My hubby found this cartoon, which he had given me last year, and brought it into the studio while I was working on my “feathers quilt.” We both thought this was perfect for this situation.
After spending part of almost every day last week learning how to quilt feathers, I finally got this one done.
I know it’s hard to tell in this picture but some of my feathers look pretty good. And some? Well, not so much. I don’t have a picture of the whole quilt, yet, because it was raining outside when I finished and there was no room to lay it out on the inside.
I had to take breaks frequently because I found that I was using a “death grip” on the handles.
So then I would change to a finger tip control. I was frequently surprised to find that my hand had gone back to the death grip. This went on all week but did get better toward the end.
I left the side borders unquilted. Then I turned the quilt, fastened the now top border (with my wonderful red snappers) and let the rest of the quilt float with only the magnets to hold it tight. When the top borders were done I turned it and finished the bottom borders. It was so easy. This was the first time I have used the magnets and they were great!
On Saturday I took the day off from this quilt and we went to the gulf. We found a great place to sit under the pier (shade) and watched the pelicans and people. It was a beautiful day and so calming.
We had a great lunch at Outback. This is chicken, artichoke, and parmesan cheese on flatbread. Then some shopping, a “short” visit to Dunkin Donuts and back home to the puppies and cats.
I do have one regret. This is the first month that I didn’t get my color challenge made, or even started. I did make a plan for a pickle dish table runner in what looked to me like fall colors. I cut some of the fabrics for the arks but that’s as far as I got.
I got the fabric out for the backing on one of the Christmas quilts and will be piecing it soon and have it on the frame soon.
And, today the new Funky Chicken and Teapot blocks come out and I’m ready for them!!
This quilt top has been my only quilting focus so far this week. As of today I have quilted almost to the center, attempting to learn how to quilt feathers. To say I am a complete failure at this attempt would be false but to say I am getting any better would also be false.
I first quilted the “over the top” type of feather. I don’t seem to have the control to stitch on top of the previous stitching. Also, I seem to make squareish tops of my feathers.
So the next set I tried the more traditional feather. They do look a lot better, don’t you think? However I don’t feel at all comfortable doing them. Maybe I’ll get better on the second half. 
I decided to do a small meander in some of the triangles and as a background around the feathers. Because the thread is variable, it makes an interesting focal point. Hopefully that will draw the eye away from the feathers. 
Since feathers are not, at this time, my favorite pastime, I spent some time working on the lessons in EQ7. I am up to doing applique blocks and was really surprised that I could complete the block as called for in the lesson. I have only two more lessons to complete for the online “class.” I have learned a lot but the best thing I have learned is how to find things when/if I need them again.
And, true to my retirement plan, I took some time for a snack and a good book.
So, what was DH doing while I was slaving away in the studio? Well, 6 years ago, when we moved into this house, I gave him the living room to display his B Western memorabilia. And, for the last 6 years, I have tried to get him to complete his display. Well, for the last 2-3 weeks he has been working on it.
He has movie posters in all sizes. Lash is on a 4’ x 8’ insulation board,
As is Starrett and Burnette. These posters were situated outside the theaters to attract movie goers.
The smaller posters were inside the lobby.
We have records, books, games, lunchboxes,
autographed pictures, cap guns,
cameras, radios, and any number of other things.
Right now it all looks a lot like a flea market booth but he assures me that it will, someday, be put in order. Someday……
And yet, there is nothing on my design wall this morning.
During the last week I sewed the blocks together and decided on the inner border. I blogged about this fabric here and am really happy with how well it goes with my swap blocks.
And then I decided on the outer border and this past weekend I cut it out and
And sewed them on. I am so excited at how this quilt has turned out. During the making I, again, remembered how difficult swap blocks can be: not the right size, no quarter inch seam allowance, poor stitching, pleats inside the block, etc. However, once I decided that I was going to use each block pretty much as it came, the top came together to be beautiful. I also got the binding prepared so now it is ready for quilting (once I put a backing together).
And that brings me to the mental block I have been suffering since June. That’s when Judy at Patchwork Times offered lessons on stitching feathers. I made my quilt, a Carpenter’s Star, put it on the frame and stitched the top border.
And that’s as far as I got. Between the stitch regulator now working and my unhappiness with my feathers, I just couldn’t make myself go back into the quilting room…..until Sunday.
You see, I am making two quilts that I want to have done by Thanksgiving. Both tops are done but in order to get them quilted I have to finish this quilt. So Sunday I made the stitch regulator work and then quilted one more line.
I am not unhappy with how these feathers look, but I still need to quilt a curved feather as well as a circular feather. I have given myself this week to get this done: I really need to move on.
And, in between quilting bouts I will be making my funky chicken #9, my color challenge project, and working on my EQ7 lessons. And, how do I relax? I read murder mysteries, especially ones that include quilters. Nothing better than sitting on the swing out on the deck, reading a book and petting a puppy.
Oh, I also spend a little time on the computer trying to get through all the blogs that are posted on Patchwork Times every Monday. Lots of great stitching going on over there.
when a plan comes together?
Several months ago I bought a clock for my bedroom. It was kind of a DIY clock where you could display your own pictures in place of the numbers. Well, Tuesday was the day I finally got around to making it. The first thing I had to do was to figure out how to make each of the pictures 2 3/16” square. And then I had to go through many pictures to find ones I wanted to use. I discovered, again, that I was not doing a very good job of filing pictures so I could easily retrieve them.
I don’t have a software program for the above so I made a grid in Word and brought each of the pictures into the grid. Then, I cut the grid apart
and placed the pictures on the “spokes” of the clock.
It’s hard to tell here but the white frames have the numbers written on them. The clock itself is metal and the frames are magnetic so once the picture is framed it stays there even when hanging on the wall.
Here it is, hanging on the bedroom wall. Eventually it will be hanging over my bedroom sewing corner but for right now I am enjoying it next to the bed. And, when I make new things I can change out the pictures. How cool it that?
Then I went shopping. I knew I needed fabric for the spacing on the Santa quilt so I gave myself yesterday afternoon to run around looking for it. However, I found it, center piece, in the first place I went. The great thing is that all this fabric (24 yards) was on sale for $2 a yard. Well, what’s a girl to do?
And I think this is the perfect fabric for this piece. I wanted something that was primarily white with a print that would not compete with the blocks or the panel.
So, what do you think? I am thrilled with how this is going to look.
Nothing is sewn together yet but I hope to get at least this part together this week. I was going to put a small red stop border around the panel but I don’t think it needs it. Maybe a stripe border around what you see here and then a larger final border……..we’ll just have to see when we get there.
I did take some time to draw and cut the fusible for the #9 Funky Chicken. I almost hate to put it together because then I will be all caught up and will have to wait until the 1st to get the next block.
But I did finish this. I fused the pieces while they were on a teflon sheet, which worked very well, but then it was quite a bit of work to get it off of there and onto the fabric. I will set this aside for a while (too many things to finish before the end of the year) but if there are enough scraps from the last 4 chickens, I will make another and then they will be new arty placemats for us.
I embroidered this shirt. Unfortunately it has been a while since I did any embroidery so I forgot all the steps to stabilize this shirt so there are a couple of puckers.
