Two Steps forward, One step back

I thought everything was going well yesterday, until I finished basting around the quilt and stitching in the ditch between the body and the border.  THEN, while feeling stitches underneath, I discovered a BIG 'bubble' of backing fabric. ARGHHH!!  Doing the stitching in the ditch between the body and the border and quilting the borders before the center/body of the quilt might work for others, but it definitely hasn't been working for me.   I called Colette to 'pick her brain' to see if there was something I didn't do that I should have; she's not a fan of the basting  & stitching in the ditch around the inner border before starting on the center either.

 I spent about an hour and a half last night ripping out basting stitches and removing the stitching in the ditches across the bottom and about 3/4 of the way up each side.  Checked and double checked - the 'bubble' is gone.... I do have a backing & batting border that is no longer straight ( see first pic) and have no idea why, but as long as the backing and batting beneath the quilt top is smooth, I'm not going to worry too much.... and the left side is straight - go figure!

 below is the first row of blocks finished

the rest of the pics are close ups of what I did.... 

So far, I'm pretty happy with what I've done... some blocks/sections I like more than others.  There are a couple little 'bumps' on the back but I'm hoping they'll disappear after a couple of times in the wash machine.

I have the second row all mapped out as to what design goes where... even got some of them stitched.  Now that I know what goes where it should make it alot easier & quicker to finish the second row - hopefully tomorrow afternoon.  Then, I'll map out the third row and try to work on it after hubby's dr. appointment on Tuesday ( he goes for second cataract procedure tomorrow & follow up the next day).  I obviously won't meet my goal of having it done today, but MAYBE I'll have it done in time to take to guild meeting this week :).

Gitter' Done

It's been one of those weeks... not just because of Thanksgiving.  Monday was hubby's first cataract surgery, which went GREAT, then Tuesday back to the eye dr to make sure everything went as planned.  Wednesday, I did manage to get the backing for Chris' quilt stitched together and onto Mo'e.  I had hoped to start stitching before we went to granddaughter's home for Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, but it didn't happen.  Last night, I worked on the gkids ornaments while watching some Christmas movie on tv.  Ended up staying up til midnight to watch the movie to the end.  Then I couldn't get to sleep until about 2:30 am.. have no idea what was going on there; I just couldn't fall asleep.
Needless to say, when I woke up just before 7 this morning, it wasn't enough sleep.  I had to stay up until 8 so that I could give hubby his eye drops... then I went back to sleep on the couch.  My phone alarm clock went off at noon - time for more eye drops... aw, it can wait another 1/2 hour.  When I finally get up ( 1/2 hr later), I give him the first drop but forget all about the second one due five minutes later - and he didn't ask about it until another 1/2 hr- 45 minutes later.... shaking my head....so we skipped that one and made sure that I didn't forget to give both at 4 pm.

About three o'clock I decided I'd better get to Mo'e.  Changed the needle, took needle plate off, cleaned & oiled around the bobbin case and cleaned the rails... then I was ready to load the top on.
Got that done and partially basted around the outer edges.

Finally I got to start the actually stitching!!

center of top border

right top corner ( oops!  didn't get the entire lotus lily in the pic)

from the left side.... '

ok, here's the pic with the entire lotus lily in the upper right corner.

I'm not real happy with some of the stitching, but Mo'e is fighting me again - not all the time, just in spots ( the rest of the so so quilting is my own fault).

Now, it's dinner time.... Got Stouffer's Escalloped Chicken in the oven... haven't tried before, but hubby SHOULD like it ( except for the carrots lol)

I probably won't work on the quilt again tonight.... will wait til morning ( or early afternoon - depending on how well I sleep tonight.

TTYL

Still practicing

Actually, yesterday I didn't get to do any practicing.  I had to take hubby for his first cataract removal and he was so sure that it would take us at least an hour to get there so we left here about 8:45 am; it took only about 1/2 hr so we were there in plenty of time since his appointment wasn't until 10.  Once we got back home ( about 1:30), I was tired because of not enough sleep the night before so I took about a two hour nap.  The rest of the day I just sat, gave hubby his doses of eye drops and fixed a simple dinner.

Almost as soon as hubby got up this morning, I turned Mo'e on and got some practicing in.  Had some glitches here and there -- at one spot he wouldn't move; kept looking around to see what the heck was going on... power cord had come out from under tape earlier and when I re-taped it, it was too short.  The rest of the glitches MIGHT have been because I didn't give Mo'e a good cleaning before starting and there's probably dust, etc on the rails.

 I don't like the feather on the left but I do like the one running along the bottom.  What I tried with the one on the left was to work from top to bottom on the left side of the spine - something I'm not used to doing; I really prefer starting at the bottom and working up to the top then tracing the spine back down to the bottom to start the feathers on the opposite side of the spine.

 practicing curved teardrops....

 curved teardrops with lotus feathers in the corners

 I'm basically happy with the curved teardrops and the lotus feathers above... still need to practice the curved teardrops some more - AFTER I clean Mo'es rails.  I'm thinking I'll use the lotus feathers to 'mark' the middle of each border and use the curved teardrops for the rest of the border space ( just in a larger version of what I've been practicing).

I have to take hubby back to the eye surgeon for a follow up in about an hour so I'll wait til later to clean Mo'e... MAYBE tomorrow I can get Chris' quilt loaded on.

Practice makes Progress

I keep telling myself that - practice makes progress - although I find myself arguing that it's not always true.  This is what I've done so far this morning....

some I like - some not so much and I'm not sure that practicing will help all that much.  i.e. the strips with half circles and spiral in the middle.  I knew it wasn't going to be easy for me to do without using a curved ruler, but I didn't think it was going to be this UGLY.

Yesterday was the second day of the guild's weekend sew in... and the first snow of the season.  I had left my machine at the library so HAD to go back down there, but didn't take any projects with me to work on.  Wendy brought in a breakfast dish that she made for us to try; it was ok, but apparently I've developed a sensitivity to eggs - I was passing sulpherous gas all afternoon ( and am I ever glad I didn't stay for afternoon quilting!!  the others might have run me off after the first 'leak') 

 Anyway,  I just sat and chatted with the others with the plan that I would pick up the guild's batting before the LQS closed at noon.  I ended up calling and asking them to hold it for another day; that I was worried about slipping and falling trying to carry the rolls into the house.  On the way home just before noon, I stopped at Walmart for some E-6000 and some ribbons; of course I ended up buying much more... but that's ok because I found a dachshund puppy calendar for our oldest son and some 'bling' to add to the annual Christmas ornaments I'm making for most of the grand and great-grand kids.... this is what I have done so far  ( all last night after dinner)

I was beginning to think that I wasn't going to come up with something to make for this year.  I had bought some clear glass ornaments a couple of years ago with the idea of somehow putting pics on/in them.  Found some decal paper that you can print on with your home printer; tried it the other night - no, not happy with the results.  Probably still doable, but NOT less than a month before Christmas.  

So anyway, I saw the snowmen somewhere online - facebook or pinterest ( or maybe both) - hit the dollar store and got almost everything I needed... didn't trust my Aleene's glue to hold and that's why I went looking for the E-6000.  Four done... twenty? more to go.

Ok, guess I'd better get back to Mo'e... practice, practice, practice makes progress.  Oh, and I got the fabric I bought for son's quilt backing serged, washed and folded so it's ready to piece to the pieces I already had.... hope to do that later today, but it might have to wait until I get back from hubby's cataract removal tomorrow.

4:51 pm  

more practicing :)

I really like what's in the triangle, but not sure if I want what I put in the strip.

time to feed Chewy ( the cat) and fix our dinner :).

TTYL

Still practicing

some things I obviously need more practice on; other things I probably won't try on son's quilt - and some I'm definitely going to use on it.

I'm thinking I should put another quilt top onto Mo'e while I'm waiting for the backing for son's quilt to come in... but probably won't since I have sewing with the guild gals this weekend and hubby's cataract surgery Monday.
TTYL

I'm so excited!!

Knock on wood, but Mo'e is working BEAUTIFULLY this morning... even with using odds & ends of bobbins ... have a pre-wound in him now ( first time I've tried one).
First off, after loading the practice fabrics, I basted and then did a straight line of stitching, changing the stitch length every three or four inches.  I then went back and measured an inch of each section to find how many stitches per inch it was giving me... found out that I like #5 which is just to the right of the middle - it gives me 10 stitches per inch, which I think is what I'm most comfortable with for most stitching; I'm sure I'll need to shorten the stitches if I want to do tiny bubbles/circles.

I really want my son's quilt to come out as something I'm REALLY proud of... it will be worth all the sketching, erasing and re-sketching - and, now, practicing on Mo'e.  I'm still working on what to put where, but I have a pretty rough idea of what I want/what will work for me.

Ok, back to Mo'e and PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE :)

TTYL

I'm back.... left leg started hurting, gf in N.H. called and I needed a nap so playing on Mo'e has to wait til tomorrow - or Thursday, which is ok since I just went down to our LQSs to get the backing fabric for this quilt from one shop and to pick up one of my domestic machines ( Marie) from the other one.  I got Marie, but the other shop was out of the fabric I need.  She ordered more while I was there - and hopefully it will be in by next Tuesday.  That will give me plenty of time to rest up my leg and get errands ran tomorrow & sew in on Friday and Saturday ( and hubby's first cataract surgery on Monday) - and to practice more on Mo'e.

Cya later :)

Now comes the hard stuff :(

I started - and finished - my Christmas song challenge for the guild over Friday and Saturday.  Yesterday, I sandwiched and pinned the wall hanging I received from the guild's Brown Bag challenge - haven't started quilting it yet, though.

 My excuse is that I'm waiting for "Marie" ( my newer Janome) to come back from being cleaned; the truth is, I don't know how I want to quilt it.

Which brings me to today's 'hard stuff'....  how to quilt my son's quilt.  Here's what I have so far... but none of it is set in stone - I'm still playing with ideas I'm finding online and from the papers we received from Sue Patten last month.

this is block one (above)... there are five of these
block two (on the right) only has four blocks, thank goodness....











I'm pretty sure that I want to do feathers on the borders, so I don't want to fill up the majority of the blocks with feathers, too... I'm trying to make it more masculine.  And I don't want it covered in stitching... I want it a LITTLE 'fluffy'.  Right now,  I'm thinking that I want to change thread colors instead of using just one  ... use chocolate brown for the brown and the black and then use ecru for the creamier parts.

I think tomorrow I'll put fabric and batting onto Mo'e to practice with...will try sketching 3" strips and filling them to see what I do and don't like... what I'm comfortable with doing and with what just isn't going to happen this month.

DONE!!!

Tomorrow, I'm going to do non-quilting stuff ( called housework BLECCCHHH!!)  Then, I'm going to find something to practice my quilting on before I load my son's quilt and start on it.
Silly me, signed up for TWO challenges.... one's not due til Feb, and it's only one block so that shouldn't be too difficult - choosing which block to do might be the hardest part.  The other one is one that Colette and I threw out to the guild members tonight.... a wall hanging based on a Christmas song.  I already know what I want to do ( and was the first to sign up lol).  Got a pattern printed out... just need to transfer it to fabrics and add it to a background.   Can't tell you what it is since Colette reads my blog :).  I think she knows the song I picked ( Jingle Bells), but she doesn't have a clue as to how I'm going to interpret it :).  That reminds me, I need to post the challenge onto our FB page for those who weren't able to make it tonight.
TTYL

Time to "Bite the Bullet"

Ok, today's the day to start quilting on the San Antonio Star ( Texas Star) quilt.  I went to the local dealer yesterday to pick up thread for my son's quilt ( the labyrinth that I finished the top for this past weekend) and to see if I could find something to improve the lighting on 'Moe'.  I was going to 'pick Jason's brain, but he had a couple more boxes to move so I was looking around while he did -- and guess what I found ALL ON MY OWN (lol) --

After he finished moving the boxes, I asked Jason about it... yes, it's for my machine!  YAY!  pretty simple to install - just need to remember where I put the extension cord.  I know I saw it with my quilting 'stuff' that I take to the monthly guild sew ins, but that stuff has been moved around a little bit.  

 Hopefully this is all I'll need to get better light over my quilting area.  It was something that I noticed when I was taking the classes with Sue Patten last month - it was so much brighter in the room and it made it easier to see.  Using the Handi Quilter machine was another difference, but I'm not going there.  I don't have one and it would be ridiculous for me to even consider trading 'Moe' in on one ( but I kind of wish that I had bought one instead of buying Moe.)  Ok, enough about spillt milk.

Back!  Found the extension cord ( now will have to buy a new one for sew ins) and installed the light strip.  Really easy to do.  Now to give Moe a cleaning and reload the top.

TTYL  :)

2:14 pm  ... OMGosh!!!!!  what a difference it makes when you put oil in/on the bobbin 'case'.  Moe is running SOOOOOOOO much quieter!!!   I've got one row of the border flying geese done... there's four on the right side that need stitching removed ( I DID NOT LIKE Sue Patten's suggestion of doing curved stitching on them).   This is why.....

 I took those 'curved' stitching out and replaced them with straight stitching 1/4" from the edges.

 here's the first corner block of the center of the quilt

 here's the first triangle of the center.... none of which are all that great, but it is what it is....

the background is done on round/row one ... just need to do the star itself.

 It's going to take me awhile longer than I thought to get this quilt done, but I know I can do it :).  Ok  back to Moe :)

DONE!

Finally got the buttonholes made and buttons sewn onto oldest daughter's reversible apron.

 coffee side

wine side 

Now, on to making 4 Barbie doll beds and quilting that darned Texas Star  lol.

I smell a finish

8:30 a.m.
Yesterday was filled with ups/downs, sewing in seams, un-sewing seams, cutting wrong widths of fabric, re-cutting correct widths/lengths of fabric... ups and downs in my chair that I'm really beginning to hate.  When I went to bed last night, I just had one more piece to add to the final two blocks; I pinned the pieces on and called it a night.
Got up this morning and gave myself a little time to wake up, then got back to work on finishing the last two blocks.  Done!  Stitched the first two blocks of the first row together - only to find that I had twisted one of them the wrong way and so had to rip those stitches out.  Two hours later, this is what I have

the middle row and bottom row sewn together

Now, I'm eating breakfast as I enter this blog... going to finish that and play on my computer for a bit before going back and adding the final row ( it's really too early in the morning for me to be so productive :(   ).  Will come back later with more pics, I hope ( I'll probably have to get hubby to hold the quilt top up for those).

1;47 p.m.  after a two hour nap and an hour for lunch, I got the third row attached. ( LOL  hubby just saw it hanging on my 'design wall' and said "OMG  makes ya dizzy lookin' at it!!")

5 p.m.  The quilt top is done EXCEPT for the final border(s)... just too tired to do anymore tonight.

Will finish in the morning and then ask hubby to hold it up while I get a pic.  

Once that's done, I'll pack "Marie" up so that I can drop her off at The Hen House on Monday so Steve ( the repair/ cleaning man) can pick her up the next time he's there ( probably Tuesday).  Then I'll get "Jan" out and use her to make the buttonholes on my daughter's apron.

Looks like I'd better get started on quilting that Texas Star quilt on Monday, too... can't quilt this recently completed quilt until I get the Texas Star done. :)

Frustration

7 a.m.....I'm still working on my son's quilt... the first five blocks ( set 1) were pretty simple.  The last four blocks ( set 2) are just the opposite.  First off, I stitched half square triangles onto four strips in the wrong direction - had already cut the extra triangles off before I realized it was wrong so had to make new ones.  Done.
I'm up bright and early this morning ( 5 a.m.) and starting to work on the blocks again... only to find that they are about 1/2" too short.... I take the strips off, measure the block - yes, it's 3 1/2"... measure the strips - yes 1 1/4" wide... measure the seam allowance - yes, exactly 1/4".  So - 3 + 1 + 1 equals 5, right?  Not necessarily... the blocks are coming out anywhere from 4 1/2 to 4 3/4".  WTHeck?!?!!?  Take the strips off again, measure again... press the seams so that you can see the stitching... still off... cut new strips, stitch again, measure again... 4 7/8" - close enough.  First section considered done.  Now I have to go through the same process three more times... just for this section -- I'm thinking that I should cut the strips 1 1/2" wide, then trim them down after I get them stitched onto whichever piece they go on.,,,,sure hope the rest of the blocks are easier than this has been.


10:30 a.m.... well, I cut new strips again and they worked this time.  I have no idea what the heck happened  - and I'm not going to question it any more lest fate decides to play havoc with the upcoming sections.  Section 2 is done and I'm now working on section 3 - so far, so good... knock on wood.  After I finish section 4, it will be time to put the sections together... then to put the blocks together.  It's taking me longer than I thought it would, but I think I almost see the light at the end of the tunnel for this quilt top.

Five done - four to go

It took me all day, but I got the final three blocks done for this section of the quilt... the next four are a different layout.  I couldn't believe it took me so long, but I had to keep taking breaks - including an hour and a half for a nap.

The morning started out good... until I went into my sewing room... right off, I accidentally hit the pencils and some fabric and they slid behind the freezer that I use for my work surface.   So, I had to move several things in order to move the freezer away from the wall to retrieve my 'stuff'.  The freezer isn't that heavy and it slides pretty easily over the carpet, but the bending I had to do plus moving the freezer so soon after getting up for the day caused me some serious pain.  I held out as long as I could, but finally about noon, I took a pain pill (script).  I haven't taken these particular ones before - they made me soooo tired that I couldn't do anything except lay down and take a nap.  The entire day felt like I was moving in slow motion - I was getting things done, but it seemed to take forever.

Tomorrow, I plan to start on the remaining four blocks for this quilt.  Hubby has a dr. appt on Thursday so I don't know if I'll get the top together enough to start putting on borders or not... it may have to wait til Friday.

AQS has started offering online video classes... they sent me a coupon code that would save me 40% along with the 20% you save for being a member of AQS.  I found a couple of classes that I was interested in... one is for long arm quilting and the other is for thread painting... got both for less than what one class would have cost if I hadn't had the coupon code and wasn't a current AQS member.  I haven't sat down to watch either of them yet... if it's like the ones Craftsy.com offers, they are good forever so I'll watch when I finish up this quilt top and get the buttonholes and buttons onto my daughter's apron ( no, I haven't done them yet).

When I went grocery shopping yesterday, I found some portabella mushroom caps stuffed with Parmesan cheese, artichokes and spinach.  They just looked too good to resist; had to bring them home and try them -- had two of them for lunch  Pretty good!

Ok, enough blogging... I'm going to go play a couple games on FB and then kick back and watch tv ( Hotel Impossible).  Til next time  :)

'

It's easy they say......

I ALMOST finished the first two blocks for my son's quilt today.  I say ALMOST because everything fit PERFECTLY until I got to the last strip ( beige) on the left.  It's 3/4 of a inch too long!!!  I remeasured the strip; it's what the pattern calls for ( 24 1/4" long), but the block only measures 22 1/2" on the left side which is where the strip goes.

So, did I screw up somehow or were the instructions incorrect?  There's an extra sheet of instructions that corrects previous errors in the pattern and I checked it - it doesn't show any changes in the size of that strip.

I 'fudged' it on the first block ( on the left) and it shows; when I went to add that strip to the second block is when I noticed the 3/4" difference and didn't stitch it on - as for the first block,  I'll have to take it off and try again.  The only thing I can figure out to do at this point is make the other three blocks and see how they measure up.  I hope I don't have to do these two all over again, but I will if that's what it takes.  I think before I make the other three, I'll do one of the companion block to see how that measures up - that might be the easiest/best way.

I went back to Sweet Bee's shop a couple days after buying the original fabrics and bought extra thinking that I'll want to make it bigger than the 86" x 86" given in the pattern.  Now that I know the size of the blocks, I realize that adding another row of blocks on one side and the bottom ( 7 extra), it would make the quilt 108" x 108" and I'd end up having to piece at least the backing and most likely the batting, too.  I'll have to settle for the original size... which will give me extra fabrics in case I did screw up on the first two blocks.

I've been saving the triangles that I've cut off to make 1/2 square triangles, stitching them together before tossing them into an ice cream bucket and hope I'll have enough fabric scraps left to make a quilt for his dog, Shadow -- or maybe I'll use it for a doll blanket -- that's down the road so we'll wait and see.

I'm really liking the quilt so far - aside from the measurement issues - and I think my son is really going to like it, too.  :)

As for the Texas Star Quilt, it's still waiting... had to go pick up scripts and groceries today and was in a LOT of pain ( left knee) before I even got home, so, once back home, I made friends with the couch and an ice pack.  I don't know what happened; just hope it doesn't happen again - at least until after I get Chris' quilt done.

12:29 am... BINGO!!  I figured out the problem with the blocks coming out 3/4" short of the final strip... I FORGOT A STRIP!!  Will share pics in the morning :)  heading to bed now that the blocks have been corrected.