Design Wall Monday - February 28, 2011

Boy February slipped away, can't believe that tomorrow is March 1st.

At least my design wall has something on it this week. I like this first block, this is the March block of the month for our guild (and I am done early!!!). I hope I win these as the colors would look great in my family room.



Since I still had to take it easy with my hand yesterday I spent some time making additional twin sister blocks for this scrappy Christmas quilt. All the rectangles were already cut and partially sewn together.


I have a few more to make but trying to decide on a setting. I don't know straight set with sashing or on point like here with black setting triangles or exactly what I am going to do with them yet. I might just finish the rest of the blocks and set it aside to "age" for awhile.

I am going to try and get back to machine quilting today. I have the next quilt on the frame which is a beautiful pink and red heart quilt, very pretty.

The sun is shining here but have heard that is not going to last, rain and thunderstorms due this afternoon so guess I will go run any errands this morning when shops/bank opens up.

kathie

Sunday Stash Report - February 27, 2011

My numbers are a wash this week. I had to go to a quilt shop to purchase another yard of fabric for the former guild presidents quilt (not reporting here as it doesn't go in my stash) so I picked up two yards of a really pretty batik. I have fell in love with batiks and have none so decided to collect a piece now and then.

Weekly stats:
Fabric used this week: 2 yards
Fabric used YTD: 57.5 yards
Fabric purchased this week: 2 yards
Fabric purchased YTD: 44.5
Net fabric used in 2011: 13 yards

Due to hand/thumb problems the doc has had me not do any machine quilting the last few days. I have sewn but worked mainly on things that were already cut out and the yardage had already been counted.


I did get this small quilt top together out of parts left from the fish quilt I made and some squares of another fabric. Part of my trying to keep a tiny bit more organized is to not have all those extra pieces laying around.

As part of that organizing I was also gathering up strips of fabric from my shelves that were not very big. These will eventually be cut by my GO into tumblers, bricks etc. These might not be used up for months so I will have to wait and report their usages when it actually happens and will then just have to estimate the yardage. I have a couple of sew ins/retreats coming up and these packages of pre-cuts will be the perfect thing to work on.

Kathie

No Quilting for Me!!

Well I won't be operating the longarm for 72 hours per the doctor's orders. Went to a hand specialist today and this is what my left thumb currently looks like. It has some really long medical name but it is also called trigger finger.

I had two choices to try a steroid injection or have surgery. Since surgery couldn't happen for 6 to 8 weeks and I was tired of hurting I elected to try the injection.

I am a huge needle chicken but boy did this hurt. I need to wear this brace today and then after that every night for six weeks, what fun. Hopefully this will fix me right up and I won't have to have surgery.

I guess today I am going to do some reading and maybe see what is on Lifetime and just lay around. I am hoping tomorrow the initial hurt from the injection will be gone and I can do a little light sewing.

Already told the hubby that I won't be grocery shopping today or probably cooking tonight.


kathie

Mid Week Update February 23, 2011

Not much "me" sewing this week though I did get UFO #10 quilted, the binding sewn on and about 1/2 of it hand stitched down. A good accomplishment but nothing to use up any of my stash.

Yesterday I got a small customer baby quilt quilted and then put this little charity quilt on the frame made by Carol E. I love her use of pre-printed panels for charity quilt centers.


I don't know if you can see but I tried to quilt it to look like water and think it turned out ok. I used one of my favorite colors of thread on it, King Tut Autumn Day which is a variegated blend of a dark gold, medium green and a deep red. Very pretty. The best part of King Tut thread is that the color change is every inch.

I loaded the next quilt on the frame this morning but a good part of today is going to be getting a much needed hair cut and meeting a friend for lunch. Nice to take a break in the usual routine.

Kathie

Warm Wishes

The warm wishes fish quilt (Gone Fishing) is all done and hopefully will be going to the recipient today if his wife makes it into work.

I have made this quilt multiple times and love the pattern. This was a great combined effort by my DH and myself.

We only had maybe half an inch of snow last night but schools are delayed for two hours because of ice/sleet under the snow. I would rather them be safe than sorry and let it clear off before all the buses and kids driving get out on the roads.

Two hour delay does mess with my scheduled. There are things I don't want to start yet to let her take advantage and sleep in and I also don't want to be all the way int he basement quilting when it is time to get her up.

My first quilt of the day is only a baby quilt so it won't take long to do once I get going on it.

Kathie

Design Wall Monday - February 21, 2011

Well my design wall is actually pretty sad, I only have one lonely block on it. This block was made out of civil war repro fabrics and will be one of many blocks presented to the past president of our day time guild.





On a good note I did get my UFO #10 loaded on the frame and mostly quilted yesterday so think even with the month being short I should be able to get this quilt totally done by the end of the month.



Going out for breakfast with the DH and kiddo this morning followed by a painting project in the master bathroom. Hope to get the UFO quilt off the frame and the binding at least made up for it this afternoon.

Hope everyone can spend part of their holiday sewing.

kathie

Sunday Stash Report - February 20, 2011

Not to exciting of a stash report this week as I have not found much time to do any sewing. I purchased some fabric for a backing and also a couple of yards of a good blender fabric as I am finding I don't have fabrics to go with others.

Weekly stats:

Fabric used this week: 6 yards (for UFO #10 and a backing)
Fabric used YTD: 55.5 yards
Fabric purchased this week: 5 yards
Fabric purchased YTD: 42.5
Net fabric used in 2011: 13 yards

At least the net moved up a couple of yards.

Yesterday I went to a sew in for awhile. I spent the entire time cutting out 6 1/2 inch half square triangles from charity fabric with my GO. Have tons to make up some charity quilt kits now.

In addition I was given two quilts back from binding and another finished quilt for hospice. Thought I would show you the pictures today.


This first quilt is much much prettier in person. This batik rails quilt was made totally out of donated fabrics. Kit was pieced together by Kathy V, I quilted it and Jane did the binding.



This second quilt was made totally by Eileen. She is in the process of cutting up all her smaller pieces of fabric into tumblers with the GO and making donation quilts with them. Great job.



This last quilt is very scrappy using large rail fence blocks. I know Julia quilted it and Kathy V did the binding but I am not sure who actually pieced the quilt but what a great use of left over strips.

Kathie

UFO #10

I gradually put the borders on my UFO #10 quilt as part of the UFO challenge over the last couple of days. I don't think I probably would have picked the stripe for this normally but was trying to use something in my stash.

I know I have had these blocks close to 10 years from an internet swap. Nice to have the top done.

Now all I need to do is get the time to get it quilted and bound by the end of the month and THIS IS A SHORT MONTH!!!

Kathie

Midweek Update

It has been a busy week so far. Quilt guild meeting, customer quilts, quilting of the fish quilt and doctor's appointment and its only Wednesday!!!

I wanted to show a few pictures of recently finished hospice quilts that have back from the binding fairies.

This first one is a patriotic quilt pieced by Betsy from my day time guild, I quilted it and Jane finished it with binding and label.



Next up is my "Left Over Roses" quilt. I made way to many sections for a quilt I was making so made just a few more and ended up with this little donation quilt. This quilt was also bound by Jane.



This last quilt for hospice was from a kit I made up several months ago out of donated batik fabrics. This was pieced by JoAnne S, I quilted it and again Jane finished the binding and label for us.



I saw the doctor about my thumb/hand on monday but he really didn't know what was going on even after an x-ray so I have an appointment with a hand specialist the end of next week. By evening it is really bothering me but has not got in the way of my quilting, just makes cutting a whole lot slower.

Kathie

Design Wall Monday - February 14, 2011

Started this quilt on saturday for the ill husband of my DHs co-worker. Made all the pieced blocks on saturday and then yesterday the DH helped me sew them into rows.

Even worked on a backing yesterday. Didn't want to go out and buy yardage so found 3 fabrics that would go together and cut 10 1/2 squares to piece a packing.

I hope to get this quilt on the frame midweek between customer quilts so that we can get it bound and to the guy early next week.

Since this pattern is Warm Wishes figured that was very appropriate for a quilt to wish someone well during all their treatments.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report - February 13, 2011

I purchased fabric on friday for a quicky Warm Wishes quilt that my DH and I are making. A Co-worker's husband is very ill, his favorite thing to do is fish so we went and purchased fish fabric on friday. Yesterday I made the blocks and Ed started sewing them into rows and then I started getting the rows sewn together. Nice we can be a team on this.

Stats for the week are:

Fabric used this week: 8.5 yards (mostly on the warm wishes quilt)
Fabric used YTD: 49.5 yards
Fabric purchased this week: 6
Fabric purchased YTD: 38.5
Net used in 2011: 11 yards

I am thinking about re-thinking my stash reduction goals for this year. My goal last year was to downsize by 100 yards which I did hit, just barely. I am finding that so much of my stash is like 1/2 to 3/4 yard sizes which are hard to use up except in scrap quilts and I am finding I don't have many blenders etc. I might switch my goal to just staying in the black with the amount used/vs. purchased but concentrate more on using up old old fabric and replacing with blenders and nice "go with" fabrics.


My only sewing for the rest of the week was getting this backing completed for my Christmas ribbons quilt.




Another co-work of my DH asked if I would make them a quilted seat cover. I didn't have time so Ed went ahead and made the cover and I quilted it. I was calling the DH a ONE BLOCK WONDER. He can do very accurate piecing if he wants to but is never interested in making more than one block as he says that is boring!! Didn't he do a great job.



Kathie

Thursday Progress

Two more customer quilts done (one yesterday and one today). During breaks I have got my Christmas quilt backing into rows and a couple of the rows sewn together.

I also got border fabrics cut and made up two charity quilt kits with the flower panels I had.

Feel good about the accomplishments of the week.

Still having problems with my thumb so finally broke down and made a doctors appointment for monday. I am afraid it might be dislocated as it is causing pain and sometimes popping when I bend it (not pleasent). Wonder what they do if it is dislocated? Sure can't have a split or anything that would get in the way of my quilting.

Guess maybe i should get a couple extra quilts done this week just in case I have to rest the hand for a few days.

kathie

MidWeek Update - February 09, 2011

Well I don't know if it is because of all the cold weather, January resolutions etc. but it appears that everyone I know has been quilting up a storm during January. From Christmas up through mid January I didn't have any customer quilts and now in the last two weeks they have been coming from all directions.

I have pretty much been working on customer stuff all week so have not had much "me" sewing time.

I had lunch with a friend yesterday. In my push to try and move some of the charity fabric out of my basement and into quilts I took a panel quilt over to her house. Four of these panels have been sitting in the guild charity stash for several years and it is time to get them made into quilts. Carol let me "shop" in her stash to find fabrics to make borders and binding for these.

I put the borders on the first one last night. I don't think I would have pick the stripe or the outer border if I had taken the panel to a fabric store but I like the way it turned out.

I don't know if I am going to border the other three or just cut borders and taken them to the guild as kits for someone else to stitch up.



When I quilt on the longarm I sit down for 5 minutes after each pass or two across the quilt to rest my knees and back and in doing so I am able to quilt longer. This morning during those breaks I would sew a few squares together. Have a few rows done, this will be the backing for my Christmas Ribbons quilt.



Kathie

Design Wall Monday - February 7, 2011

I had some time yesterday afternoon to sew so thought I would start on UFO #10 (six goose in the pond swap blocks). I couldn't remember the formula for putting them on point so found that on Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville site.


Had just enough fabric to cut the alternating blocks and the setting squares. Later in the evening I did get this part of it sewn together. Now looking through my stash to find fabrics for borders. I think I will put a really thin rust border and then a wider striped border if the fabrics I found still look ok in daylight.

Yesterday I heard Sammy growling under his breath in the quilt room and turned around to see that he had company through the sliding glass door. They sat and stared at each other for a good 20 minutes.



The visiting cat had leopard spot markings, very pretty.

Off to get a customer quilt done today if I can get a hurting shoulder blade to cooperate. Don't know what is with all these aches and pains lately. Sure hope it is just the weather and things will improve as the weather warms.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report - February 6, 2011

I have to admit that this was a stash enhancement week not a stash reduction week. I quilted four customer quilts this week, went to my day time guild meeting and spent some time trying to organize my quilt room (more later) so didn't have much time to work on my projects.

Yesterday I went by our local quilt shop. Yesterday you could draw a number from a basket and get that much of a discount on your entire purchase. I pulled the 45% off coupon!!! So in addition to the quilt magazine I went for I purchased a piece of black fabric I needed (you know how hard it is to find a NICE black fabric) and then saw this cute pastel kitten fabric, too cute. Anyway some of that yardage and panel prints followed me home also.

Stats for the week:

Fabric used: 5 yards (making backings)
Fabric used YTD: 41 yards
Fabric purchased: 8 yards
Fabric purchased YTD: 32.5
Net fabric used in 2011: 8.5 yards

You know how something can kind of bother you for a long time and then you "hit the wall" and can't stand it anymore? Well that was my quilt room the other day.

I had got several customer quilts dropped off all in one day, several quilts done waiting for pick up, my projects everywhere and about 4 bins of charity fabric in the middle of everything.

I received a donation of a whole box of fabric to make charity quilts wednesday that were mostly batiks, beautiful.

I was to the point I couldn't work because there was so much STUFF everywhere.

I spent my time instead of sewing the last couple of days trying to get all the customer stuff put away, my projects more organized (scraps put away etc.) and trying to organize the charity fabric.

I need to get some of the charity fabric and batting out of here so I have more room so am starting to get some kits cut to give out at guild and need to take the time to zig zag some batting together to give out to people that have volunteered to do some of the quilting.

My 10 minutes a day of trying to straighten my sewing room works to a point to keep thread put away, leftover fabric back on the shelf etc. but that doesn't make a dent when you have so many things going at once.

Kathie

Midweek Update - February 2, 2011

I have spent most of the week so far working on customer quilts. I wanted to post a picture of this one that I finished quilting yesterday. With so many people wanting to cut back on their purchasing of fabric and use what they have I thought this would be a great idea. The lady that made this used all sorts of different fabrics but with the cream background and the sashing between it all works. I did notice that she doesn't have many light light blocks or really dark so maybe having everything a more medium tone helped make it all go together.


I think I will have to keep this in mind for a quick donation quilt. I have lots of bits and pieces left that I need to do something with. I think this will have to be my year of the scrap quilt!!!

I did get a little time yesterday afternoon to do some of my sewing so I finished sewing the rows of my Christmas Ribbons quilt together. I was going to put on a black border but didn't have enough fabric so will just stop (it is 60 x 60) and use my remaining black for the binding.





Off to my day time quilt guild in a few, looking forward to our speaker and trunk show.

Kathie

AND THE NUMBER IS?

UFO #10 is the number that was drawn today in Judy L's UFO challenge over at Patchwork Times.



This is my number 10. They are I believe Goose in the Pond blocks from a block swap many years ago. I am thinking somewhere between 7 to 10 years ago we did this swap. I will have to double check but I believe I have 9 blocks. I will have to pull out my cheat sheet for putting these on point and see if I have any fabric to make alternating solid blocks.

Will be interesting to see how this one comes out.

Kathie