A PERFECT day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH my goodness - I could NOT have asked for a better day if I had planned it. Yesterday was a DREAM day and I would love to have MORE of them.

First off the temperature was UNBELIEVABLE.  I think it went as high as 13 degrees (Celsius) and it may have gone even higher. I'm not sure, but well - you just can't beat that in the middle of January.

Now if you normally get fatigued reading my blog - you best have a nap BEFORE you read!!!!


I trimmed those two customer quilts that I had quilted earlier in the week so they are ready to be picked up.
Have to drive M to work for 9 AM, but work is just around the corner so that wasn't a big deal, and I picked her up at 11 AM (learning a new cash register system so hence the short shift).

I got a quilt quilted. It was one of mine and good thing because I would have been mad if the customer had presented the quilt like this to me!!!!  I used plush on the backing of this quilt and so I had to add the extensions, but there was NOT a lot of room beyond the backing.

Ooops - here is where I joined the batting!

See - NOT a lot of extra room - you can see the serged seam where I added the extensions, but hey it is enough!!!

Same on the other side.

Then I grabbed TWO scraps of batting and joined them together. And for some reason, I was thinking this quilt was 55 inches wide - so 60 inch wide pieces of batting would be perfect. A little extra on the sides. I joined the batting and was happy that I got rid of TWO scraps of batting.

When I loaded the batting, OOOPS - I realized that the quilt was 59 inches wide so the batting JUST fit. But I managed to get it perfectly straight and so I didn't have to manipulate the batting at all. Now DO NOT do this to your long arm quilter!!!!    Because it is my quilt, I have to take FULL blame if something goes wrong and that is not something I want to do with someone else's quilt. Mine - I'm OK if I have to do a work around.

THEN - crude - I did NOT have enough batting on the length. I guess my measurements were off or my brain wasn't adding properly, but I had to add another six inches to the bottom of the batting.

ANOTHER scrap of batting used up to get the right length

And here is the quilt - DONE

 So you see there are bikes on the front of the quilt - thanks to Jeanne at The Quilt Patch. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Now what would I use as a quilting pattern on this kind of quilt?????   Well BIKES of course...........

My quilting design and don't you love that PLUSH!!!!!   I'm really really liking that plush!!!!! Nothing beats a plush backed quilt on a cold winter night!!!

I just have to trim it and sew on the binding and then it goes into the binding pile which is getting bigger and bigger!!!!!    But I have a plan!!!!!   I am taking them to Monday Motivators and I will slowly work my way through the pile.   And let's not forget the audio books.


Then because it was SUCH A GORGEOUS day, I could not stay inside any longer. I grabbed the dog leashes and the dogs and we were off. OK - so we walked to Tim's where they all got a plain timbit. And I even carried my hot chocolate home which I thought was going to be a challenge with THREE dog leashes, but they were all on their best behaviour and I had no problem.

I read a bit in my novel (Jefferson Bass - The Bone Thief - one of my favourite authors) and then some in my NON-FICTION book - Project Runway (and even though I haven't watched the last two seasons - I LOVE that show - I should look them up on the internet). Anyway after all that - I needed a NAP!!!!   I know - I guess I am still not one hundred percent or that walk was more strenuous than I thought.

The walk was great - people were out taking down Christmas lights, washing their cars, walking their dogs and everyone was HAPPY. It was AWESOME.

OK - so after that LONG nap - it was time to think about dinner. DH said - let's order pizza. Oh YES - that is a great idea. And then I hit the studio and look what happened..............

Remember this pile of fabric I pulled the other day??????

Well this is what happened between 5:30 PM and 9 PM last night...............

The piece on the extreme left is for the binding, the next pile is the leftover pieces, then a couple of selvedges and the strips needed for the quilt

Let me back track for a minute here. In 2003/2004, I was involved in a project called The Quilt. The concept was people donated quilts which were then auctioned off and the proceeds went to Breast Cancer Wellness programs. The Quilt Project folded a couple of years ago. Anyway - Northcott had MANY MANY different designs (all in blue) that were related to this cause. I still have one quilt left to get complete and I knew there was some blue fabric with it so I pulled that quilt out of the borders/backing/binding pile. Hmmm - yes - there is lots, I can add some of that blue to my current project.......

The quilt that needs to be finished ............

I pulled the bigger pieces from the pile of blues so I could use for the backing

Now the quilt top is cut and the stack on the extreme right is the pile of scraps. I was going to use it for the border, but decided that since this is a sample quilt, I had better make it LIKE the pattern, so the scraps went in the blue scrap box. 

Making good progress

The blocks are DONE and on the wall. I'm really liking this even though I am not into blue florals!!!!!

The best news - it used up ALL the fabric that I had pulled. Well - what is left is the stuff for the binding and hopefully there will be enough to bind both of these quilts (the old one and the new one) and then there should be enough of the bigger pieces to make the backing for both and yes I will have a bit left over, but not much!!!!!!

OK - whew - that was just the best day!!!!!!!!!!!!    The pattern I used is Hopscotch from The Quilt Patch. If you do NOT have this pattern - then you MUST call them and get it. It is just the fastest, easiest, no brain required pattern. As I said - it is now my "GO TO" pattern when I want something quick. I will be teaching it at The Hobby Horse in February so come and take the class - you won't regret it!!!!!!!!!!!



Before I went to bed, I made ONE more block for the raffle quilt. Only FOUR more to go.

Raffle quilt - nearing completion!!!!!

Then up early this morning and look what happened................

The top (minus borders) is together

And I got the borders partially sewn together

Now - I know you are thinking BUT Elaine is fast. Well you could be fast too. First off the cutting of this quilt is FAST. So fast you barely realize you have started and then you are done. The sewing goes FAST, especially if you chain piece and another thing that speeds things up - DO NOT PIN. I pin borders, but NOTHING else.  What a time saver that is and my points are pretty darned accurate. Why and how?????

As my needle clears one seam - I line up the next seam - where the arrow is. If your seam allowances are going in the right direction and I figured out the direction of seams for this quilt and you can't go wrong. Just nest those seam allowances with your finger at this point.............

Then as the seam gets closer to the needle - use a stiletto or a quilter's awl to hold those seams in place. 

Honestly - this process will knock hours off your sewing!!!!!   Oh yes - the other thing - I randomly sewed those pieces together. There is NO PATTERN - I just made sure that the same fabric did not touch. I did NOT waste ONE SECOND matching this to that. There is NO NEED in a quilt like this - that is the beauty of this quilt. Of course having the right fabrics makes a big difference as well. OK - I lied - there is ONE spot that I found where the fabrics were the same - and you know what - I DID NOT change it. Can you see it?????   Of course - you can't!!!!


OK - so there is one more tip for speeding up and that is enders and leaders. What is an ender/leader???

Here I am at the end of my seam and NOTHING to sew until I press the piece under the machine. I could cut the threads, but then I spend time clipping threads and having to ensure the needle doesn't come unthreaded (a BIG issue on this machine), so I grab a small piece that needs sewing (the orange/green flying geese unit from Easy Street)

I sew that piece - keeping the thread connected to the blue blocks in behind

Now I can just clip those blue blocks away from the flying geese unit - press the blue and sew the next piece. 

I never have to break the chain unless my bobbin runs out, I finish sewing for the day, or I just want to. But it saves time clipping threads, wasted time if the machine becomes unthreaded. Just a BIG BIG time saver.

And look - I got six flying geese units completed while I piece the quilt top this morning

OK - so I expect to see that Hopscotch class FULL of people who want to experience these fast techniques in person!!!!!   You will NOT regret attending. And thanks to the girls at The Quilt Patch for making this pattern. I LOVE IT and I can see making one in every colour in my stash!!!!!


And just so you can see how whacked out our weather is - have a look..............

Yes - those are my GOLD FISH amongst the ICE FLOES. There is NO SNOW left - well it is pouring rain today and what little we had, will be gone by noon at the rate it is raining. The little creek behind my house is FULL to the brim with water. 

The temperature is supposed to drop tonight so let's hope the stupid gold fish have enough sense to go to the bottom.

Sparky had a great time and spent a good part of the day outside sitting in the sun. 

And like I said - it is pouring rain today so the girls got a  BIT wet when we went out. Hard to tell in the picture, but they were soaked.

Waiting for the treats!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let's see - Oh yes - I did my usual errands yesterday - journaling in my book, the bank, the library, the drugstore, Tim's, played Scrabble and reading before bed, but I did NOT have to drive my kid to her drawing class. Yeah for learning how to drive!!!!!!!!!


And now I have ANOTHER day with "NOTHING TO DO". Well nothing on the calendar. I am PUMPED to see what I can get done today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Have a GREAT DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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