Something new today

This weekend was raining on Saturday. Here is the only photo I took. I was in the back being chauffered by the guys. We picked apples in between rain clouds. We went shopping and yes I made it to the fabric store.

Here is the EQ6 drawing of this next quilt.As you can tell I couldn't find an orange I liked as in  the draft. Love the blocks pictured, they are 6 inches and paper pieced. The lime green inspiration fabric will be the background fabric for setting the blocks on the diagonal.

While we were shopping, I saw something very interesting that really made me think. There was a young high school girl dressed in her homecoming formal. Cute little dress with matching shoes and adorable little bag. Her hair was done and she was walking alone through the mall. I saw her taking pictures of herself near poster of famous people, and saying "Hi" to her classmates still in the mall. She caught up with her family at the food court, most likely an older sister pushing a stroller with a baby in it. The girl was obviously alone and going to homecoming by herself.

I thought, now that takes guts. I never would have had the nerve with all eyes on me in that busy place to pull it off. Not at 15 or even now at 44. I should have stopped and told her "rock on" or "you go girl!" but I just smiled a knowing smile of someone who walked in that very same mall looking at dresses, and never went to a prom (or homecoming that is now a fall prom here) because I didn't have the guts to do it alone! Go Girl, hope you had a great time.  

Fall runner

Fusible fleece, and it turned out very well for this table runner pictured. I tried a fusible batting a few years ago and was it a disaster, but this product is very nice. I am not sure I would pay that price for it ( $5 for the little piece to make this runner 18x40 roughly) but I can see it's value!

I would like to make a little status report on the state of my fabrics and projects. I have made a huge dent in the big fat binding mountain. I have only half a dozen rrunners and 2 small quilts to bind!! Why do I procrastinate on this so much!! It is the perfect thing to do while watching football.

I think I have nearly busted my stash. There I said it. I have fabric for a few small projects and I am down to about 1/2 tote of usable scraps. Yes!! I can buy now  right? My plan is to buy only for planned projects!!!! I have 4 tops to quilt on my long arm after Christmas and then I have a clean slate of creativity. I am nearly done with everything. Finishing is a financial thing-you know buying batting and the tremendous amount of fabric for backings. I will buy what I need a bit each payday :)

Yarn mountain that I inherited is going to be donated to several charities. My hands just won't allow me to do much in the knitting and crocheting department. If I am going to do a project I am not using acrylic yarn ( the mentioned yarn mountain) I am using pretty yarn from the yarn shop. I have finally reached the point in life where I can spend a couple dollars here and there on pretty things of my own money (not all gift certificates that I love!!). It is a weirded out feeling too. Wow, I feel like a grown up.

Design wall Monday

Here is a quilt pattern on my latest customer quilt. More leaves!!

I have been sewing table runners. They are using up scraps and I think they are cute. I will have these for craft show inventory. I think I need to quilt them tonight!!

Ahhhhh, Sunday

I have been quilting so much and it is great. I finished another king quilt on the longarm for a customer. Photo later on the long arm blog located on the sidebar, Finished Stitches. I feel like I have learned so much on the last few quilts. I am going to try something new on the next project I load.

Today I plan to piece and finish more small projects here at home. I am watching football as usual for me and I can't clean or wash another thing today.Too much of that yesterday.  I have to grocery shop :(. I don't like that at all.

Happy Sunday all.

Thursday is here and one day closer to the weekend. I had a little problem quilting last evening and I am ripping out part of a row . I quilted the last three large quilts without any problems so i guess i was due!

Yesterday I had a weird day. I am fortunate to live close to my office and i come home for lunch. I was leaving the bathroom when I tried to open the door. The knob twisted strangely and make a weird noise. I was broken and I was locked in the bathroom for 10 minutes. No phone and late for work. I just jiggled and wriggled the knob until it opened. I was a little stressed!

My grandma used to say that things happen in threes so the third thing was the washtub for my laundry is draining slow and made getting clean clothes for today a challenge. I washed a tiny load and drained it three times to get it to the dryer not sopping wet. Ugh, gotta love those 100 year old houses!

Today is starting out much better. I lost a pound. The house is is order. I will sew before I go to work. Good Thursday all!

Vicki

Up at six am with the new back to school routine. Before I went to work, I accomplished the following:

washed dishes
one load of laundry
wiped off surfaces in kitchen and bathroom
got ready
cut and sewed bindings for two small table toppers and ready to sew  the bigger runner later-lunch hour ?

I hated to leave for work because the spell will be broken!!!
This routine will be very productive as I don't have to shuttle people to work and school since we were able to purchase a second car a few months ago.  I feel good!!!

Design Wall Monday

I continue to work on scraps ahoy and my last post is where I am at on that project. I am playing around in EQ on a new design but I haven't settled on one yet. I like two and will need to decide before I go to the store and buy the fabrics. I don't have ANY in these colors. The inspiration fabric is a lime green print that bought 2 yards of last week. I think option 1 on point is the one! for some reason the blue border didn't show on it but that is my thought.

I am quilting a ton. I have completed another customer quilt on the long arm making a total of three in the past month and I have another King sized on the frame. I have three more in line! I feel business picking up and that is good. See the quilts on Finished Stitches.
Whew now off to my day job.

I have been working on my Scraps Ahoy and so far I have seven blocks done!

I have been long arm quilting. See the last two quilts here. I feeling great about how business is, not too busy not too slow. I have the next two weekends home and without plans so I am going to get working on the long arm.

I has been cold, grey and in the 50's. Feels like late October! Yes, no air conditioner running, no furnace yet. We are really holding out on that!

Wow, what have I been up to?

I haven't blogged in two weeks, why, you ask? It was August and that means fun times, hot weather and spending time with family. I went to the RenFest last week. It was the Highland fling weekend, hot but a good time. I didn't take pictures the dust and heat wasn't conducive to good photos. We shopped until we couldn't shop anymore! We went to Cabela's, JCPenny, a run through at a mall, Reebok store, Canterbury Village and more. We found a kiltmaker in the Canterbury Village.

Of course I found a quilt shop and bought one Fat quarter. Like this!I also bought some kilt remnants from a booth at the Renfest. I witnessed very bad form among the crafters at that festival. The kiltmaker I bought the remnants from was selling roses made from scraps. Another booth was selling roses and came and told him to remove their roses as their "little old lady making them had no other source of income." Whew, words were said and ultimately the Kiltmaker said no politely because his booth with every item was approved, thank you very much. I hope I don't run into that at the one craft sale I am doing this fall.