Games We Play

While Katie and I are working in our sewing rooms we play something called thread and bobbin chicken. How long before the thread is gone (and can we get through one more seam)? Or while long arming, can we get one more pass out of that bobbin?

Yesterday I won at bobbin chicken. Which I rarely do. 

I won!

Jane's Farm Girl Vintage is now a quilt instead of just a top and I'm hoping to deliver it to her while she's at retreat later this afternoon.

I have four tree skirts and a king still in queue. The tree skirts have been here for a while, but Pat is in absolutely no hurry to get those done, so I think I'm going to push the king ahead of the skirts and get that loaded and started today. 

Since the "thing" restrictions are being slowly lifted, Jim and I thought a visit to The Camp for fish fry night sounded like a good idea. When was the last time we actually went out on date night? Has it actually been a year? 

The quadrant three blocks are made but not yet joined. Maybe I'll tackle those if we get back at a decent hour after running errands later tonight. 

While Waiting

Our Culligan man is supposed to be here sometime this morning to address the sulphur/water issue. Don't ya love it when the appointment scheduler says sometime between 9-12? Like we have nothing better to do than looking out the back windows to see if somebody has pulled into the driveway. I need to research and invest in a driveway chime or something. I play this game every time a customer is due to come by. 

While waiting I've gotten lot of cleaning done and while doing so, heard some geese flying overhead. Ttthhheeeiiiirrrr baaaaaccckkk. It's not as big a deal since we can't really use the lake much but once we get our water back (ummm in 2024 they're estimating) it is going to be a big deal to keep these critters off the beach areas. 

Since this is supposed to be a blog about quilting, I'll quit with the morning rant and move along to what I should be doing here.

This is what's on the frame this morning...

Jane's Farm Girl Vintage

Wait...I've seen this before. LOL. After looking on-line for what other quilters have quilted into this, I was disappointed to find out most just edge-to-edged this piece. WHAT! WHY? There are so many custom opportunities in this and I'm taking advantage of it! Phooey on the rest of you people. 😝

This is just what the borders are getting

I'm hoping to get this piece done today because I think tomorrow is going to be a crap shoot. Mom is having foot surgery so I'll be with her all day. Jane is at retreat right down the road and I'd like to deliver it to her there. Some of my other quilting ladies are at this same retreat so it would be nice to say hello.

The String top is half completed and quadrant three is underway. 

Stitch Count

Occasionally the stitch count will be checked on the long arm. Yesterday, while working on the braided top for Becky, I happened to remember a conversation the AIQ squad had about this very subject. Check this out!

50 Millon!

That's a huge amount baby! Loading a new quilt top for Jane this morning and will be working on that this morning. 

Hazel has to head to the vet later today with some type of ear problem she's having recently. And working on the String top later after the long arming. 

E2E? Can't Do It.

This is Becky's top. She said it was a utility quilt. Utility quilts generally get an edge-to-edge done on them. This top said "No." This is what's on the frame now.

Becky's braided top

This top is getting so pretty!

See what I mean?

It screamed for some custom work and so, that's what it's getting.

Hazel has been shaking her head repeatedly which I could even overhear yesterday with my headphones on. She has some kind of infection or something going on in her off ear so she's going to the vet tomorrow.

After changing my mind on the string quilt block settings, quadrant one went together last night. Quadrant two is already started. 

Will continue with Becky's top today (since custom work takes way longer than E2E), have a meeting with a returning customer first thing this morning and a nail appointment in the afternoon. A fun day ahead and it sure beats having to punch a time clock!

Water

Since our flood 9 months (has it only been that long?) our water quality has begun to deteriorate. Rapidly. Our softener and R/O system can't seem to keep up with the ever changing extremely low water table. And then we had a power outage two weeks ago and that seems to have really sent the softener into a tailspin. 

This is my sterling silver ring after noticing last week the rotten egg smell and the high salinity when rinsing out my mouth after brushing my teeth. 

Water issue

Culligan will be here Thursday morning.

Did not do any long arming this weekend AT ALL! Had my top draped over the machine admiring it before folding it up today to put it away until a backing is obtained.

But I did do some long arm communication with the AIQ squad via Zoom yesterday. That was fun. But we are all feeling a little neglected and shoved aside from the HQ folks. I know "the thing" has a lot to do with it, but an occasional bit of communication would be stellar.

I did do a little sewing though while Jim was called on out Saturday. Another 10 string blocks and a new layout. And since this layout pretty much calls for an 8 x 8 setting, I'm deducing the blocks number to 64 rather than the 100 originally planned. It's going to be a nice size quilt top even with the reduction since the blocks are finishing at 10 1/2". 

New string layout

I'll put them together in 4 x 4 quadrants, but these are not nearly as strict in their placement. Clearly. 

Loading a new customer quilt today. I don't know which one but there will be a pic tomorrow of who was next in line to get completed. 

A Late Studio Start

Jim had to run to a call-out and after our quilt deliveries/food pick up jaunt this morning I'm able to get into the studio for a spell.

It's a top!

The Rail Fence top is done. It finished at 86" x 94" and I wanted to load it so badly last night. But, no backing. It's probably just as well since I still have a few customer long arm things to work on still hanging out in the "holding cell". 

After the rail fence top was finished, I pulled out #2 of my year-to-elminiate-scraps project. Strings!

Reminds me of the framing wall at Hobby Lobby

I don't know if I'm going to leave them in the chevron format, turn them into large squares on point, or what? Still unsure of that yet. But for now they're like this so I can view them better while constructing them. I plan on making 100 11-inch blocks which should yield a pretty tidy quilt top...and eliminate most of those darn strings. 

Colds and Quilting

I'm at that point in my cold phase where the coughing starts in. Which is hard when trying to remain somewhat steady with your hand while quilting. Note to self: If the grandkids are sick, do not visit. 

Thread Sketching

Giving this huge panel some dimension was what I was going for. I'm not quilting this to death but instead, lightly thread sketching most of the major details in the watercolor print. The panel has a very nice hand to it and I don't want to add too much thread which would make it somewhat stiff. 

Hazel has decided she likes to hang out under the belly bar while I'm quilting now.

Hanging out with mom

I'm hoping to finish this piece today and deliver it and the previous one later this afternoon...or tomorrow morning. 

I started working on quadrant #3 on the Rail Fence top last night only to discover I can no longer count. Quadrants one and three should have been six by six blocks. I discovered quadrant three was only five by six after getting it on the design wall. Lesson learned; when coming down with a cold don't do anything mind blowing like counting.

I made six more new blocks, had to rearrange quadrant three and then pull out the top half of the piece to make sure I wasn't going to overlap colors. And since quadrant three was messed up I'll have to pay particularly close attention to the layout of number four later tonight. 

And apparently Superior Threads has finally gotten their #401 situation rectified because I received a notification my thread is on its way. A little too late, but better I get some more in the thread inventory since this one is used often in customer quilts.