Hat trick!!!!

I thought I would provide you with a cooked oatmeal update.  If you read the directions  - imagine that!   It says to cook 2 1/2 - 3 minutes at FIFTY percent power.  No way!!!!   Someone, was that Kathy? mentioned that a while back.  She is SMART!  I cooked my oatmeal in a regular bowl this morning and no issues!!!  There is also a setting on my microwave for custom cook.  I now have it set for 2 1/2 minutes at 60 percent power.  One button and presto - cooked oatmeal - no mess!!!!!   Hey - I figured that out all by myself!

Yes - I had classes yesterday which I will chat about in another post, but I was a roll when I got home. I got the binding machine stitched down on TWO quilts.  Neither was huge, but doesn't matter - they went into the bags. DONE!!!!   The third item to complete the hat trick was to finish hand stitching the sleeve on another quilt.  Three items in the completed bag!!!!   No need to count what's left - we just keep our head down and stay focused!

I also quilted another quilt when I got home and that needs to be trimmed and bound today. 

This is what I got done since I got up!

A while back, Elaine M gave me a car for my play mat. Well the play mat was one of the items that got bound last night and the car looks awesome with it.  The play mat is in the bag with the finished goods and the car is in the box with the embellishments. 

Car and playmat!!!!

I had the embroidery machine going this moring and got about 1/3 of the embroidery done that needs to be done. I'm a bit disappointed with it, applique would have been better - shown up more!!!   Shoot - live and learn. That will be a good learning experience for the presentation and there is NO more fabric so I can't take the border off and do something else!!!!

Two machines going

One for embroidery

One for binding

I did manage to get another quilt bound - one of the bigger ones.  It wouldn't have taken so long except that I was back and forth to the embroidery machine.  I think I did 8 snowflakes.    About 11 to go.

But I'm very happy to report that I have finally mastered the binding by machine and I'm thrilled with the results.  It's all about the width of the seam allowances and the color of thread.  I feel pretty confident about it now and I can zip along at a fairly fast pace.

Binding from the front

Binding from the back

 This is the last quilt that needs a sleeve so I managed to get that made this morning as well - MY WAY which I much prefer.   This quilting thing - it doesn't matter how long you've been quilting, or how many classes you take or books you read. Sometimes the old way is the best way, but it's good to experiment.  I even changed up the sleeve a bit from my normal way (it's not sewn into the binding) and I kind of like that.

Sleeve is made

And pinned in place

If this doesn't get hand stitched today, no worries. It can get packed and the hand stitching can happen at the other end.

Whew - that was a lot in a fairly short period of time.  Let's hope the rest of the day goes as well.  The next quilt is loaded on the long arm and ready to go when we're back from the dog park.  There is a very impatient puppy pushing on my arm - Let's go!  LET'S GO NOW!!!!!   So I had best put on some warm clothes and get going.  Notice I blogged BEFORE going to the park when my hands are warm!!!  Although we haven't turned on the heat yet - NO - one must wait for November 1 for that and well - thank goodness we have lots of quilts. It is a tad cool, but there is no time to notice - we've got work to do!!!!

On that note - stay warm and have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!