Monday, March 18, 2024

Happy to be Home...Ahhh...Chooo!

 

Last week was our annual trip to visit with family in South Texas.  It was a good visit, except for both of us coming home with colds.  I expect to be laying low this week so as not to share it with others.  I did test negative for Covid.  

Unlike previous years, I did not take my machine for hotel stitching.  Instead, I only took handwork and managed to baste 100+ tumblers for my red and white quilt.

 


There was also a brand-new H*L* close to the hotel, so a little retail therapy happened both there and at a vendor’s booth at the Don-Wes Flea Market in Donna. 

 


My loot included a coffee mug, thread catcher for the chair I use while watching TV, a project box and several cuts of novelty fabrics for inclusion in my tumbler quilt.  After I got home, I realized that the red print was a duplicate I had purchased a previous year, sigh.

Yesterday we received a very welcome 1/2 inch of rain and today is breezy and cool.  I made an absolutely unavoidable quick trip to the grocery store this morning and am settling in to work on projects between sneezes.

Saturday, March 16, 2024

National Quilting Day


March 16 is National Quilting Day and I thought it would be a good time to share a picture of the completed group project I participated in last summer.  Kits for the guild’s donation quilt blocks were distributed in June.  Some were for applique blocks and the others were foundation paper pieced.  I chose the latter because I thought it would be the quicker finish since I had just completed paper piecing my log cabin project.  Per usual, it didn’t quite work out the way I expected, but I did finish it and turn it in.  The post about that adventure appeared June 12, 2023.

 


Here is a picture of the completed quilt.  I think the block I made may be third block down on the left side.  I can’t be sure, however, because the committee handed out duplicate kits just to be sure they had all they needed by the deadline.  Those not included in the donation quilt were incorporated into smaller projects that will be offered for sale at the next guild quilt show. 

Since it’s National Quilting Day, I wanted to share the following response to the “Why do you quilt?” prompt from day 5 of Instagram’s annual IGquiltfest hosted by Amy Ellis.  The quote is taken from Elaine Poplin’s post and used with permission.

Day 5 of #igquiltfest2024 is “Why do you quilt?” So many reasons.

I quilt to silence the noise inside my head.

I quilt to silence the noise outside.

I quilt to process my feelings.

I quilt to respond to the world.

I quilt to pray.

I quilt to celebrate.

I quilt to grieve.

I quilt to remember.

I quilt to ask questions.

I quilt to answer questions.

I quilt to play.

I quilt to challenge myself.

I quilt to explore.

I quilt to amuse myself.

I quilt to find hope.

I quilt to express what I see.

I quilt so that the anger and frustration swirling inside has somewhere constructive to go.

I quilt so I don’t implode.

I quilt so I don’t explode.

I quilt to breathe.

I quilt because it’s important.

I quilt because I need to.

#messygoatsews

 


Saturday, March 9, 2024

Taking Stock


It’s been a few months since I posted about my thimble/tumbler quilt and, quite frankly, I have let it rest for a while.  It’s time to take stock and make some decisions.


Currently it is 47 1/2 by 49 inches, much too close to square and not as big as I would like.  At the very least I want to add another five to seven rows which would get it close to 60 inches long.  There are 1,008 thimbles in it now and I will need to baste quite a few more as my inventory is getting low.  I’ve made no decision as to whether I will add a border.  If I don’t, that will make it narrower when I trim it after quilting.

It’s been fun incorporating novelty prints when I can find some that will fit a finished template that’s 1 ¾ inches tall and 7/8 inches at its base.  Here is one a Tuesday sewing friend gave me from the project she was working on that day.



And a couple more I've accumulated…






Needless to say, this is a very, very long-term project.

Monday, March 4, 2024

A Close Up of Sorts


Wanda suggested that I share a picture of the quilting I did on the log cabin quilt. 

 


I decided to go with a small edge-to-edge meander using a King Tut variegated thread called Nefertiti on top, and a neutral thread on the backing.  I’ve started using pre-wound bobbins as much as possible because I seem to be jinxed when it comes to using the bobbin winder that came with my Capri.  It took a little tinkering to get the tension between the two threads right, but I managed.


 

My patio pansies have been putting on a show for us this week.  The pink flamingos are sentimental keepsakes from a surprise birthday party a few years ago.


Sunday, March 3, 2024

A Finish





I began work on this log cabin quilt late in 2022 and put the last stitch in its label last night.  It was paper pieced and the logs are just slightly wider than ½ inch.  It contains 154 4 ½ inch blocks and a total of 2,002 pieces.  Final dimensions are 49 X 63 inches and I logged about 11 hours on my sit-down quilting machine.

 

This was a project I turned to when I wanted to do mindless stitching.  My other current projects require too much attention, so I’ll need to think about what my next therapeutic machine project will be.  I certainly have enough scraps to keep me busy if I just make some decisions and get them cut up.

 


We are enjoying lovely weather here and things are beginning to bloom including our Mountain Laurel bushes.  I noticed the pollinators were happily feasting on the one in front yesterday.  We may have a chance for rain this week, but it is predicted to be very light in our area. 




Thursday, February 22, 2024

Another Quick Project


A recent post by Linda at Texas Quilt Gal inspired me to work on a project I have been putting off for a while.  When we moved to our current home almost 18 years ago, I purchased an inexpensive vanity chair.  I never did like the original fabric, and the years had certainly not improved it.

 


While at a hobby store a few weeks ago with my daughter, I spotted this upholstery fabric marked down 40% and decided to make the leap. 

 


The hardest part was getting all the old staples out.  It isn’t perfect by any means, but I’m pleased with the way it looks in our bathroom.


Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Slight Detour


While I waited for my thread to arrive, I pulled out a tote bag pattern I’ve had for years and made a new one to use in a class I’ve joined. 

 


I reinforced the outside fabric with fusible fleece and quilted it using my walking foot and one of the templates I purchased last summer.  Fabric came from my stash.

 


The thread has arrived and I should be able to resume quilting my log cabin project today or tomorrow. 

 

Wishing my blog friends a happy Valentine’s Day.