Progress

After meeting with a customer yesterday to pick up her quilt, I was able to load and start the t-shirt quilt for Joanne. This one is going to be a challenge as it has no lining on the t-shirts and they aren't behaving very well. 

After working on that top for most of the day, the evening found me making, pressing, and trimming the corner triangles for the Stack and Whack Kaleidoscope top. I have all the squares made now and just need to start joining into rows.

Stack and Whack Kaleidoscope blocks

Mom is coming over today and working on her change of address stuff. The kaleidoscope blocks are right up her color alley and I'll see if she likes it. If not, maybe this will be the next DeGroot reunion quilt? 

Since mom is coming over today, I'm not sure how much progress I'll make in the studio. Her visits vary in length and sometimes we end up taking off for whatever we find interesting to do. 

Hurdles

It wasn't hurdles so much we had this weekend, just lots of away-from-the-house time. Saturday was a complete wash. On the road and downstate all day long. 

I did manage to get three backings from The Hen House while downstate. We were actually there during normal business hours to be able to shop a little and catch up with old friends. 

Yesterday was a recharge afternoon. Errands and shopping in the morning. But I did manage to get another little bit of sewing in before leaving; working on the Stack and Whack Kaleidoscope top. 

In our travels this weekend, I had two [more] people ask about the long arm and what exactly it is that I do. Since DW is currently naked, thought I'd grab a pic of him to show how big he is to better explain to folks the machine I sling around for hours.

A good pic of DW naked

One of the kaleidoscope blocks 

This morning customers are coming to pick up (Sue L.) and then I'll have the rest of the day to work on DW and get rid of his naked-dittity. :-)

Something Finished

Something was actually finished in the studio yesterday. The Kaleidoscope quilt is done. It was buried under the Long Time Gone and Selvedge tops on the guest bed downstairs.

Kaleidoscope Quilt

Cleaning up the studio was first on the list before tackling anything else. Once completed, work on the t-shirt sashing strips commenced. Here's where yesterday ended.

T-Shirt top in progress

See the black shirt on the right about in the middle of the pic? I have to figure out what to do with it. It needs to be included into the top and unlike all the other shirts, this one is three dimensional. I think if I sash it on three of the sides, and then build a...nope, never mind, that won't work. I'd have to sew a top sashing on and with the collar sticking out it's not possible without losing some of the shirt.

Second idea: Mount it onto a large piece of the sashing fabric and extend the top portion near the collar enough to join the block above. This will let the collar lay onto it to hand tack down after the quilting is done. It's going to add a lot of bulk (six layers to quilt into), but DW is pretty hardy and can probably get through it okay. I may have to change to a ball-point needle once I get to that shirt. I'll have to think more on this while I am on the lawn mower later today.

Yep, a nice day in store meaning more outside time then inside time today. See, this is why I like winter. Quilting in the summer is hard when you have a large yard and a lake. Not to mention a house/property that was neglected for six years to nurse back to health.