Sewing Withdrawal

I have been out of town since Tuesday and am suffering from sewing/quilting machine withdrawal.


However, on Monday, knowing I wouldn’t be able to stitch a stitch for awhile, I put this little leftover piece from Easy Street on the frame and quilted it.  Then I cut it in half (two little pieces)











And made these: two great mug rugs.












The next morning I filled my car with travel food and hit the road for a visit with my mother.









I got a very nice hotel room and decorated it with one of my favorite quilts.










I even have a sitting room where I am using one of my new mug rugs (hidden on the side table).










And in the bathroom I found this.  Now I have never taken towels but apparently others have since this card was prominently displayed.














For two days Mother and I have visited, shopped and fed our faces.  We have laughed a lot and even spent some time with her doctor, who smiled and laughed along with us.  It has been fun but both of us are very tired.

Right now I am getting my things packed so I can leave early tomorrow morning.  And hopefully I will be able to rest enough to be able to get some sewing done soon.  Sewing withdrawal can be really tough.

Little Done, Lots Planned

This is as close to a design wall as I have gotten this week.  I put these three mug rugs on the HQ and have them mostly quilted.  I stopped a couple of days ago because I began suffering from thread breakage and since I couldn't immediately figure out how to correct the problem.  I'll work on that this week.

I have quite enjoyed making these "NO COFFEE!"  rugs but I am ready to move on to other things.

 I was going to take them to show at the next guild meeting but then I thought, "what would I do if they wanted me to make some for the quilt show in November?"  So I think I will just pack them up and keep quiet about them.

Sunday I finally got my new baby settled in the studio and even played with it, a little.  I spent some time going over some of the things I learned in my lesson last Thursday and was really pleased that I remembered as much as I did.  






 

And even though I have said that I am cutting back on my knitting time, I have started a sweater.  This cardigan has only one closure and I as it is knit from the top down, I have already made the button hole.  So far I have been able to follow the pattern but as you can see I still have a long way to go.





When I finish the mug rugs I am ready to load and quilt the boots quilt for DH.  I also need to make several quilt labels (I usually do them with machine embroidery).  I have 3 BOMs to do this week in order to be caught up.

I also have a little computer problem.  Every day or two I can't connect to the internet because the driver that makes that happen disappears.  I have had to recover it over and over but can't seem to figure out how to stop it from happening.  So sometime this week I hope to be able to contact Microsoft and see if they can help me.

Wow, that all sounds a little daunting, doesn't it?  Oh, well, I'll just get done what I can and what ever doesn't get done I'll assign it to next week.

I'll be linking up with Patchwork Times on Monday: if you pop on over there you will get to see some beautiful work.  Have a great week,  Gari

BOMs & Mug Rugs

So here is the beginning of the last of the BOMs for this year (I hope).  This one, like one other I am doing, has more than one block for the month.  These two blocks are “block 1” and are 18 x 24” each.  Since this is an all applique quilt I am going to try to use only scraps or fat quarters except for the backgrounds.  That fabric is white on white with snowflakes, perfect for hats, scarfs, and mittens, don’t you think?  I hope to get them appliqued this week but since this is the first “block” I may let them sit for a while.












I did get the last two letters of the Alphabet BOM’s second block (s) attached to the background fabric and then began working on the patchwork parts.














This is the patchwork the will be going with the letter “C”.  Doesn’t it look great?  And it is except that I didn’t read the instruction to size down the HSTs and thus it is 8” rather than 6 1/2”.  I have already cut the pieces for a new square and this one will become a mug rug.  Meanwhile, I just must learn to read ALL of the instructions.






That said, I have cut the fabric for the D’s patchwork.  And it is all waiting at the sewing machine for me to return.  And you better believe that I will read and reread the directions before I sew it all together. 








On Friday I put 4 mug rugs on the frame but I haven’t gotten back in there to begin the quilting.  I hope to have them done this week, also.  Wish me luck,  Gari

Mini Quilt-Mug Rug

I want so badly to get back into quilting but every time I start to cut fabric I quickly tire and return to knitting.  Well, I saw this on Quilting Digest (SuzysSitcom.com) and knew I could make that in no time and feel that I was at least quilting something.  There it was shown as a pot holder but because of it's size, I saw a mug rug.

I keep my batik scraps separate from my other fabric scraps so I got to dive into the batiks and play.  Of course I had to iron the wrong window piece onto the wrong fabric and then HUNT for a replacement, but it wouldn't be a Gari project without at least one wrong ironing attempt.  But then, after that it was smooth sailing and I quickly completed my new mug rug and have a finish for March.  I may just have to specialize in mug rugs to have finishes from now on.  😄

And I am very happy to share my newest acquisition, a conduction "hot plate."  I have covered my stove with a large cutting board surface and needed something to cook on.  I have wanted to try this type of cooking and now was a great time.  It is really fun to learn to have specific temperatures rather than "low-med-high" with no real idea of what they really mean.  Anyway, yesterday we had company for brunch (oldest son and daughter-in-law) and I made scrambled eggs.  I remembered Bobby Flay, one of my favorite chefs, saying to cook them on a low heat (which I always have) but now I had to decide what actual temp was considered low.  I must have guessed right as the eggs turned out great. I only have two pans that work on this (and a whole oven full of what won't) so I guess I will be looking for some new pans as well as the knives I need.  Being a new cook is getting expensive.

And now we are off to a Museum Exhibition of Quilts.  I am excited to see if this will ramp up my energy for quilting.  I sure hope so, I've got a lot of fabric to use up.  Gari

Linking with Patchwork Times Design Wall

Many Projects/So Little Time

Tomorrow is DH’s 73rd birthday.  Sometimes it is hard to believe that we have been together as long as we have and it is only by looking back at all we have done and been through that we can see the very large number of years we have both lived through and been together.






My big project this week, however, has been this quilt which is DH’s birthday gift.   And I can’t say that all has gone well. 












   
    The first problem was that I couldn’t figure out how to draw the layout I wanted in EQ.  I want to use two or maybe three different sashing sizes and EQ didn’t seem to allow for that.  So I decided to revert to graph paper, which I used to do all the time, and really enjoyed working that way again.  BUT, after I was cutting my pieces to match my drawing I realized that I added a row to my center panel which isn’t in my real plan.  So back to the drawing board I am going to figure out how to make all my pieces fit.






    These are my 9 pieces before I started cutting to size.  They are embroideries from Artistic Thread Works and I am thrilled with how they came out.  Now I just need to figure out how to make them fit. 













Ever since I started knitting again, July 2013, I have found it the most relaxing way to avoid doing either what I should be doing (housework) or am frustrated doing (quilting).  However lately I have grown tired of just knitting socks and am still afraid of starting a sweater so I took up knitting dishcloths.  This is the second one I have done and I really like them: they are soft and easy to work with.  And they have kept my hands busy. 



   
   

   



    And last, but certainly not least, one of my mug rugs has found it’s new home.  This is my DIL(youngest son) with her birthday gift.  She tells me this is how she looks before she has had her morning coffee and that my son is “very afraid” of that look.  The funny thing is that my son does not drink coffee (can’t believe he is my son) but has always gotten up in the morning and made coffee for his wife.  I guess I taught him well: happy wife, happy life. 



   

Our oldest son and his wife will be here tonight so there will be no sewing until possibly Sunday afternoon.  Guess DH will be getting quilt pieces for his birthday tomorrow. 

BOMs in the Spotlight

My design wall shows that I am currently working on BOMs.  I have all the appliqueing done on all of the completed blocks, not an easy feat.  The blocks, again, went on the wall so that I can check out what fabrics I have used and then I can choose what I will use for the new ones, again 3 on a limb. 





I began working on my BOMs with the new letters.  I have to tell you that all those little curlicues were not easy to cut out but here they are, ready to go when the rest of the blocks are done.















 So I got busy on the B is for basket.  I have to admit that I have never made a basket block so I had to really read the directions carefully.














But I had no problem with the handle: I can do applique easy peasy.















And here we are, the basket is ready for applique.  But that will have to wait until tomorrow. 
















I have been working on mug rugs recently.  This is a free block from FatCatPatterns and an easy one for this purpose.  He is done and ready for quilting. 














And I got the applique done on the “no more coffee” mug rug.  I think this is the look I have when I go to the pot and find that DH has taken the last of the coffee and didn’t refill the pot.














I even have two more coffee MGs ready to do the applique and I have drawn two more.  These are going to be my “need to do some stitching” items.  And they make me laugh every time I look at them so they are relaxing to work on.

Here, in the Deep South, we have finally gotten some nice weather.  Today I was able to sit on the deck, with the sun shining and the temp at 72F, and knit.  And we are supposed to have 60 – 70F weather for at least the next week and I am cheering!

I hope everyone who reads this has a great week.  My plan is to sew, knit, sew, knit, and sew some more.  Gari

It’s Monday so Here We Go Again

Here is my design wall today.  The only owls up there are the last ones that need to be appliqued: they are there to remind me to get them done this month.  The BOM of the week is the Alphabet BOM. 






They are being nicer this month and there are only two blocks  this month.  Here is a picture of the pieced part of the blocks, which I have not yet started.






I did get the letters drawn and fused to the fabric, ready to applique when the pieces parts are completed.








My plan is to get these blocks done this week and then do some more sewing on Celtic Solstice.  I realized, Sunday, that I can’t remember what I was doing so I also get to spend some time rereading the pattern parts.




I have been doing some knitting and got the foot and heels done on both.  I am always amazed at how easy these heels are to do, and quick.  So now all I have left is the ribbing which I do rather short.  Now I do have to tell on myself, when I started the heels on these socks, for some reason I did the heels on different sides.  It was a little confusing  but worked out in the end. 



I think this week I am going to spend some time reading through the sweater pattern I got and then maybe even cast on the beginning stitches.  I have been procrastinating starting this because I am not sure I am ready for something so big.  But I can’t just knit socks forever.




The last thing I worked on was to begin quilting my mug rugs.  I started with the background but still have the figure to do.  Everything is set up so I can do a little quilting whenever I get tired of what ever else I am doing. 




Our weekend ended very nicely.  Our granddaughter, her husband and son came from NC for a very short business trip and we were able to visit with them over breakfast Sunday morning.  She only recently moved to NC (husband is in the Marines) where she has encountered winter like she never had in AL.  It was fun to see how well they all were doing and to help send them on their way back to their new home.

And now lets get on with all the projects we have planned for this week.  I am also including some Spring Cleaning and  am planning to put together several bags of clothes and other stuff for Goodwill/Salvation Army.  I love stuff but find I am living in a world of clutter, both in the house and the studio.  So I am going to work, little by little, on clearing out some of it.

Have a great week, folks, I know I will.  Gari

Having Fun in the Studio

This has been a great week.  Both Sadie and I are feeling great and I completed the quilting on this Carol Doak BOM quilt.










It is 78 x 78 and will make a great throw.














I had a couple of people ask me how to mark for the ending of a panto.












Here are my markings.  Can you see the arrow where I am skipping an area because it is off the quilt top.  I drew all the way across so I could have a continuous line of stitching and still keep in the pattern. 








I have to say, I am very happy with how this quilt has turned out.














I got it all trimmed and the binding made so it should be completely completed this weekend.











While I was cleaning off the cutting table I found this pattern that Rhonda sent me some time ago.  She made a mug rug and gave it away, not to me ( ) but shared the pattern so I am going to make a couple to give away.  I have three drawn out and will begin searching for the fabrics next week.










I also drew out the letters for the three components of Block #1 of the Quilt Show’s BOM for this year.  For each of the letters there are also patchwork blocks.  I have not chosen the fabrics for that part yet and even need to find the right fabric for the letters.  I guess I still have a lot of prep work to do here. 







Last but certainly not least, look at how I am doing with my toe up, two at a time socks.  I have to say that so far this has really been easy.  I am almost ready to begin the gusset and heel and I figure that I will have to pay special attention since I will be doing these backward to how I have been knitting them.  I know that once I completely understand the pattern it will be OK but, oh how I hate that learning curve.

However, there will be no learning, knitting, sewing or quilting on Friday.  DH and I will be quietly celebrating our 53rd anniversary.  We had planned to see The Hobbit but the 3D version is not showing around here anymore and since we will soon be able to rent the 3D version to see at home we have decided to see Frozen.  Besides, who needs all that “war” stuff while we are celebrating the longevity of our love ?

So while we are having fun, you have a great weekend …… Gari