STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Used this week  31.625 yards

Used year to date  242.125 yards

Added this week  0 yards

Added year to date  155.625 yards

Net used 2012  86.5 yards

I managed to quilt 3 baby quilt panels this week! Two are the same since I really liked the "Baby Moon" panel.  One will be going to a local charity in Florida, and the rest are destined for my guild's community quilts program, unless I need an emergency baby gift before we return north.

I also finished quilting "Grandmother's Cross".  The block design is one that Bonnie Hunter showed in Quiltmaker magazine.  I made the blocks from my stack of "leaders and enders", then added various "light" fabric triangles from my stash.  I decided to set the blocks on point, then just add a scrappy binding, made from the leftover ends of binding from various quilt projects.

I  finished Patches and Pinwheels!  (Picture on Monday I hope).  It was also designed to use my "leaders and enders".  I tried to keep a garden theme in all the various fabrics in both the pinwheels and the border fabrics. I finally used an odd floral stripe fabric from my stash - I think it has been waiting at least 15 years.  I had fun mitering the corners of the final border as the motif in the stripe was not regular, but I matched the design as well as I could.  I'm sure I'm the only one who will notice.....

With all these quilts, I used Elmer's School Glue to tack down the bindings before the final stitching.  Since I hand stitch at night while TV watching, DH was happy that he didn't have to avoid pins when I moved the quilt, or when he decided to snuggle closer!  I used a hot dry iron to help the glue dry quickly.  It took a bit longer than pinning, but was very easy to stitch.

Check out everyone's progress at Judy's blog - Patchwork Times.   

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

Mine is empty, but I managed to get all of the straight line quilting done on the 3 baby quilts and the small scrappy lap quilt this morning.  I thought I'd do all the "stitch in the ditch" at one time, then go back and do all the free motion quilting afterwards.  I like to be efficient!

I'm part way on my "Pinwheels and Patches" quilt, but DH said that his stomach alarm went off - so I had to break for lunch.
I have to keep him well fed, so he'll help me the next time I need pin-basting help!

Check out all the creativity linked to Judy's blog - Patchwork Times. 

BUSY DAY

We had our normal slow Sunday morning start - reading the paper, looking at the ads, drinking coffee and tea.....

After lunch, DH and I headed to the clubhouse to use the long tables and pin basted 5 quilts!

  Three are baby quilts, all with different green flannel backings, and the other two are scrappy - one lap quilt, and one almost twin size quilt.  Both are helping to use my leaders and enders!  I love that I can make a good part of one quilt while piecing another....
Tomorrow morning, the quilting begins!  (My sewing room gets too warm in the afternoons to be comfortable).  Besides, I managed to find both sons at home this afternoon, and spent time catching up.  Both daughters-in-law have a cold!
 
DH has booked a tee time at one of the Disney courses - half price for passholders, so I'll have most of Tuesday to quilt with very few interruptions.  I don't have a phone in my sewing room, and I like that way.  That's what an answering machine is for!

STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Used this week  0 yards

Used year to date  210.5 yards

Added this week  0 yards

Added year to date  155.625 yards

Net used 2012  54.875 yards

I seem to be doing lots of sewing, but not much finishing....

I spent Saturday, between playing salesperson at the garage sale, piecing backs and piecing batting.  My cut-off pieces of batting are dwindling slowly, and I have 5 quilt tops with batting and backing, ready to pin baste.  Hoping to head to our clubhouse to use the large tables later today.

I took my Pfaff in for service this week, and it is home and running smoothly.  I also took in my old serger.  I only use it once or twice a year, but long ago, a child accompanying Mom for her dress fitting, damaged one of the tension dials.  It was still usable, but it needed adjusting every 6 inches or so.  It is also home and running like a top.  I used it to serge the raw ends of the fabric I reported last week, and it is all washed and folded on the shelf, awaiting its turn.....  
Check out everyone's progress at Judy's blog - Patchwork Times 

GARAGE SALE DAY

DH and I aren't big at participating in garage sales.  Today was the bi-annual sale for our community.


Last spring, I rescued a sewing machine - a 70's singer in a desk.  We cleaned and deodorized the desk, and cleaned the machine.

  DH helped me and we took all the housing off the machine, cleaned out all the old grease, lint, etc.  Added new grease and oiled all the many places.  The Singer 758 was a slant-stitch machine with cams for zig-zag and other stitches.  The original book was included - a big help - and there was even the original receipt - 1972  almost $400.00!
I had to order new feed dogs, but they were easy to replace, and after running the machine for a while, it ran smoothly, and with a great stitch.

We put the machine in its desk, out for the sale this morning.  Many people stopped to see it, but no one wanted the desk.  After a while, DH took it out of the desk, and within a few minutes it had a new home.  We are hoping someone will take the desk - it is still out with a "free" sign. 

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

I haven't managed to find time to pin-baste the next couple of tops, so I pulled out a "leader and ender" project that I designed on EQ7 a while ago.

I began with 4-patch blocks that I had made with my 2 inch squares of scraps.  Then put four 4-patch blocks together to make a 16 patch block.  

 For the alternate block, I decided on a pinwheel made of 4 half-square triangle blocks (or triangle square blocks).  Love the assembly line sewing!

I am using a consistant light fabric for the pinwheels and the pieced borders that I have planned.  I chose fabric from my floral stash to make all the pinwheels. 
The quilt center is almost stitched together, again - assembly line piecing, and I have the first border prepared and ready to sew, as soon as I press all the seams....

Check out other's creativity this week at Judy's Patchwork Times.

STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Used this week  12.125 yards

Used year to date  210.5 yards

Added this week  8.5 yards

Added year to date  155.625 yards

Net used 2012  54.875 yards

I ordered some neutrals as well as two more baby panels from eQuilter - they arrived this week   +6 yards.  Then I received 2 fat quarters at the quilt show, and I picked up to cloth book kits at the boutique.

I did finish my "Sing a Happy Song" done in yellow and blue instead of pink like Judy's lovely version - pictures to come later.  I only count my fabric as "used" when the quilt is completed!

Today is Veterans Day in the US, and Remembrance Day in Canada.

A huge thank you to all veterans and serving military!  

Head over to Patchwork Times to see everyone's progress this week.

FIRST QUILT SHOW OF THE WINTER SEASON

This morning DH and I, along with 3 friends headed toward Tampa to attend the Cypress Creek Quilter's Guild outdoor quilt show, held at the Botanical Gardens at the University of South Florida.
The weather was wonderful - cool at first, but jackets came off 15 minutes after our arrival.  We had a wonderful morning, sharing all the quilts, plants and sunshine.  
The first picture is of the opportunity quilt - they sold all of the tickets by 1pm and the draw was at 3.  I guess I didn't win, as no one called!
 The quilts were on stands and hung under and between the trees.  There was lots of room for visitors to spread out, and there were demonstrations set up throughout the gardens as well.
 They had a small vendor area, and I did pick up 2 cloth book kits at their boutique.  We stayed to see the auction of quilts - tried to win a couple, but the bidding went too high for my budget.  The money from the auction was being donated to the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital & Clinic - for health care for Woman Veterans.

Guild members made the lovely award ribbons - such a special touch...











Some of the quilts seemed to glow when the sun added its own highlights.
 
On the way home we stopped at Olive Garden for a late "soup and salad" lunch.  Lots of laughter turned it into a wonderful day. 

QUILTING AWAY

I'm beginning to feel at home again.  DH helped me pin baste my version of "Sing a Happy Song" - pattern from Judy at Patchwork Times.  I did all the "stitch in the ditch" quilting, to stabilize the layers, and found some threads that will work with the fabric.

Yesterday I quilted the narrow peach border, and hunted through some books for ideas on the rest of the quilting.  Today, in between interruptions, I managed to quilt the first border, and came up with a design to quilt at the intersections of the blocks and sashing.

 Today we're having company - our BIL and his friend are coming over from New Port Richey to play golf with DH.  They are staying for dinner, so I have to make some preparations.  I'm also baking bread today - first batch since we arrived.  I made some pumpkin raisin squares last night, and they need some frosting to finish them - one to eat and one for the freezer.  I may even make some chocolate chip cookies - but my quilt is calling.......

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

I don't really have a design wall here - I usually take over the living room and lay large pieces on the carpet.  I do have a small flannel covered cardboard that I use when demonstrating things with my Wednesday quilt group.  We don't start meeting until Nov 14, and the group grows gradually as people arrive south for the winter.

I finished this table runner since arriving here.  The floral stripe fabric was leftover from the border for "The Orient Visits Baltimore" completed in 2011, and was pinned to my design wall up north.  While doing my final tidy up, I decided to use it to make the runner, rather than hide it away.  The remaining small pieces were cut into squares and strips to be used in scrappy projects.  I used a mylar type of metallic thread to do the "walking foot lines" and the free motion stitching around the flowers.  Then I did some curvy lines in the background around them.

I have my "Sing a Happy Song" quilt top and back pressed, just waiting to pin baste.  I didn't find the binding when I unpacked, so either I made it and left it north, I forgot to pack the fabric to make it, or I have to find something that will work with the quilt top.... 
 I also pulled out 3 baby quilt panels and flannel backings that I didn't get finished last winter.  There was fabric for binding, so I cut the strips, stitched them together and pressed them ready for use.  I also pressed the top of the Grandmother's Cross but I have to look for some backing for this one.  I did sew a scrappy binding together. 

DH emptied the drawers, so I filled them with all the small tools, miscellaneous thread, cone thread, and other gizmos.  My sewing room is looking very neat!  I even folded the fabric for my winter projects and stored them on the small set of shelves that we found last winter.

My next project is to make an appointment to have my Pfaff serviced.  I plan to get all the prepared projects quilted with the Juki while it is away.  I get a more accurate 1/4 inch with the Pfaff, so I use it for piecing, and adding some embellishment stitches to my projects.  The Juki is my workhorse for machine quilting, and I use it for most straight stitch sewing other than quilting.

Check out what everyone is working on this week at Patchwork Times! 

STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Used this week  1.375 yards

Used year to date   198.375 yards

Added this week  6 yards

Added year to date  147.125 yards

Net used 2012   51.25 yards

Stopped into Joann's in Lakeland this week and picked up 2 pieces of "white on white" - on sale and an additional 25% off - the only time to shop.  Seems I've added lots of fabric this  year, but I've still used more than I added - yahoo!

I finished a table runner this week.  I had pieced it and pin-basted it before heading south, so it was an easy project to pick up and complete.  My sewing room is mostly set up.  I still have to wait for DH to empty one set of plastic drawers (he stores garden railway items there in the summer), then my unpacking will be completed!

We've been having visitors in our yard each day in the late afternoon.  Today I watched them eating acorns - we have lots!  They are large birds with no fear of us, and they have very loud voices, but are usually silent.  After a while, they continued their stately walk down the street....

Check out everyones stash report at Patchwork Times!