Pieced WIP's Accomplished

All the works in progress that needed piecing are now complete!!! Hurray! Here's a portion of what I did in the border on Happy Camper.

Happy Camper border

The top turned out too big to take a pic from the design wall and it was starting to get stormy when I put the last stitch in, so this was the best I could do. 

Paulette's first quilt was finished in under two hours. Her second quilt will go on this morning. This afternoon I have to mow and deal with the lawn because I've had it put off (per Jim) for the past few days. It was a little too hot to mow and I don't like to tax the mower(s) any more than necessary since we rely so heavily on them.

So what am I going to piece tonight? asks my friend Katie. She knows I like to have to sit down work to do after standing all day in front of the long arm. I slept on her question and came up with four immediate things to do:

1) Clean and organize the studio after all the WIP work happening in here of late.

2) Assign backs to all the tops I have laying in wait for the long arm. This is my slow season on the big machine and I may as well take advantage of that fact with a few of my own tops.

3) The Cotton Cuts mystery block should be showing up any day. I'll have that to work on.

4) I have a "bag of tricks"; projects just itching to get started, under my sewing table. That needs to be gone through and organized and weeded out.

All those will keep me busy for a few days I think. 

Pro Stitcher Designer Update

DW on performance enhancing drugs. That's what the update was all about I think. I actually had to call Handi Quilter about why DW was going berserk. The tech laughed and then explained about a new feature called Stitch Optimization and how it works. Well, it works all right and I did a fairly large baby quilt (Jills) in under 2 hours. 

 Here's what's on the frame today...

Paulette's first top from the latest drop off

Isn't this quilt just the cutest? I'm getting some real dolls in here lately and this one is no exception. It will receive an E2E later today. Later because I have a flash and smash appointment in another hour or thereabouts so won't be available to quilt until I get through that.

My physical yesterday was okay. Labs came back a little high in some things and lot high in my Triglycerides. The tech called today on behalf of my physician and said I'm to reduce my fats, oils, and fried foods for three months. If the number doesn't drop meds may be introduced into my life. Nope. I'll eat healthy for a little while and see what we get. I don't do meds well at all!

After DW did his steroid stitching, I was able to get the blocks put together on the Happy Camper top.

Happy Camper top

I'm going to border this out with random remnants of what's left in the fabric pile from making the blocks, after I run a colorful thin border to separate and frame the top. This quilt is going to reside in our RV and if the reunion folks want a quilt to auction next year (I'm not going to make a special one like I usually do next year), then I'll grab this one and see what it fetches. 

Until tomorrow...happy quilting!

Productivity

Making up for lost time seemed to occur yesterday.

Luann's quilt was completed and here is some of the detail free-motioned into the piece...

Luann's Stacked Coins, or Zipper Quilt

After I completed this piece, I was determined to get those Painted Ladies quilted.

Just waiting for binding

The black being used in the last WIP had to wait for cutting for binding on the Painted Ladies. Now that I have a layout for the WIP I can cut for the Painted Ladies. 

And here's the Happy Camper layout

I've decided that unless a pattern comes with the panel, DO NOT BUY! This was the third go-around in trying to make something of the fabrics and panel and I really didn't enjoy the process; and I am only okay with what will be the finished product/project. It'll make a nice utility quilt for the trailer.

I have to drop off some quilts today. I have a customer coming for pick up and possibly a drop off soon, and that will about be the extent of my inside work. We have a sunny-ish day and it's not supposed to be too awful hot. The yard awaits and since I haven't done anything out there since Sunday, it's due. 

Plans Going South

From the title of todays blog it sounds like I'm heading towards a southern vacation. But mom and I were actually planning on a trip south to North Carolina to attend the John C. Campbell Folk Art School in August. Mom's hip is really misbehaving and there was a concern for her having to sit in the truck for such a long trek. Just sitting here at our house for a half hour was causing her issues.

Sadly, the trip was cancelled yesterday. I'd rather have mom comfortable and looking forward to the class rather than having to stress about the trip down and back. 

Now I'm on a mission to try to find a retreat/class/seminar to attend later this summer/fall. That'll be tonights project on the iPad. 

Meanwhile, yesterday was filled with errands. Hazel is heart worm free. We have groceries in the fridge after the kids were in and out all weekend with the reunion. I have my tulle for the Painted Ladies, and I started the last WIP!

Happy Camper

This was a fat quarter kit picked up from the Pieces of Thyme quilt shop a couple of years ago. It came with no directions and is left to the quilters imagination. I tried to do something with this at a retreat the winter after getting it and was unsuccessful. I tried to do something with it again last spring. Lost interest. Now we aren't playing around any more. We're going to make this into something. 

I have a customer quilt to work on with the long arm today that should have been worked yesterday. And I'll work on the Happy Camper thing somewhat while it's stitching away and again more intensely this evening. 

Running Out Of Fabric

I have six projects going on in the studio right now. My Jacqueline is at a standstill because I need more fabric to finish the last go-around. I can't order any for it on-line because I need to make sure the correct colors get placed in each section. Computers aren't always true to color.

The flannel rag quilt for Jim is on hold until my order comes in from MSQC.

The Happy Camper piece may be worked next, but I'll have to pirate some of the black fabric from the Jacqueline piece to work on it.

The Row by Row quilt along is a monthly thing and until Irene puts up another month, that's parked.

The Scrap Happy top can be continued for a little bit, but once all the slabs are built, I have no background fabric for the thing...unless I pirate the white from the Row by Row to continue on. See...I need more fabric.

The quilt for my mom is in the works and the top will be completed today. The center section of this quilt is the quilt along I'm doing with Helen Godden and won't be able to quilt it until she gets through all her videos (in two weeks). BUT, I'm thinking with the leftover fabrics, I may just get creative and make a matching pillow to go with the quilt.

Moms Mothers Day Quilt for her new Condo

The wind outside today is screaming (again), so long arming probably would not be a good idea. I'll make the back for the animal/barn top from last week and at least attempt to get it loaded.

Maybe I need to get a large black and white order in to MSQC for some more white and black? I don't think I'm going to be able to get anymore otherwise.