It's Done!!!

Today I finally got the binding sewn onto All That Jazz! I am so happy with how it turned out. And, thanks to everyone who gave an opinion on which binding to use.

The quilt is 93 x 103 and quite adequately covers my queen sized bed.

I think you can see the piping that I ran throughout the body of the quilt, just for a little added orange interest.

The backing fabric is black with little orange dots that I happened to run into in one of those purposeless fabric shopping trips: it was perfect.

When it came time for the binding I had difficulty deciding between a black binding or orange. And, after several blogger suggestions, had almost decided to do an orange piping with a black binding when I ran across an orange fabric with black dotted swirls: again perfect.

The black batting is a rough textured cotton poly mix that I wasn't happy with. It, however, quilted nicely so I was not so unhappy until I started hand sewing the binding on. The needle did not want to go through it and I could only work on it for short periods until I had to give my hand a rest. I don't know the brand (bought off a roll) but will probably not get it again.

What a great weekend I had. It started on Thursday and Friday when our backyard went from this








to this. This photo was taken from my studio window: how neat, huh?

I had a pool when I lived in FL but it was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan and I haven't had one since. I find that paddeling and/or floating in a pool is so very relaxing and this weekend we put a small pool in to accomplish this. And by it being so much smaller, I will not be expected to do any real swimming, just relaxing.

Saturday we went to NWFL. There I paid a surprise visit to a group of sewing ladies I used to meet with. They are called the Boutique Belles and the group formed around the patterning program called Pattern Master Boutique by Wild Ginger. These ladies sew the most beautiful clothing and get together to help each other and learn more about the computer program and how to tweak it for the best fit. I have no pictures but I will tell you that I love these ladies. I don't attend anymore because I love quilting and have little to no time or inclination to sew clothing. I had gotten the program in order to make quilted clothing like this.


I call this jacket Ribbons and it was made with a PMB pattern.














Saturday was again great. We again went to NWFL but this time with our daughter, SIL, and DGS. My daughter wanted to take her husband out to dinner at his favorite place as a thank you for all his support and help while she goes to school We had a wonderful time and lots of laughs. This picture


was taken after DD and I had already eaten and were really full.







Since there were 5 of us we took two cars. So after our meal, DH and I hit target for a screen room for the back yard, Publix for food we can't get in rural AL, and two antique shops where I bought this to hold handwork (I have very little of that).

Now, since it is Monday I am supposed to show what is on my design wall. Well, here it is. I have't done anythng with the Christmas blocks and the applique block from last week is still there.

But I thought I would also show you the shadow box broject I am working on. these are things my mother made for me when I was a baby/toddler. I am going to have to switch them to a horizontal layout because I want to add two pair of shoes (one pair bronzed). Then I have to figure how to tack everything down and we will be good to go.

Speaking of go, nothing in the studio is getting done right now so I guess that means I need to get off this computer and get busy. See ya!

Before a weekend of no sewing.

Well, here it is, Friday, and I have completed one quilt: note the blue binding. I even have the guild label on it, ready to be given to a child in need. For some reason I really like this little quilt. The fabrics are mostly shirting but have different textures that make the quilt top interesting.














I also started something new. This is from Bunny Hill Designs and is the first of a series of 12 baskets she is doing as a BOM. I have been collecting the designs but until yesterday had not started them. And, while I was doing this block I also made two bird appliques, from the February block, to use in a UFO I also started working on as a gift quilt.


Now, if I did the math right, I completed one project and started two. Opps, that sounds like I am going to be busier than before. lol

Tomorrow I am going away to visit friends in NWFL and Sunday Dh and I will be going back to FL with our daughter and SIL for a fun lunch and possibly some antiquing. By Monday I will be having sewing withdrawal and will get back to these two neat projects.



And for a parting picture, here are my two best friends, again. Don't they look cute?

Sense of Accomplishment

I love getting projects done. So yesterday I loaded Puppies on the frame.




And true to my promise to myself do only edge to edge, I decided to do a panto (1st one). The panto I chose was this one from Urban Elementz .














I felt pretty confident for the first two passes but then I had to line it up to roll the quilt. Well, I wrote all over my pattern grid and guess what, it worked. I was done by 1:30 and








look how great this looks.

Now all I have to do is put the binding on. And since I got done so early I put some time in binding Jazz. One side down and three to go.

Design Wall Monday

Judy, at Patchwork Times challenged us to share, each Monday, what we have on our design wall. Having completed what was on the wall last week, I got a UFO out to see what I could do with it. These are blocks from a swap I was in last summer. The swap was organized by Dot (no blogger) and the embroidered designs were done by Nita of Nita's Place. This picture is my current plan for the blocks.

This picture shows the fabrics I plan to use in the body of the quilt: the red on white for between the blocks and the white on red for the outer border. This plan has some odd setting triangles so I am not sure if I can pull if off: this may be on the wall for quite some time. LOL

One Of Those Days

Did you ever have one? Well, Friday was one around here. I had the day planned and got busy laying out three different projects to work on: doing the backing for the Puppies charity quilt, start the hand sewing on the Jazz binding, and a new project called Quilt in a Cup. I sewed three small orphan blocks together and prepared to do some simple quilting on my straight stitch DSM. As I was attempting a practice piece (haven’t quilted with a DSM for three years) it seemed the machine was slowing down. I tried it several times and it got even slower. So, much like raising the hood of a car, I looked around the machine. And what did I see? Thread hanging out of the wheel:

lots of thread. It took the rest of the morning, afternoon and this morning to dislodge almost all that thread.

There is still some in there but it is not binding anymore. It seems that when I leave the bobbin thread on the second spindle it works itself down the side and get caught onto the wheel.

Anyway, this afternoon I finally got one project done.

It is a perfect use of orphan blocks or scraps. The cup comes with a piece of batting which I used to make a template so I can make different “quiltlets” to change out for holidays and seasons.

After one successful project completed I decided to not take any more chances and spent the rest of the day reading. There is something very restful curling up with a good book.

EDIT: Cups can be found here. They also have a list of retail stores.

So Far This Week

This is part of my backyard.

Three years ago, when we got our new house, we had to run a new line to the septic tank. The plumber put the pipe (50’) in and then my SIL brought a load of dirt to fill it in. He was supposed to come back with a back hoe and shove the dirt into the trench, covering the pipe. Well, the pile is still there and the pipe has been exposed all this time. From time to time I have shoveled dirt and this week I finally got the pipe all covered. What you see is what we have affectionately called Mt. Musgrove and the wheelbarrow I have moved the dirt with. I still have several loads to move until we don’t have an indentation in the ground but it is nice to be able to not see that white PVC pipe anymore.


When not moving dirt I have been still working. I got the binding made, pressed and sewed onto Jazz. And I even got the label made in time to sew it into the binding.



I have the binding turned and clipped, ready to hand sew on but that will probably have to wait a couple of days while I work on other things.

I woke up yesterday morning remembering that I have a BOM $5 block due on Thursday. So first thing, after doing my early morning yard work, I set out to get it done.

I really enjoyed making this block and may look at featuring it in a quilt sometime in the future.

My next project, I think, is going to have to be some clean-up in the studio. It seems that there are little piles of scraps and stuff from each of the projects I have been working on. This was OK for a while but now there are no work surfaces left. LOL

We have had one other excitement this week. DH gave birth to this.

It is a 2009 Nissan Titan. Anyone who knows my husband knows that he loves to trade cars and that he is “sneaky” in doing it. And this was no different. One minute we were eating dinner and the next we were looking at a truck, that he had already worked out a deal on. And did I know anything about it? Oh, no!! But it is a neat truck and he tells me that we will be saving some money both on car payments and insurance.

Well, that’s all for now: don’t you think that has been enough? LOL

UFO Progress Report

Starting with what’s on my design wall. This is called Flight School. I made it last November to hang behind the Christmas Village set up we have.

When I made it I got the reindeer appliquéd but ran out of time before I could get to the trees. So today I pulled it out of the UFO pile and finished the trees. I even got it squared so now it is ready to be quilted. Of course I do need to come up with a backing.




Saturday I was, quite by accident, in a fabric store and found this fabric I think would work for my binding on Jazz.

I had seriously thought of black binding with an orange piping but then I realized that I need the binding to fit with the back as well as the front. Tomorrow I will cut and press the binding and maybe even get it sewn on.









Puppies is completed and even the binding is done. I have it lying across the frame waiting for me to get it quilted. However, once again, I need to decide on a backing first.











I also worked on the guild challenge quilt. Of course this is all I can show you since it is supposed to be a secret. It, also, is almost ready to quilt. In fact this one has the backing and is sandwiched. But since it is not due until October, it is not going to make it to the frame right away.












And last but not least, I got caught up on the Calendar Challenge strips. wanted to feature yellow in this month but also to use fabrics that I am using for other projects.


Now, please note that nothing above is completed but everything is ready to go.


Speaking of going, I also wanted to show my two favorite traveling companions. These are my two best friends.

All That Jazz

It is quilted.


And from here you can’t even see all the work I did quilting it, can you? That’s all right, I can see it close up.







Here is the back. It just barely covered the quilt, had about 1” extra on each side.

Here you can almost see the feathers and straight lines.

Now I need to do the binding. However, I am not sure what to use. Should it be black? Should it be orange? Should it be black and white? The black on the edges of the first picture is only the batting that I hadn’t yet trimmed so it doesn’t count in the decision making. Suggestions?

Day 5

Today is day 5 of my DH vacation. This will be a short note since he will be coming home this afternoon and I need to use the rest of my alone time wisely. LOL

I went to a quilt show in Mobile on Friday. Had a great time and spent a little money.




The first thing I bought was some Kaffe Fassett fabric.


I bought fat quarters and half yard cuts. I have no idea what I will do with them but for the time being I am keeping them together to see if they tell e what they want to be.





The other thing I bought was this:

I see shirts like this as my quilting uniform. I have another I got a few years ago but it was an Extra Large, which was OK then but now I have to wear it as a sleep shirt. So this is my new uniform and in fact I have it on right now.


Opps, the phone just went off and DH is reporting that he is on his way home. That means I only have about 3 hours of “me” time left. Gotta go!

Home Alone

5 days. I have 5 days all to myself. DH is gone to judge a county Jr. Miss pageant and I have 5 days all to myself. Both yesterday and today were primarily devoted to quilting on All That Jazz (the black and white pictured in the header). I am doing feathers and straight line ruler work in the log cabin blocks.

For some reason it is harder to get pictures when the backing is black and I have to get under the frame to snap it. LOL Anyway, I am again trying to quilt the outer border along the lines in the fabric print, am doing loops on the piano key fabric and the feathers and ruler work on the log cabins. I swear, the next three quilts I do are going to be edge to edge. LOL

I did do a little real sewing, putting the sashing parts

on some of the Puppies blocks and sewing the rows together.

Tomorrow there will be no quilting here. I am driving to Mobile to see a quilt show and visit the “vendor’s mall.” I also hope to visit a couple of quilt shops as well as some place good to eat. I love road trips.

And then when I get home I will be greeted

by this beautiful tree.

It sits at the side of our yard, right where we park. Isn’t it beautiful? I love the lacy leaves and the fuzzy flowers. All of our trees are volunteers so I don’t know what they are but we really have quite a variety. I really need to get someone to walk around with me and teach me about what is growing all around me. All I really know is that I love nature in all her beauty.

Weekend Studio Work

Saturday was a wonderful day: spent most of it in the studio.

I got the back pieced for Jazz.














And then finally got it on the frame.


Now, I had spent a lot of Friday looking for the batting I wanted (Quilter’s Dream 70-30 blend) and having visited 5 quilt shops, I still didn’t have it. I settled for a different batting and as of right now it is on the frame but not quilted. I don’t like it: it is stiff and rough. It is supposed to be a cotton/poly blend but it feels more like rough wool or a scrubbie pad. I really want to start quilting on it but I am going to try to hold off until I can try to find what I want.

ED: I can’t feel the stiffness when it is between the fabric layers so I am going to quilt it as is. I hope I am doing the right thing.

On Sunday I felt the need to do some piecing and I also realized that it was time to make another comfort quilt for guild. So I dug out some shirting I had gotten from the old shirt factory here and put it with some kids fabric I had hanging around.



I am calling it Puppies and with the blend of both pink and blue, I think it will work for either a boy or girl. I am putting 1” cream sashing between the blocks and a 2” cream border on the outside. I hope, if I have enough fabric, to have a blue binding on it.


But, before I can do any quilting stuff, it is time to mow the lawn, quick before it gets too hot outside.