Trip for 2 to Boston...

Well, Jan and I were finally able to clear our schedules and start working on the Trip for "2" to Boston quilt I mentioned some weeks ago.  (Jan found this pattern last November in a quilt store in Williamsburg.)  We'd already picked out all the fabrics last month, but had trouble finding a day where we were both free to cut, sew and iron.

The great thing about this quilt is that you work on it with a friend and you each end up with your own quilt.  One of you does all the sewing, while the other one cuts and irons.  At least, that's the case so far.   On Friday, Jan did the sewing and I did the cutting and ironing.

(Here Jan is trying to figure out what we need to do first...)

First off, we had to order our 15 fabrics.  (It's so important to keep track of their sequence when making your strip sets.)

We started with the 6 rusts/reds and made our strip sets...

We were thrilled with how they turned out.  Then we started on the strip sets for our transition...

Again, we're loving the fabrics.  (Of course, it helps that we both really like batiks.)  By now, it was time for lunch and a break for both of us.  But after filling our stomachs, we were back at it.  And after a good half day of cutting, sewing and ironing, we finished the final strips sets for the greens.

Each of these sets still needs to be sewn together to make one huge one that consists of all 15 fabrics.  So we split them up between us to finish.  And once we have them together, we still need to crosscut them before getting back together for some more cutting, sewing, and ironing.

But I think we worked well together, got a lot accomplished, and most of all, had a great time.  At least I know I did!

Until later...

Stash Report Week #10

March 5-11, 2010

It was tough, but I managed not to buy any fabric this week.  I just got an email from Fabric Depot not even an hour ago that I found very tempting.  I even added some items to my online cart, but fortunately, I closed it before purchasing anything.  There are some beautiful fabric lines out there now - particularly Verna by Kate Spain and Martinique by 3 Sisters.  But as nice as find them, I have enough projects to work on.  My UFO list isn't getting much smaller.

I also didn't get much sewing done this week.  My quilt bee started their sampler last week and our talented teachers (Janet and Jan) taught all of us how to draft a pattern, resize it, make templates and hand piece.  Wow!  They were busy.  And for all their efforts, I managed to finish my first ever hand-pieced block.

6" Mill Wheel Block

I'm pleased with how it turned out although hand sewing all the pieces did result in some frayed edges.  I also see from the picture that I would have benefited from a pressing cloth.  The middle square has a shine on it from the iron.

Other than this lone block, the only other stash I used was to make 6 different blocking cloths.  Janet showed us one during bee and I thought it was ingenious!  Why didn't I ever think of it?  It would have come in handy so many times.

I hope you can see the different markings on it.  This one is for a 6" finished block.  I've labeled the usual divisions of this block - 1.5", 2" and 3" as well as the diagonals.  Next time I need to square up a block this size, I can pin this blocking cloth to my ironing board and then pin my block to it to square it up.

In all, I made one for 6", 8", 9", 10", 12" and 15" block sizes.  I'd like to make one for 16" blocks, but I don't have a big enough ruler yet.

This project didn't use a lot of fabric - only about 1 yard of some canvas I had left over from making leaders for my quilting frame.  But I believe every bit counts.

(Here they are hanging up ready for me to use)

I would have liked to have gotten more quilting done, but every time I sat down at my machine, David showed up.

I find it impossible to free motion quilt when he's lying on top of the quilt.  Maybe I'll have more luck next week...

So to summarize...
Purchased-this-week: 0 yards
Used-this-week: 1 yard
Purchased-to-date: 63.25 yards
Used-to-date: 128.5 yards
Net used: 65.25 yards

Until later...

Smelly fish...

Can a post with the title 'smelly fish' go anywhere good?  I'm just thinking it's not a good omen...

For the last few weeks, we've been giving Gabriel some new dry dog food.  We've also been trying to give her some raw meat or eggs along with her evening meal.

(This is Gabriel.)

She's really been enjoying her new food and although she seemed a little confused at the raw meat in the beginning, she loves it now.  

At least she did.  Until tonight.  I don't know if she's feeling a little peckish today or maybe a little bit off her food, but we gave her some flounder for dinner.  Some very smelly flounder.  I know it's not spoiled, it just smelled kind of strong.

We put both the dry food and the fish in her bowl and went to finish a movie.  After a few minutes I see Mr.  Quilting Bug pop up from the sofa in a panic.  Never a good sign.  My first thought was that one of the cats was getting sick on the floor.  Nope.  Not even close.

Gabriel decided she didn't want to eat the fish.  She'd rather smell like it.  She took a piece from her bowl, dropped it on the living room carpet and proceeded to roll on her back over it.  And she ground it in good.  Both into her coat and into our carpet. 

We cleaned both of them up, but I'm still afraid of what our house is going to smell like in the next couple of days.  If you were planning on a visit, I'd recommend you hold off for a while.  I'm just saying...

Until later...

Stash Report Week #9

February 26 - March 4, 2010

I've already blogged about my purchases for this week here so I'll spare you the recap.  Suffice it to say my totals for the week are 7 yards.

I've also already posted the 26 pillowcases I finished as well.  Dear Susan is being nice enough to drop them by Wish Upon A Quilt for me.  I figure that used about 28.5 yards of fabric.  I also finished one of the doll outfits I cut out.

For my first attempt, I think she looks snazzy.  Her outfit consists of capris, a shirt, a sundress and a shrug.  All told, I used about 3/4 of a yard of fabric.

By the way, look at these cute shoes I picked up to go along with her...

Aren't they so sweet?

So back to my report.  The totals for this week are:
Purchased-this-week: 7 yards
Used-this-week: 29.25 yards
Purchased-to-date: 63.25 yards
Used-to-date: 127.5 yards
Net used: 64.25 yards

Until later...

Showers...

Let's play a word association game.  You know the one - where I say a word and you say the first thing that comes to mind.

My word is 'shower'.  Now your turn...

Did you think of rain showers?  We've had several of those in the last couple of days.  Or perhaps snow showers?  They've been on everyone's mind this winter.  We even woke up to a dusting of the stuff on the ground this morning. 

But I'm really referring to showers of the indoor variety.  Mr. QuiltingBug and I are planning a complete remodel of our master bathroom - due to start in a month.  We'll be doing all the labor ourselves (and by "we" I really mean my dear sweet highly capable husband).  But I'm a pro at painting and picking out finishes.  Or so I tell myself.

Back to the shower though...  Our new shower arrived in the mail on Monday.  All 450 lbs of it.  A special FedEx delivery truck brought it straight to our front door and unloaded it.  It is now sitting in various crates on the garage floor waiting for it's space to be made ready.

Doesn't sound a little strange to get a shower delivered?  And why does it weigh so very much?

That's because I married the sweetest man.  He did lots of research online and found out about all of the health benefits of steam showers and thought it would help my fibro.  (I really married a gem.)

Hopefully sometime in the next 6 weeks, all those crates will transform themselves into this...

I'll let you know how it goes.

Until later...

And yet more pillowcases...

I have just finished another 26 pillowcases to donate to charity.  That brings my total to a lot and I think I'm really tired of making them.  Or maybe I'm just really tired.  I didn't get a nap today and that's been known to make me a little cranky.  Or so I've been told...

In any case, I'm ready to move on to something else.  And I have plenty to choose from.  In between making the pillowcases, I managed to find some time to turn this...

into this...

which should eventually end up looking something like this...

 Hopefully in time for my niece's birthday in April.

And at the same time I found the fabric for the doll clothes, I also found the final fabric for the sampler my quilt bee is about to start.

Don't you think it coordinates well with the other fabrics I picked out?

I'd like to say it's because of my keen sense of color but actually they're all from the same fabric collection - Legacy Studios Ravendale.

I had another 50% off coupon so I managed to acquire this beautiful piece to add to my stash as well. (Remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.)

I'm now trying to find someone willing to bring my finished pillowcases to the quilt store to donate.  After all my recent purchases, I figure it's better if I stay away from any more temptation...

Until later...

A quote...

I just wanted to share a quote I came across that has really blessed me.  I don't know the author.

Don't allow the questions of your heart
to overturn your faith

Allow your faith to overturn
the questions of your heart.

Until later...