Organized Chaos

I don't get much time to wander off to my sewing room, so some things have migrated back down to the sun porch---small ironing board, large cutting mat, couple of rulers, (no sewing machine as of yet).   Um yep it made the appearance yesterday.

While I am waiting in the morning for the AO to get motivated to move, I have been working on binding.  I keep the thread I am using next to where I am sitting.  I was working on my pumpkin hanging and went to reach for my thread, and it was gone!  I looked in my bag by the couch, in the couch I sit on, under the arm chair next to where I sit, in the arm chair, in my purse, on my sewing table, in my jacket pockets....you get the picture.  Even Finn and my daughter look under the couch.  I looked upstairs in my sewing room (gasp!) like it somehow made it there.

As Finn and his mamma were leaving, I pull the couch out and there it is, it had rolled under the couch, and somehow had eluded Finn, and his mamma, even after she cleaned under the couch!

 I finally finished the binding, and the hangers for the pumpkin wall hanging.

Yep it was too big for the Ackfeld table stand that I purchased.  Oh well I am going to display it anyway until I have something else to put up.  I need to make a label for it, but I have been procrastinating while I learn Windows 10 on my new computer. 

With all of my purchases lately I really wanted to sew something, and maybe learn something new.  I decided to play with the side kick ruler that I purchased. I have 2 big shopping bags of scraps to cut up for charity quilts for the guild.  We uses10 inch squares, 4 1/2 inch squares and 2 1/2 inch x at least 12 inch strips, anything smaller can be thrown into dog beds or thrown into the person who is cutting up the scraps.  Because we make gurney quilts which are donated to transport wounded soldiers, anything with metallic flecks cannot be used.  Therefore I ended up with a large chunk of yellow fairy frost, and a bunch of short 2 1/2 inch purple strip, throw in some strips from my stash,  I made the pattern Rock Candy by Jaybird Quilts to test drive the side kick ruler. 

I think it turned out pretty well. I think I am ready to attack the big quilt using my pie making day fabrics.

Of course I still have things trickling in from purchases some several weeks ago. 

 A book from Patch Abilities, now I am not one to make Christmas quilts but I saw a couple of these wall hangings years ago and could not resist. I love the Christmas lights.

 I have been looking at this pattern for over a year also.  I wanted to buy the kit, but they were out at my LQS, and it has never been back in stock since. 

I bought some yardage white fairy frost, and black Moda Grunge. 

Today I needed to escape the house for a bit.  The AO were irritating me, because he needs to go in for a procedure tomorrow and he is whining, and complaining up a storm.  One of the LQS recently moved and I wanted to check out their new digs.  Plus I needed some fabrics for the last 3 months of the RSC, perhaps I will finish up the blocks for the year soon.

Yellows, a couple of oranges, and blue. 

Hmmm I wonder what kind of mischief I can get into next?

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving.

 Remember to be thankful for all you have not only today but everyday.

I saw this image and it made me smile. 

Patchy Sewing

I have been doing a little sewing.....very little.  But I thought I would share what I have been up to.

I have 2 grandsons who are in scouts.  One is a wolf, and the other is a Webelo.  The boys changed packs this fall and so the number on their uniforms changed, and the Webelo wanted to have the khaki colored shirt instead of the blue.  The patches have glue on them, so you can iron them on, but when the shirts get dried, the patches start to peel up.  I had actually sewn the patches on a couple of years ago so this was where the problem started, unpick the stitches, but how to get the numbers off.  Thank goodness for google.

A hot iron applied to the back side with a towel as a pressing cloth and then just a little tug and it peeled right off.

I use a small dot of glue on these to keep them in place before I sew them down.  One shirt down, one shirt to go.

I finished quilting my small quilt and am currently working on stitching the binding.  Will I have it finished by Thanksgiving?  I am also still working on the binding on the big star quilt.

 I got the gray that I ordered to work on the quilt I showed here.  The gray is Moda Bella Ash.

I think it will look great.  I did order a little bit more of the pie making day fabric, and some solids to match, I need to go pick that up tomorrow so  I will have enough to make the queen size quilt. 

I started cutting my background strips using the Stripology Ruler I bought a couple of months ago.  I will say that I was pretty happy with the way it worked.  It did exactly what I needed. 

I don't know about you, but do your plans exceed what you can actually do? Translate to buying fabric, and quilty things.... I know that yellow was part of the RSC so I have picked up some here and there.

Martingdale has had some nice sales lately so I picked up a couple of books for $5 a piece.  OK I picked up 5 books total.  This is just 4 of them, one actually was put away.

Also a quilt shop had a Thanksgiving sale they call Thomas Stuff my Turkey.  Every day for 14 days they had deals on fabrics, kits, sewing machines, patterns and other quilty stuff.  I saw this quilt and decided that I had to have it.  Very Christmasy right?  I love the old trucks. 

Dh asked today why do you get packages and I don't?  I told him, but you did get a package, a new blower for our wood burner.   :D  Yours just aren't as fun as mine.

I also received a Frivols Tin from Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts.  The line is by Moda called Blue Barn which I won during a drawing months ago.  The Frivols are 7 inch squares of the line. 

It will be a fun project too. 

Last Friday Finn and I had a picnic on the grass while waiting for mom at the social security office.  The temperature was above 70 degrees, there was a very slight breeze, and I was wearing a tank top.

Me and my shadow....

Saturday it got cold, it was freezing in fact, the wind was blowing and we got snow.

OK I am still wearing the tank tops since the AO have to have the house at at least 75 and I feel like I am dying constantly. 

I think I am starting to finally change gears and get in the holiday mood.  The turkey is sitting in the sink to thaw a bit, I have started working on my Christmas gift list.  I guess I just needed the weather to change.

This or That and Sometimes The Other Thing

Once upon a time when DH and I could go out to dinner sometimes when we couldn't decided one of us would think of two choices and say This or That.  Once the choice was made there was no turning back. 

Remember my purchase from Craftsy?

I decided I didn't want to put it up on the shelf and allow it to languish.  While cruising Pinterest I saw this very cool quilt and I knew that it was the one I needed to make.

The pattern is called August Stars by Jaybird Quilts and how fortuitous for me because I found it on sale for 25% off, and it uses the Side kick ruler which I had just purchased last week.

The last order of business?  To choose a background.  I decided I wanted to go with a solid.  So I asked DH what he thought.  Black, white, gray or something else?  We both decided to go with gray so I ordered the 4 yards I am going to need.

I did finish up the applique on my little table top quilt.

The plaid is the backing.  I just need to sandwich and I am ready to quilt.  I pulled out a gray and a variegated. 

As to the Other Thing....we do not have any fur babies.  I like to be able to go places and not have to worry about getting home to feed, water, at a specific time.  Once upon a time I loved having dogs, and cats, but I am kind of over that for the time being.  The AO came with some furry baggage.

Meet Miss Lucy.  We have a love hate, relationship.  I was told, "Oh don't worry she won't go upstairs."  Yep she made a beeline directly upstairs to the one room without a door, and made that room her home. The problem?  That room is the one that belonged to the one grandson who is severely allergic to cats.  Guess who had made that room her own, kitty litter and all, and christened it immediately by yacking in the middle of the carpet.  Lucy stalks me waiting for me to go into my sewing room, trying to sneak in.  She then waits outside the door, and when I start to head down the stairs she goes shooting past me, through my legs, then stops on the step right as I am ready to step down. 

Life is starting to sort itself out more and more, even with my furry stalker. 

Another Day

Wow posting 2 days in a row.  I know, I know what a surprise. 

Today was boy scouts.  We went to a local marsh for a program.  It was very cool. 

 The boys dip netted, and then looked at what they found.  Now normally in Michigan it would be cold, possibly snowing, but this year we have had unseasonably warm weather.  While it may have only been in the low 50's it was great being outside.  Oh Xander found a damsel fly.

The next thing was to dissect an owl pellet.  Um ewww, but so cool.  We also did a short hike through the marsh checking out the mute swans, sunfish, Canadian geese, the eagle nest and some other cool things.

Before heading out with the boy scouts I had time to sew.  I got my binding all put together and sewn onto my quilt.  Now I can sew it down in the evenings.  I still need to figure out a quilt name, and label. 

I also had another purchase arrive.  Craftsy has been having flash sales, and when I saw this fat quarter bundle at 1/2 off I had to have it!

It is called Pie Making Day and I have been eyeballing this fabric for a while.  Now to figure out a fun project to put it in. 

Overall it was a great Saturday, even though DH worked until late, I got to binge watch Skylander Academy with the grandson.  

Another Month

Another month has whizzed by and I haven't posted. 

The Ancient Ones have been to an ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat Dr.) since their Dr. was too busy to clean her ears at the last appointment.  After 2 weeks of me trying with the OTC medication, hydrogen peroxide, and other things, I finally gave up in frustration and found the ENT.  The AU went to a cardiologist and he is down 1 heart med and had another decreased by 1/2 , and after having his second monitor he is doing great.  We have also visited a Gastroenterologist for the AU esophagus problem and the swallowing, GERD, a scope is scheduled for the end of the month.    DH and I also decided after several weeks of trying to get them into their preferred physician, calling in medications that had no refills and taking several days to get them refilled, that it was time to find not only a new primary care physician, but also a new pharmacy.  As of the last appointment we are off 3 more medications and have decreased the dosage of another for the AU.  The AA the doctor is going to review her medications list because we cannot figure out why she is taking several different medications and she is unsure why also. 

Add to the innumerable doctor visits, the two oldest grandson's father passed away suddenly at the age of 27.  While the boys had not had a relationship with him for a while, it is still very tough on them, and their mom.  The funeral mass, memorial service, burial service, and internment were very difficult for all of us.

On the sewing, quilting front I have done a little.

I finished quilting the layer cake quilt I made from a Moda Bake Shop.  The pattern is called Big Love Layer Cake Quilt, but I am not a fan of the name, so I am contemplating a new name.  The layer cake I used was a Mama Said Sew, and I did add a little stash but it was still from the Mama Said Sew line, but I didn't have enough to use to make binding.  So I bought some Mama Said Sew II.

I thought the stripes would be a fun binding.  I started to cut and had a Doh! moment.  The stripes ran the WOF instead of the length. 

Yep, not going to work.  I should have ordered more than a yard, but I can make it work.  May have a few more seams than I like but it will all be good.  Once I make a label the binding will be ready to go. 

While there has not been a lot of sewing going on-- there is planning....and retail therapy.

Fabrics.

Pattern and a ruler.  I blame it on Shabby Fabrics have you seen their snowflake table runner?  The pattern is free.  Scroll down to the snowflake table runner.   Anyway the runner needs a sidekick ruler so I had  to buy it.

Of course I also saw this cool wall hanging quilt which is laser cut kit and had to have it.

 I have had an urge to make an orange peel quilt.  Missouri Star Quilt Company enabled me.

All 3 sizes a size that can be made from a layer cake, another from a charm pack and another from a 2 1/2 inch candy pack. 


I had an opportunity to go to the quilt guild charity sew day.  We recently received a couple of dozen large totes, full of fabric to make  charity quilts.  There were scraps, larger pieces, and some big enough to make quilt backs.  It was decided to cut them down into 10 inch squares, 4 1/2 inch squares, and 2 1/2 inch strips.  I ended up coming home with 2 shopping bags full to cut up. 

The end of the year is fast approaching and I got my bag lady quilt blocks back at the last guild meeting.

Aren't these blocks and the fabric fun?  Now to figure out a setting....I have a plan!

Remember to Say Thanks