More Christmas in August, almost September!

These little quilts will be part of an Advent quilt that I've wanted to do for a long time. I think I've had the pattern since the first Houston trip, 3 years ago. This is one of those things you just have to jump in with both feet. At first glance, it looks very intimidating, but if you know how to paper piece, it's not hard at all. They measure 3" but will probably finish at 3 1/2" with a small border and binding on each. They will fit into a larger quilt by inserting the corners into fabric tabs sewn onto the quilt. Sorry the picture of the finished quilt is on its side. It didn't look that way when I took the picture. I hope I can work on at least one quilt a night. It's getting late and I want to work on more of the instructions that Linda sent for enhancing my blog.

New toy!

Here I sit, on the couch in the den, with my new laptop on my lap! I can see I am going to enjoy this so much!

I have to thank Linda J. for helping me with creation of this blog. It's really not that hard once you understand what's going on. Wait til Robert gets a load of what his mom is doing these days! lol

Only drawback - I'm not sewing as much! That's ok. I think I needed a little break. Besides, that durn extension table is still not here. Maybe later today..

Monday!

The project this past weekend was a re-do. This picture is a wallhanging I made for a good friend of mine several, okay, many, years ago. Last Christmas she had it hanging at the shop and I took a closer look. It made noise when you touched it! I had paper-pieced it and had not removed the paper. Must've been one of my first paper-pieced projects. Plus, I did not like the plaid border I had put on it so I brought it home and took it apart. I took the borders off, removed the paper and put new borders on. Did a little free-hand quilting and I like it a lot better. Hope she does, too.

Speaking of Monday...ever had one of those days? I took Dad to Lubbock to the pain doc. Drove an hour and a half, walked into the office and let the receptionist know we were there. She looked at me as though I was crazy. "We have you down for 11 tomorrow morning," she said. I won't tell you what I said (it was really nice, although a little cranky-sounding, I'm sure). So, we used the facilities, got back into the car and came home. Well, stopped at Sonic for lunch. Thankfully, Dad was not hurting too bad, so I hope we can wait until next week to go back. The receptionist was adamant about the fact that she had called to let us know about the change and when I asked her what number she called, I realized she had called my old cell number. So, when she got the recording that said it was not a good number, she should've called the next number in the chart, right? That's why I gave them all our numbers.

Alright, so then I go to the gym tonight. The owner of the gym calls me over and says, "I want you and Judy (my sis) to write down what you eat for a week and bring it to me." Supposedly to make sure we're eating right since he's ready to take our workout to the next level. Let me back up a minute...We've been working out seven months now and have only lost about 12 lbs. I think he's ready to see a little more progress out of us. Anyway, I was not happy about the fact that he thinks he needs to "help" us along. I know, I should be appreciative since, after all, that's why we're there! It's time to take stock of what I eat.

I'm still waiting for my extension table. I just can't finish quilting a large quilt without it. I tried. I don't have enough support around the sewing machine without that table. I did not realize how much I depend on it. I will truly appreciate it when I get it.

Whew! Now that I got that off my chest...I'm so tired since I only got about 3 hours sleep last night. This menopause stuff is no fun. You'd think with all this exercise I'm getting, I would sleep like a baby. Maybe once I get my diet in line...

Birds in the Windows

I am such a sucker for a new quilt pattern! This one is called "Window Panes". The one I took my inspiration from was hanging at the Oklahoma Quiltworks shop where we had our "Quilt 'til you Wilt" session. My sister-in-law, Shanon, took one look at it and decided she loved it. The original quilt, though, had a garden of roses behind the window panes. But, I found this fabric with the birds (she's a bird lover) and could not resist it. So, Shanon, if you read this, pretend you didn't, 'cause it's your Christmas gift! LOL The neatest thing about this pattern is that when you cut the pieces as instructed and then sew them back together with the panes, the motif is actually continued from one "window pane" to the next. You can see that in the close-up of the birds. I'm hoping the border is not too loud but I couldn't resist using it since it was in my stash. You might recognize the fabric from my reversible quilt. Had lots left over. Time to let DH have his turn on the computer. Can't wait 'til my laptop gets here! lol

Another reversible quilt

These pictures show the quilt I was able to finish binding at the "Quilt 'til you Wilt" session I attended last weekend. I wanted to put a reversible binding on it and so I had put it off until I had a large block of time. The blocks are from two different swaps from one of my online groups. I love them! Since I quilted each square before putting them together, it worked up really fast and easy.

Since I've been home from OKC, I've finished the top I started after the binding was on the above quilt. I've also started another top for a favorite relative. Can't say who just yet.. The most pressing project right now is to finish quilting the mystery quilt top that I made at the Amarillo retreat. It will be a gift, too. Pictures of all to come later.

The hair business has been a little slow lately. Always happens when school starts. Soon customers will begin to realize they need perms to get them through until Christmas. These things are cyclical.

I'm waiting on my sewing machine extension table. My dear brother was loading the car with all our suitcases and accidently snapped the corner off of my old one. He was so upset but, like I told him, I was needing a new one anyway. Funny how we get so used to things. I've been piecing without it for the last few days, but will need the extra room when quilting.

I have started a new little venture. E-bay! I've bought lots of things from E-bay, but I have decided to start selling a few things. For instance, I sold a handbag last night! I was so excited. We'll see how far this goes...

One more thing, I am also waiting on a new laptop! Talk about excited. Since my husband has started using the computer, we find ourselves waiting on each other for 'our turn'. lol Plus, I'm looking forward to playing with my sewing machine's features that include hooking it up to the computer and downloading embroidery patterns.

Time to get ready for work.

Back from OKC

Oh boy! What a great time we had! In addition to spending the whole day on Friday, from 9 a.m. until 10:30 (we wilted before midnight), I got to spend time with my granddaughter, my son, my brother, my sis-in-law, and my niece and nephew and their spouses.

The picture posted is one of Cori and Zane with their wedding signature quilt. I finally got it to them a year after their wedding. Aren't they beautiful?

Anyway, back to the "Quilt 'til you Wilt" session..Deborah and I started in at 9 a.m. and worked on projects until noon. We then met my family for lunch at a local restaurant. We got back to the quilt shop around 2 p.m. and resumed our marathon sewing session. I was able to finish quilting a DWR tablerunner for Deborah (I owed her), finished binding my reversible quilt (picture to come later as soon as my brother sends me a copy), and I started a pink ribbon quilt top. I worked and worked on that baby until I finally had to quit. I had begun to put rows together and was doing great without a design wall until about the 4th row. I then realized I'd messed up the design. It's a simple one - solid squares alternating with four patch squares. I'll re-work it later.

On Sunday, my brother, Henry, set me up with my sewing machine in his computer room. I was able to get some quilting done on the top I completed at the Amarillo retreat. While my machine was set up, my granddaughter decided she wanted me to make her a quilt. LOL Okay, I said. We'll sew some blocks together. I sat her on my lap, she worked the foot petal, and we sewed blocks together and made her a pillow. She was thrilled! She wanted a little sewing machine they have at Target, but when we realized it's made for 8 year old and older, we (she and I) decided it would be best to wait until she was a little older. I want to be able to spend time with her when we do get her a beginner machine.

Time to get ready for work.

One more...

Thanks to my friend, Deborah, I tried a DWR runner using a black background. The rings are made with Aunt Grace fabrics and the corners are jewel tone fabrics. I really like the result! Thanks for the idea, Deborah. I am not crazy about the way my quilting played out, though. I used a black thread and maybe there was just too much 'light black' throughout the fabric. I can't describe what I don't like about it; it just doesn't look right to me. But, being a dark background, I think I can live with it.

I spent the evening gathering supplies and projects to work on while in Oklahoma this coming weekend. We'll spend a whole day and night ('til midnight) at a "Quilt 'til You Wilt" session. I hope to get the binding on a reversible quilt and the quilting done on the mystery quilt top I completed at the Amarillo retreat. I've slowly been getting all the laundry done and stocking the 'fridge for DH while I'm gone. All that and working, too. One more day to work and then we'll leave on Thursday morning. I probably won't post again until we return, unless my brother lets me use his computer...hint, hint. LOL I'll get to see my brother, sis-in-law, their children and spouses and my oldest son, daughter-in-law and my little granddaughter. That's Brittany in the picture with me. I haven't seen her since Christmas '05!

Time to get ready for bed. With DH on vacation, I stay up later than usual but get a lot of stuff done. Plus, going to bed later helps me sleep through the night instead of waking up around 1 or 2 a.m. Alas, I'm in the throes of menopause! lol

DWR fever!

I have finished DWR runner number 5 and have actually started on number 6! I also finished sewing the blocks together for my Chunky Churn Dash. But, the biggest news of the weekend is that I received my niece's wedding quilt in the mail from my friend in Tucson. I had sent the quilt top home with her from our retreat in Amarillo a few weeks ago and she made it a priority to get it done since I need to take it to OKC this week to present to my niece and her husband. I have it ready now for binding so I need to go get more black fabric to do that. I can't post a picture yet 'cause I want it to be a surprise for Cori. In fact, I want to take a picture of both of them holding it up.

Anyway, these DWR runners are coming along. I've posted a close-up of the quilting on the latest one. I really like the little hearts in the middle of the large section. Since I haven't been binding them the traditional way (I've just been turning them inside out once I layer all 3 layers then topstitching), I need to find out if someone has an easy way to close up the opening left when doing this. I can't seem to end up with a smooth, even closure. You can see where I did that on this picture on the lower right hand side near the point. I think it's especially harder since it's on a curve. When I think of all the arcs I've made, I realize I could've made a whole quilt by now! lol Oh well, that's next on my list.

I'm off today and so is DH. So, I think I'll go get him up so we can go to breakfast and get some shopping done. Have to do laundry and start packing for the weekend.

Is it Friday?

It's Friday and I haven't posted since Wednesday. Know how I know? My sister told me. LOL I didn't post yesterday because I really didn't have much to say. Other than it being Jim's first day of a 12 day vacation, it was pretty much a regular day. After going to the gym and fixing dinner, all I got done in the sewing room was joining some of my Churn Dash blocks together.

The picture in tonight's post is the DWR I made for Mom and Dad's 50th anniversary two years ago. Has it been that long?! Anyway, I just wanted to show you that I don't just make tablerunners! lol I used John Flynn's method to do this one. Quiltsmart is just so much faster.

Tonight I have machine appliqued the next set of DWR arcs to the background and am now adding the cornerstones. I really, really like this technique. My plan is to make a few more of them and have them at the shop for sale. Can I ask if $50 is a reasonable price? I have had a lot of ladies ooh and aah over them and some even hinted that they might like to have one.

The county fair begins next week and I still haven't decided if I'm going to enter some of my quilts. My first instinct is to say 'no' because I'm not going to be here on Saturday when we would have to pick them back up. I hate to make friends be responsible for that chore. Although, I do have several that wouldn't mind. So, if I enter anything, that means I need to get the binding on my reversible quilt and put sleeves on a few more. That, in itself, will probably be what keeps me from entering.

I better get back to those cornerstones. Busy day at work tomorrow.

Speaking of Round Robins

As I was getting ready for bed I was thinking about the RR that Linda showed us today. So, I thought I'd post a picture of one of my RRs I participated in. It was a Civil War RR. We only used Civil War reproduction fabrics. It is fabulous and this picture does not do it justice. I've been dragging my feet about quilting it because I don't want to mess it up! I'll get around to it, though.

Little of this, little of that..

Another half day at work, until 2 p.m, then a quick jaunt to WalMart. Once I got home I put the groceries away, had a quick bite and then my husband got home. Oh, he starts a nearly 2 1/2 week vacation tomorrow! How sweet is that? For him, anyway. I still have to work. But, next week I get to go to Oklahoma with my sis and dad to visit my brother, son and granddaughter!

I digress...so, a quick visit to the gym (about an hour and 15 minutes of cardio and weight training), then dinner and finally, my sewing room! I didn't know what to work on. Ever felt that way? I have so many UFOs that it's hard to pick just one. So, I made hourglass blocks to go with my Chunky Churndash blocks from an online swap. That's one of the pictures you see. Then, I started another DWR. I traced the arc pattern on fusible web, cut them out and pinned to the fabric I'll be using. Tomorrow night I'll sew them and maybe start applying them to the background. The other picture shows the black and white blocks from a recent swap. I think I'll rotate the blocks to form a cross with the darker colors and then use the reversible method after sewing four of the blocks together. I've been using the instructions from the book by Sharon Pederson, "Reversible Quilts".

Since Jim is off tomorrow, I think I'll sleep in the guest room. He likes to watch tv until the wee hours of the morning (through his eyelids, lol) and the light keeps me awake. We get to sleep a little later in the morning, too!

Thanks to all that welcomed me to the blog! Notice I didn't journal what I ate today? lol

Reversible quilts

Here's another reversible done with Crossroads to Jericho blocks swapped by an online group many years ago. They sat in a pile in my room all that time until I decided to do this. I really like the effect. Linda, I do it all by machine. No handwork at all unless you finish the binding by hand, but why? when it's so much faster with my trusty Bernina!

These pictures are quilts I made using the reversible quilt method. The pinwheel side is the "back" I'll post pics of other quilts I've done using this method as soon as I find where I put them.

To Journal or Not to Journal...

I'm thinking that I might try to keep track of what I'm eating. After 6 months of 6 days a week at the gym doing cardio and weight training, you'd think I would look awesome! Right? Wrong! I've only lost about 12 lbs. and have not lost anything for about two months. Perhaps I'm not eating enough. You know they say that if you don't eat enough, your metabolism becomes, or stays, sluggish. Since I'm working so hard working out, I really would like to get my diet on track. So, this is what I ate today....
Breakfast - SlimFast with flaxseed
Lunch - Taco Villa Meat burrito (oops)
Snack - handful of almonds, yogurt
Dinner - Weight Watcher Beans and Rice, slice of leftover meatloaf, 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes
dessert - 1/2 cantaloupe

See, no veggies! I've really got to pay attention to that. The meatloaf and 'taters were a little over the top, too.

After dinner tonight I finished sewing another DWR tablerunner and started on the quilting. I participated in an online swap for black and white blocks and received them yesterday. I like they way I've got them laid out on the floor and I may use the reversible quilt method to put these blocks together. I am finding that I get more of my blocks together when I use this method - quilt as you go.

Time to get ready for bed.

My blogging begins!

Thank you, Linda J, for encouraging me to start my own blog.

I put in a "full day this morning", as my husband likes to say I do, at the beauty shop and have come home to work on another Double Wedding Ring tablerunner. I have completed three so far and have another ready to quilt. These will be gifts for relatives that are celebrating anniversaries. I can see where this little activity, (blogging), might interfere with my quilting time! And, I still have to find time to get to the gym. A whole 'nother hobby I've acquired over the past 6 months. But, that's another post...