Happy New Year

Can you believe it?  Where did the year go?  I am doing a NYE Mystery with QT Mystery Quilts but first I have to donate platelettes this am.

And I'm going to work on Monday, as in working for Hancock Fabrics.  Yep, just kinda happened, and I will still be doing my longarm business.  The Hancock job is part time so I should be okay after I get into a routine.

I will try and post my mystery quilt when I have a top. 

The flannel quilt...

A picture of the scrappy flannel quilt in wilderness prints.  Nice and big at 78" by 90".  Credit for the pattern goes to Prairie Designs called Stacked. 



Yes I'm still alive

The Holiday just sort of gobbled up the time, good as it was.  I'm back to swimming in the wee hours of the morning and trying to get projects done.  Currently I'm working on a dachshund dog quilt and that has been tedious with applique. 

I did get my flannel quilt finished and I will post a picture shortly.  It's very manly looking, and cuddly warm too.  I'm not sure where it will wind up.  The backing is actually a flannel sheet that I purchased at Goodwill, and of course it was used.  But it just seemed to be the perfect backing for it.  I will give it to one of my family members due to the fact that the backing isn't brand new. 

But for now, it's off to do more dog quilty stuff.

Coming down the home stretch

Christmas gifts have been bought, mailed and received.  Christmas letters were mailed last week, the major components of Christmas dinner have been bought.  Decorations, minimal but acceptable (less to put away later).  One guest for Christmas dinner besides us so no stress there.  Baking, I think not, we are both watching our weight.

So?  Time to sew and not feel all stressed out about taking the time to do so.  I am still working on the flannel quilt UFO that I've been trying to finish for so very long now.  I have two more borders to do and then I can work on the backing.  The backing is a flannel sheet that I got at a thrift shop a couple of years ago.  It isn't the best match with the front, but at this point I don't care...remember this quilt is for the dogs.  No really it IS for the dog's couch.   Maybe I can get it on the longarm today. 

Biting off more than I can chew

Been working on a commission quilt with very slow progress.  After doing myself in yesterday cutting out tiny applique pieces I think I deserve a day to myself to finish my flannel quilt (which is a UFO, the last to finish before my year end challenge with Stashbuster ).   It just has to be a day for me.  My body tells me when I've had enough, and it's screaming at me right now.  Also, I need to finish some Linus quilts before our next meeting/sew-in.  I also have a bunch of Heartstrings quilt tops that have been entrusted to me to quilt, and I have not had much time to get to.  I think there is a theme here, which is: don't bite off more than you can chew. 

The good thing is that it's just hubby and I for a quiet Christmas this year, no fuss with tons of company or big dinners...a prime rib roast in the smoker and a couple of sides and done. 

Stitch-outs are finished

I ended up doing 14 stitch-outs, here are some of them.  A couple are variations off of a simple design.  I finished putting the grommets on them this morning.  I am working on a commission quilt today, I decided to wash some of the fabrics as they were reds, just never know about those and I'd hate to get them in a quilt and have them run.  Next I have to iron all of them, yuck...but they are small pieces.

Beef stew is in the crock pot for tonight.

This & That & dreaming of snow

I can't believe it's only a week until Christmas Eve.  Being a northern girl living in the deep south, it just doesn't feel quite like Christmas unless there is snow on the ground, or the hope of snow.  Putting aside all of the perils of the white stuff,  I have to admit I just love it.  There is nothing better to me than watching the snow fall, or to see fresh snow glittering in the sunlight...a pot of soup or stew on the stove or in the crock pot, and yes, of course, colorful fabric scraps to sew & sew & sew....munching on cookies and sipping hot chocolate, ahhhh yes.

No snow, no hot chocolate or cookies, but a stir-fry for dinner and some sewing on the longarm...how does that sound?  Well that's going to be today's plan.  Remember I mentioned yesterday that I'd like to do some stitch outs of the Circle Lord templates?  I looked over what I need and there will be quite a few, so with that in mind I decided to go with muslin.  I know, not nearly as exciting, but will still serve the purpose.  I have the muslin in the wash now.  I have a customer picking up a quilt mid morning so while I'm waiting I hope to have the muslin on the machine and a few done before she comes.  This should use up some batting scraps as well, so I'll be digging in the tubs shortly.

I've put aside my flannel quilt so that I can get the stitch outs done.  I have some commission work to start on but I will get serious about that between Christmas and New Years. 

A huge job done!

It has taken me almost a week of working on and off, but I have finally re-organized all of my pantographs (patterns I use with my longarm machine).  I'd already had a sample of each design in binders and then had alphabetized all the pantos into cubbies.  But there were 6 to 7 in each cubbie and hard to keep straight, so...

I got some mailing tubes, put all of the pantos in numbered tubes which correspond to the number of the pattern in the binder.  The binders are arranged by subject matter such as flowers, feathers etc.  So that is done. 

In addition I did a master sheet/spread sheet that lists the pantograph name, the number assigned and the theme.  I sorted one alphabetically and one by theme.  So I can quick look up the information on pantographs that are used often until I become familiar with the new system.

I also have giant templates from Circle Lord which are not in the binders.  I have 8 of those so I'm thinking of doing a stitch-out for a sample of those.  Maybe black fabric with a colorful thread. 

I'm dragging today...

Yesterday's guild meeting was nice and the luncheon was good.  In the afternoon I tried out my new software for the quilt labels.  They are from http://www.compuquilt.com/ and you use it in conjunction with word.  It took me a while to get going with it, but I can say it's better than the old software I had.  Never did get the wheels on my gammill, will have to save that for another day.  I could use a nap, but today I've got laundry, and I've been working on some quilt labels.  I like to print mine on muslin with the Bubble Jet stuff.

I am going to continue to work on the flannel quilt I am trying to finish called Stacked.  It's ready for the design wall.  I think that will do it for today. 

Busy Tuesday

Hit the pool at my usual time 5:45am.  Got that workout in and headed home to get ready for our Guild's Christmas meeting and luncheon.  Then this afternoon I am going to have hubbie help put on some new wheels for my Gammill, and I also got some software for making labels.  I'll let you know how it all works out.  I  had an old HP label maker which I have fought with from day 1.  In fairness to HP I am a computer dummy, but I had my husband try to navigate in the program and even he said it was not user friendly, oh and he used to work for HP hee hee.  Anyway I will see how this new one works and I may have to eat my words and tell you that it's operator error. 

Ready for the design wall

Yesterday I completed 30 blocks which will go into the center of this quilt called Stacked by Prairie Designs.  These blocks are going to finish at 12".  I'm using flannel.  There is going to be a solid brown flannel border and then a pieced outer border.  It will be a nice twin size.  The fabrics are from several older projects and very scrappy, no surprise there.  Believe it or not this will be a covering for our couch.  We have 3 dogs who use our couch, or should I say "their" couch!!

And a finish!

Called Morning Frost by Sherri K Falls, published by This & That in the pattern booklet, Woodroses in Winter.  What makes this one special to me is that the fabric was purchased in Fairbanks several years ago while visiting my son and his wife.  Though the fabric could have been purchased anywhere, because it was purchased in Fairbanks makes it special to me.

I'm nearing the end of my customer comittments for this year and looking forward to some more quilting of my own, maybe even starting something new instead of trying to work on just UFO's.

Working on Linus Quilts

Yesterday was another diversion but a nice one.  I met with a group of ladies to work on Linus projects, shared a nice luncheon and fellowship, and came home refreshed.

Today it's back to work at the longarm.  Since I am no longer accepting quilts for the remainder of the year, my load is getting lighter and I may have a chance at working on some of my own here soon.  Never did get the Morning Frost top of mine done.  Maybe this weekend???

I'm thinking of ordering new wheels for my longarm.  Not that they are worn out, but things are ever-changing and being updated, and I'm all for making my life easier...so if the new and improved wheels can same me time and effort they are worth it.

And another bag

Since I had leftovers from the first bag I made another smaller one.  This one is from Crafty Bags by Cindy Taylor Oates. 

This one is stuffed with 1/2 yard cuts for another gifty occasion coming up.

I'm still playing with the 4" squares and finding uses for them.  Since I also have a good accumulation of 2.5" strips I was looking for a pattern that would use both.  I remembered Bonnie Hunter's Crayon Box pattern on quiltville.com.  Only thing was it uses 4.5" center squares in the block and mine are only 4".  So yesterday I took some time to adjust the pattern.  I decided to make a couple of practice blocks to be sure my calculations were right, and this is one of the blocks.  It will finish at 11.5", still a decent size. 

Done! Pinafore Bag

Well I'm pleased with the way it turned out but it took me 8 hours from start to finish.  I hope that if I were to make another it would go a little faster.  That was a big chunk of time with everything else going on.



Pinafore Bag by Me and My Sister Designs



Diversions

Shhh!  It's for a gift coming up, kind of a last minute thing

So now you know what I'll be doing today.  This pattern is called The Pinafore Bag by Me and My Sister Designs.  It looks pretty straight forward, but I've made some bags that turn into trouble, so wish me luck.

Platelettes donation was a go

Yep, was able to donate today, but no Zumba tomorrow, as per post donation instructions...well they didn't specifically say zumba, but they did say strenuous activity.  I don't know about you but Zumba is pretty strenuous to me.  It does give me some extra time to work on a quilt that I 'm not getting too much done on this afternoon.

got my nose to the grindstone

I'm still here, just got really involved customer quilting the last few days.  Today I've already been to water aerobics.  I have an appointment with Life South to donate platelettes...at least I hope so.  Last time I tried to donate my count was low and I gave whole blood instead.  Yesterday I ran in so they could draw some blood to see if I my platelette count was up so I can donate today.  Haven't heard back from them yet, I was told that the test takes a day to come back.  So I can't really plan on much this morning.  This afternoon I have another quilt to do, and then I hope that after Zumba tomorrow I can get my Morning Frost top quilted.  It would be nice to sit and bind it on Sunday while watching football.  We'll see how things actually go.

Morning Frost top completed

Remember this quilt when it was just a pile of subunits?  Finally it is a top.  I hope to get it worked in with my quilting schedule soon.  Pattern is from This & That, Sherri K Falls Woodroses in Winter.