Quilting

This is the quilt that spent the last few days on my frame. It didn't that long to get it quilted, it just took that long to partially get over my cold and feel like working on it.

This was made by my friend Nikki out in Montana. Now I need to find a box in the next couple of days so I can get it back in the mail to her.

Other than working on a binding or two this is about all I have accomplished in the last couple of days.

kathie

Design Wall Monday - September 26, 2011

Sandy couldn't believe I had NOTHING on my design wall last week so wanted to make sure something was there this week...

Believe it or not this is it!! I have had a rotten cold the last few days so have been sitting doing things like bindings etc. but have not really started on anything new that could go on the design wall. I did manage to fussy cut out these poinsettias for future table runners so they are currently tacked to the design wall.

My hubby did finish recovering the thrift store chaise we bought a few months ago. I think he did a great job and I have already spent a little time sitting in it.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report - September 25, 2011

Well this week found me using a lot of fabric but also purchasing a lot. I used fabric for a quilt backing, to back several table runners and to make more table runners. I purchased fabric to back some runners in the works and a couple of nice reds for more table runner borders.

My stats are as follows:

Fabric used this week: 11.5 yards
Fabric used YTD: 226.25 yards
Fabric purchased this week: 10 yards
Fabric purchased YTD: 155.5 yards
Net fabric used in 2011: 70.75 yards

I am happy with my weekly report. As long as I can buy what I really need but continue to slowly use up some older stash I am satisified with that.

I have had a Christmas quilt on the frame the last few days but due to a rotten cold I had not got around to getting it quilted. Yesterday I decided it was time to get it done so I could get a customer quilt on the frame.

This quilt I made several months ago. I like the way it shows off the poinsettia fabrics.

Nothing Much of Interest

I have been busy with lot of things, just nothing interesting enough to post pictures of in the last few days.

I did a customer quilt and then worked on some of my craft show table runners, getting 4 quilted up and bindings on by machine. Since these were all similar to runners I had already posted about I didn't take any more pictures.

This is what I have been doing the last couple of days........cutting fabrics.

The pile on the right is 10 1/2 squares for making backings. I finished one Christmas backing this morning and hope I have enough squares here to make the second back.

On the left is the start of my 2 inch strips for the Bonnie Hunter workshop I will be taking in a few weeks. I love these inexpensive cake carriers (from walmart) for carrying strips and notions to workshops.

Other than that have been busy helping Mandy with her college application process. My part is providing my credit card, proofing essays and reminding her to request letters of recommendation etc. It still all takes time and I think I am more nervous about the whole process than she is. One application has to be in by November 1st and the others by December 1st. I will be glad when everything is submitted, then it will be her turn to be nervous as she definitely has a preference of where she wants to go.

Sandy asked about my UFO of the month. Well the September one I finished awhile ago which is a good thing, still have not finished the August one!!

kathie


Kathie

Design Wall Monday - September 19, 2011

Well it is monday and I have nothing to show on my design wall. It is not that I have not been sewing, but I have been putting bindings on projects, stitching motifs down on table runners etc. and don't really have anything to show.

I did make good progress on last weeks to do list......

1. Finish the hidden 9 patch top
2. Finish the 5 christmas tree runner tops I am working on
3. Quilt customer baby quilt
4. Start working on backing for Christmas quilt

I got the top 3 done, plus quilted another customer quilt and two table runners.

This weeks goals will be:

1. Quilt customer halloween project
2. Quilt a couple more table runners
3. Inventory craft show items
4. and finally start on backings for two Christmas quilts.

Hope everyone has a nice and productive week.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report - September 18, 2011

A little fabric used this week and a little bit purchased. I have to buy Christmas fabrics I like when I see them for all my craft show projects. Stats for the week are:

Fabric used this week: 4.5 yards (mostly on table runners)
Fabric used YTD: 214.75 yards
Fabric puurchased this week: 3 yards
Fabric purchased YTD: 145.5 yards
Net fabric used in 2011: 69.25 yards

I know I will probably be buying more Christmas fabric in the next few weeks but as long as I can keep my usage amount per week more than my purchase each week I will call it a success.

Kathie

Happy Birthday Dad

My dad would have been 88 today. Happy birthday dad, I still miss you so much.

This was one of my favorite pictures of him. After he retired he decided he wanted to learn to bake and took over mom's kitchen on many days. It was so funny because when I was little he wouldn't even open a can of soup much less cook anything.

kathie

Mid week update

Well a little passed mid week for my update but other things going on yesterday.

Yesterday was a runner day. I quilted these two table runners, finished the tops to the other runners I was working on (borders and fused motifs) and machine stitched bindings on 3 runners.

I am doing great on this weeks goals:

1. Finish the hidden 9 patch top
2. Finish the 5 christmas tree runner tops I am working on
3. Quilt customer baby quilt
4. Start working on backing for Christmas quilt

I finished the Hidden 9 Patch top, have the runner tops done and quilted the customer baby quilt.

I need to get the next customer quilt on the frame but hopefully I can start cutting squares to make the Christmas backing sometime today.

kathie

Yesterday's Project

I had lots of errands and things that needed to get done yesterday so I didn't have that much time in the sewing room but I did manage to get my Hidden 9-patch top done.

We had a great workshop on this last week. I am looking forward to seeing everyones tops completed, hopefully at our meeting next month.

I started out with 5 inch squares and my quilted ended up approximately 65 x 78 inches.

Kathie

Design Wall Monday - September 12, 2011

Here is my design wall. These are the hidden 9 patch blocks resulting from the workshop I took on friday. Should be quick to get the top done. The 9 patches started out using 5 inch squares so the blocks started at about 14 inches making for a nice sized lap quilt.

and since I thought I should do something for someone else tomorrow in memory of 9/11 here is the little charity quilt I quilted yesterday.

My goals for this week are:

1. Finish the hidden 9 patch top
2. Finish the 5 christmas tree runner tops I am working on
3. Quilt customer baby quilt
4. Start working on backing for Christmas quilt

Have a great week.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report - September 11, 2011

Used some stash this week for the backing for a lap quilt and for two table runner tops. More things in process but those are the only yardage to count at this point.

Fabric used this week: 6 yards
Fabric used YTD: 210.25 yards
Fabric purchased this week: 2 yards (poinsettia fabric)
Fabric purchased YTD: 142.5 yards

Net fabric used in 2011: 67.75 yards

This is one of my completions from the last few days. I finally got the binding done on my split decision quilt. This was one of my UFO projects, just don't remember the number right now.

Remembering 9/11

With all the remembering 9/11 news shows on this morning the memories are sure rolling back.

We are only 80 miles south of the Pentagon and 10 people from my county lost their lives that day at the Pentagon so it hit our area hard. I remember frantically calling New York as two of my coworkers were suppose to land at JFK right during the time of all the chaos, I remember hugging my daughter extra hard when she got home from school. I think with a nuclear power plant and a military base close they were afraid we might be a target so they closed the schools and sent the kids home. Mandy was seven at the time and very confused.

I remember not being able to sleep at all that night. I stayed up watching the news and listening to planes overhead. They had grounded commericial airplanes so the only ones over head were military. I remember hearing them all night (we never hear flights at night) was both scary and comforting all at the same time.

I also remember that for awhile we were one country, politics and differences put aside. People seemed to be genuinely nicer to each other and realizing that it wasn't material stuff that mattered and to appreciate your friends and family.

No matter our age we all have certain days that stick in your head for a lifetime, both good and bad. I guess why some of the bad days are forever in our minds is because of the news coverage involved. Even though I was a little kid I remember when JFK was shot because it was on the news solid for weeks. The same with September 11th, I couldn't seem to move from the TV if the news was on even though so much of it was a replay and I don't know why.

Kathie

Latest Hospice Donation Quilts

Here are a couple more quilts that will go into the next delivery to hospice. Since I just had to start a second huge bag of quilts I guess it is time to make a delivery.

This first one was done by Leona using the latest "jelly roll race" method a lot of people have been trying.

This next quilt is from one of the kits I cut awhile back. The quilt was pieced by Louise, I quilted it and Jane did the binding.

I did great this week on achieving all the goals I had sent for myself on monday...

1. Quilt turtle customer quilt
2. Quilt horse craft show quilt
3. Hand stitch binding on patriotic quilt
4. At least load next customer quilt

I accomplished all of them plus #4 was actually quilted, not just loaded.

In addition to that I had my guild meeting this week and a half day workshop on hidden 9-patch quilts.

All my blocks from that are done and squared up and now playing with the placement on my design wall.

Kathie

Wednesday already?

With the holiday monday it sure feels like wednesday got here quickly.

I got another item off of my weekly to do list yesterday, I quilted this horse (horse quilt #2) craft show quilt. Will set it aside and one hopefully soon get the binding on it.

This morning I have my day time guild and then this afternoon I hope to get the next customer quilt loaded on the frame so my day is pretty much filled up.

Kathie

Start of College

Well Mandy is going to be starting college today. She is a senior in high school still but is in a program where you can take a class or two at the community college during your school day. They class will count as part of her graduation requirement and also get her college freshmman english class out of the way this year.

I am sure adjusting to her busy schedule is going to take awhile with school, college, homework for both and then her dance starting up this week also. Guess I won't be seeing much of her!

I did manage to get the turtle customer quilt quilted yesterday so today one of my projects goes on the frame.

I can cross one thing off my to do list for this week.

Kathie

Design Wall Monday - September 5, 2011

I did manage to use some fabric and get a few things done or to the next stage this last week even with power outages and hurricanes. We did great with no damage and feel SO VERY lucky.

This first picture is what is currently on my design wall. Nothing exciting, this is just a backing pieced out of 10 1/2 squares for the back of my August UFO. No I didn't get it done but now the top is ready and also the backing so hope to get it quilted this month at least.

This next picture is what I was working on a few days ago and makes a much more interesting design wall. At my guild we are having a hidden 9-patch workshop on thursday and we had to make 20 9-patch blocks. Size was our choice, the only requirement was that the center square had to be the same color in all 20 blocks.

I decided I was going to buy NOTHING for this workshop so cut 5 inch strips (just because it was the width of the ruler I was using) out of bunch of my Christmas fabrics. Here are some of the blocks I made, will be interesting to see what this turns out to look like when done.

I was also going to start making my weekly goals again. Since today is a holiday, wednesday is my guild meeting and thursday the workshop I guess I better keep goals simple for this week. So.........

1. Quilt turtle customer quilt
2. Quilt horse craft show quilt
3. Hand stitch binding on patriotic quilt
4. At least load next customer quilt

Think that is enough to count on for this week.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report - September 4, 2011

Seems like forever since I have blogged. With the hurricane coming through our area (our county was hard hit), lose of power, schools closed for three days, a medical procedure, etc. blogging just wasn't on my schedule.

As such my stash report will be for the last two weeks. I did manage to use some fabric to make bindings for a couple of runners, backing for two runners and a bunch of 9 patch blocks that I made for a hidden 9 patch workshop this week.

Current stats are:

Fabric used last two weeks: 5 3/4 yards
Fabric used YTD: 204.25 yards
Fabric purchased this week: 0
Fabric purchased YTD: 140.5 yards

Net fabric used in 2011: 63.75

Kathie