Saturday Update

I feel like I accomplished a lot this week with several customer quilts and also quilted a quilt of my own in addition to slowly working on table runners. I now have six of the tops ready to machine stitch around the trees and two more runners in process.


I also started to make our guild's block of the month in Christmas fabrics. Figure I would make a block or two every month to turn in of the required colors and then make another block out of Christmas fabrics to keep. By next summer I will have enough for a sampler quilt.

Another major accomplishment is batting. For some reason I had never pieced batting together. I would save the smaller pieces for runners or wall hangings but sometimes the bin was way overflowing of those. Finally jumped in and pieced together 3 lap quilt sized battings and I have already used one of them. As long as they had one straight edge they really didn't take any time at all to do. I wonder why I had such a mental block about doing that???

We are having company from Virginia today (step-daughter and grandaughter) so won't be any sewing until tomorrow afternoon but thats ok, I am really looking forward to the visit. They live a 4 hour drive from us but we rarely see them as everyone has busy schedules. My husband goes there on business a couple of times a year and he always incorporates a trip to see them so at least he gets to visit more often.

I hope everyone has a cooler weekend. I actually got to sit out on the screened deck this morning drinking coffee. Today was only the 3rd morning in the 5 weeks we have been living here that was comfortable enough to do that.

Kathie

Charity quilting today

I put the third small quilt on the frame from the same lady today so I can deliver all of them to her when I see her at the guild meeting next week.

This one is a charity quilt that she made out of a kit I had put together out of donated fabrics. She supplied the batting and the backing and I quilted it with a variegated teal thread using my version of Dwirling from the Pajama Quilters DVD.


That is usually fun and mindless but for some reason I was having issues of thread breaking today. Guess tomorrow I will change the needle etc. before I start on the next quilt.

I wasn't sure how it would go over when I made up a bunch of kits from some of the fabrics that had been donated. Over the last few months I have made up 19 kits, 16 of them were taken by various people and I have 8 of them turned back in. Several with backings provided also. I think that is doing pretty good.

Kathie

On and Off the Frame

I made the 4 patches for this Christmas quilt out of mostly left over binding pieces as my bin was overflowing.

I made it a couple of months ago at least but just quilted it over the weekend. I used a king tut thread I love that is a variegated red/green and gold and looks great on just about any Christmas project.

I am currently working on the binding in the evening and have about half of the binding done now. I like the handwork while watching TV but enjoy it much more in the winter when you can snuggle under the quilt at the same time.

I did one customer quilt yesterday and will do another today after a couple of errands. The next two customer quilts are small so that is a nice change of pace after the huge one I did last week.

Kathie

Design Wall Monday - July 26, 2010

I was working on some table runners over the weekend. I got borders on two runners made out of various cream strips and have Christmas trees cut out. Once I find some brown for trunks I will fuse one on each end of the runner.

I then quilt and bind the runners and the last step is decorating them with crystals. They really turn out cute and and I always sell out of them at my craft shows.

I have six in the works but will try and make 10 of these.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report July 25, 2010

Well I could make lots of excuses for buying fabric this week, like I had a coupon that was going to expire, I had to have something to do while my daughter and boyfriend were at the mall and I was waiting around, or my reason for purchases yesterday, my friend that works at a quilt shop emailed me that they had some bolts of fabric at 40 to 45% off!

but....... I won't use those excuses. The reason I made purchases this week was that I was in fabric stores, saw things I liked that I knew I would use up in the next couple of months and purchased them. No guilt, ok not much guilt.

I did use a fair amount of fabric this week also, just not enough to keep up with the purchases. My stats for the week are:

Fabric Used this week: 5 yards
Fabric Used YTD: 148.25 yards
Fabric Purchased this week: 8 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 93.75 yards
Net fabric used in 2010: 54.50 yards

Kathie

Fabrics

The other day I took my daughter and her boyfriend to the nearest mall do so some shopping/looking around. Since the mall is over 45 minutes from where we live I had to stay in the area until they were done as it wasn't worth the time or gas to come all the way home.

There just happened (lol) to be a large JoAnns Fabric not to far from the mall so I went in there and looked at all their fabrics. I had just been thinking that I didn't have much fall fabric and ran across these.


So I will have added to my stash again this week but since these fabric are intended on becoming fall table runners and I have already started to cut them out not that much of the fabric is actually going to end up on my shelves.

We are still in our heat wave with an expected heat index of 105 today and 110 tomorrow. I think the only place to spend my afternoons is downstairs in the sewing room. I intend on finishing up a small customer quilt today and then tomorrow working on some of my own projects.

kathie

On the Frame

Well this isn't really what is currently on the frame but was earlier this week. It is a large customer wall hanging that I quilted. Still don't have improved lighting in the quilting room so in this picture the colors don't look that good but it is actually very pretty.

Started quilting the queen quilt yesterday, only got about 3 feet done after some initial troubles. I will work a couple of hours on it this morning and will then be spending most of the day doing things with my daughter.

I do get a lot more done when school is in session but in a couple of years she will be off to college so need to enjoy this time now.

Kathie

Holly Backing

Thanks to everyone for the comments on my Christmas quilt yesterday, I do like how the setting looks with something so simple.

I had two pieces of pretty holly fabric but not enough of either one to make a backing for the quilt so this is what I ended up with. I was going to stager things a bit to make the seams not line up and make it a little more interesting but went with what was quick and easy instead.

I still have some squares of each fabric left so will put that in my 10 1/2 squares box (an unused pizza box) and they will find themselves in another scrap backing one day.

Freezer finally got fixed last night about 7:30 p.m. It is working, I will keep my fingers crossed that it will continue to do so because I would hate to have to call that guy back out.

I started loading a queen sized quilt on the frame yesterday. Had a lot of problems getting the backing on straight for some reason but seems to be ok now. I hope to at least finish loading it before I need to run off to a couple of banks to run errands. I need to change addresses with both banks and they want original signatures so I might as well run in and get it taken care of today.

Stay cool!!! (Will be about 95 today and HUMID)

Kathie

Repairs

Don't you hate to have to have repairs done? Not only is it expensive but then when you make an appointment they give you a window, say 12 to 4 that you have to be at your house.

A week and a half ago our freezer went out. We called repair people and they came out the next day, cool, right? Well they were to be there between 1 and 5. Ok he got here at about 4:50 after being lost. Annoying yes but hey it was before 5:00.

Satisfaction lasted about 10 minutes till he told us what was wrong with it and that he didn't have the parts on the truck. We would have to order the parts and then make another appointment to wait around.

Parts came and then took another week to get an appointment. He was to be here today between noon and 4:00 and got here at 6:30. Ok, traffic happens, jobs take longer etc.

Then he had the never to ask why we had not unplugged the frig (our only one) a couple of days ago to have all the frost gone. Now the three us all say the same thing, he NEVER told us to do that. He acts all ticked off and put out that it was not done and oh by the way it will cost an additional $27 for him to do it.

Well DO IT anyway. We have lived without a freezer for two weeks and I am not doing it anymore. If we didn't have to pay for the parts up front and part of his labor I would have just told him to leave and go by a new frig/freezer!!

kathie

Design Wall Monday 7/19/10

I put the borders on my Christmas quilt last night and had it still on the design wall to admire it. Most quilts I make I like, after all they are my color and pattern choices but every once in awhile I make one that I just love and this is one of them. I guess it is partially because I love scrap quilts but also because something so simple can be set to make it look fancier.

I started with 5 inch squares and then made 120 1/2 square triangles. The only hard part was I had to lay it out totally on the design wall and keep it there as I pieced it so I wouldn't turn and pieces around.

I found the setting in a magazine and it is called converging chevrons.

I look forward to getting this one quilted but will have to wait till I get a backing made and a couple of customer quilts done first.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report - July 18, 2010

Well I broke my many weeks in a row of not buying fabric this week and went to the local quilt shop with coupon in hand. I wanted to see if they had Christmas fabric in yet. They had a couple of really nice lines so I got several pieces of fabric and I don't feel bad about it at all. Since I do several craft shows every fall and that is where I get my sewing money from I need to buy pretty Christmas fabrics when I see them as I am using them up all year around.

At least I also used a fair amount of fabrics this week. I made up 4 blocks for next months block of the month at our guild meeting. The fabric theme is Summer Fun so figured the watermelon fabric and the lady bug fabrics both fit into this theme.


I also used up stash on borders for my Christmas lap quilt and squares of two different fabrics were cut and a backing started so all in all not a bad week.

Here are my stats:

Fabric Used this week: 5.5 yards
Fabric Used YTD: 143.25 yards
Fabric Purchased this week: 7 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 85.75 yards
Net Stash used in 2010: 57.5 yards

Last day of my daughters behind the wheel drivers ed today and have to run an errand later in the day but hope to have time to get the next quilt loaded on the frame and ready to go.

Kathie

HOT HOT HOT

Gee I guess most of the country is under a heat wave, it was 100 degrees here yesterday and humid. The only thing I want to do is stay in the basement where it is nice and cool and quilt. I guess that won't happen at least this morning. We will be going off to drivers ed class this morning and I will be running errands while she does the behind the wheel class. Hopefully there won't be any further problems with the instructor not showing up.

I did get some time to sew yesterday and got several things finshed or to a new level anyway. I finished quilting the charity quilt that was on the frame and got that off the frame and trimmed up, I sewed a label on one of the donated hospice quilts and I finished sewing the rows together for my Converging Chevron Christmas quilt. Hopefully I will get borders on that top this weekend.

Now that we have the old house all cleaned out and on the market, as soon as I get fully organized around here and in a good routine I should have more time to work on other projects. Keeping my fingers crossed anyway. If I don't get in gear soon I will have to forget doing at least one of my three planned fall craft shows.

kathie

More Charity Quilts

Here are pictures of the other two hospice quilts that were turned in monday night. The blue/green batik quilt was made by Jane and quilted by myself. Love the turtle fabric in this (you can probably see them if you click on the picture) and it has a so soft flannel backing.



The next quilt is an Irish Chain quilt made by Mary M. and quilted by our philanthropy chair Eileen. A great combined effort.

I did spend a lot of yesterday in my quilt room. I got the full sized customer quilt off the frame, trimmed up and invoiced and the next quilt partially loaded. I also took the time to make the block of the month for next months guild meeting, in fact they were so fun I made 4 of them.

Then I switched and worked on craft show things. I got the rest of the Christmas 1/2square pieced into rows and a couple of the rows sewn together. Seems to be taking forever but I want to have the center of the quilt done this weekend anyway. I also had two fabrics set aside to make a backing for the quilt so I started cutting that into squares to make a checkboard backing.

So I didn't really get anything totally done yesterday but made a lot of progress.

This morning I need to run a few errands and then need to get working on the next quilt.

Kathie

Veteran's Home Quilts

When we delivered quilts in May to hospice house they hinted that they would like some patriotic quilts to provide to hospice patients at the local Veteran's home. I received two additional ones on monday night.

The first one was made and quilted by Eileen. Didn't she make a great use of the center panel?


The second quilt was made by Betty and quilted by myself. Not sure what they blocks are called but love the look of them.


I will wait until I receive two or three more of the ones for the veteran's home and will then make a trip to deliver them.


My mom has been gone over three years now but I am finding out what patience she must have had teaching me to drive. I remember fighting her all the way and getting very insulted every time she correct me. I am getting it all back from daughter and then some, who said teaching someone to drive was fun?

Kids don't understand why parents are a nervous wreck when they start to drive. Not only is it the possibility of putting a few dents in the car but the possibility of so much worse when they get out on the road.

Last night a young girl, only a year older than my daughter was killed not far from here when a car rear ended her and knocked her into oncoming traffic. Mandy didn't know her but knew some of the girls friends. Maybe she will understand why learning to drive is great if you are a kid, the independence etc. but how also it is terrifying for their parents.



Kathie

Charity Quilting and other

I wanted to post a picture of this little hospice quilt that Ann pieced from a kit that I made up out of donated fabrics. I have a back log of so many hospice tops that I just did a quick meander on it. I figured done was better than fancy. I took it back to her last night to do the binding.

Quilt guild was last night and I was definitely a "bag lady" coming home. Ladies gave me 4 completed hospice quilts, two of which were patriotic ones and will go to the hospice patients at the local veterans home, the other two will go to hospice house. I also had two hospice tops turned in and picked up a couple customer quilts to quilt up.

I will try to take pictures of all the donated quilts and post them over the next couple of days. I need to move things off my design wall first or just lay them across the frame to take pictures.

We are meeting with our realtor tomorrow night to get our hold housed listed, wish us luck in selling that fairly quickly!!

Kathie

Design Wall Monday - July 12, 2010

I didn't get a whole lot of time to sew yesterday but I did get the binding sewn on the second Christmas table runner I quilted a week or so ago. I also took the time (while ironing clothes for the week) to sew the first few rows of blocks together for this Christmas lap quilt. I am keeping it pinned to the design wall as I sew so that no pieces get turned the wrong way. No additional stash used up but at least I am making some progress on craft show items.

Today is going to be the coolest day of the next few so think that I will try and get a bunch of errands done this morning. I am suppose to be picking up three quilting jobs at quilt guild tonight so if I get most of my errands done today I can start on the first of those tomorrow. It was a nice that I had a real lull in quilting jobs right at the same time we were moving.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report July 11, 2010

Well I thought I would have to report a purchase this week. I intended on going to our local quilt shop yesterday to look at Christmas fabrics while my daughter went on her first behind the wheel drivers ed class. Well I guess there was some miscommuniation between the instructor and the college but she never showed up. We sat there for a good 40 minutes and then left. At that point I was in no mood to go look at fabric.

At least it means I can report a zero purchase week again.

Fabric Used this week: 3/4 yard
Fabric Used YTD: 137 3/4 yards
Fabric Purchased this week: 0
Fabric Purchased YTD: 78.75
Net used in 2010: 59

I did get a little time to sew/quilt yesterday afternoon. I did a quick meander on a hospice quilt that was on the frame and got binding sewn on one of the two runners that I quilted a few days ago.

Kathie

1/2 squares

You can do so many cool patterns with half square triangles, just like log cabin blocks or shaded 9 patch blocks. I played with 4 different settings for my Christmas quilt and ended up selecting this one. If I remember correctly the setting is called converging chevrons. I started with 5 inch squares of Christmas fabrics and various whites and made 120 half squares.

I hope to get some of this pieced together this weekend (just pinned on the design wall now) but with behind the wheel drivers ed for my daughter I need to take her to and STILL working on the old house my sewing time is very limited.

Only good thing is where I have to take her for drivers ed this morning is only like two miles from our local quilt shop. I have not been in there for a couple of months so since I need to do something to kill the hour and a half time I am going to stop in there. I want to see if they have any pretty Christmas fabric in. That is one thing I am always in the market for with doing fall craft shows. I have tons of Christmas fabrics and am able to make probably 50 scrap quilts, runners etc. but I never seem to have enough of any one fabric for borders.

Kathie

Play Day

Yesterday was a "Play Day" and boy did I love it. I went to my monthly day time guild meeting in the morning and then spent the afternoon in the quilt room. It has been a long time since I have had an entire day to do what I want.

When I delivered quilts to hospice in May one of the ladies mentioned that they had hospice patients up at the local Veterans Home and that she was sure they would appreciate some patriotic quilts. I put the word out and this is the first one I received from Helen. Very cute and I am sure someone will love it. Once I get 5 or 6 I will deliver them to hospice for the veterans.



Yesterday afternoon I quilted up these two runners and then finished up the 1/2 square triangles I have been gradually making. Hope to start sewing that top together sometime this weekend.



kathie

Bad on posting

I have been so bad on blogging lately. One thing after another seems to get in the way. First the move, then working on the old house and then yesterday computer problems. I had taken a picture and downloaded it to the desk top computer and then couldn't get on the internet, always something.

I do feel a whole lot more organized in my quilting room. My hubby got my peg board up and put up two small corner shelves for me behind the longarm. I have think more in an easy reach now.

I also got lot of batting pieces put away out of sight.

I made a "Patriotic Flurries" quilt similar to this back in February when we were snowed in for several days. I ended up selling it to a friend that wanted it for a housewarming present for a friend of hers. I had enough blocks left over that I only had to make about 10 more and put this quilt together. I don't often buy strips but like it in this border.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report July 4, 2010

First off Happy 4th of July to everyone. I hope everyone is going to have time to spend at least part of the day with friends and family.

I did manage to carve out some sewing time this week between all the working on the old house to get it ready to sell. I have been making loads of 1/2 square triangles for a Christmas lap quilt and also used some stash (on the frame now) for backing fabric for a couple of runners.

I also continued to stay out of JoAnns and the local quilt shop, mainly because Ihave been to busy. Here are my current stats, I think they are looking pretty good.

Fabric used this week: 6.25 yards
Fabric used YTD: 137 yards
Fabric purchased this week: 0
Fabric purchased this year: 78.75 yards
Net Used in 2010: 58.25

I know when the shops get all there Christmas fabrics in I will be making some purchases to make things for fall craft shows but until then I am trying to ony use stash unless I need something for a border, binding or backing.

Kathie