Marathon Quilting

The previous two quilts shown on my last post are quilted and bound. This quilt was also quilted and bound over the weekend...

This was a big one!

And the Painted Ladies shown last week is also now completed. Four quilts in one weekend. Whew. 

This week is going to be much of the same as the weekend was except for tomorrow in which we have to head to Grand Rapids to Jim's four-month check up post surgery. It's going to be a good day to stay in today and quilt anyway because it's supposed to be a hot one out there with temps already in the 80's. 

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. 

I Hate It When That Happens

The tulle I'm going to use to put over the top of The Painted Ladies was found a few weeks ago when I was rummaging around for something else in my storage drawers. I was going to quickly get that loaded and quilted up (putting irregular straight lines both vertically and horizontally) and went to get the tulle tacked down before loading the top. Except it's about four inches too short no matter how I try to fit it. Had I known this, more tulle would have been picked up when we were in town last week. 

Hazel has to go to the vet this morning for a heart worm check and more meds, we'll come home, wolf down some lunch and then head out for groceries and that tulle.

Meanwhile, the long arm was naked and needed something else on it since Town and Country is off. Yes, it's quilted and is now being bound. I'm actually hand binding it (I know, shocker right?) and will whittle away at that for the next four nights. I got about a fourth of it done last night.

So here is what is on the frame today...

Luann's Zipper, or Stacked Coins quilt top

I wanted to get this quilted this morning before the vet appointment but that's not going to happen since she has to be there in about 45 minutes. I'll work on it later this afternoon/evening since DW is going to drive this one for me. 

Before we have to leave this morning I'm going to dive into the WIP tote one last time to identify the last old [WIP] project of 2021. If I need more fabric/supplies for it, we can pick those up while we're in town later this afternoon. 

A Week Out of My Life

As I sat down to Blog today, noticed it had been a full week since I was in here working. Our DeGroot reunion was a smashing success. Perfect weather. Perfect pranks. Perfect food. The only thing that wasn't perfect was my ability to sew and instead run my bum off for six days straight. The positive side to all of it is my shorts fitting a little looser. 

But after all the dust settled, the RV was tucked away for another year, the numbers were crunched, the washing was done, the house getting back to normal, stole a few hours last night to get the Painted Ladies together and ready to head to the long arm.

The Painted Ladies ready for the long arm

I'm so excited because I think I have one more WIP to work and then I can begin something new. Which is a good thing because while we were away at reunion, my Cotton Cuts postcard came in the mail about the mystery quilt I signed up for. It begins in a few weeks. 

I'm having a conversation with a family member right now and it involves the quilt I donate each year for the reunion. While the quilt was basically being given away (it went for $150) my heart was just torn. The two people who requested this particular quilt didn't even bid on it and I think this last year was the last quilt the reunion will see for a while. 

Long arming today on Town and Country and I should be able to get it off the frame. I received a customer quilt over the weekend so that will need to go on next. And then I'll be digging that WIP out to work on later. 

Reunion Week=Sporadic Blogging

Getting in the studio during the week prior to the reunion results in sporadic blogging. I have obligations to work on during the day and depending on quickly I get them done directly affects how much studio time is available.

Yesterday, the afternoon heat was unbearable (mid 90's) and the trailer heated up even warmer sitting out there in the sun. This gave me some studio time to work on the Painted Ladies.

I finished the Boutique and started looking at the four houses all in a row. Something was missing from the Flower Shop and I pulled the pattern down to take a look at it to see what, if anything, was missed. I'm glad I did because all the sidewalk and flower embellishments were somehow excluded. 

After working until well past 9:00 last night, was able to get them all in a row on the design wall. They aren't sew together yet, but this is an idea of how they'll look.

Those Painted Ladies

If you look closely, you'll notice that some of the design seems to missing parts...like the awning on the Boutique. That's because once the houses are assembled as one unit, there will be trees put in front and will cover most of the areas that seem to be missing parts. 

Caleb and Lia are on their way here from Detroit. They flew in from Washington state late last night. They'll be with us for the next five days to help with reunion. Thursday, the "B" family will be here as well and I have a feeling very little studio time will occur once everybody arrives. 

 

On the Road with Relatives

Jims sister is here from Tennessee and we spent most of the day with her yesterday. From our house (Jim picked up her downstate), we traveled to Traverse City so she could visit with their mom. She hasn't seen her in six years. 

While I was waiting for them to arrive in the morning, I started the Boutique. Here's where I left off yesterday morning.

Building the Boutique

I wanted to long arm yesterday after working on this for a bit, but Jim and Teresa arrived sooner than I had planned. Sometimes our quilting world doesn't work out exactly as expected.

Today it is HOT! And HUMID! The air kicked on at 9:30 this morning. That's a sure sign we won't be spending much time outside today. IF we had a real lake, we'd already be in it. But, since we don't, studio time is a great substitute. 

I'm Loaded

No, I have not been drinking. One of my quilts is loaded onto the frame. Yep, Town and Country. Except for the borders, the whole thing is just receiving a ditch around each block. Here's what is going into the borders...

Border work on Town and Country

When reaching the half-way point yesterday it was time to be done for the day. I'm getting into thread changes and had been on the machine about five hours. I got to thinking about when it was the last time I put one of my "actual" quilts on the machine and looked it up. At the rate I'm going, I'll average about three quilts for me per year. This isn't good!

The Painted Ladies are coming along. The Bakery is embellished and here are the three of them sitting side by side...

The Painted Ladies minus one

One more to go. The foundation paper pieces are all traced. The appliqué pieces are all onto fusible. And the Boutique was going to be started last night. Except, pink is one of those colors I'm sorely lacking and it requires a full fat quarter to make. 

I have a variety of errands to run today and will include a trip to Pieces along my route to pick up the missing pink. 

It's a Structure

The Bakery is built but not nearly complete. It obviously needs embellishments to make it look as lovely as the previous two buildings. 

Look at the detail in the Quilt Shop next door

While I was constructing this building, the backing for Town and Country was being frame ironed. I found a wonderful paisley in the backing stash to match the blues and peaches in the top. 

Norma's quilt was completed on the long arm and then I started to blanket stitch down the smaller embellishments. Except, blanket stitching arcs and circles on a larger piece (meaning, I'm use to doing 4 1/2" blocks, not a 24"x36" quilt) was becoming nearly impossible. Shift gears. 

How about free motion quilting on Jay? Bingo! got those all sewn down. Customer called. Moving along.

Today I want to load the Town and Country top, but we have a ruckus happening in that our driveway is being repaired and re-sealed. We also have a propane delivery scheduled for today, so whoever arrives first wins. 

 

 

Gotta Love Family

My days in the studio are going to shorten in another week or so. The annual DeGroot family reunion begins a week from tomorrow. We have family coming in from all over for this years event and since we're in charge, this is the one week during the year I just can't seem to get in here. So...enjoy it now!

I was cranking on Norma's reindeer top yesterday morning/afternoon and thought I was going to get her top completed on the long arm (still have DSM work to do afterwards), but then Jim reminded me I had a dentist appointment at 1:40, and I needed to stop by the butcher afterwards. And we still hadn't eaten lunch. 

By the time I returned and had eaten lunch I had lost my long arming mojo. But here's what her top is getting put into it...

Norma's Reindeer

Since the long arming mojo was gone, I started right in on the Bakery. Here's where I left off last night...

Pretty much the same day is ahead of me today. I don't have any customers stopping by and there are no appointments to take me away; there are no thunderstorms expected for a few days, and the temps are supposed to be reasonable as is the humidity level. A perfect day to quilt!

Changing Oars

Since yesterday was Monday, it was a work-in-the-yard morning. Which actually took until 1:30 in the afternoon since the yard had been ignored for a week. And it was hot. And it was muggy. And it zapped most of my energy while giving me a stellar headache for the remainder of the day.

I decided to not long arm at all because my work wouldn't have been my best. Cleaning out a WIP tote seemed like the restful thing to do. Five projects total (four in the tote and one on the shelves) were found. 

Project #1: A Jacqueline DeJong class from Craftsy that was started years ago that I no longer have an interest in. 

What to do with this?

I decided this would make a cute table thing and quilted it up quickly, pinked the edges (was not going to spend that much time binding it) and put it under my clarinet lamp. 

Project #2: An anything bag, which was from another Craftsy class, that had the zipper on the wrong side. 

I wasn't going to salvage a $.32 zipper

I scrapped it because the zip was incorrectly put in and stashed out the rest of the fabrics. 

Project #3: A large bag model to use for laundry/customers that is just that...a model. Not really a project at all.

Project #4: The Painted Ladies. Now this one you'll be hearing about for a few weeks. 

The Painted Ladies

I have been looking for these houses for quite some time now. I have pulled apart pattern drawers, looked on pattern shelves, looked in pattern baskets, and could NOT find these anywhere. I knew I would stumble upon them eventually...and finally! Here they are!! 

I'm very excited about this project. Each house is a combination of paper piecing, traditional piecing, and raw edge appliqué. I started working on the third "house", which is actually the Bakery last night. After an hour and a half, I made a door. These things are not for the faint at heart. 

It's a door

It's hot and muggy outside and today is a normal work day in here. Long arming Norma's reindeer will begin shortly and if the storms kick up like they're predicting, I'll move on to something off the long arm. Like the Painted Ladies. 😀