Design Wall Monday - November 29, 2010

Well there is actually nothing on my design wall again this monday. With Thanksgiving, customer quilts and a terrible cold I didn't do much sewing on anything of mine this past week.

I did manage to get the soccer quilt (Christmas present) quilted and have started stitching down the binding at night so guess this picture is a design recliner instead of a design wall.



Sandi asked if I thought I could still reach my 100 net usage on my fabric by the end of the year. The way things are going I kind of doubt that. I will definitely be busy for the next 3 weeks doing customer quilts (and will then cut it off for some me time). Also what I want to work on in between times is my batik quilt and I ahve already counted all those fat quarters. If I can get a few more yards used I will be happy but at least I have made a dent in my stash this year. Also I have used up some of the older fabric so my stash is feeling a little bit "fresher" than it did. Still have some of that old old small print calico I need to use up but I am liking my stash more and thats a big plus.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report - November 28, 2010

Well this has not been a stash reduction week, it has definitely been a week of enhancement. JoAnns had their nicer Christmas fabric on sale for 60% off and I purchased some for a Christmas quilt and possibly a few runners. So here are my stats for this week:

Fabric used: 1.5 yards
Fabric used YTD: 244.25 yards
Fabruc purchased this week: 10 yards
Fabric purchased YTD: 169.75
Net used in 2010: 74.5 yards

Yesterday was the Hospice Festival of the Trees in our area. My daughter and I went to check out all the tress and she took these pictures of the two trees that were decorated by members of the quilt guild. I spied a few of the ornaments that I had made. The ladies that took the time to decorate these did a wonderful job.






Kathie

Thanksgiving Is

Back in elementary or middle school we did a unit on poetry in English. One of our class assignments was to pick a holiday and write a poem about it. I don't remember the whole thing but the first part popped into my head this morning.

Thanksgiving Is.......

To Mom a day of cooking and baking
To Grandmas a day of stiring and tasting
To Dad a day of rest and such
To me a day of eating to much

Whatever your Thanksgiving is I hope it is a great one.

I am thankful for my husband and daughter, that we are all in good health (other than a rotten cold right now). That my husband has a good job, we have a nice house and that our teenager even though she drives us crazy at times is a really great kid.

Even with being thankful for all of that Thanksgiving is my least favorite holiday and I am always glad when it is over with. You see 15 years ago this morning my dad passed away in a Hospice House facility in Washington State after a four year battle with cancer. Time heals, pain goes away but when a parent is gone, no matter how old we are when it happens, it leaves a small hole in your heart.

Those of you lucky enough to still have your parents for Thanksgiving please give them a little extra hug today.

Kathie

Mid Week Update

Monday I actually worked on one of my projects for a bit, I quilted two table runners I had made for the craft shows. Still have three that are unquilted but I don't plan on doing those right now. I machine sewed the bindings on both of them, and have one partially done by hand. I also managed to finish piecing the 4 batik blocks I had had in process. Not a lot of sewing but at least it is something.

I woke with a bad cold yesterday so is an effort to keep going on the customer quilts but am getting things done, though slower. Yesterday I finished quilting a pretty Christmas quilt that I started on monday and quilted a table runner. Have two more customer table runners and I will probably do them this morning. They are not next in line but when my head is clogged I don't feel like tackling anything large and at least it is getting something done.

Biggest news of the week is that we finally went to settlement on our old house last night. What a relief. We didn't get what we wanted for it but I am so glad we now don't have to maintain two houses, it has been a long five months of doing that.

Hopefully once the cold eases off I will have some pictures to show. We are not going anywhere for Thanksgiving and I indent on taking some time this weekend for "me sewing".

kathie

Design Wall Monday - November 22, 2010

Here it is monday and what is on my design wall? Nothing!! The only thing I think I have managed to sew this week is partially make 4 more batik blocks for my quilt. Lots of reasons why nothing is on the design wall.

Reason #1 - busy with customer quilts. This was one I did last week. Very cute quilt made out of just 3 inch squares.



Reason #2 - being a "Mom Taxi". My daughter spent three evenings trying out for dance team and then another afternoon taking her driver's license test. As you can see from the big smile she passed with flying colors.



Reason #3 - Getting ready for craft show #2. Yesterday was the second out of three craft shows I do so had to spend some time gathering things together again, loading up the van etc. Sales at the show were way down from last year. Hope I can make some of that up at my last show.



I am sure I am headed for another busy week but will definitely have something to show next monday even if it is a few blocks.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report - November 21, 2010

Life got in the way this week and I used up very little stash but the flip side of that was that I was so busy that I didn't purchase any fabric either so a slight bit closer to my 100 yards net used by the end of the year.

Fabric used this week: .50 yards
Fabric used YTD: 242.75 yards
Fabric purchased this week: 0
Fabric purchased YTD: 157.75
Net fabric used in 2010: 83

My numbers look like I better plan on spending the week between Christmas and New Years doing nothing but sewing to reach my goal.

How are you doing?

Kathie

What a week

I sure have got zero, zip, nada done sewing wise this week.

The week has been waiting to get information on settlement (still waiting), things with my daughter (how does anyone do it with several children?) and trying to get a few customer quilts done.

Monday, tuesday and wednesday nights were my daughters dance team try outs That was running back and forth to and from practice and errands for a sports poster they had to make. Now what that has to do with dancing I don't know but like a good mom went to Michaels and got all the poster things I could think of.

At least all of the work and errands payed off as she was selected for the team last night.

That was decided then on to the next crisis. That was in the form of taking her drivers test today after a bunch of last minute practicing with her dad last night. After lots of nerves and a couple of hours out of school (lots of waiting at DMV) she passed with flying colors.

After school of course she had to go out driving by herself for the first time. I really thought I was going to have a panic attack when she pulled away from the house. Will I EVER quit worrying when she is behind the wheel?

I finished loading a quilt this evening and quilted one pass across it and then called it a night as I am to tired to concentrate.

I am hoping that tomorrow is a little less hectic, that I am able to finish the quilt, get things done around the house and maybe just sit with my feet up for a bit.

Kathie

Project of the Day

This was the project I worked on yesterday for a customer. I wanted to show this quilt as it is another quilt that started with a pillow panel and just adding some simple borders makes for a cute quilt. Doing these for Carol is definitely making me want to break out my panels. I usually take a couple of weeks around Christmas (week before and week after) to do nothing but my projects so maybe I will pull some out then.



The only project of mine I managed to work on yesterday was to get a binding sewn on the last runner that I have quilted then last night while watching TV I got it hand stitched down. I still have five runners that need to be quilted but don't know if I will have a chance to do any of them before my next craft show on sunday.

Last night was the start of 3 days of dance team try outs for my daughter and tomorrow (maybe) we will be going to settlement on our old house. Sounds like another wacky week with rearranged schedules and not much time to sew. Sounds like Thanksgiving weekend (do you believe that is almost here) I will need to take some time for myself and hide in the basement (quilting room).

Kathie

Design Wall Monday - November 15, 2010

Do you believe we are half way through November already!!! I definitely need to start some Christmas shopping...

I was hoping to have something exciting on my design wall this week to show but the way the week went I think I am lucky to have anything at all to show.

I didn't get much sewing done in the last week but yesterday I did take some time to make these 4 blocks. This is our block of the month for December for quilt guild (Squares in Squares 2 from Quilters Cache). I didn't get the November one done so figured since I had a few minutes I would get the next one finished. It was so quick and easy and I have made the block before I decided to do the 4 of them. Three will be for entry into the drawing and I will keep one for my Christmas samplier quilt for next year.



This is going to be another busy week with my daughter's dance team try outs, settlement on the old house, driver's test etc. that I have decided to have no specific goals for this week other than getting everything back together for my next craft show (next sunday). I will try and use my time and get as much done as possible but some things just might have to wait until next week.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report - November 14, 2010

Purchased backing fabric this week but turned around and made it into a backing so it was never actually on my shelves but is counted in my stash report. In addition to that fabric I used up a small amount to back some table runners so at least I had a positive number this week. My stats are:

Fabric used this week: 5.5 yards
Fabric Used YTD: 242.25 yards
Fabric Purchased: 4 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 159.75 yards
Net used in 2010: 82.5 yards

I also received a surprise box of Christmas fabric from Sandi in San Diego yesterday. Since it was gifted to her and gifted then to me neither one of us are going to count it in our weekly reports.

It was quite a busy week with doing a couple of customer quilts, my daughter’s surgery and many many phone calls working out some glitches with a house we are selling. Fingers and toes crossed I think we are going to settlement next week.

I also worked on a few of my own projects. I hand stitched down binding on several table runners and got crystals fused as flower centers. I also got a backing made for a Christmas present. So not a lot accomplished but not bad either.


This is one of the quilts I quilted this week. One of my goals for next year is going to be to use up or give away some of the many panels I have so thought I would show this. Isn’t this a cute use of a pillow panel? She just put border after border on it until it was big enough for a lap quilt. I would have not thought to use a stripe, a plaid and a floral border all on the same quilt but it works.

Kathie

mid week update and Hospice 4, 5 and 6

Well my daughter is now minus all 4 wisdom teeth. Once the bleeding slowed way down she was able to eat a bit and take her pain meds and go to bed. I am hoping for her sake that she sleeps a big portion of the afternoon.

Also today a last minute glitch on a house we are trying to sell and go to settlement on next week so trying to deal with both things at once today has left me feeling a little overwhelmed.

Think I need to grab some tea, put up my feet and now that things have settled down a bit sew labels on the rest of these hospice quilts.

This one is from a 9-patch pizzazz workshop pieced by Betty and quilted by myself.



This next quilt is a strippy quilt made from a kit I cut out of donated fabrics. This was pieced by Melissa R and quilted by her mom Lee B. Nice job ladies.




This last Patriotic quilt was pieced by Jane and quilted by Eileen. This will be set aside for one of the hospice patients at the vets home.




kathie

Hospice Quilts 2 and 3

Last night was quilt guild and I received several completed quilts for the next hospice delivery which I plan on doing probably in February.

This first one I am just calling Framed Squares was made by Carol and quilted by myself awhile back.



This Irish Chain quilt was also pieced by Carol and this one was quilted by Nancy. I love the soft colors of this quilt. I know that it will bring comfort to a patient and their family.



I am going to spend part of my day tomorrow sewing labels on all these donated quilts.

I managed to take the time to get a couple of my own table runners quilted today and plan on getting the binding on them tonight so that I can also sit and stitch them down tomorrow after my daughters surgery.

You know quilters are the very nicest people. A customer dropped off a quilt for me to do a little bit ago and knowing my daughter is getting her wisdom teeth out tomorrow brought her a little gift and card and they have never even met her. Talk about nice!!!

I received three additional quilts for hospice last night and I will try and post pictures of them tomorrow.

kathie

Design Wall Monday - November 8, 2010

No new projects on my design wall, still my batik blocks pinned up there but I am making progress in getting a few more done. I love the way all the different fabrics look together.


Once I get a couple more quilts quilted I am going to take a break for a day and hopefully work on some more of these blocks and maybe get a Christmas present quilted. I have no idea how many blocks I can make with the FQ package so won't know until I get all of them done how much border fabric to look for. I would like this to be a longish lap quilt so that you can cover your toes while sitting in a recliner.

I am setting no goals for this week. I will get done as much as I can but no specifics. I have several errands including a trip to DMV to do this week plus my daughter is having all four of her wisdom teeth out wednesday so I will be playing nurse for the first 24 hours. I have been saving up some bindings to work on that day so that I can be upstairs close to her but still getting something done. So I know I will accomplish a whole lot less than usual this week but being mom comes first.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report - November 7, 2010

Well the 25% sale at the quilt shop did me in, that nice little FQ package that had been calling my name followed me home. Wish I had thought to take a picture before I took it apart for washing, looked like a tropical mushroom because of all the colors. I am still up slightly on my weekly stash reduction. Hope to do better this week as I have a couple of backings to do.

Fabric used this week: 4 yards
Fabric used YTD: 236.75 yards
Fabric purchased this week: 3 yards
Fabric purchased YTD: 155.75

Net fabric used in 2010: 81 yards

I did pretty good at my craft show yesterday for a small show. Nice amount of people coming through. I sold my horse quilt and probably a dozen runners.

Kathie

Craft Shows

I was asked how I got involved with craft shows.

First you have to know that we have a small family so not a lot of family members to make quilts for, and they don't all even like or appreciate quilts.

After I had been quilting a couple of years my husband asked me what I was going to do with all the quilts I made. At that point I didn't know that people make quilts for charity efforts.

A friend did a couple of craft shows and she convinced me to give it a whirl.

Even though we have two fairly big shows in this are I would not say making quilted items is very profitable since they are so time consuming.

I make back the cost of my supplies which allows me to quilt all year at no out of pocket cost. I can try different fabrics than my usual taste because someone else would love and buy it. I make a few dollars on top of expenses but not a lot.

I have fun at the craft shows even though they are a lot of work. I think 8 years later I still get a little thrill that someone is willing to pay for items I have made.

Well off to get ready for the first show. I don't expect a whole lot from this show as it is smaller and the first year that I am doing it but hope it is at least worth while.

kathie

Craft Show Ready

I spent part of last evening going through the craft show quilts to see which ones to take with me tomorrow. Since this is a smaller show than the other two that I do every year, and I only have one table I can't take everthing with me.



I have a few last minute things to toss in but think I am mostly ready for tomorrow.

When we moved into this house in June our cat decided that he didn't want to go to the upstairs. This went on for over two months and he was always easy to find as he was somewhere on that floor. One day he just decided that he could manage the stairs after all and now we never know where he is. Cats pick funny places to lay that is for sure. This is one of his new favorites, he lays in the shower of the master bath with his chin on the ledge. Looks VERY uncomfortable to me.



Today is basically a housework day with a trip to the local quilt shop thrown in. They are having a 25% off everything sale and I figured it would be a good time to get a few quilting Christmas presents for several Christmas gift exchanges that I am in.

I am going to try and stay away from buying any fabric for myself but I don't know how I will succeed as there is a FQ bundle that has been calling my name for a long time.

Kathie

I have trained her right!!

I forgot to post about this earlier. Monday night my daughter went to the first playoff game for her high school's soccer team (to cheer her boyfriend on). Since it was chilly she took an old quilt I had made for her with her to put across her legs.

She said that several people said it couldn't be very warm as it was so thin. She said she set them straight telling them how the layers trapped in your body heat and that it WAS NOT CALLED A BLANKET, that it was a quilt.

I thought that was too funny. I guess she really HAS been listening all these years.

Kathie

Goals

I wanted to review my goals from last January and see how I was doing this year. What I posted as goals on January 1, 2010 are:


1. Continue to get rid of PIGS. Either make them up, return the fabric to stash for use on other projects or give them away.
(I did make up a few things and returned several packets of fabric to my stash. Not great but making progress on this one)

2. Finish/give away a few more projects from my old old old UFO listing. (I might have finished one more of the old old ones. Think I just need to give them away).


3. Continue to quilt as many charity quilts as I can between customer quilts and my own quilts and to not feel guilty if I tell someone NO. Each quilter has their own personal charity of choice and I don't have the time to do quilts for each of those. I will continue to primarily quilt hospice quilts but will do an occasional one for other causes. (to date I have quilted 26 charity quilts this year. Most of them were for hospice with a few other tossed in there. I am doing better about saying no but not so good about saying no and not feeling guilty).


4. Seriously work on using up or giving away scraps, strips and orphan blocks that just add to a messy quilt room. (I did give away most of my orphan blocks to a lady making teddy bears with miniture quilts to give to rescue squad and Sheriff department and have a couple of ladies in the guild that I give most of my scraps to so I will say this one has been a success.)

So I have overall done fairly good on my goals so I guess I will start thinking about ones for 2011. I know I am awfully early but the next two months are so busy, I want goals in mind when January hits and I have more times for projects.

I think I might focus on things like using up FQ packages I got years ago, making some of those many panels I have into quilts etc.

I quilted a Halloween quilt this afternoon. Felt kind of funny but she didn't get it done in time so hey, she will be WAY early for next year.

Tomorrow on the agenda is several customer table runners.

Kathie

Last Christmas Quilt

I made four Christmas quilts for upcoming craft shows (first show is this saturday) and last night I sat down and finished the binding on the last one while watching TV. This was a cute little panel I saw at our local quilt shop and just put a few simple borders around it.



I did manage to get a couple more table runners quilted yesterday and the next customer quilt on the frame. My intention is to quilt or at least start quilting that this afternoon.

This morning is my day time guild meeting and I always look forward to that. Show and tell is always my favorite part. We have several ladies that do wonderful applique and I always enjoying seeing what they have been up to. Applique is one of thoese things I just don't do and I really admire it.

I will be going off with cutting mat and rotary cutter in hand as we are spending part of the meeting cutting donated fabric into kits to make charity quilts.

Have a nice and productive day.

Kathie

A Finished Top

I really should have loaded the next customer quilt yesterday but with a million errands to run and several interruptions I just didn't want to stop and start on the quilt. Instead I worked on several of my projects.

First off I got borders on this soccer quilt so it is one step closer to being a finished Christmas present.



Later I completed 13 more blocks for my batik quilt. I could swear that I was working on 14 blocks not 13 so hope I didn't lose one somewhere.

Then last evening since my hubby is gone and daughter was at a game I sat and watched TV and got the binding about half done on the last Christmas quilt I made for my craft shows.

So even with all the errands, interruptions and distractions I still got a lot done, just not what I had intended on.

Today is no school so I imagine I will be running the roads again today. Sometime today I need to fit in time to quilt two table runners as backing fabric is already on the frame and to get the next customer quilt loaded.

I have already busted some fabric stash this week so if I can just keep out of fabric stores I might have a good number to report on sunday's stash report.


Kathie

Design Wall Monday - November 1, 2010

Boy do you believe it is already November? I don't know where September and October went. Ever since school started this year it seems to have just flown by.

My daughter's boyfriend is on the high school soccer team and she asked if I would make him a soccer quilt for Christmas. I found soccer fabric awhile ago and it was just perfect as their school colors are green and gold.


I seem to go back to this warm wishes pattern just about every time I want a quick themed quilt. I started piecing it a couple of weeks ago at a retreat and finished putting the top together on friday and it is now on my design wall awaiting borders. I am going to have a thin black inner border and then a larger black/white border in fabric my daughter picked out this weekend.

I have several errands to run this morning and after that I hope to get backing fabric washed and on the frame and some of my remaining table runners quilted.

Tomorrow is another day off school (election day) so I am not counting on getting to much done in the sewing room. I will be SO GLAD when all the political commercials are off the air. They have been so negative and nasty this year that even my 16 year old is asking why no one ever says what they want to do, just what the other person has done or not done and that is usually a flat out lie or way out of context.

I am already starting to think about the end of the year and what type of quilting goals I hope to accomplish next year. Guess I should revisit my posting from the end of last year and see how I did on those goals.

Have a great start to your week.

Kathie