Trio of Christmas Trees Quilt

is DONE!... not just the top - I finished that yesterday.  Today, I decided that I would quilt it on my domestic.  There were some 'hiccups'

 I thought I would do some 'fancy' stitches... nope, that wasn't a good idea... had to rip them all out.

(backing fabric is really a dark green with the cute little snowmen.)

 Went with straight and curved stitching instead.

Then, I couldn't decide how to do the border... I already knew that big meandering or feathers wasn't going to work and I didn't want to do piano keys if it meant doing them 1/4" apart like I did around the trees.  I texted friend Katie for her opinion but she must have been busy because I didn't hear back right away and finally decided that I could just do piano keys but just between the 'boxes'...so they are 2 1/2" apart except at the corners because I also stitched along the seam lines where the side borders met the top and bottom borders.

Anyway, it's done and put away for a future Christmas gift (maybe).  And I've already started on the next project... this one isn't quite as old as some I have-- actually, MOST ... It's a quilt that Katie and I saw at a quilt show last Spring and I just fell in love with it.  Probably because it has newspaper print fabric for the background.  It's called Bird on a Wire by designer Wendy Williams and found in her book Wild Blooms and Colorful Creatures.

I'm not sure but what the flowers and birds were wool felt in the quilt we saw, but I don't normally do wool so it will be cotton for me - and mostly from my scraps.  I may go to the LQS to see if they have a different newspaper print than what I have.

Oh! and on a side note... I was searching all over the house for that piece of newspaper print fabric that I KNEW had been in my sewing room just the other day.  I FINALLY found it - I had put it on a fabric board and put it with some other 'bolts' in the fabric storage room... of course, I didn't see it right away because I forgot that I had put them over on the desktop and I was looking everywhere but there!... All of a sudden it dawned on me... and I went right over and picked it up.  Told hubby as I was walking out of the room that that's what happens when I take care of stuff - I forget where I put it!

Ok, Buddy will be whining any time now wanting us to go to bed.  

take care....

ttyl.......

Two more tops off my bucket list

I finished the bicycle top this morning.... if I had taken the time to look at the pattern last night, I probably would have noticed that there was only the green sashing to add and I would have done it then instead of waiting until this morning.  Well, it's done now, along with backing fabric, binding and label... it just needs it's turn on Mo'e.

 After finishing this, I went searching for my instructions for the AQS Colossal Block Quilt Along... never did find them, but found some other projects that are on my bucket list.... 

I decided on this one... Trio Christmas Tree Quilt.  There was a bit of a problem at first as I was texting back and forth with my friend, Katie, along with listening to something on Netflix  and I stitched two pieces on upside down... thankfully they were a quick fix.
I was a little nervous about stitching curves but it was pretty easy...   Pretty soon, I had this much done... just needed to find a certain fabric for the borders - and wouldn't you know I couldn't find it... I know I've been moving it around quite a bit, but darned if I remember where it was when I was moving it.  I checked my fabric stash room ( at least twice, maybe three times) and around Mo'e... went into my walk in closet in my sewing room... didn't see it there either. 

 I finally happened to move something on that infamous table next to my elbow - and there it was... and enough for not just the borders but also for binding.

So, here it is ... hanging on my design wall ( ignore the bear and penguins again, please) ... I found batting that will work... now just have to find backing ... yep, label done, too.  Again, all from what I already had here at home.

It feels so good to get these two projects off my bucket list.  Ok, so they're not completely finished yet, but they can be moved to the "Waiting for Mo'e" list now. :)

take care....

ttyl.....

The Good, the bad and the UGLY

Well, there really wasn't any UGLY, but there was some BADDD!  I had decided to get back to working on the bicycle quilt top.  All I needed to do right now was finishing fusing down the applique pieces for the other halves of the three bicycle blocks and it was going fine for the most part... had extra pieces ( or so I thought) and had a bird facing the wrong way and a puppy missing ( realized later that I had already fused him on before I was supposed to - oh well).

Then I started stitching the fused pieces down... the first block went ok... the second block was going ok until I got to where I was supposed to be stitching down the dog -  I just happened to glance down as I was snipping thread ends ( always a good idea to watch what you're doing)

 Yep!  I did it again... stitched a second block underneath.  Luckily, I had only stitched the ear on the left and then the other ear and part of the face - so I guess I was sewing when I noticed -not snipping thread ends. 

You'd think I'd learn - and I thought I had.  I know that I was moving things out of the way .. I think this happened when I had to move the blocks off from the thread box to get to the spool and bobbin of black thread - I just forgot to move the block underneath back onto the thread box.

It took a few minutes to rip out the stitches - tiny zig zag ones...

Once that was done, along came the next challenge.... I ran out of black thread!  All I had to finish was this dog on the last block... from his back heel around the bottom to his collar.  But could I find a new spool of black thread!?!?  Oh noooo!  I have a five quart ice cream bucket full of just about every color I would ever need a spool of - except for black and maybe white. 

 So back I come to my computer and go to Connecting Threads website, which just happens to have the threads on sale... I'm in luck!... but of course, it could take a week for my order to get here.  Well, I guess I can work on other things....

After placing my order, I go back to see what else I can do that won't require black thread.  I'm sitting

there looking at one of the blocks that's laying on my thread box and I happen to see a dark spool of thread - hmmm  could it be?  If it is, it's not in the right place... I open the box and by golly... there was a practically brand new spool of black thread!!  Happy Dance time!

After finishing this guy up, I started joining the blocks into rows... and that's when I noticed the 'missing' puppy that was actually missing an ear - it was right up on the ironing board with the other miscellaneous pieces... like the bird and wing that were facing the wrong way and the puppy that I traced, fused and cut because I couldn't find the original one.

Checked my green fabrics to see if I had something for the sashing... only need a quarter yard, which really doesn't sound like enough.  Yep, I have about a yard of a shade that will go good with the blocks.  I had to stop there, though, so that I could get over to Walmart and get the eye drop prescription that I called in earlier today after I realized that the bottle I had was empty.  While there, I also grabbed hubby and I some dinner from Subway since we got a gift card for them for Christmas.

I'll go back to working on the top tomorrow.... and might even be able to finish it then, too.  

take care....

ttyl.......

Long weekend

or at least it seemed that way.. and it was hard getting back into the groove of doing ANYTHING today - so I did laundry.
Saturday, I finished the appliqueing of the bike blocks - still have to fuse down the other half of the blocks and then stitch them down.  After I finished the bike blocks, I wanted to do something new and different; I found this OLD panel in my fabric storage room

and decided to cut around each block and make mug rugs.  I had some blue that was close to what's between the blocks and I had a package of the batting used to keep things warm/cold ( can't think of the name of it right off) and so I got started on them.

The first three done... I machine stitched around, then turned them right side out and hand stitched the openings closed... THEN I decided that they need a little bit of quilting and I thought I'd try some 'big stitch' quilting and went & grabbed my bins of embroidery floss and sorted through trying to find colors that would go with the project.  The red is almost a perfect match and the blue is pretty close, but unfortunately, there might not be enough to do all the blocks that I need it for - we'll have to cross our fingers and hope for the best.  I did finish a nice purple that will work on the blocks with purple background.

All that hand sewing was hard on my finger - and it's been so long since I did any major amount of hand sewing so I have no idea where my thimble might be hiding.  

Then came Sunday and, at least for the next few weeks, I'm declaring Sundays as Scrap days.  A week ago yesterday, I made string blocks - yesterday, I wanted to do something different.  I had been looking through one of my boxes of patterns ( yes, I have more than one lol) and re-found this book that I think I received as a gift 

I get very frustrated at some of these books because they seem to call for fat quarters or 1/2 yard pieces... I don't call those scraps.

But as I'm looking through it, I find this pattern...

I have a love-hate relationship with log cabin blocks... it seems that no matter how I try, I cannot make a decent log cabin block unless I use paper piecing.... and look what this calls for.  

While I was looking through the pattern box, I also found a brand new pack of Carol Doak's papers for paper piecing... they go right through your printer.  All I had to do was print two blocks and then tape them onto one piece of paper and then start printing.

I then grabbed a bucket/bin of scraps and the ice cream bucket that holds my white scraps and started sewing.. after the first two stitches, I even remembered to shorten my stitches.

Here are the first two:

The quilt in the pattern is small... 40" x 48"... I don't think I want to stop at that size; I think I'll keep going - I think I'd like closer to 60" x 60".  I think I made 6 yesterday - and I think if I give myself a year and just do them when either the mood strikes me or the scraps overwhelm me, that should be just fine.  I'm not in a rush on this project - just want to use up scraps.

No progress on the penguin flannel quilt(s) yet... other than I ordered some solid red and solid white flannels that should arrive in about a week. They are from the same company (Kaufman) so hopefully the red will match.   Once I have them, then maybe I can start playing with blocks pretty much like I did with The Booth Brothers quilts - measure the blocks I have and then make other blocks to fit.  

In the meantime, I'm going to try and get back to working on the autumn quilt that's STILL on the frame waiting for me to finish it now that my eyes are fixed.

Ok, Buddy is bugging me to go to bed... darned spoiled dog anyway lol

take care....

ttyl....

Just a quickie!

I spent most of the daylight hours today in my sewing room... I got the borders onto yesterday's lapquilt project.

 And then I started on this project... this is a pattern I purchased from the IceHouse quilt shop up near Houghton ( or is it Higgins?) Lake.  I don't remember what year it was but it was my second (and last) time I went on retreat with some of the other guild members.

What you see here are only 1/2 of the blocks... there is one more that needs to be joined to each of these to make a 'row', but you don't sew them together until almost all the applique is done. 

It's not a big quilt... more like a narrow crib quilt or wall hanging - I'm going with the second option.

Best thing of all is that I am not having to go purchase anything for this - well, except for MAYBE a backing; we'll have to see about that when I get that far.  I thought I was going to have to buy some fabric for the background but then I remembered the yellows I had purchased (but didn't use) for the
Save the Bees sew along and even after cutting one set of three background blocks too small, there was still enough to recut in the correct size.

Ok, that's it for tonight and since tomorrow is grocery shopping/bill paying day there might not be much of anything done quilting wise until Thursday.  That is, of course, contingent on Mother Nature and her 'mood' tomorrow; if it's nasty, we'll stay home and do our running around before/after hubby's dr. appointment the next day.

I'll give you more info about the current quilt the next time I blog.  I'm being lazy tonight and I don't want to go back into my sewing room.  :)

take care....
ttyl....

Little of this; Little of that

Guild sew in was this past Friday and Saturday and I was able to go both days.  On Friday, I finished stuffing the teddy bear that I had made last week; don't plan on giving it away after all - there are seams raveling in spite of my efforts to fix them.

Saturday, I spent the day doing embroidery on the Vintage Tin's last block.  I didn't get a whole lot done but that's ok - I'm still not in a rush to get it done.

Yesterday, I stitched up a storm...this clear tote has scraps cut from other projects ... I grabbed phone book pages


and started making string blocks...

 some of the fabrics that I was using are in this pic....

 and there were some scraps in this 'bin'... on top of other previously made string blocks.  Yesterday, I made a total of 32 blocks... and only made a slight dent in the clear bin.

Today, I saw a photo of a table cover that I thought would be a great, easy project to do.  It looked to be the size of a place mat and was done in batiks.  I don't have scrap batiks nor do I have any jelly rolls of batiks - I have fat quarters of batiks... I wouldn't say LOTS but there are plenty and this project called for 6 different batiks.  ( the original pattern can be found at http://www.conniekresin.com and the date she posted it was July of 2015 and it's called table topper tutorial)

I went into my stash closet and found three packages of batik fat quarters.  Two have been untouched... the third one had two or three pieces missing so I decided I'd use that... there were originally 12 in each pack... this one had 8, I think... at least it did until I took 6 out.

The directions said to cut 3 3"x8" pieces from each print.  This made six blocks and left me with quite a bit left of each fq.  -- and it was larger than a placemat.  I decided to go ahead and cut up the rest of each fq... which, when sewn together, made 20 blocks and still left strips.

 These photos are from when I first started and was only doing the six blocks.

Once I had cut the remaining strips and sewed them together into blocks - it was time to put them up on my design wall and decide how I wanted to arrange them.

.

The third photo is the one I decided on.  

Then it was time to sew them all together and then take the leftover pieces and cut them down to 2.5" wide and then sew them end to end for the binding.

I don't think I'm quite done with the top yet, though.  I have an off white that I think would look nice as a border and I think I'll add that tomorrow.  I wanted to mull it over for a bit before deciding.  

I can't tell you the size just yet... because I haven't measured it... I know the strips are 7.5" long (after sewing) by 7"? wide.  Whatever the size, I think it will work great for a lap quilt for someone ( I have no one in particular in mind).  I just need to find backing and then get it all in line for it's turn on Mo'e.  I even know how I want to quilt it - nothing but big feathers - very much like a charity quilt I did last year.

Oh, and one last photo... here is Mr. Prissy sitting guard in the doorway of my sewing room - he's not about to let Buddy or Chewy in my room.  LOL

K - that's it for tonight....

take care...

ttyl.......

Found Another One!

I found another project hidden on the table next to my elbow.  I've looked at it a few times and decided that this wasn't the time to do it.  But today was! 

Awhile ago, somewhere, probably online, I saw a quilt that someone had done with the 'fruit ladies' and I wanted to do it.  Apparently I was either too late or too cheap because all I bought was one panel.  Well, I still wanted to use it, but how.... so it sat and waited until I came up with an idea.... then I went 'shopping' in my stash and found fabrics that could go with the panel.  And then it still sat - until today... this afternoon, actually....

Presenting....

 one side

 inside, the bottom is actually dark olive green like the bottom of the outside.

and the other side....

I LOVE IT!!!

and there are still two more larger blocks that I didn't use.  I think I'm going to add some of the same fabric that I used on the handles for the above bag  (leftover backing) to each of the four sides of each of the blocks and then decide on a lining... maybe yellow this time... and make another bag.  

I had my second  cataract surgery the day before yesterday and follow up check up yesterday, where I proceeded to get sick and had to leave in a rush.  I have no idea what was going on but I had dry heaves that I was afraid weren't going to be dry for long.   Soon after I got home, I was fine - just like nothing had happened - weird!  

Still wearing glasses but just for reading, sewing, close up type of stuff.  It was so shocking to be able to roll over in my bed this morning to look at the clock and be able to read it without having to reach for my glasses first.  That hasn't happened in this century!  

Well, guess that's it for tonight....

take care and I'll ttyl 

Catch up

I don't know what was going on but I just haven't felt like doing much of anything let alone sew/quilt or blog.  According to the dates on my photos, this is what I've been working on - off and on - for the past week or so.  I think I mentioned it in my last entry.  Well, yesterday, I finished doing the applique and today I did the (machine) stitching for the bumblebees' paths and the big bumblebee's antenae - still have to add buttons for the ends of the antenae but it has to wait until quilting is done according to the designer.  

There is another border to this project but I decided to leave it off... it's plenty big as it is and I'm just tired of working on it and want to move onto something else - like finishing the quilting on the quilt that's been on Mo'e for too long.

 for the hexies, I hand stitched them together and then used invisible thread ( my machine likes Sulky brand) to go around the outside edges and then right down the seams in the center from top to bottom using a small zigzag stitch (2.5 x .50).

before the border

after the border was added

I had a little bit more than enough of the yellow bumblebee print ( used behind the big bee) to use for the binding.... and the background for the two applique'd blocks ( the flowers) - I found out that our Walmart had 5 yards left and I went over and bought it - actually there was 5 7/8 yds.  I have no idea what I'll use it for but I just LOVE it.  .. hang on and I'll take a pic up close so you can maybe understand why I HAD to have it.  brb....

ok, this isn't perfect but I couldn't get the sharp colors while keeping everything sort of soft looking.

Anyway, today, I decided I'd try and make this beehive type pincushion that I'd found directions for and I'd be able to use up some of what was left of the yellow bumblebee print... It's done - I'm not thrilled with it ... was going to make two and give one as a gift but not today.... maybe another day.

OH!  and LOOK at the table to the left of my chair....

It's almost empty... of projects/ufo's... the second pic is a closer look to see that my 'tools' are still there... my threads, phone books, pinking shears, measuring tape...etc etc.   This is not to say that I'm almost out of projects - heavens no - they just aren't piled up willy nilly on that table.  I do need to move that bolt of paper back fusible then see what's underneath it but I think it's what left of the autumn quilt that I'm in the middle of quilting - there are buttons, etc that have to be added after the quilting is done.

Ok, now I know that people other than my friend Katie read my blog on ocassion... if you already read Katie's blog  -  https://katiemaytoo.blogspot.com - then you already know what she's been up to, but if you don't, please hop on over and see what she did in TWO days time... she's amazing!!  She's been participating in a quilter's version of Project Runway from what I understand - and we get to vote for her and others' projects.

Tomorrow, I have the cataract in my right eye removed.  I'm not sure how things are going to work for at least the rest of the week.  First off, I can't see things up close ( like to thread a needle) with just my left eye and the dr. already said that I'd probably need some readers, but when I'm going to get them, I don't know.  I'm supposed to go in for a post-procedure check up on Tuesday, but we have a weather warning for Monday night through Wednesday morning so we may not be able to get there.

Anyway... so this might be my last post for a little while...we'll have to see how things go.

take care....

ttyl.....

Monday -24 hours later

Having not done anything quilting wise since last Thursday, I've not had much to blog about.  Friday was the day we had to get the car jumped and buy a new car battery along with getting groceries and paying a couple of bills so there was no energy left for quilting.

Saturday, the cone and bobbins that I ordered at the beginning of the week arrived... and the box still sits unopened where I left it - on the quilt that's loaded onto Mo'e.

Tomorrow, I should be receiving the 'extra' three yards of the gray star print flannel that I want to use for the polar bear/penguin panels.  I say extra because I already had three, but wanted more to use for backing fabric once I decide on how to do the top.

I did get back to my current project in my sewing room.  It's the Save the Bees BOM from Jacquline Steves (I hope I spelled her first name right - nope!  It's Jacquelynne).  I bought the fabrics for it back at the beginning of the BOM, but then just printed up the pattern each month ( for four months) and put them in a plastic tub along with the fabrics.  Well, when I finished whatever it was I was working on last week ( the Autumn BOM?), I looked to see what was still sitting by my left elbow and this was it.  That table is showing my progress in getting projects that I had stacked up on off the table and done.  YAY!

Two of the blocks are now done and I've started on the third block - which involves hexies.  There's only eight so that's not so bad.  The 'bad' part is that they need to be joined together and then attached to background fabric.  I've started joining them with hand stitching; just not sure I want to applique' them onto the background by hand.  So, while I'm joining the hexies together, I'm comtemplating which way to do it... by hand or by machine with tiny zigzags using invisible thread like I did on the first two blocks. --- I think I just answered my question...I'll do the same as the first two blocks.

I went to the eye dr again yesterday and it looks like I won't need to wear glasses all the time after next Monday... just something for reading and sewing.   I don't know how I feel about that - I've been wearing glasses since I was six years old ( well, except for my 'rebellious' period of mid 20's to mid 30's).   I'm not sure if I'll have to wait a week or so... but it sounds like I won't be doing any quilting - or reading - next week.

I'm also not crazy about google taking away what few comments I've received here on my blog... I guess I need to find out what happens to the comment when/if someone were to leave one now - time will tell - maybe.

take care...
ttyl...