Date Day

Jim and I go out on a "date" every week. We might just grocery shop, but it's time spent together without any outside distractions at home to pull us apart. It means a lot to me to talk to my best friend for an hour of uninterrupted noise. Some might say, "But it's just getting groceries" To us, we make it a game or have fun with it any way we can. It works for us and we are nearly 40 years in the making.

Anns quilt was completed yesterday morning and I started right in on Joyces quilt on DW even before lunch. Here's what I'll be working on through the next couple of days...

Penny Quilt (as they are calling it)

But it's actually a Trip Around the World pattern. The fabrics in here are circa 1940's so I'm using a much smaller needle and thread to quilt this out. And I'm not putting a butt load of thread down since they wouldn't have back then either.

Right out of the gate I knew there were going to be issues. Here's the top borders...

Say 'hello' with the wave

Yep, I have a feeling the iron and some steam are gonna be our friends on this one. 

I'll be working this most of today. I still need to get Anns quilt off the frame (was waiting for the marks to disappear) and trimmed up, and then I have to get the next back started on Bernie in between quilting breaks on Joyces. Happy Friday. 

Found

I had to do some maintenance on both of my bobbin winders last night and found these in a basket with all the tools for the machines...

Lots of half-square triangles

Before I do anything else I should probably put these into some kind of arrangement and get them sewn together. 

Believe it or not, I still have a half-day on Anns quilt. These Judy Neimeyers take so long to do. It's only the last border, but again, borders take forever and all the flying geese are individually started/stopped. 

After working I started right in quilting the background for the Yoder Sisters wall hanging. 

The left block

The center block

The right block

All the background area needs to be done next. The pattern designer pebbled all of it, but I'm (of course) not going to follow her lead (I didn't with the blocks either). 

After working on those blocks, I finished binding the last quilt on Foster and here it is complete...

Ready to give away

Not sure where or who this is going to. I just love making things. I'll be starting on what I've loaded onto DW later this afternoon, but today will be cut a little short; we have to get food at some point so basting in and getting a design planned will be about all I get done I'm afraid. 

Bitter Winds

Even though it's very cold outside (six this morning), the wind is what makes it nearly unbearable. Jim said it's even cutting through his Carhartts. 

One more day on Anns quilt I think. Once again, while the furnace was running I was working on Foster and piecing the background for the new Yoder Sisters wall hanging. 

This is now complete

I have attached the binding on one side. I'll finish that tonight. I did finish the whole background on the Yoder Sisters and have it loaded...

Ready to quilt

Yep, I know. Normally one would get the appliqué on there and then do the quilting as a whole. I'm not doing it that way. This has a lot of really intense quilting in it and it's too big to do on my sit-down machine, so I'm going to background quilt first, attach the appliqué pieces and then appli-quilt those down on the sit down. Everything will be stabilized and I can whip that puppy around as needed while adhering the appliqué pieces. 

Who likes to follow rules anyway?

My scrap dresser is bugging me again. I think I'll get the Creative Grids pineapple ruler back out and start eating up some of those scraps. I just need to stick to darks and lights. There is no right way on a scrap quilt I don't think. I'll just starting cutting the needed pieces, make some piles and then start working block by block. 

Brrrrrrrrr!

It's snow crunching cold out there this morning. This is one of those weeks where I'm glad I don't have to get bundled up, warm up the truck, put on clothes I hate, and have to brave the weather to go to a useless job. 

I'll be working more on Anns quilt today. I'm nearly half-way completed with it and now that I have all the motifs decided upon and got my groove, it should go faster.

Jim and I discussed the whole heater-placement-near-Bernie thing and we've decided to just leave it. I'll have to do alternative work the six minutes it runs every 45 minutes or so. We have dedicated plug issues and the esthetics of the room would be severely compromised. 

After working a little late, and while the heater was running, I was planning for the next project. I got fabrics pulled and cut before turning Bernie off for the night. I did get a little Foster time in there as well, but that quilt still isn't finished. 

Here's the next project I'm going to do...

Isn't this cute?

We live on the outskirts of a huge Amish community and have used them for much of the supplies in the new studio. There is piecing and appliqué both in this decent sized wall hanging. I've already pieced the first block the girls are "looking" at, but the appliqué portion is going to slow me down as there is a LOT of detail in there.

Another One Ready

I have three tops to make at retreat so far...

Doesn't look like much, does it?

The third set of blocks I was working on Friday and Saturday was finished yesterday while Jim was watching his Spartan basketball game. Not sure what I'm going to start next. Mom bought me a couple of things for my birthday, but I'm lacking supplies for both (fusible and some base fabric). 

I do have another small appliqué thing in my bag-o-projects that I may delve into since I have enough fusible (or rather, the right kind of fusible) for that project.

Misty Fuse isn't going to be an option for the first one mentioned above. It's expensive and I need seven yards of the stuff. Not to mention I've noticed the fabric frays with it. I don't want this to be stiff (ruling out most paper-backed fusible), and I don't want it to gum up my needle. I'm going to ask Sharon next time I see her what she recommends since she taught the class over at Bittersweet. 

I'll be working Anns quilt on Bernie today and hopefully finishing the one I have on Foster after the work day is done. 

Another New Project

My husband, Jim, loves to do puzzles. Now that we have an actual dining room table (only used about three times a year) he has a surface to work on. He has two Spartan puzzles from last year and this year both to work. I asked him if he liked starting them or finishing them; what was his favorite part? He said all three phases (start, working, and ending) were enjoyable.  

I'm the same way with my quilt projects. I love all the facets of working a project from picking fabric, to cutting it out, piecing, quilting (probably my favorite), and yes, even binding (least favorite). 

Here's a new project I started yesterday after going to Pieces and getting that dark, dark blue I needed for the background colors.

This is going together fast!

I'm going to work that some more today while Jim works his puzzle(s). We should go in and visit mom, but I just need a day to "play" and relax. We're eating our New Years crab legs today (we were still both sick to eat them earlier) and going to snuggle with the girls while watching it snow every so lightly out the living room windows. 

More Snow Then Expected

We were only supposed to get a little over an inch of snow yesterday. 3+ inches later...but it's so pretty.

Jim headed off to work with my truck after he cleaned up the driveway. His tire went flat again. He said the tire place could not find a leak yesterday but something certainly isn't right?

Here's some of the quilting going into Anns QOV...

Lots of pebbles

The plumber was here most of the morning. New customer received. And this heater thing is either going to be my nemesis or a positive thing. I work on piecing or my own quilts on Foster when it's running. Lucy likes it though...

Right in front of the blower

I managed to get all the blocks together for the Pineapple top and that'll go to retreat in a few weeks...

Ready to be assembled

Once I was done with "working" for the day and got the Pineapple quilt blocks packed, I started a new project to replace the Christmas mat under my utility thingie in the middle of my sewing table...

It matches my thread bin

I love, love, love Tula Pink fabrics. These were 10" squares left over from the Shipshewana rummage sale two years ago. I've been waiting for a project to use them with and this was perfect!

Jim and I were up very early this morning (like around 5:00) for whatever reason. Who knows? I've already cleared the studio walk, the back deck, did a load of laundry, showered, unpacked and installed the new printer (the grandkids broke my other one), texted my mother and brother (she had another heart situation last night), made rice, and ground a new canister of coffee. It's barely even 9:00. 

Not sure what direction I'll head in the studio yet. I haven't even had my second cup of coffee. I do know I need to run to Pieces to get that dark blue fabric for my next project. Jim said he should be home before they close at 2:00. He's driving since I'm sure the roads are pretty dicey.