More on Anti-Ouch Pouches and Other Projects

Following my last post, I was asked about the pattern for the anti-ouch pouches the Quilt Club makes for breast cancer patients.  Here is a link to the American Sewing Guild’s site with the pdf format pattern as well as an explanation of how the pouches came to be made. 

On the personal project front, I’ve started the process of sandwiching this top for quilting.  This is the largest piece I’ve worked on since converting my HQ16 to a sit-down machine.  I do miss being able to load all the layers on rollers rather than finding large flat surfaces to get the job done.  I'm beginning to met a process in place, though, and next time it will be easier.

The Next Batch of Anti-Ouch Pouches Done!

After we washed windows this morning, it was time for me to play in my sewing room.  I finished the anti-ouch pouch kits I picked up at the July Quilt Club meeting, so that task is done for a month.  This time I decided to take 14 kits.  I've challenged myself to make 100 in 2015 and this brings me to 78.  We don't meet in December, so I need to keep the pace up the rest of the year if I'm going to reach my goal.  Cancer, in its various forms, has been the big killer in my family.  It makes me feel better to know there is a practical, hands-on way I can help bring comfort to some of its victims.  The bags are filled with Polyfill stuffing and used by breast cancer patients to cushion the surgical wound site. 

The crepe myrtles in our yard have been especially pretty this summer. 

Delivered!

Every year I try to contribute a doll quilt to Debbie's Get Your Mrs. Clause On project which pairs doll quilts and handmade doll beds for children in South Carolina.  2015 was more than half way over and I was running later than I liked, so I finally finished this project and heard from Debbie today that it had been received.  Yay!  I had started to worry since it had dropped off the USPS tracking system after leaving Austin, but fortunately it did arrive at its destination.  

It was made entirely from batik "bonus triangles" from my Texas Tumbleweeds quilt that was the project at a Bonnie Hunter workshop I attended in San Antonio. Such fun on all counts!

Workshop with Sandy Klop

Thursday’s day-long workshop with Sandy Klop  was great fun.  It gave me an excuse to take my Featherweight on a play date.  She performed magnificently!

We used Sandy's Flying Circles design and learned a new technique to handle inset seams and how to create blocks using equilateral triangles. 

After stitching several triangle units she had us play around with layouts.  I just discovered that I did not take a picture of my own units.  I will have to correct that in a future post.  Here are some of the other student units in their colorways.  All them are very pretty.

The day went by much too fast.

Growing the Stash Some More

Saturday’s outing with my quilting friends was great fun, and yes, I did my part to help the economy.  

Here is a picture of the fabrics I’ve accumulated and the pattern for this week’s Quilt Club Workshop with Sandy Klop.  Some were purchased online, but the two gray fabrics for the alternate blocks were picked out with the help of my friends. 

I’ve posted a picture of some of these fabrics before, but I did add to them this weekend too.  I want to make a color wheel wall hanging one of these days because my dog really did eat my color wheel.  Not all of these will make the cut, but some will.

The summer doldrums have really set in.  We have not hit triple digits yet, but there is a very good chance that will happen either this week or next.  Good weather to stay in and stitch with friends.

Working, But Not Much Progress to Show

This has been a laid-back week and I’ve been working consistently on two projects.  Unfortunately, neither is at a stage that lends itself to pictures, and that makes maintaining blog activity difficult. The pace of life will definitely pick up next week, so I’ve really enjoyed my unexpected staycation.

Last night I pulled some pieced hexagons off the design wall and began stitching them together while I watched Bonnie Hunter’s Quilt-Cam. 

I had actually hoped to be doing the binding on this small project, but did not get the quilting finished in time.

Tomorrow I’m joining some quilting friends for a day’s outing to visit a quilt guild meeting in San Antonio.  I’m pretty sure there will also be another stop at a brick and mortar quilt store before we come home as well as a calorie loaded lunch along the way. 

The recent floods to our north and west have made a positive impact on Lake Buchanan, which had received very little benefit from the previous rains. Today the Lower Colorado River Authority reported that it is 54% full, a tremendous improvement over where it stood this time last year. This is significant because it is at the top of our lake chain and the one that ultimately provides our household water. 

Anti-Ouch Pouches

I finished my 11 anti-ouch pouches for the month, bagged them up, and stowed them away until the July meeting.  Now…any sewing I do for the rest of the month will be play time!

And, for all my U.S. readers, enjoy your Independence Day celebrations!

When hubby offered to take me to Fredericksburg where coincidentally there is one of my favorite quilt shops, I, of course, jumped at the chance.  Nor, did I  come home empty handed.  Here is what found its way into the car yesterday!

We spent last night at the ranch.  It has been many a year since it has been this green on the the first day of July.