Setting Decisions

I think I am finally ready for the new mystery, Celtic Solstice, to begin.  I now have all my colored shirts (and a couple pair of pants) and a handful of neutral shirts deboned and ready to work with.  With two more Wednesdays before the 29th I will stop back at Goodwill to see if I can add to the variety, but I think I have enough.

Please pardon the bad photography.  I dropped and broke my camera (I got the phone call yesterday that it will cost more to repair than it's worth) so I have to wait until Christmas for a new one from my hubby.... unless he, hopefully, feels sorry for me and brings one home sooner!  In the meantime, I am trying to take pictures with my kindle.  The pictures are a bit off centered, blurry, and the color isn't quite right, but this will give you a rough idea of what I'm doing.

While I wait for the mystery to begin, I have been working... on and off... to finish up my version of Orca Bay.  Today, I got anxious and decided to lay out all the pieces to see what I have.

But as I sat looking it, I thought, what happens if I surround the purple blocks instead of the yellow blocks with the blue?  WOW!  A totally different look and a decision to make, which way do I go?

Treadle

 I'm getting ready for the new mystery and since Bonnie loves antique machines I have decided to do some practice stitching on my treadle.
 

According to the serial number she was made in 1921! The stitches are beautifully even for such an old girl! 

I can't wait to get my camera back from the shop so I can get some better pictures to show you.   

Now I need to develop some coordination skills if I am going to use this for the mystery.  Going to practice this week with some mindless stitching of strips.  We'll see what I end up doing with them later.


 

2013 TOTALS - September AND October

OOPs... This month will be a combined report of work for the last two months... I forgot to post an update for September!  

My grandson started Pre-K in August and I have been busy providing before/after school care as well as weekends while his mom works.  This has cut into my sewing time, but I try to cherish this time we have together while it lasts.

I made progress on my Spring Wall hanging... getting all of the flowers fused and have begun the process of hand-sewn blanket stitches around all the edges.  

I had two craft shows in late September and was able to finish several sets of placemats and tablerunners and some kitchen towels to sell.  I love doing the shows and meeting people... old and new customers too!

I am still working on Orca Bay... I have a few more (16) of Step 7 flying geese to make.  I hope to have this assembled into a top before the new mystery Celtic Solstice begins!

One "sewing" thing I can do with the grandson underfoot is sort through my boxes of  Goodwill shirts to find the colors I need for Celtic Solstice.  It's one way to help teach him his colors.  I was pleased to find I had most of what I needed.  A couple trips to Goodwill on $.99 day helped me fill in most of the gaps... I'd still like a better variety of the gold/yellow... but I think I can make do with what I have if I don't find any more in the next few weeks.

WORK COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER and OCTOBER
 ....15.....customer tops quilted (YTD 62)
.....05.....customer quilts bound (YTD  18)
.....00.....flimsy completed waiting for quilting (YTD 13)
.....00.....quilted flimsy (YTD 11 )
.....40.....hand-work hours (146 YTD )

MY PROJECTS COMPLETED THIS YEAR:  12 !!!!
Lucky Charms wall hanging (1/21/13)
Basket Sampler Welcome wall hanging (2/15/13)
Knitted afghan  (3/20/13)
Scrap Mania quilt (3/19/13)
Orange/Blue Jelly Roll quilt (3/18/13)
Hope Academy Banner (3/27/13)
Jaxson's quilt (3/22/13)
Baltimore Album (4/5/13)
Civil War Snowball (4/5/13)
Big Brother Quilt (5/7/13)
Easy Street (7/22/13)
Matthew's Puppies (7/25/13)
Floribunda (9/9/13)

Projects Waiting to be Quilted
 Sloanie Christmas Star Swap

Projects in Progress 
  Spring Wall Hanging.... the flowers are now fused to the background and I have begun stitching them on
  Disappearing 4 patch...blocks are completed, ready for assembly
  Sweet & Sassy.....9 blocks completed, sashed and aquilt corner assembled
  Becky's Barn basket wall hanging...assembled, needs final border
  Novelty Quilt... blocks cut, need assembly
  Happiness Key...background complete, needs applique/embroidery
  Floral & Pinwheels.... made 4 pinwheels then renamed.... Florals&9patch
  POTC... swap blocks completed and sent..next swap will be in January
  Dresden Plate placemats
 
Bonnie Projects in Progress
.....06.....cheddar bowties blocks hand-pieced (YTD  6  of  81)   ...  (81 of 162 in 2012)
.....00.....cheddar bowtie rows stitched (YTD  0 .... 9 of 18 in 2012)
...done....Orca Bay Step 1 hourglass blocks made (YTD 49  plus 21 in 2012) total  70 of 112 
....done...Orca Bay Step 2  3.5in string blocks made (completed in 2012 )
....done...Orca Bay Step 3 2in HSTs (YTD 55 plus120 in 2012)  total 175
.....done..Orca Bay Step 4 5.5in string blocks (YTD 08 plus 24 of 32 in 2012) total 32
.....done..Orca Bay Step 5 cut 350 triangles and stitch to part 3 to make winged triangles (175 of 175)
.....done..Orca Bay Step 6 cut 2.5in squares and assemble Ohio Stars (0)
.....50.....Orca Bay Step 7 make flying geese (50 of 64)
...............Orca Bay Step 8  assemble quilt
..............Talkin Turkey..... 2 blocks complete plus parts
..............Midnight Flight....1 block complete plus parts
..............Winston Ways... 2 blocks complete plus parts
......16...... Celtic Solstice... Goodwill shirts deboned

Some fabric choices

My new kindle arrived this week!   This one has a camera feature, but there is no viewfinder.  It was a bit of a challenge for me... there must be some techniqe to taking pictures with it, but I found it very difficult to use.  If I was into taking "selfies" it would be perfect... not so good at taking pictures of something else.  There were multiple failed attempts before I finally came close to centering the picture.   I can't wait for my camera to return from the repair shop!

I had some free time today while waiting for my grandson to arrive so I sorted through and organized my Goodwill shirts by color. 

I've got a bunch of neutrals deboned and ready to cut to size. I didn't bother to try struggling to take pictures of them!

I picked up my  paint chips the other day so now it was easy to go through the boxes and pick what I needed to match.  Some of the colors are too dark or too light, but it's the best I could do for now.  Hopefully these will work.

Tomorrow is $.99 day at Goodwill so I'll be stopping by again in hopes of finding more and better matches.  

My spare time for the rest of the month will be spent deboning these colors, and maybe some extra neutrals too.... Bonnie says you can never have too many neutrals.

 

OBW Challenge

OBW = On-track with Bonnie Wednesday.

There are many Bonnie followers (including me) who have started but not yet finished some (many) of the patterns Bonnie shares with us, both on her blog as free mysteries and in her books.
  
With the start of Bonnie's new mystery looming on the horizon (November 29) a challenge has been issued to make a list and finish up at least one current Bonnie project before the new start.

So here is my list of Bonnie Projects:

• Cheddar Challenge

This was Bonnies leader/ender challenge that I believe she issued summer 2011.  I first had to search for the cheddar fabrics and once found I started it as a take-along hand sewn project as I headed to California in November with Mom for a last visit with Uncle Tom. I carried it around with me and worked on it all through 2012 completing only this first quarter of the planned quilt.  I think I've sewn only 6 blocks this year.  I really need to start taking it along with me again and make some progress.

• Talkin Turkey

I started this in class with Bonnie august, 2012  Qultmakers Block Party in Williamsburg.  I love these French General fabrics that I pulled from my stash.  I'm not sure what project I had in mind when I bought these, but I think they are perfect for these blocks and look forward to getting it done!

•  Winston Ways

This is the second of the three classes I took with Bonnie in Williamsburg 2012.  They are made mostly from Goodwill shirts with only those white triangles coming from yardage pulled from my stash!

• Midnight Flight

This was the third class I had with Bonnie that weekend in Williamburg 2012!  These fabrics were also yardage and Goodwill shirts pulled from my stash.

I think I was nuts to start all three the same weekend.  I was a bit overwhelmed and exhausted by the time I got home...but it was so much fun!  All the fabrics and pieces just sit in their crates waiting their turn.

• Orca Bay

This was Bonnies 2011 Mystery Quilt.  At the time, both my daughters were going to TN Tech here in town so I chose the school colors purple/gold instead of the black and white.... and the blue/red were the colors of their high school so I thought it was a perfect match.  Unfortunately, they both decided college wasn't for them and I lost my motivation to get this done.  I have used it as a leader/ender as I worked on Easy Street and Florabunda.  I have all the Ohio Star blocks and several of the Flying Geese string blocks completed. 

This is what I hope to finish up for the challenge before the new 2013 mystery, Celtic Solstice begins. 
 

 

Just so you don't think I'm a total slacker and never finish anything Bonnie, here are some Bonnie projects that are complete!

• Oklahoma Backroads

This was begun March 10, 2011... I remember this one specifically because it was my birthday present to myself... an early morning drive over to Pidgeon Forge and my first class with Bonnie.  I made this into a small wall hanging as a Mother's Day gift for my Mom.  Completed May 2011

• Roll Roll Cotton Bole

This was Bonnie's 2010 Mystery... I watched as the mystery progressed, but because I was busy with other things, I didn't start until January 2011, after the reveal, when my niece announced her May wedding and I needed a pattern.  She told me she wanted something blue, green, purple and I could choose the pattern. I figured if so many could get it done in the 8 week mystery time-frame, I could get it done in time for the wedding.  HA!   this was my first controlled scrappy quilt.  I used yardage for the colors and Goodwill shirts for the neutral strings.  I really loved the finish and almost hated to give it away!  I tried to finish it in time for the wedding, but too many of life's challenges got in the way.  I completed it in July.. and with my nieces permission since she wouldn't need it til the cold weather hit, I entered it into competition at the fair and FCE cultural arts and came home with a couple ribbons! Completed July 2011

• Florabunda

This is one of Bonnie's free patterns listed on her blog.  I was gifted the floral material, the yellow fabric was left-over from a quilt I made my SIL and the red was from my stash.  With Bonnie's permission I cut up some block kits to teach at an FCE craft day July 2012... but I cut way more blocks than needed and this quilt was the result.  Completed September 2012

• Easy Street

This was Bonnie's 2012 mystery... and I kept up and followed along until the last two steps were revealed back-to-back just before the New Year when I had to travel.   Bonnie made hers in tropical blue, pink, purple and greens... I used my Civil War reproductions.  This quilt was for me and my queen size bed so I took some extra time to add an extra square-in-square border and it finished at 108x108!  It's a bit bigger than I expected, but I absolutely love it!

Completed July 2013

Mystery Time Again!

It's that time of year again!   Bonnie has just begun the release of her mystery for 2013.... Celtic Solstice!




Pictures and colors on screens don't always show the true color, so Bonnie uses paint chips to show us the colors that she is using!  What a clever idea!  

Read all about it on her blog here:

Quiltville.blogspot.com/2013/10/2013-mystery-time-introducing-celtic.html

I am off to Lowes to get my paint chips and then sort through my stash!

 

What I've been up to lately....

During the last few weeks I have been working on my Orca Bay quilt , in small increments of time (like 15 minutes).  I think I have 4 more seams to sew and I will be done with all of the Step 6 Ohio Stars. It is amazing how much can be accomplished in those short spurts of work!

I am hoping to complete the next two steps and have this quilt assembled by the end of October.... even better if I can get it quilted too!

I did complete and quilt my version of Bonnie Hunter's Florabunda!   I started piecing the blocks July 2012! and I was so happy to have all the blocks completed, I quickly stitched them together without referring back to the pattern.  Once the blocks were all stitched together and the borders added I realized that all the blocks were oriented in the same direction instead of alternating every other block!  UGH!  Well, it still looked good to me so I let it be.  It has a nice soft rose colored flannel backing and binding and will be nice and cozy to snuggle under.

But now, the fall cleaning bug has bitten me, and I am working my way through the house... deep cleaning... room by room.  The kitchen and two bedrooms are done... except for the new curtains that need to be made. 

Next room to tackle is the dining room/office!  I must sort through all the papers and stuff that have accumulated on the table and find a way to get more organized.  I feel the the purchase of a nice wooden cabinet with shelves and doors that can be closed to hide the clutter will be necessary in the near future.



 

2013 TOTALS August

Time seems to be flying by so fast! 

My grandson started pre-k in mid August!  He is growing up way too fast!  The first two weeks of school are only partial days, so I was on Nana duty till Mom got off work. :)  We had fun reading, watching cartoons, playing ball and eating ice pops to stay cool!  We even kept him on Friday nights and were able to take him on the rides and two county fairs!
 
A three-day trip with my family to OH to ride the roller coasters (the family not me-I went shopping at a LQS) and a couple of two day out-of-town trips for training meetings for community groups I belong to filled in the month.

While traveling, I brought along and made some progress on my cheddar bowties and Spring Wall Hanging and finished two of my knitted dishrags.  Now that I am home, I am working on sewing the Step 7 flying geese and cutting fabrics for Step 6 of Orca Bay in hopes of having a quilt assembled by October!


WORK COMPLETED IN AUGUST
 ....06.....customer tops quilted (YTD 47)
.....02.....customer quilts bound (YTD  13)
.....00.....flimsy completed waiting for quilting (YTD 13)
.....00.....quilted flimsy (YTD 11 )
.....20.....hand-work hours (96 YTD )

MY PROJECTS COMPLETED THIS YEAR:  12 !!!!
Lucky Charms wall hanging (1/21/13)
Basket Sampler Welcome wall hanging (2/15/13)
Knitted afghan  (3/20/13)
Scrap Mania quilt (3/19/13)
Orange/Blue Jelly Roll quilt (3/18/13)
Hope Academy Banner (3/27/13)
Jaxson's quilt (3/22/13)
Baltimore Album (4/5/13)
Civil War Snowball (4/5/13)
Big Brother Quilt (5/7/13)
Easy Street (7/22/13)
Matthew's Puppies (7/25/13)

Projects Waiting to be Quilted
 Sloanie Christmas Star Swap
 Floribunda


Projects in Progress 
  Spring Wall Hanging....backing prepared.  preparing flowers for applique, some fused to backing
  Disappearing 4 patch...blocks are completed, ready for assembly
  Sweet & Sassy.....9 blocks completed, sashed and quilt corner assembled
  Becky's Barn basket wall hanging...4 blocks completed, assembly to be decided
  Novelty Quilt... blocks cut, need assembly
  Happiness Key...background complete, needs applique/embroidery
  Floral & Pinwheels.... made 4 pinwheels then renamed.... Florals&9patch
  POTC... a hand-pieced hexie swap project.
  Dresden Plate placemats
 
Bonnie Projects in Progress
.....06.....cheddar bowties blocks hand-pieced (YTD  6  of  81)   ...  (81 of 162 in 2012)
.....00.....cheddar bowtie rows stitched (YTD  0 .... 9 of 18 in 2012)
...done....Orca Bay Step 1 hourglass blocks made (YTD 49  plus 21 in 2012) total  70 of 112 
....done...Orca Bay Step 2  3.5in string blocks made (completed in 2012 )
....done...Orca Bay Step 3 2in HSTs (YTD 55 plus120 in 2012)  total 175
.....done..Orca Bay Step 4 5.5in string blocks (YTD 08 plus 24 of 32 in 2012) total 32
.....done..Orca Bay Step 5 cut 350 triangles and stitch to part 3 to make winged triangles (175 of 175)
.....00.....Orca Bay Step 6 cut 2.5in squares and assemble Ohio Stars (0)
.....04.....Orca Bay Step 7 make flying geese (4 of 64)
..............Talkin Turkey..... 2 blocks complete plus parts
..............Midnight Flight....1 block complete plus parts
..............Winston Ways... 2 blocks complete plus parts

Yardsale Time!

It is yardsale time again over on Quiltville and I am linking up to particpate.  These are some fabrics I have had in my stash for a while and may never get around to using.   If you are interested in purchasing anything, email me at madakamom@aol.com with the item number you wish to purchase.  Be sure to include your mailing address.  I'll take your package to the post office and email you back with the total plus shipping costs.  If that is acceptable, mail me a check and I'll send your package.

#1.....Two pieces of what I call country fabrics $3.50 SOLD

Item #2......Here is a rainbow assortment of fabrics totalling approx 22 yards of fabric.  I believe this may be a poly/cotton blend of fabric but I'm not positive.    $20

Item #3......1 yard of an upholstery type fabric of assorted cats  $2

 

 

 

 

 

 Item #4.........Approximately 13 yards of assorted striped fabrics...may be a poly/cotton blend  $10

 

 

Item #5......These two coordinating animal prints 2 yards (large print) 3 yards (small print) $5.00

 

 Item #6....... Almost 4 yards of green/red striped fabric $3.50 SOLD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item #7.......Approx 5 yards of Christmas novelty fabrics $5.00 SOLD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item #8.....A panel of Sunbonnet Sue and friends $1

 

 

 

Item #9.......Two "front porch" panels... suitable for making into pillows. $1SOLD

 

 

Item #10.... 7/8 yard of bug fabric  $1SOLD

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item #11......2-7/8 yards of black cordauroy fabric $3.00

 

 

 

 Be sure to go visit all the other links on Bonnie's blog too. 

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2013/09/labor-day-yard-sale.html

 

 

Cleaning Up

I belong to the local Junior Women's Club and today was our day for trash pick-up at the local park.  I wasn't sure if I would be able to attend as we keep the grandson on Saturdays, but, as you can see... he was happy to join in on the fun!

With the hard work done and temperatures in the 90's I thought I'd give him a treat and visit the fountain in the park. My grandson isn't one for taking showers... baths are ok, but and a drop of water on his face and screams of terror can be heard throughout the neighborhood.  I wasn't sure how well this would go.... He was a bit shy at first, but after watching some other young ones running through the water shooting up from the ground he totally enjoyed running around and getting wet... with an occasional run to the bench to towel off his face. 

If only bath time could be so much fun!

Dresden Plates

Recently, while browsing the web, I came across an idea to make dresden plate placemats.

I love my Studio cutter...
after pressing several fat quarters I quickly ran them through the cutter and in a matter of minutes had enough blades cut for 13 plates!

I quickly pieced together six  plates.  Then I layered batting, backing. and the plate face-down and carefully stitched around the zig zag edge.  I birthed through the center hole, but couldn't get the points to lay flat. (sorry didn't think to take a picture of the mess!)




My back-up plan had me reverse-birthing (yikes!) and then stitching around the edge and cutting off the points.  When I birthed it the second time I had a nice 10inch round plate.

I'm not sure if a 10inch round matt is big enough for a placemat.  I may have to applique the plates onto a larger square or rectangle before layering. 

 Maybe I can just round out the points and stitch them on rather than fuss with applique-ing the points.   What do you think?

blue bag update

I recently made my grandson a little  blue bag,  at his request, so that he could carry his books to church for reading during mass.  The grocery sacks that we were using, were just too big!

When he came back to visit the next weekend, he wanted a red bag.  Time being short, we compromised!

Projects

I have been working on several crafts the last few weeks.

I joined an online yahoo swap group to make hand-pieced POTC blocks. (I don't remember exactly what POTC stands for... I think its something like points of the cross.. but I'm not sure.) After an incorrectly-sized home-made template and false start, I am finally on track and have completed my first block.

It's a little bit wonky in the picture because I removed the template papers from the top.  I should have left them in until connecting it to the next block.  I'll leave it for now and fuss with it later.

I have also begun making some dresden plate placemats for sale at a couple of upcoming craft shows.  These are still a work in progress.

Last, but not least, I pieced this little bag from scraps for my grandson to carry some books to church in.  He is now big enough for Sunday school and the last few weeks he has been able to sit through mass without fidgeting too much if he has some picture books to read.   The shopping bags I had on hand for him to carry his books were way too big so he asked me to make him a blue one that was just his size.  How could Nana refuse?!   As you can see, he was very pleased. 

, 

But now, I must add some red to the bag!  (why, I have no idea, but that is what has gotten into his head this week).  So I will be fusing his initials onto the bag ... and maybe the outline of a little car too, just for fun!

August Happenings

My daughters new used car broke down two days after driving it off the lot.  She bought the car "as is" and was shocked when the dealer wouldn't do anything about it.  After a lot of tears and whining and phone calls back and forth with the dealer, they finally agreed to look at it and 10 days later it is finally in working order... there was something wrong with the computer chip in the key!  While all the car drama was going on I was called on to be Mom's taxi service, shuffling her to and from work.  Also, my oldest grandson's time at daycare ended and Pre-K schooling began.  The first two weeks of Pre-K are only part-time classes... so I have been picking him up and keeping him busy in the afternoons until her workday was done, then picking her up and taking them both home.

Of course, this all happens as the county fair opened!  I worked with some of the FCE ladies receiving entries for the Women's Building competition and display.  I was able to gather and enter a couple of my own entries too! 

Easy Street won a blue ribbon in the machine piece/quilted category
Welcome Basket Sampler won a blue ribbon in the wall hanging category
Lucky Charms won a red ribbon in the applique category
Matthew's Puppy Quilt won a red ribbon in the embroidered quilt category... and....

 

I also won a blue ribbon in the "Farm Life" category for a picture of my grandson after picking a basket of berries!

 

We took him to the last day of the fair and he really enjoyed all the rides..each of them.... several times!  We had to stop and get some cotton candy before heading home!

P. C. Fair

Wednesday was day one of the ten day Putnam County Fair.

I will be working in the Women's Building taking in and displaying entries for competition.  I will be entering my Easy Street, Welcome Basket Wall Hanging as well as some photographs, and Matthew will enter his Puppy Quilt.)

Janice, Merry and I in 2012

In years past, FCE clubs ran the Country Store to raise money to fund our charitable activities in the community (school supplies, backpacks for children of Vets, backpacks of food for disadvantaged kids to have something to eat on weekends).  


Regulations imposed and liability issues faced by UT in the unlikely event of food poisoning,  make it impossible for us to sell foods that are not prepared in a certified kitchen.  It is a time-consuming proposition for our members to individually go through the inspection and certification process in order to bake at home and bring some items to sell.  So, the decision was made to give up the Country Store as our fundraising project.  

However, there will still be a Country Store this year.  Some ladies in the community (some of whom are FCE members) got permission from the Fair Board, and they will be running the Country Store for profit instead. They aren't worried about certified kitchens or liability.  I  may bake a few cakes and pies to sell... just for the fun of it... or, I may not.  I may just enjoy my grandson this year and have fun at the fair instead of working all those hours!