Quilting Activities

I haven't got back to the sewing machine post op, I'm at the point where I feel I probably could do a small amount, but DH has made up a bed that is blocking access, but I'm going to ask him to change our bed sheets today and rejoin me in the bed! Once I've regained access I'll probably take several days of little bursts to do the block for the BOM club I go to, as well as trying to tidy things up ready to get a new machine.

I have a slight problem in that what I really need to do is to baste a couple of quilts, but I think I'll be up to quilting way before I'm up to basting. I do have two partially quilted that I could work on and I should probably make a list of all the other bits and bobs I need to do, including figuring out what quilting I'll do on the two I need to baste and print/draw patterns out.

Meanwhile, I'm plugging away and my Baltimore Album quilt, I finished a block yesterday and found my camera batteries were flat when I came to photograph it, so I need to do that today and will update my blog.

Tonight, it's my church quilt group, I plan to go, it will be my first time driving, I have pool therapy for the first time in the afternoon, so I hope I'm not too tired.

Cheers Anne

Pat, I just completed a top (sorry - forgot to take photos before giving to my friend/mentor to quilt) in a red-white-blue 'americana' theme to be used for our fire company Ladies Auxiliary as a fund raiser next Oct. We did a pinwheel pattern and the blue and red fabrics each had white stars and the white fabric had small white/white vine/leaf motif that was also in the red fabric (w/white stars). The backing is white with blue stripes and blue stars. All well coordinated, I thought. My friend/mentor will be doing the hand quilting. There's a nice 5" wide inner border where she'll be doing a series of stars (haven't seen that design yet). She does beautiful work so the 72 x 72 quilt should be lovely. I'm now working on hand quilting an oversized queen for my brother & SIL and working on a (king) block of the month at my LQS that will ultimately be for BIL and SIL. Need to cut down on the activity in the sewing room for a couple of weeks in prep for the holidays. Then it will be planning/piecing a queen sized quilt for a friend of mine for her 60th birthday. She asked for that a couple of years ago. Fortunately I still have a couple of years to get that done! It only took me about 2.5 yrs. to get the last queen done for other brother & SIL!

Kim in NJ

I'm having a hard time getting motivated to sew right now. I spend my energy t ime handling things for my friend who is so ill. Her daughter has been in town the past few days and that has required some of my time.

What I need to work on is this: I am in a challenge that is on the quiltart.com site where we are supposed to make a quilt that illustrates "The Voice that is Mighty Within Me" which means what motivates us to create and where does our "artistic voice" come from.

I have made three careful drawings and thrown them away. I made one serious start on a background and tossed it on the "cut up for later use" heap. I don't think I have an artistic voice. I just talk cuz I'm a busybody and opinionated, lol. I want to finish this q uilt very much and I want it to be good. So I'm thinking way, way too much about it which means I'll never come up with some good design until I get busy doing something else and forget about my "voice" design. Then it will come to me. LOL>

And that is what I'm doing. Sunny

well, I need to get into the sewing room and do some challenge things that are due in the next couple of weeks. But I am also involved in sorting/repacking and such lots of things.

Sort of long story follows, and one day it will be terribly funny, but not sure at the moment

A little background is needed here. We are currently without health insurance. Which means DH is without his Prozac which means he is not in a good mood at any time. (He understands what is happening, but can't always control his outbursts at the moment....sigh) While I was in Houston, he decided that "stuff" needed to be "organized" in a way that *he* could deal with it. Granted, there is a lot of "stuff" that hasn't been dealt with because of some of *my* health problems. sigh. So he started putting things into 66 quart plastic bins. These are a size I had started using for fabrics and such, and that is fine. But he put virtually everything in them. And somehow or other has managed to put stuff that was in the same place in different bins and stuff that was in two different rooms into the same bin. sigh. So I have to go through and sort/separate. Which will actually involve several different go-rounds to do. sigh. He also bought lots of smaller bins, 16 quart size I think, that he put "miscellaneous" stuff into. so those also need to be sorted out. And I am trying to find the things that I used to know were in a specific place. sigh. In the process I am finding a lot of fabric that I didn't know I had, or didn't know for sure where it was. So much of my "quilting" activity is more indirect at the moment.

Pati, > Enough about trolls already! Let's talk quilting. :)

Have you thought about being very naughty and seeking it out from one of these online places? Given he's been on it before, both of you probably know what to watch out for.

Anne (feeling very naughty and should probably get a slap for suggesting this)

Currently I'm washing those three twin size quilts I just finished. Then I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I'm working on some pineapple blossom blocks from

and I'm also working on blocks for the Galaxy Star BOM quilt. I think those are the only two I have in the block stage. I have a Three Bean Salad done in bright colors ready to set together and I know there are several hanging around here waiting to get quilted.

still need a prescription for it.sigh. Since it is generic the actual cost of the med isn't bad. But the doctor visit, blood work and so on is out of reach at the moment. Sigh. We are working on a solution and will see what happens in the next couple of days or so. Thanks for the suggestion..... it is possible.............

Pati, >

My school quilt club begins on Thursday. We make quilts for sick children and for community members who need hugs. It was a huge success last year. This year I have about 1/3 of the club boys too. Last year there were only 3 boys.

L>Enough about trolls already! Let's talk quilting. :)

Linda PATCHogue, NY

There's always St. John's Wort- I *think* that's what it's called. It may help enough to get him a bit leveled? The plus is that it's cheap and it's readily available over the counter. Good luck with sorting it all out.... I'm moving my stash from the garage to the little sewing room and re-washing and re-folding everything. What a chore- washing, untangling and folding those irregular shaped pieces is not fun. It's getting the time of year when I'd sure like to park my truck inside of the garage. It makes carrying in the groceries a lot easier, too, altho I treated myself to a little red wagon for hauling dog food bags and such.

Leslie, Missy & The Furbabies in MO.

The quilt for the annual Christmas auction is pieced, quilted and most of the binding is attached. I will have it done loong before next Tuesday, when it is needed!

My current machine project is assembling some plaid stars into a quilt top. It is my goal to have quilting well underway before my next guild retreat.

That does not be pushed aside soon as I need to quilt a wallhanging for my sister. I made it in a Carol Doak class last spring. It is from Carol's Mariner's Compass book. There have been several reasons for the delay in getting this done (3 graduation quilts...). The current issue is that I think I would like to do some trapunto work on it and haven't the foggiest idea what I'm getting myself into.

Mary

I'm so happy that you didn't HAVE TO move---but this is exactly what a move curtails:everything is ORGANIZED the first day... then the doors are opened to a howling wind and you're standing there with open bins...catching things as they go "flying" by, slapping a lid on, grabbing the next bin, and on it goes until it's moving day when the last little bits go into the LAST box that needs to be the FIRST box to be opened after the move. Only thing LESS hectic....having movers come in on Tues to 'estimate' the moving $ and then being there the next AM and start packing..........at least they WERE kind enuf to ask if the stuff in the wastebaskets was to go or go to the trash.

Guess I'm saying: pretend you JUST moved and now you're unpacking.... might make it mentally easier. Wish I had the strength to help you unpack

Butterfly (BTDT more times than I care to remember)

Yeah, I am glad we didn't have to move too. But not sure this is much better. sigh. It wouldn't be so bad, but for the confusion of what is where and with what. If I had done the initial pack up at least the same stuff would be together, and the bins would be labeled as to where the stuff was originally. sigh. At least I did tell him to leave stuff in the bags it was in, so projects are still pretty much together.

Pati, > I'm so happy that you didn't HAVE TO move---but this is exactly what a move

Picture this; you are packing a box--along comes someone else and 'sees' that there is room for the item they are carrying...never mind it has fabric, scissors, thread, etc and they have a LAMP. In it goes, box is taped and marked Bedroom Lamp and out the door it goes to the rest of the marked and taped boxes. Then you are at the other end.........do you know which box has the thread in it? Didn't YOU pack it....I started but.......... OR it's marked sewing room and you're looking for the bedroom lamp...

Take frequent short breaks to keep the BP down

Butterfly (just trying to ease the 'pain' of unnecessary unpacking)

I haven't had the chance to do much in the way of quilting other than look at the blocks on my design board and hope for time after the holidays.

Yup, that's what it's called, I think it's actually so affective that it's dangerous when taken in conjunction with other antidepressants.

I think if you looked hard enough you probably could get prozac without a prescription, but obviously it would be illegal, I think the reason this kind of stuff seems to be available via dodgy sites is because of all the problems surrounding insurance. Of course it's a risk as if you did have a problem with the seller, you wouldn't be able to follow it up.

Cheers Anne

I am not quilting. Oh my how I would like to be. I am sewing for Barbie dolls. Making clothes for the Barbies myself has a three-fold result. The clothing I can stitch is prettier, sturdier and a heap cheaper. The prices on those dolls is staggering, I actually have a picture of one for $ 160.00. Gifts for the shelter is a high priority for my heart. ¼" seams is going to seem very easy when I get all of these 2 inch waistlines ruffled and laced. Ah yes. Quilting time will come back. First I need to make some little faces smile. Polly

Pat asked >> So, what are your current quilting activities?

Howdy!

I spent the summer going thru' the scrap piles. Made 3 tops, got them pinned and waiting for the handquilting. Husband is quite taken w/ one that is full of triangles n a scrappy flying geese pattern; I don't think it's anything great as quilts go, but he raves over it, showing it off, to anyone who comes over. Tomorrow a woman named Deborah will have breast cancer surgery in Ft.Worth. I don't know Deborah but I do know & love her b-i-l, a friend from church. I gave him a soft, warm hug quilt, filled w/ prayers and good thoughts, to give to Deborah (I knew when I made it earlier this year that someone would be needing it). I've met Deborah's parents-in-law, also; delightful people, he's so Texan, it just tickled me to talk to him. Anyway, good thoughts for Deborah, may she be healed and wrapped in prayers & hugs. Now back to the quilting factory. ;-D

Cheers! (and Thanks, Pat; I was about to holler "Good night nurse!" and "For corn's sake! Who could tell this was a quilters group?!?" )

R/Sandy --did our 7th annual Cruise for Food 2 weeks ago; one of the neighbors said, "You're the one who quilts, right?" when we picked up the bags of groceries at her house. "Why, yes; how did you know I quilt?" She said I had the curtains open one day & she could see a quilt on the wall as she walked down our block. ;-D