Sunday, December 29, 2013

Back in the sewing room...

Re-organization from Christmas madness. Installed new cutting board my daughter got me to the cutting table..

These a a few of the left over woolly mice I made for my new work family...stored in a boc with an air hole so they can breathe...per my granddaughter.







And then as I said I am behind on my BOM...Like most, if available, I am doing this one in two colorways--both to support my LQS, and because I love batiks, but not everyone does, so to have variety for sale or gifting..

This is the first set of blocks (block 1 of this BOM)  .these are made using the no-waste flying geese method--it is very nice for ease of matching and conservation of fabric. There are many diagrams on many sites and you-tube videos available. Try it- you'll like it!





Block 2--is actually a set of two blocks, I got one block of each colorway done--the other is cut...



Yes the flip n iron board is warped--it is not a spring chicken and has provided many years of service!

No, I do not have my main machine back yet :-(

Looking forward to the new year, once BOM's are caught up and a few late Christmas presents finished it is on to the
Coxcomb for the Judy Niemeyer-Quiltworks contest.




Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas




and will have a Happy and Prosperous New Year! Count your blessings..I count mine often- It does make the life journey much more pleasant-for you and others.

I have been crazy busy. Started a new job-GREAT thing

My main sewing/embroidery machine is till in the shop--BAD thing. It is only four years old and I am NOT  happy with it being out of service for a month before Christmas. But it is what it is.

Thankfully I have a back up sewing machine(well--OK, -more than one)  and a great friend Tina who offered up her embroidery machine!

I start the year with some backlog  of projects. I am not sure if there is ever NOT a backlog of projects, my project staging bins are always full; and 7 finished tops to be quilted after the one in the hoop is done. In the hoop is my the top my Grammy made, I have passed the half-way point.  Some of the tops may get machine quilted-they haven't decided yet--I let them decide. Yes--I am a bit crazy some think for letting fabric & projects talk to me...but I keep good company :-)

Oh, I do have 4 blocks of the month projects to catch up on, and a mystery quilt project...

And I got a new cutting board for Christmas. Somebody (it was the gremlins-that's the story and I am sticking to it-unless perhaps it was the house elf? ) forgot to put the iron pad down on the cutting board before pressing a a block of the month -and my daughter is very observant. :-)





Saturday, December 7, 2013

Modern Mystery Quilt Done!

Soon to be on it's way to its new home. I love the way the quilting came out-very organic feeling:



And the 2 Winter Table/.Candle Mats are done and listed in the store:



















It has been COLD, and SNOWY (yech-we need the water, but I prefer rain in the valley). It is a good excuse for hot chocolate :-)

I need to go work on Christmas Presents, and a few more items for the store.

How are you all coming with Christmas projects? 


Monday, December 2, 2013

So busy....loving the holidays and family...memories and such...



Trying to be ready for Christmas. Tree up, not totally decked out yet, but some of that needs to wait for granddaughter visit today :-) 37 years of history on the tree by the time we are done...it is a pretty awesome feeling!

Main machine still in the shop :-/ These are real close to getting bound


Of course at Christmas time their are secret projects that can't be disclosed.

But this is exciting..the Modern mystery quilt is almost done quilting--two hoop moves I think. It should be bound labeled, washed and on its way to its new home by the end of week, maybe the beginning of next week. I depends on what surprises life decides we need between now and then :-)


This might be the last set of needles needed (maybe-always a bit hard to tell) - I am currently running 8 needles through the hoop...


The white plastic :jar" is my string catcher.

The cats have decided to "OWN" the row by row quilt I made at Christmas last year:


Even Frosty the singing snowman was booted off..

Now back to that Modern Mystery Quilt..

Happy sewing, and Christmas enjoying. We are supposed to get snow tomorrow (3-5 inches-per the latest forecast) followed by some really COLD (not Chicago cold) forecast is for single digit temperatures.