Design Wall - 09-19-12

 

This is my Row x Row (September UFO) that I had HOPED to have completed long before now (like last week during the quiltathon!)  However that obviously didn't happen!  I did get the other 2 gold borders on (2.5 inches) and am in the process of sewing on the red borders (thin ones - only 1.5") and then will attach the 5" border that is Navy with red and gold squares in it.  It should look nice when done - not sure how I will quilt it yet - but at least the flimsy will be done!



 

This is the Grandma's Scrap bag - due the 30th - and hopefully at least well on the way to completion if not completely finished as a flimsy!  This is for the Quilt a quarter class!

 

Not sure here what I will do - this is how my eyes saw the color palette - however I think that some things will have to change, although the way it came out in the picture, I'm not as concerned as I was!  Anyway - it is the blues that need to change...... hmmm, this is for the AUGUST color palette which obviously I did NOT do.  It is now September - so - maybe I will table this!  SOMEWHERE I have a picture (maybe) of the September palette!

 

This is my Leader/ender project - part of my Apple Cider quilt - (aka Sweet and Sassy according to the book I got the pattern from!)  I finished up sewing all the twosies and foursies together - then counted them!  :(  I need to make some more HST's!!!! maybe 5 blocks of 8 HSTs worth!  Apparently my previous ones were NOT quite the size they should have been - either that or I have a secret stash somewhere!)

Flimsy complete!

Another Flimsy completed!

Will be adding this one to my flimsyville page (as soon as I add all the others!!!!)

Stash report 09-19-12

One flimsy done!!!! 

And another ALMOST done (like maybe tonight???)  Actually the one that is completed I finished yesterday - the baby blanket.  However due to the fact that when I sew it is like when I cook - and total chaos!  At any rate I couldn't find my book to write down the yardage - BUT it is found now!  And yardage I have!

The other flimsy will go on next week's report - although I DO need to look and see if I can figure out whether or not I figured in that one row I did for swap or not.  I don't think so - but then - I don't really know.  I just need to look back to when I did it.  I do know that the other 3 rows have NOT been added in - and so at the least they will appear on NEXT week's report!

Also - if I get the chance tonight - I plan on final quilting a baby blanket - so that will go on next week's as well.  And these are the for sure things!

Used This Week:  1.375 yards
Used This Month: 1.375  yards for September
Used Year to Date: 87.880 yards
Added This Week:.0 yards
Added This Month: 0
Added Year to Date: 44.43 yards
Net Used for 2012: 43.45 yards

Day 4 - that Quilt thingy!!!!

Pictures will be added to ALL the posts some time Monday .....and today is stash day (published after this post - eventually - 'cause I REALLY want to get my borders on the RxR this AM as well as finish up the last of that little doo-dad baby quilt!

Have decided to loop-de-loop on the borders of a baby quilt I had started some time ago - hopefully I will get to that Ptoo (AFTER I practice a LOT!)

Will post pix when I get around to getting my Lithium batteries!

Am starting on a minimum of sleep since the jokers upstairs decided to party starting at 1 AM and only quieting down after they woke me, I got mad and went up and beat on their door and threatened to call the cops.  Personally I think a brass band starting at 6 AM and playing LOUDLY would only be too good for them!  Especially if it played in their ears!

Am playing with my dd Wendy (like yesterday) - work for 15 then sew for 45.  Somehow makes the housework a bit more palatable!  Maybe.  So far I have laundry going, bathroom scoured, my bed made and room straight.  Mostly because I forgot to set my timer for the 15 minutes part!

Now to sew (am taking my walk-around phone in there since I can't connect up my computer in the sewing room because there are no phone outlets working there!).  First up - baby quilt!
..............................
Sometime after 3 PM
Everything was going great - UNTIL I ate lunch - since then I could hardly drag my legs from one step to another sooooooooo..............  Time for a Nap break!

DID cut the border strips for the RxR - was concerned that I might need 1 -2 other borders (albeit VERY narrow 1" wide unbleached muslin ones) - and so showed Wendy - she thinks it will be fine without.  She was a bit concerned that the gold was fading right into the background - and in truth, online it tends to - but in reality - it looks nice there!  Did find out that I do NOT have a lot of my favorite dark strip - but hopefully enough for a 4.5" border (would have loved a 5.5 or a 6" border - but 4.5" will do - has to - not enough fabric for more!)

Baby blanket - ALMOST done - am at the press everything stage (same for the RxR) then sew the sashing strips between the rows, quilt, and slap on the binding (am thinking may be a self-bound maybe - or if not - then will repeat the gold)

Both will have to wait until later - going to sleep now

Day 3 of the Thing-a-thon

Today I actually got quite a bit done - so far - may go back to it again in a bit!

Wendy called (Yippee!!!) and that usually - not always - but usually means that we play this game of work our butts off for 15 minutes doing some chore or other, then go play for 45 minutes.  The exception is lunch time when we add in a half hour for lunch too (she takes her half hour at the beginning since she is an hour ahead of me, and I take mine at the end - usually!)

Sure wish I had new batteries (Lithium) for my camera - and definitely see that I'm going to have to go back and put in pix when I do get around to getting new batteries!  In the meantime - sorry - no pix!

First thing I did was to unsew almost everything I did yesterday - which considering how "gathered" everything was - was no major chore!  Only the triangles were in good shape - and those are now all sliced and diced and bagged, ready for trading!

The baby blanket is another project I may return to tonight - or not since I have an hour of FMQ to put in (it's a promise!).  It is looking really cute - and soooooooooooo simple!!!!  I only have the sashing and cornerstones to do and it will be ready as a flimsy!

I also sewed all of my Row by row together - and really love it!  Tomorrow I'm planning on adding borders - maybe cornerstones, probably not - and that will be ready as a flimsy too!!!  This is my Sept UFO, btw.

I also sewed up all my 2.5 " two-sies and joined them all together as foursies.  Have counted them - BUT discovered that somewhere along the way I can't count!  I'm supposed to have a hundred of those doo-dads - and I've only got 70  (actually - 68).  Soo - guess what I need to cut!  Yup - more fabric for my HST/s - although I may do all the other steps first - mostly to see if I can!  And this quilt might be able to be a bit smaller than otherwise thought!  Will see!  Re joining together - the foursies will be sewn to spokes of a larger pinwheel and then that whole thing sewn together in strips.  And about now I REALLY wish I had those batteries since I am NOT that good at explaining what I want to do!

Dinner tonight - I'm doing vegetarian - and mostly what I have on hand - namely, greens, onions, rice, black eyed peas for my protein, and some of Judy's recipe for cornbread (next time I add more cheddar AND more jalapeno!!!!  That is soooooooooooo good!!!!)

Oh yeah - movie for today was Shanghaii Surprise (I like to quilt with a movie) - with (are you ready for this?) Madonna as the heroine.  This is NOT my favorite - and I will probably weed this one out! (Freecycle, here I come!) Especially since I have something like 500 movies on DVD and video (don't ask!).

That thingy - Day 2

Yup - not mentioning THAT word again - at least not right now!

Woke up and couldn't sleep - 430 AM  Upstairs tenants must have been studying in their kitchen because when I turned the dishwasher and washing machine on I heard someone get up from the table and venture into the front room!

At any rate - it is now 658 - and MOST of my morning routine is done (except for getting dressed) and NOW I'm sleepy!!!1  Wouldn't you know it!  As in I can't stop yawning!

Think I will collect some zzzzz's though - then up and work on completing those triangles (due the 21st).  Then onward to working on Grandma's Scrap Bag (due on 30th) - and make sure I put in at least an hour doing the all over quilting - probably starting on lesson one - in quilting made easy.  Am thinking that this is something I can do RELATIVELY well - so build up the confidence (VERY shaky) before tackling FMQ - and maybe all over quilt one of my whole cloth fun thingies.  Maybe. As well as doing a sampler block of quilting.  Maybe.

Now that I've designated myself as superwoman (because I ALSO plan on spending 15 minutes out of every hour cleaning this place up!) - I'm going to catch a few zzzz's - am tired after discussing all that!
..............
Now that I'm awake!  (Egads - it is 915 AM

Time to eat, finish tidying up the place (including Friday's change sheets - and laundry!). 

On the menu - apple pancakes!  It's Friday and baked foods day (pancakes are baked on a griddle - hopefully not fried!)

I DO have some required phone calls to make before sewing (business) so will do those then put phone on speaker in the sewing room!  (TG for speaker phones and "walk-around" phones!!!)
........................................................
1148 AM
I think something is wrong with my timer - it said ONE hour!  Longest hour I ever saw!~!!!!

Finished eating, tidyied up kitchen, removed sheets from couch to wash (I had company). 

Pinned together my Sept UFO (I know, I know - not on the list for today!!!!  BUT it is fast and easy!), got my other quilt stuff ready - started removing screwed up stitching on triangles (ugh - sewed right side to wrong side - 24 or 25 triangles worth!) which fortunately I caught BEFORE slicing and dicing!, marked stitching for walking foot (am doing walking foot first - I'm PETRIFIED of FMQ for now - build confidence - build confidence!  Also determined that Grandma's scrap bag is NOT on agenda for this AM - has a LOT to do and I have a LOT of fairly fast hanging on quilt stuff things to do.  STILL no idea re Sept color palette!!!!  Something with fall I think.  Maybe.  Inspiration is GONE!

Next - Make that bed and get my room tidied, then switch to regular foot and stitch that RxR center.  Stitch the rest of the twosies for my Apple Cider quilt.

Now to see if that is what I actually do!
.................................................

12:50 - hmm - maybe it wasn't the timer - maybe it was ME!!!!

Stripped bed - all sheets, etc. in the wash which is doing it's thing!  Bed re-made and room picked up (less than 15 minutes).

Finished pinning together the August baby blanket. 

Sewed the unfinished triangle set. 

Re-threaded and changed needle  - it was skipping stitches.  Probably more than long since time anyway!  UN-sewed the 3rd triangle set. 

So - at this point....

1. Triangles (3 sets of those papers - each set different) DONE
2. Apple Cider (did some more - NOT done)
3. Baby blanket
4. Row x Row
5. Walking foot sampler - partially marked on

Oh yeah - neighbour came over to tell me that while I was at my son's wedding (stayed away all night) that upstairs threw a giant party - 50 or more people - drinking, girls - and some of the guys went outside and pee-d on my neighbour's yard (he wasn't home - but he was told about it).  As I told him - if this happens again - or these kids act out again - for them to call the cops!  I really REALLY do wish that everyone would call the cops.  I could (and will) say something to my son - but honestly - what WE say doesn't have nearly as much emphasis as what my neighbours say (apparently the neighbours' - several neighbours - who have young children saw the whole thing - so we are talking indecent exposure here - and that is prosecutable.  Unfortunately the neighbours - some at least are VERY leery of calling the cops - I really wish they would.  I understand why they don't want to - however it honestly needs to be done in order for these kids upstairs to wake up and grow up.

.................................

Frustration!!!!  I just finished sewing up some blocks for the baby quilt, 1 row of my RxR and was working on the 2nd row - when I noticed - all my sewing done thus far (except for the triangles - TG!) was trying to gather itself!  Ugh!  Stopped and rethreaded the bobbin this time (should have done that last time!  Oh well, I DID get the triangle thingies sewn and sliced and diced - ready to trade in next week!

OK - I;m done for the day - just sewed several stupid things - then after digging potatoes and picking collards for supper, managed to slice my finger with the knife!  (WARNING - chiggers are FIERCE!!!!!)   Nothing major - just a minor will bleed all over the quilt if I have the chance!  I'm done!

Quiltathon - Day 1

Yup - first day of the quiltathon - and as per usual I had several "Mom, would you please...."

Anyway - have my running all done (I HOPE!!!!!) it is now 12:54 PM and my sewing room probably would resemble Judy's BEFORE picture (if Judy posted a before picture!)

(This is the After picture - After I cleaned up a bit!  NOT done - trust me on this one!  it's about the BAGS of odds and ends I have to sort - plus all the stuff to put away that you CAN see!)

Originally I had planned (totally putting the quiltathon out of my mind) to (1) pick beans, greens, dried peas and pack those away for winter, (2) REALLY SCRUB this place - one end to the other and see what I could do about eliminating/decreasing the number of kitty dust mice (some are now approaching the size of small dogs!), (3) cleaning up my sewing room and slicing and dicing my way to freedom - or to getting everything that is NOT yardage put into strips and blocks of various highly used sizes (1.5", 2", 2.5", 3.5" and 4.5" - slices and/or blocks - no bricks, thank you, because I forget I have bricks!)

Hmmm - maybe - like Judy - I'll just keep updating my post throughout the day. 

Game plan:

1 PM: 15 min pick up in kitchen (unload DW and reload as I have time), then slice and dice my way to freedom!  Keep stuff somewhat sorted!

507 PM - KNEW I shouldn't have mentioned Quiltathon - at least not in the same breath with the "Mom, would you please......"  This time it was "Mom, you messed up!!!!" which is the statement I truly hate!  Especially since that means I have to go fix it!  Anyway - I fixed it (hopefully!) and all is ok again!

So - my NEW game plan - (1) fix dinner (I did pick up the kitchen earlier!!!!), eat, then go sew - or slice and dice!  Or at least pretend hard that I am!  (Now if I could only remember what it was I had planned for dinner - am thinking it had to be either vegetarian spagghetti, homemade cheese pizza, or something similar.  I DO know it wasn't fish, though!  I'm out of fish!)

Stash report for 09-09-12

This past week has been insanity week - my daughter and son-in-law (aka Wendy and Vince) arrived Tuesday and ate dinner out. 

We spent Wednesday either hiking or literally on the road (one of my famous "shortcuts") to the mall (won't go THAT way again!!!!!! drove for HOURS!)  DID introduce Wendy to one of my favorite quilt fabric places where I "strong-armed" her to buy fabric (honest it did NOT require strongarming ANYONE!)  I was good - but it definitely was a struggle! 

We spent maybe an hour where Wendy reminded me and taught me free motion quilting.  I'm still terrified of it!  VERY TERRIFIED!!!!

Due to the exercise - everyone slept well that night - quite well, in fact!

Thursday we went to Amelia Park - a botanical delight and meandered through there!  Met the master garderner and chatted a while with him!  Very fantastic person! 

Then we journeyed to another of my favorite quilt shops - in Charlotte MA - had a wonderful time!  Wendy wore herself out checking out the lovely fabrics there!  Again - I behaved.  Barely - but I behaved! 

Check in time for Wendy and Vince at the motel in Sturbridge and meeting my "lil Sis" and my brother in law there.

Friday was a runcrazy day, culminating in my heading to Sturbridge where my son and lovely daughter in law married in the hillside gazebo at the Public house, followed by a really fun reception (and yes, I did cry when Nathan asked me to dance with him!  But then Lynn's mom cried when she danced with Lynn too!)  Truly beautiful wedding, truly lovely and caring inlaws and a fantastic daughter in law and son! 

Saturday the Koenigs and Thompson's (my sister and brother in law) took me out for a birthday dinner (no, I'm NOT telling how ancient I am - let's just say that T. rex was still gallivanting around doing handsprings!) - this after a HUGE breakfast at the crackerbarrel that Wendy and Vince treated me to!

Eventually I hugged everyone, wished Nathan and Lynn a happy and blissful honeymoon and we all went our separate directions - Wendy and Vince back to New Brunswick, Karen and my brother in law back to Indiana, Nathan and Lynn to their home.  I waddled back to my car feeling like a cross between where if I EVER saw food again in the next 50 years, that I hoped someone would kick me in the behind and wanting VERY badly to hide or better yet to hide my scales.

All this to say - nothing really sewn.  And I did behave - nothing purchased THIS week - not guaranteeing about next.....

Used This Week: 0 yards
Used This Month: 0 for September
Used Year to Date: 86.505 yards
Added This Week:.0 yards
Added This Month: 0
Added Year to Date: 44.43 yards
Net Used for 2012: 42.075 yards

Figures really the same.  Am doing practice quilts this week and backings on some flimsies I have already - should be some changes next week (backings) - hopefully!

Design Wall 09-03-12

In order - NOT of priority - but in order of how much time I have to work on them - at least until after the wedding - THEN priority!

These are those triangle papers - which we swap.  One is completed, the second is ALMOST done (machine snarled - I need to finish it as soon as I locate the whip and chair to calm that beast!) and the third.... OOPS!  I am supposed to have right sides together.  Well, that didn't happen!  Looks like it is back to the drawing board on that one with me and my trusty little seam ripper!

This one needs some serious meandering quilting and is in a temporary holding pattern - at least until I get the fabric to finish it up - which will be this coming weekend!  I do believe in late wedding gifts, fortunately!

Yes, once again - my Apple Cider quilt is my Leader-Ender project.  Lends itself quite nicely to that - although I will say that every so often my compulsiveness takes over and I whack out a bunch of these!!!!  At this point I need to count and start attaching the small to the large!!!

August's UFO shouldn't take long to complete - a 6 patch baby blanket - EASY PEASY!!!!

And for September - the Row by row I got back from my swap some eons ago!  All I need to do is sew the rows together, slap on some borders, back the daylights out of it, quilt and bind!  I've figured out what colors I want the borders - BUT I'm REALLY REALLY Leery of that red bleeding all over heck and back!  Sure goes well with not only the Navy pattern (has gold and red in it) but also the overall quilt colors too!  BTW - part of this quilt comes from Australia and part from USA - TX as well as my original row and one other - from the midwest!  I love things like that!  The overall pattern looks like fun!  Praying it doesn't bleed!

 

This is Grandma's Scrap Basket all over again!  I need to do some work on it - but won't really have time until next Sunday!  Should be easy to do!  Hopefully!

 

 

This I figure will be worked on the most!  I LOVE Hexies!!!!  My grandmother made a flower garden quilt for me which I dearly loved and which, unfortunately started coming apart in the wash.  This one I hope to either finish - or get approximately close to finishing someday.  EASY to do!!!!  Am debating though whether I want another round on some or on all the flowers - and whether I will use a background of white or other light color between each of the flowers - or just attach the flowers one to the other.

 

Other quilt things for this month include a quilt a long starting the middle of the  month, the August AND the September Color palette's (no ideas - either one!!!!  :(   

 

 

Stash Report for 09-02-12

Mine SEEMS stuck - it isn't - but it sure feels that way!!!!

I finished up my HSTs for the September swap - but I can't really count that since the number I get back is the same number as I'm swapping (3 sheets of those multiple HSTs - 25 at a batch) - and they will be in the same state of needing to be attached to SOMETHING as the ones I'm trading off!

Baby Blanket (August UFO) is NEARLY finished - can't count it yet though!

The couch quilt isn't in the final quilting yet - mostly because I need 2 more yards of the super wide yardage - and can't quite afford to do that until after this coming weekend!  So that has to wait!  August CP - I STILL don't know what I'm going to do - and now I have September. 

Grandma's Scrap Bag (class) isn't done - and I won't work on that until sometime next week.

Plans for this month..... Other than the one class (we meet once a month for a year), and hopefully several Open Sew sessions, 1 quilt along (friend in Canada is doing that one) - I plan on finishing up and quilting quite a few this month. I have a total of 9 (including my August CP AND my August UFO - as well as the September CP and Sept UFO) on my project list - but not overly concerned about finishing a couple of them.

I also hope to do some serious quilting (quilting the quilts????) - meandering and maybe some other things as well). Will post what I do there - and although the flimsy has been accounted for re yardage - I will this month count the backing and binding of any I
finish. 

Used This Week:  0 yards
Used This Month: 8.76 yards for August
Used Year to Date: 86.505 yards
Added This Week:.0 yards
Added This Month: 0.25
Added Year to Date: 44.43 yards
Net Used for 2012: 42.075 yards

My Sewing Room

This must be the time of change - weddings, de-cluttering, re-homing STUFF, re-arranging furniture.  But then it FEELS fall!!!

In some misguided moment yesterday I decided to rearrange my sewing room.  Misguided because (1) it was a mess to begin with, (2) I have company coming (daughter and her dh) on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, and (3) this is going to be insane week anyway.

HOWEVER - I did get ALMOST all of it straightened up again (am re-homing some clothing that S. had when she still lived at home) - keeping N's baby stuff since he and Lynn hope to start a family soonest.

Worst part is - NOW I'm thinking of rearranging MY room - which actually should not be that hard!  (moving my bed into a different direction)  Definitely will chase the dust mice out from under the bed! 

My living room is still a work in progress - as in I have son's remodeling stuff STILL parked there.  Would dearly love to rehome ALL of that at this point!

My kitchen is HALF done - as in I have a set of TALL shelves that need re-sorting/stacking/whatever - BADLY!  Hope to get that done as well.  (also have BEANS - pole beans to pick)

Aaack - did I say TOO MUCH and going crazy????

Design Wall for 08-27-12

Here's hoping I get at least one of these 2 done.  Will show those first - THEN show those projects temporarily (I hope) tabled - at least for this month!

These will go for the sadly neglected Color Palette Challenge - due 08-31  NO idea what I will do!

 

This is for a baby blanket - should be fairly simple.  Hopefully!

This I need to have finished by September meeting.  Hopefully.  Grandma's Scrap Bag - which has turned out to have a strong fall flavour!

Mondo Bag - STILL not finished.  Class was on the first Saturday in August!  For shame! 

Hopefully by the 31st (midnight) I will have one (or more!) either completed or a good strong start going!  First on the list though will be to get the August UFO and CP done - AND MOST IMPORTANT - quilt the Nicole's Couch Quilt (wedding is on the 7th!)

Flimsy Finish!!!!!

This is an all-over view - and yes, my bed IS lumpy (not the quilt!)

This is a view of one corner.  It doesn't look like it - but the outside border fabric is a different pattern from the second border (which is the same as used in the blocks). 

Next will be to quilt, then bind it.  All by me.  All by next week!  Hopefully!

It is strange - at first I did NOT like this quilt - but now - it will be really REALLY hard to give it away (wedding present) - just hope they like it.  And USE it!

Stash Report for 08-26-12 (Ok - so it's the 27th - so what else is nu???)

Yeehaw - another flimsy finish - will post pix as soon as I figure out WHERE I put the camera!!!!  This is the Nicole Couch Quilt, btw!!!!  GORGEOUS!!!!

Used This Week:  8.76  yards
Used This Month: 8.76 yards for August
Used Year to Date: 86.505 yards
Added This Week:.0 yards
Added This Month: 0.25
Added Year to Date: 44.43 yards
Net Used for 2012: 42.075 yards (I think I messed up on my math - because I also had 40.575 yards if I add 8.76 yards instead of subtracting!!!!  Anyway - you get the idea!!!!

Stash Report - 08-19-12

Oops!!!!!  I totally forgot posting last week!!!!! 

Bad girl!  Bad girl! (giving my hands a smack!)

Seriously though - I haven't added - or used (noticeably) any - STILL working on the couch quilt for the all too soon upcoming wedding - and definitely feeling a bit down because my baby is getting married!  (Of course, I know the answer to this - two fold - adopting kids!!!! and GRANDCHILDREN!!! However to the best of my knowledge - very limited knowledge - this isn't yet!)

Re the upcoming marriage - my son's friends took him out on some sort of survival course for his bachelor's party - and posted a picture of him - with one hellacious bruise on his arm!  Wonder if I will ever hear the story on that!!!!

Back to the stash - as said - I'm STILL working on the couch quilt (not that hard - just finding the TIME is!) - should be done this week - God willing and the crick don't rise!

Part of the reason all has been slowed up was having to scour the upstairs apartment - which was SUPPOSED to have been cleaned up (and was - just trashed over the summer by the kid who was staying!) to get it ready for the new add-on tenants!  And there ARE the beans of course (I could hardly wait for these to come in - and now I'm going nuts with them!  Yeehaw!).  Sweet corn is a bust - at least for me.  Then too I decided in some misguided moment this was the week to declutter my store room - aka library.  Ugh!  Have been free-cycling most of the week!


Used This Week: 0 yards
Used This Month: 0 yards for August
Used Year to Date: 77. 745 yards
Added This Week:.0 yards
Added This Month: 0.25
Added Year to Date: 44.43 yards
Net Used for 2012: 31.815 yards

Design Wall Monday - 08-06-12

A BUNCH of projects for this month.  3 Classes, 1 Swap - certainly contributed to the free-for all!!!!

First of all - the Swap - You see the July HSTs in a plastic bag - I am planning to do August from the colors/fabrics shown.  That is - with the considerable help from the printed HST papers.....

The first class is the Fresh Air class - however class is over - but due to a missed session - I'm WAY behind - and plan on finishing up ASAP!!!!  The quilt is composed of 9 patches alternating with Snowball blocks - and was photographed in the Quilt Sampler magazine.  It's an easy-do! with some applique for a fresh twist!

Then Saturday there was a class on the Mondo Bag - which I can see making a bunch of these - for gifts as well as for my own use!  Again there was a pattern (I don't have the pattern!!!)  this was the first time I've ever used fusible successfully - and it's fun! Still not done though!

coming up at the end of the month is a Quilt-a-Quarter class - and this quarter we're working on Grandma's Scrap Bag.  LOTS to do on this one!

And MOST important - I want to finish up - and quilt - Nicole's Couch Quilt - for a gift (I sure hope the recipient likes it!)

2 other items really belong on here - but I haven't even got going good on them yet.  One is a baby blanket - the pieces are cut - just need putting to gether and quilting.

The other is the Color Palette for the month - and I have NO idea what I'm going to do for that!  Possibly some sort of block that I like - and do this as table toppers!

Stash report for 08-05-12

Finishes this week - (will post a picture later of ALL of the placemats - posting of just one for now)
Centerpiece/placemat thingy tabletopper

Sorry - still no straw hat and plates of melon, etc. - hope to have that done this week!  Counting this as done - because other than adding the OPTIONAL applique - it is!  (Except for quilting and minor details like that!  LOL)

Had hoped to have several more - but have been putting up beans, etc. this week.  Haven't figured out how to put up beans in COOL weather - seems only to happen in the hottest, most humid weather!

2 classes this week - Fresh Air quilt - last class (and did I finish - Nyet!!!!  Gotta love those WIPs!!!!) and the Mondo Bag (how did this bag ever get THAT name anyhow?)  Mondo bag is going to be a WIP for a while - I didn't realize it required some fleece for batting!  Have NO idea why I didn't realize that!  So will get this one as far along as I can - then off to WIP-land for the Mondo Bag!  It IS cute though!

Used This Week:  2.0 yards
Used This Month: 6.87 yards for July, 0 yards for August
Used Year to Date: 77. 745 yards
Added This Week:.25 yards - August
Added This Month: 9.51 yards for July, 0.25 for August 
Added Year to Date: 44.43 yards
Net Used for 2012: 31.815 yards

Color Palette - July

ok - it's a centerpiece table topper placemat (just in case you're wondering - and if you aren't - it's still a placemat!)  The idea is an improvisational item.  However without borders it was a MESS!  With borders it's still a mess - BUT a contained mess!  With exception of the final quilting - it's done - a centerpiece table topper.  It will still have applique of a white bowl of fruit on it - and a summer straw hat - just haven't gotten that far!  BUT this is done - at least until I quilt it!

And that is NOT blue - but 2 shades of purple - one a deep plummy purple - and the other a lot lighter!  (Yes - that is a salmon pink top center!

And yes, there are several others - side borders are all different and the two sides don't match (on purpose).  BUT the green top border is the same for all.

And there is NO bottom border (on purpose!)

July UFO

I already showed a picture of this on the design wall - however.....  I'm pleased - got a LOT done on this - which had an unbelievable amount of HSTs - and which had been sitting on my shelves for almost 7 years - because of the unbelievable amount of HSTs.

Between doing Leaders-Enders (to use Bonnie Hunter's term) and a new ruler that DOESN'T SLIDE (Thank you thank you thank you!!!!) - I am ALMOST (not quite) done with the HST's (the small ones - still have most of large ones to do)  AND I have foursies done already!

Plans are to continue working on this throughout August (but of course - I DO have my August project to work on :P ) and, who knows, I may actually finish it!  Wahoo!

Design Wall Monday 07-30-12 - only it's Tuesday!

This is a design wall of "gee, I'm not finished yet!!!!"

First - the couch quilt .....

block one is done, hopefully.  Block 2 - I REALLY like the variegated batik on the triangle part - and like the center block BUT don't really feel the center block quite "goes" with the rest.  The center block on the FIRST block - the color DOES exist on the variegated swirly batik - but you sure couldn't prove it from anthing farther away than a foot!  Besides I think son and dil wanted ALL blue - including the background!  And that pale blue would work (maybe - probably not) in the background!

Block 2 needs to be sewn together, then all block 2's need to alternate with the 1's and I need to finish up the whole thing.  Hopefully.  And hopefully it will be done this time next year.
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The color palette thingy - EGADS!!!!  What a mess!!!!  I think from here out I probably need to either paper piece the rest - or wait for my dd to arrive and SHE can put it together!!!!  See what I mean?

There is NO WAY I would consider eating a melon thingy with this as my table topper!  At least not until I get it re-done (probably from scratch!)
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The next is my July UFO - which is NOT done - but I AM pleased here - there were a gazillion HST's - both large and small.  The small ones went to form small pinwheels.  This started with NO small pinwheels put together, and NO twosies either!  Also - no pressed open HSTs nor trimmed.  And while I didn't finish this - I did get a LOT of work done on it!  I'm happy!  Oh yeah - this is staying my LE until I finish all the steps up to where I connect block A with block B.  Seems to work fairly well that way!

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Re the Grandmother Scrap Quilt - not a lot of us traded.  and I haven't had a chance to work on it.  Will post a pic next week.

Stash report for 07-29-12

Nothing truly finished this week - sorta.....
Would have waited until later today to post this - BUT have wedding shower to attend so won't be doing sewing anyway....

Regardless - am hopeful of (1) completing the July thingy for the CP tonight - one way or the other (NOT as pleased as I should be with this one), (2) hopeful of completing gift for son and future dil this week - and - PROBLEMS....... I am NOT fond of this color combo - but am reserving final judgement until I have finished - then may decide to do a different quilt instead for them - and/or give them a choice of the two (and donate the other one!)

Pattern is NOT the problem - the color combo IS - and worse yet - it SHOULD go well - not sure - will post this probably tomorrow on my design wall.  (TG neither son nor Lynn look at my design wall anyway!)

Re stash report - nothing added nothing subtracted.... exactly.....

Used This Week:  0
Used This Month: 4.87 yards for July
Used Year to Date: 75. 745 yards
Added This Week: .75 yards
Added This Month: 9.51 yards for July
Added Year to Date: 44.18 yards
Net Used for 2012: 31.565 yards

Design Wall for 07-23-12

A Flimsy FINISH!!!  These are 4 placemats and one center that I did for the June Color Palette!  After they are quilted I intend to bind them with the dark green for binding.  Quilting will probably be meandering - although the Stitch in the Ditch for the flowers sure appeals to me - and meander along the inside sashing!

Next is a Follow Along - Nicole's Couch Quilt (Nathan and Lynn - DON'T look!)  This is still WAYY behind!  Should finish this week however!

Third on my July list of "MUST DO" - July Color Palette - this color palette just screamed at me - and SOOOOOOOOOOOoo strongly suggested a white painted table with Improvisational placemats on them, white plates with melons of various descriptions cubed on the plates and small pieces of cheese on fancy toothpicks with a flower covered straw hat tossed nearby and in eyesight!  However that's a bit long for a title - so Improvisational July CP will have to do!  LOL  Oh - and this is DEFINITELY NOT done yet!  And, no - that is NOT blue - but 2 different shades of purple!

My July UFO is a Sweet and Sassy quilt begun several years ago (4????)  My daughter saw it and promptly re-named it HER Apple Cider Quilt.  OK  Sounds good to me!  this one will probably NOT be completed this month since it has a gazillion HSTs but I'm doing LE style on sewing twosies and foursies, etc.  and this will be an ongoing project I think.  DEFINITELY have been making progress on it!

The last 2 are for classes I'm taking.  The first class is called "Fresh Air" - and I think I'm going to like this quilt a bunch!  Am using a LOT of my 2.5 inch strips.  Although certainly not as many as I had hoped to!  However this should winnow down my strip stash in that size a bit!  This pattern is from a Magazine Quilt Sampler.  Lots of awesome quilts in there!  This is a class quilt - although IF I have time I may get all my 9 patches done and out of the way!  Not sure what I will do for the Snowball size though!!!!

The next quilt is for the other class I'm taking - but this class meets only once a month.  We will work on this quilt for 3 months before beginning ANOTHER quilt.  So - there is a bit of time (although the quilt IS super easy!)  This quilt is Grandmas' Scrap Bag quilt.  We did a fabric swap - and I got some lovely fabrics, but when it came to cutting things out - I kept picking up golds, browns, etc. and have added quite a few from my own stash here at home.  So - I think this will be a scrap quilt - but have a DEFINITE fall twist to it!

I have other things to work on - but these are the focus for now and for the rest of this month!

Stash Report for 07-22-12

Several things.....

A FINISH! (flimsy anyway!) - placemats and centerpiece (Kitty is Sasha - and LOVES my cutting table!!!)

Used This Week: 4.87 yards
Used This Month: 4.87  yards for July
Used Year to Date: 75. 745 yards
Added This Week: .75 yards
Added This Month: 9.51 yards for July
Added Year to Date: 44.18 yards
Net Used for 2012: 31.565 yards