Summertime

Even though we don't have a lake, per se, with the flood and with the state and feds having to inspect our dams, summer still brings the projects forward that are otherwise weather neglected. 

This keeps me outside much more and inside the studio much, much less. Unfortunately. 

But I'm still quilting here and there. This was completed this weekend.

Paulette's Frog Face

This is on the machine right now.

Not a good pic, but a better one will come

Using the HQ Swiss Cheese Template works out excellently on this particular section of border! Will continue to work ruler work and free motion on this piece today.

Bought a new truck on Tuesday. Traded in the yellow Jeep (Skittle) and now we can travel with more than two people in our vehicle. And...when DW needs to go down for service, I can actually take him and not have to rely on mom to want to take him downstate for me. 

Meet Rudy

Shop Example

Had to pick the brains of the AIQ Squad about a panel Pieces of Thyme wanted me to quilt for them. Decided on random circles of random sizes randomly placed throughout.

What to put in here?

Haven't written about Hazel in a while. Here's our pretty girl sporting her new summer cut. She is so much more comfortable! And since we don't have a lake for her to swim in, this will suit her better during those hot days we have already experienced. 

Aren't I pretty?

After running over to drop off the quilted panel to Pieces, yard work finished out the rest of the morning. I have the little July wall hanging I want to get onto the long arm and whip out real quick this afternoon and then I'll see where the rest of the day leads. Maybe some sashing strips onto those Bear Paw blocks? 

What is Going On?

My blog posting page looks different today. Again. This is the third "change" in to how submit in the past couple of months. Maybe they're all off with the virus thing too?

The Lona nightmare is now complete. Well, the quilting anyway. I still need to trim and invoice. 

The blocks for the bear paw top are finished too. 

All 100!

Since we had some severe storms roll through most of yesterday afternoon, long arming was not an option. Making blocks was. It was better to risk a machine that cost a few hundred dollars then one that cost way more. Sashing has to be done next on these...which I fear will take quite a while. 

Then once the storms finally passed late afternoon, and my long arming for the day was nearly complete earlier on before the storms, I was able to start my little July wall hanging. 

Then I had to prod the AIQ squad for some advice about this.

Hmmm????

I was going to get super intense with this little panel, but the back that goes with it (another panel, thus making a two sided quilt), isn't going to allow me to get all that nuts. The group suggested some random circles echoed and then filler inside. With another filler in between. I like the idea, so this is getting loaded today. 

Quilting Friends

When customers come to pick up, or drop off their quilt, it just tickles me. It's new friends who share a passion together talking about a variety of things both quilting and non-quilting related. I cherish days like yesterday when Pat and Paulette stopped by.

One of Paulette's charity quilts.

This little quilt is getting swirls and pebbles put into it. I can't believe it's a charity quilt as it is so cute and whimsical.

Today I'm reloading Lona's chain quilt to try to get it finished for her. This is the one I had to take to Lake O to finish doing the Pro Stitcher work on last Friday. Because I was renting time for the machine, I didn't finish it there but rather chose to bring it home and work on the ruler work here.

Yesterday was also a cutting and piecing day (well a little any way) for the yellow portion of the bear paw blocks. I still have to snowball the blocks and then yellow will be complete. Pink is next.

A Little Something

A very welcome and unexpected visit from the kids/grandkids over the weekend kept me on the down low...again.

BUT, was able to work this on Thursday night prior to heading off to do some stuff with mom on Friday.

Kind of a funky corner to have to deal with

And this was done yesterday.

Yep, I know. Maize and Blue and all that happiness

As you may/may not know, we are green and white in this house. It was all I could do to not stick a block "S" in there somewhere.

Going to load another one of Paulettes charity quilts this morning and maybe, just maybe later, work on another color in the Bear Paw blocks. I only have two more colors to go before I can start building the actual top.

Good Intentions

Despite all the appointments this week, I had good intentions of getting back into some sort of routine around here with the customer quilts stacking up.

And then life happened.

What's wrong with this picture?

Where's my carriage?

The internal motor sensor that drives the computerized quilting on my Pro Stitcher decided to try to burn itself out yesterday. I had a hiccup with it a few days ago, but attributed it to maybe a tied up cabling issue.

And then it happened three more times yesterday. A call to Gall (they were already closed for the day) and then one to Handi Quilter determined the problem. It's such a technical problem that Mike at Gall can't even fix it. So back to Utah the carriage goes to be fixed. Because of the virus problem, it's going to be 3-5 weeks before the carriage makes it back here.

Meanwhile, I'm only half way through Lona's quilt and had to call to give her the bad news. BUT...then I got to thinking after I called her. Friends Quilting Basket is open now and I asked if I could rent time on one of their machines to finish out at least Lona's Pro Stitcher work. "Sure," Christie said.

Tomorrow I'm heading downstate to Lake Odessa to do that. Mom's tagging along and hoping to get some antiquing done while we are there. I'm not sure if the antique place is open yet or not???

Meanwhile, I'm now trying to get a handle on a replacement carriage until the original comes back. We gave Gall back the free motion carriage when we moved up here, so Jason is trying to locate it in his warehouse. Hopefully (fingers crossed) he'll find it while Jim is downstate today getting his new implant done on his tooth.

I guess for today I'll work on my Bear Paw blocks. Here are the purples I did two days ago.

The purples

Nope

Schedule did not resume as normal. Mom closed on her condo. Brother came up from Cincinnati. More deck materials arrived. Maybe this week?

Yesterday proved to be a semi-successful studio day. I did a little long arming.

Lona's quilt for her granddaughter

And later, after two appointments, I was able to continue on with a few more Bear Paw blocks. Oh, I didn't mention that? Katie found a cool quilt on Instagram and she was able to trace the pattern back to a MSQC video. We are reversing the light/dark areas and are making a ROYGBI/VP version. Each color will be 14 or 15 in numbers to make 100 blocks total. These will be set in quadrants of four and then sashed between quadrants. Here's what I have been able to slip into my life over the last week.

Unnamed quilt top in progress, but it's the Bear Paw blocks making the top 

Today, no appointments! Maybe just a run to pick up Jim if his pickup truck is done at the shop. It went to the hospital as it was running very rough of late. Long arming and cutting more blocks for more Bear Paw blocks in my future today. Happy quilting day!!!