Nova Star. Check.

Here it is. Fully completed and already put onto the pile of completed quilts upstairs. Some day, my poor kids are going to have fun sorting through all the quilts I've made.

Nova Star

Each of these blocks were quilted individually. There are two to three repeats of each 17 scenarios I worked up on my iPad. 

How I chose to quilt 2-3 of the blocks

This is a little app I down loaded called Sketches. I have paid for the premium version ($5.99), but the lite (free) version works pretty well also. 

This did two things for me: It gave me a reference to look at when I moved from one section of the block to another, and, it saved me from having to think about 'what am I going to put into this block that's different from the previous block' during the time it/I was on the frame. 

It also gave me the opportunity to change the quilting as I went along without having to rip out any stitches. I had decided, early on, the center star points weren't to be quilted, at all, in any of the blocks; unlike what this drawing depicts. The app gave me permission to make that decision after doing only a few of the blocks on the frame by showing me there was already enough thread going into this block. 

Much of my quilting time used to be spent thinking about 'What Next'? Now I  grab a pic of the customers quilt the night before I'm going to quilt it. Or, at least as much as I can grab (some of them are obviously too big) and draw on the iPad what my plan will be for tomorrow. It gives me permission to change and play with their quilts without having to unpick stitches on something that just doesn't look right once the thread goes down. And I DO NOT like unpicking. 

It goes back to the "those who fail to plan" scenario. It took me a while to learn but I'm finally getting to understand how powerful and useful technology can be with this age old craft. 

Lazy Day

Every opportunity posed itself for me to work in the studio yesterday. This is all I actually accomplished.

Here pig, pig, pig

We spent the day together, without neighbors or family, just lounging, eating, and watching movies. Sometimes a battery recharge is needed before gearing up for another busy week. 

I did get my Addresses top together on Saturday. And the Nova Star is completely finished. 

Addresses Top

I don't have a pic of Nova Star. I wanted to grab one this morning, but Jack Frost visited heavily last night and it hasn't burned off yet this morning. And I'd like a nice pic to post on Instagram.

Jim has a dentist appointment down in Howell today and I'm going to tag along with him. There's a quilt shop on the way we've been trying to visit each time he goes down, but the owner was remodeling the place the better part of the last six months. She has a the 60wt. Glide thread I love to use and I am getting low on a few colors. Stocking up for the winter seems like the right thing to do.

RIP Uncle Joe

Yesterday we attended the funeral of Jim's last uncle. Of course, it was downstate, which consumed our whole day. And part of the early evening. 

Once we returned, sewing therapy was needed. It always helps to get fabric and thread together to move through something as sad as a funeral.

The Address blocks are put together

Now I just need to get these into a top. Hopefully sometime today or tomorrow. 

The Nova Star is quilted! It was finished late Thursday night and wow, was my arm tired after working those last 21 blocks. This will need to be bound before Monday since customer quilts are rolling in again. 

Individually quilted by block

I have errands to run this morning but hope to work in here the remainder of the weekend once we return home. 

Nova Star Day #1

I have designed about 17 motifs to work into the individual blocks. Then ruler work into each of the sashing pieces. This is what it's looking like so far.

Nova Star Quilting

There will be duplicate quilting in 13 blocks, which gives me a variety to work from and makes the quilting not as boring. There's nothing worse than having to repeat the quilting over and over and over again. Especially on a larger quilt like this one. 

Once customers were received and long arming was done for the day (1/3 completed), I was able to get the next set of strips onto the Addresses blocks and get them squared up. They are getting too big to have them all fit onto the design wall, so here they are waiting for their next round of strips. 

Addresses blocks waiting for the next step

We had a thunderstorm last night and it brought some high winds and rain with it, but our little Maples are hanging on for another few days. The temps also dropped making the lake steam this morning with the rising sun.

Good morning Smallwood Lake

And the view today will be spectacular as I work in the studio from heaven!

My view today

Four Angles

Here's the completed Dream Big panel done in neutral colors with all four angles photographed. 

The only other thing I've completed over the weekend was purchasing fabric for the Addresses top to get the second borders in on the blocks, and loading the Nova Star top. It was take-advantage-of-the-beautiful-autumn-weather weekend with the neighbors. And...we bought a boat.

Nova Star ready to quilt this week

A what? A boat. A beater, redneck, barely running, pontoon boat. But, with our lake being not a lake right now, we don't want to put a nice boat in the lake because of all the damaging stumps sticking out and hidden just beneath the waters. Jim found a boat for sale on Marketplace, and the three families went together and bought the thing. 

Our new boat "Rows" or "Rose" from Titanic

This was the boys trying to get it loaded on the pontoon trailer to get it home. The seller obviously has a real lake. 

Today I have customers coming and going all day and will be working Nova Star. The kids/grandkids are coming tomorrow evening, and we're having lunch with mom tomorrow afternoon, so I'm not going to have much time in the next few days to long arm. And the weather outside is no longer stellar to complete the perfect machine quilting day. 

Cutting it Close

When you're long arming, and you hear the clacking of your bobbin below the quilt your working on, you start saying a silent prayer the bobbin gods will hear your plea of lasting "just one more motif". 

Just enough

Apparently the quilting and bobbin gods were with me as I was finishing Joanie's quilt yesterday. 

After nearly finishing her quilt, another customer stopped by and dropped off two more tops. The cute little airplanes should be fun to work on next week. 

Once our errands were completed for the week, work on the Nova Star top ensued. Eureka! A top!

Morning Sunshine through the skylight on the Nova Star

Today, after finishing Joanie's quilt, I'll load Bear Paws to prepare for the upcoming retreat (less than 24 hours from now). I want to have something to sit down quilt, sit down piece, and stand up long arm; just for a variety for the weekend. 

I've found this to draft today for the sit-down portion of the retreat:

Zen Tangle with Thread

I won't actually be able to draw this because I'm an idiot with a pencil. But I can locate something out there to use to transfer the design to fabric. I hope. 

Goals Written in Sand

It's a good thing goals are written in sand and not stone. While yesterday started out pretty well on track, a lack of paying attention on my part was the result of an entire day picking out stitches on the customer quilt being worked.

Wrong color thread in the wrong area. Note to self: Double check thread colors before even attempting to machine quilt a double backed motif. 

After picking out stitches on two 18" blocks, I finished the computer portion of the project and then turned off the machine. Yesterday (like some days can be) was not a good long arming day. Hopefully today will be better.

Vertical sashing strips were completed on the Nova Star and then I started to get in the cornerstones with their horizontal sashing strips. 

Cornerstone insertion

While DW was stitching out the motifs on the customer quilt, I started planning for our upcoming retreat beginning on Friday. Jim's quilt, that has been sitting here in wait since April, will be completed. It's all flannel and I can't wait to get it together for him.

Jim's Ragg Quilt in Planning Phase

New customer(s) are coming today after lunch with a regular customer of mine for introductions and projects. Should be interesting. 

Virtual Retreat

Word was received, late yesterday afternoon, the video/photo session with Handi Quilter next week, has been postponed. Again.

At least the studio has been cleaned, but now I have to continue to be diligent in keeping it that way. Which may be hard after this weekend. 

Katie and I are attending a virtual retreat beginning on Friday morning and continuing throughout the weekend. Lots of fabric, thread, and general mayhem that comes with retreating has to be kept in check I'm afraid.

Continuation ensues with the large customer quilt I'm working on the long arm. And, the rows are now being sashed on the Nova Star. 

Adding the sashing to the Nova Star blocks

The vertical sashing pieces are pretty easy to get in. The biggest hurdle is keeping the blocks in order and labeling them properly so they stay that way.

The hard part is getting the setting stones picked and built into the horizontal sashing. That will come maybe later today if Joanie's quilt gets finished this morning. 

And I want to load the Bear Paws to work on over the next few days/during retreat. I don't know if long arming is the actual thing to be doing during a retreat, but I remember a few times when I was at a "real" retreat, had thought long arming would be a nice change of pace. Maybe I'll get something on the sit down machine to quilt (also). Hmmm???

Productive and Satisfying

Actual stick-to-the-goals happened here yesterday. Long arming in the morning and part of the afternoon. But, the wind became really scary and so shut the machine off for the remainder of the afternoon. This is what I'll continue with this morning.

Kathy's Sunshiny Sunflowers

Since the mock layouts were still on the design wall a decision to get them together before Hazel swiped them off with her tail was made. 

And then four more were designed. And then four more were constructed. Last evening was the result of these eight cuties.

The first eight Nova Star Blocks

Only 34 more to tackle. 

This is NOT my usual color palette, but I really, really think these are pretty. I'm liking how soothing they are to the eye and not all in your face with their volume and colors.

Speaking of Hazel, tomorrow she has a birthday. Two years old. But, she still thinks she's a puppy. This was yesterday after lunch was eaten while we finished our TV show. 

Hazel loves to snuggle

It's the day before our Labor Day weekend officially begins. We are still without a lake (and no end in sight for the foreseeable future on that racket), but the neighbors said they were going to all be up and it should at least give us a little interaction with folks for a few days. 

It gets so quiet up here with all the trunk slammers not coming up on the weekends. And the "thing" doesn't help either so people are just plain staying away. So I continue to take advantage of the quiet and quilt, quilt, quilt away. 

Focused

I started long arming yesterday. Then lunch. And then the Nova Star quilt-along pieces were calling to me. "Do flying geese units," they said. 

And I listened; finished making all the units yesterday.

I was so excited, despite the time of night it was, that four "mock" blocks were thrown on the design wall to see how the selected colors were going to play out.

Color/Placement Play

It appears my top is going to be a little lower volume than I usually come up with, or care to make. The fat quarter bundle was much more vibrant when it was picked up from the quilt shop. I think. wink, wink.

Today is much more long arming. Customers (three) are coming Friday to douse me down with more tops. It would be nice to be prepared for their arrival by clearing out the queue. Building Nova Star blocks will follow once the paying job is done. 

Sooooo SSSLLLOOOWWW

I worked, off and on yesterday afternoon, on these flying geese units. OMG! They take a long time to make.

Nova Star geese units

It took the better part of the afternoon and early evening to complete just 10 of these. I'll have to chip away at them throughout the week. AND, these aren't the only flying geese units in the blocks. There is another set further into the block so there will be another single 168 units to make after these  double 168 units. Isn't the quilt like just so darn drama filled. LOL!

The new studio set up is working out well so far. We put the iron chord behind the table and put a rug over the chord running across the floor so I won't trip over it...which I'm notorious for doing. I'm going to long arm this morning and we'll see what happens over there and how that worked out in the move.