A clean machine is a happy machine...

Did you know you should change your machine needle with every project?  You should also clean out your bobbin case every time you refill the bobbin.  And finally, they recommend you have your machine cleaned at least every 2 years. 

But how many of us really follow these recommendations?  I'm usually pretty good about changing the needle.  But I'll also spend the extra money for titanium needles so I don't have to change it as often.    And my Husqvarna Viking sewing machine has only been in for a cleaning twice in the 9 years I've owned it.  It's a workhouse and I'm glad it's kept going.  I just find it difficult to part with the ~$85 a cleaning usually costs, although I realize that would be a better investment than paying for a new machine!  I'll have to put that on my New Year's Resolution list.

As for cleaning out the bobbin, I'm hit or miss.  If I have deadlines looming, I tend to forget about it.  But when I do get around to it, I do a very thorough job.  I take apart all the pieces and use my tweezers to remove every bit of lint I can reach inside the machine.  With my machine, I can rotate the bobbin case to get all the way around.  (You probably have to see it to understand what I mean.)  At the retreat last week, Tamah (who also has a Viking) began to clean her machine and so reminded me I should as well.  Look at all the lint I managed to get out!  Gross huh?

Remember each square on the mat is one inch!

Now back to the things I sewed to accumulate all that fuzz...  I started a pieced BOM (block of the month) last year through Quakertown Quilts.  There were 12 blocks in varying shades of white, red, gold and green.  I had finished all but the last 5 blocks.  At the retreat, I managed to finish those as well.

 

 

 

  

I enjoyed working on them even though they aren't really my favorite colors.  Each block finished at 12" so they would make a nice lap size throw by the time you add sashing and borders. 

However, I have enough quilts that size and figured a small wall hanging would probably suit us better.  I don't know yet what arrangement I'll use.  It will continue to sit in the UFO pile until some time next year.  

But I have taken a couple of the blocks and made a table runner for my SS.  December is the last month of the secret sister program and the time of our big reveal.  I haven't quilted it yet, but when I do, I'll take a picture and share it with you.

Now for the next step in the ugly quilt saga.  Just to remind you, my sister picked out a fabric she absolutely loves and asked me to make her a very simple quilt for her living room.  It's gone through several iterations and has been pretty hideous through each of them.  I decided to throw it out the door and start over.  I never felt comfortable with that design and I should have listened to my instincts.  I played around with EQ5 (Electric Quilts software) last night and came up with a design that I liked much better.  Luckily my sister agrees with me - so I'll get started on (hopefully) my final attempt.

This was the first time I imported fabrics into the program, but it won't be the last.  It was so easy to do and you get a really good idea about what the finished product will look like.  When I finish it,you can judge for yourself!

Until later, take care!

Spring Cleaning???

I know that there's usually a time in the spring when we're compelled to freshen up and declutter our surroundings, but my internal clock must be confused.  I've been feeling like I need to clean everything around me: the floors, walls, windows, every inch of every space.  Of course, I haven't done all of it (yet).  Perhaps if I had more energy and didn't pay for it afterwards, I'd be further along.  But I'm pleased with what I've done.  I've scrubbed our carpets and every inch of our bathroom (except the ceiling - let's be real).  Tonight I moved our living room around so I could scrub our wood floors in there.  The baseboards have never sparkled so.

I still need to do the windows though.  For anyone who's been to my house, you know that's a big task.  Almost the entire back of the house is windows:  2 in the kitchen, 12 in the sunroom, 6 in the living room and 4 in our bedroom.  And it's not cleaning the windows that's the worst part, it's cleaning the window sills.  You know the space between the window and the screen that gets filthy and is difficult to completely scour because of all the tiny corners.  That's the part I like the least.  Of course, the weather is going to have to turn a lot warmer before I tackle that task.  Hmm...  Maybe it will end up being spring by then after all?

Except for the label, I've finished the prayer quilt for Chris, my secret sister.  I had intended to add more yoyo's, but the prevailing opinion has been to stop where I'm at.  I hope when she looks at it, she smiles and knows that she is loved.  (Moses insisted on being in the picture as well.)

I finally manged to get new pictures of some of the other pets.  Sam found my bag to be a good place for a snuggle and a nap.

It's hard to tell, but she's is managing to lose some weight.  I also caught Michael giving me a smile.  Can you see her dimples?  I think she's looking good for 13.

See you later....

Quilt the day away...

This Wednesday we were at Carla's house for quilting.  She made an Apricot Danish and Blueberry Coffee cake for us to snack on.  Thank you Carla (and Bob); they were delicious!  I always enjoy getting together for quilting to catch up with each other and ooh and ahh over the beautiful projects everyone is working on.

One of our members, Susan LeHoullier, has her put her first pattern out.  It's called 'Colour Charm' and you can buy it at Thimble Pleasures.  Another member, Bridget, tested the pattern out for her.  It's very simple to make, but really showcases your solid fabrics.  Check out Susan's website, Seedlings Sewn, for more pictures.  She made it up in some hand-dyed fabrics and it's gorgeous!  I'm sure this will be the first of many.

I've finally finished quilting the flower quilt for Chris, my secret sister.  I've even finished the binding.  Usually at this point I would be done, but on this quilt, I'm now hand sewing on a bunch more yo-yo's.  I've made about 200, but can already see that I'm not going to attach even half that many.  Perhaps I'll send her the rest of them and she can use them to embellish a pillowcase or something.

Here's a few new pictures of David.  He just keeps growing and growing.  He's only 6 months old right now but he's already longer and taller than our other cats.  He's not yet fatter than the others but looking at his belly, you can see he's working on it...

Can you see the shine of his new collar?  He's turned into a little escape artist.  He keeps trying to dart out the front and back doors, but usually only at night.  He's a little difficult to see out there so he must now wear a reflective collar, a name tag and a BELL.  All the other pets appreciate this for different reasons.  First, he can no longer sneak up on the other cats.  This has allowed all of them to finally relax without worrying he's going to suddenly appear and tackle them.  And Gabriel, our dog, loves it because she can keep tabs on him whenever she wants to play.

Finally, it's helped us as well.  I can't tell you how many times we've accidentally kicked him coming out of the bathroom at night.  Now we have some inkling he's there in the dark.  Mr. QuiltingBug and I were talking just this morning that he's only been here for 2 months, but it seems like much longer.  He fits in so well.  (As I'm typing this, he's fast asleep on my legs.)

I hope everyone is enjoying the brief bit of fall weather we're getting now.  I'm even considering taking off one of my pairs of socks.  'Til next time...

One, two, three...

That's the number of crayons I picked in the Crayon Challenge.  Actually each participant chose an envelope with 3 random crayons in it.  The challenge was to make a quilt using only those 3 colors.  You couldn't add a 4th color, but you could use any shade of your 3 crayons.

My envelope contained Gray, Sky Blue and Atomic Tangerine.  I carried this envelope around with me for months as I tried to find fabrics that fit the criteria.

Last night at guild, we all showed off our creations.  I was surprised at the number of ladies who participated and completed a quilt.  I think Jan and I were the only two who hadn't at least partially quilted ours yet.  Oh well, it had to be somebody, right?  It was a beautiful show - well mostly.  There were a few color combinations that were just way out there.  Not the fault of the quilter; some colors just aren't meant to go together.  Looking at all the quilts, I also realized I'm really on an applique kick.

When I thought about my colors, my mind pictured a koi pond.  So that's what I made.  I call it "The Koi Pond".  (Can you tell I thought long and hard about the title? LOL)

I also showed my dog quilt last night.  One lady stopped me in the bathroom later and asked how I came up with the idea.  I thought about it and I have no idea!!!  I can't remember what I was thinking at the time.  Is dementia setting in already?

I also meant to show everyone the beautiful gift I got from my secret sister this month.  Her father made me a rolling pin out of black walnut.  It is gorgeous!  I don't really bake, but then again, I wouldn't use it to roll out a pie crust if I did.  I'm trying to figure out where to display it in my kitchen.  He's obviously very talented.

Also my secret sister made me the heart block.  I know from her letters she's married with children and works full time so I really appreciate her taking the time to make me something.

Until next time...

What was I thinking?

So what do you think of this fabric? Be honest, it won't hurt my feelings in the least. Actually, I didn't pick it out. It's for another challenge I signed up for on the HGTV Quilting & Needlework Forum. (I really need to show more restraint...) This is an Ugly Fabric Challenge - thus the picture above. The hostess picked out this lovely gem and sent 1/2 yard to each participant. (Yes, we actually paid her money to do this. The fabric wasn't free.) We have until sometime in Nov. to make something with it. It doesn't have to be a quilt and we can add any number of additional fabrics. The only rule is we must use at least 90% of it. We send her pictures of our creations and then we'll vote on different categories - like Most Creative. I have no idea right now what I'm going to make with it. I have so many other projects due before then that I'm just going to have to set it aside until I have some real time to dedicate to it. However, if you have any suggestions, send them my way...

I haven't finished any projects recently. Rather I've been working on a great many projects little by little. I had planned on sending my SS a black/white themed package for August but changed gears at the last minute. She's still in the hospital and likely to remain there for the next couple of months so she's not able to do any stitching. The longest I've ever spent in the hospital myself is a week and I was ready to go bonkers, so I imagine she must be stir crazy. So I decided to send her some things to relieve the tedium. I also wanted to make her a prayer quilt. I've gotten started on it, but I'll have to send it later this month as I won't have it completed by the mailing deadline of the 5th. Her favorite color is blue, so I'm trying to incorporate it into it. I found a Sweet Treat that I had in my stash that I think will work pretty well. (For those of you not familiar with Sweet Treats, they're 8 coordinating FQs packaged together and sold by the Pincushion Boutique.)


As I was pressing and cutting them, Moses was keeping me company. I have to be very careful when I use my rotary cutter around her because she's forever sweeping her tail in the way right at the last moment. I think she likes these fabrics too. (I'll take any opportunity to throw in pictures of my furbabies...)


Before I forget, I recently took all my quilt tops out of the cupboard and hung them with their batting and backing. I'm hoping that seeing them out in the open like that will induce me to get busy quilting them. I really hope to start doing that soon. My problem is I'm still intimidated by my machine and frame and therefore keep putting it off. I really just need to get over myself! Here's a picture of them hanging nicely on my garment rack. There are currently 14 there.


Well, that's enough for one night. Have a wonderful evening yourself. Until next time...

Zipping along...

Well, I've been to see the acupuncturist twice now and I do admit I'm feeling much better after the second treatment. I've been able to get some more sewing done this past week and I'm in a better mood. I finished putting together the Sew Unique Pieced and Appliqued block of the months from last year. I like the bird one better than the pieced one. I like all of the flying geese in the borders of it. There are 12 birds in it - all of them are supposed to be native to NC. I don't know enough about birds to verify it though. I did machine applique on this quilt because I didn't know how to do hand applique when I started it.


You probably can't tell from the picture but it's a little wrinkled in the center. That's because I soaked it after sewing the center together and it shrank quite a bit. I had some recalculating to do in order to get my border math to work out. I need to think carefully about my quilting design in order to hide those spots.

This is the pieced top. Earlier I mentioned I was going to try a different layout. But the fabrics are so different, I just though it looked too busy. So I went back to a simple layout. I think I'm going to quickly quilt this one and donate it to a wounded soldier. The colors are darker which I think of as more masculine and the size is right. My quilting bee is traveling to Ft Bragg in September to deliver a bunch of quilts to the soldiers. I have 2 ready and I need to get this one quilted and bound by then as well.


Last weekend we pet sit my mother-in-law's golden retriever. He's a pretty old guy and very mellow. His name is Winston. I just love his sweet disposition. My husband wasn't quite so enamored when he peed on the floor twice. He's potty trained; I just think he was suffering from a little separation anxiety. After the first day, he didn't have any more accidents and Dennis was able to see how sweet he really is.


You can see he's pretty big too. Surprisingly our youngest dog, Gabriel, became very clingy while he was here. She didn't like us sharing our attention with him. Of course, she's an attention hog anyway (but loveable). Whenever we would give all the dogs a bone, she would wait until he was distracted and then steal his from him. I'd give it back to him and within another 5 minutes she had managed to steal it again. She's quick that way.

Well, this weekend I want to continue to work on my Scraps to Challenge quilt top and make a purse for my SS's August package. It looks like she's going to remain in the hospital for another 12-16 weeks, so please add her to your prayers.

What a deal!

Or should I say deals? I used to mention to my husband how much I saved when I found a really great deal on something. His reply was to note how much more I would have saved if I didn't buy it to begin with. So now I just don't mention these great buys to him. However I'd be glad to share with you! (Now I'm hoping my husband doesn't stop by and read this post...) I'm guessing if you're a quilter you've heard of Hancocks of Paducah. I was fortunate enough to visit them in person earlier this year. The store is pretty overwhelming in person. I think I'd rather shop them online instead.

Every so often they add new items to their sale categories. I'm particularly fond of their pre-cut web sales and boy did they have a doozy of one recently. I managed to pick up some fat quarter bundles for more than half off. And they were ones I'd been tempted to buy when they were full price - so how could I possibly pass them up now. I just know you agree with me.

I bought the Robert Kaufman Imperial Fat Quarter Bundles in both the Antique and Spring colorstories. I also bought the Night & Day: Black & White collection by them as well. These fabrics are so beautiful and they feel just like silk.


You can also see a roll of the Bali Wraps in the front. They're the blue-green color family. Not too long ago I bought a set in the red family and paid more than twice as much. Ughhh!

Well after I ordered these fabrics for myself, I got to thinking how great the black & white bundle would be for my secret sister. And at such a great price, I couldn't afford to pass it up... So I went back and ordered one for her, as well as a few yards of juvenile prints that were on clearance. I know she likes these types of fabrics and I hope she likes what I picked. The FQ bundle will be for her August package and I'll save the rest for later.


And finally I went back and made a purchase to make into a Christmas present (I think). The Gypsy Rose bundle by Fig Tree was also greatly discounted. Won't this make a very soft and pretty quilt? (The fabric underneath it is for binding on another quilt.)


On another note, I had my first acupuncture appointment yesterday. It was very interesting. Did you know that they leave the needles in for a while? He used about a dozen needles and left them in for half an hour. They didn't really hurt going in and I was very relaxed during the whole thing. So much so that I almost fell asleep a couple of times. Unfortunately when I would jerk awake, that's when I would feel my muscles trying to contract around a couple of the needles in my neck. That was a little painful but not too bad. The worst part was when he took them out. I don't understand why that would hurt, just that it did. In any case, I go back next week and then a couple weeks later. I'm optimistic that I'll see some improvement in my symptoms. Until next time...

Anyone for some Sudoku?

Actually I'm finding myself more interested in the new puzzle craze, KenKen, lately. It's a lot like Sudoku but involves basic math functions. However, that has nothing to do with this post. I've been working on a black and white Sudoku quilt for my Secret Sister. I've seen the pattern done before and thought I should be able to figure it out for myself. So I tore off an old puzzle I had solved and went to work. It's a bit more challenging sewing the 9-patches because each patch is a different fabric and each 9 patch is a different configuration. I showed the finished quilt to my husband who said he loves it. Then I told him it was for someone else... However, one day I'd like to make us one too. In the picture, I hadn't sewn the binding down yet, but I've since finished it.


The quilt is 27" x 27" and each block is 6" finished. It only took nine 2.5" strips to make the blocks, with enough left over for the binding. All in all it was a pretty quick project.

Yesterday, myself and several ladies from the Threads of Friendship quilt bee took a trip to Thimble Pleasures in Carrboro, NC. (Actually the quilt store is moving soon to Chapel Hill - a tiny bit closer.) This was another quilt store I had never been to. They actually have a large variety of fabrics, no repro's though, and a little bit of everything in the way of notions. I didn't even try to delude myself into thinking I wouldn't purchase something this time. Good thing too! But I didn't go overboard. I found a couple of new Fairy Frost fabrics that I don't have and a couple of other 1/2 yard pieces that fit well into my stash. All of the 1/2 yard pieces were on sale too. I also bought a tube of Bali Wraps in the color red. I've signed up to make some applique flower blocks for a charity quilt and these will be just perfect for them. And the deadline to make them is Sept. 1st, so I need to start soon.


I also found an oriental fabric that I already have but in a different colorway. It's actually a gradated fabric. I tried to fold it open in such a way that you can see the color changes. I just need to find the perfect pattern to take advantage of those color changes.


And finally, I bought the remainder of the bolt of this one. I almost missed it because the bolt was on the floor waiting to be put up. I just fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. It has some metallic accents in it (which is SO me) and beautiful shades of blues and greens. I have enough to use this as the border and coordinating colors in the center of the quilt. It will be a fairly simple pattern so as not to take attention away from this gorgeous fabric. There's a lot of fabric I can pass by, but this one I would have regretted not buying!


I was so glad to get back to some sewing today and I hope to be able to continue tomorrow. I'd like to make my SS a purse to match her quilt. I figure I'll go with a black & white theme for her next package. I'll have to see what else I can come up with by the end of the month. My SS has had to go back into the hospital again - this time for shingles. She could sure use some spoiling right now!

Until next time, enjoy yourself! -Dee

Finished another project!

I managed to finish the mini quilt I was making for my secret sister. I mentioned earlier that she was going through I rough time, but I found out yesterday that she'll be in the hospital for another 2-3 weeks! I started cutting the fabric for this quilt on Tuesday night and sewed and quilted it on Wednesday. All told, it probably only took 3-4 hours to complete. I like the satisfaction you get from projects that come together quickly. I need one of those every once in a while...


I think it turned out very bright and cheery and very patriotic looking. It took 21 charm squares to make this quilt (excepting the border of course). Each block is 3". I also used the leftover fabric from the tote bag for the backing.


I only quilted in the ditch on this mini quilt because the fabrics are so busy, you wouldn't be able to see it anyway.

This past week I've also been sewing together a ton of pet bandanas. I had cut them all out a couple of years ago and then got sidetracked. I'm now determined to finish all these projects just lying around and have been stitching them whenever I get a chance. There are actually 5 different sizes for a total of probably 250 bandanas. I still have to turn them all right side out, iron them and stitch down the tops for the collars to slip through. However, I'm very happy that I've at least got all of them stitched together. Here's a picture of the largest size ones.


You may wonder why I'm making these. That's a good question. Initially I was going to sell them on ebay. But now I'm thinking I might donate them to raise money for spaying/neutering pets. There are so many animals out there having litter after litter. That's why my parents now have 6 cats living in their garage. And there aren't enough people to adopt and care for all these cats and dogs. I'd love to adopt them all, but that isn't feasible. If I find that I can raise more money by selling them myself, I may resort to that and just donate the money to the charity. I'll decide when they're done. Until later, stay cool!

Derailed!

My sewing has been derailed the last couple of days because of something the size of a flea. Literally. Cats + Outdoors = FLEAS!!! I've been spending time with the 5 kittens and mom that my parents rescued now living in their garage. They've been there a couple of weeks now, but no one mentioned a flea problem. Probably because they weren't getting bitten... For some reason unknown to me, fleas love me. Something about me attracts them. I probably have about 50 bites now and they've been itching like crazy. I know you're not supposed to scratch, but that's difficult not to do when you're whole body is driving you nuts. So I've been loading up on the Benadryl the last couple of days and have been too sleepy or too miserable to do any sewing. Gabriel has been having a tough time as well. The yellow flies here have been biting her. Go figure, they've left me alone.

However, today I seem to have turned the corner! The bites still itch but I'm handling it better and have stopped the sleepy medicine. I was able to get enough time to finish a present for my secret sister for July. I was going to hold off on showing it, but don't figure she'll drop by my blog. It's a tote bag in patriotic colors. It's large enough to haul a bunch of stuff.


It also has six pockets inside. I was going to put them on the outside but didn't care for the busyness of the fabrics together. So I just moved them to the inside and problem solved!


I've made this bag a couple of other times. Once for myself with a cute cat print and again for my mother. She's taken hers with her on her trip, so I can't get a picture. But here's mine...


I'm also hoping to make a mini quilt for my secret sister tomorrow. She's having a real rough time of it now and could use some cheering up. Fortunately, I have the charm pack that matches the tote. It's Red, White & Bold by Sanda Gervais for Moda. (Have I mentioned before how much I LOVE charm packs!)


Can you tell I'm going with a 4th of July theme for this package? Here's hoping I get as much done tomorrow as I hope to. Until later...