1st Finish For 2013 / Chenille Baby Blanket

Well, it's not a QUILT. But...it IS my first finish for 2013. I started this blanket the 2nd week of January, but then I got the FLU. This weekend is the first weekend that I have felt 100%. Well 98%. Still tire easily, but I just wanted to FINISH something. And I wanted to get it off my sewing table.

This picture shows the channels all sewn & ready to be cut open.

I admit, this was BORING. Very boring....

Sewing the binding on.

This is BEFORE being washed.

AFTER washing.

AFTER washing.

Close up, after washing.

I sewed the binding to the back, turned it to the front & then machine sewed it down. I thought the stitching would be really noticible, but it's not!

I love this print!

I did n't have a pattern. honestly? I didn't figure I needed one. I bought 2 yards of the print flannel to use as the front and the binding. And then I bought 1.25 yards of each yellow, green & pink flannel. I started my diagonal sewing lines at one corner. If I EVER do this again, I think I will start in the center. It was difficult to keep my sewing lines straight. I stopped trying after about getting 20 or more rows sewn. As I expected, the fabric shifts, and becasue I started on one corner (or not, I don't really know...) the edges of the project didn't stay aligned. After I finished sewing the channels, I cut them open. Leaving the print side uncut. I tried using one of those special chenille cutters, I felt like I was tearing the seams apart, so I started using scissors. I cut the print fabric once. I appliqued a little patch over it & you can't see it. You can FEEL it, but you can't SEE it! I got a blister on one of my fingers from the cutting. I had to go really slow so I wouldn't cut the print fabric with the scissors. Flannel cuts easy!

I love the finished project. But I am not jumping on starting another one. While I like the 3 different colors of the chenille part, this is being gifted to a baby girl & I think it would have looked more sweet in just pink & white.

I have seen some of these done on Pinterest in a chevron pattern & I'd like to try that!

Overall I am satisfied with the finished blanket.

Oh yah....remember I said they were 1.25 yards in length? The FINISHED blanket, after sewing, cutting, TRIMMING, washing & drying, it is 35 inches square. How odd is that?

Sam

Spool Quilt ~ Progress

I have the length & the width that I want.

Now to finish the other half & to find something to use as an inner border. It only has to be like 1.5" wide. Just enough color to break up the side setting triangles & the outer border fabric. (which are going to be the same fabric)

I can't get the stinking pictures to load. I'll try this again later.

Sam

Back In The Saddle Again ! Sort Of.....

Again, no sewing.

Today was my first day back in the OFFICE in 10 days. Actually got out of pajamas for longer than it takes to go to the doctors office! Ha! An accomplishment.

That FLU kicked my butt. Royally. The ear infections? I am still recuperating. Still on antibiotics for those buggers. It still hurts my teeth when I chew - sounds odd, I know. But it's all connected. Stinking antibiotics do other stuff to you that I am not even going to bother to blog about.

I am so THANKFUL for SO MANY things while I have been ill this past week or so...Incluldng but not limited to: My loving husband & beautiful girls. They put up with my foul moods, my yelling trists & my all around sick self. During , through, before & after all my coughing & puking..... My Employer. I have great benifits & I used a bunch of those this week, I was also allowed to work from home for half the time I was out. (I didn't HAVE TO, I WANTED to...but they ALLOWED me to!) My Dog. Bourbon has been my constant companion & I had to literally peel him off me several times this week. No joke....He even stayed right there with me when I yelled at him for NOTHING. I hate being sick. I really do!

I am still getting over those stinking ear infections. But YAY ME I have my taste back! And I can hear. Sort of.

I got well just in time for our Annual CPR/1st Aid Training on Saturday. Yay.......

I hope I get some sewing time in this weekend. Just some.

Stay Well Y'all!
Sam

More Being Sick

Well, I called my doctor this morning. I have not been able to swallow without pain in my ears. Got there at 11AM he says, after sticking a long q-tip down my throat..., that I still negative for strep, but positive for ear infections! Yes, plural. One super bad in my left ear & one almost as bad in my right. They popped me with a shot in my butt & gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 10 more days of pills. Yay me! I hate taking pills. At least it's not a liquid. Heck, I'd puke every time I had to swallow it, if it were!

I hate being sick. And I hate complaining about it too. And....yah, and....I have been the absolute WORST person to be around. Zero personality. I have even yelled at the dog today, and I have not been able to peel him off me for the last week! He knows I don't feel well, so he's staying close! And it's getting on my very last nerve. All I want to be is well. WELL.

Hopefully soon.

Sam

Sick With The FLU

Last Tuesday I had scheduled the day off to spend with a group of my freinds. We all got in Sally's van & went down to Alabama to have our sewing machines serviced at Ken's. When I woke up on Tuesday I had a little tickle in my throat. (as of this post? My sewing machine is still in the case on the floor waiting to be used...)

Wednesday that tickle was on FIRE all day while I was at work.

Thursday I stayed home from work & went to the Dr. They swabbed my throat & swabbed my nose. Dr said "Good News & Bad News" - Bad News? Nose swab was positive for the FLU, good news? Throat swab negative for strep. 

I have been IN BED since Thursday. THURSDAY!!! Swallowing has been painful. Coughing has been painful. Sleeping has been painful. My ears ache, my tummy aches, my throat aches, my muscles ache.

This FLU has totally kicked my butt.

Next year? Next Year when they offer FLU shots for free? I'm gonna be first in line.

I feel like I am well enough to go back to work on Tuesday the 15th. I'm not 100%. Far from it. But I'm better. I hope that great ladies I was with last Tuesday didn't get this from me! I got it from someone.....unknown WHO, but I got it from someone....but I wouldn't want to be the one to GIVE it to someone else.

Sam

Sometimes I Laugh At Myself

And laughing at myself is a good thing.

I finished my spool blocks sometime before Christmas. I just have had ZERO time to sew for myself, so I didn't even try. That...and my fingers hurt in the winter. So much sewing makes them hurt more.

Today , bieng the 1st of January, was a holiday & I didn't have work so I did a little piddling around in my sewing room & decided I was going to "shop my stash" for fabric for the side setting triangles & borders for my SPOOLS QUILT. I wanted something brown. No reason, just because. Well I found 6 yards of a brown print in my stash. That's WHY I was laughing at myself. I have no clue when I bought this fabric. It was definately OVER 5 years ago! Is it older than that? Maybe! I really don't know & I really don't care. I am just glad I had 6 yards. That's enough for the setting triangles & borders AND binding!! Yay Me!

It's a Fons & Porter / Benartex Print with Pheasants on it. I think I may have purchased it after Prince Charming came back from hunting Pheasants one year. He brought the most beautiful wreaths back for me from those hunting trips...but, I digress. Here is the print:

This is the piece I have set aside to use for the borders & binding.

(ignore the doll in the background, she's a work in progress - that heart knit? I bought 3 of those shirts from Wal Mart to put appliqued letters on...Let's just say that my embroidery machine did NOT like that knit. It ate 2 of the 3. The 3rd one did not get monogrmammed! - you can see the doll dress I made HERE )

Yep - Gonna set the bolcks on-point. I find it easier to sew squares & then trim them. I'm lazy like that.

See all my blocks??? There are like 700 of them!

Row #1 !

Just my mess.....

See y'all later! No promises, but MAYBE I'll have it pieced before our guild meeting in 2 weeks.

Sam



Visit With My Friend ~ Donna

THIS is my friend Donna.

There are many times in my life that I WISH I didn't live so far away from her! As some of our tastes in hobbies have been paralell! Funny how that works out in life.

Anyway. Donna has a free download linked on her blog. Go visit her. Tell I sent you.

Sam

Traveling Woman

There has been little to no sewing in the last few weeks. No-One on my Christmas list will get anything that is even remotely quilt related or sewn. I hvae no excuses on the sewing/quilting front. Much of it? Want to. Just didn't WANT to. For sure there has been no sewing THIS weekend becasue I went on a road trip. Where did I go? Waterloo, Iowa. Did you know it's snowing up there? Yah. Snowing. As in like 12 to 18 inches. I originally did not think it had snowied THAT much...told Prince Charming I didn't think it was that deep. Know what he askes me? "do you think those fences are that tall to keep chihuahuas in?" Ha! He was right! The fences we like 5 feet tall & you could only see the top foot of them! I had a really good laugh about it. Not only was there snow, but it rained before it snowed. So there was ICE on the roads too. Like 2 inches of it. Trucks & cars off the road in the ditches. Jacknifed tractor trailers...it was a mess. A big mess. But? We got thru it all. Drove Friday up to there, and Saturday back from there. Round trip roughly 1300 miles. It's a long...long...long...story. I won't get into it. Let's just say (?) all my children are now in the same state!

Merry Christmas to ME !

Also - Merry Christmas to everyone else too.

Sam

NQR ~ Furniture - I think I have another addiction!

This post is nowhere near quilt related!

I had been wanting a table for behind our couch for a while. We discussed building one, but it's not first on our list of projects to "do". I always scout Craigslist/Goodwill/Estate Sales for nice furniture whenever I set my mind to wanting something.

Notice I didn't say NEED?

This is our downstairs living room as you enter the house from the front door.

Back of couch before.

After

I was trying to keep the dog out of the picture here...Back of the couch from the hallway

After. From the kitchen door.

View from the stairway going up to our bonus room/family room. I tried REAL hard not to get the railing. That didn't work.

After

I think it's actually a buffet. And originally the lady at the estate sale wanted this incredible amount of $$$ for it. I got it for a 1/4 of what she originally quoted me. I talked her down! Geesh...all she can say is NO right?

I am going to live with it there in it's present finish for a while before I decide to re-paint or re-stain it. The doors don't have handles or knobs on them (the drawers do) and I was very disappointed when the lady said that was no key. Becasue the doors would not stay closed if they are not locked. Well! While DD#2 was helping me move it in, my wonderful little grandson FOUND it! He was so excited. He got to lock & unlock the doors for a little while. I locked the doors & put the key away. I'll let him PLAY with it a little. No sense letting him do it all the time, the fun will wear off of it! So will my patience.  It's exactly the right height & exactly the right length. Perfect scale. (I think so anyway!) And it's got the ever-needed STORAGE I want. The one & only thing that I will complain about (didn't get a picture, sorry) is that whoever owned it? They painted the inside of the drawers & the inside of the cabinet, shelf included (and even both sides of the shelf!), RED. Seriously? RED is my favorite color. But I would not have painted the inside of that cabinet RED. It had to be extrememly akward doing it too.

Talk to you all later. I am off to QB1's house to do a little sewing for a baby. It's beensometime since we have sewn together. She's had knee surgery & bless her, she's moving around way better than she did BEFORE the surgery, but she's not up to the stairs that I have in my house. So I am going to her house this morning. I'll probably TALK more then I SEW. Probably. But who cares? We'll be together doing it won't we? Ha!

Y'all have a great day.

Sam

Spools & Such

You know.........I get a lot of comments from freinds & family. Mostly comments like "what'yre working on?", "what's up in the quilting world?", "still quilting?"

Yes, I am! You're seeing some chaotic photos of a project of mine that I have been working on since ...oh...about....January 2012 (maybe a little earlier...not sure really)..they are SPOOL blocks. NOT Bow-Ties!! Spools people. Spools. They look like spools to me, not so much to other folks.

In this first shot you're seeing SEVERAL projects in progress - but for the purpose of this post - the finished spool blocks, after ironing, are laid out on my sewing table. This "bunch" represents the last of the spool blocks. 270 +/- of them. I already have something like 436, but I still had a bunch of the end rectangles cut out after finishing the 436 & decided I didn't know how long those stacks of rectangles would have to AGE in my stash before I would (if ever?) use them. So I decided I would just sew them up into more spools!

My, sort of, organized sewing aproach.

I am using my janome 6500 for this project because I can do an accurate 1/4" seam allowance. This machine allows me the lusxury of using a 1/4" foot AND moving the needle left/right to get the accuracy I want & need to make these little blocks perfectly square.

this is all I have left of the rectangles. I had cut up 39 fat quarters to get 7 blocks each. And I still had all these left. I think there MIGHT be a dozen sets. So once I complete a quilt, if I need more for a 2nd quilt, I sitll have a few rectangles left. I'm not jumping on using them up - becasue I know for CERTAIN that 709 blocks is totally more than I need for ONE quilt, but likely not enough for 2. Well not two BED-sized quilts. The one I keep will be bedsized though!

And...My ever-faithful companion, Bourbon! (no...not the liquid form people.....for the record, I don't drink) Bourbon is the D-O-G. He lays were he can see me, see the stairs, and see anyone that might come near me.  See the brown ruffled pant-set hanging from my cabinet? that's something I need to embroider on for my neice , Kendall, in Alabama. It's chocolate brown & I'm gonna put something bright pink on it! 

No promises, becasue I'm pretty sure it won't happen, but my SPOOLS quilt, once the blocks are complete...will likely NOT get completed before Christmas. I was just feeling terrible about not really getting anything DONE, and I have been working on these spools for 2 consectutive guild meetings. I sure would LIKE to take a completed quilt to guild in December, but I'm not fooling myself. That's NOT going to happen. I have many, many (did I say MANY???) projects lined up to get done for Christmas. Some are sewing, some are not. Some are embroidery, most are not. NONE are quilting! I am not making/giving anyone a quilt for Christmas this year. Poor planning on my part. I had only planned on ONE person getting a quilt anyway, and next year is not too late either.

Talk to y'all later. I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving. We did. Went to my sister's house in Shelbyville (TN) and ate ourselves sick. I made desserts. Apple Dip, Elvis Cheescake, and a Chocolate Chip cake bar thing.. Never before made the last 2. They were both VERY popular!

Sam



Quilt Guild Door Prizes - NQR?

Monday is our guild meeting & I am signed up to bring door prizes. THESE are what I came up with.

The baskets are from JoAnn's Fabrics & they have the little removable stays on all 4 sides. I frog-stitched the stay pocket of one of the larger sides & put the embroidery on it.

Folded up.

I hope they go over well!

Sam

Settee For Me

We have this little bay area in the masterbedroom. It's a waste of space. Can't do anything with it. I had a glider rocker in there, but it stuck out too far. I bought this little settee at an estate sale in Brentwood. It has a down cushion. I seriously hope that it does not become our cat's favorite place.

I fell in LOVE with these legs!

This is seeing it from the bedside.

View from the door entering the room. As you can see....it's not near as big as you think.

From the bathroom door. It fits in the space perfectly. I am SO glad I bought it.

As you can see...I have only mini-blinds. I have lived in my beautiful house for 4 years and can not decide what I want on those windows. They face west & get a LOT of light. And now that the room is painted yellow & not pea-green like it used to be...It is really lit up with light. Exactly like I wanted, but really rotten for naps. Yah, I like naps. One of the more important parts of my weekends!

This little settee will get a grand re-do sometime next year. I don't think you are getting the full effect of the burgundy upholstery with gold seals....It didn't even match the living room in the house that I bought it from. I am certain it's a reproductions as it SAYS it is on the tag!! From Fogle Furniture. Iplan on re-upholstering it & then also making a WHITE slipcover.

Similar to this: http://cedarhillranch.blogspot.com/2012/09/french-linen-slipcovers_14.html 

Not sure if I'll use for real French Linen as THAT is probably out of my price range....I like stuff to look good, but I don't want to be without my right arm either.

Yah, I know, it's not quilting. Oh well.

Sam

To Keep Me Honest

#2 ! In Progress.

I have BEEN busy.....

Honestly. I have. Just not too much actual quilting. I DID sew nearly 200 dinky spool blocks. But I did not sew any of them together.

I will post pictures of those soon.

No promises.

If you EVER think I am sitting still & doing nothing, then you'd be wrong! I keep myself bsuy with all sorts of things. You can look HERE too.......

Sam

Star Struck Class

On saturday 09/22 I helped give a class on bonnie Hunter's Star Struck - Most of the women that attended already knew how to make one or had made a quilt with these instructions. We still had fun!

this first phot shows us all setting up - Our Guild is fortunate to be able to use the basement of a church for our guild functions. It's a nice large basement area & the tables are always set up.

I had a brain fart & thought it was a wise idea to have a sort of story board with all the steps & the fabrics done up for each step. This worked out really great .

I chose to do my (3rd !) Star Stuck in 2 colors. Just Blue & Cream. Though there are 25 different BLUE & 25 different CREAM - this is one star short of being the width that I want it to be for a quessn size quilt (not including borders of course!)

Here are some of my guild buddies!

More of my guild buddies - hamming it up

I dont' remember what this shot was....

One of the guild ladies in this group was making her Star Struck in Black & Red. It was VERY striking. I told everyone that I was going to post these pictures on my blog but that I WOULD NOT use anyone's names - so don't take what I am typing as rudeness! The lady that has her back to us in this photo? I especially LOVED her SS as she was using primarily Thimbleberries! All scrappy too! My favorite! 

That concludes my Saturday sewing! We had a ball & I enjoyed myself a LOT.

Sam

Update & Non-Quilting Project

Well, a week ago last Thursday, I caught a nasty stomach virus. Ended up in the E/R hooked up to an IV for dehydration & tests because orginally I didn't think it was a VIRUS. I'm better now & I will spare you the ugly details. I was however well enough to attend my quilt guild meeting on Monday. It was a blast. I always LOVE going to those meetings. I got to sit & sew with my little group of women. I even brought a guest with me.

I work with a woman , she's in Houston, that is a quilter too! And I have been doing a little bit of longarm quilting for her in the last 2 years. I think 2 years. She was attending a class near Nashville & decided to spend some time with me & my family. Mary-Alice thanks for visiting!!! I hope she comes back for another visit.

Thursday I got my embroidery machine fixed. It's been broken since June. I had a tech out in August but after he timed it & fixed it, another part broke off. Took another month to get the part & then another 2 weeks to get a different tech out to install the "part".

This is what I made! Aren't they cute?

They are a little zippered pouch & they are completely done on the embroidery machine. I had a little issue with my thread shredding on the green owl, but I was making really late last night & failed to even THINK about changing the needle...so I guess I need to make a 2nd one of green. Darn.

See Y'All Later1
Sam

Bindings...........

I totally HATE putting the binding on quilts. Seriously. It took me a month to get the binding sewn on my Rail Fence with Stars quilt. Worse is that I have moved it from spot to spot all over our family room trying to give myself the prime oppurtunity of binding it. Well............since this was a 3 day weekend, I did it. I also washed it & dried it. Goodness, it looks half it's size now! Not really. But it sure shrunk up. I need to put a label on it. I'm bad at that too. I stopped biting my fingernails (AGAIN) and I am really grateful for the Roxanne thimble. My fingers still hurt doing it though. AND>>> I don't know how to fix it, but When I make a space between my sentences in this blog, like between paragraphs, it don't happen....so ...I know I ramble - but I'm not THAT bad!

I been doing a bit of sewing. I put 2 of my 2012 BOM blocks together in the last week & I helped DD#2 make a t-shirt dress. but that's about the extent of it. I don't know why, but not a whole lot of motivation.

Talk to y'all later. I hear my pillow calling me!

Sam

I Finished My Chair

This is what I have been busy with this past week!:

Here

Sam

Squeaking By

The pitfalls of sewing with scraps.... I didn't have enough to make & finish the binding. I came up one piece shot. 3"X36"...so I fished some other black out of my stash & sewed it on to the one side of the strip I found in my trashcan. Still didn't have enough, dug some more in my trash & found 2 pieces 2 inches wide, sewed THOSE 2 together & then I had enough.

The seams where I added on will be hidden in the binding. Might wear more quickly, but if I am honest with myself..........None of my quilts are used enough to fray the bindings off!

I hope you can see it, you might have to click on the pictures to enlarge them

good night!

sam