Broken Ground

Jim is home today. Pics later to show why. 

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

Setting in the borders

Some of the body

I'll be working on this most of today in between outside things and the kids coming for a visit.

Here's what's on Bernie today...

Mickey's Petals

I like her choice of fabrics more than what I used. I don't know if I'll get anything accomplished on this even over the weekend, but it's there for Monday.

Cleaning out the spare bedroom today so the kids have someplace to at least lie their heads. The bed is covered in quilts waiting to be picked up and the room is strewn with batting for quilts waiting in queue. As well as my own batting stock.

Lsat night, after we prepped for today's [new] studio project, I put together the peas and carrots block for FGV2...

Peas and Carrots II

And then I cut out and pieced a Penny Piggy...

Penny Piggy 

Then we went over to the neighbors to visit since they made it up for the weekend. You're probably still wondering why Jim is home today.

Well...here's a pic of before...

Beautiful, lush green lawn

And here's a pic of during...

Just getting started

He's already four feet down in the soil and notice there isn't a bit of moisture. It's dry, dry, dry! We need rain! I'll share the "mess" after he's done today but we've officially broken ground for the new studio! SO DARN EXCITED!

Happy Wednesday

I can't believe it's Wednesday already. Carla's quilt is off Bernie and now I'm frame ironing the backing for the next one: Mickey's! 

Cathy called back yesterday for my question about the batting in her quilt and I've basted in, ditched, and have begun to quilt her large top. Here's what's on DW today...

WOW!

Lots of negative space to play with, but the customer doesn't want any heavy quilting put in. 

Bug guy coming this morning for us and the neighbors but other than that, no other visitors are expected. 

No [new] studio work last night. Jim did indicate he needed to source out supplies to get the gas line moved since it's on the exterior wall of what will be the north interior wall in the studio. It can't be housed indoors and a temporary line will have to be run until he can get it attached to the south studio exterior wall outside. Thank goodness he works for a gas company and can do all this work himself. 

12 Drops of Rain

Not even enough to wet...well...anything really. That was yesterday's precipitation. And still in a terrible drought. 

But quilting still continues regardless. 

Two customer visits yesterday; both to pick up. Which is good. The kids are coming for a visit this weekend and I need to get that room ready for them. Which, right now, is plumb full as a tick.

Worked on Bernie all day yesterday. I'm waiting to hear back from Cathy to see what kind of batting she wants me to put into the quilt I'm loading on DW. 

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

The large embroidered blocks

The pieced embroidered blocks

This quilt top said "clean" to me, so I'm keeping the quilting clean as well. This should be finished today, but I have another customer (or two) coming to pick up. 

Slight progress in our building project. The first load of blocks came home with Jim. He thought he found a source to get them free; all he had to do was fetch the buggers. But, the blocks are encased in cement and with his chipping the cement off, the blocks are breaking apart. The rest we'll have to order. 

Only a few of the 300+ we need

Quickly

My mouse battery is very low and so have to do this quickly. Only one block made yesterday on FGV II...

Mini Doll Blanket

That's about all that happened in the studio yesterday other than starting to cut out for the next block. Happy Monday.

Didn't Forget

I didn't forget to blog yesterday. We actually started in very early working on prepping for our big project. Jim has been researching (and continues to do so) to resource the best products at the best prices for the project at hand, but yesterday was the first day of the physical side of things. 

The girls needed to be moved. Their pen needed to be disassembled and relocated somewhat out of construction paths, but they needed to be close enough to see us. They are people dogs after all. And, like all construction, what sounds like a simple enough task turns into a much more detailed situation. Here's the new, and very temporary pen, with the space opened up for the construction. 

Looking away from the lake towards the clothesline

Once we were done for the day (we started pretty early in the morning), cleaned up, and ate a late lunch, I was ready to sew something. Here's the next block in Farm Girl Vintage II...

Mr. Scarecrow

I'm so excited about this new sewing space I'm going to have I can hardly contain myself. Jim understands how passionate I am about my quilting business and my love of long arming that he's willing to do this huge undertaking for me. And yes, we will be doing it all ourselves. Just like we did the barn. The only contractors expected on this are electrical and plumbing. Maybe the HVAC but hopefully the rest we can handle. 

Phone Calls Change Things

At least the phone call I received yesterday wasn't about a person who was/is dying. No, this one was about a quilt that needs to be done asap for an upcoming quilt show. 

Wait, this isn't DW

I had to move Carla's quilt over to Bernie (Donna's is resting right now and will be done later this morning), and then the new persons (Dorrie) quilt is on DW. Here's what we are starting with on DW this morning...

a GIANT Jelly Roll Race quilt

The backing on this quilt is do darn cute!!

Meow!

The couple that will be receiving this quilt after the show is over loves cats. So, that's what I'm going to stitch in the top. Cats and kitty paws. Well, DW is going to do the work today once I get everything basted in. The backing came all nicely folded with all the nice fold lines to eradicate last night. 

Here's a little more information on what the happenings are around the DeGroot house...

Option A

Option B

Or Option C

I like C. If everything is measuring out then this seems like the best way to set up the studio so customers are still involved with the long arming (many like to peek at what I'm working on) and if I'm sewing I can still get to the pressing table rather easily. And my beautiful sewing table Ben made for me can come back into the house rather than in pieces out in the barn!

Binding is...

...a love it or hate it kind of thing. Or maybe something in between. I don't hate binding, but I don't love it either. Of all the quilting tasks that one has to do to complete a quilt, binding is my least favorite. Today, I have a customer quilt to bind. I've been putting it off thinking I would do it during the holiday weekend, but obviously that didn't happen.

And, NO, I don't bind quilts for customers. But wait...didn't you just say you were doing a binding for a customer? This customers falls into the "grandfather" clause meaning, I'll bind for her, her sister, and another customer I have who is young and doesn't know how to do it yet. I've offered to teach her, but she has two young children and doesn't have the time to sit and learn quite yet. 

Jodie's quilt is off DW's frame and this is what he's wearing today (and tomorrow, and probably through the weekend)...

Carla's beautiful hand embroidered top

I'm going to focus on Donna's quilt on Bernie today. It's been on there too long and it's time to get it done. 

No rain yesterday! Again! I guess the west side of the state got under an inch, but it went completely by us. Yet, the neighbor is out mowing right now. (My turf-grass major son said you don't mow during a drought no matter how high the grass gets). And ours is getting pretty scrubby looking but it's hard on the mowers in the heat and it's hard on the grass with no rain.