Templates for "30 Something"

Remember the quilt pattern that I posted about on June 26th?

It is a pattern called "30 Something" - there were diagrams for the templates in the pattern, but no source for acrylic templates.

I googled & found a source for them. They are Bay Creek Quilting Templates.

They said that they had already had people contact them wanting the same templates and they gave me a price.

I don't have a laser cutter that cuts acrylic, so I got NO CLUE how much they cost.

But the templates are fairly expensive. So if you order them, you really better want to make that quilt.

$16 plus $6 shipping. 2 pieces of plastic.

Bay Creek was extrememly nice & they were very quick to answer my emails & questions. So if you too want to make the "30 Something" quilt, call or email them
www.quilttemplates.com

Not to be ugly, but I'm not going to be lending my set out, once I get them.....sorry!

Sam

Stretched Stars / Bordered & Loaded

I chose the blue on the far right. It is a blue/gray/green blue & those tulip looking things are the perfect cream. It goes really well. I actually just wanted to get it done & up against the quilt top, it "went well".

Oh, by the way, after adding borders, this top measures 92 X 103. It will fit the bed super nicely.

I did not load it until 9PM. I got busy. Cooked spaghetti & meatsauce. Yeh, I know...twice in 3 days??? I had left over cooked hamburger - so why not?

I am going to use the same "camel" colored thread. It goes with the backing.Besides that point, I didn't have to wind any bobbins and the cone was still on the machine...so why not?

The backing is one I chose without much decision. I think I got it at Whittles too, in December. It's wide & it did not require any squaring up. I ran it in the dryer with a wet towel to get the wrinkles out. Lazy! I didn't really want to iron it....

The pantograph I chose is called LUSH LEAVES by Willowleaf Studio. I HAVE used it before, but (again) not on one of my own quilts.

Notice the finger wrapped in muslin???? Wonder of wonders, as I smooth the fabric, affter loading the backing, I ALWAYS - stinking ALWAYS snag a finger with a pin. Blood everywhere. thankfully never on the fabric. Been really careful about that!!! Last 4 quilts that I have quilted, I have drawn blood. Seems that if I pay special attention to make sure that I don't snag a pin, I do it more than once.

Note to self: Get a box of bandaids for the studio.

Sam

Hot Dogs

As you can see. Both dogs were behaving very well.

They both found THE coolest spots in the bonus room & stayed there.

Of course, the favorite fat dog, found the sweet spot.

Had to give Bourbon a bath before he could come in. He's been my shadow all day. He has kept me in his line of view all day. Even in the bathroom......

He smells so nice too. All that will disappear when I return him to the dog pen later this evening. His feelings will be SO hurt!

Prince Charming removed the bug zapper (which did not perform as expected) and installed a flood light that points towards the dog pen. Last week he installed one that shines down on the steps going from the deck to the patio. Both are not too useful RIGHT NOW, but when it gets dark at 5PM, they will be priceless!

Sam

Stretched Stars / Top Complete / Border Votes

Here is the finished body of the Stretched Stars Quilt.

Without borders, it measures approximately 82 by 92. You see it on a Queen size bed.

I have to stand on the cedar chest to get a really good shot! Ha, Ha !

At any rate. I want the borders to be blue. This quilt won't need borders too wide. Maybe 5 inches. I usually use 6. Once quilted, bound & washed: a quilt normally shrinks by 7 to 10 %. Maybe that's not true for everyone, but I have learned to make them slightly larger to fit my bed & cover us WELL while in bed. So? I make 'em BIG.

I have several blue prints to choose from & I narrowed it to 4. I have enough of any of these prints for borders to be torn lengthwise of the fabrics as well as binding.

I just CAN NOT decide WHICH one! All 4 I like, but the 2 on the ends seem to be hollering the loudest (meaning: I am leaning towards those 2). So, here's your chance to vote! Which blue do YOU like?

(again - the photos are taken in the bonus room under artificial light...and the flash is making them appear much brighter than they really are.)

My Stretched Stars Quilt has many, many fabrics. All the backgrounds are Thimbleberries cream colors. The corners of the blocks are Civil War reproduction prints & some Thimbleberries. The background creams don't show up well in these photos, but they are NOT whites. They ARE all Golds, creams, yellow based.

I would like to get these borders on tomorrow. So holler early! I want to try & get it loaded early this week - I have to get batting somewhere...I am out....well, i THINK I might have a package of Hobbs Poly-Down...I'll have to look.

Today - Prince Charming was tired, tired, and said he wanted a "lazy day", I took advantage of HIS lazy day & went to the quilt guild Saturday "sit-n-sew". They have one every 4th Saturday. I didn't take my sewing machine, I only took a quilt to sew the binding down. I got 1/2 way done on it too! Went to lunch @ a meat & 3 place. And then came home & took a wonderful late afternoon nap.

There were maybe 10 of us there @ the sit-n-sew. It was a nice environment today.

Speaking of today. It topped over 95 degress today, but cooled down wonderfully after 7. Prince Charming & I sat on the deck with the ceiling fan going. Very cool. We didn't even sweat sitting there. (unlike the week earlier!)

ANYWAY - I need opinions on the borders PLEASE!!!

Sam

Adding to "The List"

Quilting Buddy #1 bought the latest issue of Quiltmaker magazine.

It had a BEAUTIFUL quilt on the cover called "30 Something" - that is not a guess on the patern name, that IS what it is called.....

I DO NOT need another project. Just don't. I am on a magazine diet. I only have one subscirption, to Fons & Porter / Love of Quilting. I didn't renew any of the other ones. (yes plural) I browse the mags while @ Wal Mart, but I have not bought one in a long time because I just have not seen any projects that jumped out and said: "Gurl, I am here for YOU, buy me!" BUT, I saw this issue on Bonnie Hunters blog & the cover quilt looked so NICE. Wal Mart didn't have the magazine. Quilting Buddy #1 had one. She lent it to me & I made a copy of the pattern from that magazine. (I am not selling it, I am not profiting from it, so please don't berate me for any type of CR issues.....i just don't want to hear it!) Anyway...THIS quilt has got to be on "The List" of quilts to make. It just has to!

I love it in the 30's colors that the designer has used, but I think it would look delightful in Thimbleberries or Civil War repros....Oh I am itching to sew it (no it's not the poison oak talking!)

On first glance, this pattern appears to be a variation of a doulbe wedding ring quilt. It is not, the blocks are actually made by making the "X", and then when set side by side, the pattern appears! 2Kool!

Anyway - if the photo loads properly, this is the quilt.

Nice, really nice!

Sam

Thursday Night "Sit & Sew"

No photos for THIS post, just chatty.

My friend, Quilt-Buddy #1, and I started to get together on Thursday nights to "sit & sew". So far this has been great. We get to sit & talk & sew & just be ourselves. No pressures. I have been getting so much done. It is so fun just to sit & sew. There are supposed to be 2 other quilt buddies in the mix, to round us out to 4, but so far it's just been QB#1 & me. I think this is the 4th time we've done it now. (we skipped last week, because I was on vacation)

Last night , QB#1 finished her blocks for her "Pink Lemonade" quilt. She finished sewing on the sashing & got all the blocks sewn into rows before we quit for the evening.

I brought my Stretched Stars Quilt to show QB#1 - I got both halves sewn together & it's now ready for borders! Whoo-Hoo! (a decision I ALWAYS waffle on!) It looks really nice.

I was so tired of those 2.5 inch squares that everything I had left over, I traded with QB#1 for blue scraps.

While @ Thursday Sit & Sew - I worked on my Night & Day Quilt, got the binding strips pressed , sewn together and sewn to the FRONT side of the quilt. All ready to be hand stitched to the back. This particular binding is just a little more narrow then I am used too. NORMALLY, I cut my binding strips 3 inches, fold in half, sew to the BACK of the quilt & then hand stitch to the front. Makes for a nice wide binding that I like....But THIS time, I didn't have enough fabric to make the strips 3 inches wide. So they are 2.5 inches. It's enough difference that I can notice it.

I'll be off work by noon today. I have SUCH a full day! I have to meet the fence guy @ DD#1's house, pick up a RX for Prince Charming @ the pharmacy, get to the grocery store & buy everything I need for Spaghetti & Meatball dinner tonight. I am having the "girl's from work" to dinner @ my house. Totally informal. I been promising it for a while, so now it's time to make good on it.

I am sure glad that they all know that I don't rent a room to Martha Stewart. I wouldn't want anyone to think my house is spotless & pristine. Ha, Ha, Ha ! It would really surprise me if it were!

Talk at y'all later!

Sam

The Fence & the Yard

I promised better pictures of the FENCE

We had 507 feet installed. That's a lot of fence. We live on 1.58 acres in a subdivision. We fenced half our back yard. Chain link was a little more than I thought it was supposed to cost. but, oh well.

We put the dog kennels inside the fence, because until we know how the dogs will behave, they have to put up when we are not home. They were out all day yesterday & last night. They spent most of the time under the trailer. Of all the cool spots under the shade that they could pick, they chose the trailer. I have to move the baby pool to an area that is more shady. It gets too much sun where it is right now & the dogs won't use it until it's dark.

See all the dirt? Prince Charming dragged it, airated it, dragged it some more. Spread fertilizer. Spread seed & then dragged it again. Then he ran the sprinkler for 6 hours yesterday. He's waitng until about 4 or 5 PM before he does it again today.

Well, those are the 2 projects that we spent our vacation time & money doing.

Sam

Play Pretties

I bought 2 patterns while I was at Whittles on Monday.

I couldn't take photos of the patterns because it was too dark (when I thought of it) so I thought I could TRY to load "stock" photos. (anyone know if it's okay or NOT okay to do that on a blog????)Both are from Bonnie Blue Quilts. I love their patterns, and I love the little stories that they include. The Corn & Beans pattern is called CABIN CREEK, and the blue baskets quilt is called NELLIE'S WEDDING QUILT. For either one, you better like making half square triangles. Little ones.

Y'all need to check out the Whittles Bargain House website. You relaly , absolutely CAN NOT beat their prices. They had kits for quilts from a very popular webiste for HALF what I had seen! No joke. and they are the nicest people too.

Also - on Mother's Day, DD#1 gave me a gift card. I pre-ordered a book called SIMPLE COMFORTS by Kim Diehl. Nice ideas. Heavy on the primitive applique. My fav, of the whole book, is Cabin Cozy. A Log Cabin/Bear's Paw variation. Well, the book finally came this week. {Ha! Everytime I think of any Bear's Paw, I have to smile & remember my buddy MM}

I hope the pictures work like I want them too....I don't think the book cover is going to load.

On another note. I was worried aobut finding the right fabrics to make the baby quilt for DG#1. DD#2 chose a quilt from the "Critter's Dancing in the Moonlight" book by Linda Hoghag. Well, I did a search & found a KIT for the fabrics for the exact quilt that DD#2 wants me to make!! Whoo-Hoo Happy Dance!! I'll let you know wether or not I like what I bought or if I got ripped off. We'll see. I just hope that the fabrics look like animal fur....it's been really hard finding anything suitable. If they are good, I still have to make the quilt........Teeny Tiny applique peices.

Sam

Blog Troubles? / & Stretched Star Quilt Photo

Last night I came upstairs & wrote this nice chatty little blog/post & uploaded photos of the 3 outside rows on my Stretched Stars Quilt.

Went & hit PUBLISH POST and ................nothing. the computer froze up.

I have forgot everything I wrote (must have not been very important, huh?)

Here are photos AGAIN of the Stretched Stars Quilt. I added the little half blocks that complete the stars. This is exactly half the quilt. It's turning out just how i thought it would.

Oh yes! Yesterday I finished quilting the "Night/Day" quilt. It turned out SO nice. I have to sew the binding strips together & get it done. That poison green backing is perfect!

Today (Friday) the fence guys finished. The dirt got all delovered & Prince Charming rented a bobcat & spread dirt all day. I DID take pictures, but it was 8 PM & they truned out too dark. So I'll have to try again tomorrow. Also wanted to show you all the dirt, and how nice Prince Charming spread it. He sure knows what he's doing. We went to Lowe's and dropped a bundle on grass seed & fertilizer.

Sam

Tuesday Doings.

I got up BEFORE 8 this morning & took the big dogs for a walk. there was a house down the road from us that burnt, long before Christmas, and it was being torn down. they were using a Komatsu Excavator...at least it wasn't a Deere....Cheap entertainment....it was too humid to go much farther.

The fence folks showed up & placed poles. The weather got horrible. Topped a tree in our yard & broke one in the neighbor's yard. Fence guys won't be backuntil Thursday as the cement must cure. The big dogs went nuts for most of the day. I think Bourbon was insulted that they did not leave when he barked at them. he barked all day at them...all day. Go Bourbon, go. I think the dog will be happy inside the fence instead of his kennel....


I decided that since I was on "vacation" this week that I would get some quilting for myself. I loaded the 'Night & Day" quilt. I had bought a (poison) green backing from Whittles yesterday & it's perfect for this quilt. I only quilted about 2 rows because it was so HOT down in the basement. I had 2 fans going in there & still I sweated in my shoes...I'll try to finish tomorrow morning, or very late tonight.

I chose a pnatograph called "Bubbles". For no other reason than I have not used this pattern on a quilt of MINE. It's a little dense for THIS quilt, but it's turing out really pretty. I am using a camel colored thread. Basically a taupe color, or a variation of TAN. Oddly enough, the thread is blending beautifully with the poison green backing and the background of all the blocks. Good color, camel is!

I love being off, it's been refreshing.

Tomorrow we (we meaning Prince Charming & I) are tackling installing a light on the deck stairway - it's a little dark out there at night and I don't like going up & down the stairs in the dark. We also have to replace the door sashing on the back door. It's dry rotted on the bottom...no water damage, just needs replacing. And, maybe a few other little fiddle things that need fixing around the house.

Sam

{edited tp add: There is slack in the quilt on the photo that shows the length of the table/quilt because I had let the locks loose because I was not going to be quilting anymore...I do not quilt anything while it's slack like that...and if I am not going to finish, I let ther be slack so it doesn't stretch the fabric. Just thought I'd let y'all know!}

Stretched Stars & Rashes......

Exactly how long does ONE have to wait for Poison Oak to clear up? Even with medication? It's drying up, but GOODNESS, I itch. I ITCH everywhere. It's all lighter in color, in other words, I don't look like a Lobster with acne.....I am tired of having posin Oak. It's yuck.

We're off this week.

The fence guy came today, it's been raining, so it's too wet to get the little bobcat looking thing with the auger into the yard to drill the holes for the fencing....hurry up & wait mode....just love it.

I went to Whittles today with 7 other ladies from my quilt guild. It was a nice trip 9only got sprinkles of rain on the way back...) I bought 2 pieces for backings. I bought some "weaver's cloth" , for the background of the (I should say "THE") baby quilt that I will make for DD#2/DG#1. I also bought some yardage of blue & red. both are for the "border" blocks on my PP Pineapple quilt. I bought 3 yards of a blue Civil War print. So pretty. I ran out of $$ long before I ran out of choices! ha Ha

My car buddy was Pam. Pam lives about 2 miles from me, is a memeber of my guild & she's a realtor. Smart lady & so fun to be with!

It's been a little bit since I posted some pictures. This is my "Stretched Stars" Quilt. I work on it , off & on. It's my therapy sewing. Sort of brainless, you know??? Well i finally got enough of the blocks sewn. 2.5 inch corners on 2 corners....More trimming & ironing then there is anything. I want it to be a queen size, so if my math is correct, I need 399 blocks....Then I want to make the inner border to complete the outer "stars". I have heard this block named many things...one of them is Indian Hatchet. I have wanted to make a Stretched Stars Quilt for a long while, and I am closer to having one done.

The truth is that I started a different therapy sewing project and needed to FINISH this one, before I stared another one! Ha, ha ! A little self decipline maybe? I started a Log Cabin/Courthouse Steps VARIATION ?? I don't know what you call it, I have seen it in many quilting magaizines. It's just squares. Or logs around a center square...Easy Peasey...but I had to finsih the Stars .

what you are seeing is just HALF the quilt. It will be 19 blocks by 21, and this is just 19 X 11 right now. I didn't feel like fiddling with all those blocks at once..

anyhow.....tomorrow, Prince Charming & I go to someone's house to pay for & pick up a dining room set that DD#1 bought for her new house. My freind, Pam, found it and told us about it. After we pick that up & take it to her house, I don't know what the plans for the "day" are....but I know I won't get up before 8!!!

ha Ha, again!

{edited to add: DG#1 = dear grandchild #1 - gonna be a grandmother in December....}

Sam

Update on "Me the Whimp"

Well, it's official, I have Posion Oak.

Stopped by the Urgent Care last night & the wait time was 3 hours to see the doctor. So i went this morning. I waited 25 minutes....anyway....the DR told me that I waited too long to come & see him. The rash on my arm & on my abdomen are equal to 2nd degee burns.

I am in pain. Itch all the time. And, since I stopped biting my nails (yay me!) I have weapons of mass destruction attached to my fingers.....ugh!

He gave me a steroid shot & prescriptions for Silver Sulfidine cream, steroid pills & an anithistimine.....said it should take 3 or 4 days to clear up.

I tried to tough it out, with Calamine Lotion & Benedryl gel. It was no go. Either of them only lasted long enough to dry. Once dry, the effectiveness no longer existed. So? I HAD to go to the doctor!

I am feeling much better, but my abdomen still feels like it's on FIRE. And it keeps spreading....I look like I sunburned.....

Sam

Monthly Guild Meeting

I got off work early yesterday so that I could go to my guild meeting. Ended up getting there a few hours later than I intended because I took the favorite fat dog to the vet. (She has an ear infection.) I got to the meeting right after 3PM. I took my stretched stars project with me. I took the Janome 6500 & when I set it up to sew, I had forgot my regular presser foot & only had the 1/4 inch presser foot! I was in luck though, because another member had the same machine & lent me her regular foot. I sewed squares to squares for 2.5 hours.

The blocks for that Stretched Star Quilt seem like they never end! I need 399 of them for a Queen size quilt! So , since it's so boring, I only take it out for the "between" projects! I think I am a little less then half way done! Whoo-Hoo!

You know what the worst part of making a quilt is for me? (excluding binding & labels....) What to use for borders....I always struggle with that. I have been known to sew borders on & then remove them....because I can never decide. Oh well. I still have lot's of time, because I am nowhere near done on the Stretched Stars....

During "Show & Tell" at the guild meeting. Margaret showed us a quilt with Bees & Bee Hives on it. It was SO cute. The Bees were paper peiced & instead of applique for the bee heads, she used black buttons. It was ADORABLE. The pattern was free off the AQS website. I SURE don't need another project, but this was too cute to pass up. The pattern shows the "hives" in purple, Margaret used a gold print for the hive borders. Absolutely adorable! I have got to add this to my (never ending) list of quilts to DO.

The pattern is called "Swarms of Summer" on the AQS website & it's free. You don't have to be a member to get a copy.

I love guild meeting!

We get fined 25 cents for not having a name tag. Well, I dislike name tags. No , I don't have a reason. ANYWAY - a few months ago, I stuffed $5 in the cup - figured I was GOOD for a while! Well, one of the members, Joyce, made a machine embroidered name tag for me. So I no longer have any excuses. Darn it!

I'm a rebel , can you tell?

Sorry that there are no photos today. I'll try to do better. No promises...

Sam

A First Time for Everything

I'm not being wimpy. I promise!

Saturday, Prince Charming & I pulled weeds & did a general cleanup of the back yard. Pulled nasty vines off the oak trees....I'm NOT a gardener. I love plants, but honestly, I have an ulcer on the cornea of my left eye & I am hyper sensitive to sun light, so I don't like to do much that requires being out in direct sunlight. I have lots of sun hats. I get a LOT of silly coments over my hats....but hey, I if I am going to be out there, I have to protect myself! Gardening requires too much of being in the sun for me to be comfortable....anyway....we got an early start & it was mostly shady in the yard. Nice , beautiful morning. We finished up around 1 PM.

Sunday, I discovered Poison Oak all over my arms, and under my underclothes. Oh Boy ! This is my bery first time with this stuff. It does not HELP that I stopped biting my fingernails last month & NOW I CAN scratch! I have been doing really well, unless I sweat. If I sweat, I feel the urge to scratch....it's maddening! I think I have it on my scalp too....UGH !!! I have been using a hydrocortizone cream & that helps a LOT! I am applying it about every 3 hours.

I will have to have a LOT of self control in the next few days to keep this nasty stuff from spreading!

Sam

Conundrum..............

I am so frustrated! How come when you make "plans" there is always a contingentcy?

A little more than a month ago....six weeks...no more than that....I called 2 fence companies in our county. Prince Charming & I decided we were going to get vinyl coated chain link fencing installed in the back half of the yard for the big dogs. Well I got 2 estimates. The first company came out very quickly. The second one called twice to reschedule. The first company put his estimate into a drawn picture of the area to be fenced. The second company wrote his estimates on the back of his business cards.

#1 The vinyl coated fencing is too cost prohibitive. Nearly 2 grand more then without it!

#2 I want 5' fence, Prince Charming wants 4'. Y'all have seen my big dogs.....Briscoe (the shepherd) can jump over something 4' (course if he can jump 4 he can jump 5 right?)

#3 Even with out the vinyl coating, the fencing is costing over our budgeted number. Unfortuneately...we HAVE to put up fencing. Someone getting bit is too big a liability.

#4 We want to put up fencing at DD#1's new house too & want it all done together....

So what is the conumdrum ???? WEEEELLLLL.....we can't put up fencing until a few trees are removed. We can't remove the trees until it stops raining long enough to dry up. It hasn't stopped raining long enough to dry up.....UGH!!! The tree guy has been out 3 times & can't get his truck in the yard without his stabilizer feet sinking....I am so aggravated over this.

We are going to be off work the whole week of the 15th through the 19th & I really wanted to be home when we turned the big dogs out into the fenced area. Since they have always been in a 10 foot X 10 foot kennel, I don't know how they will react. I am pretty sure that we'll have to put a hot wire on the bottom because Briscoe can DIG really well.

I sure want it to stop raining!

Sam

****the big dogs are not VICIOUS. They are normal dogs that bark & protect thier property. It's what I feed them to do. BUT ! Bourbon is MORE protective & if he can see it, he'll protect it, and if you're a stranger, he's going to show his butt. He's bit ONE person, and yes it was un-provoced. I have been "socializing" him more & more & he's calmed down some....but I can't risk him biting someone again. Just didn't want y'all to think I harbor vicious animals....just the opposite***********