Spring Break Sewing-Days 2 & 3

Day 2 was spent mostly lounging around. Striped pants were cut out and sewn up. After a final fitting, Taylor didn't like them. They fit funny (she always wears jeans) and the legs were too wide. They made her feel like a clown.

So Day 2 evening was spent lovingly with the seam ripper. I took everything apart except for the back center seam. Brought back memories of Aunt Sharon telling me if it isn't right, I need to take it apart and redo it. I really miss my Aunt Sharon.

Day 3 brought out a different pattern and I re-cut the pants and sewed them up to a perfect fit. Elliot and Maemae were here during the sewing so it took quite a while to get them sewn. But I got it done. Just in time for the hat model to try them on. She is so funny! I'm glad there is more than enough fabric left over to make her a pair or 2.

After they left, I got busy and sewed up Taylor's peasant top. I think it looks very cute with the striped pants. And she must too because once she put them on for her model shots, she hasn't taken them off.

I think before bed tonight, I am going to sew up a quilt block and the very last seam on the backing for the deer quilt. I think...or go in the hot tub...or both.

Edit: Quilt block is done, backing is done, hot tub is done and now I am done! This has been an awesome day!

Spring Break Sewing-Day 1

Miss Taylor is on Spring Break. With Mom and Dad both working, she is going to spend the week with Gramma. We are going to sew.

Yesterday we went to JoAnn's to get some fun fabrics. We needed fabric for pajama shorts and pants, spring and summer shorts and short pants, tops and I think we got one piece to make a skirt.

After dinner, we cut out the pajama shorts and Taylor learned to use the serger. Gramma sewed in the elastic and hem. Sometimes you just want your pj shorts done so you can put them on, model them and go to bed.

Today's fun will be some cool striped short pants and a paisley top. We'll share photos when the outfits are finished.

I love teaching my grand-kids to sew! While she is still snuggled down in bed, I am going in to finish the back to my deer quilt.

Design Wall Monday

I am having a heck of a time with the backing for the deer quilt! It's just me, I think I still have Yuckiness brain or Nyquil brain or OMG my focus has slipped!!! Yip, that's it, my focus has slipped!

Here's the sad, pitiful story! I wanted to use up the last of the deer panels in the backing. So I framed it up to make it 12 1/2". Then I had the little rail blocks left over so I used them to frame up a couple of the bigger leftover chunks of the small deer print. Then I remembered I had cut pieces off another big print so I got those and framed them to size. I laid them all out, carefully calculating to get my filler pieces the right size so my length measured 88". Then I start to sew my block strip to my big piece of fabric, get almost halfway sewn and smack myself right in the middle of the forehead!

I forgot all about my extra fabric needed for the longarm and my careful calculations were now a waste of somewhat good brain matter. I took the block strip off, laid everything out on the bed, laid the top centered against the block strip and mark which pieces have to be moved where. Got that all sewn together and notice the bottom piece on the block strip has a seam was just about where the bottom of the quilt will hit it. So out comes the seam ripper and off comes the bottom 2 pieces. Directional fabric means I have to take the those 2 pieces apart and switch them to keep the seam away from the binding. I was done for the night and this is how I left the back so I will remember this morning how to fix it.

Send me positive vibes, I still have 2 more pieces of fabric to sew together for the final strip of the backing. I think I am getting out the tape measure again just to triple check the numbers. My seam ripper is tired!

Head over to Judy L's to see what others are working on. I love Mondays!

Stash Report 3.28.10

I love Debbie Mumm designs! I haven't made one for a long time and now I want to go in and start one right now but I won't.

I think I'm over the Yuckiness of last week so my numbers this week look darn good. I finished the deer quilt top and have the backing almost complete. Since I wanted this quilt to be finished last week, I think that will be my focus today. That and the laundry.

I've spent the last few days being head babysitter while Crystal and Mike work on their new house. You get so much more done when Gramma has the kiddos and let me tell you after a few hours with them, I sleep like a baby at night!

Here's this weeks stash report. I wonder if I can hit 100 yards used by May 1st!

Used this Week: 12.5 yards
Used Year to Date: 69 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 45.25 yards
Net Used for 2010: 23.75

Go over to Judy L's to see how others are doing with their stash.

Yuckiness!

I've been side lined with the nastiest cold I think I've ever had! Yuck!!! I've had a few colds over the years but this one took me out. Monday afternoon I started to sneeze and cough. Allergies? Cold? I didn't know, but by Tuesday morning I was out of it.

So my deer quilt was put on hold. I have the last 2 borders to put on. I went in today and the top and bottom of 2. There is no way I can sit there and concentrate on a pieced border. It's all sewn together but the block must line up and it wasn't working so I gave up.

I have girlie movies that I've recorded and I can't even concentrate on those. Good thing HGTV is always available. Hopefully tomorrow will bring about better things. Until then, I need a cup of tea and a cookie. I don't have any cookies. :(

Design Wall Monday

This is the quilt I am doing for Hubby's hunting club fund raiser. All the pieces are safely cut now and it's going together fairly fast. The kit is called Safe Haven.

My project today will be to get the top finished and the backing made so I can quilt it tomorrow and stitch the binding down on Wednesday.

I hope people buy tickets for this. I know we plan to! Wouldn't it be great if after all the work, I get to own the quilt!

Go over to Judy L's, see her design wall and then enjoy what everyone else is doing.

Stash Report 3.21.10

I have done no sewing since Tuesday! BOM blocks and blocks to finish the Sunny Lanes quilt are all I've sewn.

I started cutting the kit to make the hunting club's quilt. Fabric 2 is directional. I didn't follow the directions, I ordered new fabric to replace that and I ordered the backing fabric. Then fabric 7 had lots of different cuts. When I started to cut for the 3rd dimensions, I skipped to fabric 8 for those and they weren't the dimensions for fabric 7. Oooyyeee! I ordered more of fabric 7 and because I was ordering, I added a cute little charm pack for a baby quilt. Now someone needs to have a girl! Fibers & Stitches is loving me as much as I love them! Talk about super duper fast service. They are located in St. Helen's, OR so both of our mail hubs are in Portland. I ordered one day and my order was here the next! Isn't that amazing!!! Now I have to be brave and cut into the new fabric so I can sew this top during the week.

What have I been doing instead of sewing? Bulldozing my way through my sewing room. Spring cleaning! Getting stuff organized. I have the perfect plan, finally. I'm almost ready to call in the muscle to help move things around. Scary, what if my plan doesn't work and I have to make a new plan??? That will put all my other plans in complete turmoil!

Used this Week: 3 yards
Used Year to Date: 56.5 yards
Added this Week: 7.5 yards
Added Year to Date: 45.25 yards
Net Used for 2010: 11.25

Check out how everyone is doing with their stash by visiting Judy L's page.

All Caught Up

I'm all caught up with the March BOMs. I'm working hard to keep current this year. See, the focus sign is working! I have a list and I love crossing things off. Even when I add something, I am still focusing.

Photo 1 is for my small online group where I am using white on white and fabrics from my scrap bin. We have 4 months to go with this one.

Photo 2 is for the BOM-Quiltaddict group, this year's theme is stars, one traditional pieced and one paper pieced with black background and brights. That pink star was a bit of a challenge but I love the way it turned out. I say you can't go wrong with a Carol Doak star.

Photo 3 is the Moose on the Porch Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt Along. The block on the right is the 2nd one posted. The center was supposed to be a plain block but I have so many small strips from the scrap bag that I'm using, I decided to piece the center. So far these blocks are going together nice and fast.

Now on to the quilt for Hubby's hunting club.

Design Wall Monday

I participated in a birthday block swap with my small online group. We each chose a block and everyone that signed up made you a block for your birthday. I chose Sunny Lanes from Quilter's Cache. I wanted easy and I wanted scrappy.

I made a couple for myself and then put them away with great plans to finish it up soon. Fast forward almost two years. I got the bag of blocks out of the bin and put them up on the wall. There were 14 blocks so I sat down and made 2 more. After looking at it for a while, I decided I wanted it to be longer.

So I sat down and made 4 more blocks, moved more blocks around and now this is no longer on my wall but sewn into a top waiting for the final pressing.

I like nice lazy Sundays. Hubby went into town and brought dinner home with him, we ate and then he watched TV and dozed and I sewed. Now I can mark progress for this on my UFO list. Hopefully I will mark this one as done in a couple days.

Visit Judy L's and see what everyone else is up to.

Stash Report 3.14.10

With my super productive week, my stash numbers seem a bit low. My finish numbers are extremely high--2 hats, 1 tote bag and 3 quilts. I only needed backing and binding for one quilt and the yard it took for my tote bag. Then I added up the yardage for the quilt kit and that put me in the hole for the week.

Go over to Judy L's and see what other stash busters are up to.

Used this Week: 6 yards
Used Year to Date: 53.5 yards
Added this Week: 8.75 yards
Added Year to Date: 37.75 yards
Net Used for 2010: 15.75

**Taking my knitting to the NRA banquet was a brilliant idea. I bet next year there will be oodles of knitters........ The photo is of my view at the table. Roses were sold as part of the fund raiser raffle.

Friday Finish

March Madness continues.

Crystal and I went to the quilt show yesterday and wow, the inspiration I left with. I couldn't get home quick enough--meaning I forgot to run my other errands after leaving Crystal's. I even had a note~~~~

I got home and all I wanted to do was sew. I made the backing for Leland's quilt then hubby came home and for some silly reason he wanted dinner. Hulloooo, I have my mojo going here. So I reluctantly fixed dinner--the best chicken soup I've ever made. After dinner, I loaded the quilt and quilted it. I thought maybe I should spend some time with him....but after just a few minutes, he went to bed. I went back into the sewing room and put the binding on and finished Leland's quilt!

This morning is a sewing morning for me. Then it's date night--NRA banquet. He is such a romantic guy!!! Would I be considered rude if I took my knitting with me? I'm going to, they have a speaker---gosh what if I get bored and fall asleep and then fall off my chair.......I'm going to knit!

Is it March Madness?

It has to be or maybe it's the return of my mojo. I have no idea where it went but I'm sure glad it returned. 2 days, 3 finishes!! WaaHoo!

Quiltville's Boxy Stars is finished! Patchwork Times Freeze Frame is finished! And I decided to make myself a new bag.

I have had that chunky button for a few years and for the last few months it has been laying by my machine waiting for it's home on this bag. Most of the fabric in the bag is left from a jacket I made myself a while back. I really like the jacket but I've never worn it out of the house. You see I pulled the classic mistake of not measuring before I sewed the sweatshirt sleeves back together and I have fat arms. Do I need to tell you the rest? I could take it apart and do some adjustments. Good idea, wonder why I just now thought of that.

Today is going to be a fun day. Crystal and I are going to a quilt show. We will be meeting up with some of our friends and they haven't seen Leland for a while. They will be shocked when they see how much he has grown.

Hope my mojo doesn't escape while I'm gone.

The Hat Model & Her Brothers

This is the Hat Model doing her job, modeling baby brother's new hat.

This is baby brother modeling his new hat while holding his Poppy down in the recliner.

This is big brother who just found a roll of tape.
"Tape is fun."

Design Wall Monday

This is all that is on my design wall today. I put it there yesterday when I wanted to start another project. I have enough projects started right now and I want to get them done!

I have put away the bins of strings and crumbs. I have put the blocks in the bin with the 6" string blocks and other 6" blocks. I have a stack of quilts that I want to quilt and I have my leader/ender project that is organized with blocks made into rows and counted, 1/4 blocks made with the total of how many and how many more need to be made. When I get the urge to sit and sew for a minute or 5, I can put rows together.

My boxy stars quilt needs the binding sewn on, Leland's cowboy quilt needs the backing sewn so I can get it quilted this week. I have a stack of quilts that need backings made for them and I have a baby shower gift to make. It's not like I run out of projects to work on, I run out of focus to work on them.

Then, while minding my own business and traveling from Judy L's blog looking what other's have on their design wall, I find my friend Diane has been working on an Easter stitchery. And now I will be working on one today. I actually was thinking about making an Easter wall hanging and this one is perfect. She found it here.

I'll start that focus project tomorrow!

Stash Report 3.7.2012

This week was a slow one in the sewing room. I'm in more of knitting mode right now. I made 2 BOM blocks and 40 more crumb blocks--and still the bin is full!

I knitted hats for the hat model's brothers but need to take pictures of them. Then I started knitting my very first sweater. And it's for me! I've got about 3" complete for the back so have a very long way to go. I keep telling myself it isn't a race but it was a race to get those hats done so I could start it.

Here is my stash report for this week. It is fun to see the used number climb. Maybe one of these days it can take a gigantic leap, but until then baby steps are fine with me. Check out Judy L's blog to see how other stashes are shrinking or not.

Used this Week: 3 yards
Used Year to Date: 47.5 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 29 yards
Net Used for 2010: 18.5

Bbbaaaaaaaa

I am such a follower! I was minding my own business yesterday, checked Diane's blog to see how she was doing, thinking maybe she posted snow pictures. No snow but she did have a very inspiring and taunting post! McTavishing, a super cute dog and jelly roll sampler block with a taunt.

Well, I have a few jelly rolls in my fabric stash so I thought that would be a great project. I clicked over to Moose on the Porch Quilt Along 2010 and started reading. Then I read scrappy and remembered a bag of blues and whites/creams that I bought last year at the guild's sale. A big zip bag full of 2 1/2" strips with squares and 1 1/2" strips. Plus I have lots of blues in my stash. And she is posting a new block every 2 weeks. I like that! So I'm following along with this Quilt Along!!! Bbbaaaaaa Go ahead, click the link, become a sheep like me.

Monday and Tuesday I made 40 more crumb blocks. I now have 100! With enough crumbs and strings for 560 more. ;) Still, I wonder if I will ever see the bottom of the bin, the more I dig, the bigger the mountain gets. I'll just keep making them......they are like potato chips, you can't eat just one.

Design Wall Monday

I couldn't stand it, I couldn't leave all the crumb blocks in their bundle of 10. I had to put a bundle up on the design wall to see what they looked like together and to wonder if the idea I have is going to work. I'm thinking of picking a light and a dark fabric to sash the blocks with and then setting them light, dark, light, dark. I'm also thinking about just sewing them together as one very gigantic crumb block. I have time to think about it. 60 6" blocks are not enough. I have enough fabric for about 600 more blocks!


After finishing the purple hat, I got out this ball of blue to make the boy's hats. I had made Elliot's hat from this yarn and then the dog got ahold of it. I wanted to cry but instead put it in the garbage--the hat, not the dog. Damn dog! He does like what has the kid's scent on it. He is getting better now but sometimes I wonder if he will ever out grow the puppy stage!

Grab yourself a cup of something and visit Judy L to see what she and a bunch of other creative friends have on their design walls.