The new log cabin project

As I Predicted, it only took approximately 4 hrs to pre-cut all the fabrics and run them through the GO cutter Log cabin die. A whole quilt cut out in 4 hours! That s almost unheard of! Especially a log cabin quilt. I hope to start sewing this afternoon.

GO cutter Log Cabin Die

Log Cabin pieces all cut

A new quilt started - May 2014

I love starting a new quilt!  I love everything about it.

I love choosing or drafting the design:

Log cabin design with 5 appliqued blocks

I love choosing and prepping the fabric:

Washed, dried and pressed.

I love cutting the fabric, especially with my GO cutter and dies:

GO Cutter Log Cabin Die

I got all the fabrics washed, dried and pressed and ready to cut. I tried the first one and am happy to say I can do a full WIF cut at once by cutting 24" on straight of grain and then tri-folding on the die.
Very fast, very easy. I should be able to cut all the pieces in one afternoon.
 YEAH!

Near the end!

Well, I had planned to be finished with the quilting by now but I ran out of steam. This is what it looks like this morning. Two rows to go. I did put the binding on as I'm going and it is going so smooth. I think I am going to do this more often on my own projects. (the binding on the long arm)

I talked to my Aunt Madge yesterday and I found out that while on vacation next week the young girl who is to be the recipient of the second quilt will be there...................
It still needs the white background spacers and a pieced border. So, now I am on a tear to finish that one up to the hand work part so I can sew down the binding while on the way there and give it to her in person. I mean, that IS the pleasure of giving someone a quilt...the being able to see their reaction. Right?

Stash Report May 30, 2010

First stash report of the year and it is almost June. Yikes!
Well I haven't posted a stash report in quite awhile because nothing in and nothing out but this week is differant! First of all I went quilt shop hopping on Wednesday with 3 of my good friends. I bought some black fabrics to add to my drunkard's path quilt right away so I will count that both in and out. I bought 6 yds for some new projects..... I couldn't resist these fabrics they were so cute! I also bought 3 more yds of reds and greens for my strip Christmas quilt so that is also to be counted in both in and out today.



Judy L is having a QOV challenge this week and since I have been wanting to make a QOV all year and hadn't gotten around to it I decided to jump in too. I didn't start right away but that is ok because I waited until day 5 and added all the strips up and used my new GO cutter and have been having a ball for the last day or so. Cutting and sewing, I spent all day yesterday working on this project. This is as far as I got at 10:30 this morning. It will have to wait until tonight to sew more on it because I have some other things needing my attention.

Fabric IN this week: 12 yds

Fabric used this week: 19 yds

Total IN this year: 12 yds

Total out this year: 19 yds

Sewing today!

I am sewing today! Are all the items on my "TO-DO" list completed? NO!
Is there quilting that needs to be completed.......YES
Have I even had a shower yet? NO!

I have been doing my chores around the house and trying to be a good housewife. When I am working, Mark does a lot of the housework and almost all of the cooking. When I am not working, I do those things. I figure it is only fair right? I usually get a lot of satisfaction in keeping my house clean and cooking and organizing. Not this time..... I have been in a funk!

It most likely is because I am very upset about my mobility of late, or lack thereof.....I thought I would be up and doing things normally again within a couple months but it's not happening that way. I am stiff and hurting a lot. Standing up from a sitting position is difficult. I don't walk normally. I don't use my cane around the house but I do out in public because I always feel as if I will fall otherwise. I don't want to go on dissability but I may not have a choice if I don't get another job soon. I feel like my condition will really stop employers from hiring me. I know they aren't supposed to discriminate but it happens (you can't prove it anyway). So, yeah....I've been down in the dumps. I woke up today and felt like sewing so I AM!
I have 3 different projects I am working on at a time. First there is my 4 patch posie using bright Christmas fabric. A friend in my Tuesday sewing group cut the whole thing out then gave it to me. It is turning out cute. There will be frames around each block and then a sashing and cornerstones to lay it out.

I also have another 4 patch posie that I cut out from a favorite fabric of mine. You quilters may recognize this fabric from about 15 yrs ago. It was very popular!

Then I am also working on my Christmas Diamond strip blocks.

I'll get to the To-DO list soon enough!
So much for my not procrastinating! OY!

Sewing on IWBLR quilt Aug 7, 2009

Well I just spent a couple frustrating days looking for work and there just isn't anything out there. Very few postings that I qualify for AND would maybe be able to do and/or like it. I am looking at clerical positions now because my computer skills and my personality are all I have going for me. Of course everyone wants a person with 5 years experiance and a degree.....to answer a phone and file papers? HELLO! I'm not knocking those who work in an office...I know there is a lot more to it than than but come on...it's not rocket science (or robot programming...I know how to do that, LOL). Anyway, I'm gonna work on my quilt now. I have all my strips cut out and ready to go. I WAS going to just cut half of them out and sew them and get some laid out quicker buit I am so anal about how I do things....I always do all the cutting and assembly line sew. Sometimes you just can't (or don't want to) change your ways.

1PM and ready to assembly line sew the rest of the blocks.Here is the layout of squares how Ronda thought I should lay theym out with more of the white and black. I don't know...I like more of the green I think. We will see...............

Personal Quiltathon 8am July 25, 2009

So my IWBLR quilt piecing is finally at a stage where I will see some progress now. The first stages where you are prepping, cutting and making small units like QST, HST and strip piecing seems to go on forever....then all of a sudden it is done. LOL

In my last post my friend Linda asked a few questions and here is the answer.

IWBLR= I wanna be like Ronda (K. Beyer)

She is the one who made this same quilt first and after I drooled all over it, she sent me everything to make one for myself, the pattern, the fabrics (same ones she used) and even the papers to make the QST. I am so lucky! It is not a rag quilt. It is a star pieced quilt and the white is just one of the fabrics in the design. You'll see!

IWBLR Progress July 20

Ok, this is the part of a quilt piecing that it seems like you don't have much done when in fact you already have been working for several hours, pressing, cutting, piecing, trimming and pressing. Here is a small picture of progress.

Still working on Thursday's list

Yes, I almost always underestimate how long these things take me. For instance, I did one step on the yellow brick road blocks wrong. 40 blocks! I sewed them, pressed them and UNSEWED all those seams which we all know take 4 times longer than sewing. I am almost done with those and will finish that quilt today I hope. I don't have any housework planned for today so I should get a lot done. We will see.

I am such a LIAR!

Well, not really, but I haven't gotten all the blocks done yet. It is 7:15pm and hubby just got home so I am talking to him. My stomach is cramping so I was relaxing on the sofa. Before I sleep tonight I WILL have the rest of the blocks completed and laid out on my design wall to be sewed together. I need to finish the top and get the backing together tomorrow for sure. Why is this such a struggle? I know why, because I don't feel well...UGH!

I am so BEHIND!

I got the first of two grad quilts done in time. Here is the grad with her gift. She did like it, even if she did stuff it right back in the bag and take it to her room.....KIDS!



















I started babysitting full time since the girls are out of school now. This is what the last day of school looks like around here.























I have also been sick as a DAWG for the last couple days and spent most of the time in the bathroom...all this to say I am terribly behind in my most important grad quilt which I MUST have done by next Sat. Half of it is completely pieced-It is a string quilt, but the other half looks like this: Left side needs one more row, right side is ready for trimming. I need to finish this. I am blogging about it because I am hoping it will prompt me into faster action. I have the house to myself since Mark went to a college grad party (his good friend's daughter). I begged off this one so I could stay home and sew. I still have a touch of the bathroom thing going too so I'm glad I stayed home. Jess went to work. I'll be back for an update at 4:15.

Progress!

Well I got half of the 2nd graduation quilt pieced. I am still making the blocks for the other half. 40 string pieced blocks. I am hoping to finish that tomorrow and maybe even get them trimmed by the end of the day. We are having a party here on Sat and the recipient of the 2nd quilt will be here. I had the first half laid out on my design board (that is in my dining room) so I needed to take it down. Instead of undoing my work laying it out I decided to put together what I had so far. I'm glad I did. I am at least half way done piecing the others.

My baby girl Jessica will be 21 in three days. I can hardly believe it.
These are some of my favorite pictures of her when she was about four.

Leg problems---Why I've been MIA

I've been away froom here for exactly a month. It could have been less and it felt like longer than that. I have had some problems with my legs and have done little of anything for weeks. Lots of pain and wraps on my legs meant I spent a lot of time on my butt w/ my legs up. No quilting or sewing to speak of and I am so behind right now. I have two customer quilts to do and two graduation quilts of my own to do so that means binding and all. One of them is due for June 6. Talk about procrastinating. I received my new Edgerider wheels but they haven't been put on yet. My friend is supposed to come over tomorrow to change them out for me. yippee! I am looking forward to it. So my todo list looks like this:

1. Quilt Martha's quilt (customer)
   
2. Quilt first grad quilt
3. Finish piecing 2nd grad quilt
4. Quilt Carol's quilt (customer)
5. Quilt 2nd grad quilt

I better get busy.

Smile and the world smiles with you!

Honey Mustard Chicken

Another winner and easy to make.
This is my favorite dinner and I make it a lot. The asparagus was a bit soggy. I usually always steam it fresh but it was super cheap a few weeks ago so I tried blanching and flash freezing and then using the food saver and put them in the freezer. They were soggy. I don't think I will be doing that again.


What is on your design wall? This is on mine.