Booming

Not only was the ice massively booming last night due to our very frigid temps, but I was booming in and around the house/studio yesterday. Three loads of laundry, some dusting, some bathroom cleaning, studio spiffing, mask making, long arming, block cutting, and hexagon flowers. Makes me tired just going through the list. 

Jim is working this Saturday morning so I'll long arm until he gets home. I think we need to run errands later and then maybe some paper piecing on the Celestial Star Month #12 block. 

This is what's on the frame for the weekend...

Susan's Auction Find

Here's the mask I made yesterday...

A Katie Recommended Pattern

The mask fits perfectly. Here's the problem I have; while talking, the mask has a tendency to slip down my nose and then continues to my upper lip. I've yet to find a mask that doesn't. I would like for this mask crap to end. It's hard to talk to people with them on, but moreover, hard to understand people. 

Two more hexagon flowers were completed last night in my EPP venture in nightly handwork. 

English Paper Piecing

I have a couple of friends down state who do these amazing English paper pieced projects. I like doing it, but am not in love with it. I'll stick to my simple hexagons. It's hand work and it's better than playing mindless games at night if I scoot out of the studio early. And since my yarn is gone, this will take the place of crocheting/knitting.

Here are a few hexagons already ready to get put into flowers.

Hexagons ready to go

See the two flowers to the bottom right? That's what I'm going to do with all of these. The strip on the bottom left was the "original" plan for them while I was constructing them years ago, but have scrapped that idea. 

Same but different

The top above is Robins second one dropped off during our Covid quarantine (she just dropped the bag just inside the back door and I had the mud room door closed off between the main house and that room). It's the same piecing pattern as yesterday's but with different colors. I'll be working on this today.

Here is the block I completed last night after shutting DW down for the night. 

Celestial Star Month #11

Yes, it is supposed to be oval. And I thought I was going to have to run over the Pieces to pick up some more batiks, but have learned that as long as there is a contrasting [similar] color with the opposing pieces, it works out in whatever is put in the not-exact-colors place. 

I may be making more masks later tonight. I seems this stupid "thing" isn't going away any time soon (or at least the restrictions aren't). Mine are getting pretty beat up with all the washing. 

Foxy

We have a pretty good size fox running around the neighborhood. Deb and I pretty much located where he's denning up and he occasionally travels by the lakeside of the house in the morning. Yesterday he was a major distraction for me while watching him travel in his daily quest for food. This is the nice thing about living on a lake, out in the country, on acreage; so much wildlife to observe during my work day.

I finished Kayes quilt yesterday and then loaded this onto the frame...

Robin's Grand Fishes

I'm putting a lot of thread into this already (for some reason) and then read the directions on what she wanted. Loose and snuggly. I'll have to tone down the fishes section so I can balance out those top blocks and the borders where I went a little thread crazy.

While Kayes quilt was stitching out, I managed to open, read about, and set up my new iron. Let's hope this one lasts a little longer then the eight months the other one did. After setting up the iron, Celestial Star month number ten was worked on. 

Month #10 of Celestial Stars

After trimming Kayes quilt and pressing this out, I loaded Robins first top (she dropped off two a while ago) and then started cutting out for Month #11. 

It was early when the lights shut off in the studio so made an EPP hexagon flower to make up for it. Oh, did I mention that?

Okay, so crocheting and knitting scarves is finished for a while. I mean, how many scarves does a person need? And, I'm out of decent yarn anyway. But doing handwork at night is cathartic. I drug out my baskets of hexagons I've been working on for, oh, seven or so years, and started putting flowers together. 

The original plan for these was some type of pixelated top using the colors to "paint" with but I don't want to get that intense with these anymore; it's funny how plans change. I'll shoot a pic of the baskets to show how many thousands of hexagons that have been made over the years and what I have to work with. 

The Calm

After yesterdays blustery day, it's calm, sunny, but frigidly cold outside. A full day yesterday of nails, shoveling snow, quilting a table runner for Emily, loading another very large quilt onto the long arm, and completing block(s) nine. 

This is what's on the frame this morning...

Kaye's Irish Chain

DW is going to stitch this one out. I've researched Irish Chain quilts and it seems, with the smaller negative space squares, E2E is the way to go. The customer wants it loosely quilted and doing a feather wreath in what appears to be a 6" square would make it awful tight. 

Here are block(s) nine.

Block(s) Nine of Celestial Star

I've already started block ten. I'll probably work on it while I'm letting DW stitch out. As well as some web site maintenance. There seems to be a lot of traffic out there. Well, lots for my little ole site anyway. 

Snowy, Blowy Day

These kind of days are so welcoming to me. Cloudy, snowing to beat the band, blowing the snowflakes all over. I don't feel guilty about not being outside working on something (or being with somebody).

This is what's on the frame this morning...

Emily's Table Runner

I have a quilting plan all worked out on this. But, it requires a LOT of thread changes. And it's a little frilly. Once I have looked at this and realized its more log cabin-y, don't think what I planned out is the correct way to go. I think DW will do the stitching on this one with some aspen and maple leaves. Hmm?

Yesterday was a beautiful day. We walked the ice (although not too far out since we had open water across the way last Wednesday).

Dave, Lisa, and me

After working/finishing Jill's Christmas quilt, playing on the ice, having Tina drop off a new top to do for a magazine, and cutting out the fabric for Celestial Star Block Nine, Jill came to fetch her two quilts. I started to piece block nine together. It's taking quite some time as there are eight sections for this month. 

I visited the Med Center yesterday morning and the eye thing is the result of over full sinuses during the Covid crap (that leeched over into my eye cavity) as well as a small scratch on my cornea. I'm on meds and it should be healed in the next week or so. It's already feeling much better. 

Relaxing Day

Yesterday was pretty low-key. No long arming, but another Celestial Block was completed. And that's about all that was done in here.

Block #8

This block went together better so I'm thinking I need to maybe rip stitches and try to realign block #7. Hmmm....??

Not Sure What Happened Here

This is paper piecing. How can it go wrong? Oh, I know. Let Colette do it and it'll defy all physics and odds.

Celestial Stars Block #7

Thank goodness I'll be able to hide most of the problem seams with some long arming. And Pigman pens.

I did long arm yesterday until lunchtime. We had a neighbor come up for a visit and the afternoon was spent with her. No long arming today. Just not feeling it and my eye is still being bothersome. 

I'll build Block #8 today and prepare for Block #9. I may do a few rail fence blocks...or squirrel into something else. It's a Sunday and my day to do whatever I please. 

Cataloging Quilts

My mom picked me up something called Pack n' Track manufactured by the Duct Tape company. It comes with bar coded stickers, an opportunity to take pics, and with the contents of the tote, the ability to describe each of the pics/items within. We just packed up eight more quilts into tote #11. 

Here's what's on the frame this morning...

Jill's Christmas Quilt

I have already started the outer border and was having so much fun that I quilted the second border. What's a Christmas quilt without some kind of ribbon candy?

Snowflakes and Ribbon Candy

Here's the pic that wouldn't come through of block #6 of Celestial Stars made two nights ago...

Much simpler than some of the previous blocks

Block seven didn't get done last night because I was so into the long arming side of things. And, Jill has me do her binding so the previous quilt off the frame (the cute crayons) had to be bound before getting into any of my stuff.

We have a neighbor who is supposed to come up later today. This will disrupt the studio flow but I hope to get a little in before she arrives. We love having company so the interruption will be welcome. More work for me later (like probably tomorrow), but so worth visiting with friends (and family). 

It's 2021 Isn't It?

Just when we thought things (health wise) were starting to straighten out, boom, another situation occurs. Jim has a bum toe. I have a goopy eye. I could have swore 2021 would bring a better year. So far, this one isn't starting out too well. 

Yet, we roll with it. 

Here is what is on the frame this morning...

Jill's Colorful Crayons

This may look easy enough. Customer requested a variety of colors be written and inserted on the crayons and the baby's name be inserted into the piece somewhere. Alrighty then. Maybe not so easy today?

Customer coming to pick up this morning. Another couple of new customers coming with the current customer, and they are bringing more tops. The spare room is starting to look like a quilt shop showroom. 

After finishing Melissas quilt last night and loading the one above, I was only going to cut out for Block #6 on the Celestial Stars, but it was not as detailed as the previous few so I went ahead and assembled that. 

Pic not coming through this morning for some reason. My phone has had one too many drops I think and is starting to act very odd. 

Block #5

Going backwards from my day yesterday. This is block five. Isn't it gorgeous?

Celestial Stars Block Five

I love/hate batiks. I love their colors and how they play well no matter the combinations you derive with them. But they needle poorly both in the sewing machine and on the long arm. While I'm constructing this quilt I'm already thinking about how it's be quilted and the issues I'm going to have while doing so.

Prior to working on block five, I finished Melissa's first quilt and then loaded/fought with her second. Fought? How about this?

Not a straight back

This was reloaded three times before I was somewhat able to move along.

Now we have it going 

This is some of the detail in the outer border.

Okay, it doesn't show much does it?

But I'm following the contours of the branches with complimentary thread and it's giving it some really great texture. 

I'll continue along with this top today and cut out for Block #6 on Celestial Stars. A pot of chili is also on my to-do list at some point this morning/early afternoon. 

Normalcy

Yesterday was the first day back to anything resembling normal in the studio; quilting for customers in the morning, meeting with customers, and piecing at night. 

I love change and diversity, but sometimes normalcy can feel comforting, especially after the holidays and a full house round of Covid. 

Carla's quilt was finished yesterday afternoon. This quilt was loaded for Melissa and was actually partially started before Jim got home from work.

Melissa's Top

For my piecing last night, blocks four were completed. 

Month Four

Today I'll continue with Melissa's quilt top and month five of the Celestial Stars. 

Quilting and Shopping

 My two favorite things to do all wrapped up into one day yesterday.

Carla's Love It Quilt

A little detail of the appliqué blocks. And some of the surrounding blocks too. I got a pass and a half done before our shopping trip at noon. 

About the only other thing accomplished yesterday was cutting out pieces for block #4 on the Celestial Stars. Chad and mom stayed longer than I had anticipated last night giving me very little time afterwards. 

Kinda Busy Weekend

Working on the BOM (Celestial Stars) and the Rail Fence Katie sent to me via text was interspersed with visiting family.

Block 3

Picking from the scrap buckets

My brother here from Cincinnati

And my brother is staying through tomorrow so we're going to go out and do something with mom today. I'm going to try to get a little long arming done before they arrive around noon so at least I'll feel a little productive and less neglectful (is that even a word?) to my customers.

Saturday I picked up four more tops to do. I think the current count is around 14; therefore today is my last "play" day before I really have to buckle down. It has been nearly a month since I really dug my heels in with the business between the holiday and the "thing" and...it is time to get fully vested. 

Feeling Almost Myself

This morning finds it snowing outside, but my fuzzy, snowy head seems to be clearing away. I nearly feel whole again. 

I pushed through that feeling yesterday and finished quilting the Cross quilt. It's still on the frame waiting for me to make binding for it, but it's quilted nonetheless.

And I was digging through my bag of tricks for something to start. The scrap thing I started two nights ago just isn't doing it for me. The four blocks I made will be a throw pillow...or something else. Then I found my raffle winner from last years retreat.

Linda McGibbon From Lakeview Quilting donated this pattern

The first star, located in the upper left hand corner was block one (It's a block of the month kinda pattern). Here is my rendition.

Block One

I think I have enough scraps in my batik bin to be able to do most of this without having to go out and purchase a whole heck of a lot. Except the background, which I'll need to run over and get tomorrow maybe?

Music and (Free) Motion

I forgot how cool it was to slip on those headphones, dial up the volume just a mite, and grab the long arm to work some free motion motifs. I was having a ball.

And then Jim got home and we had to go get his truck. Once home, I had lost my oomph and started baking cookies instead. 

DeGroot Reunion Quilt (Cross Quilt)

Here is part of what is going into the Cross Quilt.

A hook swirl with respective thread changes in each of the colors

In the white/lights I'm putting a simple meander, in the burgundy around the cross I'm putting a wandering square, and in the center, woodgrain.

I arrived past the half way point before we took off. Since this is my last day of quarantine, I need to get this completed. Today. Customer quilts have to get started tomorrow. 

But, I'm still dealing with some fuzzy head and Katie said some people experience this for months. I'm just going to have to deal with it and move along. I wonder if it has something to do with my lack of taste/smell?

Here are the yummy molasses cookies made later yesterday. Well, I think they look yummy anyway. I can't really taste much of them. 

Yum!

Aaannnddd...it's a quilt! Wow it felt good to get back on the machine!

U.S.A.

After completing the U.S.A. quilt I moved along to the DeGroot Reunion Cross. Section 13 is built. Sections 14-16 are set up and ready to be pieced. I'll work on those today.

Sections 12, 15, and 16

We have a freezing mist coming down right now and the roads are treacherous. Jim came back home this morning after attempting to get to work. It's just not safe currently.  

I'm debating on how safe it would be to start customer quilts. I'm itching to get back into them but want to maintain the safest possible situation for my customers. They will certainly understand my waiting. I don't know that I have enough time to load any more of mine since all the tops left in the tote are large to huge sizes.

This means I'm at about a two-day stand still with the long arm. Again. Hmmm?? I'll think about this why I'm piecing these sections together this morning. 

Well, That Wasn't Fun!

So, this COVID thing is nothing to laugh at. While none of us were hospitalized, it did take quite a while to get over. I'm still a little fuzzy headed today, but every day is showing improvement; except for the lack of taste and smell, which I seem to have lost for now.

Hazel kept me company on the couch during recovery. She wasn't acting bonkers and kinda knew mom wasn't feeling too well.

Keeping mom company while she's trying to get better

I did do a little studio work yesterday on the DeGroot Reunion Cross completing sections 11 and 12 out of the 16 needed. I have section 13 laid out and will put that together later today.

But the first part of today is a DW day. I miss him...tried to get on him a few days ago and it just didn't work out. I was too weak and was afraid of my lightheadedness reeking havoc on what I'm in the middle of, which is some ruler work.

This was a heck of a way to introduce 2021 into our lives (or end the retched 2020) but we all made it and may finally get back into a state of normalcy. 

Yay! Long Arming!

Didn't realize how much I missed the big guy until he was fired back up yesterday. One of the tops completed during the virtual retreat begged to be finished. Or, it was one of the tops that just didn't fit into the tote of Flimsy's. Either way, it's on the frame and half done.

Getting back on the frame

After long arming, work on the reunion Cross commenced. Sections one through eight are completed. 

Laying out section eight

More long arming and Cross building today; and anything else I can find to get into between now and later.  

Moving Along Despite The Virus

I have/had a mild case of the "bug" or "thing" as I appropriately like to call it. I am nearly fully functional and have made some progress on the DeGroot Reunion top the past day or so.

My design wall isn't going to be big enough to accommodate the whole quilt as I build it. I drafted the pattern onto graph paper and then chunked it up into smaller sections to be built independently; 16 in all. I have managed to get to section six and will work on this some more today.

The main cross is designed. 

I haven't long armed in a few days and feel like it's time to get something on DW. He's had his vacation and I was avoiding making so much noise since this "thing" hit Jim pretty hard. While he was in the headache phase I didn't want to inflate the situation by DW's loud presence. 

Now I just need to figure out what to get on him today.

A past customer called this morning about dropping off a few quilts to the house. Since we are on quarantine she is going to leave them in the back room and we can talk later about what to get into them when the time comes.

While the "thing" is not very probable in transference off fabric, there is still a possibility. And as long as there is a possibility, I'm going to leave those customer quilts tucked away until at least Monday just to be sure I'm not responsible for any one else having to deal with this "bug". 

Obstacles and Other Things

Okay DeGroots. It's in the works. Despite having "the thing" running amok in the house, I'm starting the reunion quilt. 

DeGroot Reunion Quilt Begins

Funny, how Santa is in the corner saying "Joyful". A mere coincidence on the photographers efforts. 

We had a B.E.A.Utiful snow fall last night. 

Another few inches to add to our snow

Hopefully today I'll feel a bit more perky than I did yesterday and get to work some more on the DeGroot reunion top. Maybe I'll load something else of mine on the long arm? Not sure where I'll head once the kids are on the road and back to their "real" lives.