Saturday, November 30, 2013

Quilting FRENZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


One of the things that I NEED to set as a goal for 2014 is BETTER TIME SCHEDULING. I don't really need time management skills (although scheduling is probably part of it), but I am always running around like an idiot trying to meet a deadline when I have had loads of time to get things done.

And the worst culprit is scheduling quilts to be quilted. I am a pushover. I NEED A SCHEDULE and I need to adhere to it!!!!!   And I need to say that I will quilt on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (or whatever I come up with and STICK TO IT!!!!)

In light of the above, I was married to the machine yesterday as I got SIX small quilts done.

Panel wall hanging

Customer quilt

Another panel with a border

Mantel quilt

Table runner (LOVE THIS ONE - I wonder why!!!)

Table topper


Even though they were small, it still requires that the quilt get loaded on the machine. I have to load a pattern if I am working from a pattern, wind bobbins, pick thread and thread the machine. Doesn't sound like much, but it all takes time!!!!   I was EXHAUSTED by the end of the day. Or maybe I am just getting old!!!!


I also had to go to the dentist to get the last part of the root canal done. CRAP - I didn't get the massage chair this time. Apparently they only have ONE and it is in the GRAY room - I was in a different room. But I was FINE - after I got rid of the shakes that I got when the dentist inserted the freezing. Not sure where that came from, but I used my calming techniques and then I am actually falling asleep as he worked on the tooth. That has NEVER happened at the dentist. I am really mellowing out!!!!!!!!!!


Earlier in the week, I got this quilt done.

High Strung - customer quilt

Detail of quilting

More detail



Yes - I still have a HUGE pile of stuff to quilt and will be back at it this afternoon.

Now I wasn't working like a slave all day - I did manage to get out for a bit and I finished another novel. A GREAT one, by Phillip Margolin - The Last Innocent Man. Wow - lots of ethical questions in this one!!!!


As I am working on the quilts or walking the dogs, I am seriously thinking about this goal setting thing for next year. I have decided the easiest way to tackle the problem is to look at the various categories of projects that I have and then I will set goals within each category.

So what are the categories?????
1. Customer quilts (While I can't plan what I don't have - I will just be scheduling some time each week for that activity) - the question is - two days or three days a week?????
2. My quilts to be quilted - already talked about this one - I will do TWO quilts of mine each month
3. BBB (borders, backings and bindings) - I will do ONE per week (did this in 2012 and it is doable)
4. Exchanges - only participating in ONE - a post card exchange (I am in two groups of it) - that is my LIMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!
5. The rest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    (I will split it further into categories)
                A. $10 quilts   (past and present)
                B. Customer (making quilts for other people)
                C. Samples
                D. All the rest (no rush on any of that!)
                E. New stuff
                F. Block of the month and mystery quilt (I have designed both - just need to finish them up)



So now it is a question of figuring out the measurable goals in all the categories and then make it happen. I will be setting up a schedule for the year. Now it will have flexibility built in - I am NOT that rigid, but I do like having a plan.


Now I don't imagine that your goal setting will be quite that involved. But get SERIOUS about it - do you have one project that you NEED to get done, that you WANT to get done, that you would feel so much better if it were done???????  

Well look at the categories above or look at your own. Make lists, File stuff away or bring it out, but the important thing - get working on this. There is ONE MONTH left in order to get organized.

And if anyone needs more specific help, let me know. I would be happy to sit down and help you figure it out. Once you have the project or projects, we need to set a schedule on getting it done!!!!!


On that note - I am out of here. We have our BIG REVEAL of TEN YEARS OF TEN DOLLAR quilts this morning. I am packed and ready to go!!!!!!!!!!!!



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



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

Friday, November 29, 2013

The OLD and the NEW


Funny how some OLD things are valued and others are just junk!

Here is another signature quilt owned by Margo.

The entire quilt.
 It was made in 1955 by the ladies of St. Agnes Church. But no further information. Was it made as a fundraiser? If so, why? 

Margo found it when her aunt (I think that is who it was) passed on and Margo discovered it in a trunk. Now I should have taken a picture of the back of the quilt because it is stained. And it is stained because of the fabric touching the wood of the wicker trunk it was stored in!  Be careful how you store things!!!!


It is neat to see the various blocks. Although they are the same style, the hand writing is quite different.

Cursive with FIRST and LAST names 

Printing with FIRST INITIAL and LAST NAME   (Not good!!!)   If you write B. Smith, how do we know if that is Bill Smith or Bob Smith???? 

Again FIRST INITIAL only, but I like the handwriting

BIG printing - again only first initials

Now we have cursive writing, first and last name and each one is UNDERLINED!

Oh crud - I can't get the rest of the pictures loaded and I am LATE. Will finish later.


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


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

Thursday, November 28, 2013

What is a studio anyway?????



Some people say "sewing room", some people say "studio". What the heck is the difference???


My paternal grandparents lived in a small house out in the country and my grandma had a dedicated SEWING ROOM. Isn't that cool - this would have been back in the 1950's. They also had a REAL bathroom - flush toilets and all.  Now if you have lived in rural areas, you know that in the 50's that would have been a HUGE TREAT!!!!

My grandma's sewing room wasn't big, and I would LOVE to have pictures of it. But I doubt that any exist unless my grandpa took a picture (he was ALWAYS taking pictures). How about it Yvonne or Dad????   Ever seen any pictures of that room?????   I don't remember that grandma as a sewist. I do remember her knitting and crocheting, among other crafts.


My other grandma was also a HUGE sewer and often made all the grand kids PJs (I have some of her scraps in my very first quilt that I made when I was 13). She also made other things as well. I remember one jacket that she made me - it was a beautiful coat - made from scraps, but predominantly green. One day when I was at school, I was climbing a tree. Now why did I do that????   Well it wasn't the climbing trees that got me into trouble, it was the falling out of the tree and RIPPING the entire side out of that jacket that got me into trouble!!!  Oh dear - I do not remember what happened to that jacket (did it get thrown out - I doubt it) or did it get fixed?????   I don't remember where that grandma sewed, maybe in their bedroom????

Here is the definition of a studio.................  (according to Merriam-Webster)


stu·dio

 noun \ˈstü-dē-(ˌ)ō, ˈstyü-\
: the building or room where an artist works
: a place where people go to learn, practice, or study an art (such as singing, dancing, or acting)
: a place where movies are made
plural stu·dios

Full Definition of STUDIO

1
a :  the working place of a painter, sculptor, or photographer
b :  a place for the study of an art (as dancing, singing, or acting)
2
a :  a place where motion pictures are made
b :  a company that produces motion pictures
3
:  a place maintained and equipped for the transmission of radio or television programs
4
:  a place where audio recordings are made

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

It's beginning to look a LOT like Christmas......................



Oh my - the season is upon us.

And how can you tell??????


Christmas artwork for sale - these belong to Judy M and are on display at the Georgetown Public Library

More Christmas artwork by Judy (also at the Library)


This brings to mind a question. Even though I do NOT have permission from the artist to post a picture of their work, it is on display in a PUBLIC place. And I have given credit to the maker and the location. I figure I am covered. Otherwise I am going to copyright hell for the rest of my life!!!!!!!!!!!!


People are working on Christmas wall hangings. This belongs to Karen from MM. I think this would be awesome on a door. 

Christmas lights on houses



Christmas decorations!!!!!!!!   I was at Canadian Tire last night and noted that there are NO decorations in orange. Tons of blue/red/green/white/gold and even pink, but NO ORANGE. And then I found these giant snow flakes in orange. Well I had to have them. I bought all they had. Now can I put these on my tree outside or should I put them inside?????     and at only $3 each, maybe I need to check OTHER Canadian Tire stores. 

Woke up to our FIRST snow of the season. 

Little Sammy enjoying the snow. She HATES when the snow accumulates on her paws.



I did get a quilt done yesterday................

Customer quilt
Detail of quilting


My child (like ALL kids) just doesn't seem to understand that a jar is NOT empty until you scrap out the remaining bits. I see her buy new jars of salsa when there is still 1/4 left in the old one. Well - it is OK to buy a new one at that point, but then finish the old!!!!    This is the "NOTE" that I left her in the fridge yesterday when I discovered duplicates of not ONE item, but TWO.


A SPATULA - oh my god - what a concept to scrap out the jars!!!!!!


A while back I was showing you the tip for making vinyl "review" boards for quilting designs. Well I was having trouble with the pens (especially after I used a PERMANENT marker without thinking). Then I tried WASHABLE markers with little success.


Washable markers - not good

AH - but a dry erase marker works just fine and it erases!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Now I am all set with this. 

 And I am hanging my head in disgust. After all my raving about my Android tablet - it has given up the ghost. It is DEAD!!!!   It is permanent REBOOT mode. I went online to see how to reboot it, tried what they said. No luck. Went online to chat with a technician and still NO LUCK. Even though the little Android guy said it was cleaning the system.


Little Android guy working!!!!!!!!!!


No choice but to send it away (to North Bay) for repairs. CRAP CRAP CRAP.   The same thing happened to M with her new laptop. I swear we have some magnetic field in our house that causes this. We even had Hydro in a couple of years ago because things were crapping out at an alarming rate. We do have spikes in the electricity because we have one of those big green boxes in front of the house, but not enough to do anything (according to the hydro guy). We had a big serge protector put on the electrical panel and that helped a bit???   Anyway - just ONE MORE THING to do - get this bundled up and to the post office.



Have to pick fabric for a NEW quilt. Yes - a project that I am going to teach next year. I want it in BROWN as I do not have any brown quilts. I pulled out the basket of brown fabric this morning. YIKES - we have a problem here..................


A LOT of brown, but at least it seems to stay in the basket after I went through it. Before that it was all over the place. 

What I pulled out to start the quilt with. May need to go shopping and going to be at Ruti's this morning, so I had better look before I go so I don't have to do a second trip. 

This is what got culled................

And went into the "let's make scraps" bucket

These do NOT look like browns and got moved to the appropriate basket

This got pulled to put into the collage area
 Also working on the label issue. More on that tomorrow.

One more quilt with the label on
And another one with its label on

Here is the Monday basket with the NEXT project that is missing a label. This one needs the binding done as well

And what do you do with a label that you made a mistake on????   Well I cut it into four and will use it as a little scrap for starting to sew (like an ender and leader). My machine will NOT work without one, so might as well use up these scraps. 


I have run out of time this morning, so I must go and get ready for my class. I did a good/bad thing yesterday in the studio and I am VERY EXCITED about it. I will try to post it later today - but for sure tomorrow - all the pictures are ready to go.


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


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