Pickles

I was outside on the phone with my dad this morning while the girls were doing their morning business. When I came back in the house, wow, does it smell like pickles in here. Jim put up a couple dozen quarts yesterday while the rain was just-a-coming down. 

While he was doing that, I was working on blocks for the 100 block challenge. I got seven done. 

Only six showing

After getting the first block done, which is actually block #10, I was able to get the first row pieced together and so it's laying in-wait down below Bernie. My design wall isn't big enough to get all ten blocks up there. As it is, the ninth block in the second row is just hanging there by a tiny pin. 

I'll be working on Sherry's Flea Market quilt all of today on DW and jamming to my tunes while doing so. Happy Monday. 

[New] Studio Work

All. Day. Long. Thankfully, it wasn't 90 degrees yesterday, but the high 70's/low 80's we had was enough to make it hot with the physical work Jim and I were doing.

We started the day off backfilling (the first round) along the exterior of the block walls. After a late, and long lunch, we headed back out to start the gasket/sill plate placement.

The anchors had to be lined up correctly so holding and measuring correctly were very important. Once we got those attached we had to finish the backfilling areas that had already settled and a section we hadn't finished (we were getting hungry). Here's the result of all our work yesterday...

From the west end 

From the east end

Here's the kicker about all of this. Thousands of dollars spent so far and this is an area that will be completely unused and a total waste of space. But, I'm reminded, a house (or in this case, an addition) doesn't hold up unless you have a strong foundation. I guess that applies to life as well. 

My small project today is running to the store to get pickling spices and sugar for Jim to put up his spicy sweets and once we get back, I hope to be working some 100 blocks. 

Construction Day

I won't be working in the studio until later after we've worked on the addition. We have sand to put on top of the drainage trunk, the beginning of the back filling of the foundation, and while I'm shoveling dirt, Jim will be adding the gasket and sill plate boards today. We may do more depending on what we get done this morning. 

Meanwhile, this is what's going into Sherry's quilt on DW...

Channels, straight lines, and pebbles

This one is turning out really great. I've changed up some of my thinking and am approaching this one a bit differently than I have some of those in the past. 

I'll work on this (maybe) later today depending on the weather (hot/rainy) and how much I'm needed outside on the construction. No kids up here to help this weekend so it's all on Jim and me. 

Out With The Old

Those two quilts on Bernie and DW are now trimmed, billed, folded, and the customers have been called. Here's what's on DW for the next few days...

We've seen this one before

I have about seven of these in the queue right now. Flea Market classes happened at Bittersweet Quilt Shop and I'm getting most of the custom work from the year-long class. 

Here's what's on DW for the next long period...

The Witches

I've done another one of these but without the fourth panel on the bottom. I actually started doing this quilt, but since my embroidery skills are deplorable, handed it off to Diane S. to do for me. She LOVES doing this kind of stuff and said she'd be more than happy to work it for me. 

While DW was stitching out yesterday, and while I was frame ironing the two backings, I FINALLY got the small project done from last Sunday. I think I need to reevaluate what exactly a small project is since this took me way longer than a day. 

My "small" project

This has been added into the "to quilt" pile so I won't see it again for a while. I had a little time left over last night with the storms threatening, so I made another block in the 100 blocks challenge. 

No [new] studio work last night; temps in the 90's with thunder rumbling in the distance. Doctor appointment for me this morning (annual physical) and then off to the lab for blood work. No quilting this morning but I'll be back at it once I return from town this afternoon. 

Taking Too Long

When I set a quilt up for edge to edge quilting, I figure it won't take longer than a day. Even the bigger ones are generally finished in one day since I prep everything the previous night and start the machine even as I'm blogging (like now). 

But when I have to starch between every roll because borders are waving at me...well, it takes two days to get a quilt done. I have to wait for the starch to dry (shrinking the offending border) before restarting the machine. 

A side view

From the top

Yes, I have to find some way to get these under control. I'm not a magician. I can work wonders, but some waving just isn't solvable with starch. This particular one required a tuck.

At any case, here's what's going into Sandy's quilt...

Love the texture on this sweet colored quilt!

Joanns quilt is still on Bernie, but quilted. I'll get it billed and trimmed this morning while DW is working away. 

Jim did some more work on the [new] studio last night; getting the drainage trunk put in around the footers/foundation. Now to get something over the top of it. And he realized late last night that he ordered the wrong width sill plate boards, so we need to exchange those tonight...or something to make it right. 

Drainage trunk is in. 

Two new quilts will be loaded later today baring any issues with Sandy's last two stitch out rows. I already know I have a bottom border to starch because it's waving like crazy after the roll last night. UGH!

Internet Down

Our internet was down most of the day, so I'm blogging for yesterday today. I'll blog tomorrow morning (per the usual) for what I was up to today.  

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

Sandy S.'s top which is HUGE!

After loading this last night, I noticed right off the bat I'm going to struggle with some border issues...

Notice how the quilt is trying to head inwards?

This tells me a few things: 1) The quilt is not square, and 2) the borders are the culprit in why it's not square. Meaning there are going to be tucks, puckers, and a lot of starching in my future. 

While I was frame ironing the backing for this quilt, I FINALLY got to work on Joann's quilt, which has been hanging out on Bernie for like a month or better...

On Bernie WAY too long!

Here's some of the quilting detail going into the negative space...

Making some wind

While I was working on Sandy's backing and Joann's top, Jim was working on the [new] studio a little bit. He's now got it slurried and tarred. Once I was done with long arming, I built 100 flying geese for my last Sunday's project. Maybe I'll get it done before next Sunday???

Ready for the drainpipe

A busy day for both of us. I'll be edge to edging on DW today and while he's working, I'll work some more on Joanns quilt. 

Whoo Haaa First Thing This Morning

I'm on the couch this morning snuggling with the girls, reading emails, filling out forms, and catching up with IG and I hear beep-beep trucks. Our guy four doors down to the south is working on his property and I figured it was him. I was wrong. Delivery of the remainder of our sill plates and a pick up of the unused blocks was first thing. 

Then Jim came home to find a missing key. Then the phone rang. Then I was finally able to get in the shower. 

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

Diane's cute SIL gift

This is actually going to get an E2E today so shouldn't be on the frame a whole long time.