Basically A Work Day

Because I'm going to be gone the majority of next week, I'm working today. And, possibly tomorrow. I finished the 'Last Supper' quilts late yesterday afternoon. Here's the next quilt loaded onto DW...

Sandy's HUGE quilt

This one is going to be a challenge. There are untrimmed triangles running around the borders. If you look you can see them on the left, which makes it difficult to get a straight baste. Meh, I'll deal with it.

Since Charlotte's quilt was loaded I started on that after hours...

The quilt as a whole

Some of the quilting

I picked fabric and started cutting for the embroidered blocks Diane gave to me after working on Foster for a while. At 7:30 (I started in the studio around 8:30) I was done for. Sore foot and started getting tired.

While DW and Foster are loaded, this one sitting to be loaded onto Bernie is time sensitive. I believe I need to tackle that first. It's not so huge but remember, it's not the actual quilting that takes the time, it's the planning. 

Elleen's cute fall top

Life Happens

My Mac is getting dangerously slow. I know I'm living on borrowed time with it. We just switched Internet/Wifi providers and while my iPad and phone are much quicker, the Mac is showing zero improvement. In fact, it seems worse.

Not. In. The. Budget.

I didn't blog yesterday because I was off and running first thing in the morning. Got most of the chores done before I had to meet Diane at Pieces of Thyme. We both came back here and she picked up her two quilts and dropped another one off. She gifted me with an amazing embroidered set of blocks she decided she didn't like. I should be gifting her since she's the one leaving.

After we did quilt stuff, she got out her room design tools (who knew there were that many things?) and she started designing our new kitchen addition. Of course, that's way, (way, way) into the future. Other things take priority right now. 

I did work after lunch though. I did the E2E on Gail L.'s quilt and here's what DW stitched out...

Blustery Breezes

While this was stitching out I was working over on Bernie on the two Last Supper panels. Lots of thread going into each of them since they're wall hangings.

You can't see the checkered pattern in the black area...bummer!

I'll be working on these most of the day while I'm frame ironing the next back to be loaded onto DW. I should be able to finish these today though. I'm not expecting any customers and I'm not planning on going anywhere. I'll be gone enough next week. More on that later. 

The Dog Days of Summer

I've noticed our Maple tree starting to change a little in color. Our neighbors tree is doing the same thing. Summer is just starting to wind down; my grand kids start school on Monday. Where, oh where, did the summer go? 

But, I'm happy fall is approaching. It's my favorite season. And with that, I'm starting to work on all the fall quilts in the queue. 

I have three quilts I'm going to be quilting over the next few days. This one on DW will probably be done on Friday. Today I have a luncheon a ways away. The quilt on DW is a large one and will take about five or so hours to stitch out; it's getting an E2E...

Another very large quilt

I'm going to work on the two I've loaded onto Bernie this morning before I have to leave...

The Last Supper

Yep, two at once. They are getting nearly identical quilting in them, but all custom. One is a gift. I had to add to the backing on these since the piece the customer gave me was NOT square and lacked more than an inch on either side as I would have advanced. I wasn't going to fight with this situation so decided to just add to her all black backing.

A good long armer goes out of their way to make sure the quilt is finished correctly and this is just one example of that.

After working on both machines getting them loaded I moved over to the 365 sit-down piece.

Section 16

Section 17

I'm getting better at finding my rhythm with Jay and getting back into the sit-down stuff. 

I didn't do much on Sunday

We had to run into town and then had a visit with my mom. By the time we returned home it was lunch time. And the rest of the day was relax and movies. 

Here's what I'm working on on Bernie today...

Evelyn's beautiful embroidered top

Remember me mentioning last week about small being more work? Well, this is a perfect example. I worked on this little guy all day yesterday and have just reached the half-way point. Here's some of the quilting going into it...

Lots of thread going in

I debated on whether or not to quilt the blue squares. They are small and to get from one square to the next would be cumbersome. I have chosen to quilt heavily around them and then just let them pop like the butterflies are with the grid work I put behind them.

This will be most of todays work. I've decided I'm liking So Fine! thread (#401 going in here) more and more. Do I have storage room to get all their colors too? Hmmmm????? Happy Tuesday. 

Done, Done, and Well...Started

Arcadia Avenue is done!

The last of the quilting

It's all trimmed and bound! Twirly quilt is also bound since I was doing one I thought I'd do another. Charlotte's quilt is marked and ready to be loaded but I don't have a back for it. I'll get something else quick on Foster until next Thursday when I can run over to Pieces to get one for it.

We are heading into town this morning to get lunch stuff and visit my mother. We have a bowl to take back to her and I can finally pick up her carvings. Which is the "something" I'll probably put onto Foster. I want to make a skirt of sorts to place the carvings on before setting them on top of the batting/quilts-in-wait closets. 

Everybody's Free

DW and Bernie are both free of quilts. Well, actually, they do have something on them, but nothing I'm actually quilting. DW has to have Dianes quilt removed and Bernie has to have Evelyn's loaded. 

But if all goes well, today I'm working on Foster to complete Arcadia Avenue. I only have the black work to go on the sides and bottom border. We've already moved some things around the house and are hoping to hang the "Quilt" sign Jim's cousin Blair made for us. 

Nothing else planned today. I've given up asking Jim what his plans are because he never really knows much. I guess men are like that. Brenda asks Joe the same thing every morning and she hardly ever gets an affirmative answer either.

After Arcadia is done, I have to plan out the quilting on Charlotte's quilt. I'm going to grid it out before getting it on the long arm. I'll have to bind Arcadia at some point and as long as I'm binding, I'll bind the twirly quilt sitting in my bag waiting for me to do such a thing. 

Here's happiness...

What's going on here?

When I have DW in constant mode at 50% it's a constant sound. He behaves very well when I do this and so listening to him is an afterthought since I keep my hand on the quilt at all times to feel any kind of issues that may crop up. I put on my headphones, crank up the tunes, and just quilt away. I completed a rather large quilt yesterday in under four hours doing this...

Putting in an Edge to Edge design

Thank you Susan Smith for introducing me to this very versatile motif and it's now one of my go-to favs. It's cold today for August. We may not even hit 70 degrees. Isn't that weird? 

Labs and Nails

I had to have a fasting/no vitamin lab draw this morning (part of my physical from earlier this week), and from there it was a nail appointment. I'm finally back home. Not expecting anybody today (Joan already dropped off a back while I was gone).

I'll be working on Dianes pink Stack and Wack all day (it's a pretty good size). It's receiving an E2E and I'm going to drive this one. That way I can rest if I want or whatever. 

It took all day to get the rest of her first quilt done yesterday since I had a pop-in customer come and visit for a while. 

After working on The 'tis the Season quilt I moved over to Foster to work on Arcadia Avenue. No more outdoor work for me for a while. The eye is not as swollen as yesterday, but there is new swelling below the eye now; looks like I haven't slept in a week. 

After getting two octagons and a black row done, I moved over to sit-down quilting. Section 15 is done and have now started section 16...

Starting section 16

Nothing major planned for the weekend that I know of. We do have to work a little on the girls' new pen. Well, Jim will dig holes and I'll only go out to help string wire...if we even get that far. I plan on doing mostly Foster work tomorrow and then maybe it's time to start something new. Or, maybe I'll just crank out some of that sit-down work. Happy Friday.