No quilting

I've been laid up since Wednesday with severe pain in my leg (not the one that's due to have knee replacement right after Christmas, of course) and been hobbling around the house using a walker ever since.  Thank goodness my son has been coming over twice a day to check on me, walk my dog, and do whatever else I might need.

I bought some ribbon and fake berries a couple of weeks ago to spruce up my front door wreath. 

 Last night, I  removed the gold crinkly foil streamer bits along with a chain of formerly gold plastic beads. Today, my son trimmed the berry 'bush' and I set to work.

I still have some white flowers to hot glue back on, but that can wait another day or two (or even more).

Guess that's it for me...

Take care

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Time for stockings

I decided to send gift cards or maybe cash to our kids and a couple of grandsons for Christmas this year.  Not wanting to just stick them in a card, I started looking for something to make to hold the g.c.s/ cash.

I found a cute kit online, but soon realized that there was a LOT of hand sewing involved and I  wouldn't have them done in time for this year.

Then I found a cute idea for mini stockings.  I had to find a copyright free drawing of a stocking and then enlarge it.

Pretty easy to do....trace the stocking parts onto paper backed fusible web...fuse pieces to desired fabrics then cut out..  Then, fuse onto felt..  Cut the felt even with the cotton print then stitch close to the edge of the cuff ( no need to do the sides of the cuff as you'll do that later) and do the same to the inner edges of the heel and toe if you add them.

Next, you place the stocking onto another piece of felt and stitch around the stocking (except for the top of course) and trim around the stocking using pinking shears.
Six of the seven I want are done and stuffed with their goodies and ready to mail out next week.  The last one doesn't need to be done until Christmas Eve at the latest so I've got time.

I made a Christmas bow tie for my dog, Buddy a week or so ago, but it was just too big for him despite my cutting the required pieces smaller than the instructions called for.

It made me think of a circus clown.  He's going to have his pic taken with Santa tomorrow and NOT wearing a clown tie!  So, after I finished the 6 stockings, I  made another stab at making a smaller tie for him.

               Much better!

Speaking of Buddy, he's sitting here whining me...it's bedtime ( or so he thinks) so I guess I'd better end this for tonight.

And another one

Off my 'wanting to do' list

I bought two of these and might try to get the second one done before Christmas, but it all depends on how things go.

Next up on my list is a kit that I bought from Quilted Joy.

The red print is the backing.

And somewhere in my mess are two more panels that I ordered (can't remember who from though).  Not sure where they are.. looks like I'm going to have to do some cleaning :(...never mind, I found them...

And those two came from Bear Creek Quilting Company...and will have to wait until I get fabrics for borders, backing and binding.

When I found those two, I also found another kit

This one will definitely have to wait until the new year.  Hopefully, I'll be able to work on it while I'm recovering from my knee surgery.

Well, that's it for today.  I  didn't expect to do this much.

Take care

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I Did It!

After having issues with Mo'e, I  was able to deal with them and start quilting on the youngest daughter's bf's quilt.  

But then more issues came up....after crying out for Help on one of the fb groups I belong to, I  found that one of Moe's encoders had come unplugged.  Everything was going fine until I got to the last 'row'; when trying to baste the edge down, there was a BIG wrinkle/pleat.  After wetting it and letting it set overnight, it wasn't quite as bad, but it was still there.  I did manage to quilt most of it out.

Then I noticed that I  left a little too much on the top of the backing when I was laying the top down so when I got down to the bottom of the quilt, the top was about an inch longer than the backing.  So, when it came time to trimming, I did it so they were the same.

All I can say is "Better done than perfect" and I'm just glad it's done.  I'm sure he'll love it - imperfections and all.

The backing is fleece and I used 80/20 batting.

There was some scrap fabrics left from the top and so I made him a couple of mug rugs.

Now, maybe I'll get another one or two of my own tops quilted.  Just panels so it shouldn't take too long.

Ttyl

Here's the pic

And the backing fabric....

Off to knee camp and other errands.

Ttyl

Would you believe?!?!

Look! Mo'e is nekked! 

For the first time in MONTHS!  For five of those months, it held just one quilt waiting for me to finish it.

Tonight, it was finally finished!!!!  I'd do a happy dance if my legs weren't so stiff and sore.  I'll take another picture once the binding and label are on.

Tomorrow, I  hope to get a couple of things done before my son and I  attend 'knee camp' after dropping Buddy off at the groomers.  It's something they require before you have surgery on your knee - in my case, it's total knee replacement.

Sometime before the weekend, I  want to load another quilt top onto Mo'e...

the one for my youngest daughter's bf so it needs to be done and ready to ship out by the end of next week....which means I have to decide HOW I want to quilt the white strips.  If I  had more time, I  could consider outline stitching the letters RAIDERS in the white, but I  think it would take me too long :(.  It's for a guy, so I don't want to do feathers. Guess I'll have to check my books to see what I can find....

Ttyl.....

I've been busy (still)...

Since my last post, I finished my RSC2021 quilt top and it's been set aside in the waiting to be quilted line.

And then I started another quilt... this one is for my youngest daughter's bf/fiancé/partner/other half (not sure what to call him).  He's been after me to make him a Las Vegas Raiders quilt...EVERY chance he gets - online, in the background when I'm on the phone with her, etc.  I keep telling him "We'll see".  

I bought the themed fabric a few months ago, but hadn't decided on the pattern I was going to use so didn't buy other fabrics to go with it until last week when I had decided on the pattern (BQ6) and I found just the right 2nd fabric at our local quilt shop.  I needed a third fabric, but it was going to be white and I already had that at home.

I started cutting the pieces for the top on, I think it was Sunday, and had two blocks sewn by late Monday - and that's when I realized that I needed to figure out a different layout for some of the blocks so that the big squares were all facing the same direction.  Took a bit of time, but I figured it out.

Wednesday, I was able to sew all the blocks together into rows and yesterday, it became a quilt top.

There's not a lot of space for me to stand to get a good photo (old sewing/craft room that still needs to be de-cluttered) and the ground is wet so I'm not taking it outside for it's photo op.

I bought Raiders themed fleece for the backing and will use my usual Hobbs 80/20 batting.  I had enough of the themed fabric left over to make the binding and a couple of mug rugs.

Now, I just need to finish the quilt that's been on Mo'e 'forever' (since June) 

so that I can get this latest top quilted in time to send for Christmas.  Although, now that I'm thinking about it a little more, maybe I should just send the mug rugs for Christmas and then send the quilt later.  LOL

I've been busy

I'm finally feeling like doing 'something'.  First off, I made three pairs of these Jack Lantern mug rugs as surprise gifts for some neighbors.

Then it was on to this small wall hanging... 

Oh wait!  this table runner top was before the sheep wall hanging.  I just didn't get it quilted until after I did the wall hanging.  Used plenty of scraps but still have plenty left - we all know how that goes, don't we?

Then it was on to catching up on my RSC2021... the last I'd done was June, I think.  I had to add  3 extra blocks to make it larger ( and to use all of this year's colors)...

I still have an outer border to add... will probably do that tomorrow.

And here's my Buddy posing with his new November scarf that I just made for him.

Other things have been going on, but mainly just ordinary day to day 'stuff'.  Still trying to get things done around here so that my son can lay new flooring down, scrape the 'popcorn' off the ceilings and paint almost all the rooms in the house - I'm balking at letting him paint my new sewing room, which was the former formal living room ( I MAY change my mind later).

Ok, Buddy is all confused with this time change and thinks that as soon as it gets dark, it's time for me to go to bed ( so he can get his bedtime treat) and has been bugging me for about an hour now.  Guess I'll give in now and head to bed. 

Finally Finished

 delivered to the office where the recipient works.  I didn't get to see her open it, darn it all.  

I added pink and white faux chenille strips, which the pattern didn't call for; and I like it.

I ran out of the pink or I would have added more.

Finally

 Something to share.  It's still a WIP, which I hope to have finished before this next weekend.  Just need to sandwich and then quilt it - adding binding and label after that, of course.  I'm still considering adding faux chenille around the letters.

I've done a little bit of sewing since my last post but I don't think I've completed anything other than two more t-shirt quilt tops for our grandkids; they're waiting their turn on Mo'e.

Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

 I have been known to say that "closeness only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades".  I'm not playing horseshoes nor with hand grenades, but I am close to completing the 2nd top of the t-shirt quilts.

First, I'll show you the practice piece that came out so well that it can be used in another quilt... which one, I'm not sure.

And here is the actual block in the quilt top, which has been waiting for this before it gets sewn into a 'flimsy'.

I loaded a different quilt top onto Mo'e thinking that I could get it done before the  stenciling supplies arrived but it took me a couple of days to try and figure out HOW I wanted to quilt it.  Once I figured out HOW, I started but didn't last long - darned legs were hurting AGAIN arghhh!  I got one complete row done ( which is actually three rows done at the same time) and 2/3s of the second one done but then had to call it quits. That was the day before yesterday.

After I finish quilting the purple strips with purple thread, I'll go back and use the same quilting design on the white using white thread.  I have six more 'rows' to finish in the purple.

And that's it for now...  MAYBE by Sunday or Monday night, I'll be able to post that this quilt is off from Mo'e and that Molly's quilt top is loaded and ready to quilt.  MAYBE.

take care.....

STAY SAFE....

ttyl..

Two Steps forward then pause

 First, I have to give an update over the tiny red buttons that I need for the Bringing Home the Tree BOM from Shabby Fabrics. 

 I tried and tried to find replacement buttons for the ones I thought were missing - yes, thought... stay with me and I'll explain.  I couldn't find buttons small enough  so I took a chance and called Shabby Fabrics ( on Feb.24th) on the chance that they might have some 'left over' or that were being used on another of their projects.  In talking to the gal, who's name I've forgotten, I was told that the block with the candy canes had precut tiny circles of red for the holly - the buttons were just for the tree in the back of the pick up truck.  OOPS!!  I thought at first that I didn't get the precut circles, but she waited on the phone while I checked my kit leftovers ( Yes, I kept it all - just in case).  Oh yeah, they were there.

  Well, as I told her, the buttons are sewn on, the quilting is done and I'm not about to take those buttons off and replace them with itty bitty circles that would be next to impossible to machine stitch on.  So, she checked and, yes, they had some buttons that were similar.  She didn't tell me how much it would cost - and, at this point, I really didn't care. They arrived today!! $1.50 including postage.

So, the buttons will get added to the tree and I can call the quilt completely done.  Yay!

Now, back to the grandkids' t-shirt quilts....  First, I want to show what I added to the first one, which will go to Steven.

My original plan was to stencil a train locomotive on this block, but changed my mind this afternoon and tore a pocket off a pair of gpa's jeans and then cut one of his bandana handkerchiefs into quarters and folded it until it was like I wanted.  I stitched the bandana to the top of the pocket ( hidden by the bandana hangover) then I machine stitched the pocket to the block and the went back and hand stitched the sides of the bandana down.  the top of the pocket is open and so is the bottom (the pointed part) of the bandana.  It was easier to do than I thought it would be and I'm glad I did it.

The second t-shirt quilt is assembled into rows - well, the top and bottom rows are sewn, but the middle blocks are still in two blocks because I definitely want to do the locomotive on the white bandana block on this quilt - I'm just waiting for some spray stencil adhesive to arrive from Amazon.  I had looked for it over at Walmart, but didn't find exactly what I wanted and  I also had to order stencil paints from Amazon since I haven't used the ones I have in probably at least 10 years -- those are going into the trash.

Here's what I have so far.... this one will go to granddaughter, Molly.

While I'm waiting for the stencil spray to come ( should be Wed. or Thurs), I loaded a backing onto Mo'e and will finish loading batting and the top on tomorrow.  No photos right now - but I'm sure I'll include them in my next post.

Ok, dinner is calling....

take care...

ttyl.......

I DID IT FINALLY!

 I put my 'big girl panties' today and ignored all my excuses for not working on the quilt that's been on Mo'e for the past week.  It was so silly... I put a cd on my player and had the quilting and most of the trimming done before the cd was over.

This was one of my 'excuses' for not working on the quilt.  I've made t-shirt quilts before but I went around whatever the design was that was printed on the shirt(s).  There was no way that I could do that with this one - not and have it secure enough.

I don't know what I was so worried about... my needle went in and back out like it was normal cotton fabric - like 'a hot knife through butter'.

Here is the only problem I encountered... thread broke while I was trying to stitch and end at the corner.  (It's right over the i in Twins if you can't see it).

 

And, here it is completely done... this is our front porch/deck which was just enough room to lay it out for it's photo op.

And here's the label I printed out....

I'm in the process of cutting 5 1/2" cotton squares for two more t-shirt quilts (different pattern) - I need 81 for each - sigh.  Most probably I'll work on another t-shirt quilt top and cut more squares in between steps.  I think the next one I'll do will be with a BQ pattern.

Guess that's it for now...tomorrow, I have to pre-register for the new specialist I'm going to see on Tuesday afternoon.  I also have to find a pair of shorts to wear during the ultra sound and whatever other tests they want to do.  Wouldn't you know I threw out three pair of cutoff shorts just a week or so ago... isn't that the way it goes?!!?  I THINK I might have some in a donation box that hasn't been donated yet.  That's where I'll check first - if none there, I'll have to clear quilts out of the closet so that I can get to the summer clothes bin and hope there will still be a pair in there.

anywayyyyyyy....

take care....

ttyl....

Stalling

 I think that's what I'm doing anyway.  I finished the first t-shirt quilt top

It's not a very good photo... it's Feb in Michigan... not much chance of laying it on the grass and taking an overhead photo like I usually do... and I don't have my quilt holder (hubby) to hold them up inside for me.  Sooo, it is what it is.   

The top has been finished since the 7th and I have the backing and batting, so why haven't I loaded everything on to Mo'e and quilted it!??!  Well, for one thing, I don't know HOW I want to quilt it.  And, for another thing, I can't find ( imagine that!) the roll of fabric that I use to print photos/labels on, so ordered a new roll today but it won't be here until next week.  Let's see, what other excuse can I come up with?  Well, I can't do it today because I went and got groceries yesterday when there wasn't an 'amigo' available so I used a 'normal' cart and between doing that, unloading the groceries into the car and then onto our deck and then into the house - and my back and legs have been moaning and groaning ever since.  I couldn't even walk Buddy in the afternoon.  This morning wasn't quite so bad, but I'm still not up to standing to load Mo'e.

AND, I finally figured out what to do with the really blank spaces on some of the t-shirts... like the block in the middle that says Grandpa Rocks.  I found a train locomotive stencil on ebay that I can use in those spaces.  He LOVED trains, especially the older steam engine ones.  I already have stencil paints and brushes.  While I'm waiting for the stencil to arrive, I can practice on some of the tshirt scraps and one of the stencils I already have.

I finally broke down and ordered some doll buttons from Amazon so that I can finish up that Christmas time quilt that I was working on before I started the t-shirt quilts.  The reds in the assortment are not the same shade as the ones provided with the quilt kit, but I can mix them in and they should be fine.  All that's left is the Christmas tree so I can use three of  original buttons and three of the replacements... it should work out.

I also received a replacement for one of my Janomes.. I felt my sewing chair not gliding like it should one day last week, but couldn't see anything.  I found it the next morning... I had run over and cracked the plastic on the foot.  I did use some glue to join it back on and it looks ok, but I thought I'd better get a new one - just in case. It's the satin stitch foot and I use it a LOT, not just for satin stitching but also for blanket stitching.   I couldn't find a model # ( never thought to look on the BACK of the machine DUH).. just knew that it was a Quilter's Companion/Marie Osmand edition, so I kind of guessed and placed my order.  The one on top is the one they sent me.

It came within just a very few days ( from Tennessee) and that's when I realized it was the WRONG one.. wider than mine, so I called them and they were very nice and helped me find the model # and said they would send me the correct one - I got it today ( I think I called Tuesday)- and the wrong one was sent back for a refund yesterday.

And I have been doing a little sorting and moving things from my old sewing room... not a lot, but I'm not in a rush and a little at a time is working so far.  I'm still trying to get things better organized out here in the new sewing room - not as easy a task as one would think it would be.

Sooo, I guess I'd better quit stalling and get to working on SOMETHING.  My friend, Marnie, says "work on something even if it's the wrong thing" - lol.

take care....

Stay safe....

ttyl......

T-shirt quilts

 I don't know if I posted before about making the t-shirt quilts from my late husband's t-shirts (99! of them), but that's what I'm doing with the intention that there will be one each for several of our grandkids.  Not ALL of the grandkids will get one, mainly because they weren't all that close to him. I'm planning on making eight at this point; I may be able to make more depending on how many shirts I use for each quilt.

I'm making them to be approximately 60" x 60" and this first one will be made up of nine 19" blocks - 3 x 3.  I'm debating on making the ninth/center block from something other than a t-shirt front; I've been considering several possibilities such as printing a photo of Grandpa or maybe just his name onto a cotton square and then adding strips around the block until it's the size I need.  Or, I could use one of his bandana handkerchiefs... or even work something out around one of his white handkerchiefs that has his initial on it.... Decisions, decisions.

Ok, anyway, here's some photos of yesterday's work.... I was trying to make 'shadow' blocks from memory..

Obviously, my memory wasn't working all that great.  I know there was a quilt I saw where the squares looked like they were floating and the piecer joined the two strips end to end like in the first photo, but I couldn't find it when I went looking for the photo.. so on to attempt #2... Nope, still not quite right....

Finally, got it... found a photo of a string quilt that I made for charity where I had a 'shadow' for each block and realized what I needed to do.

The next two went a lot easier and faster....

The gray that I'm using is a light medium shade ( which means it's darker than it shows in the pic).  I knew that since most of his shirts are either black or dark/navy blue, using black for the shadow wasn't going to work.

The weather here is predicted to be bitter cold over the next few days so I went and got groceries last night so that I can hunker down and just sew ( as long as we have power- KNOCK ON WOOD).  My only reason to go outside is to walk Buddy and I have a feeling he's not going to want to be out any longer than absolutely necessary - and I completely understand.

take care....

STAY WARM/SAFE...

ttyl......