A Perfect Sunggle Sunday

A nice rain outside, thunder in the distance, overcast and gloomy. Yep. A perfect day to knit and snuggle with the dogs on the couch all day while watching sappy rom-com movies. 

Jim and I did some purchase damage at Bittersweet yesterday. I LOVE that quilt shop. Quality fabrics for sure and the staff are always so nice. Here's the haul.

Backing fabrics and other stuff

The MSU minky panel Jim brought home a few months ago-we needed a back for it. The inspirational teen girl panel I brought home last fall needed a back too. Then I found the book on the right to go with the pre-printed fusible above it and hey, I just got six new quilt ideas to make and holy cow, we just had a lightning strike a few hundred feet north of us. Big boom of thunder too. Shook the house. I won't be long arming today. 

After taking care of our purchases and making/eating lunch I wandered into the studio for the afternoon/evening. 

All the Flower Power blocks are blanket stitched and I'll be taking them to retreat in a few weeks to put together. 

Ready to be assembled

Once those were done I had to get the rest of the next block together in the Quilt Room. 

The next 'chunk' in the Quilt Room

These almost look like they're real. Once the block was finished, I had to get caught up on the Temperature blocks. I was nine days in arrears. Hopefully I can stay on task from here on in since we have nothing really scheduled for the remaining weeks of the year. 

I did not have time to long arm since I had all this other stuff I wanted to get done. Sad Face!

Planning

Do you recognize this quilt top on Marty?

[Another] Flea Market

Why look, it's another Flea Market. Shocking. After 'pouncing' all the grid work into the top all I had time for in my work day was the first border.

Book Nook

I've obtained a few large panels to make quilts for two of our grandchildren. Jim and I need to get some softener salt and dog food in Standish, and then we're running over to Bittersweet to see what we can get there for those panels (one needs a back, the other needs to have a front built for it). 

We ran to get people food last night and after returning I loaded Book Nook and got a Flower Power done. Those were relatively quick things to do so I started sewing together the next block in the Quilt Room. I did not get it done but will tackle that and hopefully the Temperature quilt blocks I'm in arrears with later today. 

Was It Monday?

Jim and I kept thinking yesterday was Monday. Probably because we took Tuesday and Wednesday off. Here is some of the quilting going into Dianes baby quilt...

Clouds and rainbows

This still needs to be removed from the frame and trimmed but after working late it's completely quilted. 

I did a Flower Power block. I removed the table runner, and, while talking to Andrew on his way home from work, got the binding on it. I did choose another quilt to load onto DW so started frame ironing the back for that. After that I started cutting out for the next block in the Quilt Room. 

Garden Table Runner

Later last night we had a lunar eclipse. I tried to capture it 'on film' and here's the beginning phase...

The beginning of the lunar eclipse

I did stay up late enough to see the totally dark landscape, but my bedroom is in the opposite side of where the moon can be seen. I didn't think Jim would appreciate me stalking around the house at 12:20 in the morning so didn't capture the entire eclipse.

I have one customer coming sometime today to pick up and while I'm waiting for her, and until I can get it loaded, the next quilt top going on Marty has to be entirely marked beforehand. I'm still debating how I'm going to do it (Pounce, manual chalk, or blue marks-be-gone). Anyway, happy Friday. 

Heading Out

As soon as Jim gets out of the shower we're hitting the road. We'll be back tomorrow night, but will enjoy the mini vacation since it revolves around quilting!

Sandy's quilt is finished. I did a Flower Power once that was off the frame and all that goes with it was completed. Then I moved over to DW to finish the table runner. 

I love feathers!

It's a beautiful day for traveling. It's hard to imagine that in less than three months the travel down may be a little more dicey. Until tomorrow...

Forgot to Mention

One of the other items I hauled home was a new 24" x 36" cutting mat. Isn't it funny that after about five years, despite my changing blades often and cleaning the mat periodically, I have to replace them?

Here's some more quilting detail on Sandy's quilt...

I worked later last night trying to make up for some lost time with the Germany visitors and the AQS show. I'll do the same on Monday as we are not going to be here Tuesday or Wednesday. More on that later. 

Once I was done on Marty for the day I started in on a Flower Power block and my phone indicated a customer/friend calling (she calls after hours so not to disrupt my quilting zen). How come I get more done when I'm on the phone? Before I knew it, my Flower Power block was done and I was moving to something else.

I glanced under DW and saw my Temperature quilt and realized I hadn't worked that in two weeks. That was interesting trying to get the readings. NOAA has changed its website and it would only bring up snowfall amounts for Gladwin. I don't think we had any snowfall in the past two weeks.

I had to source elsewhere. Aaaannnddd...it's growing!

The backside

I want to get onto DW today to complete the last two weeks' worth of QAL blocks and then I'm going to pull that top off. I have the farmers table runner I finished last week to get on there to get it done for harvest season. 

While I was perusing IG this morning, before getting around for the day, somebody out there reminded us we should be starting our Christmas projects soon. Mom bought me a kit last Christmas to make [another] holiday quilt. I should cut that up and get it ready for retreat in a couple of weeks? I have to get in my retreat bin to see what I have there to work on and whether or not I should be taking something else along. 

If my memory serves me from April, I still have plenty to work in the bin. Here's the thing. The retreat I'm attending in a few weeks is up at The Springs. I've been there and obviously know how things work there. BUT, I'm going knowing zero people. Not. A. Sole. The one friend who was going texted me to let me know she was backing out. Whelp. Either these folks will love me or wish I'd never attended.

The issue I see in the future is that I need a design wall for all things I'm remembering are in that bin. If I get stuck out in the middle of the room I need to have something I can just sew and not need a wall for. I'll go through it today and see where I'm at.

More for Reference

Sometimes I take pictures so I can refer back to them later after advancing the quilt. If a block isn't repeated often, I have a tendency to forget exactly how I quilted it above in the beginning. But, sometimes it's just because I want to capture the texture and beauty custom quilting gives us. 

This time it's for reference. The batting underneath (not my choice in batting this time) doesn't lend a lot of texture but I need pics to reference on this quilt. 

Only four of these blocks

I think there's only four of these too

Once I got done working yesterday, most of the rest of the day was spent with my DIL and granddaughter, although once she went down for the night I was able to get a Flower Power block done.

 

I have a dentist appointment first thing this morning. I'm already showered, laundry is started, beds are made, and the dogs are taken care of. Not sure what we're doing when I get home but work probably won't happen today unless Evie starts taking longer naps.

Lots of Stuff and Things

There was some outdoor stuff we had to do (dig up trees at the beach and move rocks at the campfire spot) and then while out working with Lia a customer texted and wanted to drop off a quilt. I let her know as long as it was before noon we could make that work. I made some binding, added sashing on Quilt Room, and started a Flower Power block before they arrived.

Once the customer came and went I finished the Flower Power I was working on and then we had lunch. We headed back down to Midland for a yard and estate sale as well as a trip to Michaels for some supplies; Lia needed an embroidery hoop, we found ribbon for Evelyns banner, and then some yarn for later this winter to knit with.

I finished the banner later last night and here it is with a happy recipient. 

I'm going to putter in the studio this morning with Evie and see if I can get anything done with a seven month old on/near my person. We are visiting mom later this afternoon and I don't know if anything else will be accomplished in the studio later today?

Soon To Arrive

Jim is already gone this morning (he was when I got up) to pick up what I think is my grandfathers pontoon. It was hard to tell with the grape and wood vines climbing all over it and while the MC number looked familiar, it's no guarantee. I'll know more when he gets it home.

After working yesterday I quickly did a Flower Power block and then jumped right onto DW. I wanted to get the block finished that was started on Sunday while waiting for Julie to show and I wanted to get caught up with the group. 

Block #10

I messed up though. I thought we only had 12 blocks in the QAL, but as it turns out, there are 20. I am not going to leave DW loaded with this quilt that long. When block number 11 comes out tomorrow, I'll do that and then unload this piece to make room for something else. 
 

The first "chunk" in The Quilt Room

I'm loving these low volume fabrics. The lighting and where I was standing wasn't optimal last night when I grabbed this pic, but it's turning out so darn cute!

I'm hoping upon all hope to finish Virginia's quilt today on Bernie. It's going to be a stretch whether I get it done or not because I'm just past the half-way point. But now that I'm in my groove, it should go a bit quicker? 

Had a friend text that she can't go to the retreat in September so I'll be going to this retreat not knowing a single person. I'm use to walking into a room full of people I don't know, but after a few days, like typical quilters, we'll feel like long lost friends. Unless this group doesn't appreciate my weird sense of humor and my loud and boisterous self. Then I may not be welcome back again next year. 😉

Rearrange

While this rearrangement wasn't in the studio, it did keep me out of the studio most of the morning. I had to do something with our 'reading room' arrangement. We keep adopting moms furniture and prior to yesterday, everything had pretty much just gotten tossed in the reading room. It needed organizing and rearranging. 

And I had to clean some windows in the man cave. And then I had to vacuum the floors because you know, I moved furniture. Then the door to the girls' pen needed cleaning. And then after moving things around in the reading room I noticed the walls were looking pretty dirty. Jim was out weed whacking so I did all this while he was outside. He hates it when I rearrange stuff. 

Once we downed lunch we had to head to West Branch for my eye appointment. Cataracts are forming in both eyes and I'm having a prism situation required to be put into my new glasses. My eyes aren't lining things up correctly which is the reason for the [often] blurry vision. Which isn't good in my line of work.

After we returned from town it was after 4:00 already. No long arming for customers. I did get the following block(s) done: Flower Power, Temperatures, and I got one quilted on DW. I did cut out for the next block in the Quilt Room to round out the evening. 

Block #6

Jim is doing his volunteer work at the food pantry and I'm not sure what's in the works for this afternoon? It's supposed to be icky outside so something indoors I'm sure. 

Talking and Working

Mary's quilt was finished on Marty and now I'm on Bernie working on Virginia's quilt from Primitive Gatherings. While Virginia's isn't a big quilt by any means, it seems those take longer than the others. This is going to be a wall hanging and since there is no continuity between blocks (orange isn't attached to another orange kind of thing) I have to start and stop at virtually every bit of piecing. That's the reason for the long time. And then, of course, there are all those color changes. You get the picture.

After working past quitting time, and while talking to Andrew, I jumped onto Mike to do a Flower Power block and worked these two blocks on DW.

These are turning out so pretty and I'm so sorry I didn't double batt this!

Once we hung up with Andrew I had already cut out the next pieces for the Quilt Room and so started constructing the next block. Here's the result. I love the low volume which isn't usually my jam. 

Only a half day today. I have an eye doctor appointment at 1:30 and after dialating my eyes, chances of me doing much the rest of the day is slim. I already have a sensitivity to light (blue-eyed people do I'm told) but that just makes life a little too bright. 😙

It's Raining

There are some really questionable people on our Smallwood Lake Association page asking questions that nobody can answer. Like, 'How soon before the lake fills?'. Well, unless you're
God, that question can not be answered. 

But, I feel like responding to the page, 'Hey, we got rain. How come the lake hasn't filled up?' Wouldn't that be a hoot? Ya gotta have more than 1/10th of an inch to raise a lake nine feet.

Enough of that. I have to run around and change out some of my summer things and then into the studio I go. I'm working two quilts at once it seems. This one on Bernie...

This one is basted in and already started

And this one on Marty...

This one is basted in but barely started

Those two are on todays docket. Here are better pics of what I'm doing on DW.

Block one

Block three

I did manage to get the pieces cut out for the next block in The Quilt Room and I was able to get a Flower Power block blanket stitched. Our son called and we talked for about an hour on his way home from his work which I will set aside any quilting for. 

Happy Gate Closing Day!

We received word via the Smallwood Lake Association FB page that our gates were closed yesterday. Our lake can now start to refill.

Jim and I added it up. Six years, two months and two weeks later. And, until we get some rain, the idea of the gates being shut is great and all, but it's not going to refill without something from the sky.

One more day on the Flea Market quilt on Marty and then it should be a wrap. I had two visits yesterday; the neighbor to the north while Jim and Mike were moving rocks into the corner 'garden' we're putting in, and another from a customer to drop off. I worked later to make up for the time, so no worries there.

I did a Flower Power block and then jumped on DW to do the first two blocks in a QAL I'm participating in. We're using virtually blank space to do some grid quilting. Here's the blank space...

Here's block one:

And here is block two:

I'm going to kick myself for not double batting or not using a loftier batt. This is turning out better than I anticipated. I'll try to get a better pic the first block because the pic above doesn't do it justice. 

After two very labor intensive QAL blocks I was surprised it was still as early as it was so I got out my binder and started cutting for the next Quilt Room block. Well, one thing turned into another and viola, I have my second block done.

See the lable on the jar? Yep, I actually hand embroidered that! Me. Hand embroidery. Call Ripleys! Another beautiful sunny day in store for us to enjoy quilting. Isn't God great?

At Our Age

Whenever we can we visit with friends and family. Every day is a gift and should be enjoyed as best as possible. We love our neighbors to the north and when they are free to take a few hours out of their day to catch up we jump on it.

We live here full time and they do not, so their visits have been brief over the past six years since there's no real reason for them to hang out long other than to do lawn/house maintenance.

The Flea Market quilt for Julie is finished. The frame ironing on the next Flea Market is also finished and I'll be loading as soon as I get done here. There's a very sad story that goes with my next job but I'm not going to get into why. Tender care and love will be especially thick on this one!

After working and visiting with the neighbors, I headed back out to the studio to make a Love Letter block and then started blanket stitching Flower Power. 

Flower Power top

Here's the first block of the 15 needed. I didn't have enough time to work on DW unfortunately because of the chat session next door, but I did have a little time to go through the next three quilt tops I'll be tackling. I discovered I did not have nearly enough scraps/leftovers to complete the Granny Squares pattern by Lori Holt. 

Instead of trying to piece meal it together, I did break down and purchase a fat quarter bundle from a private seller on Etsy. I don't usually do that, but her prices were pretty good and she had the particular bundle I wanted. 

More of the same today so not much else to write about. 

Why Do I Post Everyday?

Generally I'm out in the studio everyday and since this is my quilting diary, that's one of the reasons. Another reason is to make me accountable for what I'm going to be doing later on that day, and reason number three is to summarize what I did the previous day.

If I wait two days, details are often forgotten. When I don't post anything I wasn't here to do anything quilting related. 

Yesterday was one of those days when I wasn't here all day. But what did I do Friday?  

After working on Flea Market for the day I made a Love Letter block. I did the two leaf blocks left in Flower Power, and then instead of jumping on DW, I sorted and glued down the circle parts of Flower Power. 

Now I can start stitching all of those down. The class for this quilt used a variety of stitches to go around each circle. I'm not doing that. Just a regular blanket stitch is good enough for me. 

Yesterday, despite not being in the studio, I did do something quilt related. I've been wanting to get down to The Hen House quilt shop in Charlotte so Jim and I took a trip there after Jacobs birthday party in Lansing. Now there's a hidden gem! I know the owner and most of the people who work there and so it was like a mini reunion. These ladies all belonged to the guild we had there (until Covid killed it) and catching up over the past four years took over an hour. I picked up this layer cake to add to the fabric for the Quilt Room I'll be starting soon. 

I haven't been sleeping very well lately (again). I did get some sleep last night, but the previous two nights I saw 3:00 a.m. and beyond and still got up before 8:30. Today I'm not feeling too good and my energy level is about zero. It'll be a quiet day reading and snuggling with the girls. 

Lots to Report

But not many pics. I finished Ginny's quilt right before lunch. After lunch, Jim and I needed to find him some wide mouth lids for his pickles. We started to head towards Colonville Hardware but stopped at the grocery story in Beaverton. They used to have a large canning rack including sleeves of lids. 

They no longer have those and while I was in the store looking Jim was calling Colonville to make sure they had some before we drove all the way over there. Good thing he checked. They did not have any and so we picked up four boxes of the lids that the grocery store in Beaverton had.

I did a Love Letter and a Flower Power leaf block before jumping on DW. All the while I'm frame ironing the next back on Marty because I have two customer quilts I need to get done ASAP. After working on DW for a few hours I decided that was enough and noticed it was only 6:30. Embroidery?

Yep, and all the pieces are embroidered that need to go into the Quilt Room. 

I am having trouble getting my phone to talk to the Mac. Our iCloud is nearly full and the Mac won't accept any more information. That's how it syncs. Maybe tomorrow I'll have this figured out?

They Use To Make Fun Of Me

The boys used to say I had so many quilts on the walls that I may have to start putting them on the ceiling. Does this qualify?

It looks great up there but I must admit it's going to get some getting use to in having something hanging from the ceiling. 

While Jim was hanging that up for me I was continuing with Ginny's quilt on Marty. I slipped a few hidden things into it and this is one of them.

Woof

I have one more day on her quilt and then I can call that a wrap. After working her quilt I did a Love Letter block and then finished getting together section four (of five). I did a Flower Power leaf block (only two more of those to go) while talking to Andrew and then headed right over to DW to work on the Raven.

Here's some of the thread painting going in...

Not everything needs to be quilted

And here is the background fill I'm using around the raven...

Swirl Feather

This is a new-to-me motif I have wanted to use for several months now and thought this was the perfect opportunity to incorporate a swirl (mimicking flight) and the feather (mimicking the bird) into a quilt. 

Jim is going out mowing. I had a few texts flying around this morning regarding Shipshewana in November. One girl would like to abstain this year (too much other stuff going on around that time). Her replacement not comfortable going down under the circumstances surrounding getting her there. And one to Virginia and Monica to see if I could stay with them this year. Looks like I have everything sorted and can now move along with my morning.

We have to run to Colonville Hardware this afternoon. Pickles are on and Jim needs wide-mouth lids. They have the best price and we like going there anyway. It's hard for me to start a new quilt in the afternoon and I think Ginny's quilt will only take this morning to finish. A period of celebration is needed after completing each quilt I think? 😗

Still Smokey

Yesterday was pretty bad with the smoke. I had to light a few candles in the house to dissipate the bit that was coming in with the dogs. Or lack of a seal tight house. It helped.

After getting Virginia's Pickle Dish quilt off of Bernie (and all the post-quilting stuff that goes along with removing a customer quilt from the frame) I jumped on Marty and started working Ginny's third quilt; Laura Heines Houses. Here's some of the work going into the borders...

"Roads" and arcs

When I'm working a customer quilt I see every millimeter of the quilt even if it's an edge to edge design. I check for seam threads and any other abnormality that may pop up. This is what I found yesterday...

Seams pulling apart

I called to let her know (as I usually do unless it's something minor) and I'll pin and mark it for her when we ship her quilts next week.

All of today will be spent on Marty since this is taking way long than I thought. It's FPP and every seam needs to be ditched and I think I'm about 15 colors in on this one already. 

I constructed two Love Letter blocks, got row one and two together in section four and then blanket stitched a leaf block on Flower Power. DW was my next target and I was able to get the little canning table runner quilted out. I made the binding for that and had I not gotten Mike set up to work the next leaf block today, I probably would have attached it last night. Tonight maybe?

I found the next thing to go onto DW. Pressed it out. Made the back (pieced together some left over backing from previous quilts) found a batt that would work and it's ready for basting in. 

I'm A Woman...

...I can change my mind! I did do some packing last night in the trailer despite my having said I wasn't going to. We have rain coming tomorrow (what a great way to start out a four-day camping trip) and it's supposed to be icky muggy today. 

I am at the half-way point on Virginia's Pickle Dish quilt. Jim can't believe how much better it looks than the first go with the other long armer. 

I did a Love Letter block and two leaf blocks prior to getting into the trailer stuff as it was a bit warm yesterday and the trailer had gotten hot with my having shut it up the previous night.

After packing for the night (I don't have enough clothes/food to pack it entirely yet) I was itching to do something small. It was after 7:00 already and I didn't want to fire up DW as I knew I would be out there until late if I did.

I picked up this pattern at Seven Sisters a few weeks ago and looked through it earlier. The way it was packaged would have let me to forgo starting anything right now. Pages were folded in half in plastic bags for each "month" this original BOM was released. 

I'm an organizer and so I took them all out of their packages, organized them into months/blocks, three hole punched them and then put them into a binder. 

I have an empty crate under Marty I'll put the blocks as I finish them prior to putting sections together. There is a bit of hand embroidery in this pattern and I'm going to attempt it as it should be. 

Jim and I are having our date day today and while we are in Midland getting groceries (for us and the dog sitter) I'll pop into Hobby Lobby to get the floss and hoop I need to do such a thing. Maybe this will keep me busy at the reunion instead of constantly wanting to each junk food. 

And It Begins

Jim pulled the trailer up yesterday late in the afternoon. I was already done working and we don't want the thing sitting in the direct sunshine while we have to clean it out from whatever got in it over the winter.

Given what I was cleaning out of it, it appears Mr. Mousy got in earlier this spring when all the Comet had  washed away from around it in the spring rains. Our barn is not weather tight, just resistant. 

Meanwhile, in the quilting world of things, here are a few pics of what I'm putting into Virginia's Pickle Dish quilt.

Feathers in the arcs

Straight lines in the blades and second border

Swag with a feather in the lower portion and piano keys above

After getting the trailer cleaned and prepped for packing (we have some supplies coming for the trailer today and tomorrow so I won't pack much tonight) I came back into the studio to do some other stuff. 

A Love Letter block was done and two more leaf blocks were blanket stitched for Flower Power. 

I had every intention of getting on DW after working the two leaf blocks but I was pooped and it was after 7:30.

One customer coming to pick up this morning and that's about it. 

Violations

Notice how late I'm blogging this morning? It was a very restless night and I didn't actually get out of bed until almost 10:00. Then the kids called from Germany so here we are finally.

Jim and I are trying to find something to do today so while he's in the shower, I'll share my quilt police violation.

The first of 15

The directions on this piece are to fuse these petals down using some kind of fusible web. I don't like how stiff fusible web leaves the block. I hate it in fact. But I have zero desire to learn turn-edge appliqué and my thumb probably wouldn't deal with it any way.

There are a number of fusibles out there claiming to not a) gum up the needle when stitching it down and b)leaving the quilt soft and pliable after application. I find that it's either one or the other and I haven't found one yet that is true to both statements. Misty Fuse is about as close as it gets and you can still tell there is a webbing underneath. 

Solution? I had a hair brained idea to just cut the shapes out without fusible. Position them. Use Roxannes glue baste sparingly to get them to set down just enough until I could get them blanket stitched in. The result is above. The quilt police would be handcuffing me to a post!

I have two leaf sections already stitched in place with only minimal issues and it was issues easily dealt with (waving while stitching them down). Once I repositioned the piece, they stitched down fine. And honestly, that may be because I've got a thin batt down underneath to act as an interfacing. I'd rather use a batt than a woven/non-woven interface because, again, I want the block to be pliable. 

Prior to working on Flower Power I did the temperature quilt blocks for the week and after gluing all the leaves down to ready them for blanket stitching I moved over to DW. Here's what he's wearing for the next few days.

OMG, see the block towards the bottom right hand side? It looks wrong. And I'm just noticing this? It's too late now because I've already started quilting this.

Well, this is a utility quilt anyway so I guess it's going to be okay.