Welcome to Gramma's Quilting Room.

Monday, May 31, 2010

What's Happening On The Farm


Today is one of those days when you have to hurry to get anything done outside. We hadn't put anything at all in the garden. It's been too wet and too cold. Today we decided to bite the bullet and put something in. We got 12 tomato plants, a jalapeno pepper, 2 bell peppers and a cucumber plant. It's official, I now have a garden. I have 2 dozen broccoli plants and 10 other tomato plants on my kitchen window sill that will get put outside during the next few days to harden and by the weekend they will also be planted. They will either make it or not!

Miss Oprah is broody. And she is grouchy! She doesn't want to give up the egg but she has to. I left her a lavender golf ball to sit on. Maybe that's why she's grouchy. I thought another hen was going to be broody but she would rather play outside than sit in the house all day.

Here is what I sewed today. The latest Moose on the Porch Jelly Roll Sampler block is done. This is one of the times I say yuk....not my favorite fabrics. These blue pieces were in the bag of 2 1/2" strips and pieces. I usually like wonkieness but this time, not so much. So I'm not sure this block is a keeper. And then there is that seam that won't line up. After 4 times, I called it finished~

Design Wall Monday


I hit a snag on my Memorial Day Quilt. Wouldn't ya know it! I'm short on the medium blue fabric. After looking over my list and comparing it to the receipt, I've come to the conclusion that nothing was cut too short. What I have here is a major shrinkage problem!

So I've decided not to go 20+ miles back into town today but to go ahead with the fabric that I have and piece the pieces. I will only need make 5 of the border blocks this way and if it is too noticeable, then I will not use them. I'll have to wait until I get into town again. It's always something!

Check everyone's design wall by going over to Judy L's and following the links. Don't you love her purple and gold quilt!!!

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Stash Report 5.30.10

Whenever I add to my stash, I always have a very good reason (excuse). This week I will blame Judy L. She is having the Memorial Day Challenge and I didn't have any big pieces of red, white or blue. What I did have was a gift card for my birthday from DeeDee and her family. I can't think of any better birthday gift than to make a quilt for a soldier. I am one day behind but I started a day late so technically, in my mind, I'm not behind.

And I needed backing and binding for a friend's quilt. Hopefully that can come off on next weeks report.

Here's my numbers:
Used this Week: 8 yards
Used Year to Date: 120.75 yards
Added this Week: 13 yards
Added Year to Date: 130.5 yards
Net Used for 2010: <9.75>

Visit Judy L's to see her quilt and to check on other stashbusters/reporters.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Quilt Along Progress

Judy L at Patchwork Times is hosting a Memorial Day Quilt Along. She is being very generous with this design and is offering to quilt tops sent to her. Be sure to read the guidelines for having your top quilted and finished by Judy L. The finished quilts will be sent to Alycia of Alycia Quilts and used for Quilts of Valor.

I started a day late and I'm hoping that by tonight I will be caught up with all of the steps. Judy's instructions are very easy to follow. If you have time and stash, you should consider joining the Memorial Day Quilt Along.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

I Have A Date

When I got home yesterday and checked my email, I found a very exciting invitation from Taylor:



hey, grandma

i was wondering if you can come to my school for our
OREGON TRAIL FAMILY DAY!

IT'S ON this day, 9:20AM-2:00PM

ROOM:305
IT'S AT her school

THERE WILL BE...
* FOOD
* GAMES
* MUSIC
AND... A COVERED WAGON


You all know I accepted and cannot wait! I haven't been to 4th grade for a very long time.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Design Wall Monday



After several days on the design wall, I am starting to really like the hexagons. I wasn't too sure in the beginning. I think adding a few lights and the bright orange is helping.

I'm thinking I will mix them up instead of setting each design in rows like Julie is showing in the hexagon quilt along. Plus I had to make a few of the cubes. Will I use them? I don't know. Should I or not??? I'm thinking they will make their way into the quilt.

All of my strips are sewn together and cut into triangles. It's nice that I can sit down and make one or 2 then get up and do something else.

Go Monday morning means I need to grab a cup of coffee and head over to Judy L's and check on my friends . I love Monday morning in blogland.....it's a happy place.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Stash Report 5.23.10

Blogger doesn't want to upload my photo this week. Maybe I'll try again later. In the meantime:

I had a very good quilting week. I quilted 3 quilts, including one of my own. I worked on my hexagons when I needed sit down time. I have all my pieces cut for Judy L's soon to start mystery.

I was hoping to find 8 more inches of this fabric for binding but I think I used all of it. You know what, it is a scrap quilt and I hope the person I am giving it to will not care that an 8 inch piece of binding is different from all the rest. (And if she does care, I'll take the quilt away from her.)

My stash report is not too bad. I bought fabric for Judy's mystery and Saturday I visited with friends that were attending a retreat. My friend Sheila reduced her stash by gifting me 15 yards of fabric to use for backing for my string quilts. Bless her generous heart! And a real biggie for me is using the very last piece of poly batting! It worked great in this quilt but I am truly happy not to have any more of it taking up valuable space and you all know it does take up space!

Used this Week: o yards
Used Year to Date: 112.75 yards
Added this Week: 24 yards
Added Year to Date: 117.5 yards
Net Used for 2010: <4.75>


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

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Hexagon Dreams




I spent yesterday quilting my friend Marian's One Block Wonder. She chose a very bright, happy pinata fabric and I've had a blast working on it. (Yeah for the return of the quilting mojo!) Almost a full day of smooth sailing. (There was the time I spent looking for the batteries I bought for my laser light but I'm not counting that. I knew I put them in the safe spot and I checked that stupid spot 3 times before I saw them.)

During my rest times, I sat at my sewing machine and pieced a few more strips for the Hexagon Quilt Along. This morning I had to put a couple blocks together! My design wall was empty and lonely.

While at the library the other day, I checked out 3 One Block Wonder Books. I have so many friends doing these quilts and I am such a follower (babbaaaaaaa). I think I am going to try to make a few cubes to go with my hexagons. And someday I will find the perfect fabric and make my own OBW. After reading the books, I now want them for my own library.

Today I will finish quilting Marian's OBW and load Crystal's quilt that I've had forever and try to get it quilted and make some more hexagons. I think I have planned the perfect rainy day projects. Oh yeah, I have a crockpot cookbook from the library and I will find a recipe for chicken so dinner will be ready when the big guy walks through the door. (Old joke, very old joke!)

Monday, May 17, 2010

Design Wall Monday

This is it! The same blocks I posted about on Thursday. But I've sewn since. I sewed the borders on last Monday's design wall top and the final borders are on the drunkard's path top that I started working on December 14, 2009.

The rains have started here again so it makes my weekly plan easy. Today I am quilting a customer's quilt, next up is Crystal's quilt that will finally get quilted and then the drunkard's path. My goal is to get all 3 quilted this week. At the sewing machine I have some hexagons waiting to be sewn together. That's a lot on my list. Wish me luck!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Stash Report 5.16.10

Last month I became a member of Mr B's Preview Pack Club at Benartex, Inc. Today I got my first preview pack of charms. Very fun fabrics.

I went all week without buying anything and then the day before stash report, it shows up in the mail. That's fine with me, nothing like getting a surprise of fabric instead of bills.

I've concentrated on quilt along blocks and finishing up 2 quilt tops this week. The 2 tops just needed those final borders sewn on and now they are both in the to be quilted pile.

This week's stash report is pretty good.

Used this Week: o yards
Used Year to Date: 112.75 yards
Added this Week: 1 yard
Added Year to Date: 93.5 yards
Net Used for 2010: 19.25

Check out Judy L's page to check on everyone else.

I know next week's report will include some new fabric. Judy is starting a mystery and I need to get some yardage for it. Using up the stash of yardage forces me to shop!!!

Friday, May 14, 2010

More Minutes At The Machine


It's another very nice sunny day today but the morning was very chilly. I'm still waiting for the morning I can sit outside with my first cup of coffee and not freeze to death.

Between laundry loads today, I managed to get all 24 sashing pinwheels done for the Pinwheel Party that we were told about in Week 8. So this is week 11 and I feel good just to get them done.

Now it's time to go outside and do some fun things.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Look What 5 Minutes Can Do

The sun is shining bright here in Southwest Washington state so that means there is no time to sit in front of the sewing machine for long stretches at a time. But with a 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there, I got 3 blocks sewn together today. I had them all cut and ready to sew. This means I am caught up with both the Pinwheels Party and Moose on the Porch quilt alongs.

Next up are the sashing pinwheel blocks and hexagons. But not tonight...

Monday, May 10, 2010

Design Wall Monday

This is what my design wall looked like Friday evening and this is what it still looks like. But today is the big day. The final 2 borders will be sewn on and then it will move to the to be quilted pile.

I started this as a leader/ender project back in January after reading this page on scrap control.
I love how it turned out and when it is finished with it's scrappy back and scrappy binding, it will go into the "I need a quilt for..." pile.

Plans for this week include a new leader/ender project, cutting up a couple more scrap bags and quilting a couple quilts. No plans to go anywhere until Wednesday.

Check out Judy L's latest quilt and then go check on others.

Sunday, May 09, 2010

Stash Report 5.9.10


Happy Mother's Day

I got lots done this week, even though I didn't think I did. I spent most of Monday playing with my leader/ender blocks and after a few more short sessions in front of the machine, they are all pieced into a top and have 2 of the 4 borders sewn on--you can see that tomorrow.

I also cleaned out my little crumb basket and made several more blocks. I probably should get them all out and made into a top one of these days.

I have become obsessed with these little redwork blocks from Quilt Happy, Quilt Often. These are for her Free Seasons Sew Along. There is only one more block to go. I have most of mine ready for the borders. I wanted to pick up a couple more fat quarters when I went shopping but I came home with 5. Not bad. My red stash is very low.

Used this Week: 9 yards
Used Year to Date: 112.75 yards
Added this Week: 1.25 yards
Added Year to Date: 92.5 yards
Net Used for 2010: 20.25

Visit Judy L's post to see how everyone else is doing with their stash.

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Tuesday Morning In The Kitchen



Most mornings find me sitting in front of the computer reading blogs. This morning I found food inspiration!

I read A Home Grown Journal and she has a post on potato salad. So I got up, scrubbed some potatoes and put them on to boil. I put 9 eggs in a pan to boil--4 will be for hubby's lunches later in the week. My potato salad, made with some of my own pretty bread and butter pickles is now in the refrigerator and I'm hoping I can stay out of it until dinner time.

While waiting for my eggs and potatoes to cool, I put my jerky (found the recipe here and have modified it for our taste) on 8 dehydrator trays. This will go into individual serving zip bags and into the freezer for hubby's lunches. I do have to hide some of it or it will be gone in a few days. I can make a 5 pound roast into enough jerky to fill the dehydrator twice and it will last for quite a while. It's always a surprise to him when I find another package.....you'd think after all these years he would catch on. Maybe he has and he's not saying!

And then I went to Mama's Minutia and read To Rival Popeye about her green smoothies. Sounded good, I hadn't had breakfast yet so I got up and made myself a green smoothie!! My reaction was OMG, DELICIOUS! Be sure to check out the super cute pictures of her niece. They will bring a smile to your face.

Wonder what I can find next........maybe I'll go find some cookies!

Monday, May 03, 2010

Design Wall Monday


This is what my design wall looked like yesterday morning. I have been working on my leader/ender project, putting my quarter blocks together. I still have more to do. Remember last Tuesday when I was bragging about being almost all caught up???? Remember when I talked about the hexagon quilt along that I had resisted? The blocks on the right are the first 2 sets of hexagons. Oh, stop laughing!!!

In the afternoon, I checked to see how many blocks I was supposed to make and block 3 was posted. So I did a few of those and then a few more. I think I am going to make more that she suggests and make my quilt bigger.....this reminds me of my friend Sonya! Sonya usually only makes big quilts.

I started out with a Hoffman Bali Pop called Strawberry Fields (Christmas gift from Nadine) and added some fat quarters from my stash. You know all day long I'm singing the song--go ahead, click the link and give it a listen. How can you not love the Beatles!!!

I love Mondays in blog land. Check what others have on their wall by visiting Judy L and following the links.

Sunday, May 02, 2010

Stash Report 5.2.10


My celebration continues for a bit while I write this stash report. I get to add in just a bit more fabric because I cannot multiply!!! When figuring the number of squares I needed for this backing, I remembered why I use a calculator. Sometimes simple math gets the better of me. (See Taylor, this is why it is so important to do well in math!)

While I was piecing the blocks together into rows, for some reason I stopped at 4 rows-needed 7 rows of 9 blocks-and counted my remaining blocks. I was seriously short! So I went to the backing bin, pulled out a couple more fabrics and cut more 10 1/2" squares, arranged the blocks into rows and continues on like I had planned it from the beginning. You would have never known if I hadn't admitted it here!! Or maybe you would have.

Here is this weeks exciting stash report!

Used this Week: 18.5 yards
Used Year to Date: 103.75 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 91.25 yards
Net Used for 2010: 12.5

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

Saturday, May 01, 2010

Kids and Quilts

I finished up Clella's Care Bear Quilt yesterday (finish #10) just in time for them to stay the night. It was so fun to unfold it and watch her little eyes dance around to see everything.
Elliot loves his quilt too. He actually sucked air while saying ooooooooohhhhh. So stinkin' cute! It was so fun to watch him snuggle down under it when he went to bed. Makes this Gramma happy to have made them.