Yep!

Well, not so much, gone quilting, but quilting.

BBL,
with pictures,
Diane

Design wall Monday

is all about the design wall...and the mess it caused.

Right before I posted this picture I had decided the next project was to be put new design walls up. I was sick of the ever falling flannel backed plastic table cloth. It held stuff on it's terms.

But you know how it is, when you move one item you almost invariably have to move the whole room.

This is how the room looks now. I had just cleaned it! Ah Man!

 I moved the book shelves from the corner into the hallway. The only people who will ever have to deal with this will be me and my daughter so it will be fine. It only took about 11" from the 38" hall.

 I managed to get 4 pretty big stacks of books and magazines I feel comfortable getting shed of.

 This is a huge pile of papers I can send to the recyclers.

I even had to resort the tall book shelf behind my sewing area. BTW don't ever mistake this as a true bookshelf . Most of the stuff on the shelves are light weight papers and binders. The books made the shelves warp in about 15 minutes.

So now that I have finished feeding all of the mouths in the family lunch I can resume my sewing room redo.
If everything goes as planned I will show you how I installed my design walls with no nails or screws.

Later,
Diane

Happy days!

Or is that daze?I am so happy that I finally finished the last bit of my Crab Apple (Bonnie Hunter) top.

This top was made entirely from my stash, and the bag of 1.5" squares that Linda G. gave me a very long time ago. It makes me very happy that I was able to use some fabrics that were in my stash that I kept thinking would never work with anything. Last night I pulled about 27 fabrics to try and find the perfect border. I kept passing over the one I eventually used thinking ti might not look right. After all of the fabrics were auditioned the only one left in the pile still folded was this one and it was the perfect one. I

I've already decided how I want to quilt it, yep you heard right. I am going to quilt this one. Shock shock! I may eventually become a quilter after all! :)

Now to go check dinner...

Diane



Now what was I doing?

Oh yeah, I was working on hexagons.

 

 I can't decide what to do. My original idea was to do like my friend Linda G. and just what ever hexi I picked out of the bag would be the one I sewed next, with no rhyme or reason. But I also thought it would be fun to have a few flowers thrown in here and there. Or do I want to make the whole thing flowers? I don't know, but I am enjoying making them so I don't have to decide right now.

Here is a picture of our Little Girl. She was being still for once so I got a picture.  Boo was at the food bowl playing soccer with his food. I couldn't get him to be still and I couldn't figure out how to take a video with this camera. I am a slow learner.

Last night was a long night of no sleep. I am not sure why, but I couldn't close my eyes. I needed to be quiet so as to not keep anyone else awake, so I cleaned my sewing room. Boy it needed it too after several weeks of spastic cutting and sewing with no picking up, just stacking and shoving to make room for the next idea.

Ray told me last night he has to make a fast unexpected trip back to Iowa for some work stuff. I have never been so he invited me to go along. Sounds fun! I will get to see the Mall of America since that is where we will fly in and out. I don't think I will have to worry about what to do while he is working.

Ok, more later...
Diane

PTL!!!

DONE!
Before deadline!
I am so relieved!
I have no idea what the whole thing will look like as I just have 1/24th of the picture. I know it has something to do with daikons on a table as that just about all my part had in it. It did have possibly  green beans in the top right corner, but I'm not real sure since I only have a tiny bit of green. It could really be anything.
I always talk myself into doing these things then fuss and gripe the whole time making myself and everyone around me miserable. Usually I learn something though. this time I learned a couple of things.

1. I learned how to do a really good job machine appliqueing. I should have learned to do it well after about 6 attempts. I really hate to throw fabric out, and I have a huge pile of fabrics that I used in the  attempts that couldn't be used again. I'm not sure I can get more than maybe 1.5" squares out of a couple of the pieces. Good thing I bought 1/4 yard pieces to begin with.

2. I learned I do not like glue sticks. YUCK! Too gooey! I do like using the Roxanne's glue. I bought the bottle years ago for a class. Looking online at the price of the stuff I am not sure I will buy it again, but I hear that Elmer's school glue works the same way. I will have to do some tests.

3. I learned if I ask for opinions from family they usually will tell me what they think I want to hear instead of telling the truth. That is until I ask specific questions, then they will usually tell me exactly what they think.

4. Bottom Line thread by Superior Threads is great stuff. I need to get more. I used to sell it, and thought I had set some aside for myself but found out I didn't. I had about 3/4 of a bobbin of one color and it made it almost to the end of the project. I had to substitute another close color but you can hardly tell the difference.

5. I like how the quilting made it look. Usually I'm a topper and the quilting is not important. This had to be quilted and I saw the whole thing come alive as I quilted. now honestly I did simplistic quilting since I am a novice, but I think it looks pretty good.

Now I can work on fun stuff!! YIPPEE!

Later,
Diane

Trying...

I am trying to work on a limping computer.

I am trying to finish my challenge. I have tried so many different ways and they all have had major problems. So far this technique is working the best.

I am trying to improve a technique that is just a tat messy.

I like the results of this technique, I just hate the messy gooey glue fingers you get.

 I made this today, trying to reacquaint myself with the book. It turned out pretty good.

 The pictures are not the best, but I still had sticky hands and was doing three things at once so I took just snapped it.

Again bad picture, but you get the idea that it is stitched.  I used all of the glue stick I had, so I have to go and buy more before tomorrow. My goal is to have this finished and in the mail by Friday. That means I HAVE to concentrate tomorrow and do nothing but this. I got the reminder email today saying it is due soon.
No pressure!

Diane

Offline

My computer crashed. My dear live in computer expert is working on it, but...it will probably be a few days.I don't like it but I may get my challenge finished if I don't get distracted by the Internet.

Be back soon,
Diane

Another one is gone

I went quilt shop hopping yesterday. I didn't set out to do that, but when one shop doesn't have what you need you hit the next one and next one and so on until you find what you want. I went to three shops all within about 25 minutes of the house. The last shop I went into, which was also the closest, is closing their doors. She was the local Bernina dealer too!
She said with the bad economy, price of gas, price of cotton and her rent going up she could no longer stay open. This makes me sad. This is the only Bernina dealer for about 30 miles. That is not a far drive, since I used to have to drive over an hour to get to a dealer. I am just whining because I was getting used to a three minute drive.
The sad part is, if it was just one or two of the issues she said she might have been able to stay open. She was trying to resist raising prices on the fabric, but when she had a $4,000 a year rent increase on top of the cotton prices and then gas prices keep inching up and yada yada yada...you all know the story.
I am not one who thinks it is my responsibility to keep all the quilt shops in business, but I do believe I should shop local first. It just makes sense to let my $ help keep my neighbors in beans and rice.
I'm rambling now...
I'm sad to see another one close...

Design wall...and tables...

 This is my design wall. Nothing different from last time. That is only because I have been working at my tables.

 Picking threads for the All around the Town pattern.

 Picking threads for a challenge that is due in about two weeks. I realized for the first time I really don't care for challenges. Too much stress. I really don't care to stretch myself. Too much pain in stretching.

Stacks of fabrics for my All around the Town. I am enjoying this one so far, maybe because I can do some machine work and some hand work.
I had a dream the other night my Bernina 1230 that I love so much died. I woke up sad. It was so real I was depressed all day. So I had to go sew some to try and convince myself it wasn't real. Now all I can do is think about IF it dies what will happen. I am hopeless!

Later,
Diane

Better

Looking at the front you can no longer see my stitches. I like this a lot better!

Pretty impressed!

Looking on the back my stitches are pretty much invisible too.

I started using the ladder stitch that I learned from reading Ami Simms hand applique book. It took a little bit to get used to it, but after a couple of lines I was pretty good. After two flowers I can do it a bit faster. I think this may turn into a fun project.
Now just to make this clear, not to anyone else but to me; this is not a project I am in a hurry to finish. This is busy handwork for on planes and in hotels and when we are taking long trips on the road. No hurry! Repeating to myself...NO HURRY.  I have enough projects that I started because I wanted handwork for trips but liked them so much I rushed to finish them. Then I was back to no handwork. Not this time! I WILL only work on this during the trips. Well maybe I need to practise on another flower or two.

Later,
Diane

Knock me over with a feather!

I mentioned I went to the doctor to figure out about a rash that I was sure was from my RA meds. My doctor doesn't think it is from the medicine, but possibly something I got in my yard work. She gave me a cream to try. All of that was the boring part of the visit. the exciting part of the visit was...drum roll here....I LOST 15 POUNDS!!!!! Not even trying! I NEED to lose weight, but for such a long time I felt so bad the last thing I ever thought about was moving any more than I had to.
I knew I had been feeling better, and I knew I was working more. Just looking at my yard showed the work. I have complained lately about my pants feeling like they were falling off, but dummy me never imagined I had lost weight. Losing weight is not what I do, I gain it!  LOL

I immediately called my husband then my BFF. When you have good news you have to share!

I don't see a lot of sewing since Ray is home for the next three days. I need to see about getting him a part time job! LOL Not really.

Later,
Diane

Out of pocket

Yesterday was a blur (insomnia) and today I am at the doctor's all day. I have developed a rash that is making me crazy. I just know it is from the new rheumatoid arthritis medicine I am on and I am going to cry if they take me off of it since it works so well. But I will scream if they don't take me off of it since I can't take much more of this rash.

Report later on happenings in the sewing room...

Diane

Productive day

I got three blocks for the All Around the Town pattern prepped and ready to stitch down.

 I want to find a way to carry them on the plane and in the car that will keep them flat and all together. I think I have an idea of what I want, but I need to let it percolate for a little bit to make sure it will work and not be too big to carry. 

After doing as much prep as I did the the applique will be pretty simple. The white with green stripes on it is a house (incase you couldn't tell) and I did all of that with strip piecing. Now all I will have to applique will be the big unit of the house. That cut a lot of hand stitching out and I think it cateres to my, I like things that are meant to be straight to actually be straight tendancies.

later,

Diane

New way to play an old game...

Did I tell you I was basting my hexies on the sewing machine? Well I have been since I didn't like the way they looked when I did it by hand. It is really fast too.

Then I read on a blog a couple of days ago to hold them in your hand like this instead of the usualy way I had been told to hold them. I thought, Hey if I can break the rules by basting on the machine I will bend the rule by holding them different.  I had to see if it kept my ugly stitches from showing on top.

These are my underside ugly stitches. I hope they get better with time.

Here is the top side...LOOK! No ugly stitches! Now I need to find which blogger I read and give her credit.

YEAH!!!

Later,

Diane

Design wall...

How about what I'm up to?

I am busy getting hand work ready for the busy travel season that starts in a few weeks. I will be spending time with Ray on a few business trips and a just for fun trip and I will need hand work for the plane rides and the hotel stays.

I'm prepping some hexies while watching Lost with Ray in the evenings. We never watched it while it was on and we are trying Net-Flix free for a month so we are watching all sorts of stuff. I feel guilty playing in my sewing room when Ray is home and I don't care much about TV, so I am prepping while listening.

Here is block #1 and #2 of the All Around the Town BOM. I bought some sky fabric and decided it was TOO blue. Now I am playing aroudn with bleach and other options. I just hope I don't ruin that $9 a yard fabric! I must be nuts!

Later,
Diane

WHEW!

We have had three days of BAD weather. Tuesday it stormed all day. Lightening, thunder, rain...lots!
Wednesday it wasn't as bad but it was black outside and windy all day. I mean WINDY ! Yesterday, Thursday we had 13 consecutive hours of tornado warnings. The wind was horrendous and the rain almost washed us away. The pool, previous to Tuesday was ready to have water added it was right on the mark of being too low. Today I had to let about 4 inches out. Amazing.  Low and behold as we went to Lakeland for a day out ( more on that in a bit) we saw houses and businesses that didn't turn of their sprinklers and they were adding to the already soggy ground. DUH!
As we drove we saw lots of acreage that looked like lakes, several feet under water. It came down, as my Dad always said. we needed it, but maybe more spread out than in a 48 hour period. :)

While in Lakeland I stopped by The Patchwork Pig quilt shop. I needed some sky fabric to start a quilt I am dying to work on. I found the fabric and some more ( you knew that didn't you?) to go with it. When I checked out the worker told me that the owner is having a 25% off sale INDEFINITELY! I asked her why, hoping it wasn't a going out of business sale. Her answer...Until the economy picks up the owner wants to help her customers continue quilting. How cool is that?  So if you have the chance, go by there. I really like that shop. They are always so friendly and have so much, I never leave empty handed.

Pictures of the fabrics coming up...but I am out by the pool and my camera is in the house...too lazy to go get it. Just being honest.

Later,
Diane

****EDIT****

Chopped wood

Roof Tiles



Gravel




Sky



Sue Garman's quilt

 All around the Town by Sue Garman. I have had this pattern for a few years and keep putting it off feeling I couldn't do a good job.
After reading Theresa's blog Fabric Therapy she has lit the fire under me. Go look at her quilt, it is great!