Patience!

Yesterday was Jonathan's day off so I spent a little time playing computer games and then decided to get out of his way and headed for my private haven and my hand quilting.  Wasn't sure I'd get anything done but I surprised myself -

Block 72 - Railroad - 28 pieces

I also managed to complete Row # 15, the lower left hand corner of the quilt top.  I will now work up from that point - I'm getting excited here, I have 6 more rows to complete the quilt top and only about 20 blocks that haven't been pieced....getting there....

Bottom left hand corner - Row # 15

Today started out very early, around 5:55 A.M. when I had to wake Jonathan for work because he couldn't charge his phone last night.  Worked out well because it's about the time I need to take a pill.  Back to bed until around 10:30 and then realized today is the day I get to machine quilt!!!  YEAH!

As soon as I did my crossword and had my brunch I set everything up, including the big ironing board.  I pulled out Bricks and Mortar and saw another mistake.  No problem, I can fix it - so I start unsewing.  Well, I only managed to totally mess it up and spent the first hour just fixing what I messed up......patience, another new "buzz" word for 2014!  Don't think I didn't contemplate, yet again, giving up on this quilt but determination is the name of the game.....

By 2:00 P.M. I had put on two more rows -

2 rows on - up to 4 rows, only two more to go

Liz called to say she was going to come over with some hand sewing.  Now, I have to say I was more than excited.....  I know that's weird, but you have to understand - First, I am home alone most of the time and I really do love company, but more importantly, Second - When Liz and I get together it's usually to go to a doctor's appointment, or chemo or out to run errands, we don't often get to just sit & sew and enjoy each others company.  I was really looking forward to this visit.  She came around 3:15 P.M. and stayed for about 3 hours while I got the last two rows together and added them to the quilt....

 Quilt center done - now the borders......

Liz was all packed up and just getting ready to leave so I got a quick pic

Liz had just been so supportive the past 7 months (longer when you include the store hours she put in), always there to take me to appointments and sit with me through the tough stuff....good news, bad news, all of it.  It was so nice to sit like two normal girlfriends and just chat and sew....what a treat!  I hope we do it more often- I really enjoyed this afternoon.

Now, back to the quilt!  She left me at an extremely crucial (appropriate) moment.  Here's the problem.  This is what happens when you return to those U.F.O.'s, the "oops" moment. I know I am not the only one who has this problem.  

The first border is pieced in 2-1/2" squares of which I needed 114.  I wasn't sure I had enough fabric!?!?!  Sure didn't look like it!  Turns out, after I worked it out mathematically (took 20 minutes) I would be able to squeak out 115 squares.  Of course I had to do quite a bit of fudging the blocks to make it work properly and the darker squares met up at the corners but by 8:00 P.M. I had the top and bottom border on.

Top and bottom borders

It was the side borders I really had to fudge, that took awhile, a little unsewing and resewing and voila - sides were on......

All four borders on - Yahoo!

Tomorrow Jonathan is off so I can relax and forget the mathematics because the outside border is also pieced and I really think that I am going to be short for sure.  However, after all is said in done, I really love this quilt!  I really like the pattern and did not expect it to turn out this nicely.....I even have a quilting plan!  I love it when that happens.  This will all have to wait until Saturday when I go back to figuring out if I have enough fabric to do the outside border....we can only hope....I can't wait to complete this quilt because I have another one waiting in the wings (my project bag) that I am really antsy to get to.

Tomorrow I will get to work on the Farmer's Wife and hopefully get a few more blocks done as well as a couple of rows.  I am definitely on a roll here and am extremely excited about the progress.  It's been such a long time since I've been able to say that....

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

First UFO ......

My goal this week was to finish the baby quilt I was working on - Little Lambs.  I also wanted to try the Borders Made Easy on this quilt.  Well I have to say that I am more than a little pleased with the results.  Let me know what you think?!

I remember trying this product many years ago when I first started quilting and I think it may have been relatively new on the market.  Seems to me I spent an awful lot of time taking the paper out and it required tweezers as well.  I was not impressed.

This time I very carefully read the instructions, applied the paper with the adhesive strips, quilted using the suggested stitch length and my walking foot, and it all worked out perfectly.  This is a relatively small quilt and it took about 1-1/2 hours in front of the television (could have been semi- distracted) to remove the paper without a tweezer in sight.  It came out very easily with very little resistance.

I am going to do a meander around the smaller white border and then the quilt will be completed.  I've already squared it off, labelled it and last night I sewed on the binding.
Once the pattern is written up it will be kitted and in the store ready for consumer consumption!  Can't wait to share it with everyone......

My next project(s) for this New Year of 2013 are to quilt my Amish Shadow - which has been layered, pinned and waiting very patiently.  My plan is to use Golden Threads Quilting Paper to do a half feather in the black triangles, straight quilt matching the colours in the striped triangles, feathers in the black border and two half feathers in the cornerstones.  It will take awhile but I hope to get started in the next few days.

Then I need to finish my Urban Pods quilt top - will be teaching the technique on the 22nd and 26th of January so it would be nice to have something to show.....

Mine looks absolutely nothing like the actual pattern.  First I used only two colours and two solids and I believe I had mentioned before that I cut it wrong.  However I do like the way it is turning out and in the scheme of things will like pretty awesome anyway.....

Last project for the time being is my Mystery Quilt for the end of March - I'm really excited about that one as it is my own design and I'm going to get to use up a fabric I had purchased years ago to make a quilt for my mom.  Unfortunately she's gone now but I will cherish this quilt for me as the colours are some of my favourites as well....

Will keep you posted on progress -except for the mystery quilt of course!  You'll have to wait for the end of March to see that one!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Enter 2013.......

First, I would like to wish everyone a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

I personally have cancelled 2012!  I'm sure you can all understand why - and I hope to make 2013 a year of accomplishment if nothing else.  I believe that is my only resolution - to accomplish my goals....it's a big resolution, nevertheless, one I intend to keep!

You set your goals, big and small, and you reach for the finish!

My first goal is a relatively small one - to complete the baby quilt I started the other day.  I began quilting it on Sunday and have almost completed half of it.  I designed my own quilting pattern, which I will include in the pattern I am writing and also did some free-hand quilting - I'm not sure which of the three pictures below shows it the best but it is a heart in a heart which I've marked with white chalk, it works out to be continuous line quilting which is nice because I truly hate patterns that are not continuous.  I like the quilting to be relatively easy and flow.....

The free motion quilting begins with a heart in the white cornerstones and then a version of a vine and leaf pattern with the leaves in the design of a heart as well.  Will have to take that into account when I give this pattern it's final name.

I have decided to do some meandering in the first border (white) and then use Borders Made Easy #102 to complete the larger border (pink).  Once I've done the quilting I will post a picture.

I have to say - it's been quite a while since I've sat down at "Bernie" (my Bernina) to do any serious quilting and I have missed her.  She does such a lovely job.  I am using the Mettler variegated thread and I am very, very happy with it.  So far it has not let me down.  This is the first time I've chosen this thread to quilt with.  I usually use the regular Mettler cotton but I wanted to try the variegated and also it was the look I chose for this quilt.

It's a baby quilt so I don't want to "over" quilt it - it would be too heavy and I have used a baby flannel as the backing.

I need to start 2013 as I start every year, making a list of things I have to do tomorrow!  Not sure how long that will last this year but as I just told my son - I need to take at least 3 of me to work tomorrow for everything that I want to accomplish.....

Have a great day everyone and I hope to see you all in the New Year!

Jo-Ann

It can't be.....

I can't believe it's been that long since I posted anything on "my blog"!!!  It's not like I haven't been working on anything or doing something?!!!  Hmmm - maybe I fell asleep for a month!

Anyway - I did want to share my latest project - soon to be a pattern and a kit at Cock-A-Doodle Quilts.

Sometimes it's a fabric that inspires the design and in this case that was exactly what happened.  These little sheep had been living in the store for awhile and could not find a place to go so I thought I would find them a home - so here they are frolicking in between pink sashings and white cornerstones -

 As you can see they are cute little things and I've marked the quilt squares with hearts to quilt.......

 I managed to layer and pin this afternoon, yes pin!  Okay - you want to know why I don't spray baste a small quilt like this - the quilt measures around 42" x 48".  I have used spray baste in the past for small quilts but honestly I don't feel I have control of all three layers when I spray baste.  With pinning I am able to manipulate all three layers or if necessary one layer at a time to make sure there is no bunching on the back of the quilt.  I find once it's sprayed it is hard to move the fabrics when they or if they start to bunch!  May be just me but I feel more in control this way....

 I have also picked out some really cool variagated Mettler thread - 4820-9912 which appears to be a pink - white - grey/green and should look awesome on the quilt......

Now if I can keep my eyes open when I get home I may get started on the quilting tonight.  That would be nice.

I had three days off this week and all I did was sleep and read and sleep and knit and sleep and read......you get the picture!  I know I needed it and finally I am no longer suffering from chronic sciatica but I really feel like I accomplished nothing so on Thursday night when I came home and whipped this little baby quilt up I had to wonder why I can't be more like that more often!  Not too sure what the answer is there except that my energy levels appear to be very sporadic!

Looking forward to tomorrow (day-off) and Tuesday (day-off) and I'm putting no pressure on myself to get anything done!  Work at my own pace and take it slow - slow and steady win the race!  Oh forget it!  Seriously - would like a hit of adrenaline about twice a day to get everything done that is on my mind (or list) each day!

Okay - off to get another coffee (doesn't help) and then home!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Sew she grows!

The newsletter is out, classes are filling up and I still find myself short about 10 hours a day.  I had two days off this past weekend and did NOTHING!  I mean nothing!  I've been told that it was probably what I needed but still I felt guilty...with so much to do and so many projects on the go,  I really felt like I should have done something, anything, to keep up with myself.

I guess I gauge my output by my quilting which is probably not fair.  However, truth be told Rich and I managed to get quite a load of stuff out of the storage unit over the past week.  We want to give up the space and so now the boxes from the basement (from the townhouse and the last move) are finally being dealt with.  It's amazing what I've found, and to think all the stuff that was left behind.

Tuesday I worked at the store and came home to work on more boxes but I also managed to work on Lithia Park - there are 12 blocks sewn together with sashings!  It's slowly growing and since tomorrow night is "Don't bring your machine a.k.a. Applique Club" at the store I will be able to work on the last 2-1/2 blocks for the centre.  Here's what it looks like so far.....

 Lithia Park - 12 blocks and growing.....

It's  funny how when I work all day I can come home and just keep going but when I'm home for the day - I get nothing done!  At any rate I had to progress on this project in order to make room for my next project which is my 9 Patch Exchange blocks.

When I had my sewing room in the house this would not have been an issue as I just would have relocated the Lithia Park project but in the apartment I have limited space available so I really have to be more organized.  Don't get me wrong, my quilting is spread out throughout the apartment but because I share the living/dining room with Jonathan, I have to make sure I don't leave things lying around where they can be misplaced or moved.  A little frustrating but it works because I seem to move forward on projects faster.

So, I chose some fabrics for my first 4 blocks for the exchange.

 Fabrics for April (yes I'm behind) and May blocks.....

This gave me the opportunity to try out a few new products we have in the store.  When it was suggested that we host the 9 Patch Exchange, I was alerted to some great products that would insure accuracy in piecing these blocks.  So - I will try to take you through the process step by step here.

 First, a product called Cutting Edge....plastic strips that mark the underside of the ruler.

 The blocks are 3-1/2" blocks so I needed to mark the 1-1/2" on the rulers underside.

First I straighten the fabric....

 Then I butt the straightened edge along the plastic strips marked at 1-1/2" - and cut my strips.

 Fabric one, then fabric two.....

 Check out the markings, perfect 1-1/2" strips.....now we move to the sewing machine.

 The next product is called sewing edge!  (You can use a few layers of painters tape here instead)

 I take my 3-1/2" ruler and with my needle measure the 1/4" on my machine - then adhere a strip of the sewing edge tape which is about a 1/16" of an inch thick.

 You can cut these tapes but I chose to mark the machine and the table giving me a longer edge.  Then I stitched my first strip.

 Check the perfect 1/4" seam - I was thrilled!  So far, so good!

 The blocks worked out to exactly 3-1/2" - Voila - precision piecing!  To see my pinning method - look up Molly's Meadow on this blog - I give a demo there.

...and my second set of perfect 3-1/2" blocks!

I'm going to try posting this to the Cock A Doodle Quilt blog as a Tutorial Page shortly so you can refer back to it.  Hopefully I will be able to do it - I'm so not a techie!  FYI - you can use painters tape to do either of these things but I have to say I love the ease of these two products and they are both reusable and very accurate.....  

I've also been pretty busy designing quilts - a new mystery quilt for August and a Charm Square quilt as well as a quilt to use up my 9 Patch Exchange blocks.

Okay time for bed - a little reading, then some much needed sleep!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann  

...

Looking forward....

...to getting home tonight so I can work on something I haven't been able to work on for months.  I have a top to complete on my machine and I did want to layer my Amish Shadow but I also thought I might get some time to spend on Lithia Park.

Part of it is done so I'll just be adding blocks but I'd really like to get some of it done.  So like - how many hours are in a day, 'cuz I thought I might work on the newsletter and add a new design to last week's mystery quilt.....ugh!

Okay want to make it home before the skies open up so.....

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann