Monday Design Wall

Today I have to make a decision on how to finish my disappearing 4 patch now that the blocks are joined. This is approx. 32x40. It is small but used 3 small sized charm packs. I have to think about it for a few days to decide. Border? What do I have for that? Decisions to ponder.

I am in a finishing mode so I have several projects that need little things like binding, quilting and hand work. I will get back to the Oct Quilt show quilt in the photo, 54-40 or fight. I was upset with all my problems of points and bobbin tension so I put it up for a while. I will also tackle the last row and assemble it this week. I have border fabric and finishing options in my head already. !!

By the way, next week is our local quilt guild monthly meeting. I think I will go. I am a little scared but I am going. They have been doing this a long time. They are the "old guard" of the quilting community. I have wanted to go for a long time. My mom may go with me as she used to go 15 years ago and knows many of the members. We own the longarm business together so I think it is a good thing to do on many levels. Wish me luck!!

Stash report

I used up 3 charm packs this week. No fabric in. I am still slowly working my way through 2 totes of fabrics and several precuts. I am going to buy some backing fabric next week the quilt shop has fabric on sale for $3 a yard!!!!!!

I worked on the longarm yesterday. Here is the photos of a finished customer quilt. I really like how it turned out. The back shows it up a little bit clearer.

I am feeling better now that the longarm is up and running. The tension screw rattled out and it was a bit of a delay in getting the new screw and an extra bobbin casing.

I am sitting in the garden to blog. I am amazed that one doesn't need a desk top to  do this. I can surf the net while on an exercise bike at the  gym. I have gps and can shop all from this tiny little phone.  How amazing. Here are some pics sitting in my chair using the phone.

Monday Design Wall

Here is my latest use of a Moda Charm pack. It is disappearing 4 patch from the collection called 9. I think it is really going to be the cure for my bobbin problems on both the longarm and my Husky machines. Both problems, I believe are solved now. I did do alot of ripping out stitches on the quilt top. Easy sewing and great results, just what I like.

I went shopping yesterday and bought new gym shoes. I pulled my hip from old shoes. I was so proud at the Reebok store-they had big workout pants and they fit me!! I was shocked. I have lost about 25 pounds over the past year but I think it is a good start and have so far to go. I am getting excited about going to the gym now and wearing real workout attire and shoes!! All on sale which makes me feel even better!!

Enjoy the First Day of Summer to all of my North American friends, it is the day with the longest daylight hours and I intend to use it wisely!!

Sunday Stash report

It has not been a very productive week quilting. My longarm machine has been down for over a week because of the tension screw rattling out. We have the part now but haven't had the time to get it up and running.

I have been trying to put Tennesee waltz together. My snowballs were not the right size so the layout was not working. I tried three other layouts. After much ripping out of stitches I came up with a classic layout. I think I have one charm pack left that will make another row. I will need more red for the star points and the quilt shop had another fat quarter of that. THEN after joining my rows, I realized the bobbin thread didn't get placed in the case right and the seams are not perfect. Grrrr, me and bobbins this month! I am not going to rip it out but I need to reinforce a few seams.

This is just what drives me nuts. My plan didn't work so I had to alter the plan. It took me over a week to get to where I found alternates. My triangle tips are a little clipped and the snowball alignment was 1/4 to 1/2 inch off. I wanted so much for this to be a perfect quilt for the show in October. I have discovered that when I am under pressure to make something special everything goes wrong. I try too hard and lose my way I guess. I think for future reference to myself, I need to just make a quilt and if it is good for a show then ok. Don't set out to create on with that destination. I did the same thing with a long arm quilt too. Relax, this is fun remember?

Yesterday was all fun. I didn't do one thing for cleaning the house. I had 2 grad parties and one Wedding party to attend. It was fun. Today will be send DS off to camp and the DH and I are going shopping at the Outlet Mall a couple of hours away. I have a lonely week ahead, I will have plenty of time to clean then. The taste of being an empty nester when he is gone is kinda weird and scary. I am too young for that!!!

So I started another quilt to ease my pain. :) I will show that tomorrow on design wall.

a new plan

The tennesee waltz is not going to work. I cut the snowball block points too small and I  have no more fabric. Now, to make two differeent quilts. I will keep you up to date. I love it when a plan comes together but now to get creative with the blocks. I guess that is what you call an opportunity not a failure in design and planning.

Design Wall -My Version of Tennesee Waltz

One star and 5 snowballs left to go on this one! From the EQ drawing to the real thing...

I hope to have it completed with borders by next week.

I ran out of the red for the stars and had only one block to go, then when I was trimming a block I cut the star point. I was so glad when I went into the quilt shop and there were a few fat quarters left otherwise, I am not sure what I could have done. This is done with Moda's Quilt for a Cause, alliance collection.

Sunday Stash Report and update

I have been sewing on my Quilt for the quilt show. I will show more tomorrow for the design wall but so far I have a bit of this and this.

I have used up about 4 yards of fabric in the past week or so. I am not making a dent in the stash I have. I bought fabrics with my birthday money.  :)

I have not been longarm quilting. The tension screw rattled out and there is a bit of a hold up in getting one. No part number to order it and we live over an hour away from the sewing center to get one. Mom will be there on Wednesday and hopefully fix the problem. We bought more thread and backing fabric and then hit a stall. Sigh.

I ripped out my prayer shawl and started over on larger neededles and double strands of yarn. I knit in a combined style and I just can't find a pattern I like. I think this will work. I will knit a few more rows before I make a decision.

Phase II of redecorating and organizing the house is underway. Spring cleaning I did the closets. We had to rearrage the living room to accomodate a new TV to replace the old console dinosaur. I have decided I am packing away all the collections I have that don't fit in the china cabinet. I need a less cluttered sleek look. I have several collections in boxes but I can touch them periodically and get one piece at a time out to showcase, if I want. I am ready for a style change. I live in a 100 year old house and not sure yet where I want to go with my hodgpodge of things. I want a more Art Nuveau look found in the Arts and crats period. Or possibly a more modern twist on Colonial. Not the country, victoriana, upnorth woods melting pot I have going now. No new furniture yet but maybe soon!

Perfection

There are times when things are considered a "fault" like being a perfectionist. I can be that way about certain things like quilting. Much of the time it serves me well, like in my job, keeping house and hobbies like playing violin. OR at times, re-doing my blog post several times. :)

I found myself trying to be so perfect over the past couple of weeks on customer quilts and my quilt show project that I lost any objective view of what I was doing. I wanted it to be perfect because I knew it was important and that EVERYONE I know was going to see them. Rule #1 this is fun and not supposed to be anything but!

I made a lot more work for myself and didn't have as much fun with it as I could have. Ripping out, redoing, fretting.... The projects did turn out to better than I could have hoped, BUT lesson learned, relax this is supposed to be fun, right!! See quilt at Finished Stitches. I believe quilts are to have the handmade look, otherwise we would buy premade blankets at the store.

craft show

Any ideas for a Black Friday craft show with quilted items

Back to reality after a Holiday weekend

This was a no sew weekend. I did knit a little on our road trip. We went to the Highland Festival and Games. Sampled some Highland sport, music, highland dancing, "so many pipes" , as in bagpipes, and the menfolk tried haggis. It was good they said. We all want a kilt.

I also want a Scottish RenFest costume. I think I am living my second child hood and it is so much fun. Renfest is in the late summer so I have time to make one. And lose more weight, I think that is my biggest incentive!!

Then Sunday we went to Bronner's Christmas store, the perfect place for a 90 degree day. We also went shopping in some outlet stores and I found my tortilla press!!

Yesterday, we went to the Old Mill Creek and watched the sawmill. They also have a zip line, rock climbing wall and swinging bridge. I did it, well, I climbed about 10 feet on the rock wall. I am just not strong enough. I also climbed to the top of a lookout tower that is about 50 feet in the air. Beautiful views.

Now back to reality. Hmmmm, vacation and fantasy was so much better.