Was It Monday?

Jim and I kept thinking yesterday was Monday. Probably because we took Tuesday and Wednesday off. Here is some of the quilting going into Dianes baby quilt...

Clouds and rainbows

This still needs to be removed from the frame and trimmed but after working late it's completely quilted. 

I did a Flower Power block. I removed the table runner, and, while talking to Andrew on his way home from work, got the binding on it. I did choose another quilt to load onto DW so started frame ironing the back for that. After that I started cutting out for the next block in the Quilt Room. 

Garden Table Runner

Later last night we had a lunar eclipse. I tried to capture it 'on film' and here's the beginning phase...

The beginning of the lunar eclipse

I did stay up late enough to see the totally dark landscape, but my bedroom is in the opposite side of where the moon can be seen. I didn't think Jim would appreciate me stalking around the house at 12:20 in the morning so didn't capture the entire eclipse.

I have one customer coming sometime today to pick up and while I'm waiting for her, and until I can get it loaded, the next quilt top going on Marty has to be entirely marked beforehand. I'm still debating how I'm going to do it (Pounce, manual chalk, or blue marks-be-gone). Anyway, happy Friday. 

Some Good, Some Not So Good

We visited several shops to and from Shipshewana. Some of them were meh, and others were OMG! We discovered our favorite in Middlebury, Indiana. What a gem!

Anyway, if I liked the shop, I would purchase something. Here's the haul I took from Quilts at Marshall House, Quilts at Essenhaus, and Yoders. I did not find anything at Lolly's (which was weird). 

The haul

Now I have plenty to do at both retreats and during the winter months here. Jim also found some fun things (he LOVES puzzles) to work on this winter. 

We encountered some weird weather coming home. I was able to snag a slight rainbow pic north of Saginaw while heading back from saying goodbye to Lia and Evelyn. 

Can you see it?

Here's some cute pics of Shipshewana in the fall...

Roasting marshmallows

Run, Forest, Run

And now it's back to our regularly scheduled programming. Jim is at PT this morning and I'm catching up on some laundry while already working in the studio. I had to wait for the mouse to recharge a bit before I could blog. It was completely dead.

I'll be working this quilt today on Bernie while frame ironing the back for the next one on Marty. I've already had to flip this quilt 90 degrees because of what I'm planning to put in here. 

Diane's little Noah baby quilt

It was a great few days spending it with my best friend. We ate way too much and traveled a lot of miles in a little over 24 hours, but we needed to get away for a few days and now Jim knows where I spend a week every November. BUT, it's GREAT to be home!

A Little Of This

Even though we have out-of-country visitors staying until next week, I had to work yesterday morning and early afternoon. I did get Virginia's quilt finished and called to let her know that it was done. 

Customers came right after lunch (actually, during lunch) and once they left we were headed to Midland. We missed the estate sale by a few hours but we did get some other shopping done at Meijer.

Lia and I decided to make a name banner for Evie's room and here's where I left off last night after Evelyn went to bed.

I'll work on this some more later tonight. Not much studio work planned for today since we have company. But who knows how much the kiddo is going to sleep and what is in store for our day. 

I Know, I Know

This is supposed to be about quilting, but I have to get a little sidetracked this morning. Look who surprised me yesterday with the help of a lot of people? 

I was just trying to finish up Virginia's quilt and Caleb's in-laws arrived. We visited with them for a few minutes and then Tim had to take a call. But it wasn't a call at all. It was Lia (my DIL) letting her dad know she was pulling in. 

All the way from Germany! Caleb was unable to make it this visit, but this is the first time we've been able to interact in person with our newest granddaughter. Meet Evelyn Riley DeGroot. Isn't she a doll?

Of course, this is going to put a damper on any quilt related items for the next week since that's how long they are visiting for. I will be trying to finish Virginia's quilt this morning and I will peck at this one next.

It will be intermittent and since the guest room is attached to the studio, I probably won't be doing much after-hours sewing either since that's where Evie will be sleeping. 

Talking and Working

Mary's quilt was finished on Marty and now I'm on Bernie working on Virginia's quilt from Primitive Gatherings. While Virginia's isn't a big quilt by any means, it seems those take longer than the others. This is going to be a wall hanging and since there is no continuity between blocks (orange isn't attached to another orange kind of thing) I have to start and stop at virtually every bit of piecing. That's the reason for the long time. And then, of course, there are all those color changes. You get the picture.

After working past quitting time, and while talking to Andrew, I jumped onto Mike to do a Flower Power block and worked these two blocks on DW.

These are turning out so pretty and I'm so sorry I didn't double batt this!

Once we hung up with Andrew I had already cut out the next pieces for the Quilt Room and so started constructing the next block. Here's the result. I love the low volume which isn't usually my jam. 

Only a half day today. I have an eye doctor appointment at 1:30 and after dialating my eyes, chances of me doing much the rest of the day is slim. I already have a sensitivity to light (blue-eyed people do I'm told) but that just makes life a little too bright. 😙

It's Raining

There are some really questionable people on our Smallwood Lake Association page asking questions that nobody can answer. Like, 'How soon before the lake fills?'. Well, unless you're
God, that question can not be answered. 

But, I feel like responding to the page, 'Hey, we got rain. How come the lake hasn't filled up?' Wouldn't that be a hoot? Ya gotta have more than 1/10th of an inch to raise a lake nine feet.

Enough of that. I have to run around and change out some of my summer things and then into the studio I go. I'm working two quilts at once it seems. This one on Bernie...

This one is basted in and already started

And this one on Marty...

This one is basted in but barely started

Those two are on todays docket. Here are better pics of what I'm doing on DW.

Block one

Block three

I did manage to get the pieces cut out for the next block in The Quilt Room and I was able to get a Flower Power block blanket stitched. Our son called and we talked for about an hour on his way home from his work which I will set aside any quilting for. 

Blood Red Sun

While we were coming back from Lansing yesterday afternoon we stopped at the Alma Meijer on our way home. The smoke was getting pretty bad from the fires in central Canada. I was looking directly at the sun with my naked eye and this is what I captured...

Today isn't any better. It smells like everybody on the lake has a campfire going and there is no wind to dissipate the haze or smell. 

Thankfully, we aren't getting much in the house. We quickly open and shut the doors to get the girls in and out to do their potty thing. 

Before we left for Lansing I was able to get Virginias quilt quilted. It's still on the frame so I have all of that to do but once that's done I'll be moving over to Marty to work on this one for the rest of the day...

Laura Heine Houses

While going to sleep last night I was working through this in my head and I'm still not sure what direction I'm taking it. I may have to do some pre-quilting on the iPad or the preview paper.

Since we didn't get home until nearly 9:00 last night, nothing else was done in the studio yesterday.

But It's A Dry Heat

I checked the temperature at Camp Verde, Arizona yesterday while my studio thermometer was climbing. They were at 94 degrees. We were at...

104 DEGREES!!!!!!!!!

Yikes. The A/C NEVER shut off yesterday. In fact, that's what woke me up this morning when it did finally shut off and the perpetual hum wasn't present (it's right below my bedroom window).

I'll be finishing Virginia's Pickle Dish quilt today. We have to run to Lansing to deliver the reunion canopies later this afternoon so there's four hours (without visiting) down and back again. It's not supposed to be as hot today, but...

I made a Love Letter block, blanket stitched a Flower Power leaf block and then removed the quilt from DW that I finished the previous night. It's bound and finished.

Once I got that put away I loaded this little table runner onto DW to go with the other table runner I'm making as a leader/ender project. 

It was so hot yesterday the guys never sprayed the lake for weeds. Can you imagine being in a tyveks suit holding a heavy hose in a 104 degrees? And people on the lake were complaining about them not coming through like they were scheduled to. Sometimes ya gotta wonder about people don't ya? 

I'm A Woman...

...I can change my mind! I did do some packing last night in the trailer despite my having said I wasn't going to. We have rain coming tomorrow (what a great way to start out a four-day camping trip) and it's supposed to be icky muggy today. 

I am at the half-way point on Virginia's Pickle Dish quilt. Jim can't believe how much better it looks than the first go with the other long armer. 

I did a Love Letter block and two leaf blocks prior to getting into the trailer stuff as it was a bit warm yesterday and the trailer had gotten hot with my having shut it up the previous night.

After packing for the night (I don't have enough clothes/food to pack it entirely yet) I was itching to do something small. It was after 7:00 already and I didn't want to fire up DW as I knew I would be out there until late if I did.

I picked up this pattern at Seven Sisters a few weeks ago and looked through it earlier. The way it was packaged would have let me to forgo starting anything right now. Pages were folded in half in plastic bags for each "month" this original BOM was released. 

I'm an organizer and so I took them all out of their packages, organized them into months/blocks, three hole punched them and then put them into a binder. 

I have an empty crate under Marty I'll put the blocks as I finish them prior to putting sections together. There is a bit of hand embroidery in this pattern and I'm going to attempt it as it should be. 

Jim and I are having our date day today and while we are in Midland getting groceries (for us and the dog sitter) I'll pop into Hobby Lobby to get the floss and hoop I need to do such a thing. Maybe this will keep me busy at the reunion instead of constantly wanting to each junk food. 

And It Begins

Jim pulled the trailer up yesterday late in the afternoon. I was already done working and we don't want the thing sitting in the direct sunshine while we have to clean it out from whatever got in it over the winter.

Given what I was cleaning out of it, it appears Mr. Mousy got in earlier this spring when all the Comet had  washed away from around it in the spring rains. Our barn is not weather tight, just resistant. 

Meanwhile, in the quilting world of things, here are a few pics of what I'm putting into Virginia's Pickle Dish quilt.

Feathers in the arcs

Straight lines in the blades and second border

Swag with a feather in the lower portion and piano keys above

After getting the trailer cleaned and prepped for packing (we have some supplies coming for the trailer today and tomorrow so I won't pack much tonight) I came back into the studio to do some other stuff. 

A Love Letter block was done and two more leaf blocks were blanket stitched for Flower Power. 

I had every intention of getting on DW after working the two leaf blocks but I was pooped and it was after 7:30.

One customer coming to pick up this morning and that's about it. 

It May Be Time

The computer I'm on currently is a Mac. This Mac is about 10 years old and it's getting kind of sick. Slow to load. Slow to respond. Often items just disappear or the machine tanks. I think maybe during back to school sales I need to investigate a replacement.

It's DeGroot family reunion week. I'll be dividing my time between the studio and the camper getting everything loaded. The shopping has been delegated out to other folks, but we still have a majority of the reunion stuff. That's supposed to be distributed out when we arrive but we'll see. I don't think people realize just how much we do and how much space it takes to do it. 

We wanted to go somewhere yesterday just to get out of the house and the truck took us to Elm Creek; about the only place that was open after the holiday. Here's what I brought home.

Something for the grandkids, the kids, and me

Those pillows are personalized and I'll get started on those this fall (or sooner) so I don't have to sweat shop Santa this winter. 

I'll be working on this quilt today and most likely the rest of the week...

Virginia's Pickle Dish

This is the quilt Jim had to skim and now we're getting ready to make it right. The previous long armer really messed it up and I'm hoping to give the customer back something she's proud to have in her home.

Dodge'em Storms

We were watching one of our favorite meteorologists on line this morning on Youtube and apparently we have a high threat of storms later today and throughout tomorrow. That means the long arm is only on when they aren't. 

I'm up earlier than usual and am preparing for such events. I finished the quilt on Bernie yesterday, she's coming this morning to fetch and I'll be working on this I-need-it-now quilt for the next few days...

Lori Holts Farmyard Friends

The neighbors are starting to filter in for the holiday. Our directly north neighbors are expected up sometime today and we haven't visited them their past few visits; they've had chores to take care of and other people to deal with.

Nothing else in the studio last night. We headed to West Branch to get groceries for the week trying to beat the vacationers rush. We didn't get home until after 7:00 and that was too late to start getting into something. 

Apparently Backwards Day is a Hit

I got SOOOOO much done yesterday. Not in any particular order I made a Love Letter block, matched the cowboy boots up with their checkerboard blocks, cleaned the iron, received the batting I was expecting, started this quilt below, quilted two sections of the Judy Niemeyer on DW, frame ironed and have the Farmyard quilt on Marty ready to start and made a 9-patch top. Here's the pics I grabbed during the day. 

Detail work on the Judy Niemeyer on DW

For the 9-patch quilt-along

Some of the quilting going into the one below

Finishing this one today hopefully

Today I'll be finishing the quilt on Bernie and hopping on over to Marty to start working on that immediate deadline. The one on Bernie is a July deadline so I better get to it. I'm quilting barefoot today since the temps when are already in the 80's with high humidity. Air you can wear! My feet will complain later tonight, but I'm wearing a lightweight dress for the icky weather and don't want to add more heat. 

Not Responsible

I was cruising around on IG last night while listening to another season of Alone. One of the fellow long armers made a sign for her studio that said: I am not responsible for stray seam threads, pet hair, puckers (should you fail to measure your borders), and your back being short. I think I need this in my studio. 😉

Ginny's quilt on Bernie was finished in the late afternoon. This is what I'll be starting today...

Evelyns Farm Girl Vintage II by Lori Holt

We have attempted to load this quilt twice already and maybe the third times a charm? I investigated how others have quilted this including Lori Holts long armer (or maybe she does her own long arming?) and EVERY picture I found has this quilt edge-to-edge quilted. Weird!

We're not doing that per the customer. She said to just have fun so that's what I'll be doing. 

After getting this on the frame I did a Love Letter block, a cowboy boot and I finished quilting the baby quilt on DW. It's still on the frame, but it's quilted.

This one only took a little over an hour to stitch

One customer expected today to pick up. I have to do some batt ordering and a little other admin work first though. Bleh. 

Beat the Clock

I was playing beat the clock yesterday with the humidity and the air erasable pen I use to mark with on quilts. I was also playing against mother nature who decided to cut my day short (more than once) with thunderstorms. Not only did I get off Bernie before 3:00, I couldn't even get on DW later in the evening.

Here is row four of the row by row for Ginny...

Textured wood and some flowers in the background

So I did some sit-down work and as the storms continued to roll through I continued on with more sit-down work. I got a love letter block done before 4:00. I moved over to a cowboy boot...

That was done by 5:30. Jim was still canning so I had plenty of time to do something else. I decided to get Rita the Ripper out and work on that. Turns out I had more than enough time to work on it and even put a border around (which the pattern did not).

Rita the Ripper

This pattern is still available on-line and in some stores. There is a whole series of them available including bobbins, thread, and other sewing notions. I thought this would go well with the needles wall hanging I have on the 'design wall'. 

Well, I still had some more energy and started going through my bag-o-tricks to see what I could start next. I have to have a half-dozen things going in the studio at once. However, only one or two appliqués are permitted. I can only take so much blanket stitching. I know this next project needs to be pieced first and the cowboy boots should be done before having to blanket stitch things here so this is my next project...

I've quilted a few of these for customers already and mom bought me this kit for Christmas two years ago. I'm NOT going to fuse these down. That's a lot of layers and the long arm isn't particularly jazzed about it all. Neither am I frankly.

They are large pieces and I feel like I can stitch them down as I build the blocks. I may get some fraying, but I'm okay with that. In fact, I may just promote it because that would be stinkin' cute as heck. 

Today is another round of beat the clock. Very humid and we have rain (maybe storms) coming later this afternoon. Ginny's quilt would have been done yesterday had I not had the interruption. And I have a customers' husband coming to drop off this morning, so I should be able to get the quilt done. 

Doing Pinwheels

I forgot to mention about making pinwheels for that little garden table runner. Instead of tying off I run a HST through the machine and construct pinwheels while make the love letter blocks. I think I have about 10 of them made already.

 Here is some of the quilting going into the RxR for Ginny. This is row two.

Lady Bug row

I completed row three before taking a roll in the afternoon but forgot to take a pic beforehand. On to row four today.

After working I made a Love Letter block and have the first row together in section three (there are five sections). I moved over to Mike and did the daily cowboy boot...

Moo

From there I fired up DW and did some quilting in the baby quilt. Why can't I just do E2E on these things? Oh, because I know how to do custom and it looks better. But I did do a hand guided (not computerized) E2E design in the center panel section...

Swirl flower edge to edge

While I was out playing in the studio Jim was playing in the kitchen. He loves doing this stuff (which is good because I DO NOT). Here's his accomplishments for the night...

Some of these are for customers

I'll be giving away a small jar of jelly to anybody who visits after Thanksgiving. These are all strawberry, but today he'll be doing strawberry banana and strawberry rhubarb. We don't actually eat this much jam throughout the year. Some of these are given away to family and friends. Mostly family. 

Row #1-11 Color Changes

I've started getting into the rows on the quilt being worked on Bernie. 11 color changes so far and many more in the future as I look ahead. 

Here's some of the quilting going into some of the row by row...

After I worked for the day I was able to get the Fireworks quilt bound...

Fireworks!

I did a Love Letter block and then afterwards, did a cowboy boot.

I'm going to finish loading the baby quilt on DW this morning and get started on it. I'll work some temperature blocks as well while Jim is at the food pantry working this morning.