Quiet Sunday

Since the weather was nice this weekend, there was plenty of ruckus going on around the lake. This lead to very little sleep so yesterday was a rest day. 

We did head up to West Branch to pick up a different track system for the batting closet doors and a new door for the queue closet since one of them is just too big for me to be able to see in there clearly.

We also had to stop at one of my least favorites stores (Wal-Mart) to pick up pens and the bungees for cutting the batting... 

Marking pens and bungees

We ran in. We grabbed. We quickly got out. The we went over to the Home Depot where we also purchased a new screen door for the studio entrance and the other stuff mentioned above. 

I'll be working on Bernie today (pic not available) getting the Carrot table runner off and getting the Coffee Break Table Topper started. 

Crazy, Busy Day

We started out with this project...

The "Before"

The "After"

Four of the battings are hung. I did not have the wool hung because after you open the package from the roll, the thing gets about 3 times bigger. Taking up that much room would have only allowed for three batts to be hung.

Before we started on this project though, we had to move the sewing table about a foot and that's a large undertaking in of itself. Talk about dust bunnies!

After lunch I had decided I was sick of moving the Tilda blocks/sashings around and tore into it to get it finished...

Getting things organized

It's a top!

Ready for the long arm

That was one long project taking up most of the sit-down summer months.

Once I got that measured, folded, and put away I jumped on DW to free motion quilt this HST baby quilt...

Ready for binding

I made the binding once this was quilted and have that and the Tula to bind yet. Which goes against my "rule" about not starting another quilt on the long arm before the previous quilt is bound. Oh well, it's my choice.

I loaded this onto DW next...

What the heck???

Let me explain. She (Laura Heine) builds the backgrounds in the traditional manner where by everything is pieced before the flower appliqués are applied. I'm not doing that.

These are being held onto the batting with spray baste and I'm going to free motion a zig-zag between each block to make the background even more scrappy. I'm not sure how well this is going to turn out, but I'm hoping for the best. 

Today we have to run to West Branch to research closet door tracks. Jim's not happy with how little room I have to dig around into the queue closet and how tight it's going to be to get the batting out of the new batting closet. He wants to pull the track from inside the closet to outside to give me more "open" space. 

I also need to pick up marking pens (for long arming) and bungee chords to use as a straight line on said batting when cutting. I'll attach them on each side of the bracket to give me a visual and not have me cutting downhill. 

Weird Day

Appointments and errands in the morning. Long Arm a bit. Lunch. Long Arm a bit more. More errands. Long Arm some more and then start working on my BOW Christmas project. BUT, I did get that table runner done that was loaded onto Bernie...

Can you see the two rabbits?

I'm waiting for the marks to come off (used a Marks-be-Gone blue) and while doing that I sorted through the fabrics I purchased for the BOW...

Making it not modern; more lower tones

Here's my first block...

Santa's Hat

We have houses/barns that will be surrounding each block, but those come out next week. In the meantime, Jim and I will be working in the studio rearranging things to get the batting in the batting closet rather than in the little alcove where it's hanging out now. 

Busy Morning

Unfortunately it won't be busy in the studio this morning. I have nails first thing. From there I have to buzz over to moms art show just on the other side of town. After I attend that I'll be heading to Pieces for fabric for a BOW I'll be attending for the next 16 weeks. It's Christmas themed and pretty cute, so I'm going to participate. It's free through my batting supplier so no pressure.

I finished the Nativity quilt for Deb P. in the morning and then had a new customer (through a referral) drop off her 'Tis the Season top for me to do. They stayed for about 45 minutes and they no sooner left and a strange truck pulled in. They thought I was a quilt shop (apparently didn't read the header on my web site). We chatted for a bit and then they left. Time for lunch.

While I was waiting for the new customer to arrive (around 11:00) I didn't want to start on Marty so I pieced backing for this next Rayola quilt on DW...

Ready for quilting

I also pieced the batting and since this was an orphan block top, the whole thing is pieced together.

During the afternoon, I worked on this on Bernie...

Table Runner #1

Deb H. has three small pieces for me to complete before she can come get her Tilda Sampler, so I have to get those done. Here's some of the quilting that went into it...

Table runners get lots of thread

Here's the next one I'll be working on today once I return home from my morning errands...

Cute Carrots

I've already did some pre-marking on this and couldn't sleep last night, so I did some head quilting while trying to get relaxed enough to go to sleep. 

After I marked and prepped that piece I made and attached the binding to one side of the Tula Butterfly. I just need to flip it and finish it later this weekend. 

I'll be working late tonight I think since I'm not working this morning. That's fine. I like working in the studio no matter the time. 

Just About There

Because I had to cut yesterday short with the mammogram appointment and then having to run to Midland to UPS out two quilts heading to Germany, I didn't get Deb P.'s quilt done. We also had to head over to Home Depot to pick up some type of dowel or tubing to hang a few of the batts in the batting closet.

Here's one more pic of Debs quilting...

Can you see the stars?

I'm sticking with a star theme on this quilt since there are a variety of them throughout. I'll finish that up this morning and then move over to Marty where I'm doing...

Another Tilda Sampler

This one has no borders so it won't take as long, but still a weeks worth of work. I will not be solely focusing on this though. I have three table runners that have to get done before customers can come and pick up their Tilda Samplers.

Speaking of Tilda. All the blocks are now constructed because that's what I worked on when we finally returned back from Midland...

Ready for sashing

After I got those all constructed and put aside, I took the Tula Butterfly off DW, got it trimmed up and the binding is now made and ready to be attached. 

I also sorted through the upper most part of the pile of tops I have on the totes. There are a number of orphan block tops that are smaller in size I'll knock out in the next week or so. I have some scrap backings left over and I'll piece those to make backs for them to get as much use out of the fabric that I have since these too will be donated. 

Flash and Smash

Yep, it's that time of year again. Flash and Smash later this afternoon. We have to run to Midland RIGHT after I get done with that appointment to get two of the kids' quilts to UPS so they can be hand carried to Germany next week (long story I won't go into). 

I'll be getting right in the studio once I'm done with this since it'll be a shorter day for me. There's a lot of marking going on with this quilt I'm working on...

Chalk it out

Here's some of the quilting going into Deb P.'s Nativity Quilt...

When I'm prepping a quilt for long arming, it's usually just hanging out on the frame the day before so I can get right to it when I'm ready. That's why I have two customer machines (with DW on reserve). I don't like the quilts to drag on the ground so I fold them up onto themselves. This gives me a chance to check how the quilt was pressed (open seams or otherwise) and it allows me to check how square the top is. 

Ummm...

There is always an over/under lap of some sort when I do this. Less is clearly better. This one overlapped by a good inch meaning I'm going to have to adjust the quilt as I work on it throughout to try to get it more square-ish. 

Honestly, everybody obsesses over this "squaring" thing and in the scheme of things, it's never going to be noticed by the user. Even you, if you're the end point for it's destination, aren't going to know if the thing is off square. It's a senseless 'worry' by the quilt maker because it's going to be loved regardless. 

I did get four of the 10 'sewing' blocks put together on Tilda after working until 7:00 on Bernie. How do you complete a very intricate quilt top with the work situation you're faced with during the day? One block at a time. 

Think about it. If you piece for just 10 minutes a day, that's an hour a week if you take one day off. I've been working on this Tilda piece over the whole summer. How am I completing it? By taking small bites of time here and there and just getting stitches in when I can.😀

Goals Set...And Reached

I had set a goal to finish Linda's Flannel Stars yesterday, and frankly, didn't think it possible. But I hunkered down and only took a few breaks throughout the day and by 7:30, it was off the machine and ready for me to call her today.

Here's some of the quilting that went into the body of the quilt...

Just about done at this point

I'll be working on this piece today...

Deb P.'s cute nativity scene

There is an awful lot of negative space in there so I need to think about that while I'm working on the top section.

I did get the binding pieces sewn together for the Tula Butterfly and I'm frame ironing for the next one up on Marty; another Tilda Sampler. 

I'm trying to get a 'summer' version of my logo and here's what I snapped this morning as the sun was rising...

Did I hit the mark?

Ready. Set. Quilt!