No Sleep. Again!

Last night was the third night this week I have fallen asleep only after 3:00. Good thing I'm taking today off. 

Not because of the "holiday", but because we are going to the lake I was raised on down in Crystal. We are reconnecting with people I grew up with and visiting the ole stomping grounds. I moved a lot when I was a kid but every summer until I was a teen were spent with grandma and grandpa at the cottage on the lake. I've only been back a handful of times since getting out the Army 35 years ago.

Mom sold the cottage when grandma had to be put into a care facility. It had been in our family since the 50's. The cottage was torn down two years ago and a new monstrosity now sits in its place. But the memories are still there and some of the people we knew growing up are still living right next door to our old lot. 

Today we are taking a pontoon ride around the lake. Something we used to do often as kids with the whole neighborhood. Bring your own chair and a coffee and away we'd go for a two-hour ride around this beautiful body of water in central Michigan. It's a hidden gem and property values there have skyrocketed because of it. Which is why we aren't living there instead of here. 

Anyway, pics from todays adventures will post tomorrow. I started in on Evelyns Farm Girl Vintage II quilt yesterday morning first thing. 

Border(s)

Corner

Let me show you the difference in custom versus edge to edge quilting. If this had been E2E quilted, this wonky block would have never laid down correctly...

Notice all the lifting and weirdness happening here

This is the after pic after I got it quilted...

Pretty much fixed

I got a Love Letter block done after working and then did my daily cowboy boot...

The second star boot

I got the baby quilt off DW and bound that...

And then I loaded this onto DW...

It's all basted in and ready to get quilted. Maybe later tonight if we get home at a decent time?

Memory Lane

Yesterday was not a good news day. I found out my childhood friend from our cottage had a death in her family (FIL) and one of my customers lost her husband the previous day. 

My father texted me and asked for another quilt for his bed since his wife 'borrowed' his indefinitely. While I was going through totes after my PT appointment, I couldn't help thinking about these two deaths and how precious life is. 

And then I pull out quilt after quilt and think about how much joy making those quilts gave me and how it's hard to let them go (for sale, or whatever) just like a member of our lifes circle. Here are a few of the ones I sent pics of to dad to see if he'd like any of them...

This is the one he selected. Farm Girl Vintage II by Lori Holt

I don't remember the name of this one

Seasons by Edita Sitar

Just a scrappy pattern I found on line

There are a crap load more out there, but he was looking for a large queen/king-sized quilt and it needed to be dark in color since his dog sleeps with him sometimes. 

I'll continue to make quilts because it gives me joy and happiness and damn it, life is too short to not be doing what we love to do. 

Had a drop-in set of women stop by yesterday morning. I don't think I'll be seeing them again since price was their main concern. I also had a previous customer come to drop off just one top around lunch time. I did get Bernadettes quilt finished in the early evening. I worked on DW for a bit and then moved over to the Tilda piece for a while. 

 

Hopefully today I'll have uninterrupted work time and can enjoy the rainy day headed our way. We need the rain. The lawn is starting to turn yellow and Jim's garden is looking pretty wilted. 

Before Retreating Today...

...I thought I would share the accomplishments so far. The the first day I got the borders on Twirly quilt (forgot to snag a pic) and started to sew down the Chenille-it onto the second top...

Cute, huh?

This became a rather daunting process as I was using the regular pressor foot on Ellie. I switched to the free motion foot and was having even more issues with that. I put that aside and started working on 100 blocks. 

100 Blocks in 100 Days

Day two the top was done.

Day three I started right in on the H-E-L-L-O wall hanging and finished it minus the binding...

Going to hang in the new studio

After getting that done and after having a quick visit with Jim, I started in on the Farm Girl Vintage II top...

Everybody loved the piggy

That went together relatively quickly and so moved back over to the 'Tis the Season top and fought again with the application of the chenille-it. But I'm going to persevere today and get it all attached! If time permits, I'll make and bind the HELLO wall hanging and call that one finished.

Interesting 24 Hours

Had a customer come to pick up yesterday and I was pulling fabrics for the 100 blocks challenge starting in a week. This particular customer has a background in interior design and said what I pulled would not work. Color really isn't my thing anyway, so listened to what she had to say. 

After she left and Jim and I gobbled down some lunch, I headed over to Pieces to get the proper fabrics for this challenge. 

I came right home and pieced my last block on FGV2 giving myself permission to start playing with the new fabrics. 

Say Cheese

I basted in the new quilt in DW and while Jim was moving more dirt, I was working on the first three blocks of my 100 days blocks. Here's where I got to...

Days 1, 2 and 11

Here's the deal. I can do the blocks in their original order, OR, do them by color. I've chosen the later. The reason I have some of the blocks already, even though the challenge hasn't started yet, is because we have family reunion coming up and I know I'll get behind if I don't get a little ahead. 

After piecing these three, I decided I better actually do some real work. Here's what the first border looks like on Pam K's quilt

Pam's 1st border

This morning was a "new studio" work day. The kids came up last night with the explicit intention of relearning how to make strawberry jam. However, the cement truck was coming this morning. And since we have an asphalt driveway, we had to haul 3 1/2 cubic yards of the footer concrete with a cement buggy. Here's the first pour going in...

My son Ben and Jim pouring the first load

But then we ended up here...

Jim messed up his knee on the second load

So...now all this cement work rested on Ben, Alisha (his wife), and my shoulders. Jim hung out until we were done with the cement but yeah, Jim is out of commission for at least eight weeks. 

But we got 'er done and here's the footers, pads, and crock cement curing. 

Next step, the foundation

There was some interesting happenings between Jim being "bucked" off the cement buggy and my writing tonight. We almost got in a horrific car accident, the two knee brace places were both closed early today making our trip to West Branch useless meaning we had to head back to urgent care to put on a temporary brace (the pic above), the fridge decided it didn't want to close any more (Ben found the  problem with it and fixed it just a bit ago), and the dog sitter for the reunion can no longer watch the dogs for us. See...interesting 24 hours.

Tomorrow Jim and the kids will be making jam. Maybe I can get some long arming done?

Longest Day

Not only was yesterday the longest light day of the year (happy summer solstice), but it was pretty long for Jim and I both. Up early and off and running all day long.

Here's what DW is going to be wearing for the day (and weekend, and part of next week)...

Pam K's appliquéd flowers

This is one of those quilts that will [hopefully] look stunning when I get it done. Here's some detail of what went into Carla's quilt yesterday...

Vines and Leaves

Bernie is also wearing new attire today and will be for the unforeseeable future...

Lynn S's FPP Moth

Both of the tops on the frames are for new customers so I haven't learned their preferences yet. But with any luck, they'll be pleased. 

While DW was stitching out yesterday, and while I was frame ironing backing(s), I was able to construct all but the last block for FGV2...

I have enough if I want to set this in a 6x8 setting, but I'm thinking I'd rather have it set in a 7x7, so I'm going to make one more block today. 

On the construction front, the footer frames are complete. The [B] kids are coming up tonight to help with the cement we're expecting tomorrow, and then if the construction gods are with us, the blocks will be delivered on Saturday. Amongst all of that, Jim is supposed to be teaching them how to make strawberry jam. 

Lots to Report

I finished Luann's second quilt yesterday and here's what went into that...

Circles to reduce the sharp points

While I was loading the next backing I worked on Diane's quilt on Bernie. I'll start with that today because the next quilt on DW is an E2E. Here's what he's wearing today...

Carla's next quilt

I've got everything set up and ready to go on this one, but will wait until after lunch to start it. Dianes should be done by then.

Jim got home from work last night and look what arrived in the mail!

Upside down but you get the idea

100 Days, 100 Blocks pattern is here!!! I perused through it last night before starting on FGV2 and some of these blocks are going to be pretty intense. I need to work out how I'm going to use the four colors for the main pattern and then integrate the fat quarter bundles I purchased for the remaining frames. 

Speaking of FGV2, here's the block I made last night...

Watering Can

And only four more blocks to go. The last block in this book is a log cabin block, and then I've selected three more from a previous Lori Holt book I had. 

While I was working on that, Jim tackled a few needed projects around the property (getting the weeds down by the "beach", watering trees/garden plants, and shortening the girls' temporary pen grass. He then moved onto new studio work and has all the trenches in for the footer forms. 

From the backroom window

He'll get those forms together tonight (most likely) and he's discouraged at how long this is taking. But a room without a proper foundation is doomed for disaster and I'm glad he's taking his time. It seems like the beginning process of any construction project (quilting or wood) takes forever. Look how long I've been working on FGV2! Persistence is key and looking ahead to the finished product motivates. 

Very Busy Monday

I got Luanns first quilt quilted. Here's some of the detail that went into it...

Flowers for the Gnomes

Once that was done, I got right into the second one of hers. While frame ironing her back, I worked on Diane's quilt on Bernie. Bernie and I were not getting along yesterday. After getting about a third of the way into Diane's quilt, I decided to shut Bernie off for the day. It wasn't worth the headaches. I know what's wrong, and until I get a new backlash spring for the bobbin case (I messed it up), we will probably have these issues. 

Luanns backing was ready anyway and so headed back over to DW to get her threads picked out and get her top basted in for this morning. Here's what's on DW today...

Cute and soft (flannel) baby quilt

I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with this but I'll take a look at the patchwork and decide from there. 

Jim brought the trencher home yesterday and worked on the corners of the new studio last night...

Cutting through that rock hard clay

While he was working out there, and after I was prepped for today, I switched to some piecing and put together the next block in FGV2...

Strawberry Jam

I think I only have four more to do before I can start constructing this top. I'll have to recheck that tonight. 

Expecting one customer today; both a pick up and a few drop-offs, and there is a lot of noise in and around the neighborhood again. Mowing, weed whacking, deck building, barn building, rock dumping, dam construction, and of course, my long arm machine will add to the mix. All the signs of summer. 

Relaxing Sunday

Just spent the day relaxing yesterday. Jim trimmed Hazel and I made this block...

Stars

...and that's about it. Dads need to enjoy a day or two during the year, right?

Small Projects Mixed In

Yesterday, while Jim was shoveling dirt, I was working on removing Bernadettes quilt from DW and frame ironing for the next quilt being loaded. Here's what's on DW ready for Monday...

Luanns cute little top

Between rolls and spritzing, I was able to construct a few blocks on Farm Girl Vintage 2...

Sewing Baskets

Sisters Quilt Block

Small Town Block

Spring Blossom Block

The spring blossom block should have been done in a lighter blue I think, as well as lighter greens, but it'll be okay I suppose.

It looks like I have about seven more blocks to go. Hopefully I can get those done in time for the 100 Day 100 Blocks challenge. IF the pattern arrives from Australia in time. 

Happy Fathers day to all of you dads out there. I just got off the phone with mine and am lucky to still have a dad to talk to. 

Here's a peek at the studio progress (dirt removal) as of yesterday afternoon...

Taking away the SE corner

Removing the SW corner/end

Weather and Construction

It's hard to build when the weather doesn't cooperate. Jim, instead gave Lucy a hair cut and Hazel a bath. I continued to work on Bernadettes quilt. Which isn't done. Yet. Hopefully today.

One customer coming to pick up later. I have a nail appointment first thing this morning and then am heading back over to Pieces to pick up some more white. Last night when I made this block...

Scrappy Block

And then cut the whites for the next, I bled the white yardage dry. And I still have about 10 blocks to go. 

And that's about all to report on the studio front this morning. 

Icky Lake

Our lake has already started its seaweed and algae growth for the summer. This doesn't usually happen until mid-July but with the warmer temps, and the lack of rain (lower lake levels) we have a large crop of icky on the lake already.  

Working on Bernadettes quilt (mostly) today. Here's some of the quilting going into it...

Mickey's quilt is off Bernie and this one is now getting put on...

Dianes cute baby quilt

I haven't actually basted in yet but it's there when I need it. While I was leveling Bernie (he'd gotten out of whack with the low humidity of late), Jim was working on the footer frames now that we have the permit issue ironed out...

It seems we were both leveling last night

He was making great progress and then a sudden cloud burst from the east came through. It was after 8:00 so it was probably a good thing.

After crawling around on the floor getting Bernie back to rights, I constructed the next block in FGV2...

Rooster

It seems there's construction all around us. Maybe people are getting ready for the lakes to return? The folks to the NE are putting up a garage-type structure, we have the studio going in. Somebody to the SE of us is banging and sawing, and then there's always the noise filtering upstream for the dam progress. 

I had two customers come in yesterday to drop off tops, but am not expecting any today. Of course, I wasn't expecting those two yesterday either, but they are always very welcome to come by!