Chain Quilt

I was trolling around on Pinterest & found a quilt pattern that was very modern. Usually modern does not appeal to me. But this one did. I did not really want to buy another pattern. So I didn’t. I graphed it out & shot from the hip & did it. I need 98 blocks. Super simple. Super fast. On-Point is what  gives the pattern it’s drama.

I used only scraps for the darks & found enough of a neutral background print in my stash. I think I’ll use a flannel sheet for the backing!

Oak Leaf Trail

Bock #22 of 32!

M

Welcome Sign

My brother...He can be a jerk. I have 4 brothers, but  1 of them is a jerk. I love him, but he's a jerk. Anyway....My husband was given some old used oak flooring. Originally we thought it might be enough to do my sister in law's house - but it turned out to only be about 400 square feet. Some of it pretty rough. So instead of tossing it out, I asked him to keep it & I have been making signs from the flooring strips. Here is the one I made for myself. Now?? You may ask yourself WHY I mentioned my brother? I sent him a text message of my sign. He said it would look great to welcome the caravan of immigrants coming up from South America. Bless their souls. I don't think they'll make it THIS far. But the sign won't go up until it's sealed anyway.

The wood will get darker after it's sealed. This is a huge sign. It's 2 foot by 4 foot & weighs a LOT! I don't know what Prince Charming will use to attach it to the wall on my deck, but it is going to have to be sturdy. I have already been offered $$ for this sign. I don't wanna sell it... But I CAN make another one!

M

Bad Blogger

I won't promise to do better, because I don't like commitments. Puts a kink in my creativity. I won't go into details, but I have a lot going on in my day time world & I just don't have anything nice to say - so I won't!

On the sewing front, I have been piddling around with a few paper pieced feathered stars. they are really gorgeous. I'm doing mine in various shades of blue. I have been finishing up some charity quilts that were cut out. Turns out that the charity I had planned to give the tops to, likes them SMALLER. Dang it. I have about 12 cut out! I guess I'll have plenty to gift!

My dog, Bourbon, is getting old. He is losing his hearing. the only up side to Bourbon's hearing loss? All those stupid commercials on TV with doorbells. He can't hear them anymore. Which equates to no barking. He is also on daily maintenance medications. His mobility is doing ok. But some days he just can't move. I have an important decision to make, but I'm waiting to see how he fares the winter weather coming up. Yes, I'm likely stringing it out just for me. I don't want to get much more into this explanation, or I'll end up crying. Ugh!

I have been doing a little knitting. Mainly because I need something to keep my hands busy when I'm not sewing. I can do it while I watch TV with Prince Charming. Since I moved my sewing room downstairs, I only do hand work upstairs. I have been knitting little bunnies & bears. A cat & now sheep. All from the same designer. Littelcottonrabbits. I bought the patterns off etsy. they are stinking adorable. About 11 inches tall. I have not knitted anything in over 20 years. Never did anything this small, nor with this many increases and decreases. But they are coming out super cute, so I'm guessing I'm not doing TOO bad.

Sorry. No photos.

TTYL
M

Small Teddy Bear

I was just fooling around in my sewing room & dragged out an old pattern for a Teddy Bear. I honestly did NOT read the instructions & in my mind I was making something 15 inches tall. It's not. More like 10 or 11 inches. I used an old shirt that Prince Charming says shrunk.


The buttons definitely make this something that can not be played with by a child. It does not have real joints. Just sewn thru with thread.


M

Monsters! Oh My!

Started out as a RAK Quilt. Ended up being completed & sent overseas.

This was my first time using the “flange” technique. It’s a little fiddly, but very nice looking.

I’m sorry that there are duplicate photos. I struggle with posting on my blog from my iPad.

Sewing

Very little sewing going on right now. More like straightening up, sit down, get distracted, get up & go find something else to do. Not sure why.


I suffer terrible insomnia. Really terrible. So far MY insomnia is stronger than a few prescriptions, to I just deal with it. I got up last week at 1AM & sewed 7 of the half blocks I need for the top of My Everlasting Wreath Quilt. Now all I need are the little bitty side blocks. the "top" half blocks & the "side" sliver blocks are not part of the pattern. So....It's taking a little brain power to get done. Not such a good thing to be using (brain power I mean) when you are sleep deprived ! LOL

No Posts????

Gosh, I feel like a LOSER! No posts for 2 months! I shall try to do better!


M

Charity Quilts / Comfort Quilts / Random Act of Kindness Quilts...Whatever you WANT to call them!

I have struggled coming up with an easy pattern for quilts that I give away. I don't want them to LOOK like a threw them together. I don't want them to LOOK like orphan blocks, or to seem like they are from cheap fabric. Figuring out the RIGHT size has been a challenge as well. So...after spending way more money , in the past, then I really wanted to, I finally came up with a simple quilt, in a pattern I like - in the size I like (or I'm willing to spend time making...) - and a plan I like! I'm not going to actually PLAN anything - as I am terrible at deadlines and I am really terrible at personal deadlines. Nobody else in my guild, or that I know that sews, is doing them like this. I have made 2 RAK quilts in the last week & a half. RAK = Random Act of Kindness Quilts. I think I could have done 3 but my 1st one came out too big. Obviously ... no pattern....I'm just winging it.


The quilt (tops only - not quilted yet) are shown on the top of a queen size bed.


This brown one is the size I will be making. it's 59x82. This is a fairly passive print. It was easy on the eyes.

This purple print one is BRIGHT! It was very hard on the eyes! It is also too big. I will still give it away - but it's just bigger than I want to spend a whole lot of time making. 70x98

I have several more cut out. I use these as therapy sewing. Really mindless.


Here are some little Peg Dolls that I have been working on. These can't be given to a child. The wings are made of feathers (bought them premade at Hobby Lobby in the floral section) & I glued them on their backs. I also drilled holes & put the wire antenna in. They are just a little too fragile for a little kid to play with. I used a sharpie to make the eyes. It ran when I sprayed the sealer on them. Live & Learn. I'm not doing them for any special reason, just to do them.

Piddling In My Sewing Room

I was fooling around & making a coiled rope basket. From clothesline cord. I started it & had a 330 yard spool of variegated thread & it wasn't enough. I couldn't go get more, the store wasn't open when I'm off. So Friday I was off early & finally got another spool & finished it. It came out really nice & it's very ridged!

I think that I will use serger thread on any more that I make. That other thread (at 330 yards) is over $5 per spool! Too expensive for just sitting on my nightstand collecting junk.

M

Applique

When we sit in the basement in the morning before we leave for work. We watch TV. We used to do this because Prince Charming smokes down there. (Or out on the deck, but not in the house) He no longer smokes. He got hypnotized back in September & hasn’t lit up since! I don’t miss it. Anyway......we still have our routine. I like to have something small do do. So before thanksgiving I started more applique. I say MORE because I had just finished Maple Leaf blocks. Like 72 of them! This new project will have alternate chain blocks, so I only need 33. I am working on #13. There are only 5 of the 13 pictured.


I'm making them scrappy. Different backgrounds, different leaves, centers & reels.  When I find the pattern, I'll post who the designer is. Can't remember off the top of my head. Black Something Mountains or whatever. They do lots & lots of applique - very small quilts. the one I'm going to make, of COURSE, will be big enough for a queen sized bed.





I can’t figure out how to add photos from an iPad. I will have to add them later. Ugh! (had to add them from my desktop - )

A New Year Already

  Ugh. I totally failed at the goals I had set for myself. Biggest was to complete my Everlasting Wreath Quilt. Excluding half blocks & 1/4 or 1/8 side blocks, I lack 11 getting the blocks done. ELEVEN. I'm in meltdown mode & nothing I touch seems to come out right. So I'm not touching. Piddling here & there. Moving lots of STUFF around.


  We are going to be starting a home office build. Not sure if this will be our last big home improvement or not. I mean...what's left to do???? Other than say....new carpet, or new counters...Nothing else really needs "doing". We don't actually NEED a home office, but it sure would be great to have one! We have the space too. We will, again, be taking an unfinished area off the upstairs family room and turn it into an office. A window & closet as well. Technically? It COULD be a bedroom, only we don't need a bedroom & we are not calling it a bedroom. It is an office.


  We will be starting from scratch. Right now it's floor joists (or ceiling joists depending on what floor you're standing in...) and insulation. No flooring. Nothing. No wiring, no lighting. it will be another BIG undertaking. I imagine this will be our last? I mean, Prince Charming is retiring the end of June, there's no way we'll be able to afford construction expenses after he retires. We shall see. I'm in as good of shape as I was before I broke my leg. So there's no reason to think we shouldn't get it done in under 6 to 8 months. having a home office will certainly go a long way to hiding some of the mess I have spread out for "work". since I work from home most days, I will be the one using it the most.


Well - if you are a regular reader, I'm sorry you waited so long for a blog post. No promises, but I sure hope to do better this year!


Next post I'll show you some applique blocks I started before Thanksgiving. I need 32.


M