Back to Quilting

Well I can't quilt quilts yet but have managed to do some table runners the last couple of days. Got the frame set one notch higher than I usually start with. I can quilt one runner then roll the backing and do one more. Since there is so small amount of fabric and batting it is easy to roll and doesn't task my hand.

I know I won't be ready to do any quilts for the next couple of weeks at least but nice that I can get some of my craft show runners quilted.

I quilted these two patriotic ones yesterday.

and quilted these two fall runners this afternoon.

I also found, ironed and loaded some backing fabric on the frame to quilt up two more tomorrow. Since I am only quilting a couple at a time I am having good luck so far at least finding pieces of fabric big enough for backings.

I am still working on piecing the rest of the tumbler runners together. I think I will probably end up with about 5 of them. The last two (pictures later) I have fused poinsettias on the ends of the runners.

Another HOT day today, was nice to spend the afternoon in the basement.

kathie

Design Wall Monday (memorial day)

No sewing yesterday, my hubby and I spent the day painting the master bathroom. This is what is currently on the design wall. I think I have decided to not add borders, I like it just the way it is. This block is called split decision and is made out 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 pieces. Nice project for those left over binding strips. I am tempted to try making this block using the rectangle die for my accuquilt GO. The block would be much bigger and I don't know if it would be to big?

Sammy decided to jump up in the window this morning and check out the fresh paint. The paint is actually a light tan though it looks yellow or gold in this picture. It was great to finally get this room done.

We are going to go out for our traditional holiday day breakfast this morning and then considering it is expected to be about 95 degrees today I intend on spending the afternoon down in the basement sewing room.

Remember to take time to think about all the vets that lost their lives to protect our freedom on this Memorial Day. I have know lots of people that served but luckily I have not known anyone lost in a war.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report - May 29, 2011

Well my net numbers took a back slide this week. With JoAnn's 50% off sale on clearance fabric I went ahead and got backing fabric for two quilt tops I have done (my patriotic quilt and my neon cats quilt). Once that fabric is washed and seamed it will be out of my stash.

Fabric used this week: 7.25 yards
Fabric used YTD: 122 yards
Fabric purchased this week: 10 yards
Fabric purchased YTD: 100.5 yards

Net fabric used in 2011: 21.5 yards

Finished up my split decision top (picture tomorrow) and started piecing together more of the Christmas tumblers to make a couple more table runners. I am happy to see that my box of pre-cut projects is rapidly going down.

Have a great sunday, going to be HOT here in Maryland.

Kathie

This Week

The last few days I have been working on completing enough split decision red/white and blue blocks to make a quilt top. I made one of these more than a year ago and the remaining blocks and strips have just been sitting. I figured since it was mostly cut out and is also a UFO that this would be one of my projects while my hand heals.

I now have all 42 blocks made. Here are the first few laid out on the design wall.

Do you have anything planned for this holiday weekend? The daughter has several social things going on this week but the hubby and I don't. We are going to take the opportunity for a date night and go out to dinner tonight but the rest of the weekend will be pretty much the usual unless we stop and get some paint tonight.

I would love to start painting the master bathroom. When we moved in this house 11 months ago the painting was fairly fresh but pretty much nothing was colors we liked (master bathroom is a weird gold). We have been SLOWLY repainting everything. I say we but it has been mainly the DH with a little help from the daughter. I am one of these people that totally suck at painting. I can tape things off and paint trim but if I roll a wall it ends up having to be redone. I was thinking since I can't long arm for awhile longer that I might tackle the bathroom. At least there is no carpet in there for me to ruin with paint.

Kathie

Yesterday's Projects

I did lots of computer/book work yesterday so didn't spend to much time in the sewing room. I did get the second tumbler runner top complete. This one is strictly tumblers but after all the favorable comments on the runner with the solid fabric on the ends and holly fused on it think the remainder of my tumblers will be sewn into that type of runners.

I also pulled out this little charity strip quilt top I made a few weeks ago and didn't like. It was just to plain and the white/cream sections just looked to wide.

I got a new Accuquilt Die the other night called Fun Flowers so decided to put a few of those across the quilt. I think it helps a whole lot. I am going to add a few more but need to take a run to JoAnns to get some more wonder under first.

I decided to take a break from the tumblers for a couple of days so pulled out my next project. This one will be a quilt made out of red/white and blue split decision blocks. I made a charity donation quilt out of these last year and as usual way over cut the fabric and made some extra blocks so I will make another of the quilt either for donation or for fall craft shows. Will probably spend the next couple of days making those blocks and then see if my DH will help me trim them up.

Kathie

Almost a Senior

A friend of Mandy's loves to take pictures. This is one of the pictures she took of Mandy last weekend, I think she did a great job, I love the picture.

Kathie

Design Wall Monday - May 23, 2011

Nothing to exciting on the design wall today. I was working yesterday on putting together tumbler runner #2. It is in rows, just not sewn together or trimmed up yet.

What I want to know is if you think the runner will look best like this one is going to be, just tumblers, or like the one below that I did on saturday with the white and the holly on each end. I have enough tumblers cut for at least two more runners (I do fall craft shows so make LOTS of runners) so would like opinions. They are getting a little boring to piece so think I will go on to another project I have cut out and come back to these in a few days.

The incision on my hand is healing nicely. A little achey today so I might have over did it slightly yesterday but definitely not doing anything I am not suppose to as I want it to heal as quickly as possible.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report - May 22, 2011

Wow May is practically gone, next weekend is Memorial Day weekend!!!

I did use fabric this week. More than the numbers show but some of the things I worked on the fabric had already been counted previously.

Fabric used this week: 6.25 yards (backing, charity quilt and runner)
Fabric used YTD: 114.75 yards
Fabric purchased this week: 4 yards for backing
Fabric purchased YTD: 90.5 yards
Net fabric used in 2011: 24.25 yards

Not much of an increase in my net but every little bit helps.

This was yesterdays project. I had cut out all the tumblers awhile back using the small tumbler Accuquilt GO die and have been working on sewing them together. Added the white at the end of the runners and then fused the holly on. I think that once this is quilted and a red binding added all the way around the white section will look more like it belongs.

Will be sunny and warm in Maryland today so guess I need to spend part of my morning outside pulling weeds, not one of my favorite things to do.

Kathie

Last Couple of Days

Last couple of days have been pretty busy. Successfully got the stitches out of my hand. Nice they are not pulling anymore but still have steri strips on the area, will be glad when they all fall off.

I also got Mandy successfully enrolled up at the community college to take her Freshman college english that also takes care of her high school graduation requirement for senior english. With two english classes and being able to get credit for calculus she is going to take at the high school next year she will graduate high school already having 10 college credits, cool. Saves us some $$ since these classes are half price as part of a dual enrollment program.

On the quilting side I started my newest project. I cut like a million small tumblers out of various christmas fabrics a few weeks ago and I have started making those into table runners for fall craft shows. Will probably be showing a picture of that tomorrow as part of my sunday stash report.

kathie

Quilt Top #2

This is the second quilt top I have finished in the last few days from kits that were previously cut (and in this case all the blocks pieced) before my surgery.

I love the warm wishes pattern. The color is a little off in this picture. The middle strip in the rails block is a pretty lime green, not kind of a green gold like it looks here.

I also wanted to show a close up of the cats, arn't these cute? I had this fabric for at least a couple of years.

On the agenda today is getting my stitches out and this evening going with my daughter up to the community college. In between I hope to at least pick out what project I will be working on next and get a few things done around the house.

kathie

Kiddo

Lots of time on this blog I call my darling daughter kid or kiddo. A friend of mine asked me when I was going to quit calling her that, after all she is 17 years old now?

I guess maybe it is time. After all she keeps reminding me that once the seniors leave the middle of next week she will be a senior! Nothing like rushing it as she won't actually be a senior till August.

We are also going up to the community college tomorrow night for an orientation and registration session. She is going to be dually enrolled next year in both high school and college. She will be taking college english and getting credit there and also credit for her senior english requirement at the high school. I think this is a great program. We only have to pay half the usual price for the class and it will give her a little taste of what is expected out of a college class.

So even though she will always be my baby (she hates it when I say that), guess it is time to quit calling her THE KID.

Kathie

Rainy tuesday

Rainy tuesday today, 100% chance of rain, yuck!!

I wanted to show pictures of a couple donation quilts received back from binding recently.

This first flower pot quilt was made by Betty and I did the quilting. I love the way she fussy cut the flowers for the pots.

This next quilt I don't know who made the top. Someone donated a queen sized quilt top and we have gradually made 4 lap quilt sized donation quilts out of it. This one was quilted by Julia and Kathy V did the binding.

Both of these quilts are destined for hospice. As soon as I am able I will be making a delivery and will take one huge bag over and keep the partial bag here so that we have some in reserve when needed. There have been times lately when a guild member knows of someone that is critically ill that has not received a quilt so it is nice to keep a few here.

I started putting together a neon cats warm wishes quilt yesterday. The pieces were all finished during a sewing retreat back the end of March so it will be quick work to get them into a quilt top.

Kathie

Design Wall Monday - May 16th

This is what was on my design wall last night. This is UFO #9 which the beginning of the month was just strips left over from a charity quilt I made over a year ago. As usual when I don't use a specific pattern I way over cut.....

The tropical fabric was all donated and I added the gold and the blue to it. Once quilted this will be a hospice donation quilt.

For Judy L's UFO challenge I am calling this completed for May's challenge since I won't be able to do any machine quilting due to hand surgery for at least another month.

I did want to show you a pictures of a donation quilt made out of a kit I cut using Mary Johnson's (of heartstrings group) easy strippy quilt. The top was made by Betty, quilted by Julia and bound by Kathy V. Nice job ladies, this quilt will ultimately go to our local hospital for a sick child.

One last thing when I typed the date this morning I realized it is the 16th of May. This would have been my parents 59th Wedding Anniversary. So Happy Anniversary MOM and DAD, I still miss you both very much.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report - May 15, 2011

Well since I had hand surgery on monday no fabric used or purchased this week. I did manage to do a little piecing yesterday since I got my huge dressing off on friday but the fabric is mostly donated charity fabric so nothing to report.

Fabric used this week: 0 yards
Fabric used YTD: 108.5
Fabric purchased this week: 0 yards
Fabric purchased YTD: 86.5 yards

Net fabric used in 2011: still 22 yards

Kathie

The Good the Bad and the Ugly

The GOOD is that I got my football sized dressing off my hand yesterday. I can now type two handed and do a few other things with it. Have to exercise it and then it aches but doing pretty good so far.

The BAD is that we were on our way to the bank and a couple of errands thursday night and our van was rear ended at a stop sign right in our neighboorhood. At least no one was hurt and we can drive the van until it goes into the shop.

The UGLY is what my hand looks like. The whole palm of my hand is purple bruises!! Now Purple is my favorite color but not on your body!!

This I am going to go try and sew for a few minutes. I should be able to pin pieces together and chain piece but I won't know until I try.

Kathie

One Handed

I am so lucky my bum hand is my left hand and i am right handed!!! I am still able to do some things on my own, like type with one hand. It is amazing the t hings you can't do, like open water or soda bottles, medicine bottles or even fasten your bra!!!

Luckily i will be getting thid=s enormous dressing off tomorrow. I still won't be able to do much for awwhile but should be easier to get dressed, take a shower and drive anywsy.

I also have probably 8 oe 9 projects downstairs cut out and waiting for me to be able to do a little piecing.

denist appt this morning and then this afternoon might rewatch the first pajama quilter dvd (cant find the second one, might have fallen behind something).

Kathie

surgery

surgery went fine monday. pretty miserable yesterday but doing much better today,

cant do much till this comes off on friday so will probably watch dvds or read today and have my daughter take me to get my hair washed when she gets home from school.

kathie

Design Wall Monday - May 9, 2011

Nothing to exciting on my design wall. This is UFO #9 for Judy's UFO challenge and it has been exactly the same since thursday. I do have all the 4 patches done, just need to lay the rest of them out and start sewing them together.

Maybe I will work on it for a few minutes this morning.

All these fabrics (the tropical ones donated) were used on a hospice quilt over a year ago. This is the left over fabric and strips so this will eventually be another donation quilt.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report - May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms and grandmoms!!!!

I had a busy week so didn't use up much fabric but on the good side I didn't have time to go to any fabric stores either so made a little progress in the right direction.

Fabric used this week: 2.25 yards pre-cut for table runners
Fabric used YTD: 108.5 yards
Fabric purchased this week: 0
Fabric purchased YTD: 86.5 yards
NET fabric used in 2011: 22 yards

22 yards is not a lot considering that it is already May but I am fine with that since I am trying to use up older fabrics and "refresh" my stash.

I am sure my report next week will be zero purchased and zero used as I am having my hand surgery tomorrow. Since it is not scheduled till afternoon I should be able to post my design wall monday posting before we leave unless I am TOTALLY cranky from no coffee or anything to eat tomorrow. Don't you hate that!!

Kathie

Finally Friday!!

It sure seems like it has been a long week, guess just because of so many errands and appointments this week.

On the quilting front I did get a charity quilt quilted. I forgot to take a picture of it before it headed off to the binding fairy but will take a picture when it comes back.

I decided to start on my UFO #9 which was basically just left over strips of fabric from another charity quilt I made at least a year ago. I am just doing a simple 4 patch with alternating squares of tropical fabrics. Makes me feel like I am back in Hawaii!!

I think it will be fairly small but hey, charity quilts do come in all sizes. To bad I can't count some of this fabric in my stash report but since it was donated charity fabric it was never IN my stash.

A few errands today and then trying to catch up on some chores around the house. If I have time to hit the sewing room will probably start piecing some of this together.

Kathie

Happy Birthday

A great big happy birthday to my daughter, she turns 17 today. Where in the world have the years gone, she will be a senior next year!!!

I wanted to share a few pictures. This first is a quilt I made using the accuquilt GO large tumbler die. I had made it several months ago but just recently got it quilted and Jane did the binding for me.

Sunday I got this little wall hanging quilted. It is one of my UFOs from a class I took last summer or fall, don't remember exactly when. Sure wish this had been the number pulled as part of the UFO challenge as it is practically done. This was from a workshop using Ricky Timms convergent quilts book.

This last wall hanging I didn't make, I purchased this in Hawaii as a birthday present for myself. Our bedroom is lavender and our headboard is a dark green so I think this will go perfectly in there.

Had my pre-op doctors appointment yesterday and go to the hospital for an EKG this morning. Hope this will be the last step prior to surgery. This is turning out to be a busy week.

Kathie

Design Wall Monday and UFO Contest

#9 has been pulled as part of Judy L's UFO challenge. My #9 will be on the design wall later today.

Unfortunately for me this is probably the worst number to be pulled this month. With surgery next monday and this UFO basically just left over fabric there is no way that I will have it all done before the end of the month. I will make it my goal to have the quilt top by the end of the month, I might just be able to do that.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report and UFO #4 Finish

This week I purchased fabric for the backing for UFO #4 and then used the fabric the next day so my Net yardage is the same as last week.

Fabric used this week: 3.5 yards
Fabric used YTD: 106.25 yards
Fabric purchased this week: 3.5 yards
Fabric purchased YTD: 86.5 yards

NET fabric used in 2011: 19.75 yards

I quilted this quilt (UFO #4) from Judy's UFO challenge on friday. Since I can't do hand work right now because of my hand I will declare this a finish for the month and worry about getting someone to help me out with the binding later.

Have a great day.

Kathie