Two finishes

Three things to be happy about:

(1) apple butter

(2) quilt shows

(3) colorful backdrops

I got the binding sewed down on the churn dash service quilt, just have to add the label.

The ugly fabric I used for the binding seems to blend right in!

I never showed the finished version of the star quilt that I was working on a few months ago.  

Made entirely of strings, the stars were created by placement of the HST string blocks.

I added a light string border around the stars, and to avoid having a square quilt I placed one row on the sides and two at the top and bottom. 

Can you see the quilting detail?  It was quilted by Missouri Star, I can't remember the name of the pattern though.

I used their backing fabric, they have a lot to choose from.  

With so much scrappiness going on on the front, it didn't really matter what color I used so I just chose the least expensive one!

See the patriotic words?  I love em!

Done!

Sew forth and sew on

Lazy days are here again

Three things to be happy about:
(1) padded envelopes
(2) learning a new exercise
(3) Spring

Spring is just around the corner, what does Punxsutawney Phil know, anyhow?

I'm in my lazy stage again!

Remember this string quilt that I was puzzling over ... add a border, don't add a border, what kind of border ...

Thanks everyone for your input!

I grabbed some light colored strings - not necessarily neutral, but lighter than darkish medium - and made a few of these ...

... which I cut into these 3-1/2 x 8-1/2" strips, to test as a border.

I tried out a few and I admit I wasn't too impressed at first.


I was thinking if I went that route I'd need to add a narrow inner border to separate the main quilt from the 3" border strips ...

But now, looking at it through the camera's lens from a different angle ... it doesn't look half bad!

Maybe I'll make enough string units to finish up that left side and a few for the top, and see what it looks like.

Decisions, decisions ...

Sew forth and sew on

Just puttering

Three things to be happy about:
(1) stuffed chops
(2) line dancing
(3) a good deal

Sometimes I'm still amazed at the good stuff you can find at the Dollar Tree!

Udderly Smooth hand cream, love it!

I mention again, all dollar stores are not created equal - I call them "brand x" dollar stores. Names like 'Dollar Ocean' or 'Dollar and More' or 'Dollar Plus' - they just aren't the genuine article.  IMHO, it has to be Dollar Tree, or nothing!

While I was puttering around not sewing, I dug up this top yet again.  I keep taking it out and putting it back.

The issue is, should I add a border, or just have it quilted without one.  It measures 72" square and it would look great as a borderless quilt.

If I add on a border, what kind??

The entire thing is made of 6" string blocks, so I don't think it would look good with a solid border.

I could make a string border in 6" blocks, I guess.

hmmm ...

If I go borderless, will I lose any of the important parts when it's trimmed after quilting??

Decisions, decisions.




Sew forth and sew on and on....

Ladders and cabins

Three things to be happy about:
(1) photos of childhood
(2) armchair travel
(3) tickets to an event

I've started putting together the ladder blocks for the Texas Tumbleweeds quilt I started on the November Caribbean cruise with Bonnie Hunter.

These go together fast if the units are ready and waiting to sew - hat's off to Bonnie's method of making quilts that have lots of pieces and parts!

And because it's not a race or under a deadline - and also because I was tripping over my bag-o-strings - I made a few more of the string-y log cabin blocks.

I used a 12-1/2" square ruler to trim these up, simply because it was a ruler I had.  That very middle starting piece was made from 'bonus triangle' trimmings.

What freedom to just sew strips without looking out for a strict quarter inch seam - I love em!

That's it for now; do something that makes you (or someone else) feel great today - sew forth and sew on til later!

Quilt lag

Three things to be happy about:
(1) listening to books on your iPod
(2) reading books on your Kindle
(3) textures

You ever get jet lag?  

Well I have quilt lag!

If you've been visiting me the last few weeks you've seen the progress I'm making on this sawtooth star...

While you weren't looking I pieced a whole passel of light blocks to use as an inner border, but just on the top and bottom...

then I realized it'll look funny, so I stopped those and started piecing the rows together.

Now I have just one more star to piece so I can finish that last row ...  somehow I went into quilt lag and haven't done it!

I've been doing this and doing that ....

Meanwhile in the back of my head is knowing I have to finish quilting one for my sister's granddaughter, and put the binding on two more...

Time to get hopping!  Whatever you do, enjoy your day its beautiful out there!

Sew forth and sew on til later

My sawtooth star

Three things to be happy about
(1) bug zappers
(2) biscuit-crust turkey potpie
(3) leftover pizza

Such a lonely, sad sight!!

It's my Singer sewing machine cabinet, empty!!

I was winding yet another bobbin when it started making a clackety! clackety!  sound, so I took it to my regular repairman at Hancock Fabrics.  The good news is, it just needed the usual cleaning, oiling and adjustment, and she's back in business!   The other news, I'll call it "doh!" news, is that I really need to learn how to make my own adjustments, I've had the machine since 1970...

Yep, I sew facing a wall but it doesn't bother me in the least, though.  My TV sits on a shelf to my right, and if I turn my head just slightly I'm looking into my bedroom.

Still piecing my sawtooth stars!

Five sewn together, 1 more kitted up to sew, 3 more being fed through the machine, which hums like a contented lady.

The string units work up fast, and the star itself works up really fast once I get it laid out!

This view gives me an idea of how the quilt will look with three blocks across.

So far, so good!

Enjoy your day, it feels nice and cool out there!  Sew forth and sew on til later!

Stars happen...

Three things to be happy about:
(1) orange flavored popsicles
(2) a three-hole punch
(3) gel pens

Yesterday Gene asked about the machines we need for the cruise - Sew Many Places arranges for the machines!  A Florida Janome dealer (I'm sorry I can't remember the company name) along with his nephew provides brand new, top of the line machines with all the accessories.  They wind our bobbins, rethread the machines, make adjustments - it's a great experience!  And best of all, after the cruise?  They offer you the machine you used at a tempting, VERY GOOD discount!  With free shipping yet.

Meanwhile,,, it's a cycle - a string-y cycle!

I sew...

cut...

depaper...

repeat...

That's how you get there!

Sew forth and sew on... and on... and on...

More stringy-star progress

Three things to be happy about:
(1) fruit dumplings
(2) udderly sMOOth cream (non-greasy; better than bag balm in the green container)
(3) Trident sugar-free gum

My procedure went well yesterday, thanks everyone for your well wishes and good thoughts!

I had to laugh at myself, though.  Safeway has this 13 oz. chicken broth on special for 88 cents and I got three of them.  After I drank one at breakfast (tasty, by the way!) I thought I'd better get some more in case I didn't have enough "stuff" in the house to last all day - so I went back and got 7 more!

Throughout the day I only drank one more, so now I have 8 (EIGHT!!) containers left over!  Oh well, I have until October 2015 to use em...

Does that remind you of how you sometimes buy fabric, then buy some more??  Reminds me of someone "who shall be nameless" who thought she didn't have enough fabric for the September hop and went into overdrive, LOL.  Okay, okay I'll whisper her name: The Slow Quilter.

While waiting for the fun to start on Monday I was still piecing string blocks...

That's a lotta blocks!

I've already done three stars and I have enough in that pile to make three more but not enough of the right combinations...

I'm doing a 3x3 layout, which will give me a 72x72 center, then I'll add borders to size er up.  Yep ladies - there will be some RED somewhere in that border!  I can just see it!

Need something like 5 more stars, I think...  

Meanwhile I'll just keep sewing away til I get the number of string blocks I need to make it happen!

Sew forth and sew on til then!

Two more stars

Three things to be happy about:
(1) new uses for old things
(2) fall catalogs arriving
(3) JoAnn's 50% off coupons

I made more string blocks for my stars, here's two more laid out on my design floor:

They play well together with the first block, don't they?  I'm thinking of separating them with neutral blocks rather than smack together, have to work on that because the blocks are set in a zig zag pattern.  Might be a bit tricky.

The phrase "balance the colors" flew through my mind for about 30 seconds... I think they'll pretty much balance themselves if I just put the blocks together!  I might want to avoid using yellow as the last piece on the points though, shows up as a light.

I'm scheduled for a colonoscopy tomorrow (Tuesday) so today is my prep day, yuck.  I'll have to keep busy so I won't think I'm hungry, just liquids all day doesn't sound too appetizing! Well maybe ... popsicles, jello, coffee, tea, Italian ices... I can swing it!

Have a great day, sew forth and sew on til later!

Stringing right along

Three things to be happy about:
(1) fresh batteries
(2) trolley tours
(3) learning through You tube

Isn't that a messy sewing space?

It's how I roll, it simply means I'm busy with my nose to the needle, my foot to the pedal!

I'm still working away on my string blocks; when I stopped to cut some of them out, I saw that I have more than enough of the dark blocks since each star only needs 4...

I have fewer of the all light and the light/dark mixture though.

So those are the ones I'll work on til I have enough for whatever size quilt I want to make!

Actually the GO die works really well for cutting these blocks - it's accurate and quick.  I can only do one at a time but it's still quicker than cutting with a ruler.

And as a bonus, I thought of a way to use more of that 6-1/2" size - slice a block across at the diagonal and you have an instant roof!

My goal here is to move as many of those strings and strips, as quickly as I can, and this will do it for me.

Meanwhile, I'll keep my nose to the needle in my messy work area til I know it's enough ...


Sew forth and sew on til later!

False starts, or quilt seeds?

Three things to be happy about:
(1) school buses in the morning
(2) the colors blue and yellow
(3) busboys and poets

I just discovered this channel, Centric, that's probably been there a long time, but I just discovered it!  Anyway, they were re-showing the mini-series Roots all day yesterday starting at 9:00 am, and I wanted to watch it all the way through.  I went out for a little while but I watched almost the entire series til they ended at midnight.  I actually met Alex Haley after the book but before the mini-series; I thought he was a very nice, personable man.

While working on my 6-1/2" string blocks the first idea I had didn't pan out as expected, but here's the process.

I cut two 1-1/2 x 6-1/2" and two 1-2/2 x 8-1/2" strips for the border.

My idea was to treat the string block as a log cabin style block.

Bordering the string block also stabilized the edges, so that was a win-win!

Except... I didn't like how it turned out.

I used 1" strips in scrappy colors and finished with a white and black outer border - nope!

I made a second block but this time I used black as the inner border...

blah!

The third time I went at it a bit differently!

I started with 1" strips for the inner border and used a range of 3/4", 1" and 1-1/4" strips for the surround.  Better than the other two, but no cigar!

I finished off with strips large enough to make a 16-1/2"(?) block.

 Can these blocks be saved???  I was bound and determined to use 6-1/2" string blocks for something, trying to stretch my stringy wings as it were...

I won't just toss these away, I've heard it that the quilt police roam up and down the alley behind quilters' homes and search their trash!

Can this be the start of a quilt?  Or are they better used as fodder for an art quilt?  Thinking, thinking...

While I'm thinking, sew forth and sew on!