I'm back

I'll be doing general posting now.  I haven't done a lot of quilting lately - little bits here and there.

I support our teacher, Mickey Charleston- our meeting is every Monday.   Even though I don't often like the project - they're very old-fashioned - I make some of them - and it keeps me busy and interested in general in quilting.   The class is making a pumpkin today - since I made several last year, I won't make one now.  I am making the animal blocks that she is making.  They are from Elizabeth Hartmann's selection/quilt.  I've made a bunny and a fox, and have cut out another fox and a dragonfly.  I don't know what I will do with the blocks, maybe a hanging.

On Tuesday's, our friendship group, battGirls, meets.  It's my turn to host this week, and I'm afraid I'll need to swiffer :(  Bugsy is shedding!  I don't like to do it - the house cleaner does it just fine for me.  Not sure what my project will be to do tomorrow - I prefer to do something by hand - maybe put a sleeve on one of the halloween quilts so I can hang it!

The Modern Quilt Guild meets every month - and I always enjoy looking at what people share, even though I never have anything to share.  They have a social time, and I rarely know anything to say to people - just not a social person, unless it's people I know very well.  I finally talked to one of the members - asked what she did - she was a computer scientist too!  different field, but anyway...  I think back now, and talked about myself instead of talking about her - that's a bad thing, and I know that now, but didn't think about that then.  I am very passionate about my work, and expressed that!

I also belong to Flying Geese Quilt Guild - and they meet every month also.  It's fun to see what people share on show and tell, and the speakers are usually very good too.

Hopefully I will blog tomorrow too,

Bags of fabric

I've been going through my fabric - filled 5 big bags with those I want to pass on to others. I was stacking them on my cutting table as I decided which to get rid of, then realized that I couldn't cut/sew with them there. Some fat quarters are still in their original folds - bought for projects long ago.  I can still change my mind on some of the fabrics as long as they're here.  Now I can continue on my octagon blocks.

Snowmen

Our friendship group met at Kathy's today and worked on our snowmen - it's going to be awesome!  After we left, Kathy finished up the borders - beautiful!

I also worked on my UFO list.  There are 6 tops done.  Two of those I am quilting myself, 3 are ready to send to the quilter, and 1 needs the back made.

There are 13 works in progress in boxes - working to make the tops.

Also 13 projects with pattern and fabric, some are kits.

I just realized today that all these projects have all their fabric - and I'm still buying fabric!!  I guess that means I'll be starting more projects!  haha

I am going through WIPs and projects - and fabric.  I know I won't use/make all of them!

I'll offer them to my friendship group, then Mickey's class.  So I'll be opening boxes and looking at fabric - seeing which ones I can let go.  Fun.

Back again

I'm back - hopefully for more regular posts.  I'll try to make short posts - and not take too long and correct every word! ha!

Today was not a quilting day - very tired.  Mickey's class today - always fun - and nice after her month's vacation.  I had nothing to show over this month, working ON things but not finishing.  The Octagon quilt is going slowly - it is going to be beautiful!  I chose the blue kit that Cecile made - wish I had chosen the happy multicolor one, but it's hard to select fabric. I will be very happy with the blue anyway - it's displayed in her shop, and I love it.

Yesterday I read a post about organizing a sewing room - just up my alley!  The first item on the list is to take a before picture, and to list UFOs, then list quilts I'd like to make.  I'm pretty well organized already, but had never listed them.  I searched my quilt piles for the completed tops, and of course had to search ALL my quilts to make sure I'd not forgotten to put them in my quilt book.  Found finished tops - 6 of them - some to quilt and some to send out.  I ordered fabric for the back of one on craftsy - batik for 5.17/yard - 4 yds will be just right - $29 with tax and shipping.  Now on to unfinished quilt tops - some have been in boxes for years!  Found 10, and listed what needed to be done yet.  And there are 13 items in my closet with pattern and all the fabric ready to go - some are kits.

Am inspired to quilt - maybe tomorrow will have more energy.  Mickey wants us to bring fabric for the next block in our row-by-row, and my MQG gave us fabric to make our BOM.  We pull tickets to win all blocks made.  I brought my 18" hanging last week to share with the other members.  The members sure do pretty work.  Mine will get better - need more creativity.

Tomorrow our friendship group will work on our group quilt to be auctioned at the bi-yearly Flying Geese Quilt Auction.  The snowman face blocks are going to be great!

OK, 20 minutes - not going to agonize over every word.  Tomorrow is another day.

A whole year

Ha!  It's been a YEAR since my last post.  I vow to post more - really because it helps me focus on what I'm doing and document my decision-making.  This is what I've been doing...

At our holiday party in December, we had another quilt block race! We made this philanthropy quilt top in less than an hour!
  

The last Mickey class of the year     A workshop with David Taylor

         

In summer, several of us went on a road trip to a wonderful modern quilt shop in Temecula.  I got lots of fabric and the kit to make this table topper.
   

Our friendship group made this butterfly quilt to be auctioned at the guild show last summer.
I entered this spring flowers quilt in the show also.



Our group made friendship quilts using blocks we exchanged with our name and a quilty quote.


I've been focused on emptying my orphan blocks box.

I made these 16-patches from Wanda Hanson's blog post a few years ago.  Mickey suggested alternating the blocks with plain blocks and setting them on point.  Here is a mockup on my design wall:


These hand-appliqued blocks were made as part Mickey's class many years ago.  I didn't finish all the blocks for the quilt and didn't know what to do with these.  I like them for a table runner, and I'll sash and border it with the speckled fabric.



These two blocks were part of a Becky Goldsmith quilt class.  I didn't finish the rest of the blocks, so I sashed these and made a small hanging.


The 3D flowers were made in Mickey's class.  I found the perfect fabric for binding - I hope there is enough!


and here is our neighborhood egret!  I love the shadow!


Hopefully I will continue to post...

Sewing Machine Troubles

My sewing machines are not cooperating...

I went to our guild's sew-in today to make pillowcases for philanthropy.  I had made 12 pillowcase kits - using up some of my inherited stash.  They're old-fashioned but I think they're pretty.  I sewed 3 pillowcases at the sew-in, but it was hard going.  My baby-lock gathers, and I had to stretch the fabric seam as I sewed.  Very frustrating.  I adjusted the tension up then down but nothing seemed to help.  I  will take it to San Juan Capistrano to a fix-it shop down there that I've used.  Janet was making a zipper bag, and said she would help me on the next sew-in.

I did make 2 of Mickey's octagon mug rugs.  I used some of my new internet-bought fabric.  I even machine quilted a little in the center.  I also started machine quilting the witch quilt (at 2 am), and the Bernina's tension is off there.  I'm using invisible thread on the top and black in the bobbin, and the black shows as dots on the top!  I again tried adjusting the tension up and down but nothing helped there either.  The backing is black, so I need to match it.  I'll delay doing more work on it until I figure it out.

I need to find out and fix both machines.  In the meantime, I can sew on the Bernina I think.  The problem is using the invisible thread.  I will choose fabric for the 'Bloom' challenge quilt.  I should be able to make the blocks and decide how they're configured.

Progress

Journaling is a way of pushing me to work so that I have something TO journal!

So, I finished the paper-pieced house and tree at least - may work more on it another time.  But I FINISHED the 2 blocks I started.  Cute - isn't it!

At our guild meeting, we were encouraged to make pillow cases to put toward the million pillowcase challenge. Our philanthropy chair made 75 kits for us to take home and make.  I just chose 3 because I've never made one.  These are the easy turn-inside-out ones.  Here is my first one - that I FINISHED, didn't leave half-done.

I'm looking at ideas for our 'Bloom' guild challenge - here is an idea I found online.  I'm thinking about making a large flower off-center and petals here and there - or scattered improvisational as the designer suggests.  It's and orange peel, using a stitch-and-flip method.








One of our guild members suggested a group BOM block and will email us the pattern.

Well, it's a start, and I'm hoping to continue working in February.