Adding the final border

I have not done a very good job of blogging lately.  My beautiful daughter got married the end of September and I didn’t blog one.single.word about it although there were plenty of words in my head that day.

I have been working on their wedding quilt for the past several months although I didn’t get it finished in time to present it as a wedding gift ;o(  That makes me sad.  I DID get the last border on it today.

I’ve cleaned up all the loose threads, the backing is purchased, washed/dried/ironed and I’m taking it to the longarm quilter on Thursday.  I’ll be getting the binding ready while it’s away.

Thanks for stopping by…

;o)

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Finished…finally!!

Greg’s funky monkey quilt is done, completely done.  I finished the label tonight and got it sewed onto the back.  I don’t know exactly how long this has taken but it seems like…forever.  Seriously, why can’t I complete a quilty project faster?  Answer…I don’t sew often enough.

The quilt has been called Greg’s Funkey Monkey quilt but I changed it on the label.  It is now (drum roll, please) “For The Love of Monkeys”.  TaDa  It is kind of a play on “for the love of money” and I thought it sounded cute.  After all, it is his love of sock monkeys that created a need for this quilt.

"For The Love of Monkeys"

pieced back

Hanging from the line

Hopefully, we will travel down the beginning of next week and present it to him.  I’m giving Vanessa the “tote bag from hell” which she commented she really liked the last time they were here.  On top of that, I have several outfits for Ella that I want her to have before she outgrows them.

Only 3 weeks until we all go to camp.   That will prove to be interesting; hope it all goes well.

Only 43 days till retirement; that will prove to be interesting as well.

Thanks for stopping by…

;o)

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Ella Bella’s Funky Monkeys…finished, finally

Ella Bella's Funky Monkeys

Just in the nick of time.  I completed Ella’s quilt around 1:00 in this afternoon.  Her birthday party is tomorrow so I was cutting it pretty close.  I have mentioned previously in this blog that her quilt was actually a companion quilt to the one I’m making for her dad.  He loves sock monkeys, which I just recently discovered, so I made him a quilt using sock monkey fabrics.  Her quilt was made using one of each of the monkey fabrics in her dad’s quilt, along with some black and whites that I had.  Unfortunately, her dad’s quilt is still at the LA quilters but since it was her birthday, I gave her the one made for her so I guess that will make her dad’s the companion quilt.  He doesn’t know that he is getting one so I couldn’t even till him the story.

The back of Ella's quilt

Ella Bella's Funky Monkey label

quilting patterns completed on DSM

I’m especially proud of this quilt as it was completely my design, inspired by Project Improv.  I traced the patterns onto some iron-on paper and did all of the quilting on my DSM.  The biggest problem is pulling out all of the paper once the quilting is completed; very time consuming! One of these days I will attempt the quilting completed freehand.  I just have to work up my courage and not worry about ruining anything.

This is the first quilt that has been my own creation but I made a small wallhanging years ago that was also my own design, made from some leftovers from one of my first wallhangings.

Leftovers Again

Thanks for stopping by…

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Some of this, some of that and lots of photos

I am behind on my Doodle Day and Today’s Title is… posts.  The most recent subject of Today’s Title is…Soft Comfort and here is my post.

Two super soft scarves

These two scarves provide me warmth and comfort when the weather is less than perfect.  The darker one was given to me as a gift a few years ago; the lighter one was knitted by yours truly.  It is the only one I have ever done although I enjoyed it and keep threatening to do another one.

The Doodle Day subject is…Dragons.  I have managed to get a tail on paper but haven’t gotten more than that.  I haven’t given up, just having trouble conjuring my pen to draw something that would be recognized as a dragon.

Ella's finished top, unquilted

I have finished the top of Ella’s quilt and now need to get it together and get it quilted before the end of May, actually the 24th of May, her first birthday.  This is where I get stumped.  I let a finished top sit around and languish as I try desperately to decide the best way to quilt it. I think I’m going to do CC in the small squares of monkey fabric, SID around the black/white squares and the larger orange squares.  Other than that, I have no idea.  If you are reading this and have suggestions, please leave a comment.  I need all the help I can get.

Bill and I spent a couple of days putting in a raised garden at his place.  It measures 5×10 which we may decide is too small but we can always add another one if necessary.  We haven’t planted the seeds yet but that is on the agenda for tomorrow.  We (actually, Bill did most of the manual labor while I raked the yard) cut off the sod (will be used elsewhere in the yard), tilled the dirt, added 8 bags of manure and potting soil with peat (bought 10, can always use it elsewhere).  Together we got the boards around the tilled area.  Bill added more bags of topsoil and got it all raked, ready to be planted.  We have been working steadily on the perennial gardens and it will be fun to grow some vegetables although neither of us really know what we are doing.

New raised garden, sod partially removed

Pile of sod removed from new vegetable garden

Borrowed rototiller

Bags of manure and potting soil

Bags tilled into garden area

Box in place around garden area

On a final note, Iam lucky enough to live only an hour or so from Keepsake Quilting.  What a wonderful store, with thousands of bolts of fabric.

Deb and I drove over Thursday afternoon, did some shopping, ate lunch in Meredith, NH and returned home by early evening.  It was a beautiful day to be along Lake Winnipesaukee.  I only spent a few dollars because I still have a freeze on discretionary spending.  I got two pieces of oriental fabric on sale for only $3.99, a piece of bee fabric and some Misty Fuse which I have been wanting to try.

I should post more often, maybe I wouldn’t be sooooo long winded.  Have a great day.

Thanks for stopping by…

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Most unusual

When I make quilts or wallhangings or bags or whatever, I can’t give them away.  Unless I make them specifically for someone I usually keep everything.  I don’t know if I’m selfish or if I spend so much time (rather anal) working on a project that I just can’t bear to let it go.

Either way, today I let go of two items.  The first was a quilt that I started many years ago in a class at Portsmouth Fabrics.   The fabrics were supposed to be Kaffe Fassett but I really wanted to do something different so I bought all nice, bright colors.  The result was The Bright One.

I took this to Keepsake Quilting in Center Harbor, NH for sale on consignment.  They do it a little differently.  Rather than taking a percentage of your selling price, they add 25% of your price to calculate the total asking price.  At least that way, the seller gets what they want and the shop gets what they want.  They will keep it for four months and then return it to the seller at their expense.  They do not care if you send it in again at a later date.

Of course, while there I couldn’t just walk out without buying anything.  I found several bee fabrics that I purchased for the quilt I will make for Wendy at some point.

The next quilt is the Birthday Quilt.  I called it that because I received the kit from Su for my birthday a few years ago.  After putting it together I used it to practice my free-motion quilting and it turned out really well.  I was putting the binding on one day at work last year and Sue (a different one) said I could give it to her since I didn’t know what I was going to do with it.  We both laughed but I decided then that I would give it to her for her birthday, which is tomorrow.  I think she will be surprised but happy.   The colors are a little off because the photos were taken at night with a flash.   I know I had taken some earlier but I couldn’t find them anywhere.  Guess they are hibernating in cyberspace.                                                                                                                                                                        

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Selvage quilts

I don’t know why but I really like the look of them.   I don’t have one but I really, really want to make one.  If you aren’t familiar with them, here is a link to Karen Griska’s blog.  If you scroll down the page a little, the “Red Zinger” is on the right.  Here is the link to the “how-to” page and another link for directions to make selvage quilts.  Thanks Karen for sharing this info.

I’m not sure what it is about this quilt but I know that I want one just like it.  As you can imagine, this is going to take lots and lots of selvages.  I have asked a couple of my friends that quilt to save theirs for me.  If you are reading this blog and don’t think you will ever have the urge to make a selvage quilt, please consider saving your edges for me.  I’m willing to pay the postage to have them mailed once you collect a nice bag full.  If you are willing to participate just leave a comment and I’ll get in touch with you.  Thanks for thinking about it.

I have actually been doing some sewing lately and will post some pictures, hopefully  tomorrow.

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The inchies are done!

I joined an inchie swap on the MQResource forum. It is being coordinated by Carla and she has posted a tutorial on her blog. It was the first thing I have ever done that was completely designed by me and for some reason I decided on a red, white and blue theme. We each make 29 inchies and mail them to Carla. She will distribute 28 different inchies back to each one of us. I’m not sure how mine will compare to the others but I’m anxious to get them back. The deadline is the end of August so we won’t be getting any back until sometime in September. What will I do with 28 inchies? Your guess is as good as mine…time will tell.

I have decided to put two of my projects into the local quilt store quilt show. One is a twin size quilt and the other is a small wallhanging. My plan is to put a price on each of them and hope that they sell. During the show the quilt shop does not take any consignment fees so all of the money will be mine.

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Unbelievable! Two red ribbons

Today was very special day. I traveled alone to the Maine Quilt Show in Augusta. It was the first time in many years that I wasn’t seeing the show with someone else. I had entered a bed quilt and a wallhanging just to get back the judges comments in order to make my work better. To my GREAT surprise, they each earned a red, second place ribbon. I’m not sure how the judging works but I think each judged entry receives a ribbon based on the number of points awarded, with 100 being the most allowed. A second place ribbon has earned between 83 and 89 points. I didn’t really care, I was just so darned excited. It was too bad that I was alone. Bill had taken overtime and had to drive to Cambridge in the afternoon and Su had too many family issues to get away. So, I didn’t really have anyone to jump up and down with but it was still a really good day.

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It’s been awhile

Wow, I’m surprised it’s been such a long time since I posted anything here. What have I been doing instead? Good question, just living life I guess.

I’ve been working in the garden, pulling weeds and grass, transplanting some stuff from Bill’s garden that was taking over. I put it on the small hill behind the driveway and don’t really care if it takes over there. That probably means that it won’t, of course.

I heard a House Wren the other day. I remember them from the years I lived in Shapleigh. They are such cute, energetic little birds. I think I need to find (or build) a wren house. Also saw a Baltimore Oriole on the tree next to the street.

I’ve been making a conscious effort to walk more outside when I have the time and the weather is good. I would rather be outside than on a treadmill at the gym but I’ll stop there after work. The weather last week was very nice…sunny, in the 70’s, a little breeze. Bill and I made our first trip to the beach one evening after work. We walked from the Moody Beach parking lot to Ogunquit Beach where we were very bad and had a wonderful ice cream cone. It usually takes us about 30 minutes to walk briskly one way and a little longer to return as we just stroll along on the way back.

Bill and I took a trip to Knight’s Quilt Shop last week. I was looking for a pattern for a super cute wallhanging that I want to make for Ella’s room. I didn’t find it there but Bill found more oriental fabric and ordered another pattern. I will never get all of his wish list made but I will plug along, fitting one in every now and then so he doesn’t think I’m ignoring him.

Since my last post I received the 30’s fabric noodles from the swap on MQResource.

I found a pattern for these fabrics while shopping at Knight’s. This makes 4 or 5 patterns for which I have the fabric organized and ready to cut. I don’t know how I think I will possibly ever get it all done considering the small amount of time I actually sew. I’m still working on cutting all the 1 3/4″ strips for the blooming 9-patch; very time consuming and it hurts my back if I cut too long at one time.

I stopped at Kathie’s Quilt Shoppe and picked up the Peek-a-Boo pattern I wanted and a couple of sale fabrics to use as backing for my penny rug projects.

I have finished the small 30’s wallhanging I have been working on,”Circling Pinwheels”. I used the blue pen to mark the circles which were quite easy to quilt. Unfortunately, when I wet the fabric to erase the blue marks, the red fabric ran. Bummer!! I was able to wash it several times with Synthropol and it appears to be fine. It was a fun little piece to make and I’m actually happy with the final outcome.

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Baby news is status quo

Vanessa remains in the hospital but things are stable. Saturday was not a very good day. She was weaned off the “anti-contraction” meds Friday night and experienced more contractions on Saturday. On top of that, she started running a low grade fever. The highs and lows of that day were very stressful on both Greg and Vanessa. However, by Saturday night the fever had abated and the contractions had slowed.

Sunday was a good day with only 6 contractions per hour. The Dr. felt that it was safe to move her from the intensive care section of maternity to the prenatal section where there is less monitoring. I spoke with Greg this afternoon (Monday) and she was still doing well. She has to have three good days in a row before they will consider releasing her.

In other news…I was able to get the binding sewn on Wendy’s baby quilt by stealing a few minutes here and there. I finished hand stitching the border to the back on Saturday. It turned out very well; I think Wendy did a great job piecing it. She could have done the border herself if there had been more time before the shower. I drafted a label today which included a short poem about tiny fingers and Wendy was happy with it. I hope to get it printed onto the fabric tomorrow and sewn on before the weekend.

Wendy has made this quilt for the baby born to one of her college roommates. He was due in May but was born in January at only 24 weeks; weighing in at a little over one pound. He has had heart and eye surgery during the last three months and now weighs more than six pounds.

I have spent all my free time the last week getting Wendy’s quilt finished and haven’t had a chance to work on any of my projects. I’m not even sure what to tackle next; I should have some time the end of the week

This week promises to be more like spring with temps reaching into the 60’s. YEAH!!! We heard the peepers last night on our way home from dinner at Billy’s.

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