Thread Tales From A Scrappy Quilter

I did get this quilt loaded on Christmas Day and got in a few hours both that day and yesterday.  I'm still rather worried about being square.  Lined things up the best I knew how considering I could not find my longarm centering tape!   I have some "d cups" in the hexagons and am trying my hand with 2 batts - one poly and one Hobbs which is supposed to help with that, filling in where there is extra fullness in your blocks.   I also basted my outer borders and wanted to start with the center quilting.   If that turns out well, it will help inspire me how to quilt the outer borders.  Well, as soon as I started quilting with the 2 batts, I knew I was going to have to ditch stitch around those borders, things started going puffy!   I loaded monofilament thread and SITD, not too well I might add!    This is my first quilt to try this technique on the frame also.    But loving my first few rounds of CC's in the body of the quilt.

Finally got back to the fleece I bought when - October?   These are for my DGD's and are to be in their Christmas.   Hope the package makes it there on time.... I got tired of feathers and decided to fit a panto into the space.  I have never inserted a panto into a section of a quilt before so this was a good place to start.  All worked well, used blue painters tape to mark my panto start/stop and also taped over sections and re-drew some areas to have nice fill within the space.   I am pleased with the results of both of these. Meandering feathers for Laura Clematis flowers/vine for Julia Detail of Clematis pattern.

A little slow updating the blog...  the past few weeks have been a very challenging juggling act.  Monday starts week 4 on the remodel.  Living with little to zero kitchen use, and also without our master bathroom.   Not only that, but in the bathroom they did a terrible job texturizing the walls, then painted.   We had to have them sand it all off and start over it was that bad....   Most of you know what that sheet rock dust is like all over your house too.  Kitchen floor is in and we can walk on it.  One leg for the island is not here and 2 doors that were refurbished from the existing cabinets are not here yet (gee only takes 2 weeks and was ordered in OCT - Oh I forgot that was only my part - the general contractor still has to place the order....)  Installing new countertops tomorrow but can't install the cooktop/island because we don't have the base complete.  Very frustrating experience....    Anyway, here is the progress on my Roll Roll Cotton Boll mystery. Step 2 HS

Almost done!   Very productive day in the sewing room.  Step 1 is almost complete and I will be on schedule for the next step on Friday. Step 1 almost complete, about 30 more sub units are needed. And a sneak peak of the little landscape quilted piece I am working on: Sea Grapes

No pictures to load but I did stop in the fabric shop a few days ago.  I discovered this great piece with my plaids that I have stacked for Brandon's quilt that looked perfect for the constant with the fabrics I had pulled from my stash.   Unfortunately, I only had 1/2 yard and it was suggested 1 3/4 yards PLUS more if we want to use in our borders.  When I walked into the LQS, one of the girls said that to me that she hoped I did not  need much of that one, she had just purchased almost all the remaining bolt for a border on one of her quilts.   Ugh.  I searched the store and nothing worked as well as that piece.  There was about 1.25 yards on the bolt which I bought so hopefully I can get the main body of this mystery quilt done but will need to find something else to use in the borders.    I've admired the fabric sitting with my stack and I'm tickled that I did get this, it just makes the fabrics look right.    The first installment posts in the wee hours Friday AM.   I

I've got my fabrics pulled for Bonnie's newest Mystery quilt Roll Roll Cotton Boll .   I also have almost as many pulled that are not in the picture too!   This is all from stash, I would love a brighter cherry red for my constant fabric instead of that brownish red  but I did not have enough of one yardage on hand to meet the requirements.  I really, really, want to shop and get that brighter fabric but on the other hand, it is so nice to pull from stash and use up what we have.  We will still need some additional fabrics for borders, these scrappy quilts sometimes can be difficult to shop for and also backing fabric may have to be purchased.  Unless an opportunity presents itself to shop prior to the first of instructions being posted, I am making peace with the project and working from my stash.  Looking @ that pic again, I think I need to toss a few more of those darker and brighter pinks in there too. And here is a pic of Mickey pulling the raffle basket winner names at

No school this past Friday which of course was a perfect time to plan a 3 day weekend to celebrate no school and Mickey's 12th birthday.  We had beautiful weather and a great getaway to Anastasia State Park, St. Augustine, FL.  This is one of only a few beach front parks in FL, the campsites are all heavily wooded and do not offer a view of the ocean but you do get the sound.  The beach is just a short drive or bike ride away.  We took along bikes and kayaks and put both to good use.  We also had to visit the Alligator Farm again too.   Just a few pics to share: Hot rolls and birthday candles don't play together very well! kayaking the Salt Run, St. Augustine Light house Quilt is DONE. Designs from backside party feather back and front Also, I learned that Sudoku DOES have repeats in the 9 grids - in the 3X3 sections, the rule is just each row across, down and within each single 3X3 grid there can be no repeats.  Woohoo!   However, it could have been designed to have

It is off the frame and the dimensional aspect of the quilting is very pleasing to me when you let the light play across the front or the back.  I'll have more pictures after all is done but for now, I'll let the quilt inspectors tell you about it.   Tigg just would not leave me alone and wanted in the quilt as I was stitching down the one side of the binding.  Carried it camping with me this weekend but spent less than 1 hour on it Saturday night however Tigger loved snuggling inside it as I stitched so it was a good thing I brought it along.

I am so near the end of quilting Brandon's Sudoku quilt but I discovered a problem and just have to stop and blog about it!   Brandon worked this puzzle a few years ago.  We decided it would be a fun project to work up into a quilt, many people were doing this.   Brandon chose a color scheme and went through my stash and selected fabrics.  He cut each square and completed blocks 1-6.  That's when I discovered he had made an error working the puzzle.  The idea of frogging and re-doing the blocks was just too much for Brandon and I could never interest him in the project again, even though it is a FAST and fun project.  I pulled the answers, marked the sheet and it sat for maybe 2 years (remember 10 months in Hawaii).  After getting my long arm, I decided this would be perfect to finish and work my 3P's (practice, practice, practice!).  A quick re-do for a couple of Brandon's blocks, whipped out 7,8 and 9, cut and sew the sashings and border then on to quilting.   I am no

I have had a blast this week with a dear "quilty" friend from Iowa.  She found a super low price on airfare with Allegiant Air - Yeah Allegiant!  We've held our own little shop hop checking out the quilt shops in our immediate area, sampling some tasty food, enjoying the evening air by the pool and holding our own little mad dash sew-in trying to get a project completed while we were together.  We also scheduled some time for a little pampering at my favoriate spa, "Face The Day" and we spent one entire day at a quilt show in Jacksonville.  Beautiful quilts on display.  Vendors with oodles of things to tempt us.  Both of us did show great restraint on our purchases but my mind is still racing thinking about a few things that I really should have bought....  We got the cutest little quilty charms that slide onto a bracket that attaches to the back of any pin (The Pin Peddler was the name I believe), some beautiful batiks, patterns, more bag patterns plus a bargai

Packages have been received and I can now show you another project I worked on.  Quilted Notebook Covers! The brown and green one was made first and is mine.  I just quilted in a grid but the floral one was free motion quilted around some of the flower motifs and I really like the way it turned out.  Inside on the left you have space for pens, on the right (you can see detail better in the lighter green one and gee that reminds me of the post below with my dark purple!) you have slots for business or appt. cards and then above that is a little deeper slot to tuck notes or paperwork. I really like this pattern and now want to modify this or make some little "clutch" style bags similar to this.  I love touching the quilted fabric so this is just a perfect extension to quilting for me and to get my hands on quilts even more through out the day LOL! I was making my cover when it was announced on the online group we were hosting a "Back to School" exchange.   I thoug

We were given an optional project to stitch out a meandering feather over fleece to make a lap quilt/throw.   The fleece is supposed to be forgiving, letting any messy stitches melt away leaving just the dimension to hightlight your quilting design.    I loved the teachers example and could not wait to get started on mine.  The plan was if this one worked out well, it was going to be a gift for DGD#1 and then I would make a 2nd in a different color for DGD#2.    I purchased a wonderful deep, dark purple called Blackberry.   Hubby planned on taking the kids off for a fossil dig and leaving me with an afternoon free to quilt.   They were out the door @ 11:30 and my fleece was already loaded on the frame the day before.  I was ready to QUILT! Gosh did I find out I was NOT ready.   I found this fantastic thread that was a perfect match, thinner weight which is what you want on a regular quilt for doing things like feathers (you stitch over some lines several times so the thinner the thre

I've run out of practice space!    I am taking an online class  with Suzanne Early on MQResource.   The class started 3 weeks ago and I have been drawing, drawing and drawing but this week was the first chance I had to load some muslin and start stitching those feathers.  Whoa, that's another beast.  Just when I thought I was making progress with my drawings, now stitching and they are a mess.  Missed backtracks, touch and goes, potato chips, hot dogs, hanging bananas and most likely a few that have never even been named.   But by the end of my small section of muslin, I felt I had made progress.  Suzanne reminds us that she has had years to perfect her work and we should not expect to be perfect in just  a few weeks.    We have 100+ in the class, some are 2nd time around and believe me those people that are posting their work from that 2nd time group are getting it.  If they needed 2 X's and a year between to get this good, then I will certainly keep on working and hope to

I did it!   I got this one finished.   A long time as a UFO (unfinished object), then last spring/summer I finally brought this one back to the top of the stack and determined how I wanted to set these rows and completed it.  Then the deployment to Hawaii and everything boxed back up again.    This is the 1st top that I have quilted on my new longarm that deals with blockwork, designs to complement the actual blocks as opposed to an allover design.  Lots of wiggles, wobbles and wild backtracks in my freehand work but a great learning experience and this top is DONE. More about the Row Robin.  This was done with an online quilt group  back in 2004/2005.  5 of us in a group and several groups were formed.   We each chose a theme/color scheme for our projects and had about 6 weeks to work on  a row for that person and then the project moved to the next person on the list with a new project coming to us.     I just love the finished product for my Row Robin!  Everyone chose the perfect f