Accomodations

I had a customer call yesterday morning when I was working on caddies. She lives about an hour away and said they were coming to Clare. Could she drop off two quilt tops to be worked? Since it was a low-key day out in the studio and we weren't planning on going anywhere, said she could bring it them on over. 

I will accommodate clients as best as I can. It would be silly for her to make an extra trip since she was already in the area. Jim was none too pleased as he was in his underwear pulling stitches out for me on DW. Did I mention I can no longer count? Here is where things went south...

The five he pulled should have been a six

I'll have to restitch those today at some point. Not sure where my head was at last weekend when I put all of those in. Who knows?

I did get two caddies done yesterday and the second row is in the temperature quilt. 

I know I don't usually spend time in the studio on Sunday, but yesterday afternoon turned into a pseudo-Sunday since Jim was having some sick issues. I was worried about him and wanted the dogs to stay quiet so he could rest so the girls and I snuggled on the couch while watching movies most of the rest of the day.

He's feeling a bit better today and is going out to get some fresh air to see if that'll help. I'm going to play in the studio: Make a caddy, do my strip, and then work on some houses since today we have moved into March. As you can tell above, I'm only up to February 6th so there are quite a few I need to still make before being caught up. 

A Quick Blog Today

Jims birthday is next week so we are heading out this morning to do errands and have lunch with mom. 

Here's what I'm working to end out this week...

Toni's holly quilt

Jim helped in the studio yesterday...

Pulling bad stitches

Some of the quilting going into Toni's top...

Quilting detail

A small project I quickly made last night...

Brochures for the retreat in April

I had to made a quick basket to hold the brochures we have for the retreat Linda and I are hosting in April.

And we all make mistakes in our piecing...

Oops

This happens to the best of us. 

We're heading out soon and I'll have to long arm later this afternoon when we return from town. 

My Last Day of Freedom

This is my last day of quilting freedom and then reunion things start to take over my life. Yipee. 😒

Linda's Tantor elephant is done and she's coming over sometime today to pick him up. I think I did more unsewing yesterday than I did actual sewing...

Picking out stitches

Meanwhile. I'm sneaking in a project for Bernadette next while I'm frame ironing for Ann's second quilt. Here's what I've already started for her...

Tilda Sunny Summer

I can not wait four months for it to circulate in the queue. It's clearly geared towards summertime and she's teaching a class on it so I want to get the "example" quilted for her. Being the graceful customer she is and did not pressure me to get it done I'm going to take care of my regular customers as best as I can.

I did an hours worth of long arming on DW and have another roll in. It was partially done, meaning I can not do one pass in an hour on that huge quilt. Was on all three long arms again yesterday. 😆

And yesterday I got to do something I haven't done in over two months; I cut, pieced, and pressed some blocks together on my Sewing Tilda top. I really am excited about getting that on the wall, but I'm afraid as small as the pieces are it's going to be a while before that happens. 

Jury Duty

I'm on jury duty most of the month of March. Hopefully, like last time, all the cases will be dismissed.

I love the wildlife around us. Jim, not so much. My son always says to his dad, "Love the country, hate nature." These guys were hanging out around our dock yesterday.

There's thousands more where they came from

I didn't get a great pic because they are very wary of my presence. 

I had to do an "experiment" yesterday on the cracks in the flooring where some of the boards aren't perfect. While I was out there, I grabbed this pic of the sun shining in the new windows...

I LOVE THIS FLOOR!

No studio work last night. We are out of screws and have to run to get more tonight. The price they want here locally for the same bucket is 50% higher.

Here's some more quilting I snagged a pic of yesterday in Donna's quilt...

Lots of feathers and swirls

Not only did I have a  customer drop in yesterday and spend quite a bit of time chatting with me, but I had this going on too...

Bain of the job

Unsewing. Bleh! I've had to do my fair share on this piece. I think not sleeping well at night is starting to catch up with me. And, the quilt is still on the frame. Unfinished. 

I have two customers coming in for a fix this morning and another possible one coming to drop off later today. I'm going to get right on DW as soon as I finish blogging and see how much more of Donna's quilt I can tackle before everything fires up. Wish me luck. 

Rockin'

I'm starting to get my mojo back. Well, I never really lost my mojo, just redirected into the construction realm. Here's what's on DW today...

Christmas Table Topper

This is getting an edge to edge, but I'm driving. I can't find a file I like in my library so I'm just going to do it myself. I'm going to put some gold Holly leaves and berries all over. Per the customer request.  

Here's what's on Bernie today...

Donna's Guild Challenge

This is getting custom work done but shouldn't take too awful long since it's so small. 

Here's some of the quilting that went into yesterdays work...

Blustery Breeze E2E via computer

The top portion is me. The bottom is the hand quilting previously done.

And we can't computerize E2E without some type of issue. There's a blue "track" that the computer follows which has started to become rather loose; lost its grip if you will. Yesterday it totally shifted and DW was just randomly stitching whatever he wanted instead of the chosen pattern since he couldn't find the track. 

I found out Elmers Glue isn't strong enough to hold the two plastic pieces together. Luckily I found the E6000 rather quickly and got everything adhered down so I could begin again after lunch. But first...unsewing. 

Removing the "wandering" computer work

The nice thing about removing stitches is the room is quiet and I can catch up on a few podcasts while I'm working. I have my high stool that I sit on, surround myself with all my tools and push play. It's all good. 

Two sets of customers expected today to drop off. Not sure when but apparently Pieces is having some type of sale and they are all coming for the sale and hitting two birds kind of thing. 

Better Day

Yesterday was a much better day only having to pick out one small section of quilting. The wall hangings are done and I've rolled on Lynette's quilt. Here's what's on DW today...

A quilt for a granddaughter

The timeless classic Irish Chain. I know what I'm going to put into this already, but I'm working solely on Bernie today until Lynette's quilt is done. It's a gorgeous sunny day out there and it gives me ample lighting to work the black on black.

I had a big helper in the studio last night. Here's my quilting elf helping to pick out stitches on the t-shirt quilt I need to redo for my friends downstate...

HUGE helper

It means so much to me to have a  partner who supports my passion. Who cheers me on when I need it. To be present in my life. He's not adverse to picking up a seam ripper and scissors to get the threads out of a quilt. I love him so much! Thank you my big elf for your help!

Let's Try Again

Have you ever had one of those days where you probably shouldn't have even gotten out of bed? My work day yesterday was like that. I literally spent more time ripping stitches out then I did putting them in. 

Jan Z. stopped by a little after lunch and picked up her quilt (which she seemed to like) and that help break up the thread-ripping frenzy. 

Here's some of the quilting going into the three tops I'm working on currently...

Crosshatching in Lynette's top

Pebbles and swirls in Carla's top

I love it when people say, "Just crosshatch in there." Cross hatching takes a very long time. Every time you run into the appliqué/motif/embroidery you have to cut threads and start again elsewhere in the block. 

And if you get off, even by a little bit, out comes the thread you just put in. Thus, my day yesterday. 

It's sunny today. Maybe that'll help. I'm starting out today with a little trepidation but I'll change my music selection to something a little more upbeat (jazz yesterday) and with the sun, that'll make everything better, right? 

Here Comes Christmas

I received four Christmas tops yesterday. Granted, they aren't due until the next Christmas (2023), but it reminded me about the tops that will be needed for this Christmas. I just hope they don't all come in the day after Thanksgiving. 

Here's some of the quilting detail going into Rae's QOV quilt...

Nice!

But with all great quilting comes unquilting. You know, the fun thing we call frogging because we get to Riippp-it. 

Unquilting

I had to rip out some oddly formed stitches in three blocks. I'm using King-Tut thread by Superior, and my machine requires I tension it pretty high to get it to quilt properly. Apparently I didn't tension it high enough because as the bobbin was running out, loops formed on the back; and the front. Not acceptable. 

I'll finish this quilt this morning (hopefully) and get the next "needs by the end of the month" quilt loaded and started. In a perfect world this is how I'm hoping the day unfolds. 

Is it Wednesday Already?

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

Cathie M.'s "Modern Mountains"

This is all basted in, threads are selected, and I have to pull it off the frame. Note to self...read directions first and think about those before loading. 

The top and bottom (which are currently on the sides) are all straight-line quilting. Why would I take a line of stitches down. Tie off. Start again. About a bazillion times? Or...I can just run a straight line all the way across and it's done. So I'm starting off the morning unsewing. 😢

The light last night, while I was finishing Cynthia's quilt, was filtering through our newly rearranged loft and I was able to capture this pic...

Showing off the quilting

Another beautiful late summer day in store for us today so I'll fire up the tunes, pull out the saddle stool (perfect for frogging), and get to it.