Show stopper Number eight, nine, ten .........................

I think the world is coming to an END!  And you ask why???  Well M has an early morning class on Thursday - starts at 8. Of course - that means driving to school during rush hour traffic. I was just on my way upstairs at 6:30 to make sure she was up and I hear her in the kitchen, making breakfast and then she was gone. Her reason - trying to beat the traffic. OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!    Which just solidifies what I am trying to tell myself - she is old enough now to figure time issues out - so STEP BACK and BREATH. It is NOT my problem any more.  Way to go M!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Yes - I do have to say that I am pretty proud of that kid!  But I laughed the other day. She said that when she drives - she sometimes diverts to avoid traffic. And then she ends up somewhere that she knows, but had never got there by the route she had just taken!!!   YEP - that is how we learn anything!!!!  


Although I managed to make good progress yesterday - it was one of those days!!!!   I started off with a short class at Ruti's - those Marti Michell templates!!!!!!!!!    So much you can do with them!!!!   We have TWO more classes if you are interested.

Carol had some show n tell..................

Jelly roll quilts for the CORE program

Another jelly roll quilt for the CORE program. And Carol has been practicing free motion quilting and she is getting REALLY REALLY good at it. I didn't take a close up of the quilting, but very smooth nice lines and all on her domestic sewing machine. WAY TO GO Carol . 

Before I went, I was tidying up that 2013 shelf (which is just as full as when the year started!!!), but I was tidying up for some reason. And LOOK what I found................

HUGE (and I mean HUGE) quantities of those triangles to be made into half square triangles. Oh my - I am going to have to make that a project - NOT just enders and leaders!!!!!    Anyway - the shelf does look a bit neater and I really need to find a way to get to some of the projects. 

At least I can say that progress is being made on the $10 quilts. I will just keep plugging away at those and then I can get back to the 2013 shelf. by then - it will be the 2014 shelf!!!!

First - I have to show you this. I saw it in a car in the parking lot in Streetsville. At first, I just thought it was just a stuffed toy in the back, but NO - it is made to look like it is trapped in the CAR SEAT. That is why it's mouth is open!!!!   There was also a sticker on the car so it must be some TV character about which I have no clue!!!!

OK - so what did I get done yesterday????   There were so many showstoppers I am surprised that I even continued, but I sewed until almost 10 PM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

I started with some flowers - there were four blocks for each quilt. I lay out the pieces and CRAP - there was NOT enough of the background fabric. Are you kidding me??????   At that point - I decided to go through the rest of the bags in the spring project. NOPE - no extra pieces there. Then I decided to go through the box with the winter and summer projects to see if the pieces had fallen out. NOPE - not there.  BUT I did find that missing little blue square that I needed for the corner of the trees............

Missing blue square for the corner of the trees. NO - I did not replace the square that I had already sewn on. But I did put this one in the scrap box. I know it is very sad!!!!!!

Well - holding my breath - I pulled out the first of TWO scrap boxes with LIGHT scraps and NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Right there - near the bottom is the fabric I need!!!!!

This was the piece I found and I cut everything I needed and ...............

had this much left over!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Hey - I might actually get these flowers done now!!!!!!!!!!

OH NO - I need more stems made and while I had the green - there were no backgrounds (but I now had the backgrounds with that scrap I found)

Had to dig out some thread, change needles on the machine and applique the rest of the missing stems.

I made FOUR, but only needed three. So had to rip one out because I needed the background square for other parts of the block

Then I got FOUR blocks together and put them on the wall

My four blocks (wait for it!!!!!!!!)

Then I got the first block for the next quilt done and it was NOT until I was laying out the sixth (of eight) blocks that I realized that I had made a mistake. ARE YOU KIDDING ME????????   Yep - I managed to screw up THREE of the five blocks that I had made. 

So I ripped them out and finally got them back together again and eventually had all EIGHT blocks made. Well might as well push on to the next block - lady bugs!!!!


Ah - this should be fast - most of the little bitty pieces are sewn together. It was only after I sewed one head to the body that I realized that there was a mistake (AGAIN!!!!!!!!!) in the size of the head. So I had to rip out part of the head and trim back 1/4" of the black and then sew that itty bitty little triangle back on!

The head is TOO BIG

See how itty bitty those little pieces are!!!!!!!!!!!!

So things are progressing!!!!   BUT - this is not going to be an EASY quilt.

I get four of the lady bugs together and then started on the next four and OH NO - not again!!!!!!!!!!!!   Not enough background fabric.

See - there is only ONE more triangle left and I need SIX

BUT - there was a strip of the background fabric with the blocks, BUT it wasn't wide enough to cut a square (which then gets cut diagonally into two triangles). 

But I cheated and cut the pieces like this - and yes the outside edge has a bias edge, but under the circumstances I think we can deal with that. 

 And finally the lady bugs were done.

The pattern (which was filled with all those pieces of fabric) is slowly reducing in size.

The pattern with all the remaining cut pieces for the quilt

 Why not continue and let's have a look at the bunnies................


Hmmmm - pieces cut but NOTHING sewn. So I think this beige is the background?????

Nope - those pieces are NOT the right size!!!!

Ah - here is the background - pink, but there is ONLY ONE background cut and NO FABRIC for the second one. 

I spent some time this morning and have EVERYTHING cut out and ready to sew for the bunnies (I HOPE). There are so many little pieces and then some of the spacers are NOT mentioned in the cutting instructions so you don't know you are missing them until you see the sizes don't match up. I only realized this morning that there are FIVE spacers in the log cabin section, but they are cut now and ready to be sewn together. 

Here is one of the bunnies - yes with FUSSY made ears!!!!!!  He still needs a tail and the ears are supposed to be folded over!

BUT - I would say that the quilts are coming along nicely and although I doubt I will have them finished by tomorrow morning, I am making a valiant attempt. I have the borders picked - haven't figured out if there is enough fabric for both, but I'll deal with that when I get there. 

But as I look through the last couple of blocks - I think I am still missing fabric - not missing, but fabric that just wasn't chosen.   Well I will do what I can - but holy cow - imagine if someone OTHER THAN ME had of picked up this box. No way would it have been completed!!!!!!!


And the BAD news - while I was checking the box with the winter and summer quilts - YEP - I have started TWO of each of those!!!!!!!!!!!   Oh boy - lots and lots of little pieces!!!!   I can hardly wait!!!!



While I was working on these itty bitty pieces, someone was using the long arm. BUT - if you don't watch the thread - it can get wound in the machine.  Now there is a cover which helps to eliminate some of that problem, but the cover was off because it had come loose and was rattling.

TWO openings where thread can get caught and get inside the machine - one where the take up lever is and one where the fly wheel is. 

Normally there is a cover over the fly wheel, but that tape had loosened so I took it off. 

At one point, the machine wouldn't go any more and when I checked, the thread had got caught in the take up lever slot and was wound around the mechanism inside.


Sometimes - you can use a pair of hemostats and pull the thread out through that slot, but NOPE - wasn't happening this time. So I had to take the cover off - well I took off the cover on this side!!!!!!!!!!   Yep  - the one with all the thread holders and the tension guide.

The WRONG side to take off

This is the back side and MUCH easier since there are only a couple of screws to take off. 

The first time there wasn't a lot of thread and managed to easily get it out, but then I could NOT get the tension dial back in the machine. Didn't appear to be any obstructions. CRAP - called the Service Department - they were busy. Called the dealer and she made a suggestion that worked!!!!   See those plates - well they fit INSIDE the front part, not OUTSIDE. Of course - there wasn't room for the other plate and the tension dial. CRAP - well I got it back together and it worked!!!!!


OOOPS - then it happened again and this time the thread went in with the flywheel. I took a quick peek inside - had a chuckle and got out the screwdriver to open up the back and LOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH YES - I think there is some thread in there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YUP - pretty important to keep an eye on the thread as it comes off the spool - then you don't waste time stitching with no thread and NO down time getting the thread out of the machine. This was wound VERY TIGHT and was quite hard to cut and pull out, but I got it out - cover back on and the machine was back working. I love these strictly mechanical things - very easy to fix!!!!!!!


Anyway - the quilt got done although it took a bit longer than planned!!!!!


Today - it is my turn to quilt on the machine. And then let's see if we can get those bunnies done!!!!

I am very happy to report that I have NO CRAVINGS for hot chocolate, but I have become Flo - don't make me miss my tea!!!!!!!!!!!  


Oh yes - I am slowly working my way through some back issues of magazines. I have picked one title  - The Quilter. I am now in the year 2010. Yes - I am almost finished!!!!    Here is ANOTHER big problem with reading older magazines - while I have seen some great ideas which I have taken note of and I have spotted a couple of books that I think would be a great addition to the library (as if there is room). BUT - this one book I found - well it is now out of print and I found it on Amazon but for almost $100. I have checked my local guild libraries and they do not have it. I can't even ask you if anyone has the book because you will want to sell it to me for big bucks!!!!!   I just want to have a look at it.. Anyone have the book????   It is called Machine Freehand Patterns by Nan Moore.

Machine Freehand Patterns by Nan Moore (must be an awesome book because it is pricey now!!!!)

I can hardly wait to see what happens today!!!!!!



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


Ciao!!!!!!!!