One Year Anniversary

I worked diligently on Lynette's quilt yesterday with very few interruptions. Until Jim got home from work. Then we needed to run to Midland for errands/groceries. Today is the day I'm hoping it will be done. I have one more row and the final border to do. 

Since I don't have any quilting pics to share, how about a few of Lucy, who as of today, has been with us a full year. 

One year ago in Wooster, Ohio

This is the day we picked her up. 

This was last month, but she looks the same

And here she is a year later. My how our little girl has grown. She's such a happy little girl and she is very respectful of the quilts floating on the long arms and doesn't get into them as I work. She doesn't, however, contain herself around customers. She's so happy to see people she jumps incessantly and pees all over. Until we learn self-control, she's banished outside when they come by. 

Cloudy today. Rain expected later. And I heard a Kildeer when I was out in the girls' pen this morning. Spring is officially here. 

I received an email from Pieces of Thyme that my BOM is ready to be picked up, so I'm going to head over there after lunch to grab that. And, if Paulette is there today, I can run her quilt over too. 

Better Day

Yesterday was a much better day only having to pick out one small section of quilting. The wall hangings are done and I've rolled on Lynette's quilt. Here's what's on DW today...

A quilt for a granddaughter

The timeless classic Irish Chain. I know what I'm going to put into this already, but I'm working solely on Bernie today until Lynette's quilt is done. It's a gorgeous sunny day out there and it gives me ample lighting to work the black on black.

I had a big helper in the studio last night. Here's my quilting elf helping to pick out stitches on the t-shirt quilt I need to redo for my friends downstate...

HUGE helper

It means so much to me to have a  partner who supports my passion. Who cheers me on when I need it. To be present in my life. He's not adverse to picking up a seam ripper and scissors to get the threads out of a quilt. I love him so much! Thank you my big elf for your help!

Let's Try Again

Have you ever had one of those days where you probably shouldn't have even gotten out of bed? My work day yesterday was like that. I literally spent more time ripping stitches out then I did putting them in. 

Jan Z. stopped by a little after lunch and picked up her quilt (which she seemed to like) and that help break up the thread-ripping frenzy. 

Here's some of the quilting going into the three tops I'm working on currently...

Crosshatching in Lynette's top

Pebbles and swirls in Carla's top

I love it when people say, "Just crosshatch in there." Cross hatching takes a very long time. Every time you run into the appliqué/motif/embroidery you have to cut threads and start again elsewhere in the block. 

And if you get off, even by a little bit, out comes the thread you just put in. Thus, my day yesterday. 

It's sunny today. Maybe that'll help. I'm starting out today with a little trepidation but I'll change my music selection to something a little more upbeat (jazz yesterday) and with the sun, that'll make everything better, right? 

Small Project Sunday

I thought the quilt top I was making for the Amanda Murphy quilt-along would be a quick and easy top to make. I should have known, when I was cutting 7 1/2" squares, that while simple in construction, the time to piece would be long. And...there are a lot of "bonus" HST's I'm making along the way to make another quilt. 

Here's the pattern I'm working on...

The upper right hand corner is the pattern

I have selected slightly different fabric to go into this (since this pattern was over six months old, those exact fabrics are hard to come by now). 

I have all but the middle row constructed and will plug away at it throughout the week after long arm time. Since Jim is back home now, it's easier to work on piecing while he's here. Life interrupts the long arming and, getting out of my zen place on the big machines, gets frustrating to me. So piecing is the next option.

And who out there likes this daylight savings thing? I know it has messed me and the girls up.

Debating

I found a quilt-along with Amanda Murphy available on-line through Bernina. I usually take the project directions and put them aside for a day or so and think on it. It's been on the table for two days and I can't get this project out of my head, which means I need to do it. 

Now to decide with or not to head over to Pieces to get the fabric or to order it on-line is another question. I think I'm going to run to Pieces to see if I can support local before trying on-line. I need to order the special ruler for it so it won't be here for a few days anyway, but I could piece the top over the next couple of small project Sundays. 

Here's what's on DW this morning...

Two quilts at once

These are for two different customers but they are nearly identical so I loaded them together. I don't know if I'll get to these at all today because Jim should be home by [late] lunchtime. 

Here's some of the quilting that went into Jan's quilt yesterday...

Linear quilting with rulers yesterday

I did work on Lynette's quilt while frame ironing the backings for the ones above. I actually got a roll in and all the ditching done around the blocks on the next section. 

Yep, as I'm talking to Jim I think I'll run out and see what fabric I can find locally. It's a nice sunny morning and I'd like to get out of the house for a bit. What a perfect way to spend a Saturday morning. 

Nuts

We received about two to three inches of wet, heavy snow last night, and it's still coming down. I have a customer that is actually coming by to pick up a quilt I did for her earlier this week. It's nuts for me to go out in this stuff (despite my finding a new quilt pattern/quilt along) and want to go out and pick up fabrics for it. I'll wait until tomorrow. Or, maybe later today depending on what the temps do.

Jeffs quilt is done, bound, packaged and ready to be delivered. Paulettes quilt is quilted, trimmed, invoiced, packaged and once I call her that one can go. Here's what's on DW today...

Jan Z.'s first quilt with me

This is a custom piece and although not very big, may take some time to work. Upon a quick inspection last night while I was basting in, all seams appear to be pressed open, including the borders. This leaves me zero ditch to stabilize things before the actual quilt process. Could be interesting. 

I received two new rulers yesterday. Both from Natalia Bonner. The Inside-Out regular size (I already had the mini) and the Trailer ruler for ditching and wide channel work. I said to Jim I'm about done buying rulers and then a Bernina Quilt-Along came in my email last night and I need a set of speciality heart rulers from Amanda Murphy to do the quilt-along. Plus, there is a lot of other motifs one can do with her rulers. Hmmm???🤔

Errands First

I have to make at least one stop this morning over to Pieces to deliver a quilt and pick up another. I need to talk to Paulette, if she's there, about the one I loaded last night. Here's what's on DW today...

Roscoe

I usually go on-line to research how other similar quilts were quilted and springboard from there. I pull in several ideas and scramble them up to my liking and how I think the quilt reads. The only thing I found on this quilt was an E2E, which I really don't want to do. 

I worked on Lynette's quilt last night while I was frame ironing the backing for Paulettes. 

Fancy enough?

Lynette said she wanted a fancy feather put in each corner. I think this works. Cloudy day today and snow expected tomorrow. I better get my to-do's done this morning, which backs me up a little in the studio, but better than having to go out in snow. I miss Jim! So do the girls.