Update.

I haven't posted lately, but I have been sewing.. not a lot, but some.  Last week, I made one schlep bag for the guild and then made a second one at the sew in on Friday.

Started back working on my dragonfly quilt, but have run out of the green that I need for some of the dragonfly wings.

 Ten blocks done and six to go.  Have to put it aside until I can get over to the quilt shop in Kalamazoo that I purchased the other two fat quarter packs from and hopefully find some more of the right shade of green.  I'm also having to be very careful with the background fabric.  Despite buying 3 yards more than the pattern called for, I'm afraid it's not going to be enough and I've tried finding more, but it's no longer available.  :(

Tonight I started on a new quilt.  I shouldn't have since I still have two BOMs that I haven't worked on in probably two months because I just haven't been in the mood.  I think I'd better put it aside and work on the BOMs starting tomorrow.  I really have to get caught up on them.

Sometime SOON I have to really do a deep cleaning of my sewing room.  Too many things have 'disappeared'.  I thought I had cleaned/cleared it up enough when I replaced the old set of gray metal shelving, but apparently I didn't.

I also have to get started on the guild challenge that is due at our guild picnic which is less than a month away.  I know what I'm going to do and how I'm going to do it and I have everything together in a 'rubbermaid' type container.  AND, I STILL have a quilt on the frame that I need to finish.  I'm on the borders, but I want to rip out and re-do some of the stitching on the top & bottom.  Get those done and I can move to the side borders.

In other words, I have to start cracking the whip on myself.  I have wayyyy too much going on without much progress.  What I've mentioned above is just part of what I've been hoping to get done.

Oh yeah, and my step-son has requested (twice so far) pillows to match his daschund quilt that I made him for Christmas two years ago.

 I had warned him that I probably wouldn't be able to find the same exact fabrics, but he said that was ok.  I went to JoAnn's this past Sunday not expecting to find the same fabric that I used for the background on his quilt - BUT I DID!!.... at 50% off!!  I bought FOUR yards.. LOL.  I shouldn't need more than a yard or a yard & a half, but for that price, extra won't hurt, especially when I like it so much.  I wasn't able to find matching plaids so bought a red & white plaid homespun fabric that should match pretty close or will at least go with the sashing on the quilt.

Ok, so here's the plan.... tomorrow morning, I'm going to repack up everything that goes with the dragonfly quilt and put it aside for now.  I'll pack the new quilt that I started on tonight back up, too... then get back to working on the BOMs.  If I stick with it, I SHOULD be able to get caught up within a week.  Please keep your fingers crossed for me ( only if it doesn't interfere with your quilting).

I'm up and running again!

Well, Moe is anyway - I don't run anymore lol.  Apparently, he fixed himself.  Tested him yesterday and he ran, but the stitches were sloppy; I checked and it looks like the top tension moved somehow. After tightening it back up, I tested again and stitches were much better.  Still had a few problems today getting the machine to start once I hit the buttons, but the problems seem to lessen with continued use ( did he figure out that I'm stubborn so he decided to straighten up his act?)

So, here's the quilt that I had on the frame.... completed ( as least the quilting part) and ready to return to the woman who asked me to do the quilting on it; she gets to do the trimming and binding.  It's a V.A. quilt ( maybe I mentioned that earlier) and will go to a local V.A. hospital in Nov.

Now, back to some of my own work.  I want to get the tulip bedrunner onto the frame next, but think I want to work on some other projects with my domestic machine before I spend time with Moe again.

ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Got the V.A. quilt on the frame - no problem.  Got two rows completed quilted - no major problem - did chip my template a tiny bit, but after putting in new needle, it went right back to quilting with no problem.  Beautiful stitches - Mariner's Compass.

 Got almost completely through block 4 (of 5) on row #3 and ka-bang!  I hit the acrylic template AGAIN -- bigger chunk taken out of it and broke the needle!

 Put new needle in and went to finish the block - machine won't work -- does NOTHING!  I turned it off for about an hour while I gave my back a rest; turned it back on - still NOTHING.  Called local dealer, who, of course, is in a meeting so I have to wait for his call back.  HOPEFULLY, this is a simple fix.  I'm guessing it's the timing but have no idea how to correct it - will need to be talked through it.  Kimmy Brunner said it would happen -  not IF it will happen, it's WHEN it will happen.  I was so sure that I wouldn't be one of those it would happen to, but I was soooo WRONG.  Now, I'm too upset/worried to work on something else until I can get my machine (Moe) running again.
NOTE:  Dealership called... but has to get back to me about arranging a pick up :(.  It's not the timing and I didn't blow a fuse, so he has no idea what's wrong.

The best laid plans oft go awry

FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY got this quilt off the frame the night before last.  Trimmed, added label and binding yesterday.  I'm not real happy with the quilting; I had issues with the bobbin threads and the stitching pattern in each border doesn't truely match the other three borders.  This  "Animal Whimsy" pattern is by Amy Bradley; I just named it "Farm Animals" and it's for my grandson. Matt.

 I added some echo stitching in the corners after this pic (above) was taken.

I THINK my bobbin issue was because the first two or three bobbins didn't wind like they should have - it's the only thing I can think of because once I got the bobbin to wind correctly the issue seemed to go away-- other than all the little thread piles at some of the starts & stops ( something else I need to figure out how to eliminate).  It's another one of my 'practice with a purpose' quilts - the stitching and designs may not be perfect, but the love put into them is and I hope the recepients of each of my PWAP quilts will know this.

I had good intentions of getting up this morning and getting a V.A. hospital quilt onto the frame; so much for good intentions.  I fell asleep for about an hour, woke up and couldn't get back to sleep for another hour- THREE times last night... I finally got up at 4 a.m. and came out to the family room and sat playing on the computer/watching early morning news until about 9 when I finally fell back to sleep on the couch for TWO hours this time.

Laundry is being worked on right now because I NEED clean clothes :).  Hubby and I are taking our oldest great grandson to a minor league baseball game tonight for his 13th birthday and foul smelling adults just wouldn't be cool.

Tomorrow, I hope to do the V.A. quilt and then get back to working on my ' Dragonfly Dance' quilt....

This is one block....  the orignal pattern calls for four blocks, but it would come out to  51"x51" and I want it to be Queen size.
Dance of the Dragonflies by Annette Ornelas

  Nine blocks completed so far with number ten almost assembled.  I wanted to do twenty blocks, but don't think I have enough background fabric to do that many and still have enough for borders so I'm going to try to make sixteen... four blocks across and hopefully four down - it all depends on how many I can make with the first cut of background fabric (I orginally bought three yards but then bought another three yards). There's the background fabric still in the shipping bag that I'll have for the borders, but I'm afraid to cut into it for the blocks.

Ok, enough rambling.... off to do *sigh* more laundry.

New Valances

Ok, finally got the new master bath valances done... not 100% correct ( I took the two I previously made and put them onto one rod)

what an improvement!  Normally, I probably wouldn't use batik for curtains, but in this case, I needed to have both mauve and med. blue in the valances and this batik print fit the bill.

I did get a little more quilting done on the Farm Animal quilt that's been on my mid-arm for about a month now... only have the two long sides to finish up.  Had hoped to get it done today, but after a few minutes quilting on the MA, I took a percocet for pain and had a bad reaction to it - ended up sleeping almost the entire afternoon.

 Not sure why, but I've had this reaction after taking the percocet the last two times I've taken it.... never happened before.  The label says that it might cause drowsiness and dizzyness, but you would think if it was, it would happen with the first or second dose.... not the seventh or eighth!  I guess I need to talk to the dr about a different pain medication.

Anyway... there went the afternoon... pain free, but progress-less.  Hoping for better over the weekend.