Better late than never...

So I'm getting a late start on the Easy Street Mystery that Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville is hosting.  Better late than never....  haha.  I'm using the print as my 'background' and the maroon as my 'constant'. 

I sewed about 30 4-patch units together tonight, cut another 20 from strip sets, and cut the remainder of the strips needed for the rest of the units. 

I took a one evening break from the nursing home lap quilts, but I can't do that again until I get them further along.  The date they have to be done is December 9th.  I have four more tops to make, then I can hit the longarm and quilt away.  The only time consuming thing with that will be loading them and that is getting easier for me each time I do it!  Binding will also take some time, but I'll just do it as simply as possible.

Two more tops done

It's amazing how fast I can get a top put together if the pieces are all ready cut.  That's such a big deal to me, having things ready to just run through the machine.  If I weren't so cheap, I would buy more precuts!  lol

Anyway, tonight I put together two more lap quilt tops for the nursing homes.  They were made of three coordinating fabrics I purchased over the Summer in Arthur.  I really liked the design and color of this material and fabric line.  The colors I bought were green, pink, and purple.  I made one top with pink and purple six inch squares and the other top with green, purple and pink six inch squares.

These photos really do not do the colors and fabrics justice.  Believe me, they really are pretty colors.

I think the next top is going to be another six inch square project and I'm leaning toward a blue/white fabric with a red/white fabric for a little patriotic look.  Maybe, just maybe, I will get the squares cut in the morning before work so when I get home I can just start sewing away.

For dinner tonight I had Johanna put a chunk of ham in the oven early, around 3, so it would be good and warm by the time I got home.  Then made a box potato mix and opened a can of baked beans.  That was such a good supper and I really had the taste for the ham, so I loved it!  Very easy, too.  If I'm going to keep up with these tops, I'm going to have to keep having simple suppers for a few more nights!

Another top done

I didn't have a quilt holder handy, but you get the picture!  Finished another top for the nursing homes.  I have the squares cut out to make two more.  They will just be simple six inch squares, but in a nice material.

Partial shopping partially done

First thing this morning I called the place I ordered items for Nick for Christmas.  They were very apologetic and helpful.  After a couple of minutes on the phone with a couple different departments, the order was straightenend out.  I did receive a confirmation email that the order has been verified, but not that it has been shipped yet.  I have confidence that it will be shipped without incident...  Call it blind faith...  haha.  Seriously, the company said they were just overwhelmed with orders yesterday and it even crashed their site, so to have gotten this far and received confirmation I'm feeling pretty good about things.

Now, if the item Johanna wants will ever become available, not just for pre-order, I will be in good shape...

My gal is supposed to come clean tonight.  That will give me a few good hours to hide in the sewing room.  This morning before work I cut up a few pieces to make spool blocks in between my main project.  I just had about 15 minutes and didn't want to get into any major sewing.  I'm hoping to get that other double slice top put together and maybe even another simple top made of two different materials.  Or maybe a rail fence.  Just have to wait and see what kind of mood I'm in!

One more done

I finished one more top for the nursing homes.  It's a Double Slice top and is from my stash.  Johanna held it up for me to take the picture and she thinks it might be too big.  Maybe it will be, but I would rather it be too big than too small, and it will shrink up some when quilted.  Here it is:

When I started this top, I thought it would be a good idea to do Bonnie Hunter's leader ender method of using another block to sew off the ends.  I am doing the little spool blocks like Bonnie is right now.  They are cute little blocks and work up quick, just a few runs through the machine.  I'm going to just make them and throw them in this bucket:

Pretty tired tonight.  I was all excited because I thought I had Nick's gifts all bought online, and then when I just checked my email there is a glitch in the order.  Sigh.  Well, I will deal with that in the morning.  It will all get worked out.

A long day.

Seems like today is taking forever at work.  Guess I got pretty used to those days off. 

Yesterday I was up in the sewing room on and off for about 4 hours.  I have all the blocks assembled to put together two double slice lap quilts.  Then I pulled out the materials I have to make a couple more that are just panels to be quilted.  Well, some are just panels, but they could use a little something.  I'm thinking of putting sashing in between sections, just to dress them up some.  Not quite sure what I'll do but I better decide quick!  Just a couple weeks left to get those finished.

We had a real nice Thanksgiving with my mom and Ev's mom and our families.  It was a lot of driving, but worth it.

And for the record, I love Cyber Monday....  You can keep Black Friday and the craziness the day befor Christmas.  Give me a computer and a debit card and I'm off......  woohoo!  Love, love, love it!

Turkey recovery

I'm not quite sure I have recovered from Thursday's turkey dinner.  We went up to my mom's for the holiday and had a great dinner.  Didn't really do any Black Friday shopping. 

Today Ev and I went across the river and shopped at Chuck's Boots and Doc's Harley Davidson with our friends Al and Delbert.  Then we went to eat at the cafe that we used to go to when Gram was alive.  It was a really nice day.

I did get upstairs and press and cut some more squares for two more double slice lap quilts.

Cinnamon Rolls

I used up the last of the potato roll dough making cinnamon rolls with pecans in them yesterday.  Oh they were sooooo good!  I really like that dough recipe - it's very versatile.  Going to make a batch to take up to Mom's tomorrow and make some crescent rolls for our dinner.

Have to pick up some fresh farm eggs tonight on my way home from work.  If you have never had fresh eggs, you really should try and find them.  There is just no comparison to store bought.  And I'm not a big egg eater.

Another scrubbie

This one was made out of the other tulle/netting material and it was so much easier to crochet!  Not scratchy at all. 

Big Blue done...and a little panicked about what's not!

No pic yet, but tonight I finished the big blue quilt for my mom to give to her friend at Christmas.  Will take that up to her Thursday.

Then I realized that the lap quilts for the nursing homes had to be done very soon.  Like maybe a couple of weeks soon...  Argh!  Just going to have to get busy and make myself work on them every day.

Scrub a dub dub

See what I made?  It's a very lopsided pot scrubber made from netting/tulle material.  My crochet skills have been dormant for years, in fact I didn't think I could still do it because of my old wrists, but pot scrubbers aren't being entered in any beauty contests! 

Yummy goodness

Before and after pictures of the potato rolls.  I rolled out half of the dough and made crescent rolls out of it.  They didn't get real brown, but I didn't want to leave them in longer than called for the first time.  They were done just fine and tasted very very good.

Since the last post I did go upstairs and sew some more on big blue's binding.  I finished sewing it to the back and started on the front, but called it quits to make dinner.  Real close now to being done.  Tomorrow for sure...I hope...

Rolls in the fridge

I made up a batch of the refrigerator potato rolls and they are in the fridge now.  Going to take it out in an hour and make up some of the dough into rolls.  Sure hope it turns out good!

Also put my oven on self clean for a cycle of two hours.  Good point - I remembered to take the skillets out of the oven.  Bad point - I forgot to take the oven thermometer out of the oven.  It's toast.  Just a blob of metal.  Oh well...

I finished making the label for big blue this morning and sewed the strips of binding together.  Attached the binding to two sides of the back of the quilt.  It's not going to take much to finish it from here.  Just have to motivate my butt to do it!  Think it will be done after a couple hours of work.  Tomorrow my cleaning gal is scheduled to come, so I might spend that time in the sewing room.

A little of this, a little of that...

First off, the range hood and backsplash are up!  We overcame all obstacles, no one got hurt or electrocuted, and IT WORKS!

I am very pleased with it.  Next project is to get the spacer cabinets put in.  Dad's going to work on them for me.

Made a double, almost triple, batch of spaghetti sauce today.  It's still simmering.  Going to use it to make two big pans of lasagna to take to my mother in law's on Thanksgiving.

Cut the binding strips for big blue and started to make the label.  I was pretty aggravated at myself for being cheap.  I bought two packages of blades from Harbor Freight that are supposed to fit in my rotary cutter.  Well, they fit, but they aren't worth a darn.  Then I went searching for some new blades from the fabric store and either I hid them real well or I don't have any, because I could only find used and resharpened ones.  Went through about 5 blades before I found one that would cut properly.  I need to just give it up and buy a couple packages.  They really are worth the money.  Should do that with Joann's coupons some time soon.

So, hopefully tomorrow I will get the label finished and the binding put on big blue.  Time is running out because I really should take it with on Thanksgiving.  I don't want to have to pay to ship it if I don't have to!

Didn't get the rolls made, but want to do that tomorrow, hopefully.

Saturday morning

Gearing up to put the binding on big blue today.  Not sure if Ev has to work or not this afternoon.  Going to work on getting that range hood and backsplash for the stove up, also.  If he has to work that might wait until tomorrow.

Found a recipe on Mennonite Girls Can Cook website for Refrigerator Potato Rolls I would like to try.  They sound very good and I'm a sucker for a good bread recipe.

Went out with my friend Diane last night to DeCamp Junction over in Staunton.  They have good pizza and it's a nice place to just sit and talk.  It's an old roadhouse, but not a bad place.  The service could be better, but for what we wanted, it worked out just fine.  And I like the history of the place!  Here's an excerpt from The Road Warrior's review of DeCamp:

Perhaps one of the most exciting gangster events to happen in the area came about in the 1930s when a large black sedan rolled up out front of Duda's Restaurant. Several gangsters burst into the roadhouse with guns drawn and ordered everyone outside. Once outside they had everyone lay spread out on the ground. The thieves then ransacked Duda's Restaurant and took cash, slot machines, booze and the Duda's private gun collection. The story is told that one of the gangsters counted the people outside on the ground and came up with thirteen people. At that he remarked that thirteen was an unlucky number and he was going to shoot someone. Fortunately they didn't and no one was harmed. Five-year old Leroy Duda was there at the great raid but hid under a feather mattress upstairs.

Shirts ahoy

Been deboning men's shirts that I had stashed away.  I'm down to less than 10 to take apart and I will have them all done.

I saw a real cute snowman at a Christmas bazaar when I was in Arthur last weekend.  I'm going to try and take a pattern off of it and make some for family members.  The original was made from a white chenille bedspread.  I looked at the thrift store for one, but couldn't find any, so I bought a baby blanket that had an interesting texture.  I'll use it and some of the smaller scraps from recycled shirts maybe.  These just look like a lot of fun to make to me.

Going to make a lasagna to take to my mother in law's for Thanksgiving dinner next week.  She didn't want turkey, so that's fine with me.  We will be having turkey at my mom's, so I'll get my bird fix there!

Ponderings

I was driving home from work today and was looking at the trees with almost all of their leaves gone.  My first thought was that Winter is coming and that it is a season of rest.  Everything gets to slow down, take a breath, and regroup.  Well, at least after the frenzy of the Christmas holidays it does...  I'm in denial and not thinking about the shopping madness that has already started.

And do you ever think about self worth?  I mean, I'm really not a person that is ever going to be remembered by anyone other than my close friends and family, and even at that, in a few generations I'll just be a name on a headstone.  It's just that sometimes it seems so many people are leading high profile lives and are doing important things.  What I do on a daily basis is not glamorous.  It might make a difference in someone elses life, but I usually don't see or hear about it.  Guess that's where faith comes in and I have to trust that God knows what He is doing and all the pieces fit where they are supposed to, even little old me.

Not to get all maudlin or anything, just wanted to share a few thoughts that crossed my mind.

Didn't get upstairs to work on the big blue quilt, but that's okay.  Did some straightening up so that when the gal comes to clean tomorrow she can start on the sitting room.  That's where I set up my Christmas village houses and I want it clean so I can start putting them up after Thanksgiving.  Not sure how this is going to work out with the crazy kitten we live with this year, though.

Not me

My friend Donna called me up last night.  She said "Did you start advertising to do quilting on your longarm?"  Uh, no, not yet.  I told her I don't feel that I'm good enough to work on other people's quilt tops yet.  Well, she found an ad in the local freebie newspaper advertising longarm services - and the gals first name was the same as mine!  No last name was given and Donna knew it wasn't my phone number, but she found it kind of funny.

This makes me wonder just how many other longarm quilters there are in my neck of the woods.  Is there a glut in the market?  Do I need to hurry up and start taking in work, even though I don't think I'm ready?  Or should I just stay the course and keep practicing, hoping that things will all work out.  Should I go with my original plan of letting name get out there as I put my work out there more and let the quality of the workmanship speak for itself?  Sigh.  Decisions, decisions.

Necessary necessities

How's that for redundancy?  Yesterday I went to the doctor for my women's wellness exam.  You all know what I'm talking about, I'm sure.  All seems to be in order.  Thank goodness and thankfully it's done for another year!

I guess in my pursuit of finishing the quilt tops for the nursing homes, I blocked out other necessary sewing.  Mom called last night to tell me what she wants on the label of her friends' quilt.  I had forgotten for the past week or so that it needed a label and to be bound!  That's the project on the front burner as of right now.  If I don't get anything done on it tonight, I do plan to make some progress on it tomorrow when the gal comes over to clean.  That quilt has to go with us next week when we go to Mom's for Thanksgiving.

A real live wire

Yup, that's what is hanging out of my wall above my kitchen stove.  Working on it!  Doesn't that wall look yucky?  I realize some of that nastiness is adhesive, but some of it is just a mess because it was figured that it wouldn't be seen.  ugh.  Also working on getting some spacers between the stove and cabinets.

Oh, and we are having taco's tonight.  That's the meat cooking in the skillet.  Like my really old kitchen cabinets?  Hey, they kind of grow on you.  I'm okay with them although three of them need new latching hardware.  Working on that too...

Mystery material

Here's the fabrics I will be using in Bonnie Hunter's upcoming mystery "Easy Street".  The bottom piece is the background, the red on the right in the one she is calling a 'constant', and the other 3 are colors also found in the background fabric.  Bonnie's examples of fabrics are using brights and making it scrappy.  I am not in the mood for scrappy, so I'm going with these.  I think it will turn out nicely.

I cut some fabric into squares to make a couple more Double Slice tops for the nursing homes.  Don't have enough cut or pressed to start on another top yet, but working on it!

Hubby and I took down the old non-working range hood and backsplash by my stove yesterday.  We have a new one, and intended to put it up, however there are always complications...  The new one has the electricals going in on the other side than the old one and the wire coming through the wall isn't long enough.  The new hood will also need a little carpentry adjustment under the cabinets to hang it.  Just never easy.  So I went and got the electrical part we needed (junction box) today and will pick up some extra wire from my dad later.  He has some left over from a recent project.  Probably won't get around to doing anything with it again until next weekend.  sigh.

Double Delight

Here's a picture of the Double Slice top I completed today for the nursing homes.  It's pretty big so I don't think I'm going to add a border.

It's not really my color palette, but it does have a nice warm feel to it, with a pop from the orange.

Cut apart four more shirts while watching part of the football game tonight.

Catharsis

Catharsis - the purging of the emotions or relieving of emotional tensions, especially through certain kinds of art, as tragedy or music.

Well, not exactly what today was, but close.  Went to Arthur to meet up with Mary and shop at my favorite stores.  Shared a great day with my friend, just talking, listening, sharing, and having fun.  Mary recently lost her father and I think this was a great way for her to just decompress.  It was a wonderful day for me, also, just to let my guard down and enjoy the day.

I guess quilting could be considered a type of catharsis, although I don't think of my quilting (art) as tragedy unless it is a really lousy job... haha.

I bought fabric at my favorite store for Bonnie Hunter's upcoming mystery.  I know I should have shopped my stash, but I wanted to get these fabrics, so I did!  I'll go on a fabric diet soon.  Maybe.  Or not.

Morning madness

I pressed the Double Slice blocks this morning before work.  Going to make it 6 blocks by 6 blocks.  I have 40 blocks, so I might use the extra 4 in the back or something.

The things I watch

Sometimes there just isn't anything on t.v. to watch, yet I still have it on.  Tonight I guess I just wanted some noise to keep me company.  That's not always the case.  There are a lot of times when all I want is silence!  Anyway, tonight I found myself watching "How It's Made" on the Science Channel.  They usually show how a few things are made in each episode.  Tonight I watched how horse bits are made.  I have never owned a horse, only ridden one a handful of times, and really have no interest in horse bits.  But it is interesting to watch the process of turning some raw materials into a usable item.  One time they were showing how accordions are made and I taped that so I could show my uncle.  He's played accordion all his life and found it interesting.

I was looking through my sewing journal at last year and when I started making the lap blankets for the nursing homes.  I'm starting earlier this year than I did last year.  Last year I spent about 40 hours working on them.  We shall see how much time I spend this year.  I wanted to start them a lot earlier than I did, but at least I'm ahead of the game for now.

Looks like rain

All day, off and on, it has looked like it wanted to rain.  Hasn't done it so far.  Personally, I'm ready for snow and lots of it!

Trying to decide if I want to use those embroidered blocks I purchased at a garage sale for lap quilts for the nursing homes or not.  Since I have so many of them, I feel like I should make a large quilt with them.

I do have that cheater cloth from Arthur that I can make a couple tops for the nursing homes from.  I need to get going on them.  The two I worked on yesterday are for them.  I need a minimum of 10 possibly 12.  I have the star struck lap quilt ready and waiting for binding.

I did find it much easier to start sewing once I had all the pieces cut and ready to go.  That's what I did with the charm patch and double slice.  Maybe I'll just make a couple more double slice tops.  They start with 10" blocks and finish at 9".  That means I need a minimum of 25 blocks for each one.  That's not too much, really, especially if I use a couple blocks of each fabric.

May be going to Arthur again this Saturday.  My friend is planning to meet me there.  I'm hoping she gets to go this time.  If not, I'll probably just stay home and sew.  Nothing wrong with that, either.

Been busy

Today I worked on this top.  It's just a bunch of different five inch squares sewn together.  I made it ten squares by ten squares.  I'd like to put a border on it with cornerstones.

I also cut and sewed enough squares for a double slice lap top.  I need to press the squares and sew them together next.

I was in the sewing room for several hours today (I didn't work today because of the election).  It felt really really good. 

I shouldn't hide things from myself

Or whoever I was hiding them from...  I have been taking apart shirts for the last few days and tonight I thought I was down to the last two.  But something in the back of my mind kept nagging at me that there really were more - somewhere - that needed to be cut apart.

That little voice was right.  I found a whole plastic tub full of shirts needing to be taken apart for use in quilts.  That doesn't make me mad, just determined to get them done, so I can start using them.  I'm really inspired by Bonnie Hunter's Moth in the Window pattern and want to make some blocks using shirtings to see if I like it.

Well, I guess it's official.  My son is an adult.  Even though he has been over 21 for several months now, it just really hit home today when he signed papers to make an offer on purchasing a house.  Not sure if the seller will accept his offer, but it just floors me that he is doing all this.  I know he wants to move out, and I don't blame him one bit.  Buying right now in our little town is a lot cheaper than renting, so this move makes a lot of sense.

The soup turned out really good, even though we haven't had an actual meal of it yet.  I'm betting it will be even better tomorrow after it sits.  We went to breakfast this morning, kind of skipped over having lunch, then went to a pizza restaurant about half an hour away to celebrate my step sister's birthday.  It was a nice time.  I had never been to that particular restaurant and really liked it.

Sorry I haven't been putting many pictures up lately.  Going to have to get better at that.

Two hours of quilting therapy

Sometimes I get in a funk, kinda down, and I have to just make myself sew.  I spent two hours quilting the rest of big blue tonight (yay!  just have to put the binding on and it's done!).  After that two hours, I felt so good, and so renewed.  Amazing what a couple of hours of quilting therapy will do for a person!

Made a wonderful beef roast for dinner.  Had mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole and a salad.  Yummy!  Tomorrow I am making a pot of bean soup.  Last time I made it I used a bean mix from Arthur.  This time I picked one up at Wal Mart.  The trick is going to be trying to remember what seasonings I put in it.

A few good shirts

Have now met my scissors!  I deconstructed three more shirts today.  There's always a small amount of guilt when I buy more shirts from the thrift store if I have a stockpile of them at home that haven't been deconstructed yet.  I console myself with the fact that Nick gets his pick of the shirts when I bring them home.  Sometimes I lose some great shirts to his wardrobe!  I know it's only temporarily - eventually I will get my scissors on them!  muhahahaha

Deconstruction

I didn't do any sewing today but I did accomplish some deconstruction in that department.  I 'deboned' eight dress shirts, as Bonnie calls it!  I just love it when I get to the big piece in the back and can fold it up to add to the stack.  That back of a shirt, especially a men's extra large one, has so much material it just makes me smile when I fold it up.  I think to myself that I only paid a dollar for the shirt (in most cases) and that I got a lot of material for that dollar.

I still have a lot of shirts to take apart, but I will get them done eventually.  I also have some ideas in the back of my mind on how I want to use them.  Some ideas are actually from Bonnie Hunter's books and website.  Just got done watching her on quilt cam tonight.  She is making these really neat blocks called 'moth in the window' that lend themselves well to using shirtings.

Anyone else tired of it?

Is anyone else tired of all the election hoopy de do yet?  That's probably a dumb question.  I am so sick of the ads on t.v., on the radio, in peoples yards, etc...