Batting Chicken

While I was taking my last roll late in the afternoon, I was sweating whether this quilt was going to exceed the batting width. Talk about winner, winner...

Andrew called just as I was finishing getting things basted in for today's work which was perfect timing. While I was talking to him I constructed three Scrappy goodness blocks. After we hung up the strip of the day was stitched out. 

The zippers and other things arrived yesterday including the frames for the caddy's. Since the zipper did arrive, I was on to tackling that next. Here's the color Jim and I picked out and what do ya think?

The pink zipper

It went in rather easily and I'm debating on whether to put one into the other coat I made earlier this year. Maybe this weekend?

I have an appointment first thing this morning and then when I get back this afternoon I'll be finishing Judys Tie quilt. Along with other stuff. 

Hours of Operation

It's pretty simple. I'm open from 10-4 each weekday. I observe national holidays and Saturdays are with appointment only. Or, if you're in the area and we aren't doing anything, as long as you call first we can probably accommodate you in the morning. Please let me have Saturday afternoon and Sunday off.

I received a message at 9:01 this morning about a quilting question. 

Even though Jim is home now, we still have a routine to do every morning; laundry, house cleaning, dogs, correspondence, technical stuff, showers, blogging, etc. I don't get up until around 8:00 (I love to read at night when the house is finally quiet) so staying up until well after midnight is my norm.

That's the beauty of having your own business. Your hours are up to what fits in your schedule. For me, 10-4 works well. And please respect that people. You have a life, as do I.

Soapbox done. I worked all day on the Tie quilt for Judy. We headed to get groceries in the afternoon and then after returning home, I quilted the strip for the day on DW. 

I pieced a scrappy block and then separated for the next three. I also ran two test strips for the cowboy boot top. 

18 more of these to go

I think this will be a retreat project I'll work on since it requires minimal thinking. Jim finished binding my coat...

Waiting for the zipper now

I have the zipper on order and will install that tonight if it does indeed arrive today. 

It hit me when I was separating the next three scrappy blocks that I have to test irons and start getting stuff around for the retreat we're hosting. Since it's not at The Springs and we're doing this one from scratch (first time ever at this location), we have to provide some of the things we aren't used to providing. Big irons for the ironing station (which we're also providing) is one of those. I had to test a few to make sure they still worked since they've been in the closet for a few years...

In good working order

Today I'm supposed to have a customer coming to drop off, but we're getting some weird snow/rain mix and it's well below freezing. More work on the tie quilt but it should be done today. Hopefully!

Shipshewana

I just found out my non-quilting mother is heading to Shipshewana tomorrow. She's staying at the same hotel we stay at during our retreats (Blue Gate Garden Inn). I'm so bummed! There are a few seats left on the bus, but I have a customer coming tomorrow and a meeting (retreat related) on Friday at 11:00. And, it's not just the expense of the trip, but the shopping that'll get ya.

Sigh.

Here's some more quilting eye candy on Judy's Tie quilt...

Center of the middle ties

Perimeter of the center ties

I did my strip last night on DW, two Scrappy Goodness blocks, attached the sleeve binding on the coat, and sewed the last binding around the perimeter of the coat as well. I started hand stitching that down and am nearly half-way done. Jim may take the remainder over since my middle finger is now numb. 

I have all the temperature houses caught up and the frames are ordered for the caddy's. 

I received a message from a lady wanting pricing on E2E quilting through my web site. She must have missed the banner at the top indicating I wasn't taking new customers any longer. I called her back (got voice mail) and let her know the situation. I referred her to Sarah across town for E2E services. 

More on Judys quilt today. I'm past the half-way point so the schedule in my head is good. 

Lots of Negative Space

When I'm given lots of negative space, there are so many things I could do in there. But the quilt has to be 'read' and doing some things in one may not be what the quilt needs. 

Here's some of the quilting going into Judy's Ties...

I haven't yet gotten to the center section of ties but this is what's happening above the center. More pics tomorrow.

After working I moved over to DW to quilt Sunday and Monday's strips. I worked a block in the Scrappy Goodness and then attached the hood and the sleeve binding on the coat. However, the sleeves have to be hand sewn now to the inside. 

Yep, I'm actually hand sewing the binding on this one. Don't ask. I lost my head. 

Four Years Ago

I just received a notification that four years ago tomorrow we headed to Wooster, OH to pick up Lucy. Has she really been with us for four years? 

Yesterday started out on DW doing my daily strip. From there I made a caddy and then started digging into the coat.

Lunch was late because I was playing with that the rest of the morning and shortly after our movie, the neighbors had camp fire and we were down there until almost dark.

I spent the rest of the night whip stitching down the pockets and hand binding the hood. 

I want to work on it some more today, but last time I spent a Sunday out in the studio, I woke up sick. My body is telling me a day to rest is mandatory and being sick on the couch does not count. 

Oh, and I had another call yesterday from a quilting customer. Did people forget I'm not open on Saturday? I've been pretty lax about turning my business phone off Friday nights to prevent this but apparently I'm going to need to start doing it again. 

I see reading and knitting in my future today. We have a winter storm raging outside and it sounds like a good day to just rest and relax.

Back in the Saddle

Yesterday was the first "normal" day in the studio in a week. It felt so good to be back in the saddle!

I finished Diane's quilt up and we have the back to her next quilt being frame ironed. Once all the post- quilting chores were done, I moved over onto Marty to work on Judys quilt she made for a friend. All ties!

The quilt plan had been discussed during the drop off so I didn't have to think about it much. Here's the border and center of the partial dresdens...

Then I got to all that negative space. I originally proposed putting rays off each tie, but after getting the markings in DID NOT like that at all. I called Judy to let her know it wouldn't look good and could I move in a different direction.

Thankfully, my customers trust me. She's leaving all of that up to my discretion and feels like I'll make the right choices for what I change it to. 

I did start working the partial dresdens in the corner, but even after putting in two rows of echoing, they aren't spilling out into the negative space quite like I'd hoped. I needed to sketch some more and I think I've got a good plan going forward. 

After shutting down business for the day I made a caddy. I have enough for the amount of folks currently registered to attend the retreat but I'm going to continue on with the ones that are roughed in so attendees have a choice in their gift. 

I made a Scrappy Goodness block and then headed over to DW to do my strip for the day. From there I grabbed that quilt I whipped out last Sunday and started cutting up the pieces for my Elemental quilted jacket. I made the long bias binding strip needed for the whole thing and then I didn't know where else to head. 

I read through the directions (again) and will start working on that today. I'm a little confused about the binding on the inside of the hood, so when I finally came out of the studio around 7:30 Jim had a Spartan b-ball game to watch (which we lost by two) and I plugged my ear buds in and started looking for a video to assist with my confusion.

Misty Doan (Missouri Star Quilt Company) did a video with the pattern designer making a coat from start to finish. BUT, they barely touched on the hood section. In fact, just sort of glazed over the whole thing. Huh? Maybe it'll make more sense when I get back to it this morning?

Couch Camp

Sunday was spent in and out of the studio despite my 'rule' of not going in there on Sunday's. Jim had a basketball game at 4-ish and I didn't really feel like listening to him bark at the refs/players on the TV. I did my strip and then made a caddy, as well as cutting up for the cowboy boots. I loaded up the flimsy I found in my stash before lunch.

During his game I headed to the studio to work on this...

This is going to be a spring coat

Here's what I quilted into it...

This is just me doing some hand guided free motion quilting. It was well after dark and even the game ended before I got it done. But it's on the frame (Marty) waiting for me to take it off. 

So a few days ago I thought I had developed a terrible cat allergy. Turns out I was actually coming down with something. Still not sure what this is. Today my left ear is plugged like it was when we came back from Alaska last August.

I've had every cold symptom known except for the really sore throat. No nausea or diarrhea so it's not the flu. However, I'm fuzzy headed and dizzy still today despite having spent the past two days on the couch. And, I'm so very tired. 

I can't long arm if I'm dizzy. That's not cool. Nor is it safe. I'm going to try to get out there this morning and see how things go. I'm not going to push it though and if I'm not feeling it, it may be another day at couch camp. 

Allergies

I felt like I was coming down with a cold yesterday. Itchy, watery eyes, snotty nose, sneezing, and a lot of sinus drainage causing me to cough. But, I didn't have aches and chills. Nor did I have a severe headache. I think I'm developing allergies.

And, yesterday, I took Virginia's quilt off the frame, trimmed and folded it in order to get it ready for pick up. Virginia has lots of cats. Jim thinks it's a cat allergy. And I didn't do my eye drops yesterday so it very well could be.

Despite my wading through all the head things I was dealing with, it was a very productive day. I started on DW to do my daily strip. After, while I was working my daily caddy my phone rang. It was one of my regular customers (I guess all of them are regulars now since I'm not taking any new business) and they were coming to the area. Could she drop off a top? Sure, I'm just puttering around the studio.

Jim was working on his very first loaf of hand-made bread. Doesn't this look yummy?

We love bread!

I made a Scrappy Goodness block while I was waiting for them and then recorded the days missing for the Temperature quilt. I also dug through my flimsies to find a suitable coat pattern. They arrived and were here for over an hour. More like an hour and a half. Boy did I get a beautiful quilt to work!

All transferred

During lunch I prepped my pattern pieces for the coat I'm making. After lunch I removed Virginia's quilt to free up Marty for some quick long arming today. I had to construct a backing for the top I selected from my stash and started frame ironing that. I constructed the houses for the temps I recorded and added them to the next row.

While I was waiting for the backing to get frame ironed on Marty, I constructed the strip sets for the cowboy boot quilt...

Ready for cutting

Today I was up very late. The previous night our chimney for the fireplace decided to drip into the chimney pipe. One. Drop. At. A. Time. And loudly because water dripping on metal is very loud! Apparently we have a new leak. Guess what's right outside my bedroom? Yup. The chimney. And this allergy thing wasn't helping. 

Today I'm hoping to sneak onto Marty for a few hours to get the coat top quilted along with all the other daily things I should do. But, it's Sunday, so who knows how motivated I'll be. 

How I'm Super Productive

I've kept track of my productivity over the past few months and I've come to some conclusions. I'm very productive when...

1. It's poopy weather outside

2. I'm talking on the phone

3. Jim is out doing errands

4. I'm not expecting any customers and can really immerse myself in the music playing in the studio

Yep, Yesterday number 3 and 4 occurred and I managed to get Virginia's quilt finished at around 2 or 2:30. Since I worked over a few days this week, that gave me permission to run over to Pieces for some fusible and the fat quarters missing in the cowboy boot quilt. 

Once we were finished shopping, one of the workers' sister came in with something she made while we were checking out. I fell in love. Asked how hard it was. She was NOT a sewer or a quilter but managed to make a stunning piece of clothing. 

I asked her about the pattern and Susan (owner of Pieces of Thyme) now carries the very pattern she used. Guess what else I came home with? 

Looks easy enough!

When I came home I put the purchased items away except for this pattern as I wanted to look through it and see what I was up against. OMG! So simple. And the lady I talked to at the quilt shop said the only hard part was the pockets. She said to look at the pictures first and then read the instructions, otherwise they are sort of confusing. Good thing I already do that anyway!

She made the one in the center in the picture above. I was even able to try hers on (I'm glad I did or I would have under sized it) and have decided to put a hood on mine. The pattern has many size, style, and extra options including hoods, zippers, rounded corners, etc. included. Now I'm on the hunt in my flimsy pile to see what would be cool to make into a coat. 

After looking through the pattern and trying not to squirrel, I made a caddy, quilted my strip, and then re-made the first block in Scrappy Goodness after Jim pulled all my seams. He's such a trooper. This is more like it...

I was so happy with the results of this block that I made another. 

Today will be a caddy, a strip, another Scrappy Goodness block, and I have to get this weeks temperatures recorded and houses made. From there, who knows?