This is who I am

Fiddling

Posted on July 6, 2013 by Terri | 1 comment

I am not in the mood to sew today. I went to bed last night trying to figure out why the second signature block I made, doing it exactly the same way I did the first, is too small. I tend to think on things for a while when I’m trying to puzzle things out, and thought I had it figured out this morning. I changed the way it was ironed, hoping that would help. It did. Some. I suspect it is the flying geese that’s throwing it off. So, instead, I fiddled!

The signature blocks are made with 4 flying geese and I’ve never been expert at them. So I decided to fiddle around with my scraps and a new tool. Deb Tucker’s Wing Clipper. I haven’t watched the video yet, but I have followed the written directions that come with the ruler, step by step, using some of the scraps from the block I shared yesterday.

The larger ones I trimmed using the ruler. Excellent and perfect…hear my heart sing! The smaller ones, I trimmed free-handed and they are not perfect, but they made me go “awwww.” I have no idea what I’ll do with the smaller ones, but the larger ones I’m going to save for a miniature quilt. I plan on adding more of the larger size using the scraps from the rest of the signature blocks I need to make, plus if I mess up, I can use the Wing Clipper to trim then down to a size that is perfect.

Here’s where I’m bogged down, though. I am so math challenged, which is so funny to me since there is so much math in quilting! 😆 I can’t seem to figure out what size squares to start with to end up with the 2 x 3-1/2″ size geese I need for the signature block! I know that they need to go with the 2″ squares that I’m cutting for the corner pieces (brown in my previous block), but I just can’t get my brain to go to where I need to start to get them to where I can cut them down to that size.

I did see in the comments where someone said they were trying to figure out where to start to get to the same size, so I may try emailing Deb Tucker and asking her.

The other thing I have been fiddling with lately is a Quilter’s FabriCalc. We have them at work, and I brought one home to read the manual and learn how to use it. I love it! and ordered one for use at home and am expecting it to arrive any minute now.

1 Comment

Posted in And They Sinned, Quilting, Signature Swap

Some days contain good and bad

Posted on July 5, 2013 by Terri | 2 comments

I hate growing older. There are so many things that can go wrong to cut into precious “to-do” time. I’m not a hypochondriac by any stretch of the imagination but I do worry sometimes about illnesses suffered by long gone family members and how it can affect my own health. I also dislike strongly not being able to talk to family members about my own health concerns. My family has never been one to share things, plus I live very far away from them (my choice). Sigh. I also tend to let my imagination get away with me sometimes when the doctor orders certain tests. Anyway, I got my blood work results back today from a couple of weeks ago and I’m a-okay in everything. There are a couple of areas that I’m trying to make better but it was a rough couple of months and I may have splurged on some sugar a bit here and there 😉 so instead of blood sugar levels being better they were the same as they were the last time she tested. However, she also ordered some more blood work and ordered me a referral based on a conversation we had this morning following her “How have you been feeling” question. I hate getting older.

So that was the bad part of my day.

I’ve spent the majority of the rest of the day in my studio. I had hoped to finish up on the gift but I don’t have enough of the binding material to finish. I’ll pick up some more Tuesday when I go to work.

Speaking of work, I’m having fun with it! This past Tuesday I cut so much fabric for customers that I truly thought my arm was going to fall off at the end of the day. The next day it was sore! I’m still doing a little following around, but am feeling more comfortable helping customers on my own. Got my first paycheck too 😉

But I digress. After I ran out of material for my binding, I turned to cutting fabric and piecing a signature block for an exchange I’m signed up for. I’ve never done anything like this before and it’s rather intimidating to think that I need to make 59 of these 6 1/2″ blocks.

I have a couple of baskets of scraps I’m using so none of them will look the same. I have until September to get them all finished and I’m trying to make 5 a day.

2 Comments

Posted in Health, Life, Quilting, Signature Swap, Studio, Work

Beginning of the end

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Terri | 4 comments

July always reminds me that the year is half over and I need to get serious about what has been on my annual to-do list.

By this time of year, for the past couple of years, I’ve been working on patriotic designs. The first year, I stitched Memorial Day through September 11. Last year, I stitched Memorial Day to just past July 4th before switching to Mary Wigham. This year, I’ve been doing so many other non-stitching things that I never got around to starting patriotic stitching! It has been in the back of my mind to start something on July 4th, but now that it’s on top of me I don’t want to. I have so many xsWIPs and I know I shouldn’t be starting anything else, but (there’s always a but) I’ve decided to join an Elizabeth Sheffield (Scarlet Letter) stitchalong on August 1. This means I have a month to get all the supplies together and get my stitching act together. For the past 6 weeks or so I’ve only stitched when I’ve been at the LNS for our open stitch-in and that needs to stop if I want to get And They Sinned done.

I’m also becoming more and more involved with quilting instead of stitching and wonder if I should just give up stitching altogether for awhile, but then I realize how much I love it and figure I’m just going through a little slump. If I wanted to give it up altogether I wouldn’t look forward to Thursday nights and the stitching I do then, right?

So, I’ve decided to go through my to-do list I made at the beginning of the year and clean it out of anything that I know I realistically won’t get to. The rest of the things that are on that list (2013 Jul-Dec) are going to be stitched on in a mini-rotation. If no other stitching happens, I’m at least going to rotate taking them with me to the LNS on Thursdays.

4 Comments

Posted in Goals

Get it done in July

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Terri | Comments Off

I never made a post about what I wanted to accomplish in June, but I did have a written list. I wasn’t 100% successful, but got a lot done.

1. ~~Move all fabric from drawers to cabinets~~
2. ~~Rearrange bookcases~~
3. Finish organizing studion- still need some shelves
4. ~~Organize quilting projects~~
5. Finish quilting gift project – just need to finish binding
6. ~~Cut 160 squares for Son’s Quilt~~
7. Sew Scarlet House pin pillow – didn’t even pull it out
8. ~~Continue on And The Sinned~~
9. ~~Prepare Caramel Corn for sewing~~

For July, I’m keeping it easy since I’ll be traveling and I’ve started working part time:

1. Finish organizing studio
2. Finish binding gift project
3. Start cutting sashing for Son’s quilt
4. Sew Scarlet House pin pillow
5. Continue on And They Sinned
6. Finish applique on Caramel Corn
7. Cut fabrics for hexagons

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Posted in Goals

Time for a design wall

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Terri | 2 comments

I finally finished cutting and preparing all the blocks I need for JMLW Caramel Corn. I still need to stitch them down and am trying to wait until my trip later this month.

This is the layout, but not where the blocks will end up. I was looking at the size so laid them out.

This also proves to me that I need to bump up my need of a design wall. For these smaller projects I’ll make a smaller, portable one, but I really need to get the larger one put together before I start piecing Son’s quilt.

2 Comments

Posted in Caramel Corn, JMLW2013, Quilting

More Caramel Corn

Posted on June 30, 2013 by Terri | Comments Off

The Tour de France started yesterday. We DVR it, but since we normally get up early anyway we start watching over a cup of coffee and fast forward through the commercials. Normally we are not far behind going “live” by the end of our watch. This “interferes” with the time I spend in my studio, but I don’t mind since I’m really enjoying watching.

I live in Arizona. This is what I hid from yesterday

It actually got up to 121! Perfect sewing weather.

With NASCAR being rained out yesterday I enjoyed listening to it this morning after TdF while finishing preparing the “x” blocks of Caramel Corn.

I also got the “slices” from yesterday glued down. Since I stand while doing this it’s tiring to my back and I have to take frequent breaks. I now need to get the “half slices” and “quarter slices” prepared since I’m traveling by plane later this month and they’ll make a great handwork project for the plane.

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Posted in Caramel Corn, JMLW2013, NASCAR, Quilting

Sunday Stash Report

Posted on June 30, 2013 by Terri | 4 comments

160 5″ squares for Son’s quilt = -4.5

JMLWClub Caramel Corn 5 “x” blocks, 5 “slice blocks” = -.56

Olde World Quilt Shoppe trip = +1.0

Pre-cuts Collection For A Cause Historical Blenders = +7.0

Fabric added this week: 8.0
Fabric used this week: ~~4.5~~ 5.06
Fabric added this month: 35.25
Fabric used this month: ~~9.0~~ 9.56
Fabric added this year (April – present): 79.375
Fabric used this year (April – present): ~~9.0~~ 9.56

~~Scratching my head to figure out how to calculate JMLW Caramel Corn fabric usage~~. Figured it out and adjusted totals.

4 Comments

Posted in Sunday Stash Report

Quilting can get messy!

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Terri | Comments Off

I spent the morning pulling my hair out, using my seam ripper, and binding. I’m working on a small project and I cannot believe how hard it is to bind something small! I will ~~try to~~ never complain about binding a quilt again!

After a quick lunch, short read, and mini-catnap downstairs I came back up and decided to work on my JMLW Caramel Corn. This project is the reason behind my taking the applique class last month. It calls for needle turn applique but it hurts my hand and so I decided to do the P3 method.

Behold the mess I made making 2 of the blocks

The block on the left will have the “x” portion appliqued, and the block on the right will have the “slices” appliqued. I still haven’t stitched them down. Only 11 x’s, 6 slices, 10 “half” slices, and 4 “quarter” slices to go 😉

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Posted in Caramel Corn, JMLW2013, Quilting

160

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Terri | 2 comments

I finished cutting the 160 5″ woven homespun plaids needed for Son’s quilt. I had several fabrics that I didn’t use so I’m hoping to incorporate some of them into a border or in the backing.

Next step is to cut 2 1/2″ strips, after I finish binding my gift 😉

2 Comments

Posted in Quilting

Sunday’s Stash Report

Posted on June 23, 2013 by Terri | 2 comments

Bit by bit the little things are getting accomplished in my studio and I’m so happy to be at the sewing machine again! I have one major “stuff dumping ground” I need to tackle but that’s going to need a trip to the Container Store this coming week. I also still need some shelving put up and some drawer dividers, but it’s getting there.

Since I finally have all my fabric in one place I can really start using my stash. I may just approximate what I have by eyeballing it some time this week.

But for this week….

Stash in:

This past week was my Jo Morton Little Women Club meeting and while I always buy fabric when I’m there, I have been trying to use some of the fabric I already have in my stash for the monthly projects. But this month I knew immediately upon seeing the project that I would be buying new-to-me fabrics for it. While the sampler colorway was predominately 3 colors, the quilt was scrappy. I’ve decided to use the same 3 fabrics only in this one so I had to shop. I did get lucky to buy end of bolts for a couple so saved a bit of money.

The black fabric is the background, borders, binding, and backing. The red and cream fabrics will be pinwheels centers in a cross-hatch. This adds 2.875 yards.

I also snagged a much coveted FQ bundle of Jo’s new Prairie Rose fabrics. These were sold in limited quantity to shop owners who attended the last market, otherwise, the fabric is only supposed to be available in the Prairie Rose BOM starting in November. I’ll confess right here and now that I’ve signed up for it but only because my JMLW Club will be over then. Another 4 yards.

I have also been sorting fabrics for a scrappy patriotic tablerunner and found a great fabric for background. It was also end of bolt and adds 1.25 yards.

I also purchased the binding fabric I’ll need for the present I previewed in the previous post. .63 yards

In the midst of organizing last week I forgot to do a report so I’m also adding in my contest fabrics from Andover. That will add 11.25 for the charms and 3.50 for the FQs for a total of 14.75 yards.

Stash out:

Gift fabric: 4.5 yards.

Fabric added this week: 23.5
Fabric used this week: 4.5
Fabric added this month: 27.25
Fabric used this month: 4.5
Fabric added this year (April – present): 71.375
Fabric used this year (April – present): 4.5

You think I have a problem?