so you know I have done this my whole life, not just since I have known you” (me).  “Why are you getting so offended?” (Him).  “Well, I think you just called me old, and all my friends.”  I am tempted to give you all his phone number and email address to set him straight, however this little old lady may find alternative methods of showing him the error of his ways. Lynn can punch him when she sees him.

I now have all my blocks for my free quilt top from Red Rooster quilts.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that week 26 was binding.  Gosh I love free stuff, especially quilt stuff.  I hope they do it again.  So now, I need to put it all together.  I already have the backing, so I should be good to go.  I really do like Orange.

I Think my Quilting is actually improving.

So, this is my One Monthly Goal project and I decided to not do my normal boring meandering.  This is an all over pattern, but I was surprised once it was all done that it did not look to bad.

I always get nervous when I try something that is outside my norm on a quilt.  I mean there is the potential of totally screwing up a top that you spent time putting together.  I am certainly becoming less intimidated.  So, I actually had the angled meandering done a quilt before, but I paid for it.  I did not like it all.  They kind of did a crappy job.  Mine is actually better and I did not have a long arm.  Just me and my Bernina free motion quilting. As I was quilting this, I did not think that I would like it.  I thought I may have done to much quilting, but once it was complete, it did not look to bad.

I really think that I am Super Klutz.  I almost titled this post “Fat Girl Falls Down Part 3”. Saturday morning, I decide to go out to the hot tub.  Step up get one foot in and the steps slide out and I fall straight down, one foot still in the hot tub.  This time I am straddling the edge.  It hurt so bad, that I could not move.  I actually chose to fall in.  Seemed way better than falling outside the tub, considering it was ten degrees.  I survived.  I have the blackest bruise I have ever seen, somewhere you really don’t want a bruise.  I am starting to think the hot tub is trying to kill me.  It is supposed to be helping me.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

 

Almost There….

Yes, the last row looks a bit silly with one block in it.  Later today, I will pick up my final free blocks from Red Rooster Quilts.  Oddly, there are 26 weeks but only 25 blocks.  Not sure what that is about.  Not sure what will happen with week 26.  I guess I will find out later.

I really love orange in quilts, so I think that I am going to keep this one and hang it in my family room.  I am going to call it Hugs and Kisses.  Already have my quilting in mind.  Need to get it finished first, way ahead of myself, as always.

Thinking about all my potential projects, I m going to try very hard not to start anything new until I make significant headway on those already started.  There are so many of those.  It will help, since I am trying not to buy new fabric.  Right now, only want to buy if I need to finish something.   That is so hard.

Lynn and I went out to dinner and fabric shopping last week.  Jelly rolls were 40% off.  I wanted to buy 1  or 2 or 3.  Had one in my hand several times but managed to control myself.  Only fabric I bought was a ½ yard for an in progress quilt (allowed).  Wondering how long it will take me to fall off the wagon.

I also want to use up as much of my scraps as possible.  I have so much scrap. Have been cutting some for a couple of scrap quilts in the works.  I need to get stuff sorted by color.  I guess that will happen when I get my room better organized.  I will get there.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Hand Quilt Along- Dog Bones and Flowers

I missed the last post for the hand quilt along since I was sick, however some progress was made on hand items since I was just lying around.  There was also movie watching over the holidays.  I have to be doing something or the cookies and chips find their way into my mouth.  So the flowers are my swim team project.  While Haley is at swim practice and meets, I make the flowers.  The dog bones is my TV watching project.

So, for my EPP flowers, I recently learned something.  I purchased a hexie die for my papers (I use cardstock).  SInce I am n longer cutting them by hand and using my accucut, each one is perfect and it certainly makes a difference in how they go together.  I wasn’t having major difficulty, but it certainly made a difference.

So for my dog bone dresser scarf, I need it to be 54 inches.  I am only at about 38.  Ugh.  I will get there.  Since this is dresser scarf #4, I am sort of tired of it. WaterMark_2018-01-06-21-30-40

If you are interested in participating in the hand quilt along, please contact Kathy.

You can check out everyone’ progress at the following links.

KathyLoriMargaretKerryEmmaTracyDebConnieDeborah,  Susan , Jessisca  ,  Sherry,  NanetteSassy and Edith.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

My contrast quilt or the I am mad quilt

Why might this be the I am mad quilt?  Well, when I get mad or upset, this is the quilt I work on.  I think that is because it is simple.  I need a total of eighty blocks, so I either work on finding fabrics or cutting the leaves or just sewing them on.  Plenty to do, nothing complex.  I actually have about 62 blocks together in various states of sewing.  I try to minimize my thread changing, so, I sew all the ones I can with same color I have threaded in the machine.  It is meant to be a play on colors lights and darks.

I think this quilt will be a bear to make sure the blocks are placed correctly.  My daughter put this on my design wall and I noticed the bottom black/red one is incorrect.  Not a problem, since I am not yet sewing it together.  But I am the person that looked at my safari quilt forever and still had three camels right next to each other in the same row.  Knowing myself, I will have several backwards but wont notice until it is quilted and bound.

I made this from scraps but it would be great for layer cakes.  The base is made from 2, 10 inch blocks, cut in half and then sewn back together with the opposite one.

I really don’t get mad that often, but sewing always puts me at ease and when my mind is racing, best to stick with something simple.  I keep this project in my sewing room neatly in my pizza box.

News:  I was one of the winners for the One Monthly Goal Prize.  thank you Elm Street Quilts!

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

My One Monthly Goal and the coming year

So, for my One Monthly Goal, I am going to completely finish this baby quilt.  It needs quilted and bound.  It has been laying over the gate entrance to my room, for months.  It is just staring at me.  Since I am now imaging my unfinished quilts are staring at me, I should probably just complete.  Then, my non completion guilt should go away….maybe, there are a lot of those pieces.

The one monthly Goal has been so helpful in helping to get items completed.  I very much have that personality that if I say I am going to complete something, then I am going to do it.

For this year I would like to finish all the tops that I have lying around.  I am not sure how many I actually have.  I would guess 7 or 8.  That is a fairly tall order, but it would be great to get done.

I won’t say that I won’t start any new projects, but I do not want to buy fabric to start a new project.  I can purchase stuff to finish things, but I am trying to avoid going out and buying fabric to start new quilts.  We will see how that goes.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Block #12 I wish you a Merry Quilt Along

Wow, time flies when you are having fun.  My twelfth block of the I wish You a Merry WaterMark_2017-12-09-22-17-55Quilt Along is complete.  I went a bit off the directions with my display of the lights.  It is windy outside and my lights are being blown all different directions.  I kept with all my snowflake themed fabric. that I have collected over the years.  I never thought that I would use them.  Just always liked snowflake fabric.  This quilt already looks festive and it is not even completed.

Now to figure out how to put them all together.  Since completing the top is my one monthly goal, I should figure it out.  I have a couple of ideas.  Just not sure on which one aI will settle on.

I certainly do wish everyone a very festive and happy holiday season.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Block #11 The North Star IWYAMQA

This is my block #11, The North Star from the I wish you a Merry Quilt Along. The North StarI totally don’t like my block.  I saw so many beautiful blocks and I had something in mind,  but that is not how it turned out.  I am not a paper piecer usually and had to tear out multiple times.  Notice the threads everywhere?  I don’t currently have the patience to make another one.  I needed to stick with my snowflake themed fabric, but somehow, I sort of wanted it reversed, meaning that I wanted the purple on the outside.  Not much I am going to do about that now.  I will be interested to see what the final block looks like.  Not sure how I will put this all together, but I should be thinking about it.

Ohio State Buckeyes are the Big 10 champions, but sadly will not get to play in the national championship.  Thus ends our college football hopes for the year.  I am sure there will some kind of bowl game they get to play in.  Go Bucks.

watermark_2017-12-02-18-51-12.jpgHappy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Hand Quilt Along – More progress and my “other” project

Well, on my last Hand Quilt along post, I did not have a photo of y “other” project.  I sort of call this the swim team project.  Mostly because I work on it during swim practice and al the long weekend meets.  For tis project, I am making hexie flowers.  My long-term plan is to pick a background fabric and make a quilt from all of them.  So, at one time belonged to the Fat Quarter Shops mini charm club Fat Quarter Shops mini charm club.  I got 4 different mini charms each month, so I have quite a collection of them.    They are perfect for making these hexies.  I use a solid center and then each charm pack will make seven flowers.  I have no idea how many I will truly need, I will just keep making them.

My second hand quilt along project is my dog bones dresser scarf.  This is my sit on the WaterMark_2017-11-25-14-26-08could project, because I am not capable of just sitting down and doing nothing.  I need this to get to 54 inches.  I am at about 36 inches.  Still more work to do.

Thank Kathy for organizing this Hand Work Quilt Along.  It will e great to see everyone’s hand work without all the searching.  It is now at the tip of my fingers (and yours) .

Here is the list of others who said they would be joining in the Hand Quilt Along.  I hope you all check out their blogs and maybe even join in the fun.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

A Miracle-I finished a block – I wish you a Merry Quilt Along Block #10

I certainly have not been myself lately.  I seem to get so little accomplished.  Between running around to swim practice and work I hardly have any time to sew.  I do take some hand work to swim.  This past Tuesday I was sitting at  table making flower hexies and a women sat down next to me and started laying them out on the table.  She then proceeded to give me her phone number so I could teach her how to do it.  It was quite funny.  I will always help anyone learn to quilt.

I did manage to finish Block #10 for the I wish you a merry Quilt along.  It was quite a miracle for me to get anything done.  So much to do and next week is Thanksgiving.  I can’t even think about that. It is too much.  I do have a couple of days off, so if I am lucky I will get some sewing time in.  The problem is my mind is going in a million directions for new projects that I really do not need to start.  I have so many started already.  I totally have QADD.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting