Time to check in!

Let's see... Need to finish the PJ bottoms for the class I am teaching tomorrow. Have to get the last 2 borders on a class sample so we can get pics by Tues. And another class sample top cut and pieced for same. Then there is the radiant sunshine and shadows top that is in progress (strip sets sewn together, need to press cut and make 9-patches then set the top together. Have the supplies for a bag I am designing, pattern is mostly written, need to do diagrams for it. And make a few "in progress" examples for a couple of upcoming classes. Then I need to decide on future class projects. For hand work I have the project for the challenge for one of my groups, probably a second one for another group (have to decide what I want to do..... but it is only a block. ) Always my DearJane to hand quilt when it gets a bit cooler, and the ever-present mini wholecloth I am hand quilting. (Have several of these to do to keep in practice, and when I don't want to have to think about what to do. ) Need to get back to my Quilted Diamonds and the second DJ I have in progress too.

Eventually I will get a bunch of other things done...... always seems to be a difference in what I want to do, versus what I have the energy and initiative to get done. sigh.

Pati, in Phx

On Oct 10, 11:26=A0am, "Kate in MI" wrote:

Here's a great (aka FREE) applique pattern website (with FISH)

ME-Judy

After finishing about 40+ neck-coolers for my son's "pumping crew" (old fashioned fire pumping wagons - the guys meet up 6-8 times a summer throughout New England to see which team's fire-pumper can spray water the farthest.)... I can finally start thinking about making a quilt for my OWN bed! Am considering several patterns (mostly scrappy patterns) and, maybe after the garden is put to bed, I can get started! That, and making a baby quilt for a new gt-grandbaby due late spring!!!! Don't know if a boy/girl yet, so will make an I-Spy type of quilt - have tons of small pieces / fat quarters that would work well. Just need time to sit back and make up my mind! ME-Judy

Working on a string pieced winter coat that I bought the pattern for at the NQA show in June. I can't believe I might finish something the same year I got the pattern. I have so many UFO's that I just can't seem to finish, so then I start something else, which then becomes an UFO. Even our guild challenge to get them finished only helped a little. We're having 3 challenges this year at guild, and I'm anxious to start on them, even though the main one isn't due till May! The first one will be placemats with a heart theme, due in Feb. There will be voting on the favorites--voting will be Dollar bills dropped into a can in front of each mat. All the money and all the mats will then be delivered to a local Meals-On-Wheels program for housebound seniors. The challenge I really want to start---one of the members brought a big stack of greeting cards , each wrapped in plain paper. We choose one-either Christmas or another holiday- and are to make a wallhanging based on the picture on the card. I got a winter one with skaters under a glittering tree. I've got loads of crystals to make a tree sparkle. I'm not sure I'll do the 3rd challenge. Do any of you remember the "telephone" game, where one person is told something, then passes it on to the next person, until everybody has "heard" what was originally said? By the time the last person hears it, it is usually nothing like what was originally said. There will be groups of 4. The co-ordinator will give the

1st person a picture. She than makes a wallhanging based on the picture. She shows her quilt to the 2nd person, than takes it back. The 2nd person makes a quilt based on what she thinks the picture was, and on till all 4 are made. It will be interesting to see the end results. Gen

On Oct 10, 11:26 am, Kate in MI" wrote:

Ready to have the Warm window Drape bottom hung. Decided we wouldn't use the top so it will be a 'flat' surface even with the Warm Window fabric attached. (less work for me)

Slowly cutting out 4 I Spy baby quilts with 6.5" squares this go round.

Finished putting in the fall garden. Sure hope it yields more than the spring one did. Have finished the Wedding WUH (Took pixs just don't have them up yet)

Slowly working on 3 separate crocheted afghans, weaving in the ends of the

4th (when it cools off more), and having to put together the 5th knitted odd-sized "squares" after I am happy with the lay-out

Everything else has taken a back-burner to these at present

Butterfly (with only one deadline of sorts)

Great site. Thanks. Gen

On Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:26:55 -0500, Kate in MI wrote (in article ):

I have a nine patch top that needs to be layered and quilted.

David needs a baby quilt for his new nephew so I've got a cute panel which I'm just going to quilt up. I found the perfect fabric for the backing on the shop hop, so I need to get that going.

The pieces for a "Wonderful 1 Fabric quilt" (from the book by the same name) is on my design wall and I'm hoping to get all the blocks pieced together in the next day or so.

I'm handquilting my bluework teapots.

And I've got the fabric and pattern for a dress for me. Fabric is being prewashed right now.

That's just the stuff I'm hoping to get to in the near future. I also have a laundry basket full of projects to make, projects that need to be finished, etc.

Maureen

What I am actually working on right now is the first of 5 to 6 graduation quilts needed for this spring. The top is now pieced, it needs borders, basting, quilting and binding. Repeat. (And this is kind of a surprise so no mention on FB please).

I also have 5 leaf blocks for my guild's block to raffle which I need to make before early November. And the September Carol Doak BOM did not quite get done yet.

There is my long term 1000 Pyramid hand piecing project. It has been on campus visits most recently as my DD tries to decide where to apply.

And then I have some quilts to tie for my guild's charity projects, the threads are strung so it is all about tying, trimming and delivering them to a member of my binding team.

We (that would be the royal we) are not talking about any other partially completed project which might be sittting in one of my in progress bins. Nor are we discussing anything I have in mind but not actually started. Soon we will need to discuss the wall hanging which I need for mid December...

Mary

Most projects have been temporarily suspended on account of Fudge, except for my pseudo-crazy quilt, which I have tentatively committed (pledged, anyway) to try to have finished (yeah, weasle-words if ever they were...) by 2012. Spent the weekend figiting with the first embroidery pattern (Bernina Designer v2.0 - yech! - I hope v6 is worth updating to.) I'm supposed to learn how to iron, cut & square off my foundation this evening...

Doc

Be sure to save some room for trimming a 2nd time. The foundation will shrink, stretch and warp - and that's just the good news. Polly

"Dr. Zachary Smith" Most projects have been temporarily suspended on account of Fudge, except for my pseudo-crazy quilt, which I have tentatively committed (pledged, anyway) to try to have finished (yeah, weasle-words if ever they were...) by 2012. Spent the weekend figiting with the first embroidery pattern (Bernina Designer v2.0 - yech! - I hope v6 is worth updating to.) I'm supposed to learn how to iron, cut & square off my foundation this evening...

Doc

I'm sure it will. I gotta start somewhere, and experience has always taught me to be as accurate as I can all the way through. It's also taught me that stuff's going to happen. If I start with as good a square as I can, that's the best I can do until stuff does happen, and then I deal with it, or come crying to RCTQ! 8^D

Doc

Remember my year long project of making 125 throw size quilts for the missionaries supported by my church? Well my friend and I have completed 101 tops so we are on the way. A friend with a computerized long arm machine is quilting them. Problem is my friend who was helping to piece the tops has moved to Florida. She continues to piece tops and mail them back but this leaves me with all the binding. I have to settle for machine stitched binding because it would be impossible to hand stitch that many. I am trying to force myself to finish one binding each morning before Mom gets up and a second in the afternoon or evening. It is amazing what I can find to do instead of a binding. This past week end was the Fall Missions Festival. All the finished quilts were spread over the pews in the Sanctuary on Friday afternoon when the missionaries came to register. Twenty quilts were chosen. Everyone seemed excited with their gift.

As for my own project I have planned a 50 block throw size from the new book "The Farmer's Wife". All blocks have been re-drawn in EQ because many will be easier to foundation piece. (the book comes with a CD of pattern pieces in PDF format but it is not compatible with EQ) Foundation patterns are printed and placed in page protectors. Next step is to choose fabric for individual blocks. Some fabrics have been pulled. The sashing and cornerstones will be chosen after the blocks are completed.

On the to-do list before Christmas is a throw for my youngest son (pattern and fabric ready to go) and at least a start on the wedding quilt for my older son.

We won't talk about the UFO pile.

Susan

That comes out to about 3 days/quilt, or a quilt every 3 days. I'm not surprised you're burning out. IMO, your problem isn't your friend who has moved to Florida; it's your friend who's left you without a project partner to work together with every day (or periodically enough to fill the need). That's a no-fault, but it happened. Rare are the individuals who work better in solitude over the long term; I think that's part of why quilting bees were started. I'm guessing that the work went a lot easier when your friend was around for mutual support. Is there anyone else in the church who can fill that role to get you through it? Best Wishes.

Doc (And I wouldn't fault you for modify> Remember my year long project of making 125 throw size quilts for the

well, right now i'm still in the process of finishing UFO's. and in the middle of a BOM for the LQS, just went Saturday to pick up the last 2 blocks i missed. Also almost done with a top for a wedding quilt for DS's friends in California. several applique projects to finish. an embroidery project to finish for Christmas. and am also re-arranging my sewing room, purging magazines (old ones), and books, giving some to local charity, some to friends/family. then i'd like to organize my stash in some kind of order. i did this a few years ago, but it's since gotten out of hand. i'm sure i'll be sending our Jill some fabric for the furbabies her way. it's so hard to really start anything to ambitious as my house is on the market and i can't really make much of a mess as i'd like. amy in CNY

Susan, what is your thread of choice for attaching the binding on the 2nd run? Today I used plain old Coats & Clark because that's what I had that matched. It behaved well and I believe is strong enough. I avoided the silk since I suppose the quilt might one day be washed with an Oxy-something that would harm it. I expect as many miles of binding as you've stitched that you should be our expert by now. Polly

This is a link to the Christmas Pickle pattern. It was a paper piecing class that I took at my LQS several months ago. The center portions of the block are paper pieced and then are surrounded by 5 smaller pinwheel blocks. I've chosen to do mine in blue as opposed to the (apparently) typical green.

The whole thing is definitely out of my comfort zone. I'm generally a much more 'ordered' person when it come to quilting. I supposed because so much of the rest of my life is definitely NOT ordered!

Kim in NJ

Hi Polly,

Are you referring to the usual laundering of silk that zaps the sizing/ finish, or is there some concern regarding oxy-tergents (specifically) and silks?

Doc

Don't remember all the details, Doc. I'll ping Pati. Polly

Hi Polly,

Are you referring to the usual laundering of silk that zaps the sizing/ finish, or is there some concern regarding oxy-tergents (specifically) and silks?

Doc

Many common stains are protein based - blood, eggs, lots of foods

As a result products have been developed that dissolve protein and thus rid our clothing of those stains. Oxy-clean is one of those products and is commonly used.

Silk is a protein. If washed in those types of enzyme cleaners the fiber is at least weakened and at worst dissolved.

A lady in my guild hand quilted a quilt with silk thread. Then, to remove the pattern markings sprayed it with a stain remover that works on protein and put the quilt in the wash. When she removed the quilt most of the thread was gone. It was a very sad show and tell at quilt bee.

marcella