Busy Saturday

I just wanted to make a sample block from Sharon Craig's new book, Layer 'Em Up #3, so I chose an easy block and before I knew it, I had a whole quilt top done. It is a good table-topper size, not my colors at all, and the pink sashing kind of takes center stage.

Here is a close-up of one of the fabrics - a scrap piece of musical instruments that has been in my stash for years.

As long as I got the top done, I decided to also pick out a backing and make a binding. I found this wild wavy stripe in my stash and thought it would finish off the quilt nicely.

After spending part of Friday with my friend, Brenda, who is a master stitcher, I decided to start a new stitching project. This piece also has bright colors that are not my usual choice.

I must be in a wild and crazy mood. : )

Today I am very grateful for air conditioning and my nice, chilly Quilt Studio (in the basement).

Quilting Today

A finished quilt - pieced, quilted and bound. It is a crazy 9-patch with added rectangles.

The back of the quilt.

A sample of the wonderful quilting my friend Moe did on her new mid-arm quilting machine.

Last Friday I took a class with Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville fame. These are the blocks I made in class.

The rest of the blocks are prepared and ready to sew, but I am going to save the sewing for my upcoming quilting retreat.

This is my latest quilt book purchase and I wanted to try out the technique and make some blocks. I got 8 blocks made tonight and will take pictures tomorrow.

It was so nice to have a day at home and time in my Quilt Studio.

No Self-Motivation

Here I sit at my desk, not paying bills or taking care of emails, but taking the time to blog about how I lack self-motivation. Not every day, but on more days than I like to admit, I have so little motivation or energy or get-up-and-go that I get upset with myself and then get depressed.

This is one pile of unfinished projects. One out of many.

This is a quilt top that I started to pin baste but got discouraged because I don't think the back is taut enough and I probably will have to pull all the pins out and start over again. Big sigh.

Here is a quilt that I am finishing the hand sewing of the binding. This I enjoy doing, but save it for when there is a good television show. Not many good television shows, so that project is stalled.

This is one of several piles of magazines that I am slowly going through to pull out ideas or techniques. So many, many magazines.........

These are containers of knitting projects - on the needles and far from being completed. It would be so nice to get at least one of those big knitting projects finished.

I need a kick in the pants, or a slap upside the head, or company coming, or a deadline, or notice of inspection, or amazing inspiration. Or perhaps I just need a vanilla cone from McDonald's or a Java Chip from Starbucks.

Thanks for reading my tale of woe. I feel better now. I think I will go mop the kitchen floor.

Finish and Begin

Finished the binding on two little quilts for friend Moe.

Finished the binding on my little patchwork pumpkin quilt.

I will be taking a class next week and need to have 8.5 inch squares cut for the class. I decided on a black and white theme.

Tonight I got all the black squares cut - and thus begins a new quilt.

DONE !

Finished the second valance and packed it for taking to church.

This project is DONE ! ! !

A Good Day

This little stocking was fun to stitch. It is from Blackbird Designs in the Sweet August booklet. Although the suggested fabric count is 30, I made it on 28ct and although the suggested beads are Czech glass beads, I used some little wooden beads I had in my stash.

This is the backing fabric I chose.

On to the valance project for church.............I made a sample to make sure I knew what I was doing. The lining has to smaller than the front so that when it is ironed, the backing will not show.

The lining fabric - a 50% off bargain at JoAnn's.

Cutting the lining fabric.

Sewing the lining to the front.

Sewing the rod pocket.

One valance completely done. And I had time this evening to get started on the second valance.

Now, for all my family and friends who think that I am always neat and organized, please enjoy this photo of my very messy fabric/cutting room. This is the way it usually looks. I clean it up only when expecting company.

In addition to the stitching finish and the valance finish, I also worked on some binding. It was a good day!

What did I get myself into????

This is a HUGE roll of toile fabric and a sample valance. I have been asked to make two more valances for the windows in a hallway at church. Straight sewing, right? How hard could it be?Well, getting the ten-year-old cellophane off the roll was the first challenge, then maneuvering it so that I could iron enough fabric to begin cutting.
Then maneuvering the roll back to the cutting table and straight enough to cut. I ended up clipping the edges to the cutting board so that it would not slip and slide while I cut.
I did that much last night, managing to get three lengths cut successfully. I hope to get more cut tonight and begin to sew the lengths together. The window width is 96 inches so I need to make the valance double that, or 192 inches. Oh my. That's a lot of fabric to handle - AND, it has to be lined.

In the meantime, I received my EQ7 upgrade and have been playing. What fun to design quilts. Just wish it were as easy to sew them!