Another Rush

I had two quilts dropped off last night (around 7:15-ish Jim said) and one needs to be done asap. It's for Bittersweet Quilt Shop in Pinconning. It's a holiday quilt and of course, needs to be displayed for the holiday quilt makers. 

Having said that, here's what's on DW today...

Holiday Critters

She is specific on what she wants in some of the areas, and not so much in the others. Bernie is still sporting the Angela Walters Quilt-Along quilt. I had to turn it last night because I didn't want to chunk the side grey border areas...

Some of the quilting and those grey borders

I had a customer come and drop off during the afternoon hours (my normal business hours), and I have another coming today to pick up. 

A previous customer of mine, who has since acquired a Bernina long arm, just like mine only with the robotics attached, wants me to come up and give a long arm lesson. So, I'll be heading out early tomorrow morning to Presque Isle so no blogging either. 

Taking Advantage of the Early Autumn Rain

Having a cold, cloudy, windy, rainy day is to me, a slice of heaven. Fall is here and coming in with a vengeance. To my glee.

It gives me permission to spend the entire day in here on customer quilts and my own as well. Often, in the evening, when it's nice out, I find myself not as productive because I'm dwelling on and/or doing all that needs to be done outside. Bring on the poopy weather I say!

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

Cathedral by Alison Glass

Yep, this has been hanging out on the design wall for about a week now. I discussed the Misty Fuse fusible I put into this piece (rather than the Heat n' Bond Lite I usually use) and found it is very pliable and not as stiff as the H&B. BUT, it's not as robust either. I was finding corners starting to lift while it was hanging on the wall. 

Maybe I didn't press them down long enough, but whatever the case may be, it needs to be quilted before it all comes raining down from the design wall and separating from the background fabric. 

Angela Walters did a Midnight Quilter video on this exact pattern and I'm going to quilt it similar to how she did it. I'm not going to do the pebbling in the center as she did, and the background fabric will be filled a little less than what she put into it, but all the thread changes will occur as well as some of her echoing ideas.

After quilting the "Welcome" panel yesterday and loading this one for today's work, I continued on with the Puff/Pillow quilt. This is where I left off last night. The below pic is the layout prior to starting on the stuffing. 

It's not turning out nearly as large as I had hoped. But it's not nearly as difficult as I had envisioned either. I think maybe I'll make another one with some of the scraps I have in the dresser and make it much larger than this one. Hmmm???

Another (Nearly) Week

 Yep, it seems like the weekly thing in the summer is what the blog posts run. 

Getting Ready for a Quilt-Along

This is a nine patch I'm making for a quilt-along with Natalia Bonner beginning in September. A panel could have been purchased instead of having to make the actual quilt top, but I'm a rebel and am choosing to make my own top. Not to mention, the panel is VERY expensive. And, I'm making it bigger; more usable!

Hey! This is actually one of mine!

The Angela Walters Build-A-Quilt from 2018-19 is now complete. Two years? That's not bad, right?

Small Project Sunday

A cover for Lilo was needed and Pieces of Thyme had just the project when I shopped on Saturday. Isn't this just one of the cutest machine covers?  

On to customer quilts. 

Linda's Hockey Quilt for her 7-Year old grandson. 

Pat's Charm Square Nightmare (her words, not mine). :-)

Pat's will be completed today. I have another few on their way, but until they show, maybe (just maybe), I'll get to throw another one of mine onto the frame. HA! As soon as I utter the words, I'll jinx myself. 

Haven't posted Hazels cute face in a while. She says, "Good morning everybody." 

Still kinda sleepy this morning

Apparently...

 ...I should only blog once a week during the summer. Nice weather does it.

Here is what has been happening around the studio.

Paulettes top for photo op

I had to snap a pic of her whole quilt to get an idea of what was going to be put into it. After loading it though, I changed my mind...imagine that? Her quilt was completed yesterday. 

After Paulette's was completed, this top was loaded. It's the Angela Walter Build a Quilt from 2018-19.

Some of the quilting detail being put in

Chipping away at this top

After a day on the long arm, it's nice to be able to sit down and just work on some piecing. This top has been in the works now for a good month. And there's still a lot to do with it yet. Primarily the borders.  

Merry New Year!

Yep, I know, it's already a week into the new year but hey, I've been a little busy. Quilt camp, ya know?

And, three more tops join the rack of shame, one wall hanging was completed, and one cloth book gives Hannah something else to read instead of Bob the Tomato.

Here's a quick look at the progress for the weekend.

The Leah Day Friendship blocks are now a top! This was before getting them together

My last project, which, I just finished this morning (those darn mitered corners). Catsmosphere!

The January wall hanging

The Angela Walter Build a Quilt blocks are now a top

And I don't have a picture of the book, but it's a cloth book titled The Twelve Dogs of Christmas.

A few other projects were started and then put aside because of concentration issues during chatting and all the noise.

I actually got the blades made for this project, but didn't have enough background to finish it.

This was two panels and a fat quarter bundle purchased earlier this fall that needs some work.

And that's what camp is all about. Finishing those projects and catching up with fast friends; making new friends and discovering new ideas and techniques; making memories and starting out the new year on a good note.

Even Though...

...I was outside pretty much all day yesterday working on felled trees from the Emerald Ash Borer invasion, I was still able to put the Angela Walters Build-a-Quilt block together between picking up all the branches/sticks and when Jim got home to then work on all the log cutting/stacking.

And that's about all for yesterday.

Here's the mess these trees make when they are cut.

They literally blow up into a million pieces. 

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A Little Something

Most of yesterday was spent in the yard, but after getting cleaned up and re-showered, I managed to get my new Angela Walters' Build a Quilt block #7 done before settling down for the night.

At least a little something here in the studio was played with.

Today is starting out cloudy and rain is expected later which provides the nearly perfect reason to stay inside and continue on with the t-shirt top.

And as much as I hate to keep mentioning the weather, let me explain before you judge.

In Michigan, we receive about 170 good days a year to go outside; seriously, that's our average up here. It's a little higher downstate, but in the norther portion we have a slightly shorter growing season and much more adverse weather. Let's put it this way, yesterday morning, I had heat on in the house, because the morning temp was 42 degrees.

When a day in the mid 70's with sunshine presents itself you. go. outside.

If you don't go outside and do something, anything, you're either sick, have a  funeral to attend, or are just plain...well...you know.

I don't have a normal "job" to punch a clock for, so I have the freedom to pick the days I want to "work" on customer quilts. And, I have the freedom to take advantage of the [few] nice weather days our state hands us. During the winter months the blog is mostly quilting, because after about mid-October, the thought of going out in wind, rain, snow, and mud isn't very appealing.

So, now you know about my weather discussions of late.

A Low-Keyed Day

I was so sore yesterday from all those fence posts on Monday so things were kept relaxed, but productive nonetheless.

Another set of blocks completed for Long Time Gone.

Long Time Gone Flying Geese Blocks

Some long arming on the Flowery Kaleidoscope top.

Flowery Kaleidoscope Quilt Detail

Playing with Hazel (who too was pooped out from Monday's fence project to really play a whole lot). And a celebration of her being 33 weeks old. Although, she's starting to show signs of not feeling well again. Sad Face!

Hazel at 33 weeks

And my Angela Walters Build-A-Block came in the mail yesterday, so I pieced that. No pic for it though.

I've already got most of my chores down outside today (picking up sticks, weeding flower beds, taking care of fence building yuck, etc.) It is sunny outside today, but not too awful warm (mid-50's).

Giving

While I am still an active member of the Across the Square quilt guild, I very seldom attend any more meetings. The proximity of my house to where the meetings are held since our move is roughly 120 miles; or two hours-one way. My membership will expire on December 31, but I am still a member.

Everybody should have a merry holiday and even after the holiday's, have a decent life. I've decided to help out in any way I can for those folks who aren't so fortunate. The ASQ guild does a lot of charity work for the local battered spouse/children's shelter and we typically make quilts for them throughout the year.

But the member who used to cut and then promote the kits to assemble a top for our SIREN chapter has moved to Arizona. Nobody has really taken up the cause since her departure over a year ago. I think a mass assembly of tops took place sometime this fall to make up for our latency. I said I would quilt a few of them for the cause and was given four.

This is the first one I started with. I finished it this morning and  here is a close-up of some of the quilting put into it.

I think just because you have been given a crappy hand in your current life situation you deserve something somebody actually took some time in creating. This particular top was pieced very nicely and I took the time to put some nice detail in the quilting.

The next top is already loaded and I have already started quilting it. It's a busier top then this first one, so putting a lot of detail into the quilting will only get lost in the fabric. Therefore, I'm using a lot of straight lines in the blocks and on the borders to create connectivity in the quilt as a whole.

I received my Build-a-Block from 'Quilting is my Therapy' (Angela Walters) in the mail today. It's like a mini Christmas when I get quilting stuff in the mail. I've already built the block and will look forward to the next block next month.

I'm cruising along in the Vintage Christmas Quilt-Along. Katie and I are pretty much at the same place, and despite our nutty schedules lately, we are keeping up with the group.

Why did YouTube delete all my subscriptions on my iMac? They still exist on my iPad, but after we returned from Missouri, it seems the machine got hungry while we were gone and ate them all.