What was I thinking????!!!

the dreaded scraps are to blame for this mess!  I made the decision to pull my scrap bin(s)  because I needed to cut some 4½” squares of scraps.  I’d made the decision to border my big dresden plates with scraps of squares.  The Dresden plates will be in the center and I will built out to size from there using the squares – as well as using the squares as a ‘sashing’.  Here’s a start of my squares!  But of course, as I go along, I find more:

 These little pieces were left over from this quilt:

  (oops, I moved a lot of pictures off this computer onto a thumb drive so don’t have the picture of the finished quilt – but I’ve posted it before….)

Anyway, I turned those little pieces into this little mat that I’m not sure what I’ll do with :

  Then as I went along, coming across other little bits of this and that and leftovers:

  I added to or assembled.  The green/blue was 4 - hour glass squares and will end up as a hot mat.  The brown and white squares had the triangles added to them and trimmed down and will become mats of some sort.  The black and yellow were 4 pieces that I put together and those will become coasters.  I had several orphan blocks that I will make into mats to be used somehow.  I plan on putting a backing on the frame, laying scrap pieces of batting and just lay out these smaller items and I’ll just do a mass quilting of it all at one time.  I have some Insulbright batting that I will add as an extra layer under the items that I figure might be used in the kitchen. 

I’ve also started up on some knitting.  I want to learn lace style knitting and it’s not difficult, but I found one really needs to pay attention.  Here’s a picture of fingerless mitts and a headband/ears warmer  I made.  The headband still needs it’s buttons attached:

 I’ve also got a Sew Fest quilt on the frame to get to and I think I can fit one more in the box to send off so will get to that before I start a quilting marathon (I have quite a stack to be quilted!)

And is the sewing room put back in order?  Well  - sort of.  I did manage to go through all my scraps and I have 4 gallon baggies full of strips that measure 1½ – 2” that I will use in my strip blocks.  Once I have all the strip blocks I want done – I will dispose of what’s left.  I have a box of odd scraps that are short but at least 2” that I will use for my pineapple blocks. And again, when I’ve assembled all the blocks I want for that, those scraps will be gone.  I also got  a shoe box full of 2½” strips that I have no idea what I’ll do with, but if nothing else they can be put into a scrappy binding – like I need that when you look at this:

 My bin full of left over bindings…..

And I did manage to clear off the cutting table somewhat.  I disposed of the old computer that was taking up floor space and connected the new printer that was also taking up floor space.  I was on a roll when hubby asked for some help and I have yet to get back to finishing up the ‘clean up’ (maybe today….)

So that’s what I’ve been doing – getting a little done here and there …

Katie

Still around

I’m still around but haven’t spent much time in the sewing room for the past week (and I was on such a good roll).  My grandsons are back to playing football and I spend last Saturday in the full Tucson sun for 4 hours.  I almost threw in the towel but figured if those boys could play in full gear, the least I could do was hang in there and support their efforts.  I don’t know who organized this league but my honest opinion is they should be prosecuted for child abuse!  I simply can not believe any sane person believes it’s okay to put children through that much heat…. Okay, enough of that rant (for now)

Sunday was picking apples and peaches with my son’s family.  I did not get very much as I really did not want to spend that much time processing it.  I think about the expense of driving 3 hours to get to the orchards, then what it cost to do the work of picking your own, don’t forget you have to have a meal while you’re out…..  That was the most expensive 20 lbs of fruit I’ve ever bought!

Kari leaves today for college and I will miss her so much.  The past couple weeks have been really emotional for her.  I think the realization of all the new changes coming her way have finally hit.  I’m hoping I can keep it together today when she leaves……  Anyway, I’ve spent quite a bit of time with her and that is another reason why the sewing room is quite neglected.

Okay, that’s it for now.  I apologize for no pictures but no sense in posting what you’ve already seen…

Katie

Sat. 8/10/13

Sorry, no catchy title for my blog post today.  Maybe I could have said “miscellaneous” because that’s what this post will be.

I drafted this block in EQ because a lady from QFC had sent some blocks like this and I really liked them:

Linda S. made these blocks – see the upper left corner star.  I thought it was stunning but I didn’t know the name of the block or where it came from so I just drafted my own pattern.  I don’t plan on selling it or passing it along to anyone so I don’t think I did anything in regards to copyright…. at least I hope not!

I made this quilt top some time back and I have a dear young friend who is expecting baby #3 in Sept. so I decided to finish it up to send to her.  I put a cream Minky on the back and bound it with a cream satin.  I used a layer of white flannel in the center for the batting then just did stitch in the ditch around all the blocks for quilting.  Last time I talked to her she still wasn’t sure the gender of the baby but suspected a baby girl.  I know this doesn’t exactly look girly, but I don’t think every little girl in the world has to be pink!  I am also knitting baby caps and booties to send along with the quilt….

I finished quilting my designated Sew Fest quilts and will send them off next week.  I have 5 kits left and if no one comes forward to request them, I’ll get them quilted and sent off as well.  A couple of the QFC ladies did say they would take a couple, but these same ladies already had a few to finish.  I told them to finish what they had and if they wanted more after that, I’d send them.  I don’t want anyone to get ‘burn out’….

Because I’m not the most organized person in the world (really, I’m not!), I decided I really, really needed to get my WIPs/UFOs done.  I pulled them out and put them with their designated fabrics.  Got them kitted and stacked on the cutting table.  I thought about working on them until they were completed – well, at least to the ‘needs quilting’ stage, but if I just designate one day a week, I should have them all completed within a month’s time.   I have my large Dresden plates that I’ve decided I will simply sash and border in scrappy patchwork squares.  My  Feathered Star is a little undecided yet.  I’m thinking about framing the star in a deep (not bright) orange, then doing a variety of different piecework borders to obtain size, sort of like a round robin quilt would be, leaving the star as the center medallion.  I also have some paper piecing projects that I need to get completed.  I really do love paper piecing but I hate removing the paper, but ……  I bought Kari a Viking (6690 I think) at a thrift store that sews about 100 stitches per inch – okay maybe not quite that many but it’s a lot and there’s no adjusting it (might be why it was at the thrift store!).  Needless to say, I’ve kept the machine and discovered it’s perfect for paper piecing.  That paper just falls off

So that’s what I’ve been doing and what I’m planning to do.  Once I get all these projects done, I’m planning on a total reorganization of the sewing room.  Planning and executing are not necessarily the same thing!!!!

Katie

Something else

I’m finished up a couple more Sew Fest quilts:

The quilt tops are so nice and I always worry that I’ve done them justice.  I’m happy with the way these are turning out.

I also dapple in paper crafts.  A little scrapbooking and card making.  I made a journal using an old book’s cover – No pictures of that but it got me doing this:     A journal.  I made this one for Kari as she heads out to college in just a couple weeks.  She will be majoring in journalism and a simple store bought journal simply wasn’t something I could see Kari excited about.  So this was customized for Kari:

		Kari’s journal VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

There are tags for her to write on.  Little flaps for her to slide other items into.  I made little envelopes for her to stick tags she’s written on into or to keep other keepsakes in.  After I gave it to her, she looked at me and said “Oh, Grandma, you know me so well!”  She is such a special person and I am sure going to miss her when she heads out to college.  Thankfully, she’s staying here in AZ so I can take a road trip…….

Katie