Monday, August 27, 2012

Maple Leaves turning

It's time I make a decision on what to do with the maple leaves. I'm really liking the colors and how easy they are. I originally thought maybe I'd use a medallion setting. But now I don't know.
Then I tried a few like this and I liked, so maybe. I'll have to decide soon so I know when to stop making leaves and I can get this puppy done to enjoy this fall. Okay, sorry. I was trying to fool myself. I know if I get it together I still won't quilt it this year and I am still loving it the way it is. So glad I don't have deadlines.
Also did the two blocks for the exchange with Dorinda. Requested black and taupe. I think it will be yummy.

Take the time to enjoy a few other works-in-progress at Judy's Design Wall Monday.  I will.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Scraps Over the Years

I didn't mean to get side-tracked with these Broken Dishes, but I wanted to try my new toy and I had nothing else cut and ready to sew. My scrap box of 3" finished triangles was quite full so I pulled out sets of 4 matching triangles and paired light to dark. I have no definite plans yet for this, except to add more brighter colors. Gosh, I sure like dark colors.  I don't plan to really work on this any time soon. It was to be an ongoing project, but I sure am glad I had them ready to sew. I ought to make sure I have a few more projects to pick up in a hurry like that.

The featherweight hums real pretty and Mark never did open her up. I surprised him the other night when he got home from work. I ran the machine off and on all day and that is all it took to clean her out and make her happy. If she stays so quiet, I might rather use her when I talk on the phone evenings with my fella friend. He has not once complained about the noise of my big machines.  I set the phone right next to the machine and turn the speaker phone on so he can yak all he wants, and happy to have someone to talk to.

Oh, FYI my machine is a 1938 model. And for the non-quilters among you, these machines are very popular with quilters cause all they need is the straight stitch for piecing a quilt and their light weight makes them portable to take on retreats and such. Back to stitching.

Monday, August 20, 2012

DH Plays Doctor

Nothing is on my design wall  because I have been busy pulling weeds. Actually nothing but a big piece of fabric and Mark teased me that we finally figured out that we were wasting our time cutting up our fabric into little bits first when we make quilts. But there is a new member of the family here. Another sewing machine I mean.

I have quite a family of machines, though I don't usually name them. After my last retreat I decided it was time I get a featherweight cause I can't see quitting this quilting thing anytime soon. The older I get, the harder it is to lug those things around. I could just get better wheels, but what fun is that? So I told Mark and right away he was anxious that  I get one. I won the bid for this one on our 38th anniversary. He is not convinced it just needs oil and lube however, so he intends now to open up the motor and clean up her guts. I haven't  even tried her with a needle and thread yet, but she sounds better everyday and I believe when he is done with the procedure, she will hum like new. It is amazing the info you can find online about these puppies. I am sure he wouldn't attempt it otherwise.

If I add them all up, she counts as my 7th machine. Sorry, I won't gather them for a picture. But what I have is a Bernina, Pfaff, Babylock, Singer handcrank, Franklin treadle, an APQS Lenni and now the Singer featherweight. Yes, I count my blessings everyday.

I've got to do paperwork today and I have to gather a few things for quilting tomorrow. I get to teach the ladies how to do invisible applique by machine. What fun.



Monday, August 13, 2012

The Ladies Are Waiting


Apparently lots of you like this block. It is called Amish Star in Maggie Malone's 5,500 Quilt Block Designs book. If this is something you want the pattern for, don't hesitate to ask.  I can only say no. I found a golden brown print and made the last few blocks I needed and made a few of the border stars. Now I will pack it all away for  another time and get back to the leaf quilt.

I didn't get anymore done than that because the disabled man I take care of has been pretty sick. Kinda eats my time.  Things are peaceful now so I plan to load another top on the longarm. Hopefully alternate that with piecing the leaf quilt.
I'm going quilting tonite, but first I'm checking out the posts at Judy's on Design Wall Monday.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Tell Me Why

     This is what kept me awake last night after my show for the Patched Lives Guild:
Why is the space on a longarm sewing machine between the needle and the motor called the throat and not the armpit? 

     Since the Machine Quilting Show I quilted this orphan sampler for church. They are fun to quilt, but without any practice to memorize the quilting design for each block it was easy to get confused. So I ripped a little more than I would normally. I try to keep the quilting on the light side for these quilts, but sometimes it isn't easy. Maybe it is time I quilt one of mine again.  I see I will have to play with this new camera a little more. The color isn't the best. Here are a few closeups.


      It was great to see so many familiar faces in the crowd last night. More than one gal was surprised to see that it was me doing the program.  We both attend the BenFranklin club way over in Oconomowoc, and I never let on there who I was.  Sometimes I try to be just one of the gals and it is easy at a shop club as opposed to a guild meeting. Things aren't as "social" there.

     And here's a few things I learned at the meeting last night:
Grandkids can cramp your style, but in a good way.
I have lots more local mystery readers of my blog than I thought.
I have more than one "biggest fan" in Wisconsin.
Sometimes Walmart clears fabric at 75 cents a yard.

Happy quilting.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Our Acceptable Obsession

Last week I enjoyed the Machine Quilting Today Show for 3 days.  Lucrecia and I took a room for a couple of nights and did some sewing in our room between classes. I finished 9 more blocks for my Ladies in Waiting quilt. It was slow going at first cause I wasn't familiar with the machine. The back of the hotel bedspread works for a design wall in a pinch.

When I got home I dug out this multicolored print I'll use in the border. I still want to pick out a copper or brown for some of the blocks then I can get on with the border blocks.

More about the show. Many of the classes at a machine quilting show are only 2 hours long. They have classes for beginners and experienced, for longarm quilters or domestic machine users, for art quilting techniques, for competition and for those with a computerized machine.  And then classes that interest me. Predominantly freehand quilting.

The classes are usually pretty good. I like to take classes to see how the teachers present the material and gain some new inspiration and ideas.  And just imagine, I learn something new while I am at it.
 I only take a drawing or a demo class because I don't want hands-on with a big heavy unfamiliar longarm. Ouch!

The show itself obviously had some phenomenal quilts made for the competition. This show also has categories that are more for everyday quilts I guess. Maybe next year I will enter that category. Again I was disappointed there weren't more pieced quilts. Always the art and applique quilts predominate. The lighting was pretty bad, but next year promises to be better. My camera has a flash so the pictures turned out fine.

Now it's back to reality. I have paperwork and doctors waiting and have a "show" to give in Waukesha. Yikes!