What's on the Long Arm

Hot Diggity Dog is on the long arm today---well, actually I just finished quilting it, and it's off the frame. Now, to make the binding and label.

Thankfulness

I feel this picture of our granddaughter perhaps says it all.

We are over abundantly blessed with many things, which included being together to share a tasty Thanksgiving dinner. We did not do much cooking except for a few special side dishes as we opted to purchase our organic turkey, dressing, and all the trimmings precooked at our local grocery.

Some family members expressed some serious concerns with our disregard with "family traditions". I had my doubts too. After all, how could we not go shopping for that perfect turkey, select seasonings, perform ritual brining, slather butter, bake and cube dry breads, chop assorted vegetables, simmer broth, mix, mash and stir everything ourselves? and what if it didn't taste good?

Worry not! The dinner was perfection! Dare I say---perhaps better than what we could have cooked on our own. The turkey and dressing was moist and delicious, the mashed potatoes were buttery smooth! Tender hot rolls and loads of tasty gravy. Baked yams in a decadent orange sauce...oh, and yummy pumpkin pie is included.

It's not that I don't love cooking Thanksgiving dinner---but after many decades of doing this ritual dinner, and discovering that some one else can do it just as well, if not better ( and may I add for less cost)---This Grandmama is ready to embrace pre cooked Thanksgiving dinners in the future with no reservations! Oh my--this is a good thing!

I've not been quilting very much, but working on one of my "forever projects". It's the patriotic redwork & bluework stitchery, "A Patriots Dream".I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as they say, and may actually get this finished by the new year.

A glimpse at some of the different sections.

I plan to do some hand quilting designs on this project to finish it up.

It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's a Purse!

I recently took a class with Pam Brown at Material Girl, our local fabric shop. There are many purse patterns and classes as you know, and I've made a few. I have quite a few purse patterns stashed for future projects to pursue when the creative bug strikes.

But, this purse is definitely different! And very Fun!

It involves no sewing! and once you get Pam's clever concept of folding, it all comes together, and you can make this purse in about an hour with a few supplies. It consist of fabric and poster board. Some spray glue. Magnetic clasp and corded handle. The magic is the --- Origami! For that part I suggest Pam's purse class.

Pam showing us the fabric and some of the supplies.

Pam helping us put on our magnetic snap.

Pam showing us how to attach the corded handle.

Some of the class purses!

My first Origami purse coming together at the folds.

Ta-da! My folded Origami purse!

I made this second purse after attending Pam's wonderful class. I'm not good with puzzles, but with Pam's printed instructions, and the original class purse--- I did it! There were just a few moments when I wished the patient Origami Wiz was at my side showing me which fold was the "valley" and which was the "mountain". This is a cute purse that will hold some essential things for an evening out or to fill with goodies and give as a giftie.

For more information on making the Origami purse please contact Material Girl and ask about this class with Pam.

Design Wall Monday~Nov. 8, 2010

Not much has changed on the design wall since I last posted.

I have made a few more "tarts". This english paper piecing method is unbelievably time consuming. Tearing out the stitches and carefully pulling out the paper is the hardest part. I will call this one of my forever projects as I can see this one is going to take years to complete. I'm aiming for one small and one large tart each week.

I didn't quite have enough of the racing check fabric, but I found some of the fabric at our local fabric shop, so now I'm ready to start making the borders on the Corvette quilt. Maybe I will get that done this week. I'm feeling slow and out of tune this week.

I think it's because our little Boots heart murmur is getting worse, and she is now on heart medications. Hopefully these meds. will enable us to can enjoy her company a while longer----

Stash Report of Sorts

I enjoy reading Judy's Stash report every Sunday. I think she intends for participates to report "stash reductions". Or maybe it's increases! Or maybe it's a motivation tool to make us more accountable for fabric that sits in your sewing space, unused. I'm not sure how it all really works.

I just know I don't have any organized type of fabric accountability going on in my sewing life at the moment, or how much yardage I may buy in a week or a month even. Maybe I should though.

This past year I did purge a lot of fabric from my sewing space. Bags and bags of it. You probably remember that posting. Then I reorganized what was left. It certainly was a self revealing moment in my life to go through all those fabrics I had purchased over the years. When I was done, I couldn't decide if I was happy, or depressed.

Here is what I have now with no rhyme or reason. I just couldn't part with it. There is more than you see in these pictures. There is a drawer with nothing but Civil War prints in it, and top shelf in the closet is loaded with backing fabrics, and there are plastic bins with fabrics & patterns all organized together ready to be cut. There are quilt kits too---a whole shelf full of quilt kits! So, perhaps I should refer to this as the "tip of the fabric iceburg"?

Three plastic drawers of fat quarters and some half yard pieces of fabric too.

And here are more fat quarters of batiks and 30's prints.

and more fat quarters here in this drawer. If I see, buy or create from left overs another fat quarter. Smack me please!

These are yards of fabric. Somewhat organized into colors or themes.

I wonder if this qualifies as "Stash Reporting". I haven't a clue as to the amount of yardage here, and honestly I probably don't want to know. When I use some of it, I don't know how much I'm using either. I just know when it's gone, or if there is a little bit of it left I throw it in the stacking baskets under my cutting table, or into the trash bin next to it. My aim is not very good sometime and then it's on the floor too! When the fabric basket is overflowing I dump it all into a plastic bag and give it away. I figure since it's been in this state of unorganization for months, and I haven't found a use for it, it's probably not worth keeping. Once in a great while I will dig around in the bin looking for strip that caught my eye which is hanging over the edge, or I feel in the mood to cut 2-1/2 strips from some of the left overs there ala' Bonnie Hunters "organize your scraps" idea. But, my organized strips and cut bins are overflowing too right now.

Used this Week:
Used year to Date:
Added this Week:
Added Year to Date:
Net Used for 2010:

Happy Halloween!

Me and the Spooks!

Have a Happy Halloween!

Pillowcases

Once upon a time I purchased one of those easy to make pillowcase kits at a quilt show. The fabric was so cute, and it was fun to make! Every once in awhile I get into a mood of wanting to make pillowcases because it uses up some of those fabrics I'm not sure I will use for a quilt, or that I just have enough to make a pillowcase, plus they are such a useful thing to make for anyone.

I made these last night. They take about 30 mins. each. I sent these off to our grand kids .

This quick method is also such a clever way to make a pillowcase! The fan folding of the body of the pillowcase into the cuff, and the way the fabric flips out with the cuff and the trim all attached, and all you have to do is even up the side, and seam them. Neat-0!

Mary Johnson has a very good pillowcase tutorial using this quick method.

(click pic.)

Linda's Basket Quilt

I just finished sewing on the last few inches of binding on my friend Linda's cute basket quilt she asked me to quilt. It's raining, and it's a perfect day for quilting & sewing!

Wordless Thursday

New & Old

When I left for the quilt retreat I took the new 18" "Edge" ruler with me so my quilting friends could try it out. For the week I used the new Sullivan ruler here at home, I was ready to order more of them. So, I did. When I returned home the new rulers had arrived. I'm impressed with the "Edge" rulers not only because they keep your rotary cutter blades sharpened, but because they grip the fabric better than any other rulers I've used. Many of the quilters at retreat enjoyed using the "Edge" ruler.

There was one quilter who didn't care for the concept. She had bought along her own new small "Edge". The smaller 4.5" x 8.5" ruler. She said it didn't sharpen her blade.

However, I suggested that perhaps with short runs of the rotary cutter ( only 8.5" inches)---there was not enough friction on the rotary cutter blade against the edge of the ruler to produce the sharpening effect that one would have running it the entire length of an 18" or 24" inch "Edge" ruler. Something to consider.

I've tried a dull rotary cutter blade on the 18" "Edge" ruler and after 5 cutting passes the dull rotary cutter blade was sharper! More cuts--- and it was totally sharp. Even if your not impressed with the sharpening effect of the these new rulers, the fact that they stay put and don't slip and slide around on the fabric is well worth the purchase for me.

I started one new project at retreat, and worked on one UFO that has been lingering and that I want to finish. That's Judy's Patchwork Times "Memorial Day" challenge quilt. If you recall, it's the project I cut the 105 half square triangles the wrong size. Well, I re-cut & re-stitched & resized new half square triangles --and I'm making progress once again. Yeah!
The new project is pattern I found on the Quilts of Valor Chat. A Yahoo group I belong to. I found the pattern appealing and versatile. Recalling my dig through the "cubbie stash" fabrics?---and finding the Corvette panels, and wondering what to do with them?
This pattern works great for pillow panel type fabrics---like the Corvettes. Or any other large fabric panels you don't know quite what to do with.
I'm auditioning some ideas for the borders now. What's more American in our automobile building history than the Corvette? The first ever American built sports car.