August 28 2015

Although I promised myself I would get my own quilts done, it really hasn't happened yet.  Besides the two I made for gifts already. The guild's bi-annual show is in November.  I need to get cracking!

I finished Libby's quilt. 

 Wonky feathers on this star quilt- it was a thangles pattern, Dottie really didn't care for it.  But I just love the simplicity of it and the border.

Lois' quilt with an all over 'water ripples' pattern.  I've made this pattern and quilted it for several customers over the past years-I think it's a very versatile pattern.  

It makes a very cool quilt.

A Christmas Quilt (aggghh not ready for that!!)

 

this is the 2nd Friendship Stars quilt for Marsha.

(excuse my neighbors ad on his work trailer above--forgot to edit the picture)

Here is the 3rd (and final one) She added an extra border on this one

I love the colors.

  Last week Libby and ML came over for a sew day.

We each made this tote.

Here is mine.

and mine, Libby's and ML's

the pattern is The One Piece Bag from Fig Tree & Co.

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Last month we said goodbye to Annie.

She really was the sweetest, gentlest dog ever.

Dang I miss her.

Jo comes into the house and calls for her  "Annie? ... Annie?

I say, "Annie's all gone" 

She can't say Otis yet, so she's started calling him annie;

which makes me smile and feel sad all at once.

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OBW # 3

(50 x 60)

the back, the strip is the original fabric used

close up of my free hand of the panto Raindrops 

My spacing is not perfect  but I think it's an acceptable interpretation.  The size for 1 pass was 6 inches.  I laid a ruler across top and put a long piece of blue painters tape along it to mark the bottom edge. I did the first 2 rows like that but found the bottom raindrops where a little hard to execute so I tightened the row spacing to 5 1/2 and that was better for me.  It doesn't sound like a half an inch would make a difference but it seemed to. Or perhaps I was just getting more comfortable with the pattern. 

Now that I have the movements memorized I think this would be a cool design to just let go with and do smaller and not linear.  

And finally my dear Annie.  

She will be 11 years old on Wednesday.

A break in the action

stairs before

I had more "before" pictures but when I went to upload them there was a card error and they wouldn't transfer.  I didn't find this out until the new studs were being put up.

door to powder room under the stairs

still needs a mirror and the tp holder and towel bar

I LOVE the floor tile!  We will use it in the entrance area as well. 

Here is view from bottom of stairs and the new cedar closet-still need the shelves installed. There will be 4 shelves, should hold most of my completed quilts...if I figured correctly.
Can you see the built in cupboard going up the steps? My dad made the doors for it. Inside are 3 shelves. (forgot to take a picture). I hated the thought of losing ALL my shelves along the steps; in my little house storage is a premium. The picture of the shelving before was one of the ones that was lost. Dang!
 The outside wall is sanded and I have to primer it. Hopefully tonight.  I've mopped and cleaned up as some of that darn powdery drywall dust got through the plastic wall barriers. *sigh* I'm not uncovering HQ until the primer is done as I have a quilt loaded...been loaded since the 7th.  I thought I'd be able to sneak behind the plastic at night and do a little work but that proved to be to much.
This small area took almost 3 weeks. 

There is a break now as my brother, who is doing all this work, is going to the beach w/ his family.
We're going to watch his dog, Molly, an English setter.  I'm a little nervous about how Annie will react...Otis will be in love in 2 seconds, we're sure!  Molly is a sweet heart so we know any trouble it will be Annie! 
Annie had to have 2 moles removed from her shoulder/neck area last week and the one incision pulled open....I hate dogs and stitches.  So now she is wearing an inner tube instead of the traditional cone to keep her from licking it. If you ever have need of one of these, we're finding it works great and as you can see, she can sleep in it too. 

We think it looks like she's ready to join the Navy!  She's sleeping right next to the wall register...it is too hot out there.  Tomorrow the high is only suppose to be 88!  woo-hoo!  This 90+ stuff is crazy!

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On the quilting front not much is happening.  I pieced 5 more string blocks and made 2 sets of curtains for the camp but that's all.  I'm not finding it enjoyable to sew at the table-I can't get the chair height adjusted right and it puts the dampers on it.  Which isn't a totally bad thing, I really need to quilt more and piece new tops less.  :)

Lots of sewing today and some Christmas ramblings

Christmas Sampler & Annie

I had just enough of that light green metallic to cut 4.5" strips for an outer border. 

Quiltathon Weekend

  I decided to use this time to really try and get one of the 2 t-shirt quilts I'm making for my twin nieces for graduation.

 I've been working since 11:30am (1 hour break for lunch, coffee and to watch a little of the olympics).  I did sew one of my block a day blocks first (but forgot to take a picture of it). I sewed that up as it was laid out and ready to go and I didn't want to have to re-arrange it later.  It was an easy block so after it was done, (drum roll, please) ...

I got out the T-shirts and started----woohoo! 

 Here's a picture of the wall after about 2 hours. 

It doesn't look like a lot of progress but if you can click on the photo and get a closer look, you'll see that the center section has a lot of t-shirts that I sewed in randomly (sorta like making a crumb block!)--who knew learning how to do crumbs a few weeks ago would come in handy with this project.

Here is my faithful helper Annie.  She can not be comfortable sleeping on the ironing board leg---but she was there for at least an hour!

Here is where I left the wall for tonight.  I have the vertical rows sewn together.  It's measuring 81" long. I'm pretty sure it's going to be about 70-72" wide.  I think that's ok.   I hope it doesn't pull my flannel wall down tonight. It's quite heavy with that interfacing on it and the blocks won't stay up by themselves to I have to pin them...which is a pain. 

This is all the leftover t-shirts.  I'm thinking after I sew the top together I should be able to add then across the bottom to increase the length to maybe 86-88".

 I'm so happy with the progress so far. Part of my hesitation in starting these, (besides the fact that I am a procrastinator) was that I've never made a t-shirt quilt before.  It's been a learning experience that's for sure and that's a good thing.

 

A Winter Wonderland in my own back yard!

 Woohoo it snowed. 

 I got all bundled up and Annie and I went in the back yard to play.  I also shoveled out 3/4 of the driveway, hey, I'm not as young as I am in my head,  and it's a big driveway.  And yes, I took 2 Advil as soon as I came in so I'll be able to walk around later without making little gaspy noises. (With age come a little brains...)
 Paul shoveled it this morning before he left and there was a good 2 more inches when I did it.  No pictures of me, Annie is a worse photographer than I! 
But here are a few of her having fun.  She's going to be 9 this summer, which gives me a lump in my throat to think about.  We've had some great dogs share our lives but she is the best. 

Oh how she would love to run free in those woods, so dark and deep.  But see that spanky new fence, no more running free for her.  It also deters the deer, they can still jump in and out easily to get to the apples from our trees, but at least this fence is sturdy and they have to go over, not through.

And the kids rope swing.  Paul put it up a few years after we moved in (1989).  I still take a swing occasionally in the summer--one of these days that rope is going to give out.  And boy, is Paul going to have a good laugh...after he makes sure I'm OK, of course.