Still No Pictures

Still no pictures to post. I quilted a couple of customer quilts this week but don't want to post pictures of those without their permission. I have also been working on the bindings for various runners in the evening but have posted pictures of those before.

I finally feel back among the semi-well but still have a cough if I do to much without resting a bit.

I have spend a good chunk of today catching up on chores around the house that have been let go and I also ran by a craft show. Since I do craft shows myself I usually don't get a chance to just go to one. This was a nice little show with lots of traffic through it, hope the people were spending $$ and not just looking.

I only made one purchase. It was a very cute pink knit hat and booties set for only $8. Baby girl due in the family in early January so I will put it away for then and hope I remember where I put it!!

Kathie L.

Sick of Being Sick

I am officially sick of being sick. What I thought was just sinus problems is now a full blown cold with no signs of going away. We have a split foyer house and after a few trips up and down the stairs I am out of breath and wheezing, not fun.

I still am geting some things done this week, just at no where near full speed.

I am only making two quilts for Christmas presents this year and got the second one quilted yesterday. Today I loaded a small customer lap quilt on the frame. I am going to get that much done anyway and then maybe lay down for awhile.

With not feeling well I have been making good progress on getting bindings hand stitched down. When I don't have the energy to do anything else I can always get a little binding done and feel like I have accomplished something.

Looks like my Christmas rush of customer quilts has started. I have received six quilts this week to do. Four of them are pretty small and won't take long but two of them are fairly large.

Kathie

Sinus or Cold???

Sometimes I have a problem knowing if I am having sinus problems or a cold. I had a bad sinus headache for over three days last week then ended up all stuffy and with a cough so which is it? I still think it is sinus as it feels a little different and my family has not got sick.

Anyway I have been moving slow the last few days, taking frequent breaks but have still got a few things accomplished.

I finished the quilting on the last of these five runners this morning that I was working on at the sew in last week. They are off the frame but I have not even cut them apart yet.



While relaxing last night I also finished the binding on this little train quilt that I quilted last week. This was a cute little panel I purchased a couple of years ago and just added a couple of borders, I love the bright colors in this. I have 7 or 8 additional panel quilts in my stash that I want to get made up one day.




Kathie

Friday already

I had been waiting on getting some pictures taken to blog again but it isn't happening so thought I would post again before to much time went by.

Had a great time at the sew-in retreat on tuesday. The place we were at was right on the water and it was a beautiful sunny day. It was warm enough that several of us even ate lunch outside on their deck.

It is always fun to see the wide variety of projects being worked on when you have a get together. Everything from Baltimore Album applique, to a string quilt, to a lady making up one of the Downy Quilts for Kids kit quilts.

I was working on craft show table runners and got 6 of the 7 tops sewn up. Two ladies there liked them so much that I sold 3 of them before they are even done.

My goal is to get those on the frame and quilted up in the next couple of days.

Yesterday I quilted up a customer 9 patch pizzazz quilt and today I am going to work at the mill where I have some of my table runners and quilts. As part of the agreement everyone having their things there has to work a couple of days a month.

This is only my second time working there so really don't know what I am doing yet but I will learn.

Kathie

A Finish and a Sew In

I have been getting ready to go to an all day sew in today. Will be a nice break in the normal routine. Lots of time to sew and talk and of course always lots of good food.

Over the weekend I cut out seven table runners to take with me to sew on. Nice to have everything, cut, organized and ready to go. I am also taking a couple of bindings with me that I can work on when I need to rest my back.



In the last couple of days I also finished the last stitches on the binding of this 9 patch Christmas quilt. Someone gave me yards of the poinsettia fabric a couple of years ago. I have used it for a couple of backings and now in this quilt, I think it is about gone.



I have an "interesting" customer quilt project right now. The quilt tops are long and skinny. There will be no batting used and the backing is a beach towel. Very different and the idea is cute, just don't know how they are going to turn out.

I loaded one on the frame last night and the towel was very stretchy and just couldn't get the top on to look straight. I also had no room on the sides to attach side clamps. Ended up taking the whole thing off the frame.

Tomorrow I will try again. This time the old fashioned way of pin basting the top to the back on the floor (if my knees permit). I will then baste it down on my regular sewing machine and then load the whole thing onto the frame as one piece. It should be interesting and if it turns out I will post a picture.

If anyone has any other suggestions I would be glad to hear them.

After an early morning "discussion" with my 15 year old I am off to get a latte that I need, chill out and then go to the sew in.

Kathie

Resolutions??

I was trying to work in my sewing room yesterday and was practically tripping over things, it is such a mess. I took the time to pick up a few things but really one of these days I need to devote a whole day to doing nothing but cleaning, straightening and tossing out things.

This is getting into my busy time of year with getting Christmas presents done, finishing up craft show items and keeping on top of customer quilts needed for Christmas. I doubt I will make any great headway in the sewing room until right around or after Christmas. I guess I am already thinking of goals or maybe call it early New Years resolutions.

When my slow time hits I want to take all the fabric off my shelves and refold and reorganize by color. It starts out that way but usually only lasts a few months and then things are kind of mixed up a bit. I also want to put away all the fabric from past projects that is still laying out. Sometimes I leave it out thinking I will go ahead and make up blocks or kits out of it or cut backing squares instead of putting it away again and then it sits.

I have patterns out that I don't want to put away and forget about but they might be sitting there for MONTHS.

I know I need to get more organized, toss or use some of the extra blocks etc. but never seem to take the time. Does everyone have the same problem?

kathie

Quilts for Kids

I posted recently about the quilt kit that I had received through the Downy website for the Quilts for Kids project. Very cute fabrics and I had planned on getting going on the quilt in the next couple of weeks.

My husband thought it was cool that everything was cut and ready to go and was looking for something to do on a long weekend so he grabbed it and pieced the top. He made one slight change adding the corner stones as he didn't like the way the striped border looked without them.

Yesterday I spent time working on Christmas ornaments that will be used to help decorate a tree to be auctioned off at our counties Hospice Festival of the Trees in November.

I am going to get the Quilts for Kids quilt quilted today and hopefully a few more ornaments made and then back to customer quilting tomorrow.

Kathie

A Sewing Hubby

My husband does a little upholstery on the side so he has loads of sewing machines (hobby also was vintage singer machines) and knows very well how to sew. He doesn't like to quilt but once in awhile will do something.

His grandaughter is expecting a baby girl the first week in January. I told him that I would quilt and bind the quilt if he would piece it. I had some pastel bear fabric that had been hanging around for a couple of years that would be good for the quilt. He used the Warm Wishes/Couch Potato pattern I had made a couple of quilts out of recently and finished the piecing the other night.

I have backing fabric ready to go in the wash for the quilt so hope to maybe get it on the frame next week.

I think he did a great job piecing this.

Kathie

An accomplishment

Finally something accomplished this week. Last night after dinner I finished the last border on this 9 patch Christmas quilt made out of left over binding pieces.

After running a few necessary errands today I really need to get something accomplished around the house and then get back in the quilting room. I have four quilts that need backings made. One of them just needs the fabric ironed and a seam sewn while others require piecing 10 1/2 squares together. I am trying to get my projects done between customer quilts and that will be much easier to accomplish if I will take the time to get some of the backings made.

kathie

Busy Time

It has been a busy few days so have not had time to take any pictures or do any posting.

It was homecoming weekend so a lot of time was spent driving my daughter around. They lost the football game but had a great time at the dance so all in all she loved homecoming weekend.

Monday I was at the base early in the morning to stand in line to sign up for the December craft show. This is probably the best craft show in our area. I could have signed up later in the day or later in the week and still easily got a spot but I have had the same spots for the last five years and I have people that specifically look for me there. I will continue to do the show but think after this year I will just not worry about getting up so early. I will just go later in the day and take the best spot left.

Yesterday a friend invited me to an Antique Arts Guild/club that she belongs to. The meeting this month was on antique quilts. The speaker had so many quilts that he couldn't even show them all. So many styles, varieties and colors they were wonderful to see.

Today is my monthly day time quilt guild meeting. All of these are fun activities but I sure wish everything had not hit in the same week. Last week I hardly left the house other than errands. Our program today is charity quilting but I am not taking my machine or anything with me. We do a luncheon every meeting and four members are in charge of lunch. This month is my turn so I figure I will be busy with that and not have time to sew anyway. Maybe I can help someone iron, trim or pin.

I have been slowly working on my 9 patch Christmas quilt the last couple of days. I am doing 3 borders, a cream one, then a pieced border than another outside cream border. I am working on the pieced border now and hope to have all borders on by tonight so I can get a picture of the quilt.

Kathie

Charity Quilting

I just wanted to show some of the fabric that was in the hospice quilt that I quilted on wednesday. The lady that made this quilt said she bought the fairy fabric because it was cute and then didn't know what to do with it.

I know this time of year people are getting busy with their own projects, Christmas presents etc. I would like to challenge you though to go through your stash and find a fabric like this one. Something you purchased and then didn't know what to do with and use it for a charity quilt.

then...............

1. go ahead and make up the quilt, or

2. pull "go with" fabrics to go with it, pick a pattern and then set aside to do by the end of the year, or

3. Make up a kit with the main fabrics and some fabrics that go with it and take it to your guild, or sewing bee, or on-line charity group and see if someone else has time to make it up. Sometimes some of the older members of groups have hand or back problems that make it hard for them to do a lot of cutting and would enjoy putting together a quilt from a kit for charity.

I coordinate our guild's efforts to make quilts for hospice. This challenge is also a challenge to myself, I would like to try and make up at least one kit by our next meeting and see if I have any takers.

kathie

Week in Review

Ok, its not friday but since I usually take care of household things on friday thought I would do a quilting week in review today.

I have quilted two customer quilts this week, one of them really large, quilted a charity quilt and have another customer quilt loaded on the frame and ready to go.

I also machined stitch bindings on 5 table runners for fall craft shows and finished hand stitching down the binding on my bug quilt. Not bad accomplishments for the week.

I was asked why the quilts are behind chicken wire in the county fair pictures and that is for security to make sure no one walks off with things and also so kids (or adults) don't put cotton candy fingers on the quilts.

This is homecoming weekend at my daughters high school. You know how I will be spending the evenings of my weekend, playing Mom Taxi!!

Kathie L.