Well, Hullo Thar

Do not get Influenza B. Wash your hands. Keep your fingers away from your face. Prevention is key. 

I've been out of commission since my last post (Dec. 18) and I do not want a repeat performance of what I've been dealing with since then. Every flu symptom you could possibly envision I got to experience. 

I'm still not 100% but at least I'm on the mend. I've been doing "quiet" work the past two days; piecing Produce Section blocks and was actually on the long arm yesterday for a little while. My strength is low so didn't push myself.

Here's some of what I've been up to for the past three weeks...

Apples

Kiwis

Cantelopes

And while the family was here Saturday for Christmas, Andrew put this together for me...

The lego sewing machine

Here's the long arming I did yesterday...

Starting a new quilt

I did get Timber off the frame and bound a few days ago (Tuesday, I think). That'll be going to the C's. I've also been doing a lot of crocheting. Two scarves completed and another one started last night. A lot of reading as well as a lot of sleeping factored into my life the past three weeks. But I'm glad to be heading in the "repair" direction. It was hard staying out of the studio for so long. So, so hard!

I'm going to take today slow. I've already worked on getting more of the house undecorated and put back together. Called my dad. Did some regular chores around the place and now I'm going to work on a few more Produce Section blocks. Maybe some long arming after lunch? Jim is working today so the house is quiet. 

Day One

This was my intention yesterday playing in the studio...

To go over the electrical panel

And after helping Jim wash the house, and after the neighbors' granddaughters coming over to inquire about their quilts, I chipped away all day on this project and behold! It's on the frame!

Just need to quilt and bind

After completing this top, I bound three other quilts; one for the neighbor granddaughter and two for charity; they are going to Alaska, via Vegas for Sew Yeah Quilting.

We are running to town this morning to get groceries before all the drunks wake up. It was very loud here last night as our new neighbor to the south has decided to join in on the commercial fireworks war we have going on here. 

Lucy DOES NOT like fireworks. Hazel could care less. I want to get the above piece quilted later and maybe get Twirly quilt on the frame too. I have to find a back for that but I'm sure I can come up with something around here. 

New Project(s)

Yesterday morning while Jim was working in the new studio (there's not much for me to help right now), I long armed on the Jacqueline quilt and then in the afternoon, got this cute little wall hanging put together...

Another cute Amy Bradley design

This all needs to be blanket stitched, and that machine is under the pressing table. And, there's really no where to set it up. It's just going to have to hang out for a few months until I get my table back in the new studio. 

Once that was done (it didn't take too long) I started this project...

Once Upon a Cabin

I picked this up a couple of years ago at Elm Creek and just found it at the bottom of the bin. I have the peak block and the two blocks in the upper right hand side already constructed as well as the roof/sky area. 

MSU lost in their next round of b-ball against North Carolina so we're all done with basketball season now.

This is what Jim completed this weekend out in the new studio...

Installing the pocket door

Adding the vanity handle

Stairs to the crawl space

Starting the accent wall in the bathroom

He also finished getting the trim around all the interior windows and started filling in on the people door adjoining the two structures. 

Hair cuts this morning and I'll work the next block in my Once Upon a Cabin quilt before we relax for the rest of the afternoon. 

Just Keep Painting

Jim and I hopped on the painting bus first thing this morning. Meaning, no "old" studio work, but a lot of "new" studio work. Jim has a b-ball game he's watching right now meaning we're on a break. 

Here's what's on DW today... 

Isn't this just gorgeous?

Another stunner from Linda M. I actually started this yesterday but haven't yet captured the quilting.

Did I mention I've been working on Stars and Shadows? I have four rows already sewn together and have the next five rows built...

Constructing Stars and Shadows

I bought this kit merely for the quilting that was put into it. It was hanging at Yoders when we were down in Shipshewana and I fell in love. I don't particularly care for assembly line block structure anymore. Been there. I like to do appliqué and art quilts more than a regular pieced quilt but this one will be well worth it once I get it onto the frame. Someday. 

I may continue on with this after I get my shower and the bathrooms cleaned while Jims watching TV. Who knows?

How Is This Part of Quilting?

Thursday was spent with my mother and brother. I did get quite a few business phone calls while we were out and about, which lead to yesterday's frenzy. And lack of blogging.

Four customers in and out yesterday. Ann and Mary dropped off and picked up both. Onita dropped off. Linda picked up after I finished her quilt. In between customers I was able to get Lindas quilt finished (obviously since she picked it up last night)! And, I hit a milestone while doing it...

We actually got some sunshine to snap a pic

Look at the Lifetime Stitch Count

90 million!! My friend Nick, in Vancouver, BC has a billion, but I'm not far behind. He has a Fusion too so apparently they truly are work horses. 

What's going on here? How is this quilting related?

Thumb Drive?

Jason, from Gall Sewing and Vac, was one of the many phone calls I received Thursday and he indicated to me, that even though Bernie doesn't have the digital quilting system on him, he still has a computer interface. There is a Firmware update from Bernina I need to do and he thinks this will fix the small tension sensor problem. I'm going to try to tackle that today. 

I'm also removing Bernadettes quilt from Bernie and loading both the machines up as Jim is working today, and Mark is also here working on the drywall. It's like it's not even a Saturday but just a regular work day around the place. I think tomorrow may be a totally veg day since we've been running fast and hard the past week. 

Much Warmer

We have heat! It took the guys all day to get the old furnace out and the new one up and running. Apparently the old one didn't want to leave the property. At any case, after running for over four hours to get everything back up to temp, we were finally able to enjoy our home again. 

More on Lindas quilt today. Still not nearly as far as I want to be. I knocked off after Jim got home last night because we needed to do some cleaning/drywalling ourselves in the new studio. Here's the progress so far...

Nearly finished

Mark said he only needs to sand the ceiling and fill in the drywall we added last night in the bathroom. So another couple of days should be the end of his contribution.

Welcome Early Morning

The furnace guys are here!

Yay!

Hopefully by days end we will have real heat in the house instead of running all these space heaters. Which are not keeping up with the current temps. This morning...8 degrees with a wind blowing outside. 

More on Linda's quilt today. I'm officially past the half-way point. I worked diligently on it until 5:30 last night and it seems like I barely got anything done. But now that all the decisions on what to put in each section, and, establishing a kind of got a rhythm, should get things going faster. A little anyway. 

After standing at the big machine all day I needed to do something different. I've had a Lori Holt project just itching to get started so this is my new [whenever] project...

Bee Happy by Lori Holt

I've got all my fat quarters pressed and have pawed through any whites that I have that may work in the quilt. I need to get more whites, but with having to replace the furnace, getting the little furnace installed, and the mudder guy, I'm going to have to wait for a few weeks. 

Got Rulers?

I did get the Make More put together. All except for the final border. Which I don't have any fabric for. Jim and I picked out something we thought would work, but I'm not really about it. So back to the drawing board.  

Have you ever wondered what a long armer does behind the scenes? I'm sure you've seen videos on media sites of people long arming, but that's only a small part of if. Here are most of the tools I'm using on just Linda's quilt alone. A variety of rulers, marking utensils, speciality tweezers and needles, books, pen/paper as well as my water. 

Tools of the trade

Today I'm going to suffer through the cold and continue with Linda's quilt. The customer who was scheduled to come today cancelled due to inclement weather. Mostly the frigid temps. The studio, despite having its own space heater, is currently at 56 degrees. 

Mark is already here to work on the drywall and man, it's nice and toasty out there. Almost too warm. But we have to utilize the heat from out there to assist in keeping the rest of the house warm. These three space heaters are struggling since it is so cold outside and need all the help we can give them. 

Bad News

The furnace is not fixable. Too old. Too expensive. A new furnace is only a third more in cost, so a new furnace it is. Unfortunately, the soonest we can get one is Tuesday, or more likely, Wednesday. We've heard we have a deep freeze coming weather-wise, so this could be fun. 

Still working on Linda's quilt. With the way I have this quilt loaded it's hard to tell where I'm at but I think I'm nearing the mid-way point. I'm going to work on that most of today while we are snowed in. It's so pretty! Here's Quilting at the Lake in the winter...

The pic doesn't even begin to show how pretty it is

Snowy Morning

Winter seems to have finally arrived. At least by all the snow coming down anyway. But the temps are right at the freezing mark so I'm not sure how much of this is going to actually cover anything. 

Today I'm planning on finishing Bernadettes quilt despite the batting having arrived yesterday. As well as the thread for Joans quilt. It was a busy delivery day since they came via two different delivery service ways.

I did get Linda's quilt basted in and started...

Can you even see what I put in here?

At any case, I was just getting into my zen mode and I got a call from a customer to see if she could bring over a top before the storm hit today. Sure. That turned into an over an hour affair and by that time I had lost my quilting mojo. 

Mark, the drywaller, was here another almost six hours yesterday and he's still not through "roughing" in the room. This may take longer than we thought, but I think he's through the worst of it. 

So yesterday I had two deliveries, a customer stop by, a contractor working, and Jim came home for lunch. I wonder why I didn't get more done? Today should be quiet. With the storm I'm not expecting anybody, including the contractor, and that means productivity. Yay!

Finally, a Full Week

Back to a normal full week of work and on the cusp of a storm. So they say. The lake will probably eat it like it usually does.

The drywall guy is supposed to be here today to work and I'm hoping the batting shows up today for Linda's quilt. I'll be working on Bernadettes in the meantime. 

I did sew a few pieces together yesterday before lunch and while we were in the middle of our movie, Virginia arrived and we got to spend a little time together before she headed back north. But here's some of the pieces for said quilt top I was working on...

I need to move this stuff

While it's great having everything front and center, I need to get this off my pressing table. That's first thing after blogging even though I've already laid down thread on Bernie this morning. This pile of stuff is driving me batty. Which isn't far to drive, but you get the picture. 

Want a laugh? Watch what Hazel does when she gets a squeaky ball in her mouth. 

Is It Friday Already?

Next week is a full week, right? I sure hope so. Seems like time is passing quicker as the years add up. 

Anns quilt is done. I was able to grab this pic last night before we headed to do some grocery shopping. It's hard to get a pic of dark fabric quilting because the thread only makes subtle textures. 

Just before folding 

The wool gives it that "comforter" look, doesn't it?

Working on Bernadettes quilt for the next few days on Bernie. The batting has been shipped, so frame ironing Lindas backing is happening while I do that. 

No contractors expected today. Although Mike the plumber (from Advanced Plumbing) may be around any day to connect into the septic system for the new bathroom. Hopefully not today though. 

Contacted Angela Huffman at Quilted Joy yesterday about the APQS experience I had with those awful test drives. She feels that since all three machines had Quilt Path (their version of my Pro Stitcher), which is the robotics that drive the edge-to-edge quilting, they didn't disengage their belts. They may have disengaged the motors, but if the belts are still engaged, it'll drive jerky and hard like we experienced. Now I need to contact the seller to see if she can grab a pic of both the track system as well as the head. 

More Construction

Okay, so Anns quilt is nearly done. The basic stuff is in but I feel like I need to get some more quilting in a few places. Meaning, it's still on the frame. I didn't come out of the studio until 8:30 last night. Whew!

Wasn't expecting any customers yesterday, but then one texted and asked if she could come yesterday instead of today to drop off backing for a top I've been holding for her. Just as she was leaving the HVAC guy showed up to do a site prep for today.

First thing, while I was placing a batting and thread order this morning, here they are. Two of them to work on our heating in the new studio. Once we get heat we can start mudding the drywall. And that was another contractor who stopped by in the afternoon to see about doing the drywall mudding. He didn't seem very excited about the cathedral ceiling and has a bad back. Next guy. 

Getting the heater in today

Once Anns quilt is done this morning I'll shift over to working on Bernadettes quilt that's been hanging out on Bernie until either a)The batting arrives for Linda's quilt or b)The thread arrives for Joans. Either quilt has to be done rather timely and so whoever gets supplies first wins the first slot! 

Computer Issues and Merry Christmas Eve Eve

I didn't blog yesterday because I think my Mac is end the end of its life. It's showing signs of distress and it is nearly seven years old. They just don't make things to last do they?

Here's some of the quilting going into Ann's quilt...

Tulips

Sunny Days

The mighty Mac

After working on Anns quilt and after having customers come and share some holiday cheer, I started back in on Stars and Shadows. 

Trim, trim, trim, trim, trim, trim...x256!

Yesterday, the machines weren't turned on at all. I had a busy appointment morning, Jim came home for lunch, I worked some more on Stars and Shadows, and then once he came home from work we ran in to get more wood for the west end of the new studio. Here's what we did last night...

West wall bottom portion complete

Not a great pic because it's not a great weather day outside-37 degrees and raining; not very Christmas-y.

Today I'm going to be going in and out helping with drywall and trim (I think). Jim works on whatever strikes his fancy that day and I never know when I'm going to be needed. I'll be on standby in the old studio. 

While I'm waiting for him, and since Stars and Shadows are all ready to head to retreat next month, I'm going to start something else this morning. Or, at least read through the directions and see if this is something I should be starting right now. Don't you love starting new projects?

Chore Day

I was off and running first thing this morning cleaning bathrooms, dealing with trash, laundry, etc. I can finally do something fun.

Here's what's on DW for the unforeseeable future...

Take a Closer Look

There is no pattern for this quilt. Take a closer look at it! It's all about our great state of Michigan. I'll take pics as I add quilting into it, but Ann made this pattern up herself and it's a stunner!

Speaking of making up their own patterns, here's what is on Bernie for the unforeseeable future...

Vrooommm, vroom

A Harley Davidson quilt for her brother that was also a self-designed pattern. I have the most talented quilt makers right here in central and eastern Michigan. 

These two quilts will be done at leisure (to some degree). I'm basically on holiday from now until the new year. All the Christmas quilts have been completed and now I can slow down a bit and enjoy the process instead of cranking under pressure. 

While I was getting Anns quilt started last night, Jim ran to Mt. Pleasant to pick up the rest of the sub floor material and the door for the west end of the studio. Here's where he left off last night...

Getting the people door in

The handle and lock still need to be installed but it's starting to look pretty great! After long arming for the day I started making [stupid] HST's. Not my favorite. 256 are needed for the Stars and Shadows quilt top. If I would have even realized that this kit would not have come home with me. I'll trim these up while I'm talking on the phone. It's a quiet activity and makes it go faster.

Got some trimming to do!

Taxes

The last thing most anybody wants to think about during the holiday are taxes. Seriously...not an uplifting subject. Unfortunately, the saying is true that the only things guaranteed in life are death and taxes. Today I have a 1:00 to meet with my tax preparer. Wheee.  

Meanwhile, I'm half-way done with Kathy's Tilda Lanterns...

Lots of texture here!

Even with the 1:00 appointment, I'm aiming to have this done by days end. I had to knock off early last night to get all my paperwork around for today. 

And, I like to compile end of the year information (just for fun), like what's the percentage of custom versus edge-to-edge work I do. (That would be 80% custom btw). I haven't fashioned other figures yet but a report on a year-end review will be forthcoming later next week. 

RIP Luann!

The issue I have sometimes in my studio are interruptions. Quilting mojo if you will. Yesterday was a very unproductive quilting day. Customers in and out. Neighbors, appointments, and upsetting phone calls all interfering with my work day.

By the time I got home with my eyes dilated from the eye doctor, long arm quilting was not going to happen. Meaning, I still have this much to work on the Flea Market quilt... 

Still not finished

While I didn't feel safe working on customer things because the artistic side wasn't going to happen, the production side of me felt safe in cutting out fabric for my next project...

I love black, red, and grey quilts

The whole time I was "working" last night, I could not get Luann off my brain. Luann and I became acquainted about five years ago. Hazel was just a mere puppy and she said she'd watch her (she owned 2Canns Dog Kennel) while we went to our sons military graduation. We've been fast friends since because we both love dogs and we both quilt. 

Luann is no longer with us. After a year and a half battling cancer, the lord took her home two days ago. Now you see why my head wasn't really in the game even if my eyes had been working. I kept tearing up (which is very unusual for me as I view death as part of the life cycle) when thinking of her. I'll miss her dearly. 

Windy and Repeat

It's pretty windy here this morning. Not enough to keep me off the machines, but the furnace seems to be getting a workout. 

Here's some of the quilting that went into yesterdays quilt on DW...

ProStitcher hard at work

Once that was completed, it was immediately removed from the machine so the next backing could get loaded and frame ironed.

While the quilt on DW was stitching out I was working on Bernie and completed about 1/3 of Virginias wooly snowmen. I'll mix that one with the one now on DW over the next few days. Oh, here's what's on DW this morning...

Kathy's Flea Market

Yep, another Flea Market. I love these quilts. I don't have to think about much while working on them anymore because I've done so many already. And while they are the same, each one gets a little different quilting put into it. 

Jim worked in the [new] studio last night and it was a typical Monday kind of situation. He felt a little defeated when he came in indicating things did not go well and replacement pieces need to be purchased. We all have those days don't we? 

Unexpected

I received a phone call yesterday from a gentleman whose mother passed away last year, but left behind some unfinished quilt tops. He asked if I could get the last one quilted for him by Christmas, and since I'm almost caught up on holiday quilts, accepted the quilt. 

Since he's not a quilter, I need to run to Pieces this morning to obtain a backing for it, as well as some binding material should the backing not suit for the binding. I'll take the top with me to make sure we can get the most out of the shopping trip. 

Meanwhile, I'm working on Reta's second quilt on DW today and here's what's on Bernie this morning...

Virginia's Wooly Snowmen

Since I have this new rush that came in yesterday, and since Reta's quilt that's on DW is HUGE, it'll be a while before I get to Virginia's. But it's so darn cute to look at isn't it?

Let's talk about backings. I've had two backs, back to back (lol), that have been so short I've had to pin baste in front of my red snappers. This takes a lot of time, and since I don't needle well, a lot of pokes in the finger. Here's what I mean...

See all the pins?

And yesterday I had to use safety pins because the leaders on Bernie are so thick, the flower-headed pins won't flex enough to get them back through to the front. UGH. Please, please, please, give me enough backing material to at least get the top and bottom on without having to pin to the canvas leaders.

Lightly Falling Flakes

That's the backdrop of this morning as I arose. And it's still lightly coming down.

Worked on Reta's All Hallows Eve intermittently yesterday between getting Tina's quilt off, getting the backing ready for the next one on DW and dealing with customers. I'm going to continue on with what's on Bernie today as it needs to get done. 

Here's what's on DW for when I am done with the one on Bernie... 

Another big one

Each border will be treated differently and the center will get a free motion wandering feather/swirl. But not until I get Reta's first quilt done as this one on DW is her second. 

While Jim was putting the new door in on the east side of the new studio...

The permanent door

I was making bowl cozies. I have three nearly completed; they just need to be pressed and the edge stitching done. I found another gift I wanted to make all the family members (a State of Michigan pillow), but I'm not sure that's going to happen (again) this year. Purchasing supplies for such an undertaking may not be the wisest decision right now.