Happy Game Day!

Here in Michigan there is a HUGE college football rival: Michigan State University (MSU) versus the University of Michigan (UofM). MSU's colors are green and white. UofM's colors are Maize and Blue. We bleed green heavily in this family because all the boys graduated there as well as all three of their wives. And...Jim used to work there.

Go Green! Go White!

Here is our fall pumpkin ready for Halloween tomorrow decked out in the MSU green and white. 

There is a lot of superstition in this family about game day (and I won't go into all the detail here), but one of the situations is my watching the game. Either I have to watch the whole thing (and I mean start to finish without any interruptions) or I don't watch it at all. I'll be long arming during the game. I can't sit there for three or more hours doing nothing but watching the television.

Here are the threads going into Lois' second top... 

Picking threads is fun

I received my Angela Walters panel and borders yesterday, and the prior day the thread arrived. I don't know how much I'm going to be able to participate in this quilt-along because the week it's happening is the week mom is having hip surgery. 

After working on the long arm for what felt like all day, I made two more pineapple blocks while Jim was out working on the toy box. Here's the seven I have made so far...

Seven Pineapples in a line

And of course, last night while building them, I couldn't help thinking about how they would be quilted. 

I think I need to run over to Pieces this morning to get some white for the unicorn pattern I just bought on Tuesday. I won't be starting them any time soon, but would like to have it handy for when I do dig into them. And it's always nice to go over and visit with the girls. 

What Happened to Pizza Day?

Friday's were always pizza days. My physician said no more. No more fried foods, no more foods high in fat. No more fun! Bleh. I miss Pizza Friday.

But it's raining, its gloomy and I LOVE IT! It'll be a great quilting day and this is what I'll be working on...

Lois' second top

I had a quilting plan in place for this already, but after looking at this pic, I may need to think about this a little more. But while basting this in last night, noticed I need to also pay attention to a situation we may have...

Hello waviness

Notice my new Red Snappers in the background? The Leader Grips were replaced last night (and I will not say anything nice about their company ever again) with a new loading system called Red Snappers. So glad I made the change!

And here's some detail of what Lois' first quilt looked like when I took it off yesterday evening...

So Pretty!

Despite my doubts last night, I actually got two more Pineapple blocks done while frame ironing the backing for Lois' second quilt. It was a long day with two customer visits, eight new tops to work, and, well, long arming. Today is quiet visitor-wise, but I have plenty in here to keep me busy; for a few weeks anyway. 😆

Where is this Week Going?

It's already Thursday? Here's what's on the frame this morning...

Lois' Top

I started working this yesterday afternoon when it was particularly dreary and see this morning I have to do some ripping. Not very pleased on one of the angular lines I made.

While getting Terri's top finished I was literally playing thread chicken. This is what I had left over after getting hers off the frame...

Not much more left there

Thankfully, the Quilted Joy order came in so I wouldn't have been without for too long had I actually run out. 

While Jim was working on the Beller deck last night I put two more pineapple blocks together. These finish at 10" and to make a decent size quilt I'll need at least 64 blocks. This should keep me busy for a few weeks since two blocks take about 2 1/2 hours to complete. 

I have a few customers coming today (one anytime now) and will be working on Lois wall hanging...after I rip out the booboo section. 

On The Road Again

Jim's last check up yesterday went extremely well. All is good with his ankle and he's healed fully. Our last "have to" trip to Grand Rapids for a while.

Because we were in the truck most of the day, I needed to do something (anything) when I got home. While we were headed to GR we stopped at Seven Sisters Quilt Shop in Carson City and I purchased a ruler I needed for a pattern that had been hanging around here for a while, some new patterns, and some other odds and ends needed.

When I got home I started pulling fabrics for the first pattern...not enough white. Looked at the second pattern...no legal-sized paper to put through the printer to make the foundations (although Katie came up with a solution for this). Looked for (and looked and looked) the pattern for the ruler I purchased. Nothing. Can't find it. 

But good news. The ruler maker (Creative Grids) had a QR code to watch on how to use the thing and I'll just make up my own quilt top using the instructions. 

Yeah QR Codes!

Here's my first test block...

The first block

I love pineapple blocks and haven't ever made a full pineapple top, so I'll chip away at these blocks over the next couple of weeks using all the schnibbles and scraps and dresser pieces I have around the place.

Long arming today to finish up Terri's quilt (I'm playing thread chicken with it though so I may not make it). I have a customer coming later on and Hazel is at the groomers this morning getting all pretty. I'll have to fetch her later on as well. 

Custom Work Takes Forever...

...but it's so worth it in the end. Not many pics to share today (none actually). Still working on Terri's top. Just for giggles, I am keeping track of the time spent doing this rather large panel. So far I'm at 21 1/4 hours and I still have at least two more to go. I wonder what this will work out to in terms of dollars per hour?

Here's a rainbow over our lake a few days ago...

Almost a double if you look above the main rainbow

Jim and I are headed to Grand Rapids this morning for Jims last ankle appointment. Has it really been six months? I'd like to stop by Gall sewing while we are out and about as well as Sisters in Carson City, but we'll see where the time goes on whether that's a possibility. 

Happy Monday

Talk about a totally unproductive studio weekend. And there wasn't any specific reason why, just a lot of little things; errands, autumn chores, planting spring bulbs, getting the boat out of the water, visiting mom. 

Today is another fall-like weather day and now that the house is cleaned up from our weekend work I can spend the rest of the day with some jazz playing in the background while on the long arm. 

I have to take advantage of today because I may or may not be here tomorrow. Jims last follow-up ankle appointment is late in the morning and that's a whole day out of our lives when we go there. 

A look out my window while I work today...

What's left of our very quick fall colors

That maple tree to the left is usually absolutely beautiful, but the drought spring, the less rainfall summer, and the warm autumn weather kept it from becoming too colorful this year. However, the little maple tree next to it is making up for some of that lost color. 

What a Great Day to Long Arm

Three weather situations make a perfect long arming day: Rain, wind, and cold temps. Yesterday was very productive. 

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

Wait...I've seen this before!

The identical panel was done for Pieces of Thyme a while back and Terri, from the Quirky Quilters Quilt Guild bought the last panel from them a week or two ago. I was waiting to hear back from another customer and threw this on to amuse me for a few days. 

And friends like to visit when you're quilting...

A lost Asian Lady Beetle wanting to join me

We got rid of that right quick!

After working on Terri's quilt top for about eight hours and got to my first roll, I decided to call it a long arming night and went to work on Hazel.

Hazel...aka Floof!

I don't have any fabric medium to apply to this piece, and I'm thinking I may not since it's just an example for future classes. I'll trim it up tonight and get some kind of border put on it; I'm thinking a picture frame kind of border maybe?

I was going to run to Pieces today to donate some cleaned-out fabric from the studio, but Jim loves to chat with the girls and I know he'd probably like to tag along so I will wait until tomorrow to go there. I'll chip away some more on Terri's top all day dancing to my music and admiring the beautiful fall colors the have suddenly decided to show themselves out my windows. 

Trunk Show and Quilt of Valor

The trunk show at the Quirky Quilters Quilt Guild went very well. Thank you to my husband for all his help, my mom for cataloging the quilts as we were pulling them, Linda from Pieces of Thyme for helping to handle them after showing them, and Linda and Susan both from Pieces of Thyme for coming to the Quilt of Valor presentation.

I've only ever had one quilt made for me and that was by my grandmother (I still have it) a very long time ago. This was the quilt I was presented with last night...

My quilt and the certificate to go with it

Another huge thank you to Paulette (seen on the left) for making this quilt for me!

It was a HUGE surprise to be awarded this honor. You don't just get one willy nilly. You have to have served in the armed forces and have been nominated to receive it. I will cherish this quilt for as long as I live, and since Caleb is the only one in the family to have served in the military, it will get handed down to him when I'm gone. 

This quilt guild is about an hour and half from the house, but it was an absolutely beautiful drive along the shores of Lake Huron and worth every minute we spent with these wonderful women (and Jim). I am still looking for a quilt guild to join and I think I just found it! I won't be able to head there in the winter, but that's really only four months out of the year. They sew during the day and then have their meeting at night. Which is perfect!

I received four tops last night to quilt and another customer dropped off this morning. I have to write work orders up on all of these and do a little cupboard rearranging before I can get on the long arm. Bet get to it!

Busy Day Ahead

I'll be long arming first thing this morning picking up from where I left off at 7:30 last night. Here's what's on the frame today (and yesterday afternoon)...

Virginia's Giant Clam Shells

I love the color value in the rich earth tones. I worked on it yesterday for about eight hours and haven't even reached the half-way point. Some of the quilting detail...

In the non-linen colored clamshells

A modern feather

Other than finishing the backstitching, nothing was done on Hazel yesterday. Her happy personality is already starting to come out on the piece though, which I'm pleased with.

I'm going to long arm until lunch and then I have to head to the garage to prepare for the trunk show I'm presenting tonight to the Quirky Quilters Quilt Guild up in Oscoda. 

I was supposed to start pulling these quilts Sunday, but honestly, wanted to just leave them in their bins until absolutely the longest I could. I did go through the visual inventory and know which bins I need to pull from so it won't take too long to get all those around I don't think. 

I'm going to pin a number on them while pulling so when we return and I have to get them back into the bins tomorrow, I won't have to scroll through all 15 bin pictures to know where they should be going back into inventory. 

Paradise

Yep, I can adjust my house temperatures; not some corporation or co-worker adjusting it to their liking. Breaks are when I deem necessary; not when some manager/boss deems them necessary. Chores around the house can be done simultaneously with my work day so getting behind is virtually nil. Choosing to work outside or inside is a privilege not something that comes with the job. 

My life is paradise. And I have a wonderful partner/best friend/supporter to share all this with. He loves his job (working outside is his preference) and I, obviously, love not only my job, but my life. 

What a beautiful view!

Today will be loading Virginia's top and finishing the backstitching in the Hazel head. There is nothing piecing-wise going on in here which may or may not give me permission to start something new. Or work on the black crumb blocks I started in Cleveland a few weeks ago. 

Deep Cleaning

It gets to a point in your workspace when time needs to be taken to organize and purge items no longer used or needed. Patterns, fabric, notions, and the places where everything lives. Not to mention the lint and dust needing to be eliminated.

Now that the fall sunshine is coming through the thinning leaves, it was apparent something needed to be done. No quilting or sewing this morning, but a much needed facelift was done. No pics (sorry, dust and fuzz doesn't make for good photography). 

Real Quick

Jim and I are heading to Frakenmuth today to play tourists. The repayment for all the hard work I did getting Jim back on the road to recovery with the ankle surgery, all the hard work keeping the yard up, planting his garden and tending to that, the doctor visits and the list goes on. 

Both the quilts (zoology and Penny's) are bound and finished. I cleaned up the studio a bit (more beetles to vacuum) and then started in on this...

Hazel in the "ruff"

The backfill has actually begun but instead of doing it on the little domestic machine I have opted to load it onto DW and fill there. 

It's supposed to be a cool to colder day today but sunny and perfect for shopping, touring the city, and having a warm bowl of soup at one of the million restaurants they have in Frakenmuth. 

A Binding Day

Errands needed to be done this morning and now I'm back home. Penny's binding needs to be made and attached to her quilt and I have zoology to bind as well. Not sure how I'm going to bind that one yet. 

One of the errands I needed to accomplish this morning was to stop by Pieces to say hello and see what's going on with their move. Jim called ahead and told them I was on my way and I was met with a hug, a happy birthday, a kiss, and a swat on the butt. Those girls are so great!

Here's what Jim also called ahead for...

Pretty!

Jim knew my stash is/was lacking in both purples and oranges so the girls made up this fat quarter bundle for me!

The Color Outside the Lines top is done. I want to put it on the frame but have customer quilts waiting so have to wait on that for a bit. 

I have pulled off a few coloring pages for the art quilt class I'm tentatively supposed to teach next year and need to make a few examples since all my other art quilts are at their permanent homes. I need to get some sketches done of Hazel first (thank you Ben for helping out with the layering option on my Sketches program) and even if I don't teach the class, having an art piece of her face is on my bucket list of things to do. 

Happy 57th to Me

When I was a kid I remember thinking that people in their 50's were old. I mean nearing the end old. I don't feel much different than I did in my 30's except for a few more aches and the need to be cautious in my surroundings. 

I had to decide whether to actually "work" today or play in here on something I've wanted to make for a while. Except, there's too many things that I actually want to work and not enough time in the day to do that. I still don't know what I'm going to do.

Penny's quilt is completed on the long arm but not without a few hitches. I was playing bobbin chicken and lost. Had to restart within her quilting plan, except, the new PS update does not allow you to designate a new start spot when telling the machine to stop. After almost and hour and having to line it up twice (because the first time it wanted to ghost stitch), I was back in business. Here's what was put into her quilt...

The quilting plan

Where the cross hairs are on the pic is where my failure at bobbin estimating occurred.

For the pencil top I worked on the extra border and may just end up working that in here today. Here's where I left off last night...

This will make it a little bigger

If this doesn't make it big enough when I get done, I may have to make some piano keys for even more of a stretch. I've yet to file the fabrics away that were used so I'll see where this takes me after today. 

So, a happy 57th birthday to me with a rainy day to work inside; just what this quilter ordered. 😉

Typical Day

A few customers. A few phone calls. Some quilting. Some piecing. Lunch. Chores. Just a typical day in my life. But I wouldn't trade it for any job out there. 

Here's what's on the frame today since Zoology was finished...

Penny's Top

After finishing Zoology and loading Penny's top I started right in on piecing the heart top together. Talk about shrinkage! Before I add the 2 1/2" borders all around I need to get the letters made that I'm putting in the second border to make sure I don't need to increase somewhere. 

I'll be babysitting DW with the Prostitcher doing most of the work today. I'll work on more letters and try not to lose my mind with this machine screaming at me all day long. I do love ruler work and custom so much better.

80 Degrees in Michigan in October?

And because it was 80 degrees yesterday, all the Japanese Lady Beetles were out. This meant stitch a little on DW, vacuum bugs, stitch a little, suck up bugs. UGH!

Today is cooler with rain and so they don't seem as prevalent. I should get more stitching done today. 

Had a customer come and drop off first thing this morning and they were enamored with Hazel. They just left which is why I'm blogging so late.

Here is some detail going into the Zoology top...

N is for Norwall

After working on the long arm well past my usual time (because the morning was spent cleaning the entire house after the kids/grandkids were here the past weekend), I pieced together the vertical sections of the colored pencils heart...

Now to get those vertical rows assembled

I would like this to be a more usable quilt. I'm thinking, after getting it together and bordering the first border, I'll do something else for a second border. Maybe make some letters to go around. The actual name of the quilt is Color Outside the Lines. Maybe putting that around it?

Zoology should be finished today if there are no more interruptions in my day. I'm hoping to get the heart pencils put together and get the first border at least made. 

What an Insane Weekend

We have a little "fall festival" with our neighbors about this time of year. The past weekend was it and it was insane. Chili, cider, campfires, great friends and family, and a little rain. Since the grandkids were here as well, the studio was closed so not much to report in that respect. 

Ben and I (during one of the rain showers) worked through my Sketches program to find out how to add layers into a drawing...

This is Ben with my adding another "layer" to his photo

This will be extremely helpful for the art pieces I LOVE to do rather than having to try to just obtain a sketch on the wall with my overhead projector. It's a whole big process. 

I'll work on on Zoology today and the colored pencils heart piece. The weather this morning is balmy (already at 71 degrees with very high humidity). I'm taking advantage of one of our last nice days and have all the windows open perhaps one last time (although, I've said this before already this year haven't I?) Maybe this is our Indian Summer?  

Bug Guy Be Damned

Our Orkin guy was supposed to be here between 12-2 yesterday. It was 3:30 when he showed up. Despite my having to pace the house and anticipate his arrival, I was able to be somewhat productive. 

Avis' quilt

Yes, quilt. It was already quilted once and it's halfway bound. She pulled the previous quilting stitches out (it wasn't me who did the first quilting BTW), and was referred to me to try to salvage this piece.

This is all I had to work with all around; no extra anything to pin/clamp to

Sewing on a temporary leader to both the top and bottom

Once the temporary leaders were sewn on I was able to load and then pin temporary leaders onto the sides. This took most of the morning. I did manage to get a pass done before lunch and so far the tension seems pretty good.

Because the bug man hadn't shown up even after eating my lunch, I knew that if I turned on DW he'd be here. People don't realize that once we get into our zen place, interrupting us is kind of a pain. I thought I would start pulling fabrics for the Color Outside the Lines pattern instead of trying to long arm.

This is where I left off last night. 

Making progress

I was really enjoying the process of making this piece. Measuring, cutting, piecing, paper piecing, ironing...I didn't get bored during the whole time I was working. 

Today I'll finish Avis' quilt and get another one loaded (if all goes well). I'll work some more on the Color piece and the neighbors are supposed to be up later so working late may not happen. Then again, it's supposed to rain all evening, so having a campfire may not happen either. It's a crap shoot.

Accident Day

Not a car accident or anything remotely Earth shattering as all that, but ding-yourself-up-accident day definitely happened. Those dumb Japanese Lady Beetles (affectionally known as bean bugs) started coming in the house yesterday. Time to get out the dust buster and keep on top of them; banged my shin up pretty good on the chair I was using to get at them.

Once I doctored myself up from that I finished quilting Scrap Petals and took it off the frame. I built the binding and was putting that on when I decided to sew through my finger, nail and all. It's kind of interesting to see a needle sticking through your finger and then having to go find the needle nose pliers to pull the damn thing out. 

But I did manage to get the binding on and the Scrap Petals is complete. 

Ready to use

Frog and Owl are also completed and hanging in the bathroom.

Who?

Jim brought the mail into the studio right in the middle of my needle-in-the-finger crises so I wasn't able to check it out until later. This came yesterday! So excited!

This is the smaller one measuring 46" x 52"

I wish I would have paid attention when I purchased this because I really wanted the bigger size. But this will make a decent throw when I border it out. The pattern is jelly roll friendly but I don't have one with 42 varying colors. I think I may make it a little scrappy and pull from my stash instead. Hmmm???

Putting a customer quilt on who has already bound the quilt and needs me to re-quilt it from her previous quilter who messed it up. I'll have to baste temporary leaders on it first to get it loaded and then see what I can do from there.

Goofy Day

What started out as a normal day yesterday turned kind of goofy. The new customer was a little later than I had expected (I was using my new Glide color card to inventory my current supply while waiting). We spent some time getting to know one another and then I wolfed down lunch. No sooner had I cleaned up and I heard a rumbling noise. Oh yeah, the gutter guy is supposed to be here to install a gutter on the front of the garage.

By the time I welcomed him, talked to him about the gutter in Hazels pen, and got back inside, it was almost 3:30. I wasn't in a long arming mood by then. I did get the Scrap Petals rolled back and it's ready to free motion this morning...

Ready to start this morning

I did talk to Jen at Gall Sewing about the tension on DW and she suggested a few things, which seemed to have helped. I'll still keep an eye on it pretty closely for a while just to make sure our "fix" was what DW needed. 

Owl and Frog

The Owl and Frog wallhanging I left on the table last week, prior to my trip, was worked instead and I've already started blanket stitching everything down. By 8:00 I was done. All the weekend travel caught up to me I think. 

I'll long arm this morning. Mom may (or may not) stop by after her art league and I'll continue on with the Owl and Frog this evening. Life is back to normal(cy). 

Back Home!

What a weekend. Oddly, I didn't take as many pics as I would have thought I would but here's a few...

One of Lauren's Mandala pieces

She's explaining the overall "feel" of this top

Just a little of my "take" from the weekend

Identifying corners with feathers

Another Mandala Lauren did

Working through my Arcadia Avenue quickly

It seemed like a blur of time and was a plethora of information to dissect. Thankfully I had a six hour drive ahead of me to think about and digest some of what Lauren taught and discussed with us over the four days. 

The drive was fine until about an hour into Michigan. Rain, rain, and more rain. I had to pull off at one point because I just could not see a thing.

New customer coming this morning and I have Scrap Petals to get into which is on the frame yet from my departure on Thursday. I had to contact Gall this morning to discuss the tension issue with that new bobbin case. A few suggestions and a solution was given and it'll be worked out with my piece today. Yay!