One Project Finished

The kiddos don't usually read or keep track of my blog posts, so I'm chancing posting up their first baby quilt finished yesterday at retreat. Well, it's not finished, but the top is complete...

Ready for quilting

I've pulled the next project out of the retreat tote and will be making swimsuits and sunglasses later today.

Jim's lessons are going well. He remembered a lot of what was learned yesterday and this morning we are tackling the Pro Stitcher and how to set the area and motif in for quilting. He selected the motif and I agree with what he put in since this is going to be for a boy.

I'll be continuing on with the Halloween quilt on Bernie (teaching takes a while) while DW is doing his thing this morning. 

Still Nothing

No encoder yet. I probably could have walked to Lansing and back in the time it's taking to get up here. Meanwhile, I had one customer visit with three drop-offs yesterday. Jim had family stop by in the late afternoon for a visit and then I received a call from the kids in Germany to ask about baby movements and lack thereof. 

Needless to say, not much quilting happened and after Aunt June and Deb left, I was way out of a long arming state of mind. I started to work on month five of my BOM and I also prepped as much as I could of my BOW for today. Some of the pieces in the log cabin can be assembled prior to getting the block.

Here's some of the quilting going into the quilt on Bernie...

Can you see the broom and the pumpkin?

I forgot to snag pics yesterday while I was working. 

Today is a half day as we are going out to lunch with mom and then doing some grocery shopping after. And, I didn't get up until 9:09 this morning because Mr. Mouse decided to serenade me with some chewing in my bedroom wall until after 4:00 this morning. Jim want down and set several traps this morning. It's that time of the year.  

I'm hoping to get a little long arming in before we leave but I'm not counting on it as I am working with Jim again this morning on loading a quilt top, measuring for the batting, and basting in. 

Cat's Eyes and Other Halloween Things

This quilt, despite having a million borders (which take a lllloooonnnnggg time to work) has been very fun to quilt. I get to be creative and have to have my Halloween hat on while doing it. I have two versions of cats eyes going in here...

Siamese Eyes

I feel like the Siamese cat has more angular eyes and they are a little more sly looking. 

Regular cat eyes

Maybe you can see it better from the back?

Much easier to to see

I'm on this quilt again today. The spider webs and now the panel are taking a bit longer than anticipated. Jim is running to Erin Matthews quilt shop today to fetch a pattern/kit I ordered at the Oscoda quilt show. I don't think he can hurt himself too much driving and he didn't take his muscle relaxer yet so he's safe to go I think. My new phone case arrived yesterday and I LOVE it. Still waiting on my shipment from MSQC and Green Fairy (Jelly rolls and thread respectively). 

I knocked off the long arm around 6:00 and started cutting out for month four of the BOM. I have everything ready to go to piece together tonight. And fall weather has finally descended upon us. They are calling for a frost warning tonight. Hello turtlenecks and sweatshirts! 😍

Another construction Day

Jim took the day off because the kids are here ready to work. In fact, I already hear a saw running despite the heavy dew we received last night.

Meanwhile, I finished Debs quilt last night although it's still on the frame. It's going to stay there out of little hands' reach. I moved over to Nancy's Witches afterwards until Jim got home and we could work on the roof boards.

Here's some of the quilting going into the Witches...

Walking along the bricks

Today's goal is to get the roof on the new studio. 

Is Autumn Here?

It seems like the temperatures are getting very cold at night and there is a briskness in the daytime air. I love, love, love it!

I finished the Dream Bigger yesterday morning, had customers come, washed a dog that escaped the gate and went rolling in the new black dirt while the customers were here. Once the dog was washed and lunch was eaten, I was able to start loading the next backing going onto DW.  

While frame ironing, I was able to finally get over to Nancy's Witches on Bernie and here's some of what's going into the actual hand embroidered sections...

Spider webs and pebbles

The bottom sections will be different.

Here's what's on DW today (and probably the next few days) for Paulette...

Prism by Jason Yenter

This is a BOM Pieces of Thyme offered earlier this year. I'm also making one of these but haven't worked on it in a while. Paulette is a quilt making machine!

Out With The Old

Those two quilts on Bernie and DW are now trimmed, billed, folded, and the customers have been called. Here's what's on DW for the next few days...

We've seen this one before

I have about seven of these in the queue right now. Flea Market classes happened at Bittersweet Quilt Shop and I'm getting most of the custom work from the year-long class. 

Here's what's on DW for the next long period...

The Witches

I've done another one of these but without the fourth panel on the bottom. I actually started doing this quilt, but since my embroidery skills are deplorable, handed it off to Diane S. to do for me. She LOVES doing this kind of stuff and said she'd be more than happy to work it for me. 

While DW was stitching out yesterday, and while I was frame ironing the two backings, I FINALLY got the small project done from last Sunday. I think I need to reevaluate what exactly a small project is since this took me way longer than a day. 

My "small" project

This has been added into the "to quilt" pile so I won't see it again for a while. I had a little time left over last night with the storms threatening, so I made another block in the 100 blocks challenge. 

No [new] studio work last night; temps in the 90's with thunder rumbling in the distance. Doctor appointment for me this morning (annual physical) and then off to the lab for blood work. No quilting this morning but I'll be back at it once I return from town this afternoon. 

Six Inches of snow later

They said we would get 1-3". I think they were a little off in their estimation.

So what's with the little icons on the left side of my screen the past two days? I imported the crying Sparty in a few days ago and those stupid things showed up after the import. I may end up having to rebuild my blog. I did go into html view and pulled out anything it may be, but we'll see if it shows up again today. 

Here's some of what's going into Jeans quilt...

I love the brick road

Wood flooring

Spooky tree and grass

I'm just past the half-way point on this one. Barbs quilt is getting a little more classical quilting put into it since this one is titled "Old World Santas". I'm matching thread almost perfectly so it's hard to see the quilting in it. 

Since we have all this snow, my customers today have opted for a different day. I'll enjoy the post-storm sunshine and pretty white picture out my windows while working in my snuggly, warm house. 

Web Site Down

ilovequiltingatthelake.com is down for a few days while switching over from one host to another. There's a 48 hour waiting period before the change takes effect. 

This is what I had to deal with first thing this morning. Then, just as I entered the studio to "work" a customer came to drop off two more tops. 

Now the day can begin.

Here's what's coming off the frame this morning...

Luann's Pumpkin

This is one of two completed yesterday. After I shut the lights off in the studio at 8:00-ish I was too tired to remove and trim the quilt. 

Here is a little bit of what went into the quilts...

Quilting detail on one of the pumpkin quilts

Today I'm loading Luann's last quilt which will have pics shown tomorrow.

And we're getting ready for Jim's ankle surgery. He's feverishly trying to get my pressing/cutting table done beforehand but, of course, other little things interfere with his work. And I'm receiving deliveries for the big day, like crutches, scooters, chairs, etc. to interrupt my work day(s) as well. 

It looks like removing the rod thingie on our water heater is the solution to removing the smell/minerals passing through our water. That's one of the little things he had to deal with last night. Hopefully we'll have a productive day today and actually work through what we have in our heads that needs to be done. 

In the Groove

I must have been really rested yesterday. Much was done in the studio.

Joanie's Christmas Quilt with a Minky backing

The minky backing was causing some slide issues yesterday. The batting kept wanting to shift. Which, in turn, kept causing the top to want to shift. Which was causing puckers near the edge of the borders. But we came to and understanding (that silly Minky and I) and got it done by mid-afternoon.

Luann's Big Ole Heart

This wasn't the next one to hit the frame (pictures do not load in the order I send them for some reason), but rather the last one. The table runner below was the next one up. But this big heart has been basted in and is ready to go first thing today. 

Tristan's Christmas Pillow

I'm making these On-The-Go Travel Pillows (pattern purchased at Pieces in Thyme and created by Fishsticks Designs) for each of the older kids for Christmas. This handle turned out on the correct side this time. It was my error with the previous attempt over last weekend. So, apparently I can no longer read.

A Ghostly Tablerunner for Luann

If you look close enough, there are ghosts quilted into the runner. What you can't see (and it didn't want to photograph) is there is glow in the dark thread for the ghosts. Every house is ditched also as are the stars in the center. 

Today I will continue on with the Big Ole Heart and maybe make another pillow for Hannah. While DW was stitching out Joanie's rows yesterday, I was able to start researching all the addresses I've lived in my life. I need to get a hold of my mother and my father both to fill in some of the blanks, but I think I have enough to start making the Colette version of Paulettes houses/memory quilt.