Some Saturday and Sunday Stitching

I had started a new project around Christmas.  I had a Buttermilk Basin kit called Bringing Home the Tree that I just loved, and wanted to play with it.

I prepped the first block.  I struggled so I started bugging  asking for help from Kris of Kris Love Fabric since I know she has done some wool pieces.

I followed the directions and the fusible web just wasn't doing the job.  So I used pins.  (I actually have applique' pins which I located the other day after I was done with this block).

It was suggested to use either 22 or 24 chenille needles.  Now I cross stitch but could I figure out what needles I have, um no.  So I ordered some from Amazon.

I also slipped an embroidery needle when I ordered..

My next question to Kris was what kind of thread do I use, and what kind of stitch?  I don't want to do a blind hem stitch.  I know I don't have the patience to do a large piece that way.

Kris suggested using Aurifil Lana Wool.  So I got online, kind of tried to match my colors and ordered the wool thread.  It is 12 weight, and I will say I love working with it!

I used a kind of blind stitch, almost like what you use when binding your quilt or hemming clothing.

I think it turned out pretty good.  I will put this up for a while so I can work on some other projects.

Those other projects had certain tools that I needed.

Yep I own an overhead projector thanks to my dear hubby.  He would scavenge the most awesome stuff for me.  I will say that it came in handy.  He even scavenged rolls and sheets of the film to use on it.

I also shopped my stash...I pulled lots of pretties.

 

I think it is time to slice these up and use them.  Speaking of using things.  My daughter found this little sewing cabinet for me, years ago.  It has been sitting upstairs.  I thought with all of the changes I should pull out some of my things and use them again.

Wow you can see all of Bobbin's toys scattered around, and mu old slippers she has appropriated.  She just woke up from a nap, so she actually is sitting pretty still.  LOL

She is getting to be such a big girl.

I have done a wee bit of fiber acquisition too, but I am trying to use what I have.  When looking through my stash I have fat quarters, a few half yards, and some yardage, but I have mainly blender type fabrics or text type fabrics. I needed some blues and a darker green for my bee hive project, and  I had an idea for my blog hop project, and needed actual yardage.  Imagine my delight when I saw these gorgeous text fabrics and the wonderful red!

I purchased some large cuts, and oh I found a cute Christmas fabric that was on sale too.

I also had feline assistance.  I am so proud of this girl. 

She has integrated so well into the household, and she and Bobbin are frienemies.  They will play together one moment, and the other moment they cannot tolerate the sight of  each other. 

I was shopping at a store that is only open 3 days a month, kind of an artsy type store.  I saw this saying and it made me shed a tear, in this store packed with women, I had a moment.

 But I pulled it together, put on a smile, picked up something for myself that was pretty-- some cute

 wool mittens with a wee bit of bling, but all along I was thinking Monday will be 10 months. 

Life goes on and I am transforming, there are moments that the transformation is tortuous, almost painful, but I will come out the other side, and I know he is looking  down on me saying, "That's my girl!  You got this babe!"

Temperature Quilt

Have you seen the Temperature Quilt that was made over at Needled Mom?  She made one last year, and her sister who lives in Alaska made one too.  They were awesome.  I had decided before I made the "list of shame" that I wanted to make one.

Now Needled Mom is doing a Temperature Quilt QAL.  How fortuitous for me!  I already had ordered my fabrics.

I bought 4 fat quarter bundles of Moda Bella from Green Fairy Quilts during a sale.  The blue bundle, green bundle, yellow bundle, and orange bundle. 

The bundles have many more colors than what I have pulled for my temperature quilt.  Each bundle comes with these really cute patterns also.

I looked up the temperature range for Michigan.  The historic high was 106 the historic low was -18. 

I then worked out a chart with the temperature ranges, and calculated how many colors I needed.  I then assigned them to the different colors. I am using different colors than the QAL.

-20 to -15    Bluebell

-14 to -10    Surf

-9 to -5        Summer Sky

-4 to 0         Coastal

1 to 5          Sea

6 to 10        Amelia Blue

11 to15       Dusk

16 to 20      Leprechaun

21 to 25      Kelly

24 to 30       Leaf

31 to 35       Sprout

36 to 40       Lime

4 to 45         Pistachio

46 to 50       Summer House Lime

51 to 55       Amelia Green

56 to 60       Keylime

61 to 65       Baby Yellow

66 to 70       Sunshine

71 to 75       Daffodil

76 to 80       Lemon

81 to 85       Sunflower

86 to 90       Yellow

91 to 95        Coral

96 to 100      Amelia Orange

101 to 105    Tangerine

106 to 110    Mango

111 to 115    Betty Orange

Mary and her sister last year did flying geese.  The sky was the low, the body was the high.  This year they are doing a square in a square.  I decided I was going to go ultra simple.  Half square triangles.  I thought at first of doing 3 inch squares.  Twelve months that would be 36 inches wide, maybe a wee bit more if I added a row divider.  But 31 days a month would make the quilt 93 inches long.  I think that is a way too big.  Even doing 2 1/2 inch squares you end up with a quilt which would be at least 30 inches wide by 78 inches long.  But this will end up being a wall hanging so I think it is much more doable.

These are my first 5 days.  I thought maybe Saturdays would be the day I do the week's worth of temperatures.

These are the fat quarters that I have remaining from the fat quarter bundles.  I actually went through, and matched the colors, names, and numbers  on all of them so if I want more I can order it.

I had some happy mail the other day.  Nancy of Pug Mom Quilts had went on vacation with her favorite honorary pug boy (her husband) to Hawaii recently.

A super cute t-shirt with this gorgeous rooster, and some chicken fabric.  Maybe once the weather changes I will wear it to the coop to encourage the girls with their egg production.

I think when I have a couple of finishes I may start working on my chicken quilt. 

I think my temperature quilt needs some background music.

Sewing Into the New Year

I started this post, and then obviously I saw a squirrel and chased it and forgot completely about it and 6 days later.....This is what I did New Year's Day.

New Year's Day and I decided that I needed to work toward having a cleaner house.  Lets just say Bobbin and Lucy are working against me.

I packed all of my Christmas decorations away in the new totes I bought, and I actually hauled them up the stairs to the sitting room to go into the attic.  Bobbin has discovered styrofoam worms, that they are wonderful to shred into teeny tiny bits.

I mopped, and brought a big printer downstairs from the sitting room so it is more accessible.  I almost feel like I have accomplished something lately.

I would work a bit, sew a little, work a bit, sew a little.  By the time the day was done I had 4 of these done.

I started out New Year's Eve with 20 of them with 9  sections to put on.  I now have 4 completely done, and 16 with 4 sections left to put on them each.  That is a lot of sewing, trimming and pressing!  Once I am done with these I have another section of arcs to do for the border and then to put it all together.

I needed a wee bit of a break from the paper piecing, and made 4 of these Perkiomen Valley blocks for the Ventura Modern Quilt Guild, they are making quilts to help those affected by the Thomas Fire in California.

I used some of the fabrics that I received from friends, and some from my scrap boxes.

I also made the friendship block for the month of January for quilt guild.

The guild fabric is the center.  I had to add the blue and a light gray.

The movers came, retrieved the things I agreed to give Jeff's family.  The attorney was very kind, she just kept telling me she was sorry, and how apparent it is that I am not that bad of a person, and that I really miss my husband.  I am at peace and life is moving on. 

I Like Thursday 8

I swear I just did an I like post, it feels like yesterday. 

This will be short and sweet.  Not that I don't have anything I like.  I have just been kind of busy and I don't have any photos.  So I will use what I have.  *giggle*

I like the coffee cup that my sister sent me for Christmas.  It has all of the bridges in Portland, Oregon.

The last time I visited Portland I actually picked up a regional print that had the bridges.  It is the one on the bottom.  I have it in my stash to use someday.  

 I even picked up a row by row that has one of the bridges.  Oh no I didn't even list the 3 big shopping bags of Row by Row patterns and kits I have in my 2018 Plans post! 

I like getting organized at the beginning of a new year.  I filed away all of the paperwork that I have been amassing, and moved the nice printer downstairs where it will be easier to use.  I also moved my overhead projector downstairs so that I can use it also, when I have a crazy quilting idea. 



I have been trying to get organized.  After confessing my UFO pile I decided to get some more of these project totes.  I like these totes they are only about 4 inches deep but they are a great size for blocks and to store quilt parts that are cut out. 

I bought 2 during the stuff my stocking event at a LQS.  I purchased 3 more, and they arrived Wednesday.  I sometimes use the sweater sized tubs too.  They are great for storing the blocks and fabrics in also, but they get a wee bit hefty to tote around.

I like the sewing machine case my children bought me.  I can fit a lot of stuff in there.  I can fit a sewing machine, cutting board, ironing pad, fabric, pattern, notions in it easily with room for Bobbin if she wanted to go. 

I really like finishing up these 20 arcs.  I am trimming them down now, and cutting the last sections of the borders so that it too can be pieced together.

 I just keep plugging along at my the Quiltworx Vintage Rose I may actually finish it in the next month or so.  But once I get the last sections cut I will put it aside (in a project box) to work on a project for the Put a Little Love in Your Quilt Blog Hop.

I like blog hops.  I haven't participated much lately, but I am hoping to turn that around a little.  My day is Wednesday, February 7.  I actually have been working on my project.  You can call it working on the project if you have been drawing out a pattern right? 

I like that these long, dark,  frigid days of winter are made brighter and lighter with the arrival of many seed catalogs.

OK these are a few years old--I told you stock photos.   Trust me I have a stack sitting here that I have been perusing and dreaming when Bobbin is not knocking them over and stealing them.

If you want to see more of I Like Thursday, wander, amble, or even sashay if you can, over to LeeAnna's blog "Not Afraid of Color" to check out the other people who have things to like.  

2018 Plans

How do you feel when you enter the New Year?  Is it with excitement, fear, trepidation, worry, enthusiasm, ?  So many emotions.  I will admit I am feeling all of these.  I won't lie, this past year has been bad, but things have wound down, and I am looking forward to this New Year.

I will admit I have had some fear.  Going from a house full of people that you were caring for to just one person.  That is a huge adjustment.  That sudden quiet, all the time! The lighter work load, meals, laundry, cleaning....not running people to the doctor all of the stuff involved with having a family. Going from always caring for someone to having no one.  How do I fill up that empty time now?

Well you find things to do.  Some new, and some not so new-

I joined a beehive.  I think we are still an unnamed  Lola Swarm.  The Queen Bee for January chose her block it is called Hidden Gems and you can find the pattern here. I will say that I am a bit better at my paper piecing, but still.  It took me all day to make one block and 1/2 a day to make the other and I had all the template fabric pre cut.

Two separate blocks.  I had them laid out all pretty to take a picture and Bobbin jumped up, snatched them and ran.....which means that a chase through the house ensued to retrieve them.  


I have joined a charity quilt group at church.  They make simple envelope style quilts.  They only meet once a month, but they sew many quilts, so I am going to assume that a few people cut and sew the tops together during the month, and return them to be tied.  Those that don't sew, tie the quilts.  Many of the quilts are full size bed at least.

While I chose not to be part of the executive board for the Monroe County Quilt Guild, I decided to take on the duties of the charity quilt lead.  There will be some changes coming.

Since this is the year of the Monroe County Quilt Guild Quilt Show in October I volunteered to help organize the distribution of the raffle tickets to the members for the raffle quilt this year.

I am going to run the challenge quilt again this year for the quilt guild.  

I have agreed to join a couple of blog hops.  Something I haven't done for a couple of years.

I would love to enter a quilt or 2 in the county fair.  If I remember right I have to have my quilts ready for the entry form by the end of April, first of May for the Fair in August.

I would like to have 3 quilts to enter into the Monroe County quilt show. I have to have these done by August.

If that does not seem like enough I have also started to assess what I have hanging around.  No it does not mean that all of these are going to be making any progress at all.  But laying them out on paper ok in writing.  I think I need to consider what I have before I see something that I just have to have---cause there are a couple I have been eyeballing. 

Quilts finished that need quilting-

Ginger Rose

Red Aurifil BOM Quilt
Ripples and Reflections
Black Eyed Susan

Hugs and Kisses
Pink and teal Bargello
Scrappy Chevrons
Grand Illusion
Winter Quilt
Wreath Quilt
Northwest Spirit Dreams
Wheel of Mystery


Quilts that need borders

Farmer's Wife
Jewel Box

Alletaire'
Yellow Brick Road

 Vintage Rose 

Quilt blocks that need sashing and borders

 Redwork Words of Wisdom

Ben Franklin Crafts BOM
2016 Bag Lady Quilt

2017 Bag Lady Quilt


Quilts that I have made over 1/2 the blocks

Saw Toothed Square
Fancy Fox

Twisted Blossom
Crown and Thorn
Navajo
Jeff's T-Shirt Quilt
Farm girl Vintage Quilt
Friendship Block from January 2015
Ancient Flying Geese
Fiesta Batik Quilt

Quilts which are appliqued that need the motifs stitched

In Our Garden BOM
Winter Cardinal
Pumpkin Row by Row

Quilts that need applique'

Hidden Flower Garden
Poinsettia Wall hanging

Quilts that are long term projects--hand work

1/2 inch hexie scraps
yoyo blocks
Grandma's Flower Garden
Barn  embroidery Quilt

Tumblers--leader and ender
Summer Scrappy Star
Bringing Home the Tree

Quilts that I have only made one or 2 blocks

Ocean Waves Quilt
Kaffe Fasset Pineapple

Curvy Log Cabin
Chicken Quilt
Country Charmer
Swoon

Awesome Ocean
Craft Warehouse BOM
Berry Bear Paw
Double Wedding Ring
Drunkard's Path
Gypsy Wife
Ribbon Stars
Westering Women
Green Tea and Sweet Beans



Quilt kits

Winter in Washington
Farmhouse Stars
Color Crystals
Washtub Stars
Chickadee

Gold Finch

American Quilter
Stars over Bali
Radiant Star
Blazing Star
Sewing Through the Season
Holiday Traditions
All Squared Up Table Runner


Quilts that I have started to cut but no blocks made

Desert Sky
On Ringo Lake
August Stars
Chocolate and Roses
Cottage Christmas Quilt


Quilts that I have the fabric and pattern, just no start

Geode
Colfax County
LaConner Stars
Among Friends
Cayden's Quilt
Xander's Quilt
Sand Devils

Cattails Meadow
Dandy Drive
Bee Happy
Moda Modern Building Blocks
Watermelon Quilt
Fly Away Quilt



New This year

Temperature Quilt
HoHoHo Quilt
2 Quilts for blog hops I have committed to participating in.


I would love to learn some new things.  I am joining the TAST which is Take a Stitch Tuesday.
I am also aiming at finishing a couple more stocking tops, and doing some bootcamp cross stitch on my heaven and Earth Designs.  

I was asked what would be my word for the year?  I had so many.  Love, Faith, Kindness, Joy, Happiness, Opportunity....but I think this will be my year of Transforming.  Even though the caterpillar doesn't see to change, nature forces that change upon and the end result is a beautiful new creation.

 

Happy New Year

This New Year I wish that God showers you with His choicest Blessings, Fate never takes you for a bumpy ride, Cupid strikes you with his sweetest arrow, Lady Luck bestows upon you health and wealth, your Guardian Angel keeps your mind alert and bright.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o’ lang syne!

Chorus:
For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lang syne! 

Post Holiday Blues

When I was younger I remember getting the post holiday blues.  I don't know if it was selfishness (I didn't get what I wanted), or feeling inadequate in someway, like I didn't fulfill my duties as a mother, daughter, wife in making Christmas and the holidays perfect.

The past few years I don't get the  blues other than missing being with all of my family, and those that have passed on.  I seem to have an inner peace and joy about the holidays.  I like making cookies with the Samantha and  boys.  Decorating, and buying or making the gifts, but most of all I feel content.

During some of the pre Christmas sales I picked up gifts for next year, but also a few things for myself.

What girl can say no to red blingy scissors?  I can't.

A Fat Quarter pack of batiks from Missouri Star Quilt Company.  The price was too good to pass up.

A huge pack of fat quarters from Hawthorne Threads of Claudie Pfeil's new line of fabric called Wordplay.

After this past year I think it is important to do something to make a difference.  It may help me in a way by providing a gift idea, or it may be doing something for another person, or a service for others.
One of my friends from grade school shared a link about these bracelets.  They are made by women in Nepal.  It helps them to avoid being sold as child brides, or as sex slaves to help their families survive. 

They are crocheted and beaded, and easily roll up over your hand.  I purchased several for gifts.

Speaking of human trafficking, here is a scary statistic.  Michigan ranks number 2 in the nation for human trafficking depending on where you get your data. The number one rank floats between California, and Nevada.  I find that terrifying really. 

I have done a wee bit of sewing.  But nothing really exciting to show yet.  I have plans though.  I think I will wait and share it in my next post.