busy busy

I do have this circle sewn together but can't find the picture.

I got a new phone; my first smart phone and I'm s-l-o-w-l-y learning how to use it.

I just finally got the pictures I've been taking all month uploaded onto the computer, now to find them and edit them.  I'm thinking the one of this circle sewn is in that bunch somewhere.

(I can only do new technical stuff for so long then I get either frustrated or bored...)

4th of July bike ride to Ohiopyle state park.  A little chilly weather wise but beautiful scenery.

A patriotic quilt for a customer.  Stars and loops-can't go wrong with that.

I've also been trying, with little success, to relax and enjoy as the summer flies by.

(The dogs have it down to a science.)

 A panel baby quilt, I got the kit on Shop Hop this year and just needed something quick to make me feel like I'm being productive. Although as you can see, the binding isn't quite done yet!!

I quilted tiny loops all over with white thread. 

I'm real happy to say that the 1st CW sampler is quilted and just need to sew down the binding on this one too. 

I like the pieced backing almost as much as the front and that it was all from stash is a bonus too.

The 2nd CW sampler is loaded on HQ and halfway done. 

And that, I think, will mean the end of the Block-a-day blocks.  

woot-woot.

********

I've developed some kind of "older age" thing in my left thumb.  All my co-workers have diagnosed me (!HA!) as having carpel tunnel, arthritis, tendinitis, and I forget what else.  Also with admonishments of "welcome to your 50's...it's just going to get worse".  

if I weren't such an upbeat person, I'd be truly depressed!!

 :)

So I have an appointment with the orthopedic doc next week and get the real scoop on this pain in the hand.  

I did buy a generic brace at Target and it's seems to help.

OK enough whining.

 ****

In grand baby news, little miss Jo is 7 months old and just got her first two teeth...and she's very near to crawling!!!

Amazing. 

Oh and she really knows me now and LIKES me and reaches for me and I almost die of happiness every time.

****

fun times, fun times ... life is good.

2 outa 3 ain't bad

First I got the CW lap quilt together. It measures 48 x 64

I pieced M Ring blocks in between rows-sorta like a huge leader/ender!

After lunch I had to run down to the store and then I was back at the machine.

Ta-da!

These are the little scrappy triangle blocks I've been using as my real leader/ender.

I was just going to count them but with the nearly empty design wall I couldn't resist playing around for a bit.

I have enough of the light grey fabric for 10 more blocks, which will finish that row on the right.

I've double checked but if you see a block that's not going the right way-do let me know!! 

Yesterday I finished the smaller Urban Table Runner.  I ran out of the background fabric I used for the blocks and although I have at least 10 similar fabrics none where close enough for me to use happily!

I quilted and assembled the outside panels for Amanda Jean's purse pattern and picked out a fabric for the lining-that will be the next step. 

I need to buy handles, I've never used those kind before and want to try them.  

The pattern gives directions for making your own too. 

Finally sewed together these Urban Pods blocks for the purse I'm making with them.

There is no pattern for this one.  I'm just winging it. (scary)

I added the center piece; which will be the bottom.  I was thinking if I  do the same lining pockets as I'm doing with the Scrappy one it will be super efficient!!

I have to cut off the top and bottom of the curved blocks to get the look and size right. I guess I should quilt it first and then cut it.

I f-i-n-a-l-l-y loaded my twin CW block-a-day top. I think I'm gonna do baptist fans on it.  

The block a day blocks are almost gone....that is a  good thing for sure!

Oh and before I forget.  I just finished Kate Morton's book 

I loved it!!  Wow.

Fun times, fun times...

Life is good!

Change of plans

Yesterday was suppose to be a Dr appt. shopping etc. But a morning call from the Dr's saying they needed to reschedule changed all that.

I decided to turn it into a sew day for me! woo-hoo!

Here are my 16 completed Metro Medallion Blocks.Of course, I'm going to make it bigger! 

Why would I ever just follow the plan and be happy that I'm ahead of the schedule?

The blocks are big 13 x 16, so this layout

 (4 x 4) makes it 52 x 64. 

If I add one more row each way (5 x 5) it will be 65 x 80.  

I have the pieces for 9 more blocks cut and I am going to add a small triangle shape to the corners of each block to make a diamond where the blocks come together. This was an option added to the QAL after it started and it really adds to the design.  

I've also been slowly sewing the blocks for my twister jack  pattern. As you see below right now he has a splitting headache ~ackk did I just say that?? 

yep! I did.  ha!

As soon as I get the top together, (maybe today) it's coming down as I have another signature quilt project started...I'm using this pattern and a layer cake of 

Chateau Rouge and I need the design wall space for that.

And I'm super excited that I finally decided to put my Aster Manor flimsy on HQ.  It's 86 x 98 and a block-a-day top. I'm going to quilt my all-over feathers in the center and do the borders separately. The back is ready too. I have a little note pinned to it saying I finished the top in Sept 2010 and I prepped the back in Aug. 2011!  

  I'm going to load it today.  OH MY Gosh binding?? I don't have anything written about making the binding...

fun times, fun times!

Life is good.

Is there a method to this madness?

After running around this morning trying to get an organized list for

 Shop Hop, I thought perhaps I'd sit down and sew a small border around the MetroRings block I made yesterday and have it ready to quilt.  

But I didn't do that.

and get these 2 ready for quilting too. I didn't do that either.

 I took down the signature quilt rows---it's as together as I can get it until I have the last 2 signed blocks.

I was going to put up the Curve it up blocks and figure out the fabrics for the final outside border (keep it the same grey/white or instead of the grey use one of the yellow prints I bought but hardly used for it oh and make sure I have enough)

um, I didn't do that.

I was sick of looking at the Bl-a-days in rows  on the other side of the design wall so I started sewing them together and after a few hours;

a new flimsy.

(61 x 77)

Oh and after looking at the picture of the curve it up blocks while I'm writing this post, I think I will be using the grey/white to finish the top.

my design wall

I'm making slow progress on both quilts.  

I've cut this stripe for sashing between the rows of CW blocks

now I think I want to put the blue 1.5 inch sashing all the way around and w/cornerstones too.  (always like to use them as they make the matching up easier, in mho.)

I get super excited every time I add a block to this bunch.  I have the rest of the grey curves sewn together and just need oh, 45 minutes probably to sew them on.

Maybe today is the day.

a few days ago, just for the heck of it I sewed together the original blades I had cut for my dresden; cut before I sewed a sample block and decided I wanted mine to be bigger.  

I think these shall become smaller pillows. The top one I'm calling my 'low volume' one I love it.  The blue one I love simply because it's blue. 

I look at them here and on my design wall and think 'oh wouldn't that be a nice quilt...either all blue and beige dresdens' (Diane you do want to make a blue and white quilt one day....) or 'oh wouldn't that be cool to make one in each color-controlled scrappy'.   

And then I smack myself and come back to reality and say 'yes 2 finished pillows is the way to go.'  

heh-heh.

new projects and the block a days that just won't end.....

Yesterday I saw this pillow on Moda's Bake Shop. And I immediately started to make it.

I am making it a bit smaller, to fit a 20 inch pillow insert.

Of course I should not be making a pillow.  I should be working on the pieced borders for these blocks.

 all neatly piled up and ready to go

or quilting 

This is a baby quilt, the maker wanted something simple. It's for a boy. The quilting design is from The Pajama Quilter; double loops or 'olives' she calls it.  I was just flipping through the book before I started quilting and her words describing the design jumped out at me that if you quilt this giant size on a baby quilt it looks darling.  I was skeptical but liked it better than what I was thinking of doing and dang it does look cute!

  

********

After Amanda was here last week, I had some quilt re-folding to do.

It was quite a pleasant task.  

During the refolding I pulled out a bunch that need to go.

I'm not in love with them anymore,a few I never was, they don't have a 'special' meaning for me and it's time for someone else to enjoy them. 

Of course, this doesn't reduce the quilts near enough and I am percolating a few different ideas of how to deal with this.  

********

I also shamelessly got my block-a-day box out from under the cutting table yesterday as well.  

I don't know why I did, just to 'check on them' ???

I looked at them and thought, may have actually said out loud;

'this is ridiculous'

'these need to be done'

'sheesh'

So I started to play with blocks.

(there is another row of 5 blocks on the floor that you can't see)

I'm thinking of making two quilts from these 12 inch CWrepro blocks.

I'm thinking wide sashing between 3 rows. I'm thinking 2 lap/twin size instead of 1 queen...better for donating or matching for 2 twin beds (what??-yep I actually thought that even though I don't have two twin beds and don't know anyone who does and would want coordinating quilts in CW fabrics to cover them!!)  

It was great fun playing with them!  I still have two leftover blocks-they just don't fit in so will go into the backing.

This will end the twelve inch blocks and use up some of the large pieces of CWrepro fabric I got on sale a year or two ago.

I'm thinking I think too much and instead of starting more stuff should stay focused and finish what I have started  

hahahahahaa

I crack myself up.

I quilted

and quilted and quilted

and I had some tension issues! YIKES! The top thread popped out of the upper tension discs.  I noticed it and fixed it but didn't check the back of the quilt-I was on a roll ya' know!

I didn't see this until I rolled the quilt a few times.  

Yes I gasped out loud! Luckily with all the looping it was easy to rip out. and since I had stitched the spine first and then went back to do the feathers the stitching line was still there to follow. 

whew!

And double whew! that this happened on my own top and not a customers-which would have had me hyperventilating for a minute.

And in spite of all the thread wasted and my concern for running out- I didn't. 

The new cone is on it's way :)  

I was able to photograph this on the deck-it was 66 degrees yesterday!

It's in the 30's again today.  

(80 x 92)

...and the binding is sewn to the back now!
Dare I say that I am on a roll?
nah-that would jinx it.

I contemplated sewing the binding completely by machine.  I am pretty sure my thumb will split again with the hand sewing. But the thoughts of wrestling such a big and heavy quilt twice for binding was too much.  

I will deal with the thumb.

January 8th

My house is almost un-decorated but that is another story.

At the beginning of 2012, I thought I had made  a very do-able goal list.  But as the year wound down I could not finish (quilt) the 3 tops that I have had on the list for the last two years now.  I'm bummed about this but hey that's how it goes!  

They are:

Chloe

Aster Manor
I can not find a picture of the completed top--yikes!

Jonquil & Stars

They are all big quilts full/queen size and I have the backing and batting ready too.

Chloe was loaded on Saturday.

I was back and forth over how to quilt it-always a dilemma! The thoughts of custom quilting it just makes me tired.  Of course I really wanted to do feathers on it but was thinking it was too busy.  Then I was making my bed later, um I still have my Christmas quilt on it.

I did all over feathers on it and it's a darn busy quilt and I love it.  Love the texture, love the feathers.  Decision made!

So now I just need to get started on the quilting.

My goal list is much smaller this year.

4 tops need quilted. The 3 above and Modern Misfits too.

I have 5 WIPS:

2 embroidery pieces – finish as pillows, frame etc.

Swirled Christmas tree wall quilt (applique)

Bunny Hill Designs BOM “Dresden Plate”

New York Beauty

Curve it Up Quilt Along (Blog) BoM

I did get my Christmas Swirls top fused.

I may save this for the quilt guild retreat. It might be a good little project to take along in case I get tired of one of the other things I'm working on.

For "NEW" projects this year I just have 

"use my Quick Curve Ruler." 

I've started making Urban Candy already. 

I have 10 blocks made.  It calls for 90.  

Making these modern quilt patterns is so far out of my norm and curves so out of my comfort zone that I shake my head over this change in me. A few years ago I would never have thought I would ever make a quilt like these.

So I start this year hopeful that I will finally finish up my UFO's and WIP.  I didn't even mention the 70+ block a day blocks that are still aging to perfection in a box under my cutting table (oh yes! I know exactly where they are) don't want to overwhelm myself. *wink*

****

In other aspects of my life I need to

- get back into a routine; this creature of habit needs it ....badly. 

-continue my walking and good eating; got away from me a bit this holiday season

but I'm back in the saddle again.

-s.l.o.w. down  

I'm a fast person, I do everything fast. Not as warp speed fast as when I was younger but still pretty fast. I move fast, I talk fast, I eat fast, I get ticked off fast (but I also get over it fast)

 :)  

I'm starting to get a little tired.  

*****

fun times, fun times.

Life is good.