Busy But Not Overly Productive

This is how far I have gotten on Gentle Rain.  I have the bottom band (32 rows, a garter stitch band (8 rows) and the beginning of the body of the shell (maybe 2”) of SS knitting.  I will be doing this for about 9” before I get to the beginning of the arm holes.  I am doing  some decreasing to make a fitted waist area (4 rows per decrease).  Anyway, I am on my way up, when I get a chance to work on it.

Monday we took my HQ 16 to be serviced, first time in the 10 years I have had it.  Just prior to my getting sick last Spring it started cutting the thread about every 20 – 30 stitches.  I was 3/4 of the way through a small lap quilt and got pretty frustrated.  About that same time I found that I couldn’t stand for very long so even taking the bobbin out and cleaning the area was difficult.  Then I just found myself spending my days sitting in the living room and eventually in the hospital and bedridden.

Over the past couple of months my strength has begun to come back, I can walk better and I think my standing strength will eventually return.  So I decided I better get that quilting machine up and running as I have some tops that need quilting, some blocks that need putting together and some ideas than need to be showing up in fabric.  And, of course, I have a studio that really needs to be cleaned up, especially the cutting table and ironing board.

Oh, and I forgot that Wednesday I got a call that the HQ was cleaned and oiled and stitching so she was ready to come home.  It is a 180 mile round trip each time but well worth it.  My machine is now back on the rails and all I have to do is plug in the stitch regulator and reattach the bottom of the quilt and I think I will be ready to finish that little quilt.  I do need to thank our son in law who came over both times to help carry the machine from studio to car and then from car to studio.  

In addition to quilting, I hope, I need to find something I can make and finish before the end of the month.  I didn’t finish anything last month and nothing looks like it will be finished this month unless I get to it.  I think I am going to get back to doing some machine embroidery.  I have several shirts that need embellishing, maybe even with applique.  Oh, the ideas that are buzzing around in my head. 

Our weekend will again be graced by our oldest son and his wife.  They have been coming to see us monthly ever since I got sick.  Initially they came to see how I was doing but now I think they come just because they like us.  They arrive on Friday night and leave on Saturday afternoon: they have major responsibilities at their church so they have to be there every Sunday.  And they drive 500+ miles monthly for these visits.  You know that makes us very grateful.  So we will be having a wonderful weekend, how about you?  Gari

Linking with Patchwork Times.

Another Knitting Finish

I finished the cowl and love it.  And I will say that I will love it even more this winter.  I take our dogs out early every morning and I HATE to get out of a warm bed and then have my neck get cold.  So this is going to get a real workout. 






And this is my next knitting project.  Doesn’t look like a sock, does it?  The first thing I am having to learn is how to handle 4 double pointed needles all at the same time.  Believe me this is a talent I do not have so I am having to learn it as a “skill.”  Also these are very small needles and a very small yarn.  There will not be a sock any time soon. 






I did get most of the Weave quilt top done.  I sewed the rows 2 at a time and have all but two to sew onto the rest and it will be ready for quilting.










Speaking of quilting, this is the part of my HQ that I think is the offending tension regulator.  So today, in a last ditch effort to fix it myself, I took it all apart.  I found some sticky stuff between two parts so I cleaned it off, shined up everything, and then put it back together.  But I couldn’t test it because a storm came up with thunder and lightening: I will try tomorrow.








And I just have to share this.  This is DH in his lawn mowing costume.  We live on 5 acres with lots of trees and bushes.  DH has mown out several trails through the woods and this outfit keeps bugs away from him.  I, however, just laugh when I seen him.  And see, even he is laughing.

And that’s what it’s like around here, just a laugh a minute.

Blank Wall

Right now there is nothing on my design wall.  To see what I had there until Friday check out my last post here.

I have, however been busy. 

I belong to a Yahoo list, Homequiltingsystems, and their Frame Friday encourages me to keep something on my HQ.  So on Friday I put this QAL from two years ago on so I can get it ready to give as a comfort quilt. 




I got everything loaded and set up and began quilting.

Then, suddenly, everything came to a stop and I couldn't move the machine forward.  I checked the wheels, if there was something on the track, if I had left something on the panto table, if a cord was caught up on something, and anything else I could think of. 




And here is what I finally found.  The track on the carriage had moved.  Can you see how far off of the carriage it has gotten.  Only the back part of the track is off so the first part was still in place.  And, I couldn’t pick up the machine and move the tracks.  Besides, I would also need to figure out what to use to more permanently stick the track down before I put everything back.  So I packed it in for the night.












Saturday DH and I spent spending money at Lowes: pool supplies, plant supplies, weed eradicator supplies, and metal to metal glue.  Then we went home and glued.  The directions said to wait 24 hours before using so I spent some time stitching applique teapots.





Sunday afternoon found me back to quilting.  Yea!













I am really happy with how this is looking.














This is the panto I am using. I like how it is showing up in the large white spaces and then seems to disappear when it comes to the blocks.  I am using a very soft pink.











Here is the name: it comes from Urbanelemtz. 












This is my Walmart gardenia bush.  I am so happy with it as it almost died the first winter and now look at all those blooms.

















Beauty and scent, what a wonderful combination that is greeting me every morning. 










And, of course, this is just above that beautiful bush.  Life is good.

Have a great week.

2013 Begins

Everybody ready for a fresh start in this brand new year?  Well, I am making a stab at it.

So this is my Design Wall today.  On the top is what I have done, so far, on Easy Street.  I really like how it is looking and am loving my color choices.







I decided that I would kit up each block and triangle so all I have to do is pull out a baggie and sew another piece together.











Well, that’s not quite all.  While doing the kitting I discovered that I must have misread the cutting directions a couple of times and there were not enough of some parts.  So I made a list of what was still needed and put those blocks on top of the box of fabrics, ready for me to do the cutting, after I get all the ready blocks sewn together.  I am calling that organized disorganization.



This is the Teapot for January.  Again I had a small piece of funky fabric and was just waiting for the right teapot for it.  I will eventually be appliqueing it with navy blue thread so the outline stands out.









I also got the second of my “scrap” placemats started.  The colored lines are actually the strips of fabric cut off of the Funky Chicken applique pieces.  I hate to waste even little pieces of batik so I have stuck them on this pretty fabric.  Later I will be putting them on a backing fabric and quilt them both at the same time.



Yesterday I put my feathered star table topper on the frame.  This little top has been ready to quilt for about 2 1/2 years but I have been afraid to quilt it.  Since we used it in our Christmas decorations, I decided that it shouldn’t go back on the “to be quilted” rack so on the frame it went.  I will be roaming in and out of there , in between Easy Street blocks, trying to decide how I want to quilt it.



I think the holidays wore Abby out.  But she sleeps under a beautiful quilt and looks like a princess.  This is one pampered pup.





I am linking with Patchwork Times, Quiltville, and What A Hoot.

WOW & it’s Mildred

I have decided to finally name my HQ16.  Her name is Mildred and she is 5 years old.  I wanted to name her after one or the other of my grandmothers but I sometimes get mad at her and I just couldn’t say some of those things to either one of them.  So, why did I choose Mildred?  Well, my mother has a friend named Mildred.  They have shopped, traveled, and been friends together for years and years.  Sometimes they have a great time, laugh, shop, cook and enjoy each other.  Other times they get in each other’s way, don’t agree on how to do things, and stay apart when they need to.  Well, except for the cooking, I have the same relationship with my HQ, thus, please meet Mildred.

I love her and we have great times together.  And sometimes I don’t like her very much and I leave her alone in her room for days and/or weeks.  However, because she is a really good friend, we get back together and make our friendship work, again.  Cool, huh? 

For my WOW entry in Esther’s blog I am showing what I worked on yesterday.  I do machine applique so I drew one copy of all of the parts to Block 4 of Heart’s Desire.  Then I photocopied the two pages with my printer and didn’t have to draw them for the 2-4 blocks. 

Here are the drawings and copies laid out with the chosen fabrics.  See the little pink post-it?  I labeled each fabric and then also put the number or letter on the master sheet.

This is the beginning of cutting the little pieces up and placing them with the proper fabric.  Excuse the color, a big storm was approaching and I was trying to get them all sorted before I left the studio.  However, everything is now ready for me to come back in and press the block parts to the fabrics. 

I am now way behind on this mystery but I did have to take some time out to get some other projects more up to date and a couple even finished.  However, I do intend to finish this quilt, it will just be closer to Christmas than to the end of summer.

Today looks like a rainy day, very good after almost 6 weeks of no rain, so I plan to spend most of the day in the studio.  However, I will be taking some time out this afternoon to have my first ever massage.  In the movies they have looked pretty painful but I am looking forward to it.