What a Difference a Day Makes

The way our weather is in Michigan is astounding sometimes. Here was our view off the deck yesterday morning...

Yesterday morning

Here's the view this morning...

What a difference

It's so pretty. While I was waiting for this pic to download, I noticed my downloads file was getting pretty messy, so I just deleted off about 500 pics from there. I'll empty the trash when I log out in a bit. 

No long arming yesterday because I got all of these done...

The big dipper

Not sure about the name of this one

The BOW is now a top!

I have two more blocks to work in the Alaska top before I can start the next phase. I have the first block already cut out and will make that this morning. Jim is out cleaning off snow from the drive so I have a few hours to amuse myself in here. 

And these pics were snagged from IG this morning...

Don't they look happy?

Grandbaby (daughter) due in January

This will be number seven for us and the kids are over the moon excited! Wait until they can't sleep anymore because little one is up wanting attention at all hours. Then they may not be as excited. LOL. 

Tech 0, Colette 2

When we got our new router last week I had a LOT of trouble trying to get the printer back up and running. After two days of monkeying around with it, FINALLY got it back up and running yesterday. Then, for some reason, our Apple Music Library decided it didn't want to have our music anymore and deleted ALL our playlists.

I'm not too worried about the general music as we have an extensive library backed up on the external hard drive but the Christmas library was gone. I've spent years cultivating this library and it was just...gone!

I fiddled with it for an hour or so and decided technology was NOT going to win this weekend and managed to get most of the holiday music back into the library. I had to sift through duplicates and unwanted arrangements yesterday and this morning but I think I've got it nearly all set. 

Meanwhile, I was able to make my last BOW block in the afternoon...

The last block

I was sweating this one. I had JUST enough white background left over to finish it. And I stumbled upon the last two 3 1/2" blocks by accident while filing away all the left over fabric not needed any further. 
Whew!

I laid them all out to get a feel for what I needed to do next...

Figuring out what to do next

They haven't given out finishing instructions yet, but that doesn't stop me anymore. I auditioned fabric from the pic, and I checked what I had left over and think it'll be good on what I come up with today. 

We have the house all decorated (which prompted the discovery of the music library disappearing) because who can decorate without holiday music playing in the background? I know I can't.

This morning we were warned via the Ring app we have a winter storm on its way around the early evening. The skies were red this morning and while the sun was rising I managed to get a great pick of our first ice skim on the lake...

I may do some long arming today. I miss being on the machines and Christmas isn't getting any further away for those customer deadlines I have looming over my head. But first, the BOW finish. 

Happy Early Morning

This weeks BOW

I needed to color my hair this morning and I was up early anyway. Jim is in the shower and we're running for a few groceries before we start our day. Here's some things going on in the studio though not exactly in order since I batch sent these to the Mac...

Next up on Marty

Background fill on the polar bear

Background fill on the moose

For a customers granddaughter for the holidays

The book top is done!

Once we return I have to install a new router that came Fed Ex yesterday. Our old one is getting weird. I'll also be working the quilt on Marty most of the rest of the day since Rae's quilt on Bernie is done. And if time permits, I'll start on the one on DW. Yes, that's a customer quilt for a granddaughter for Christmas, not mine as DW is intended to be supposedly.  

Cleaning up the Messes

Here's the quilt I'm working on Bernie...

The next holiday project

Here is a little of the quilting going into the borders...

Some of the quilting

After working until around 5:00 last night, I was at a good stopping point (bobbin ran out) and I then moved over to DW. I finished the table runner that was on him, but didn't get it off the frame as of yet. I have my reasons.

I proceeded on with my two BOW's and here's the results...

Too stinken' cute

I'm a little concerned about my fabric availability on the next two blocks. The background white is getting pretty darn low and don't think I'll have enough to finish with that particular fabric. ????

What I thought was only one quilt to get borders on, discovered there's another one below that one to also get borders on. Well, at least one was completed...

Life IS better at the lake

Since I don't have a BOW to work on tonight, the second top requiring a border should be able to be completed. However, we were on the phone last night with the B's and that lasted until almost midnight. Jim and I were both up at 5:45 this morning turning over last nights conversation so I'll be pushing through the day on sheer fumes.

And, I have two customers coming today to drop off; one this morning first thing and another later this afternoon. Customer presence seems to wear me out more than it used to. Not sure why? Age maybe?

The Older I Get...

...the more the messy studio bugs me. I have projects laying around all over; binding that Jim is working on, my two BOW's, a top I didn't get borders on, a Laura Heine I'm working on for my brother, and the petals for the quilt I want to make entirely on DW. I'm sure there are more, but this is just off the top of my head. 

I think once the BOW's are done, I'll have to start getting things completed. 

This just arrived yesterday...

A challenge for next year

The girls in the Wisteria Room at Shipshewana had three of these hanging. Two were complete, and one came home with me to be quilted. Then they said they were having a challenge for next year to bring one of these completed. Challenge accepted! Because, you know, given what I'm complaining about, need something else to do. Lol!

After getting (not Rae's) but Sue S.'s quilt off Marty I found the next holiday quilt that needed to be loaded and got started right away in frame ironing. 

After getting that going I worked a little on the table runner on DW. I put this into the center rather than what I did in the previous customers' quilt...

A little more 'controlled'

I still have the outer border on the table runner to do, but the rest is complete. I moved over to the sewing table and worked on my BOW's. I actually cut for the remaining four barns/houses around the pieced block, which is why these didn't get done last night...

Aren't they cute?

Hopefully tonight I can finish those two up because on Friday there is another one to be delivered. Today I'll be working on this holiday quilt on Bernie...

This is actually Rae's

While this isn't a huge quilt, the notes I took when she delivered it for quilting are pretty extensive. Code for time consuming. Meh, it's what I love and that's okay. 

For a Monday...

...things went pretty well considering I hadn't turned on a long arm in eight days. It felt so good to get back onto the boys.

Before I started anything, I had to find a quilt to load onto DW for Jim to work on. However, EVERYTHING in the queue is custom work. I did find one customer quilt Jim could have did some mark and quilted by block work on, but when I made the backing for it (she asked I do so), it was about four inches too short. I decided to get on Marty instead because I was so frustrated.

Sometimes less is more

Since I could not load a quilt for Jim to do I instead taught him how to hand bind. My hand just isn't liking the process and since Jim can't quilt, he can do this. Here's his little work station in the studio...

After working until around 5:00 on Marty, I moved over to DW and loaded this...

Look familiar? The customer I did this for had an extra kit and we exchanged quilting for the kit since I thought this would make a nice gift for my DIL in Ohio. It's basted in and the ditching has been started.  

When I got done on DW I cut and started the two BOW blocks I missed while in Shipshe. I didn't want to take all the fabric with me to have to sort through while there so I'll get caught up this week after 'work' when I can here. 

Today I should be finishing up the quilt on Marty while Jim works binding before he goes back out hunting later this afternoon.

The Weekend

I did get a little sewing done on Saturday before the family arrived. Here's my BOW for this past week...

Poinsettia

Aaannnddd...that was about it. The kids were here for quite a while pressing apples for cider, putting the flowers to bed for the winter, taking buggy rides, and watching MSU go into overtime only to lose. Again. 

But I had so much fun playing with the grandkids. 

We had to run into town yesterday for a few things forgotten at Meijer for chili and the girls needed food too. We spent all of yesterday just relaxing and snuggling with the dogs since they were worn out from the grandkid visit the previous day. 

I had an on-line inquiry come through during the weekend and she's supposed to be here this morning to take a look at what it is she's asking me to do. I'll be working on Marty all day while Jim is loading and hopefully quilting, the hedgehog quilt for the Germany kids on DW. 

Jim Was More Productive

I finished Elleen's table topper yesterday morning after nails and before lunch with customers. Well, one customer. The other had to bail at the last minute. While I was out and about, he got the Shop Hop quilt finished on DW.

Here's what he's loading now...

Michigan Shop Hop

He has four of these to do in total. This is number three.

I'm frame ironing for this door hanger...

Getting some custom work in here

Today I'm not going to let Jim quilt. He's getting pretty excited about learning the Pro Stitcher and is feeling a sense of accomplishment in working with the quilts. BUT, he has some outdoor stuff to take care of and is feeling the pressure. 

Today is my "play" day in the studio and while I'll continue to frame iron the backing for the cross, I'll be building this week's BOW and sewing more long seams on the QAL in January with Natalia Bonner. Before I can do that, we had a top dropped off while we were getting groceries last night I need to log and hang.

Finally!

The encoder arrived yesterday while we were out and about with mom in West Branch. Boy did we see some beautiful colors in our travels. I think we're at peak right now and it's breathtaking with our cloudy, overcast day.

While installing the encoder this morning we ran into this...

Huh?

The plug was the same size as the prong receiver. A call to Gall and after eventually talking to Jason, we figured it out (the plug casing came off the old encoder and had to be removed). After a test run with DW to see if the encoder was indeed the problem, showed us that IT WAS! He's stitching beautifully now!

Jim is loading Cindy's backing right now to start getting it frame ironed.

Meanwhile, after getting home from our birthday fun, I finished my BOM block for month four...

Not my usual color scheme, but pretty nonetheless

That didn't take too long and so cut and pieced my next BOW resulting in this...

I love the mitten!

I'm writing late today because we were technicians first thing while a storm rolled through on DW, and we had planned on heading to an estate sale in Cadillac. But with the poopy weather and all, we decided to just stay home today and putter around here.

We were gone all day yesterday, and frankly, I need to start pulling together stuff for my retreat starting tomorrow night. 

I may work on my strip top or maybe another BOM, or, or, or we'll see where the wind takes me today in the studio. I should probably long arm a little bit on customer stuff since I did pretty much take yesterday off, so there's that. 

Funeral Day

We are headed downstate here in a few minutes but thought I could blog before we left. Putting together sandwiches didn't take as long as I had anticipated. 

I got my BOW done...

Need to post yet on FB

After that was completed, I loaded the VW bus onto Marty and started quilting that...

Cute!

After lunch I quilted some more and actually got it done. I pulled it off the frame and Jim had a ball game to watch so started working on the back part of the pillow. I put a zipper closure in the back so the exterior could be washed.

Andrew called on his way to Michigan and while talking to him, got the back done and then bound it. I had JUST enough stuffing to get the inside form made and here's the finished pillow...

A Christmas gift for Jims sister

I hope she likes it. After I finished that in the late afternoon, I turned to designing the strip quilt top for the QAL with Natalia Bonner. I think I have everything worked out and it's a good thing I did lay it down on graph paper because I would have did it wrong as I was thinking about it in my head. The fabric for the background strips is ironed and waiting for me to cut out. 

DW's encoder won't make it tomorrow as it is Columbus Day which means no mail delivery. GRR!

Interesting Phone Message

I didn't really expect to hear from anybody in Alaska when I handed my business card(s) out in Juneau. But last night, somebody from Palmer, AK reached out to me and has several tops that need to be quilted. I can't call her yet as they are four hours behind us, but will try later this afternoon.

Meanwhile, next week is my birthday. Mom and Jim took me out for a nice lunch yesterday up in West Branch (Lucky's) and then Jim and I headed over to Meijer to get items for this upcoming week as well as for the memorial service tomorrow for his sister. Here's the negative space quilting going into Joyce's quilt...

Per her request

Wow, has lunchmeat escalated in price! And cheese too! We don't eat that kind of stuff, so we were oblivious to what was happening there.

Today I'm puttering in the studio. I have the rest of my BOW to finish (I worked on it some last night after we returned home) and I want to quilt out the VW camper pillow top while Marty is free. DW is still down. It's kind of our Saturday and Sunday wrapped up into one because we'll be gone ALL DAY tomorrow so I'm not sure where things will progress. 

I did pick up some graph paper yesterday so I can draft the strip quilt I need to make for the Natalia Bonner class. Maybe I'll work on that too? I also have home work for my Quilters Groove Class, and I found my yo-yos when Bernadette and Cindy were here so I may refresh myself on how to use the yo yo maker and continue on with more of those. And, I could always pull out the stand mixer body and continue on with that project. Lots of options on this overcast and fall-like day. 

Working Today

It's going to be another unseasonably warm day today (high 80's) and I guess we're close to breaking some kind of record. But, I have to work in the studio today. 

I had a total of six drop offs yesterday and that took up all my morning. Jim got back from the doctors office and he's off work for at least the next week with many restrictions. One of those is standing for any amount of time. Groceries were on me. After I worked for a while in the studio, wanted to get that task out of the way so headed to West Branch to fetch our weekly chow. 

I wasn't in a long arming mood by the time I got home (early evening) so, instead, made my BOW. Here it is...

Looks a little washed up in this pic

In amongst all of that, Joyce's quilt had to be taken off Marty. One of the quilts that came in is a rush job and needed Marty to work this one since DW's encoder won't be here any time soon. How do I know this? We called Gall. Jason is on vacation. We called Handi Quilter. No orders received coming to the studio. So it's going to be a few weeks. At least. I still have many rows to go on the Bernie quilt, meaning that's what I'll be doing today. 

Here's the quilt I'll be working starting Monday...

For a girl who loves Halloween but hates the color orange

I've been given free licensing for what I want to get in here, but it does need to be custom work. That was my only parameter. 

To Redo, or Not To Redo, That is the Question

While Jim was out giving the girls their haircuts, I was working on cutting out and making the next block in our BOW. 

I turned it 90 degrees

I'm debating on whether to redo this block, or maybe just rip out the center and reinstall it? It's been on my mind, which means it bugs me, so maybe today at lunch, I'll have to take it out. I don't know. Is it going to matter to anybody except me? Probably not.

Trimming up Cindy's quilt this morning and getting it ready to be picked up. I have to move Anns quilt over from DW to Marty since DW is down for the foreseeable future. I may continue on with Anns quilt or work on the one on Bernie. 

Don't ya love how indecisive I am this morning? I'm not usually like this, but I just found out my dads cancer has returned and I guess I'm preoccupied with that right now in my head space. Happy Monday. 

Not Much Studio Work Yesterday

I mentioned in a previous post the permanent dock situation and how the ice and weather have beaten it up. Jim pulled the boards a few weeks ago and we finally picked up the new boards yesterday. Prior to that we headed over to Pieces to pick up the background and frame/sashing fabrics for the Alaskan BOM. 

Here are the fabrics I picked up from Alaska to compliment...

Blues, green, turquoise, and a little red for a pop of color

I had every intention of working in the studio while he was down there getting those new boards in, but I ended up at the lake helping him out. The bugs were practically non-existent and it was a gorgeous weather day (mid 80's) so we took advantage before the crappy (but I love) weather hits in a few weeks. 

Here's the new dock...

20' of new lumber

Per the usual, the pic doesn't do it justice. I was taking it from the top of the hill on our deck. We had our struggles and also per the usual, it took us to get half-way through the project to figure out how to make things go a bit more smooth. 

Even though today is supposed to be a repeat of yesterday (weather wise) we are only planning on working around the place in the morning. We need a day of rest. I will be in the studio this morning working this weeks BOW (Santa's belly) and still need to cut everything out while Jim is doing Pestie, giving the dogs a trim, and hopefully, replacing the water filter under the house. 

A BOM x 2?

I have several projects (five) cut out for upcoming retreats. We picked up a retreat tote last night so I could put everybody in there along with all the extra fabric and directions. Now I can work on something here a little more complex. I have one BOM I started...

A little more traditional than my usual

I picked up this kit at a white elephant auction at The Springs last January and decided I could start this. I have my BOW to work today and then should I start another BOM? I have a book and fabric I picked up in Alaska just for that purpose. I probably need background fabric though? 

I'll also be starting to get together the stand mixer. But first, we have to run to the lumber yard to get boards for that dock Jim tore out last weekend and I have to at least pick up background fabric for the Alaskan BOM even if I don't start it today.

Catching Up

I didn't blog yesterday because I was busy, busy, busy and it actually slipped my mind. That's what happens when the routine is skewed. 

I left for the quilt show up in Oscoda as soon as morning chores were done and left Jim here to his own devices. He canned, broke a jar of salsa, burned the stump by the barn, and hung my screen door. He was busy.

I, on the other hand, was socializing and looking at some beautiful, magnificent quilts. We sure have a lot of talent in that group! So, much to my surprise after walking around the show, was greeted with some ribbons but not surprising, some very missed friends.

Here's a rundown of the ribbons...

First Place, Multiple Technique Large

1st Place, Machine Pieced Large

Award of Merit (Best of Show) For Outstanding Achievement in Quiltmaking

And then non-long arm related...

Domestic Machine Quilted, Small

This was a class I taught earlier this year and about how to piece curves and she did a stunning job with her monochromatic color! 

Once I returned home, I was helping Jim with the last of the screen door installation and then headed to the studio. Have you ever used Acorn Pressing products? OMG. I was looking for some Best Press to fill up my spray bottle that is just about gone, and a few of the guild members, as well as the shop owner (vending at show) sold me on the Acorn stuff.

I had to make my BOW and the surrounding log houses for both last week and this week. While I'm not working with tiny pieces (which do not like to lay nicely) I was impressed at the feel of the fabric and how nicely my seams matched...

Block #1

I pieced the second block but haven't yet made the house surrounding it. There were a number of errors in the second block and so wanted to make sure the directions for the houses were correct before cutting for the next set.