Tuesday, June 30, 2015

June Accomplishments


Not many, but ....


April UFO #32 animal panel (7)
test table runner
Black & Bright
dolphin pillow
Texas Badges quilt

Not quilty, but funny

Received this today and I just had to share.  Hope you get a chuckle out of it.

Hello -- I  have questions!
  
                         
Why  isn't the number 11 pronounced  onety-one?
           
 If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhea...does that mean that one out of five enjoys  it?
               
  Why do croutons come in airtight packages?
Aren't  they just stale bread to begin with?
                      
If people from Poland are called Poles, then why aren't people from Holland called  Holes?

 If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?
                   
 Why is  a person who plays the piano called a pianist, but a person who drives a race car is not called a racist?
         
If it's true that we are here to help  others, then what exactly are the others here for?

If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen  defrocked, then doesn't it follow that electricians  can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners  depressed?
       
Do Lipton Tea employees take 'coffee breaks?'
                                            
What  hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald  men?
                       
I  thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks, so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use, Toothpicks?
               
Why do  they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them?  Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?
                        
Is it true that you never really learn to swear until you learn to drive?
                        
If a cow laughed, would milk come out of her nose?
                       
Whatever happened to Preparations A through G?
******
Why,  Why, Why do we press  harder on the remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak?

Why do banks charge a fee due to insufficient funds; when they already know you're broke?

Why is it that when  someone tells you that there are one billion stars in the universe you believe them, but if they tell you there is wet paint you have to touch it to check?

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?

Why did Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Whose cruel idea was it to put an "s" in the word "lisp"?

If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?

Why is it that, no matter what color bubble bath you use, the bubbles are always white?

Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?

Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?

Why do people run over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it and then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?

How do those dead bugs get into the enclosed light fixtures?

Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?

Why, in winter, do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

Do you  ever wonder why you gave me your e-mail address in the first  place?

And A FAVORITE:
The statistics on sanity say that one  out of every four persons is suffering from some sort of mental  illness. Think of your three best friends.
If they're OK..? (then it's  you!)

~

REMEMBER, A day without  a smile is like a day without  sunshine!
                   
 And a  day without sunshine is,  like...........night!!!!

Now, stop laughing long enough to forward this onto somebody else who could also use a good chuckle!!

Monday, June 29, 2015

Lovely Year of Finishes -- Road Quilt

I love these road quilts for little boys.
So, this is the road quilt.
The borders are already cut, if I decide to go with what is in there.
Time will tell.
This will be my Lovely Year of Finishes.
I am needing to wait until the first 7 days of July to post what I'm working on.

Texas Badges Quilt

Besides having camera problems, here is a photo of the Texas Badges Quilt.
This is for me. :)
Used almost 6 yards of fabric and was all out of stash.
Thanks to Linda Lou for the embroidery.
I will enjoy this for a long time to come.
Another wonderful UFO that is done.

Design Wall


well, my design wall has not changed this week.
I was working on finishing something rather than planning it.

Check out the other design walls on Judy's site.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Texas Badges Quilted

It is quilted.
I trimmed it ready for the binding.
Tomorrow morning I'll attach the binding.


Texas Badges quilt

Started quilting, but I think I don't have enough batting.
Doing my swirls and then the inside of embroidery to help with the consistency.

Stash Report

Judy has us keep track of what our stash is doing.

Used this Week:                              7.14 yards
Used year to Date:                      258.70 yards
Used this Month (June)                 28.38 yards
Added this Week:                            0.00 yards
Added Year to Date:                     69.75 yards
Goal:                                                300 yards
Yards to goal:                                41.30 yards
Yards to quilt goal:                       46.25 yards
Net Used in quilts 2015:            153.76 yards 

A couple of other fun facts are:

Prairie Moon is doing a 350 blocks challenge this year:
Number of equivalent blocks:              546

Perimeter in inches                               7319
Number of UFOs finished this year:        35
UFO Yardage Used                                     103.27
Amount of yardage used in UFOs              67%

Go look at the rest of the blog to see all the items.

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Stashbuster Numbers

The numbers for this month are:
 #12 -- Basket block.  This is a block that I was not yet skilled enough to do.  I want to try it again and see if I've improved.

#83 -- Misc 12" blocks.  This would be my orphan block pile in the 12" size.  I have a couple of fun settings to try.

Cabinet loaded

They are all back in their places.
I really need to use more Christmas fabrics.
I will take some for borders on the Christmas tree UFO.
I have a number of wide backs, second shelf from the top.
My blues and whites are overflowing.
Guess you know what background I use most. 


Saturday

Spent the morning with DD saying goodbye to Blue.
He is having lots of trouble and won't be with us on earth for much longer. 
Shelves are repaired.
We are not sure why the back wall is pulling away, but DH fixed them to me.

Now the task of loading them up again.

Friday, June 26, 2015

Special Reach

We had our event with Special Reach today.
All those pillows and pillow forms were put into use.
I was told there were about 28 people registered.
I made 40 pillows.
We used 39 pillows.

It was a good day.
12 yards of fabric used.

I delivered two boxes of magazines to my chiropractor's receptionist.

I cleaned up the studio.
Desk is presentable and fabric is put away, except for the stuff on the shelves that have not been fixed yet.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Prairie Moon Organizational Challenge

I love that I have someone to hold me somewhat accountable, I appreciate Prairie Moon for keeping at this. 
Last week was magazines.
I really thought I had gone through all of mine.
No such luck.
Unloading the book shelves found many more.
I am not done, but I've gone through MANY MANY MANY magazines.
I will keep at it and see if I can possible get this done by the end of July.

This week, we are to

Make a list

This is my thing...
All my friends know I'm the queen of lists.
What lists do I have right now?
1. UFOs
2. Quilts to be made
3. Things to do for the week
4.  Things to do today
5. Books
6. CDs
etc

I think the list I'm going to work on is what am I taking on my week long personal retreat.
I'll be by myself and can sew and nap to my heart's content.
I know I'll take more than I need, but that is the fun of it.

To start it
1. Monkey n' Round UFO
2. Harley quilt UFO
3. Baby Clothing 2.5" square quilt UFO
4. Christmas Tree UFO
5. Charm square tote bag UFO
6. Pink HST
7. Test Quilt
8. Ann's 2009 NYE Mystery
9. Embroidery blocks
10. Western sunset



Dolphin pillow

I wanted green and purple. 
The purple is on the outside. 
 I decided to randomly add in some green to get the amount I needed to go around the pillow, since I didn't have more of the blue the dolphins we embroidered on.

kiddos being silly at the bottom of the stairs.
I think she likes the pillow.

Update

This week's to do list

A2 Finish T-shirt quilt
Make the backing
Quilt
Bind
Angels top
Make the backing
Dolphin pillow
Finish the pillow.
A1 Special Reach project
Make 40 pillows - done
Make 40 pillow forms - done
Make 3 more color guard pillows
Work on Texas badges quilt
Center is done.
Backing is done.
Quilt
Bind

Pillows are done

I was so tired last night that I couldn't deal with stuffing pillows into bags.  LOL
So, I tossed them down the stairs and DD put them in bags for me.
Thank you for the two wonderful kiddos that helped me stuff.
We got the stuffing done in less than 2 hours.
Everything is ready except for the things I can't get ready yet.
I'm a day early.
:)

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Next step

I finished making the pillow forms, or at least the outside.
40 pillow pockets. 
What's left in my stash of batting. 
After cutting up lots of batting.
I guess I need to change my blade and clean up my mat.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

pillow forms

It's hard to tell, but these are 10 pillow forms made out of batting. 
I should have taken a before photo of the batting to see the difference once I've made 40, 30 more, pillow forms.
This was up to the table top.
I'll be using the stuff I use in dog beds and such to stuff the pillow forms, along with smaller pieces of batting.
I might actually make a dent in some of the small stuff.
It takes time stitching it together, but I'm happy to be using it for a good cause.

Pillows done

This week's to do list

A2 Finish T-shirt quilt
Make the backing
Angels top
Make the backing
Dolphin pillow
Finish the pillow.
A1 Special Reach project
Make 40 pillows - done
Make 40 pillow forms -
Make 3 more color guard pillows
Work on Texas badges quilt
Center is done.
Backing is done.

The Texas Sunset

I had my back to my window and looked when I turned around.
I saw a beautiful sunset
It is much redder in person.
Just thought I'd share.

Group impacts

How do certain groups impact my actions?
Stashbusters is a yahoo group that helps you use your stash rather just buying for buying.
When they had the no buy program, you could legally buy backing, borders and backgrounds.
I went on no buy for two years and then went on the low buy method.
How did tracking what I used and brought in help?
I started in December 2006
2006       14.54
2007     211.73
2008     151.81
2009       54.81
2010     109.15
2011     195.01
2012     223.52
2013       97.92
2014     204.19
Total   1262.68

Not a bad usage of fabric in 9 years.
The only scary part of that is you can hardly see any impact to my stash. :(
But, I have many more years of fabric that I'll be able to use.
My style has changed to more scrappy than anything, and that is good with the stash I have.

My sampler society has been helping me use orphan blocks for 3 years.
We have a UFO challenge going on for the last two years and I've finished at least a dozen quilts.

I think the accountability of the groups helps me with staying focused on what I want to accomplish.

I like the on line friendships and help.
When I'm lost at what to do, there is someone that has been there before to help me.



pillows

It works.
I need to figure out how to get the pillow form in.
I'm using batting and extra pieces.

Monday, June 22, 2015

Design Wall

Judy at Patchwork Times has us show what is on the design wall.
Mine is limited this Monday.
 I have pillows to finish making
I have name snowflakes.
These are the #50 UFO for stashbuster.
They started out to be ornaments.
I'm not sure if they will become ornaments or something else.
Time will tell. 
I'm working on the backing of the T-shirt quilt.
Pillows are the priority today.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Stash Report

Judy has us keep track of what our stash is doing.

Used this Week:                             15.19 yards
Used year to Date:                      251.56 yards
Used this Month (June)                   21.24 yards
Added this Week:                             0.00 yards
Added Year to Date:                        69.75 yards
Goal:                                               300 yards
Yards to goal:                                48.44 yards
Yards to quilt goal:                       53.39 yards
Net Used in quilts 2015:                146.61 yards 

A couple of other fun facts are:

Prairie Moon is doing a 350 blocks challenge this year:
Number of equivalent blocks:              524

Perimeter in inches                               7175
Number of UFOs finished this year:        35
UFO Yardage Used                                     102.12
Amount of yardage used in UFOs              70%

Go look at the rest of the blog to see all the items.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Special Reach pillow

I'm running a "quilting" booth at the Special Reach summer program on Friday.
I am going to have them color on muslin and I'll bring it home to make into a quilt.

But, then I thought they should be able to bring something home with them.
I am making pillows that have the muslin in the center to allow them to color.
I'll heat set them and they can take them home.

I have cut 20 pillows and sewn these two.
I want to get the cutting done and then just assembly line sew them.
Might get DD involved in ironing them after they are turned.

One I tried it to see if it would work and it does with the already constructed pillow.

I'm using some novelty fabrics that I have in my stash to put them together.

After I get those 35 pillows constructed, I need to make the pillow forms out of leftover batting.
I think if I use the warm and natural, I'll be able to stuff them with fiberfill and the small pieces I use for dog beds.

This will be a win win for me because I'll use some stash and some leftover batting stash.

Procrastination

I wanted to get this one done.
Top is done.  That upper corner is again a problem, but it is not going to be changed.
I will quilt it in a brown.
I need to find a backing for it.

The rest of the day will be spent working on the pillows or the T-shirt quilt.

To do List for the week

Last week's to do list.
I made progress, but....

T-shirt quilt started
Top is together, now to make the backing & quilt it.
Angels top
Borders are on, need to find a backing.
Dolphin pillow
Finish the pillow.
Borders on 6" block
Ready to quilt after making the backing.
Borders on 6" block
Ready to quilt after making the backing.
Quilt Bright and Black
DONE

This week's to do list

A2 Finish T-shirt quilt
Angels top
Make the backing
Dolphin pillow
Finish the pillow.
A1 Special Reach project
Make 30 pillows
Make 3 more color guard pillows
Work on Texas badges quilt

The 30 pillows have to be done by Friday, so I don't have much choice there.
I plan to get the novelty fabrics out and just make the pillows.
There will be a muslin center to allow for crayon art.

Friday, June 19, 2015

My western badge quilt


I am putting the horseshoe fabric on either side of the alternate strips.
I'll fill in on the opposite corners with the horseshoe fabric.
I'm enjoying this quilt process.
This is my lovely year of finishes quilt.

The sewing lawyer

A speech on quilting

As you know, I'm a lawyer when I'm not sewing (or knitting). As such, I subscribe at work to e-mails that tell me of the latest decisions of the important courts here in Canada. There is one such e-mail prepared weekly by a local law firm. I always scroll to the end where, after the serious stuff, there is a section titled "Last Word". Today, it was about a speech given at a conference on quilting (Quilt Canada 2010) by Allan Fradsham, a criminal court judge in Calgary, Alberta, where the conference was held.

Here's the text. It's long but amusing, and so worth a read:


“When, some years ago, Gloria told me that she was going to build upon her years of sewing experience, and take up "quilting", I thought she was telling me that she was going to take up a new hobby or a new craft.  I was completely oblivious to the fact that what she was really announcing was that she was taking up membership in a tightly knit (if you'll pardon the expression) group of individuals whose loyalty to one another makes motorcycle gang members seem uncommitted, and whose passion for quilting activities makes members of cults look positively disinterested.  As is the case with many spouses, I was completely unaware that there existed this parallel universe called quilting. 

However, to be completely unaware of a world-wide sub-culture operating right under our noses and in our homes is a bit obtuse even for husbands.  But there it is, and here you are.  And, most oddly, here I am.  You might wonder how all this came to pass; I know I certainly do.

I cannot now identify what was the first clue I detected indicating that Gloria had entered the fabric world equivalent of Harry Potter's Hogwarts.  It might have been the appearance of the fabric.  Bundles of fabric, mounds of fabric, piles of fabric, towering stacks of fabric.  Fabric on bolts, and stacks of small squares of fabric tied up in pretty ribbons (I later learned these were "fat quarters" which to this day sounds to me like a term out of Robin Hood).  The stuff just kept coming into the house as thought it were endless waves crashing onto a beach. And then, just like the waves, the most amazing thing happened: it would simply disappear.  It was as though the walls of the house simply absorbed it.  Metres and metres (or as men of my generation would say, yards and yards) of fabric would come into the house.  It would arrive in Gloria's arms when she returned from a shopping excursion.  It would arrive in the post stuffed in postal packs so full that they were only kept together by packing tape (these overstuffed Priority Packs are the equivalent of me trying to fit into pants I wore in law school).  These packages would arrive having been shipped from unheard of towns and villages in far away provinces or states or overseas countries (I am convinced the internet's primary activity is not to be found in pornography; that is just a ruse, the internet's real function is to facilitate the trafficking and distribution of fabric).  Wherever we went, be it in Canada, the U.S., Europe, wherever there was a collection of more than three houses, Gloria would find a quilt shop from which she would pluck some prize from some bin with the enthusiasm and unerring eye of an archaeologist finding a new species of dinosaur.

And of course, the reason that there are quilt shops everywhere is because there are quilters everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE.  A few years ago, Gloria had been visiting her sister-in-law in Kelowna.  While there, she found and purchased a Featherweight sewing machine.  I understand that making such a find is a matter of such joy that it may eventually attract government taxation.  When it came time to fly back to Calgary, Gloria worried about what the people at airport security would have to say when she tried to take the machine onto the plane.  She need not have been concerned.  Now, airport security takes pride in preventing me from carrying onto a plane a small squirt of toothpaste left in a rolled up toothpaste tube if the tube in which it is lodged did at some point in the distant past, contain a prohibited amount of toothpaste.  My spot of toothpaste is a national security threat.  However, when it came time for Gloria to go through security with the Featherweight, which is made of metal and has needles in secret compartments, airport security came to a standstill.  Why?  Were they about to confiscate the machine, and detain the person who dared to try to board with it?  Of course not.  They gathered around it in awe and admiration, asking Gloria questions about where she had found it, and expressing admiration for her good fortune in finding it.  And why did Gloria get such warm treatment when I am shunned for trying to maintain some degree of oral hygiene?  Well, the answer is obvious; the assembled airport security staff were all quilters, complete with the secret handshake.

Maybe I should have twigged to what was happening when the washing of all this fabric led to having to replace our washing machine, which was clearly not designed for such industrial use.  Now, let me pause here.  I understand that there is an intense debate within your world about whether or not fabrics should be washed upon purchase.  I do not wish to be caught in any cross-fire between the two camps, for all I know, as an outsider, I may not be authorized to even know of the controversy.  I do suspect that if men were making the decision, quilting would involve  lot less fabric washing and a lot more beer drinking. 

I did eventually discover where all the fabric went.  It went into drawers, cupboards, shelves, and, eventually it completely filled up a closet, which took up one full wall in Gloria's newly built "sewing room".  What we now call Gloria's "sewing room", we used to call "the basement".

I have discovered that one of the art forms mastered by quilters is the ability to purchase container loads of fabric, conceal it in the house, and camouflage the purchase so that it slips right under the nose of the unsuspecting spouse.  As a loving and obedient spouse, I have on many occasions found myself in quilt stores where I serve two useful functions: I can reach bolts of fabric stored on top shelves; and I can carry numerous bolts of fabric to a cutting table.  However, I have also started to listen to what is said in quilting stores, and one day, in a little quilting shop in the heart of Alberta farming country, I heard something that made it clear to me that quilters are so clever and, dare I say, devious, that there is really no sport for them in fooling we naive husbands.  Gloria had decided to buy some fabric (which is similar to saying that Gloria had decided to breathe), and had gone to the till to pay for it.  Upon running through Gloria's charge card, the clerk quietly said, "Now, when you get your credit card statement, don't be alarmed when you see an entry for our local feed store.  We run our charges under that name so that if a husband looks at the credit card statements, he will think that the entry is just something he bought at the feed store for the farm".  That sort of financial shell game would make Goldman Sachs proud.  I knew at that moment that there had been a major and probably irrevocable shift in the world's power structure.  I concede it is basically over for the non-quilting husband. 

As you have been told, I sit as a criminal law judge, and as such I often find myself sitting on drug trials, or  issuing search warrants in relation to drug investigations.  I must say that the more I learned about the quilting world, the more I started to see similarities between that world and the drug world.  It has caused me some concern.

We all interpret events from our own perspectives using the lessons we have learned through life.  When I saw the extent to which Gloria's collection of fabric was growing, I began to worry.  In the law relating to drugs, the amount of a drug one has in one's possession is an important factor in determining the purpose for which the person has the drug.  For example, if a person is in possession of crack cocaine (to use a drug with an addictive power equivalent to fabric), one look at the amount of crack the person possessed.  If the amount exceeds the amount one would realistically possess for personal use, then one may reasonably draw the inference that the purpose of the possession is not personal use, but, rather, it is for the purpose of trafficking the drug.  So, you can imagine what I thought when I saw Gloria's collection of fabric grow to a point where she readily admitted that she could never use all that fabric in several lifetimes.  I reluctantly concluded that I was married to a very high-level fabric trafficker.  Mind you, in order to qualify as a trafficker, one does have to part with fabric, and I see very little evidence of that happening. 

In fact, the more I thought about the parallels between the quilting culture and the drug culture, the clearer the similarities became.  Consider the jargon.  I have learned that this vast collection of fabric, which is stored in our house, is a "stash".  Well, drug dealers speak of their "stash" of drugs.  Gloria speaks of doing "piece" work.  In the drug world there are often people who bring together the crack cocaine dealer and the buyer; think of a real estate agent, but not as well dressed, through perhaps somewhat less annoying.  Those people speak of breaking off a "piece" of crack as payment for bringing the parties together.  Sounds to me like a type of "piece work".  Those who transport drugs are often called "mules"; I have frequently heard Gloria refer to me as her mule when I am in a quilt store carrying stacks of fabric bolts (or did she says I was stubborn as a mule?).  Well, it was something about mules.  And I should think that this whole conference is a testimony to the addictive qualities of quilting.

In my role as a Sherpa, I have accompanied Gloria on various quilting expeditions, and I have been impressed by many things.  One is, as I have mentioned, that no matter where one goes, there will be a quilt store.  The proliferation of quilt shops makes Starbucks outlets seem scarce.  One day Gloria led me into a hardware store, which seemed odd to me, that is until I discovered that, as I walked towards the back of the store, the store had become a quilt shop.  The metamorphosis was extraordinary, and very crafty (if you will pardon the pun).  At that moment, I knew how Alice felt as she followed that rabbit down the rabbit hole.  Suddenly, one was in a different universe.  

Another thing I have learned is that the operators of quilt shops have great business acumen.  In one of Gloria's favourite shops, upon entry I am greeted by name and offered a cup of coffee.  If the grandson is with us, he is allowed to choose a book to take home.  It is all so friendly that I don't even notice that I cannot see over the growing pile of fabric bolts which fill my arms.  I wish that my doctor did such a good job of distracting me when it is time to do a prostate exam. 

I have learned that quilting is both international in scope and generous in spirit.  I have learned that quilters are quick to assist those in need, and that they have always been prepared to stand up for what is right.  For example, I think of Civil War quilts, which often conveyed messages about the Underground railway for slaves escaping to Canada.  I think of the One Million Pillowcase Challenge, and the Quilts of Valour project.  At one point, I thought of suggesting the creation of an organization akin to "Doctors Without Borders", but decided that an organization called "Quilts Without Borders" would indeed be illogical. 

And of course, there are the resultant quilts.  We have quilts throughout the house.  They adorn beds, chesterfields, the backs of chairs.  They are stacked on shelves, they are stored in drawers, they are shoved under beds, they are hung on walls.  There is even one on the ceiling of the sunroom.  They compete for any space not taken up with the fabric, which will eventually result in more quilts.  I live in a cornucopia, which disgorges quilts instead of produce.  I have decided that quilts are the zucchini of crafts.  But who can complain?  Quilt seriously, each one is a work of art, and an instant family treasure.  While family members and friends are delighted to receive them, I churlishly begrudge seeing them go out the door.

Though I tease Gloria about the all-consuming nature of her obsession, I am constantly amazed at the skill necessary to create those works of art.  I stand in awe as I watch her do the mathematics necessary to give effect to (or correct) a pattern.  When she quilts, she combines the skill of an engineer, a draughtsman, a seamstress, and an artist.  Her sewing machines require her to have, as she does, advanced computer and mechanical skills.  She knows her sewing machines as well as any Hell's Angel knows his Harley.  She uses measuring and cutting tools and grids, which would challenge the talents of the best land surveyors.

In short, I am very proud of what Gloria does, as each of you should be proud of your own skills and creations.  They are impressive and very evident at this Conference.  On behalf of those of us who wouldn't know a binding from a batting, I simply ask that when you finally and formally announce that have already taken over the world that you find some simple tasks for us to do to justify our existence.  You might call those tasks... the QUILT PRO QUO.

Gloria and I very much appreciate your warm hospitality this evening.

In closing, the hotel management has asked me to remind you that those found cutting up the table cloths for quilting fabric will have their rotary cutters confiscated and forfeited to the Crown.”

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Fixed

I like it better with the darker block.
I think I am leaning towards the horseshoes by themselves.
I think keeping it simple is the best.
Tomorrow I'll trim the embroidery blocks to 9" and then sew it all together.

Samm's quilt


Samm is a new quilter and this is an amazing quilt for a new quilter.
When I went to load it, the backing is barely bigger than the top.
So, Samm had to come and get the backing to make it larger to allow me to quilt it the right way.
This is so pretty.

Texas Cowboy crests quilt

After making the alternate blocks, I think that top left corner is too light.
So, I am going to make another one with darker fabric.
I now need to determine what borders I want to use.
This is mine, so I need to make it so I like it.
I know I want the horseshoes in there somewhere

Best laid Plans

Well, I was pulling blue fabric and having trouble getting it back in where it just came from.
I noticed that the back of the shelf above it was falling down.
See the top shelf is now touching the next shelf once the fabric was out. 
This is where my Christmas fabric & specialty fabric was.
Maybe I have too much Christmas fabric???? 
Maybe all that "other" fabric was too much for the shelf?
This is the fabric that the shelf was encroaching on.
I'm going to have to unload all the shelves.

This is the only cabinet that has given up problems in the past.
DH is going to fix it for me.

Prairie Moon organization challenge

Prairie Moon has us working together for accountability.

This week has us 

Work on organizing your magazines or books

I've been going through my books and magazines along with all the other things we have worked on.
These are the patterns I need to organize and decide to keep or not.
I thought I was close to getting through my magazines and wouldn't you know it, I found more downstairs.

We are re-carpeting our front room and that is where all my other books are.
These are both quilting and non-quilting books.
I am moving them off the shelving and will go through them before they are put back on the shelves.
This will take more than a week because they don't carpet until 30 Jun 15.
Maybe I will start the culling process before then.
I also need to put the magazines I've decided to keep up on the shelf.
I don't like to climb without someone being around, so they are neatly in magazine files ready to go on the top shelf.
Maybe I can get my DS to do it for me?

One goal I want to do is to actually challenge myself to using some of the patterns I've marked.



Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Progress Report

I'm still working on the magazines.
I only have a few more to go.
Then I have these "idea" pages I need to go through and decide if I want to keep them. 
T-shirt quilt has one more column to sew together.
Lots of shirts, lots of memories.
I will be putting a cotton border on it for stability in quilting. 
Baby clothing squares.
I am still working on them as leader/enders.
They are going down and I'm feeling good about this.
I still have more to cut out.
It takes a whole day 10 - 3 of cutting to get one gallon baggie half full.
Lots of time went into this one.
I think I finally thought of a good setting.
I had the idea of courthouse steps.
I have done too many of them and decided I didn't want to do them again.
I thought about double irish chain.
Decided it was too fussy.
I had a pattern for a star with the embroidery in the center and pinwheels as alternate blocks.
No, too fussy.
I am just going to border a nickle charm with scrappy 2.5" strips.
I think I want each block to be the same fabric, but other than that, anything brown goes.
I used this horseshoe fabric in a table runner that I use in the family room.
I think this is going to be my quilt for the family room recliner.
I'm excited and love the idea.
Now to cut 7 more center squares.


Tuesday, June 16, 2015

T-shirt progress

I have two more smaller pieces to get to a 12" piece.
Next will be to determine how to adjust for the length.
I might be about 1.5" off.
It is getting closer.