Pick a title??????

There are some days when I struggle with the title for the blog. Other days (like today) - there are so many that come to mind - should I choose -

• Seal of approval
• Zipped up
• Where's the nearest Fabricland?
• Out of thread - again!

Well read on and then you can decide which title would be best!!!!

Another crazy day. I have no idea why I am so driven. It must be my boss.  I swear I have NEVER had such a stupid boss. (remember I am self-employed!!!)   Oh yes - this boss knows no boundaries as I am forced to work from sun up to sun down and way beyond those hours on both ends, she lets me take breaks, but ONLY if I promise to sit at the computer and edit photos, she never says NO - she just keeps going. Who is this crazy person who is driving me??????   Well it is Sunday and I don't think there is going to be any resting today either!!!!!   She says that if we work hard now - that we can take entire days off later. I seriously doubt that - but I'll try to reason with her from time to time for some time off!!!!!   BUT - she is fun to work for and always something interesting and exciting going on - I like that!!!

"We" started the day off by cleaning irons. These are the irons from the Monday Mania and Thursday Therapy sewing groups. I brought them home over the holidays to clean them. Well we are back to our regular sewing day TOMORROW and well - I had better get those irons cleaned!!!!   They were all gross - but I ran vinegar through them and water. The sole plates got cleaned as best I could and the outsides were wiped down. Oh yes - they are ready for some heavy action!!!!!

The irons BEFORE getting cleaned - I know - that one on the right is in sad shape - even after I cleaned it. But as a backup - it will be ok!!!!!   At least it does look better!!!

Then time to work on my "daily" project.  I have decided that I have a NUMBER of projects (not just that 10) that can be finished in a day.  So as I am finding those projects - they are getting put into a bag. Then I get to pick ONE a day to finish.  That is so simple. Now in the case of this project - it was just to finish the top and that is OK.   I do need to find something to bind it with.

The second fleece top (thanks again Elaine for the fleece sample pieces)  And don't you love the editing on this picture!!!!!

Anyway - I only had twenty pieces of fleece and I felt that the quilt top was too short. So I went through my stash of fleece and found four more pieces - the first row at the bottom.  I added the row on and there is the backing folded at the front.  Ready to be quilted.   Yes - it would be nice if I could have thrown it on the machine and quilted it -but that would be pushing it - that is all for another time, but not now. So now - we are three projects for three days!!!!   If I can squeeze in a bit of advancement on another project - I will try that.  I did advance TWO other projects yesterday so that means when it is time to get them done - I should be able to complete them in ONE day.

Here is the bag of "daily" projects  - I hope in two weeks that it will be EMPTY and ready to fill with something else!!!! Or maybe I will just keep finding (or advancing) projects so that they can get done in a day. I am OK with that.

Then back to work on the Storm at Sea sample.  The scrappy pieced border was hanging out on the design wall and time to get the top done so I can give it to Joyce so it can hang at the Hobby Horse in anticipation of the upcoming class in March.  Sunday, March 29 and Sunday, April, 26 to be exact.  From 12:30 - 3:30.
You can make it any size - don't be crazy like me. The quilt top is about 80 inches square at the moment.

Storm at Sea with border number one - DONE

Then I didn't have anything in my stash for the outer border and I WANT an outer border.  Just before Christmas, I had found some fabric at Ruti's.  I wasn't sure it was going to be OK so I only bought one meter. Then I get home and YES - I like it.  But when I went back - we could no longer locate the bolt and it wasn't something that anyone would be rushing to buy.

Outer border fabric

I went back yesterday BEFORE I started to put on that last border and OH MY GOD - there is that border fabric.  YES YES YES - so I bought .5 meter for the binding and now I am ready to get the top, binding and backing finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!    That will be a job for Monday.

The extra piece of fabric to do the binding!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And look what I found in my stash for the backing!!!!!!   Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Oh yes - I am dead serious about getting some control on this mess. 

As I was puttering around yesterday - Little Sammy came to visit. We had a little cuddle in one of her dog beds (good thing no one can see me!!!! but who am I kidding - anyone with pets has a little cuddle from time to time and no one needs to see that!!!). Well I turned around and OH MY - a seal of approval!!!!!

Little Sammy testing out the new rug

"OH this is comfy!!!!!"   

Then back to the sewing machine. I thought I would try to advance one of my "daily" projects. It is another Chubby Charmer bag.  I had cut two out (the orange one is done) and made some progress on the second one, and today was the day. I am going to do the quilting on it.  Until...............

I ran out of THREAD again!!!!!!!!!!!!   Of course I was using a stitch that required a lot of thread, but who cares!!!   I was NOT attempting to finish this bag - I just wanted to make some progress.  A trip to Fabricland is in order - more on that later.

Here is the ONE side quilted - I had just enough thread to get one side done

Detail of the stitching

The stitching on the reverse side - boy is it hard to keep that stitch centered over the seam line.  I am just trying all kinds of things on the sewing machine.  The only way I am going to get better is to practice and experiment and what do I have to lose?  Nothing!!!!!

 And in further preparation - I got out another election sign and cut TWO bottoms - one for a Chubby Charmer and one for the Weekender bag.

Two bag bottoms from election signs and with that handy new SHARP craft knife - it is easy!!!!!!!!!

Then I found this block that has been floating around for YEARS.  I decided to finally get it glued down to the background fabric so I could satin stitch it one day.

Witch pieces laid out - only to discover that ONE piece is missing. A corner of her dress (right over her leg) is missing.  ACK!!!!!!!

No worries - grabbed some fusible, grabbed the black scrap box.................

And look at what was staring at me when I opened the scrap box!!!!   Oh yes - the SAME black fabric!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And now it is all fused to the background and ready for stitching. I think that can be done in a day!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is the pattern - EEEEEK! by The Vintage Spool

I see by looking at the pattern that I traced the pattern from the reverse and I should not have!!!!!   See how my witch is the reverse of the pattern. Ah well - I'm not worrying about that, but I never noticed that before!!!!



Then onto the next project. I told you - there was no break. Well there was an hour break where I proceeded to sort through more pictures.  Boy - I did a number on my bike trip pictures. There must be ten copies of them all.  I am almost through sorting them?????   I keep saying that and then find another problem, but there are two more major issues to deal with and then I think I am done. I hope!!!!!


I decided (no - I KNEW) that I had to work on The Professional Tote sample.

The Professional Tote

Just before Christmas - I cut everything and had it all prepped and ready to sew.

Professional Tote ready to sew

Had checked through my zippers and found nothing I liked

So I had gone to Fabricland to purchase zippers.

Last night - I started by sewing in the first zipper.

First zipper in the outer pocket - all nicely stitched in!

ACK - I HATE IT!!!!!!!!    WHAT WAS I THINKING??????????

That is HIDEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes - I chose a zipper for the main colour - the orange, but when I went to add the trim (which isn't the best colour to go with this project - but what I had!!)    Anyway - the combination is HIDEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


So I got the box of zippers out and tried some colours..................   what do you think??????

Brown

Orange

Khaki

Yellow

Light green

Pink

OK - so I was getting testy by that point!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I think I am going to settle for the orange.  Then there are really just TWO colours and nothing competes too much with each other.  STUPID STUPID STUPID - now I have to rip that zipper out!!!!!!!!!!!!   Oh well - not a big deal - I figure that is about one episode of Modern Family!!!!!!


Speaking of Modern Family and ripping - it took me ONE episode last night to rip this apart.

Remember - I made this block in June (or something like that). I could not find the matching background fabric so I found next best choice which I never really liked and I made the circle 1/4" too small.  It was like I was telling myself that it had to be ripped out.  

When I dug out the Storm at Sea quilt - I found the matching background - so OFF with the ugly and add the right stuff.

You can see that the circle was a tad too small as some of the points got whacked off

So back to the drawing board. 

Did you notice that there was red flat piping in that border?????   Oh well - can't make things too easy - life would get boring!!!!!!!!!!!!


Now I have a BIG shopping list for Fabricland - zippers and thread!!!!   But I will be using all of them before the end of the day today. What time does Fabricland open on Sunday?????


On that note - I am off with an updated TO DO list for today and if I don't want it to get too unwieldy - I had better get to it.

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


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