And.............................

Are you dieing to know?????   About that big ball of "YARN"??????   Did I finish it off????

First - I got the next quilt loaded and quilted. Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!   Right on schedule.

Another customer quilt - DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 That bell is ringing a LOT these days - remember the bell?????

Close up of quilting (in case you were thinking I only did one pattern!!!)

But I can tell exactly how the customer put the borders on. It is hard to see in this picture, but the side edges were TWO inches bigger than the middle of the quilt. This was especially pronounced because of those bias edges. PLEASE PLEASE - make sure you measure your borders!!!!!!!!!!!

Hard to see - but this border was ripply. Now it quilted out, and once it is washed, you won't be able to tell, but the long armers of the world have to cope with that extra and if there is a tuck - hmmmmm - whose fault is that?????

A while back (OK - so it was THREE years ago) I celebrated a special birthday. My friends got together and made me this ORANGE quilt with friendship stars. When I received it (a bit late for the occasion), it required some quilting which I did a LONG time ago. But the binding needed to be hand stitched down. I took this quilt to a trunk show and Pauline asked if she could stitch down the binding.

My special birthday quilt

Normally, I say NO, but because my friends had made this for me, I thought it only fitting that Pauline finish it off. It just needs a label. A number of my finished quilts need labels - I must get on that - well that could be a project for 2013. Nope - I think quilting will be the highlight of 2013, binding for 2014 and labels for 2015!!!!


Just thought you would like to know about that birthday quilt in case you made a block and were wondering whether it got done or not.

Now once I finished that customer quilt, I needed a break and so I read a bit. I am (was) reading a book for the book club - Midnight at the Dragon Cafe. It was very hard to get into, but then yesterday at 2/3s of the way through - I HAD to finish the book. Oh boy - a very strange read - a VERY strange and sad ending. OK - I shed a tear or two. I can't wait to discuss this book.


Speaking of the book club - it is on December 13th. The same night as a guild meeting that got moved because of the holidays and a dinner that some of my gym friends are going to. Why or why does everything have to happen on the same night?????   Well - I want to go to the book club, yet I have stuff to drop off at the guild meeting. So I will go to the guild meeting - drop off my stuff and then off to the book club or vice versa. The dinner - well there is no way that I can fit it in.

This book club is a great thing. I am reading VERY different styles of books. A good stretch for the brain to say the least. And what is with the dreams - must be because of the books. Each of the last two nights, I have had vivid dreams that I remember - cant' tell you about them - the first was absolutely gross and the second was too personal. Where is all that coming from??????


OK - back to quilting stuff - back to the rug. After I had my little break in the afternoon - I hit the ironing board again and for several hours (OK - I took a couple of breaks in there), but I got it all DONE!!!!!!

My BIG BIG BIG ball of fabric yarn!!!!!!!!!    (there are EIGHT meters of fabric in this ball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!))))

It is even attached to the end of the rug and ready to be crocheted up on Monday. And I don't care how big the rug is - this is as big as it gets. I am adding NO MORE fabric to it. But it is so squishy - I love it. Can't wait to stand on it when I iron the next big project!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of course - there were LOTS and LOTS of little triangles from the joins. I haven't made a decision about them yet. I am going to experiment later today to see whether I keep them or not. 

And for the Stonehenge class - here are the diagrams for ROUND TWO. Again - the first letter is for the fabric (as per the cutting guide) and the second letter is for the strip size (as per the cutting guide)

In this round ALL the fabrics are the same.

Block with Fabric F in the first round

|Block with Fabric L in the first round

 Hope that helps everyone.


Let's see - what else did I want to say. Oh yes - new clue from Bonnie Hunter - Easy Street this morning. If memory serves me correctly, there were 238 LINKS to her blog for this mystery. That is INSANE.  And yes one of them was mine. What the hell - if you can't beat em - join em!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway - I printed off the clue this morning and I am going to need a ruler that she uses a lot. I had tried to use a couple of other rulers on another project and they won't work, but I am picking up the ruler tomorrow at the Hobby Horse. Then I will be set to make Step 2. I could use a different method to make the flying geese (that is this weeks assignment), but I will follow her method. Got to always experiment and do something new and different.


On that note - it is time to get back to the quilting machine. Got another big quilt to do today. Wait until you see it - it is pretty neat.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A BIG ball of ....................

Yikes - the old me would have got nothing done - the new me - well the more I get done, the more I want to get done. The feeling of completing a task (doesn't even have to be completing a project) is FABULOUS and as I said - the more I get done, the more I want to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!   And I am feeling RELAXED!!!!!

Let's have a look at what happened yesterday.....................

First I taught my class which didn't take too long and was close to home.

Back home and off to the quilting machine..............

Got this community project quilt done 

Got the binding made and it is sewn on - someone else's job to hand stitch it down!!!!

Also quilted this one several days ago, but I don't think I posted the picture

Got the binding (which was already made) stitched on and yes - someone else will do the hand stitching for me!!!

Then it was off to Ruti's Needlebed to get some lessons in knitting!!!!!!!!!!   I know - knitting!!!!!!  As if I do not have enough to do without getting back into knitting!!!!!!!!!!!    They were most helpful even if they did laugh at my "vintage" knitting needles. Hey - a knitting needle doesn't go bad!!!!   And yes - there were some new ones that I had purchased from them mixed in the box. NOTE TO SELF: - got to get that knitting needle organizer made. I have the fabric so that may be a holiday project.  In the meantime, I got the information I needed and I picked up a ball (OK - more than one), but here is a gorgeous yarn and I am going to make a fabulous project from it. Can't tell you at this time.....................

A BIG ball of yarn

Then I got busy with my rug.

I cut the red strips

That black and white strip was hard on the eyes as |I cut it!!!!!!

But I got all the black/white strips cut

All the strips - CUT

Then I sewed them all together - alternating one red with one black/white (end to end of course). I wanted to quit - I was getting tired, but I soldiered on and completed it last night. 

This morning, I started to run the strips through the bias tape maker and so far.................

Here is my BIG ball of `yarn``

I have a feeling that it is going to get MUCH bigger................

I still have all this to make into bias strips!!!!!

Had to zip to the grocery store this AM - no milk for breakfast and I stocked up on distilled water for the iron. This should last a couple of months??????

Distilled water - at the ready!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got all 24 log cabin blocks done for the Stonehenge quilt!!!!!!

 Speaking of Stonehenge - for those people in the class here is the fabric  layout for the first round. Hope this helps................

The FIRST letter is the FABRIC as per the cutting diagram - the letter in parenthesis is the size of strips (as per the cutting diagram). You will make TWELVE using fabric L (the light fabric)

Same thing here - except note that the light is now fabric F. You will also make twelve of these. It is just easier to make twelve of each rather than 11 of one and 12 of the other.

Do you want to see what kind of mess I am in and what I have to get cleaned up before the end of the year?????   Well in an ideal world - I would get it all done and so far so good...........

This is the "to be quilted" pile. There are THREE quilts missing from here - two because I have to make them and the third one is partially quilted and it didn't make it back on this pile

And this table is the "to be done" everything else table. Already got rid of a few things - those quilts in the front are waiting to be delivered since I now have the binding on them. 

Will be easy to monitor the progress. The plan is NO DEVIATIONS - start a project and get it done!!!!!!   I ALMOST started to rearrange that 2012 shelf yesterday. There are some things on the table that for ongoing classes and once I am done with them for this year, they will need to go on the shelf as part of an ongoing class for next year. ACK!!!!!!    Not yet - not yet!!!!!!!   But soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Had a sit n sew on the weekend and this is what the girls worked on..................

Pat brought these Christmas tree napkins for me to see (she had them all done)

She made four reversible placemats

Pat also made this little tea holder - here  it is closed

And here it is open - there are 6 little pouches for gift cards, tea or whatever you choose to put in there. Cute!!!!

Pat also finished the borders on her HIGH STRUNG!!!!!!    Hey - another one gets complete. Some day, mine will be too!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Connie (a total newbie) brought over some blue fabric. What to do with them??????   We made her cut Hopscotch quilt from The Quilt Patch and this is what she got done. AWESOME job Connie. I have wanted to make this quilt in a monochromatic colour scheme and I think it looks awesome. Got to dig out some fabric (well during the holidays!!!!)

 On that note - the next quilt is laying on the quilting machine waiting to be loaded. No time yesterday as you can tell.

Oh and did you notice the NEW BUTTON at the top right??????    EASY STREET - directly links you to Bonnie's mystery quilt.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You know it's a good day when................

You are trying to finish quilting a quilt and your child wants to go to Fabricland (I know!!!!) and then you realize she can go by herself. So you give her a picture of some fabric that you want more of, instructions on what to buy for her project, membership card and OH YES - let's not forget the credit card!!!!!    And she got everything right. She also stopped by the grocery store to get ONE thing for dinner (that she made!!!) and despite the fact that I gave her cash and the cost of the item was less than $2.00 and she used the credit card?????   Oh well  - could have been worse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The fabric that I "coveted" from Fabricland. OK - so I bought some last year, but this will be great for backing (I don't normally buy backing, but it was on sale and I am planning to make a one block wonder during the holidays - a treat for me!!!!)   Don't bother looking for it - there wasn't any at John St store, nor Shopper's World and we bought out the Dundas/Winston Churchill store!!!

You get a CUSTOM quilt done in ONE day. OK - so it wasn't a big quilt, but it was annoying as I got to the end and realized that there wasn't enough backing to do the last row of stitching. I had to take it of the frame and shave enough off the skimpy leftover on the side and join it to the bottom. None of the join ended up in the quilt, but I needed an inch in order to quilt the end.

Customer quilt

On the THIRD attempt, you find the fabric you have been looking for. I took a break in the afternoon and went to Fabricland (I know - that is why I didn't want to go back) - I went to a different Fabricland - the one on John Street - just south of Square One. Oh boy - if you are looking for cotton - this is the store to go to. I am looking for a particular piece of fabric (I'll show you in a second) and I am searching the racks because there was NONE at the other two Fabricland stores I had been to in the previous two days. I am almost ready to give up when VOILA - there it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I grabbed the bolt and knew that there wasn't enough. OK - let's just get some other ugly fabric to finish off my project.

I am talking to one of the managers as she cuts my fabric and I am telling her my story. She drops the scissors and walks away. HEY??????    I see her in the back - getting a ladder, then she calls another staff member (who had started to help me) and so now I have been abandoned TWICE. Then the manager comes back with a BIG SMILE on her face and FIVE METERS of the fabric I want. She had a couple of flat folds in the back. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    The fabric was on sale - so I bought it all!!!!

My NEEDED fabric

Now what am I doing with this fabric?????   Well I have resurrected a project....................

My crocheted rug from fabric

I had a Sit n Sew on the weekend and not too many people so there was time for me to get something done. I pulled out this project - cut the fabric that I did have into two inch strips. Then searched high and low for the bias tape maker, only to find it the BIAS box. DUH - should have looked there first.

Then made YARDS and YARDS of bias - it was fast and easy with the tape maker. (Yes - the previous fabric I had was black/white check which I had to substitute for the black/white strip that I had started with) In the grand scheme of things - it works - the scale is the same.

Making bias with the bias tape maker - I started with 2 inch strips (I don't want raw edges on the rug) - then when it came out the tape maker - it was one inch - then I just folded it in half again and pressed and PERFECT bias tape (well - it is NOT cut on the bias - but you know what I mean.

Yards and yards of "fabric yarn" to be crocheted

Fabric strips waiting to be processed

Now I have FOUR meters of the red left and equal amount of the black/white (plus three extra meters). I will continue until that red is used up and then if I search for that red again - please someone put me out of misery!!!!!   The rug is going to be heavy - there is a LOT of fabric in it. But after adding 8 meters more of fabric - the rug should be a decent size. It is so cushy to stand on. I will have to put it by the cutting table or the long arm (although I don't stand in one place for long at the machine).

All the fabric I prepared on the weekend is already crocheted up - I did that on Monday. I was making these rugs for the spring Creative Festival - I can't remember if I posted about them. I don't think so.


But I am fired up to get them finished - besides the coordinated black/white and red, I am doing one that is completely scrappy. I am just getting started on that one. That first row is a killer - I am almost done, then it gets way easier!


Here are a couple of other things that I have been working on and haven't had time to post.

Completed the FIRST square (of twenty) for my knitted log cabin afghan. That center is a bit loose, but it is an afghan - not a sweater so I'm not going to worry about it.

The left over yarn - might have enough to make some odd ball blocks and do something with it

Started another block - I am pumped to get moving on this

Also got another binding and backing done for that mystery quilt I was working on  at the retreat. Just got to remember to write these things in my DONE book

Oh yes - one more story about good days. I am going through a book called iPad For Seniors for Dummies. I know - I know. I do NOT want any comments about that title!!!!   M cannot believe that I am reading this book, but hey - in a methodical way, I am learning about the iPad. Well, I was trying to figure out iCloud and backing up - and connecting to iTunes which I don't do any more because the updates come over Wi-Fi when I am home. Anyway - I tried to connect to iTunes the other day and NO CONNECTION. I got an error message saying my "Apple Mobile Device" wasn't working. No kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!


I looked at Apple Support page the other day and couldn't find anything about this message. So I decided to call Apple Support and after the technician established that I was the rightful owner of this iPad and that there was no warranty - no KIDDING - it is one of the original ones!!!   He then informed me that I would have to sign up for a two year contract - to the tune of $99. Well I don't want a contract - how much is  one time call???   That would be $79. NO WAY. Not paying that either. Then they tried to sell me some movie/restaurant promotion that was only valid TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I then typed "Apple Mobile Device" into GOOGLE and immediately got the answer to fix this. It took two tries because there were TWO buttons that had to be reactivated, not just the one mentioned in the document from GOOGLE. But the frustrating thing is that the technician was PRETTY insistent that this was a major problem that would require downloading drivers that only they could provide, that their support page was mostly marketing hype (there was NO place to search the database for fixes) and something else which I don't remember now (having a senior moment!!!!!!!!)

BTW - the iPad For Seniors for Dummies is a really good book. I like to take a book like that and go through it from cover to cover. I have learned a LOT about my iPad and I am only one third of the way through. But first I need to go back through the iCloud section. You see - I am a bit of a obsessive compulsive. Yes - I could figure it out by playing with it, but that NEVER happens and I figure if someone has written a book, all the good stuff will be outlined and I just have to go through it one page at a time.

It is getting annoying at how much SELLING is going on. No one wants to help anyone anymore without someone coughing up cash!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   (Don't worry - I charged the lady for having to remove the quilt from the frame and fixing the back!!!!!!!!!!)

I also got the backing for the next "TO BE QUILTED" quilt made last night and loaded on the machine so won't take long after my class this morning to get that loaded and quilted. It is a small one. I am PUMPED today - look out - I have BIG plans to get lots done. I am pretty focused these days so we'll see what happens.

The best part - I feel relaxed!!!!!!!!!!!1   Yes - I have TONS to do, but I have a plan, I am organized and I feel that I can do it (well most of it anyway). I really am a visual person - I need to see what needs to be done and then I can do it. Still making plans for that 2013 shelf and located some stuff that needs to go on it next year - not that I was planning to find it, but had to go through the BBB (to be done) box and found this project. More on that another day.

I also got my FIRST plastic TWENTY dollar bill. Didn't even notice that I received it as change until I opened my wallet to buy something else!!!

New twenty dollar bill

And last, but certainly not least  - have a look at this..................

My life is so BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She is so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Well - I am off to have an AMAZING day. Already been to the gym, already made binding for a quilt and just having my hot chocolate. Oh yes - what more could I ask for??????



Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Easy Street update

Checked out Bonnie Hunter's blog this morning. She has set up a blog LINKY where we can post pictures of our progress on her new mystery - Easy Street. OH MY GOD - there are currently 164 links of people who are working on or have completed (many have completed) their first assignment. So the purpose of this posting is to post my status so I can link it to her blog LINKY. (Is that even a term or did she make that up?????)

Anyway - here goes....................

Where I am currently - I have all the twosies sewn together and just need to make four patches of these. 

I used ONE white and four greys!!!!!!!!   Not very scrappy, but I'm OK with that. The grey came from the stash and I am glad to have found a home for it. I do NOT like it, but now that it is cut up - I can live with it.



I had to laugh on the weekend when Jeanette came up to me with a clear plastic bag. I see Lowe's paint chips and I see blues and greens. YEP - Jeanette is doing Bonnie Hunter as well.

Jeanette is collecting for Bonnie Hunter mystery

So if you see a quilter walking around with Lowe's paint chips - there is a good chance that they are working on Easy Street!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I do hope to get the four patches sewn this week - let's see how it goes.

The good news is that I had a peek at my calendar for the rest of the year and this is what I see................



One fun sew day with friends
Two guild meetings
Three Monday Motivators
Five (short) quilt classes
and ONE Christmas lunch



Can you believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!    That is a LIGHT LIGHT LIGHT schedule and I am excited. That means that I should be able to get to this.......

THIS is my `to do`before the end of the year............

And yes it spreads across FOUR tables, but NOTHING is stacked. It is all laid out nicely - each project in its own pile. Some of these are for those upcoming classes.


A quick count of quilts (not my quilts) that are waiting to be quilted) - about 25 - do you think I can get them done in time?????    Most do not need to be done before Christmas, but I want them out of the house by December 31. I am really really trying to clean up loose ends before the end of the year.

I am DYING to get to that 2012 shelf. Soon it will become the 2013 shelf and I want to get it organized. I am already organizing it in my head, but NO - I am going to wait. At least until I have a few more things cleared up.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas Club reveal for November

The days are going by faster than I can keep track. I have so many reveal pictures to post, but doesn't seem to be enough days to make that happen.

So these are the pictures from the November reveal of Christmas Club at Cockadoodle Quilts. It was an exciting day as this was our first time in the new store. Wow - they were still doing a bit of unpacking so we were a bit squishy, but that should all be straightened out next month. LOVE LOVE LOVE the new store. Feels just like the old store, just a smidgen smaller. Great job Joanne!!!!


OK - so on with the reveal.......................  The design wall isn't up yet, so we had to lay them on the table.

Raili and Beth

Karen

Mary

Linda P

The rest of Beth's blocks (since she wasn't there last month for show n tell)

They are so CUTE CUTE CUTE - I can't wait to see the finished quilts. Tony sent me a copy of his quilt since he could not attend class that day. I will let you wait until next month to see his.

Then we moved onto O Tannebaum....................

I think this is Raili's???   A LOT LOT LOT of depth in this one

These belong to Liz who is not 100% sure how she is working the corners with the poinsettias

Flo - who did NOT do the houses, but look at her fabrics

She used metallics for all of them. A little bit of shopping was required to make that happen

Nancy - with her OWN houses!!!!!!!!

Shoot - don't know whose this is - Suzi????

Marlene

Helen Anne - who wasn't able to attend the class

Linda also sent me a picture of her quilt- again - I am going to make you wait to see it.

Then we had a bit of show n tell. Marlene showed this gorgeous quilt that she was making for a friend for Christmas. I want to be one of her friends!!!!

Beautiful quilt by Marlene

 And look at the FUN little prezzie that Annadele brought me................

Cute little bicycle fabric!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!   I surely have enough to make a bicycle quilt by now. 

I found this word fabric at Cockadoodle and I just had to have a piece.

Word fabric

There you have it - the reveal to date for our Christmas Club. The FINAL reveal as well as the reveal of the tinners project that we worked on this year will be in December. Stay tuned for that - I still have THREE blocks to get done, but I am working. Had discussions about some of the blocks today and I think I am almost done planning - now just the doing part!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!