Let the snow fall

This is as far as I got yesterday on the Birds quilt. The blocks are sewn together into rows for the first half of the quilt. (The rows are connected with chain stitching) I am working in two sections to make it easier to handle. The bottom half I started putting together this afternoon.

It's early Friday evening. The girls just left. I can't believe they came out in the snow for quilting. I don't mean to suggest they are desperate, but I live at the bottom of a hill and it can be wicked to drive in the snow. I will stay home thank you - and thank you girls for coming to join me for some sewing this afternoon.

Sue is starting a triple 4-patch using my reproduction 1800's. I have a system of letting certain friends  buy from my stash. She typically only buys 1930's prints and was getting bored with them. I'd like to lighten my load of 1800's. So it works out for both of us. Lucrecia started cutting out a grandmothers flower garden quilt. I worked on the birds.

Last night I dug out these orange batiks and found  more golds and oranges in the basket waiting to be washed. Then I washed and ironed them. They are sooo pretty. This was another case where I forgot I already bought some orange for the stash. I am low on blacks. I think that will have to be the next color to shop for.  See how that works?

The short list

Back to the retreat Friday with Judy.  I did 3 of these blocks for "Ladies in Waiting".  I will work on them when I am quilting with my friends.  Won't take much thinking. I think there are at least 24 blocks planned with a pieced border.

















On my flannel wall are the rest of the blocks I cut and sewed at Judy's. It doesn't look like much now, because they are stacked in order to sew. If you recall, the friendship star blocks I made a while back, what you see here is the border.







I was telling Judy the other day how I am lucky that I can do whatever I want whenever I want where my quilting is concerned. After looking around the sewing room tonight, I think I have to take that back. I don't think overwhelmed is the word, but sometimes it sure does feel like I have an awful lot that I want to do. I need to prioritize my projects. That's not usually a problem for me.  Take a look at the other piles I have around the room.

This 1930's quilt has been waiting for the border for just a few weeks. That's when I changed my mind about how to assemble and border the blocks, but now I have to locate the muslin that I used in the blocks to make the border. Also not usually a problem.

The binding for Lisa's quilt is half pressed.  I haven't gotten back to it because the table that will support the weight of it had a Christmas tree on it. Put that away this afternoon, so now I can bind. I have 3 others waiting for binding.  Oh yes, a basket of socks is always waiting to get sorted.

These are my newest red fabrics that I washed and ironed tonight. Some of them I have had almost a year and they waited in a special laundry basket in my closet.







This last pile (that I am showing) is actually 2 different piles. One for an applique quilt that has been waiting for at least 6 months. Yes on the floor in the corner behind my cutting table. The other pile is some fabric that I want to move into the cabinet cause I want to rearrange some of my fabric for easier access to the batiks. I wanted to wash the reds first. Sure hope that doesn't sit for another month.

Sew, you say. Yeah, I should. Binding for Lisa first.   I mean NOW, I have 3 hours till bedtime.
 Wish me luck and good luck to you.

Frozen Fabric

Today I am showing a picture of my cat, Lily, because I don't have a pretty quilty picture to show. Lily likes to pose for pictures. Maybe someday I will get a good picture of her buddy, Pepper.


I'm getting a little quilting done. In preparation for quilting, I preshrink my backs. I prepared several backs at one time cause I have a pile of tops that need quilting. I don't know what I was thinking when on the hottest day this summer I decided to wash the fabric. Then I figured it was hot enough in the house so instead of throwing it in the dryer, I put it outside to dry. Only I don't have a clothesline.

Well, I don't know if it was cause I didn't use softener or because it wasn't flapping in the wind, but the fabric was drying with tons of wrinkles. Nuts! I thought it would make it worse if I put it in the dryer at that point, and I certainly didn't want to iron in that heat (mid 90's, I think), so I folded it up damp and stuck it in the freezer. All the while it was there I kept hoping my hubby wouldn't find it. I finally pulled it out to iron it. More on the ironing in a minute.










I wanted to interrupt this post with a comment/question for you a bit off topic. This frozen fabric reminded me of a contest I just heard about at one of the local bars. Maybe someone can fill in the details. I imagine you have all heard of a wet t-shirt contest. But did you ever hear of a frozen t-shirt contest? Apparently the wet t-shirt is knotted up in a ball and frozen. The first girl to put it on wins. It's even fun just imagining that. I thought that it would be hard as rock. Do any of you know? When I took my damp fabric from the freezer I thought it would be hard too, but it was fairly flexible with fewer wrinkles. Then I ironed it. This is how.

I don't have room for a bigboard ironing board, just the standard size and I don't want to press a crease in the fabric. So what I do first is fold the fabric lengthwise but off-center about 5". Place the narrower section down against the ironing board and press the top layer barely up to the fold.










After the first side is ironed, I refold matching selvages and put the other side up as shown below. It may look like I pressed a crease, but I didn't. Now when I iron, I again can stay away from the fold cause that area was previously ironed. Did I say I don't press any creases into the fabric this way? Not that it helps much cause if it sits folded in the drawer for 5 years before I use it, I get creases anyways. Good thing I like to iron. Also the second side is easier to press, cause it got the benefit of being under the first side. And FYI the best for getting tough wrinkles out is Magic Sizing, not starch or plain steam.

Well, like I said, nothing quilty pretty, but maybe this will help someone. Time to get back to work. Thanks for stopping. Sew long.