Catch Up

Hi all.  I knew I hadn't posted for a while, just not how long.  Well the summer went and I finished two baby quilts I had in my UFO's.  I have pictures somewhere and will post them soon.  I have also finished a quilt for my nephew's son.  Erik was here for a while last summer, visiting my sister and her husband (grandparents).  I found out he liked anything "space" and since I had two space themed tops in my UFO pile, I showed them to him.  He chose the "Space Windows" Quilt.  I got it finishsed in time to be delivered on or 1 day after his birthday.

I didn't have a good place to photograph the quilt but here it is.

For several years I collected space themed fabrics.  I put them together using the attic windows setting. Sort of like standing on a space station and looking out windows to other worlds.  I quilted around the features of each window. On the border, I used space ships, shooting stars, ringed planets and aliens, then added stars and swirls in free motion quilting. I used a space themed fabric for backing and added a flanged binding using the black border fabric and a grey to match the windows for the flange. The border is black, but shows up grey in the pictures.  I used a dark blue/purple thread for the border quilting

 My sewing machine is a standard size Janome.  It can sometimes be hard to squeeze a quilt under to get the needle where I want to stitch.  But I keep on trying.  

Cataract surgery

In addition to moving my quilting back to my studio from the living room, I am in the process of getting cataract surgery.  My left eye was worst and I had surgery on it last Tuesday.  I got the near vision lenses for sewing and needlework.  So far so good.  I can't focus enough to work on quilts just yet.  My other eye is going to be operated on next Tuesday, and I get new glasses for distance (driving) two weeks after that.

Some of the things I was surprised about were that the pre-op took 1.5 hours, the surgery about 15 minutes, and another 15 minutes in post op.   I didn't realize how dim everything had gotten.  The left eye shows me bright colors and white, now.  Everything I look at through the right eye, has a veil of tan over it.  The dimming happens so gradually, you don't realize what you have lost!
I also had to take the left lens out of my glasses.  It's kind of weird,  seeing everything with two focuses.  I hung up my jacket last night and missed the hook entirely! Depth perception is off until the next surgery is over.  Hopefully, I will have some new things to show you in two or three weeks.

Keep stitching.  Love Susan

Catching Up.

Hi all.

I last posted about a string quilt I was working on.  Well, after looking at it for several days I decided the borders were all wrong.  So I took them off and changed them.  Here is what it looks like now.

I added a string border, another black border and then used a dark red for the last border.

I think this is much better.  The blue was just not dark enough for the border.

I used to have a "studio room" at the back of the garage.  About 3 or 4 years ago, I moved my sewing into the corner of the living room.  Since then the room has been a catch all.  "I should move this to the shed, but I'll put it in the work room for now."  I decided to move my quilting back out there after having the devil's own time keeping the cats and a the new puppy out of my "stuff". 

 After clearing out all the unwanted stuff from the room into the garage (filled half of a double garage) I started cleaning.  It's amazing how much dirt accumulates in 3 years!  I have just about all my stuff moved back out there.  The old wall heater is just not enough in the winter, which is why I moved into the house.  It is too energy inefficient.  This winter I am going to get some other type of heat, maybe propane.  I'll post some pictures later, but you can see what it used to look like here in 2010, after  the last cleanout:

http://tangledthreads-beads.blogspot.com/2010/02/studio-redo.html

It is a little different now, and I will have pictures, soon

Keep on quilting.

Strip Quilts

I was having a hard time getting back to sewing after the quilt show.  I tried to make a wallet for my sister, got about half done and ran into a problem.  I set it aside to think about.  I had/have a container of strings that I have been saving for a while.  I usually cut any scraps up into squares, nothing smaller that 2 inches, and then the smaller strips went in the container.  Some years ago, I had started the blocks for a string quilt, got about 4 done and then put it away.  Since I already had a bunch of the paper piecing patterns copied, I decided it would be a good place to start.  Nothing to think about except that the strip not match the one before it.  So I got out my strings and started on the ones with black center stars.  Talk about a mess!  I started out with a bit of organization the devolved into a chaos on my table.  This picture is at the start, I didn't take any of the total chaos. The pile of strings seamed to grow with each day.

Before I was done, this waste basket was almost full of trimmings from the blocks.

Here are some of the finished blocks.  I made enough to do the center of a smallish throw quilt.

Onward.  I also had some squares that I had put red paisley points in. They needed strips.  I decided to add a white strip next to the red points.  I think it looks good that way.  No process pictures.  I have a bad  habit of not taking pictures until after I'm done.  Here is the finished top with the red stars.

I used the leftover scraps to piece the border.  I use printer paper that has something printed on it but that I decide I don't need to keep, for my paper piecing.  I put it aside and used a stack for the border stripes, cutting it into 2 1/2 inch strips.  I left plenty of extra fabric so that I could cut it with 1/4 inch seam allowance.  I used blue and black from my stash for the borders.  

I also took down my "Winter Geese" quilt and put the the "Umbrella" quilt.  This is not applique, it is curved piecing for each block

This is my sewing companion: Walker.  He is double rescue.  A friend adopted him from the street.  He was so skinny and frightened.  She had him for a couple of weeks and had an accident in her home.  She was in the hospital and asked another friend to take care of him.  That friend's husband put him in the pound!  So after a frantic call from her we rescued him a second time.  When she finally got able to take care of him, she decided to leave him with me, because we live in the country and she lives in a small apartment.  So she has visiting privileges any time she wants to see him.  My work table is next to the couch, and he lays on the back of the couch and watches everything I do.  He is pictured on my bed in the photo.  He weighed less than 5 pounds when we got him.  He's at about 8 1/2 pounds now. Looking good buddy!

Quilt Show and other stuff

Hi all.

I was finally working on my quilts for the quilt show, making some progress in early February.  I went to a new doctor and he put me on some fancy new medicine, a once a week injection.  It helped my blood sugar alright. I was so sick the first week, but since I was also taking antibiotics for an infection, I thought they might be interacting, so at the end of the first week, I took the next dose. Oh boy, the new meds took care of the high blood sugar alright, I was so sick I couldn't eat for three days.  Because it is a slow release, I couldn't stop taking it until it worked out of my system.  I went back to the doctor, and he put me on a different med, pills this time.  I hope we find the right one soon, since this new one is not up to snuff, either.

Back to quilting, having lost 2 weeks almost, I was feeling stressed about getting the work done.  I also had committed to a booth at the bazaar.  I didn't get many things done, so I took a bunch of specialty embroidery threads left over from a stitching store I had many years ago.  I had about 8 pincushions, and 3 baby quilts.  Didn't sell much, but I tried.

Here are my entries in the March 23 - 25 Snake River Valley Quilt Show 2017:

Here is my major quilt.  It is "My Tweets" by Erin Russek.  It was a free BOM a few years back. I finally got all the blocks done and set it together and quilted it.  In a previous post, I showed that I do most of the large quilts in sections, because I just have a domestic machine.  I then  put the sections together in a modified quilt as you go.  I finally got a good picture of it at the quilt show.

I was stunned to win the blue ribbon, a purple ribbon for best hand applique, and a special certificate from a local organisation, in this case the Snake River Valley Animal Shelter.

This is one of my designs "Fantasy Vines"   I got a red ribbon and a special award for best machine applique.  Also a special certificate from a member of the City Counsel. 

This is my North Wind quilt.  I didn't win any prizes, but got a lot of questions about the pattern and how I made it.  I got good reviews on the judging paper, also. It doesn't show well but the "wind" and "snow flakes" are a white fabric with silver sparkles and I used a silver metallic thread for all the applique. 

The week of the show was so busy.  I had to deliver the quilts to be judged on Monday, I helped setup the displays on Wednesday, (about 7 hours).  On Friday, I worked my shift at the Bazaar.  And I went back Saturday afternoon to help take everything down.  I don't know how the ladies of the guild did it, but everything seemed to go very smoothly.  At least on the part I helped with.

Since then I haven't sewn a thing!  I did sort out my sewing area.  I have to do a major clean out every 2 years.  I cull out things I know I won't use, refold all the fabric that I have stuffed in anywhere it would fit, clean up the thread and embellishments and throw out the junk.  I'm about ready to start creating again.  I got so far behind on my UFO list, I may have to complete at least one small quilt soon, to get back in the swing of things.  

Happy Creating!! 

Hi everyone.

I have been sick since just after Newyear's Day.  It was like a major sinus infection plus a nasty cough.  I haven't felt like doing  much.  I kind of burned out in November and December, with 3 quilts and a stack of mugrugs and bowl cozies.

I have had the blocks done for about 2 years for Erin Russik's "My Tweets".  I want to show it in the Snake River Valley Quilt Guild's Quilt Show in March, so I decided I had to get up off my duff and get to work.  Instead of trying to push a large quilt through my domestic machine, my newer quilts are done in a modified Quilt As You Go style.  I usually try to make them in two or three strips. After they sections are sewn together, I quilt the borders.

Here is the quilt on my design wall (I hang my design wall on the bookcases).

I have it set up as 3 lengthwise strips, the outside borders and 4 blocks on the left and right. the center square and 2 blocks on top andbottom.  The last two borders will be added and quilted after the three sections are joined.  

Here is how I put them together:  First I lay the backing down wrong side up.  I use T-pins to hold it in place, usually 3 on a side.

I then lay the battiing down and get it where I want it.  I then fold back about a third of the batting, spray the backing with spray baste, then fold the batting back and smooth it down.

I continue in this manner until the batting is all basted down.  It is hard to see, but because of the spray baste, I have the door open about 5 inches for ventilation ( at 16 degrees F).

I then do the same for the top.  I find I can get it smoothed out better this way.

Here are the three pieces, ready for quilting.  I will move my sewing machine to the larger table and get started.

I hope this information was helpful to someone.

Happy quilting.

Susan

What Happened?   I Miss Global Warming!

How did your holidays go?  Most of my plans were upset by the biggest storm since 1992.  I pushed to get some little things done by Christmas after the two big quilts I finished.  A small quilt (35 inches or so), a bunch of microwave bowl holders, a bunch of mug rugs.  I haven't got a picture of the quilt, yet.

My oldest sister and her husband, surprised us by moving back to Idaho from Virginia in October 2016.  For the first time in too many years we were going to all be together for Christmas.  Best laid plans and all that.  Since we are all getting up there in years, the youngest of us is 55, just getting around in good weather is a chore for most of  us.

 My younger sister and I live together on an acre in the country.  Most years we have been meeting here for Christmas.  We got a big storm just after Thanksgiving, and it took us a couple of hours to shovel out to the road.  We had our parking cleared out pretty good.  We were going to have a group of 10 people for Christmas dinner so we needed good parking.  It started to snow again on Christmas Eve.  On Christmas morning this is what we had outside.

You can't see where we had cleaned the driveway earlier.

My brother David was coming about 35 miles from where he lives up the valley.  He was supposed to be here by 10am to help start the prime rib roast.  He called and let us know that the roads were terrible, and he would be late, so we put the roast in.   He got here about 11am.  By the afternoon we had heard from most of the family members and friends and they couldn't get out to us, so we had a grand total of 3 people for dinner.  David stayed here that night. It snowed all day and he was snowed in, in our driveway.   Next morning, we were really snowed in.  The three of us spent about 2 hours digging out to the road.  About noon the snow plow came down our road, so we could get out if we needed to.  David loaded up his presents and some of the leftovers from yesterdays meal and set out for home.  It was slow going, but he called us when he reached his home.  The only good thing about this storm was that we didn't get our customary 20 mph winds.  Thank God. And I mean that sincerely.

A couple of days later, we loaded up all our gifts and started delivering them.
Here are the mug rugs I made.  I had a stack of hexi flowers from another project that I had made into mug rugs.

I had made a small bag for one sister to put her phone in earlier, and made this one for another sister.

               

 Here are some of the bowl cozies for use in the microwave.

Each of my sisters, and a couple of our friends, got two of the mug rugs and two of the cozies. 

My sister decided to not put up a tree this year.  Instead, she got out her Santas that she had painted, one each year for several years.  We can't get them anymore since Zim's in Salt Lake City closed.

Well we will have to try again next year.  Maybe we will have better luck!!

I have had a cold since just before New Year's, and have not wanted to do anything, but sleep and lay around.  I'm feeling better and have 2 applique quilts I need to get put together and quilted by March if I want to have them in the Guild Quilt Show.  

I did a list of my UFO's and have.... wait for it.... 27!!!!  I am going to try to complete at least 2, big or small, each month this year.  I need to get going, January is already half gone!!! EEK!!

Keep quilting, and keep warm.  

Susan