Before and After and Machine Stitching Again

 

Before and After

After letting this piece sit on the coffee table where I looked at it several times during the day, I decided to remove the offending fabric and use something else.  I like it much better.

Also, since I’m able to stand at the design wall and cutting table more, I was able to prep the final border for my Kim McLean project for applique.  It will go with me tomorrow when a friend has kindly offered to take me to my Tuesday quilting group.  Bob will pick me up after a couple of hours and we will stop by the PT office to get the paperwork for Thursday’s assessment.

And, best of all, I was actually able to sit at my sewing machine for two hours without my leg throbbing.  Here are the two 16-patch blocks I completed.  That felt really good.

 

Changing Directions

The neighborhood quilting group will meet today and that means I had a deadline to get some handwork prepped.  I had been procrastinating on appliqueing the borders for my Kim McLean pattern, so a deadline was a good thing.

 

Two borders have been readied for applique.  Then, I found myself searching and searching and searching some more for my applique threads.  I finally located them in a very logical location, just not one I thought to check for the better part of an hour.  I think I need to do some clean up and organization in my sewing space!

 

This week we are expecting to see three consecutive days of 100+ degree weather.  If that happens, it will be a very early start to our summer temps.  Maybe the weather people are wrong.  We can only hope.

Will it Snow This Week?

My collection of hexagon flowers has grown. 

Also, I joined the nine blocks that will be center of my Kim McLean project.  Progress is slow, but it is progress. I will need to pull out the cutting table and start working on borders this week.

Last week was filled with errands, some rescheduled from the previous week due to the threat of bad weather.  The big question for this week is also the weather.  We made an unscheduled grocery run Friday instead of today and hopefully we are set for whatever occurs.  Bob even insisted on getting food that could be cooked on a grill if we lose power, although the news media assures us that the grid is expected to hold.  At any rate, while we didn’t have to get up any earlier than usual, I had to be dressed and functional, extra early each day.  A bonus from all this cooler weather is good sleeping weather snuggled under extra quilts. 

 

Indulgences and Applique Progress

I indulged in snagging some items in a series of recent flash sales by Fig Tree and Company and my box of goodies arrived this week.  It included a bundle of half-yard Christmas fabrics and a set of scissors.  I made a quilt out of Christmas fabrics several years ago and gifted it to my daughter.  Maybe I will have a new one for me by Christmas next year!

I also managed to finish the handwork on another applique piece for my Kim McLean wall hanging project.  If I follow the pattern, I will add a series of hexagon flowers as a border.  I’m still debating whether doing so will make it too large for use in our house.  We have so many windows and an open floor design that minimizes wall space.

 

My Tuesday quilting tribe had a Christmas gathering this week.  I handed out these screwdrivers as party favors.  Most of the gifts I received in return were edible.  Their only remaining evidence can be seen on the bathroom scales.  

One member who is very good at machine embroidery made felt patches for us.  It occurred to me that it might be appliqued to a journal cover, we’ll see.

Since I Last Posted...

Funny thing, blog posts refuse to write and publish themselves.  At least I didn’t quite wait a full month to document what’s going on!

Two years ago, at our most recent Guild Quilt Show, I impulse purchased this Kim McLean pattern and large assortment of Kaffe Collective fabrics that had  been donated to the silent auction.  Since then it's been lurking in my stash closet.  If I made the entire pattern, I would have a bed-size quilt, and I am not interested in that big a project.  Also, looking at some of the applique blocks, I saw there were a lot of critters that don't belong in Texas.  I’ve finally come up with a plan.  

 

What I’ve decided to do, is make a smaller center, perhaps five by five blocks and add in some with a Texas theme.

My first attempt at drafting was an armadillo.  He still needs eyes, nose and maybe claws, but the applique is stitched down.

 

A second alternate block is prepped for handwork.  It comes directly from the pattern. 

 

A purple armadillo and a lollypop tree are out of my comfort zone, but I’m giving it a go because I’ve always been fascinated by Kim’s work.  I may attempt a cactus plant for another block.  I will do the EPP hexagon border, and some sort of fencing as the final border.  I won’t do the outer border shown in the pattern, a little too exotic for me.   

And in other news…

I finished this monster of a puzzle and returned it to Julia.  I’m hooked, another one is on order.

 

 

We had a bittersweet trip to Dallas to visit friends.  We are all getting older.

 And, you may have heard a shrill scream September 2. Husband was out of the house.  Dogs were on duty as usual. (Maddie was hiding.)  

I was minding my own business when I saw this on our bedroom floor.

 

I recognized it as “harmless” and managed to capture it with tongs.  After I had dropped and recaptured it several times, neither the snake nor I was amused.  I carried  it to the farthest corner of our yard and flung it as far as I could onto the golf course toward a drainage ditch.  We assume it came in through the pet door.  I love my mutts.

A Finish and Progress on Sew Along

The patriotic wall quilt that grew out of a guild workshop with Becky Goldsmith in July, 2016, is bound-labeled-done.  The workshop subject was needle-turn applique, which I used for the flowers and stems.  However, by the time I picked it up this year, I had developed a strong preference for prepared edge applique and that’s how I finished it.  Becky is a good teacher, and I still prewash my fabric because of that workshop. 

 

I also finished the blocks for the Fig Tree Vintage Bowtie Sew Along.  Here they are on my design wall where I have been fiddling around with various arrangements.  I find it hard to believe I am currently ahead of schedule!

 

After taking a brief break from it, I’ve resumed work on my red and white tumbler quilt.  As for the Maymont project…it’s still in timeout. 

Two Steps Forward, and Then I Rip

  

Here are the first 21 bowtie blocks in the sew-along I’m following with Fig Tree and Company.  I am on schedule with the first week’s assignments and will start on the next 20 tomorrow when I join my friends for Tuesday sewing.  I’m enjoying the change of pace and looking forward to having this new snuggle quilt for my tv/sewing chair.

Also under the needle is this patriotic piece from a long-ago workshop.  The applique has been ditch-stitched and I am beginning a small meander as a filler.  Unfortunately, I’ve run into some bobbin tension issues, and am having to do some ripping.  The good news:  the tension issues make the ripping easier.

Our weather station recorded 100 degrees today with a feels-like temperature of 115 degrees.  Air quality is poor, so it has been an especially good day to stay indoors and sew (and rip).  We have a chance for storms tonight.  Rain would be welcome, I just hope it doesn't come with anything dangerous.  Except for needing a new roof due to hail earlier this spring, we've been very fortunate so far.  

A Happy, Busy Week

Last week was busier than usual and the only quilting accomplishment I have to show is that I am down to my last flag motif on this applique project.  Then I will be ready to choose how to quilt it.  The original pattern included a pieced border using the fabrics in the applique, but I no longer have enough to do that.  It will be big enough for a wall quilt without a border, and I would like to finish this.

 

Friday was a combined birthday celebration for my daughter and Mother’s Day for me.  After eating a huge lunch so I didn’t have to cook dinner that night, we went for pedicures.  This was the gift box waiting for me when we got back to the house.

 

Periodically, since beginning my blog in 2010, I would get a bound, printed copy of the blog as a permanent backup.  The publisher I have always used notified me that they are going out of business, and I had a two-week window in which to get a final book made.  It arrived in the mail Friday. 

 

Applique Prep Complete

The remaining applique prep work on this project is complete and ready for stitching.  I intend to make it my primary focus right now.  This week is shaping up to be a very busy one with something on the schedule every day through Friday. 

We were fortunate to get 1.68 inches of rain Saturday night.  Lake Buchanan, which is the primary source for the “constant level” lakes south of it on the Colorado River is still 17 feet below average, although this weekend’s rain will possibly add another foot or so to its level.  Every bit helps, and we were very fortunate that the severe weather missed us.  Folks in other parts of the state are dealing with dangerous flooding.  Our's is an area of drought punctuated by floods.  I don't know who originated that quotation, but it certainly fits.  The Central Texas area has had a population boom over the last several years, partially due to the growth of technology companies here.  There is a real concern about how the area's water supplies will be able to support that growth.

The pond in our neighborhood is getting a good flow from the creek that feeds it.  I usually see water snakes in this area every spring.  So far, though, I've only spotted one and it was dead.

Stash Maintenance, A Show, and a UFO

While I ponder what I will do while Maymont is in timeout, I busied myself with cutting odd sized scraps from stash into usable two-inch squares.  These scraps came from a variety off sources including a 16-pound bag I blogged about January 25, 2017.  I found the process somewhat cathartic.

 

I also pulled out a UFO from an applique workshop I had with Becky Goldsmith in July, 2016.  It’s time to move forward with it (or not) and empty the project box.  The workshop was on needle-turn applique, but prepared edge applique is my preferred method now and I will be using it.

 

We had .59 inches of rain this morning, but fortunately, it held off yesterday and a nearby quilt club was able to hold its first open-air quilt show.  It was breezy, but pleasant.  I got to visit with a lot of my quilty friends.

It's Hot!

 Julia was with us Fathers’ Day weekend and it was a wonderful visit.  The only problem:  an AC that decided to go on the blink during…

 

My new hero is the AC guy who came out Monday and quickly had it back in working order. 

 Also on Monday evening, we experienced a rare weather phenomenon called a heat burst.  By 8:30 our outside temperature was down to the mid-90s.  Suddenly we were being pummeled by ferocious winds and the temperature jumped back up to 106 degrees.  We lost several sizable limbs, but fortunately the experience was quickly over.  I don’t know what the wind speed was, but I’m certain some of the gusts would have knocked me off my feet.  Heat bursts, I learned, usually happen in the evening or nighttime as thunder storms decay.  This week is predicted to be even hotter.  Good weather to stay in and stitch.

 

Part of my sewing time last week was spent prepping little applique circles for the group project.  They certainly aren’t perfect, but I’m calling them done.  After they are stitched down I go back and use a moist cotton swab to get rid of the excess starch. This is the last bit to do before handing it over to a kind friend who agreed to embroider the stems.  It’s been decades since I embroidered.

 

Now that log cabin blocks are off my design wall, I was able to pin it up.  It’s a long way from done, but I’m really liking it.

 

Another turtle rescue happened last week.  It’s as big as the first one, but I don’t think it was the same turtle.

This and That

Whenever possible, I spend my Tuesdays sewing with a group of friends.  I joined the group in 2007 when a local quilt shop let us meet there.  Since then, the quilt shop has closed and we continue to meet in spaces we rent.  By our estimate we moved into this space in August 2015.  The group has lost and gained members over the years.  Some of our members are winter Texans.  Our Christmas gathering usually has about 12 in attendance. This Tuesday I wore a t-shirt that makes a statement and worked on a group applique project.

I’m closing in on a finish.  Just a few tiny circles and some embroideries are left.  I can probably foist the embroidery part onto a friend, but no one is interested in doing the tiny circles for me.  I really, really want to finish this so I can spend more time on my own projects!

Today is Flag Day.  I purchased this pre-planted arrangement at the garden center and have it positioned by our front door.  When the flag has faded, I will be able to replace it with something else.

Every year turtles manage to trap themselves inside our fence.  The dogs alerted me to his presence this morning and I was able to rescue him.  I don’t know enough about turtles to say whether this is a “him” looking for love or a “her” seeking a place to deposit her eggs.  I only know our yard with its two dogs is not a place for either.

 

So Many (Good) Options

Focus has always been hard for me.  I struggle to remember that I can choose any projects I like, but I can’t do them all.  Last week’s guild meeting was a case in point.  I could volunteer to work on the next donation quilt, make a quilt for the library service project, pick up kits for the anti-ouch pouch project, take a workshop for the cathedral widows block, make a mini quilt for the president’s challenge, or make a themed quilt (also a mini) for the county fair.  The last two could be combined but would have to be finished by early June in time for the fair. 

Meanwhile, the projects I’m already working on:

Log cabin quilt – my favorite mindless machine stitching project and one I’m really enjoying.

Group applique project – for the guild show in 2025.  Very challenging, but I’m learning a lot.

Thimble/tumbler quilt – my travel and “watching TV with Hubby” handwork project.

Red and white hexagon quilt--currently on my quilter.  The end is almost in sight.

Finally, I decided to only take on one paper-pieced block for the donation quilt and focus on projects already underway.  Maybe the president’s challenge quilt due in November is still a possibility, depending on how much I get done...

 

A pretty mix of colors from a neighbor’s wildflower patch.

New Year, New Handwork Project

A guild member recently donated a partially completed Baltimore Album Block of the Month for the silent auction at our quilt show.  Since there is no way the project could be completed by the 2023 show next month, a group I’m a part of decided to complete it for the show which will be held in two years.  This is not a project I would have chosen for myself, and I am very grateful that we have a long lead time.  Today I started prepping stems on one of the monthly units.  I was rather surprised to see that brown fabric was chosen for the stems.  The project coordinator assured me, however, that all the units had brown fabric for stems, though not all the same brown.

 

I’ve also been at work on my English Paper Piecing project which will be a good break from the applique work.  When I started running low on templates, I began joining some units together.  This will help me determine how many I need to baste in order to make a reasonably sized throw quilt.  I like how the pieces look together.

 

We had our family Christmas celebration December 28.  As usual, the Jolly Old Elf was much more generous to me than I deserved.  This was in the basket of goodies my daughter gave me and is now my favorite coffee mug.  I wonder, if instead of coal, a really naughty quilter would get empty thread spools?

 

New Year’s Eve was quiet for us, just the way we prefer.  We are definitely not party animals and, as usual, the one of our dogs had a hard time coping with the sound of fireworks.  We’re pretty sure that we also heard someone firing a pistol.

I’m not seeking out quotes for a specific word this year.  Instead, I’ve decided to focus on one simple reminder attributed to Theodore Roosevelt: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

Sometimes a Detour is Necessary

I belong to a small group of quilters that mostly focuses on applique and other handwork projects.  We have had a very difficult time resuming our monthly meetings.  First came Covid and two years of waiting.  Then, when we began to venture out, many of our members could no longer host the group in their homes due to changed circumstances.  Hopefully, we have found a solution in a community room at a local restaurant.  We can use the room for free provided we order lunch.

Our first decision was to make a group quilt for donation to the February Guild silent auction, and I was one of the members tasked with doing a portion of the applique.  I had been so involved with other types of handwork that it took me a while to find all my tools and get into the rhythm of this kind of prep and stitching. 

So, for about a week, my other projects took a rest.  Here is the result of my part of the project.  It will be a small quilt and the applique is simple because we wanted to finish it in time to get it quilted.  The design came from one of Kim Diehl's books and the fabric was donated by our members.

Now, back to my regularly scheduled projects.

 

Acceptance -- My 2022 Word

 

Perhaps one reason we are fascinated by cats is because such a small animal can contain so much independence, dignity, and freedom of spirit.  Unlike the dog, the cat’s personality is never bet on a human’s.  He demands acceptance on his own terms. –Loyd Alexander

 

 

Some Progress

I delayed writing this post because just showing more petals being appliqued wasn’t very newsworthy, but it’s time to document that I am still working on Esther’s Bloomers and gradually making progress. 

 

The center has grown, and two of the applique borders are ready to be attached.

 

I had a small diversion when a neighbor asked me to hem a dust ruffle.  The quilt was made by an aunt, and the dust ruffle added by her daughter so it could serve as a bedspread.  I stitched the hem when we could see just how much fabric we had to work with. 

 

Our area is rated as being in moderate drought, so we were very happy when we had four inches of rain last weekend.   I love sitting at one of my vintage machines while it rains.

Now that hubby and I are fully vaccinated, life has loosened up just a bit.  We are still being cautious, but I have had a haircut (yippee) and we even joined our neighbors for a backyard barbeque Sunday night.  

 

Live -- My 2021 Word

 

We choose our life every day.  We don’t necessarily choose our circumstances every day, but we do choose the person we are going to be. —Becoming Minimalist