What is on the Design Floor Today

I took these coasters to my daughter's house. I thought she might want to make some, and she did. She bought Christmas fabric so she can make them with the ladies in her in-law family. Then she found some Walking Dead fabric and bought that too so she could make coasters and pot holders for herself, her sister-in-law, and some friends at work. She made them with three folded hexagons instead of six so she could fussy cut the fabric.

I hear people on tv and radio talk about Walking Dead, but I've never watched it. Lil was convinced that we would like it if we just watched the first show. I had my doubts and asked her if the show was about zombies because I didn't think I wanted to watch a zombie show. It's not ALL about zombies she said, it has an ongoing plot and other things. So we watched the first episode while we were there. As far as I can tell, it's a show about zombies, and yes, it has on ongoing plot about a guy looking for his family and killing zombies all along the way.

I think we are not the target audience for this show. I'll watch Longmire and she can watch zombies.



Linking to:
Monday Making 9 at Love Laugh Quilt
Main Crush Monday 14 at Cooking up Quilts

Slow Sunday Stitching

After spending Christmas with our daughter and son-in-law in St. Louis, we are on our way home. We left at 8am and are just to Tulsa at 4pm. It's been white-knuckle driving through the rain the whole time. We would have waited one more day but oldest daughter has to go to work tomorrow. Also, we heard that a tornado hit near the storage place where we left the trailer and we want to see if there is any damage.

While Hubby drove, I've been stitching.



After taking my turn at driving and then trying to figure out how to get pictures on here from my phone, I see I loaded the blurry pictures. Sorry, but I'm not doing it over now.

Edited after we got home: I changed the photo. We drove by the rv storage lot on our way home and the trailer is still upright. We'll check it out better tomorrow in the daylight and hopefully it will have stopped raining by then. A neighbor told me that 100 homes were damaged but we didn't see any sign of damage on the highway.



Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

Design Wall Monday

It doesn't look like much has changed on my design wall, but I've been plugging away on the crossroads blocks and trying out finishes for the Irish chain. That is when I have had time. We've been digging in the mud lately trying to get our yard to dry out. Not fun. So this is just a quickie post before I have to get my mud boots on for the day.

Linking to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.

Stash Report

I've been sewing like crazy on my crossroads and Irish chain quilts but only cut a quarter yard of new fabric for it. I did use ten yards making receiving blankets, and that accounted for most of my usage this week. I didn't buy any fabric, so that's a good thing.

Linking to Stash Report at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday

Still working on the crossroads blocks. I also decided to start using up my boxes of little scraps making string blocks as leaders and enders. I think I may be in danger of not finishing my UFO of the month either. Eek! I'd better hop to!

If you remember from last week, I originally made the crossroads blocks 7-1/2 inches and then decided that was too big, so cut then down to 6-1/2 inches. Being the frugal sort, I thought I'd use the cut off strips to make some string blocks. What a nightmare that was! Not only were all those strips cut on the bias, but they were so narrow that they stretched and curved as I stitched. And it took a lot to make a block. So after one block, I decided those scraps were better off in the trash.

I used that one block to make a pot holder. I thought it would be an easy way to practice free-motion quilting, and boy was I wrong about that. The center wasn't too bad, but there is nothing to hold onto at the edges. I also wanted to try out a method of binding a potholder where the end of the binding was also used to make the hanging loop. I'm not sure I did that right, but it worked. I first used binding that was too narrow and tried to trim the bulk of the potholder to make it turn, but then gave up and made 2 inch binding and just double folded the end that made up the hanging loop. By the time I finished, my potholder wasn't quite square anymore, but since it is just for me, who cares?

On the wall:

Linking to:
Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times 29
Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt
Main Crush Monday at Cooking up Quilts
Design Board Monday at Bits 'n Bobs

Stash Buster Report December 13, 2015

No quilt fabric coming in this week, so that's a good thing. I had to say no quilt fabric because I did buy a quarter yard of some fabric to cover speaker doors. But that doesn't count, right? I didn't think so.


Not much fabric out either as I have mostly been using fabric I cut last week.

I've been trying to work on this quilt every day and set a goal of eight blocks per day, but there were several days that didn't see a single block completed. Life does get in the way some weeks and this was a hum-dinger. Better luck next week.

Linking to Stash Report at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday

Hubby went hunting this weekend so I got a lot of work done on my new quilt. But when Hubby is gone, I don't sleep well and I made up for it this morning, so I'm getting a late start today.

This is based off a quilt I saw in a quilt store. I also found some similar online with the name Summer Porch. Eleanor Burns has a pattern that is similar but different, also called Summer Porch. I thought these would be just the right colors and pattern for my grandmother's four poster bed.

The living room/sewing room is in sewing room mode again and the design wall is up. So much easier than the floor for bigger pieces.

I started by measuring the bed and decided that seven inch blocks would line up best across it. But after I made quite a few blocks, I thought they were too big, or maybe it was too much color and the sashing looked too small. So I cut the blocks down to six inches and like it much better. Now I have a lot of one inch strips, so I can see some strip quilts in my future.

Linking to
Patchwork Times
Love, Laugh, Quilt
Bits 'n Bobs
Cooking up Quilts

Scrappy coasters

I have to say I. LOVE. THESE. COASTERS! They are quick and easy to make and so doggone cute. I had enough of the same fabrics to make two, and then had to start digging through the scrap bins to find enough similar fabrics to finish out four. I can just see these made with holiday fabrics too - Christmas, Valentines. And what a great gift idea too. Can you see how excited I am? It's because they are so easy. Literally took me 5 minutes to make once I had the fabrics. Digging through the scrap bins took about twenty minutes. lol



I searched all the local shops and couldn't find a hexagon ruler, so made mine out of cardboard. Not the greatest but it will work until I can buy one. In the picture, you'll notice the upper one isn't finished. I wanted to show my neighbor and fellow quilter how to make these.  I know she will be smitten also.

I mentioned this in my last post, but I'll say it again, that I saw these coasters on Lisa J's blog: sunlight in winter quilts. She has a link to a tutorial for them.

Thanks Lisa!



Linking to
Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework.
Love, Laugh, Quilt

Stash Buster Report December 5, 2015

I've had a lot of sewing time this week and have made some headway on my crossroads quilt. I've bought and cut a lot more fabric than I'll probably use on it though. I'm not really satisfied with it and have been trying out more combinations - thus the purchases.

With some of the excess fabric, I cut out some hexagons for these cute coasters I saw on Lisa J's blog sunlight in winter quilts.



Linking to Patchwork Times.

December's UFO

I was soooo close when I took down my design wall flannel, and then completely forgot about this little quilt. This is the unfinished quilt I plan to finish in December, although with everything going on this month, even it may be a challenge.








Linking to A Lovely Year of Finishes – December Goal Party at Sew BitterSweet Designs.

Design Wall Monday

Yes, I know, it's on the floor, not the wall. My "design wall" has been taken down for the moment so the floor it is.


I completed the block portion of this quilt and thought I'd take a picture before I hand it off to the group. Don't look carefully; it's far from perfect. But it's done and right now that's worth celebrating. I don't know if someone there will finish the borders or if they will give it back to me to do once they find the border fabric. Seems like they chose fabric for it originally, but since the size changed, they may change that too.

This is all I got done this weekend, besides cutting a few blocks for a trial run on a new quilt.

Linking to
Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.
Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt
Design Board Monday at Bits 'n Bobs
Main Crush Monday at Cooking up Quilts

Stash Report Sunday Week 48

I finally found time for some sewing and succumbed to the call from some pretty fabrics so I thought I'd update my stash report.




I bought a few yards of muslin to make a new shower curtain and while at the store, I bought some fabrics to start a quilt for my guest room. It was my consolation prize for making a boring shower curtain and putting together quilt blocks for someone else. I bought eight yards of pastel prints and added them to some that I already had. The colors in this quilt are going to be primarily green and pink.

I started the year with a stash total of 441.75 and am now at 445.25. Next year I need a weekly or monthly goal to keep me on track.



Linked to Stash Report at Patchwork Times.

Sewing Room Sunday

Before we went to Missouri, I bought a used Grace Machine Quilter frame. I finally put it together this weekend and tried it out. It's definitely not as smooth as a long arm but much cheaper. Much, much cheaper. It came with the basic frame, a queen/king extension kit, and a pattern perfect setup.

With the basic frame, free motion quilting is done by standing on the far side and holding the handles like with a long arm. But the sewing machine's foot pedal is mounted on top of the sewing machine and the handle to press the pedal is at the top of those grips, and I find it very uncomfortable. But it can also be used from the other side when using a printed design. There is a wood stylus that can be attached to the side of the sewing machine carriage to trace the design. This is my first attempt using the stylus. Not to bad with a wandering pattern, but would look pretty bad if it was something with a recognizable pattern, like circles.

This is one of the wood pattern perfect pieces. They attach outside the frame but I want to enlarge the slots that are used to adjust side to side for a better offset.

The instructions on assembling the table were good, but really lacking in everything else. I found a video that showed the frame with the pieces on it, so between that and the instructions, I managed to get it on. I used the previous owner's leader cloths, but I need to make some that work better.

Now the bad part. I don't have anywhere to put it. It's in the living room now, which is also my sewing room, but it can't stay out except when it's being used. So now I have to figure out how to take the legs off to store it, or something else besides taking it completely apart every time. It took hours to put it together this time and it already had some of the pieces together. I'm sure it would get easier with time, but spending the better part of a day assembling is just not something I want to do every time I want to use it.

See the towels on the floor under the frame?  I need to get a rug to protect the floor from scratches before I trip over a towel.

Stash Report Week 33

I forgot to do a stash report last week when I actually had numbers to report, so I am including it in this week's post because I have nothing this week.

Linking to Patchwork Times.

Stash Report 31

I didn't want to add anything this month, but I found some fabric I bought a month or so ago, so have to add it in. I did use a little this week though.

I admire those who have kept with their quilting during this long, hot summer.  I'll admit it, I've been a big, lazy sloth, just wanting to sit under the air conditioning after I come in from my morning's work in the garden.  I keep saying that next year will be different.  Maybe.

Design Wall Monday

Yesterday I started quilting this Around the World from the Couch. I need to do some free motion, and then bind it. But oops, I didn't plan for binding. I barely had enough of these fabrics to make the quilt. I'm thinking of trying to find some red bandana fabric. The corners were from one bandana, but it seems like I have seen bolts of bandana fabric lately. Or I could just bind with white from the excess backing fabric. Or maybe something else?

Linking to Patchwork Times.

Stash Report Week 28

I actually had fabric in and out this week for a change.







 Our quilt group ran out of the muslin we were using for background. In my linen closet, I had what I thought was a sheet, but it turned out to be some muslin.  I think I put it there so I could find it when I wanted to make a shower curtain.  Luckily, there was more than I needed for the shower curtain, so I cut off a little so our group could finish our quilt.

Linking to Patchwork TimesPatchwork Times.

Fabric Reports

When our garden was rained out in May, I was really upset at first. All that time, effort, and money preparing and planting the garden - down the drain. But it has turned out to be a blessing in many ways. The flower and water gardens needed attention and I have finally had time to give it to them. You haven't seen much of me lately because I am still working outside until almost noon and then collapsing the rest of the day. And this past week I've even been making rocks! No, not like a prison chain gang, though sometimes it feels like that kind of labor.


I told Hubby that I could take care of the house or the yard, and I chose the yard. The house will have to wait until fall, although it's beginning to look like hoarders live here. I also haven't been sewing or quilting since the rain stopped, so I haven't been doing stash reports. Since no one except me cares whether they are posted, I just let it go. But I did use some fabric a couple of weeks ago when I cut some blocks for our quilt group to use at our meeting. So even though that happened a couple of weeks ago, I'm just getting around to that report. So this week is a 3-fer.

As far as this week, nothing in, and nothing out.

Linking to Patchwork Times.

Stash Report 14 and Design Wall Monday

I didn't do any sewing of any kind this week so my fabric usage is 0. I did a quick inventory of my quilt fabrics and added 18.25 yards into the stash, but didn't buy any fabric this week either. That's the only good thing. It's no surprise to me though; once it is time for the garden, everything else takes the back seat. We bought the last of our peppers in Gun Barrel City on Saturday and spent Saturday evening planting before a nice rain moved in. It was cool and misty all day and will be too muddy to get into the garden tomorrow, but I still won't be doing any quilting. I'm determined to get my cutting table finished. I've been dragging my feet on it for far too long.

Added YTD: 70.91 yards Used YTD: 81.75 yards Reduced Stash by: 10.84 yards Obviously, the design wall hasn't changed any either. It is the same as last week.

Linking to Fabric Report 14, #19" at Patchwork Times, though I'm not sure why. Just don't want to break my record. lol.  Also linking to Design Wall Monday #7 at Patchwork Times.

Score a Loss for March UFO Finish

I just never got around to finishing the quilt I designated as my March project for A Lovely Year of Finishes at Sew BitterSweet Designs. I didn't know I could just name a part of the quilt to finish, not that it would have made any difference. I just had too many things going on. So it will be my April UFO project as well. At least it's sandwiched now.

Design Wall Week 13

I wasn't going to post today because I didn't think anything had changed this week. But then I remembered that I ripped out the applique stitches on the one butterfly block I did, and did it over. This time I put the block on point and appliqued using variegated thread. I changed the butterfly body style from the plain rectangle in the pattern to more of a popsicle stick shape. I'm not happy with the size of the feelers though and will make them bigger.

Linking to Design Wall Monday #66 at Patchwork Times.

Quilting Fabrics Stash Report, Week 13

Hard to believe it's already thirteen weeks into 2015. But the weather is approaching hot and winter is definitely behind us. I am finally showing negative numbers across the board in my stash report. It is a little misleading because it's not all fabric used; some of it is fabric just moved to another location. But I'll take it. I'm pleased that I have stuck with keep up with a report this long too.

Linking to Fabric Report #28 at Patchwork Times.

Sometimes Men Make No Sense at All

We were supposed to have thunderstorms and hail last night, so I spent yesterday cleaning out the garage so we could get the cars in. After work, Hubby helped me and we got it done just as the dark clouds started moving in. And then... nothing. Not a drop of rain and no hail. Nothing but wind. But in the course of cleaning, rearranging, and putting up stuff, Hubby mentioned that he wanted to have a man sale. Not a garage sale, a man sale. A sale for men only. I told him he couldn't keep women from coming to a sale and if he posted an ad for men only, it would only make women curious and they would come anyway. And what about couples who go to garage sales together? And, most importantly, what about women who enjoy using tools?

You would think after being married to me for forty years, he would know better than to say women can't do something. Who was it who bought a sewing machine at a garage sale? It was him. And who was it who found the planer at a garage sale? It was me. I told him he would miss out on sales if he discriminated against women; plus, he would have to live with me and that might be worse! I advised him to post it as a tool and equipment sale instead, but he insists he will have a man sale.

What brought about this argument discussion was when he asked when I was going to be finished with the three banquet tables I bought to sandwich quilts. They are currently set up in the living room my sewing room. I told him I planned on pinning the Around the World from the Couch quilt today. What I didn't tell him is that he has to help me. I hate closing those pins, even with a spoon, especially in the middle of the table.

Then he thinks he is going to set up all his stuff on the tables and pull them out on weekends when the weather is nice and he doesn't have something to do. Again, I silently sighed and rolled my eyes because I know you can't decide to have a garage man sale at 7 a.m. on Saturday and expect anyone to see your last minute ad on craig's list or sign at the corner - especially since we are on a dead end street. And again, you'd think after having garage sales many times in the last forty years that he would know that. But then, he was never in charge of the advertising, sign making, or change collecting. He just put out the signs where I told him.

I'll let you know how his big man sale goes if he does it this weekend.