"Thinking Outside the Box" Update

Well, I finished the quilting this afternoon. It turned out really pretty & really BRIGHT. I can not decide if the back is more bright then the front. I used purple thread. DD#2 loves purple.

I already have the binding strips sewn together & ironed in half & ready to apply. Just need to DO IT.

I brought the quilt upstairs to lay out on the floor to photograph & load some photos onto my blog & while I was turning on the computer & connecting to the internet, the dog decides that I laid it down JUST FOR HIM. No encouragement what-so-ever.

I am sure that DD#2 will not appreciate it. I will definately have to run it through the washer after I bind it & before I give it to her.

Soon as I can get it laid out flat, I'll post additional photos.

Sam

Quilting The Quilt

This is a quilt that I made MORE than 2 years ago. How do I know it was MORE than 2 years ago? Well......because, in 2 months, I will have been living back in TN for 2 years. Moved back here in May 2008.

I made this quilt BEFORE I moved. I did, however, peice the backing sometime last year.

I can not decide whether the front is brighter than the backing. I am using a "power" purple thread & a pantograph from Willowleaf Studios called "DIZZY" - I felt like the design complimented the print in the fabric. As of right this second - it's half quilted.

The pattern for the quilt top is from Toad-U-Sew (in Florida) & it is called "Thinking Outside the Block". Very interesting - give s a 3D effect - sort of.....but really? Each block is a quarter Log Cabin.

I started this quilt for DD#2. It's still for her. She will be here on Easter weekend & I hope to have it completed & bound for her to take home with her.

Sam

Found A New Blog To Follow !

You all know how much Prince Charming & I LOVE to make "things", and do home improvement projects.

Well, I (one day) would like to have a wooden kitchen set for the grandkids at my house. I remember having a metal one when I was alittle kid & I LOVED it. It is one of few posessions that I can remember having as a child. ANYWAY.........I was looking for woodworking plans (found some at workworkers) and stumbled on this blog:

www.knockoffwood.blogspot.com

This is another VERY crafty person. I am SO inspired!!

Sam

Pineapple Update

This is the box that I am throwing scraps into for my PP Pineapple. I don't EVER seem to get to the bottom of this box.

I did myself a favor and finally separated the lights from the darks. When I am bored of working on it, the box top with the lights sits down inside the green box.





These are all that I have done. I still lack 38 more. 38! Seems like it will take me a lifetime to do 38.........and that's just for the "body", I still lack the border blocks too. 43, I think. I don't have a deadline, I don't kid myself thinking I am going to finish it RIGHT NOW. This is one of my GO TO projects. Sort of like therapy sewing , you know? Ha! Therapy?? There are 37 pieces per block. When it's done, there will be over 5000 pieces.....More like insanity. but you know what? I already LOVE this quilt. I finsih 10 or 20 blocks & I just can not resist laying them out & just drooling over how much I LOVE this quilt.

QB1 asks me how I am going to quilt them (yes them, she's making one too! AND, I have enough scraps for .......oh, I don't know.........2 or 3 more?) I told her that I just wanted a nice pantograph on it. It is so incredibly busy, that any really nice quilting will be lost & never seen!

So? What do you think? How would you quilt it? Remember, I'm a little ways away from GETTING it quilted. I lack 38 body blocks & 43 border blocks. Might as well be a million!! Ha Ha!

Sam

Stripper Party

On Thursday nights, a few of my QB's & I get together & sew. This started last year around early summer. Started out strong with 4 of us. Now, it's more or less just me & QB1 (Pam!) but recently, we have promoted another girl (Nancy!) to QB2 because she's been coming a little more regularly then before. Don't make me eat my words QB2............

Anyway - because I had an appointment late Thursday night (to get our taxes done) we rescheduled our Thursday night to Wednesday night. Turns out that due to an unplanned report at my real job, I didn't GET to leave to go to my tax appointment & havve had to reschedule.......ANYWAY.....Wednesday night QB1 & QB2 came over to my house & we tackled a box of scraps that I have. QB1 & I cut & QB2 ironed. There were lot's of bigger scraps & if either of them wanted the big peices, we didn't cut them.

Let me tell you! I am SO grateful that we got that container dealt with. I feel lighter. Cleaner. Relieved....Now I have strips! Lot's of 2" strips.

I hoep that I never get that big a pile of scraps again. NOW - after I finish a project, I cut up the scraps into strips - long ones into one bin & short ones into the PP Pineapple bin. I think I have enough short peices of scraps to make 4 PP Pineapple Quilts.

We (yes WE!) still have another plastic container FULL of more scraps to go through.

Another night, I suppose?

Sam

Checking In

Nothing *new* going on. I decided I was NOT going to put a bow tie border on the hugs & kisses quilt. I made ONE side & got very discouraged. I'm just going to slap borders on it & be done. Done is good, and I'll LIKE the quilt a whole lot more after i don't spend mountains of time on it.

Been working on some of the paper peiced pineapple blocks. I have 20 that I am working on, and 37 finished. That means I only lack 39 more for the body portion & 43 for the borders. Will I finish it in 2010? Don't know. Maybe. I want too, but not enough to work on those blocks exclusively.

Cut out a HUGE amount of 2 inch strips & subcut to 5 inces long & then into 2X2 inch squares. Wat for? SPOOLS! Going to swap some with Joan (sorry, I lack the know how to link names to blogs...) Joan is one of the blogs that I follow. She is a wonderful woman. She has a beautiful family too - her blog is called "Keeping You in Stitches" I hope that MY endeavors are good enough to be included in her SPOOL quilt. She is an EXCELLENT quilter!

Last Saturday (02/13) QB1 & QB2 & I went shop hopping of sorts. We got pictures & I'll post them when I get copies. a grand time! I spent every dime. Fabric, fabric & MORE fabric. AND some patterns. Boy! I love Whittles.........

Also been working on some magazine holders from mailing boxes. Those are coming out GREAT! I bought brown paper to cover them, but I don't like it as much as I think I'll like paint or fabric. Wonderful idea.

I cut out some primary colored fabrics to take to Alabama this weekend. My freind, Leslie, is going to embroider the alphabet on the blocks which will go into the grandbaby's I-SPY Quilt! I am SO excited about those alphabets. A few name blocks too.

Have not done any other sewing. Other than what I have mentioned. 2 weeks ago I made 4 baby shirts. you'll have to check THOSE out on my sewing/craft blog @ www.samsewsandcrafts.blogspot.com (also on my side bar. Seems silly to "foloow" my own blog, don't it????

This weekend is MY weekend to drive down to Alabama to visit with DD#2 & her husband & the GRANDBABY. Prince Charming has made the baby a toy box & DD#2 a hope chest. Same pattern......different uses. (he has also made one for DD#1 with an inlaid star in a different color wood - lastly he's making one for ME!) I will be taking both the toy chest & the hope chest down with me. Providing they BOTH fit in my wagon. Weather isn't nice enough to drive the truck. On my way back up to come home, I'll be visiting with my freind Kat & Leslie. I'll be happy to see all. VERY BUSY WEEKEND COMING UP !!!!!!!!!

Good night all! My feather pillows are calling me!

SAm

Hugs & Kisses Update

Somehow I ended up with 4 extra blocks. I don't know how I did that......I thought I had the math figured out perfect.

Well, it's no surprise. My math is bad!

Sam

Hugs And Kisses

Well, that's what the blocks look like to me right now......That may change. This is only 1/3 of the 46 that I have done. All the backgrounds are various different Thimbleberries cream prints.

The body of the quilt will be these "X" blocks, then there will be an appliqued border & then an outer border of bowtie blocks.

Hugs And Kisses, X-Box, X Marks the Spot, X's & O's, I can't decide how I'll name it!!

Sam

Electronic Woes

Well, the DSL has been down all week.

I couldn't get on the internet or check email or anything.

I have 46 blocks finished from the previous post!

Maybe I'll get around to posting photos this weekend. We'll see!

Sam

Project Idea

Last night I sewed a little on the Double Pinwheels Quilt. I now have enough strip sets sewn together to finish enough blocks to make a queen sized quilt. Problem is........I get sidetracked.

The Connecting Threads brochure came in the other day. Normally, I just throw them out, but Bourbon won't eat his food unless I sit in the kitchen while he eats. So I like to leave something on the kitchen table to read while it takes him all of 10 minutes to eat his food....Well, Connecting Threads has some really nice stuff. None of which I NEED. WANT, sure, NEED? Not so much.

They are having a 40% off sale on their books. And I saw a pattern in one of the books that I would like to do. I mean, come on, I NEED another quilt book like I need a tongue piercing. But I do not want to buy a new book. I have enough. So what is a girl to do?

Figure it out without a book.

I don't know the name of the quilt IN the book, but the BOOK is called "Stash Magiic" by Jaynette Huff. I found it on Amazon.com And they SHOW pictures of each quilt in the book. How great for me! The quilt that I like is the Bow Tie quilt. It has them set in crosses (or X's)with alternating blocks of applique. and then Bow Ties in the outer border. While I just LOVE the inner appliqued border , I do not like the alternating applique blocks in the body. I want to make all the blocks int he body of X's, then the appliqued border, then the outer border of Bow Ties. So, I sat down to figure the math.

Keep in mind, i am not mathmatically inclined. So it all has to be in easily divisible numbers. I can get the block in 8 & 12 inches. But I am not smart enough, nor do I want to deal in fractions, to get it to be 9 or 10 inches. 8 inches is a good easy size.

I made 2 test blocks. I like the block on the left, best. The little triangles are 1.75 instead of 1.5 and they give the bowtie image a little more heft. I am going with those!

This si only going to be a scrap project, so it likely will not get finished for a WHILE. How long is a while? I dont' ask myself that question. YOU might ask it of me, but I don't ask it of myself. 2 years, or better. After all, it DOES have an appliqued border. That's going to take some time. Lot's of time!!

I love sidetracks........they can be so exciting.

Sam

Birthday Quilt

I finished the binding on the Pink & Brown Quilt & gave it to DD#1 last Friday.

Monday (the 11th) is guild - so before I go to guild I will run to DD#1's house & pick up HER quilt so that I can sew the label on it & then I can get a photo of it & post on here for all y'all to see.

She really loves it & said that it's very warm. I used a high loft poly batting - but the quilting was very dense - I thought I may have quilted out all the warmth. Eveidently not!

I have been lazy, lazy, lazy........I dragged out an old project I had been working on. I know it's OLD because I have pictures on this blog of where I did 2 test blocks - it's the Double Pinwheel - ala Eleanor Burns. I started THOSe blocks while I still lived in Alabama.

Tonight is our sit-&-sew. QB1 is supposed to come over. I will TRY (try now) to get some photos done & up on this blog. I'm telling you, I am being SO lazy. I don't know if we WILL be able to have the S&S because the wather may not permit it. We're all gearing up for SNOW. BOO! I hate the foul weather. I want to sew. And I want to see QB1 - I think we NEED some girl time. We had a little S&S last Saturday. & another QB came that I hadn't seen in over a month. We really DO have so much fun, sitting around & sewing.



Sam

Binding

Oh my goodness! I think it's been too long since I have put a binding on a quilt. Even with a thimble my fingers are SORE !!! The worst part? I am only 1/4 done on DD#1's birthday quilt...........

I sure need to shape up!

Sam

For Non-Quilting Items

Well, I don't know how long I'll keep it up, but I decided that I would create a blog for my sewing that is NOT quilting related. I really DO a lot of sewing & crafts that are NOT quilting.

So if you're bored enough to see what other things, not quilting related, that I might be keeping myself busy with, you can check me out here:

www.samsewsandcrafts.blogspot.com

I warn you though, staying on a computer takes away from my sewing time. So I'll have to see how much time keeping up with 2 blogs will take.........

Ha!

Gotta sew first , right?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Sam

Snow! Not for me........:(

Darn.

We didn't get ANY.

Just a little teeny tiny dusting of it.

There wasn't even any on the bushes outside of my house.

I was SO disappointed. And this Monday would have been a GREAT day to stay home & sew too!

Some truck pulled down the lines at work & our email & internet was down until almost noon. I could have done a LOT of sewing - if I had a reason to stay home!

Snow WOULD have been a good reason.

I am west of Nashville (I work in Nashville) and when it DOES snow - everything around here just shuts down. We don't get foul weather often enough to warrant having the road equipment to keep the roads clean/clear. So ? Everything just stops. Period.

With all the running around I have done in the last month, I sure would have enjoyed another day o sitting around on my butt & just sewing.

Oh well, maybe we'll have SNOW another time.

Sam

Birthday Quilt - Quilted - Not Bound

Here is the finished product. I quilted it today & serged the edges.

Ha !! I made the bed at 9:16 PM just to take these photos...Only a quilter would understand that I think.

This quilt measures 98 X 98 inches square. A little large for a queen size bed, I think. Oh well. DD#1 said she wanted a really warm winter quilt. This one is big enough for her to snuggle up in. I used a high loft poly batting - but I think I quilted it too densley to hold a whole lot of heat. Here's hoping it's size makes up for it's heat retention!!

Prince Charming chose the "Bubbles" pantograph & I chose the palest pink thread that I had - it came out really nice. DD#1 was very proud of it, and said the quilting looked like bubbles even before I told her that they were!

Those are the pillow cases that QB1 & I made on Thursday night. The contrast edge on them is the same as the inner border ont he quilt.

All I loack is the binding - oh and a label. I'm bad at attaching labels!

Sam

This One is Due SUNDAY

December 20th, 1982. WOW. That was a long time ago.

Not so much, really......

That was the day that I gave birth to DD#1. 27 years ago.

Do you know how old I was on that date? Ha ! I was SO young. I was SO dumb. I was all of 18 years old on December 20th, 1982. Turned 19 the following month.

I have come a long way since then. Better yet. DD#1 has come a long way. As scared as I was all that time ago, we didn't do so shabby!

I am so proud of her!

I have been making this quilt to give to her for her birthday on Monday. I finished putting the borders on it......oh....about 10 minutes ago. It's just too late for me to try & doing any quilting on it. I will load it tomorrow morning & quilt it to give to her on Monday. I have 2 different pink threads to use. I am SO uncertain which one to use.........and the pantograph? Ha! I can't begin to guess which one I'll use. Tomorrow is a new day & I will be ready to decide THEN. Maybe Prince Charming will make the choices!

I am absolutely certain that I will not have time to bind it. So I will serge it & give it to her & then get it back to put the binding on it. I also have the pillowcases for her too. I hope to get a photo of her with her *new* quilt on Monday. (Hopefully before next Friday)

I can't wait to get "back in the saddle" to sew! I have missed my routine. QB1 & I need to get cracking on our Pineapple Patch Quilts!!!

Happy Birthday Sarah! - Love, Momma

(I hope she doesn't read my blog until after Monday....)

Sam

P/S - I snapped these photos after 10 PM in our less then well lit bonus room. It's all Pink & Brown. Once I get a picture of it in natural light - you'll be able to see the colors better!!

I'm Baaaccckkk!

I went to AL to spend the week with DD#2 & DGS#1. I went to spend the week so that I could help out with the baby SIL#1 works for a car plant & they are off thru 01/11 - he's a good guy , but I don't feel like I helped out too much with all of them there. I sort of felt like a thrid wheel. Both were great hosts. and the guest room is a wlak through memory lane, as it's all DD#2's old bedroom furniture.......Makes me nostalgic. All that aside, i am very glad that I was there. DD#2 is MY baby & I felt about one inch tall when I had to leave & she teared up & told me she didn't think she could "do it" . Just broke my heart. Makes me cry thinking about it. I guess I was a sort of security blanket for her.

I have some new photos of the baby - I'll load those another time.

Got into Franklin & stopped at JoAnn's Fabrics. Picked up some strapping and a yard of novelty fabric for QB1. I also bought 3 patterns for myself. One skirt, one jeans type pattern & one scoop neck pattern. I bought 2 different types of denim & one khaki.

I have found it increasingly difficult to find clothing that I like a modest style that I am comfortable in, so I decided I would start making my own clothing. Nothing new here, folks, as it's something I have done in the past, but got away from. I like to wear my skirts long & shirts long. Everytime I try to BUY clothing, seems like you have to be a 14 year old flat chested size 2 in order to find anything......I'm tired of trying. I am NOT a size 2 (add about 10 or 12 to that number !, I'm not flat chested & I am SO far away from 14 it's comical!!)At least I'll be able to make t-shirts that don't rise above my waist or choke me to death.

ANYWAYS....

QB1 came over this evening so that we could chat & I cold apply some snaps to a few coloring totes that she has completed. Goodness, that snap-press is a joy to work with. (in all seriousness - I couldn't use snap pliers, my hands couldn't take the pressure needed to make them work right...) We also made a few pillowcases. I made 2 for DD#1 because QB1 needed to see how it was done. the instructions are really hard to understand and since the directions are in black & white - seeing it actually DONE is much easier to understand. We made 2 because I confused MYSELF reading the instructions. I was glad to see QB1 - It's just nicce to be home....

What's that saying? Most quoted by Dorothy? "There's No Place Like Home, There's No Place Like Home"? Yeh, that's it!

Sam

2 Weeks Early - Welcome DGS#1

He wasn't waitng until 12/20

Arrived Wednesday 12/09 @ 05:16 AM

8 pounds 5 ounces 20 inches long

Everyone doing very well. He's too big to wear "newborn" size clothes!

Sam

Midas Touch

So? What, exactly, is the opposite of having the midas touch? You ever have one of those days? When everything you TRY to do turns to .... well ..... energy not expended well??? (cleaned that up a lot people!)

This whole weekend was a blur of activity & I don't feel like I accomplished anything. Nothing.

I loaded a customer quilt on Saturday morning. It was supposed to be a 3 hour job. Was it? Not so much. Took me more like 7 hours. I had more problems than I have time to relate to you. Thank goodness that QB1 has a quilt on the rails that is going to be a joy to work on after the weekend that I had!

I made steaks & cheese fries on Saturday night & "the kids" came & joined us for the meal. Sunday I made a pork roast in the crock pot. YUM YUM, it was SO good. I did laundry too & that was it.

Prince Charming started another project for us. This time it's a bench with cubbies for 4 baskets under it & then a shelf on top for 3 more baskets. All in Oak. Then it will have a beadboard back & coat hooks. This will be an all in one unit because it is for our basement to create a sort of "mud room" area to contain/corral all the junk that seems to accumulate where we come in & sit.

It's also the area that is the designated smoking spot for "inside".

It's too cold, right now, for Prince Charming to smoke outside on the deck...so it's down into the basement for the smoking. I DO NOT smoke. Never have. And he hasn't smoked in the house since May of 2008. For that I am proud!

Anyway - it's been a week since I posted.........I feel like I have done NOTHING but I am bone tired from doing it!

Sam

Prince Charming Entertainment Unit

Prince Charming made this !

We have a stack of rough cut kiln dried oak. Prince Charming used SOME of that pile to build this entertainment unit. He custom designed it to fit our television that we have in our downstairs (formal) living room.

Originally, we were going to move this TV & the *new* entertainment unit upstairs into the bonus room. But guess what? The unit was too big, when completed, to get up the stairs. Well actually, it is too big to make the turn from either the living room OR the front door to get up the stairs. Even if we COULD get it up there!

It took 4 of us to bring it up the BACK stairs & through the deck & back door, then through the kitchen & THEN into the living room. FOUR of us. And a dolly.....

Isn't this just beautiful? It is taller than I am & probably taller than Prince Charming. That is a 55" flat screen TV (not plasma)

I love it.

Sam