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