More Back Work

And I'll start by admitting that yes, I did have to go buy more fabric for the back. Fortunately it was on sale, and I had a rare on-sale-items-included coupon, and I got the end of the bolt on remnant discount. So I almost saved more than I spent.

And after spending that much time getting black fabric, I didn't feel like getting any more of the batik. So the back is going to be really scrappy.

That is not a picture of the discard pile. That's the beginning of little blocks of color that I hope to incorporate into the back.

I've never done anything this scrappy or improvised. I'm a little scared.

But I think those moments come with every project. Right?


Also - best traveling wishes for my friend and her little family who are headed home (by car) today and tomorrow. Stay safe my friend! 

Confession Time

This confession should shock no one who has been reading here very long...

I have no idea what I'm doing.

That goes extra for this:

I think it's the beginning of the back for the wedding present quilt.

But I have no idea what I'm doing.

Except trying to use the fabric I've already purchased.

And trying to ignore the suspicion that I'm going to have to go buy some more of the black fabric.

New View

I know this isn't the clearest picture; photo taken through the dual panes of cheap, dusty glass were not the first choice. But when I stepped outside for a better picture, he/she was already in flight, and out of sight in seconds.

I've never seen a heron on foot here before, though we've seen a few fly over.

Just a cool start to my morning.



I'd planned to share some more quilt things today, but between work getting crazy later in the day and the excitement of getting to see my dear friend Laura and her son (the one to whom I try to play fairy godmother occasionally) in the evening, things like blogging took a back seat. So instead, for Monday - and maybe Tuesday, depending on how Tuesday goes! - I'll be a little quieter than usual. 

Completed Top

It's so good to see this top completed. And I am still absolutely loving it. 

I've lost track of the number of hours that have gone in to making this top. Let's just go with: a lot. Between forgetting to take the shortcut that could have saved a couple hours to somehow ending up with 2x2 and 2x8 blocks I could not rotate to the right orientation to attach to the rest of the quilt (which means a lot of time with a seam ripper and some re-piecing), this ate a lot of time. I thought making the tiny stars would be the time consuming part. Nope.

I'm not thrilled at the amount of light coming through some of those black blocks. I'm going to hope that's happening because it was nearer noon than any time with kind day light for photography.

It's hard to see each star - and hard for me to find a distance where I'm including the whole quilt (which is about 88x88) - but every row/column has at least one and at most three. I think I wound up with 16 stars in total, but it might just be 17... I ought to have written that down somewhere...

Obviously my seams on the batik frames don't all square up (it would hardly be something I made if they did) but I was happily surprised by how many do (or are very close). It's hard to chose a favorite part of this so far, but if pressed, I would have to say I love the way the fabric looks at those meetings. I especially love the joint shown above, with the wonkiest-star (just right of center) is the upper left of the four.

It feels great to see all I've accomplished so far - but enough drooling over the top for me. I've got a whole back to figure out - and no idea what I'm going to do.

Nope

He settled there over an hour ago and can't be (nicely) convinced to move.

I get the feeling someone in the house doesn't want me to sew today.

And I think I'm going to listen.



I know, I know, that rug is disgusting. But our vacuum is dead, and running lint rollers over it hasn't helped. I can't replace the vacuum right now - and honestly, having killed two in four years, I'm not sure I want to - but I do want cleaner floors. Any advice? Should I just roll myself in double sided duct tape and roll around the floor? 

Also, hideous green carpet. I hate it. The color, the texture, the fact that it's probably older than I am. I'm in negotiations to see if we can do something about it, but I'm not expecting anything to happen. Updating the building we're currently in isn't really in the plans, mostly because that's like putting a coat of paint on a sinking ship. 

Wedding Quilt

The unnamed Wedding Quilt top is up to being 8x8.

My seam allowance through this has been fairly consistent (as much as I know how) but I don't think that it was a quarter of an inch. I don't know... but it seems bigger than I expected. And seeing as how I have more blocks to add before I'm done... 

At the rate I'm going, I'm confident this will be the biggest quilt I've done yet. 

Which in some ways is good. 

It's just going to be more difficult to quilt. 

Assuming I ever figure out what's going on with the tension on my machine. I've tried multiple things and still no luck. At least it's not making any weird noises. But I'm about to try winding the bobbin on the other machine to see if that helps smooth out the wobbles. 

Bedroom Update

Our bedding has been in need of an update for a while - ever since the plastic snaps started popping off the duvet last winter. I debated trying to repair the snaps, until I realized there was also some damage to the fabric - damage I couldn't easily repair.

Between the growing damage spots and the widening gaps as more snaps got caught on our foot board, I knew it was only a matter of time before we would need to find a replacement duvet.

Nearly two years to the day of the first time I pulled our comforter out of its packaging, wrapped it in a duvet, and we spent our first night attempting to share a blanket (it didn't go well) - I found a replacement. Now to be perfectly fair, I don't love it. But the colors aren't bad, and the price was right, and I am really tired of getting my foot caught inside the torn duvet - so I plopped down my $15 and figured if nothing else, I bought myself another year or two of pressure free window shopping for something I like better.

So we're going from this:

(a wedding present we registered for and were very happy to get - though I'll admit I picked it with the thought that if the cat scratched it or messed it up in any way I wouldn't be crushed, unlike our other quilt which I have yet to use because I'm afraid he'll destroy it and I'll cry)

To this:

I don't love it. But I do $15-like-it. I like it too. I'm not great with change. I'm also not sure fall is the right time to swap out tans/oranges/grays for icy blue/white - but my husband thinks it'll be 'cooler.' I'm not quite sure whether he's talking about the color/look, or tricking his brain into thinking this will make the comforter less warm somehow.

The dark reverse surprised me when I took it out of the package. The colors above seem a little off to me, the dark looks brown in the image, but it's nearer to gray. And the blue is nearer the first picture (brighter) than this close up.

It's a big change, both in color and in the type of pattern, but at least this one hasn't got any holes for my feet to get stuck in. And it uses a button closure instead of plastic snaps. And the closure area is several inches nearer the center. I'm hopeful it'll at least be easier for us to sleep under. And I think the color difference will grow on me.

But at a $15 investment, I don't feel bad for already window shopping for this one's replacement. I can't decide if I want something with more texture or wilder colors. I've got time to figure it out.

I'm also planning to cut up the remains of the first one to use as future quilt fabric/backing. There's still a lot of good, soft, material that could be reused. I'm tempted to shelve some of the pieces of it for when I finally get around to making quilt/s for our bed. Hmm...  




As someone who slept under my Mom-made-me-a-'big-girl'-quilt from ages 4 to 14, my next quilt from age 14 to 18, and my next quilt (my high school graduation present) from 18 to 24 (and honestly, I'd still be using it now if it were the right size for my bed), I can't quite understand how quilting has turned me into someone who owns so many blankets - and wants to have so many more options when it comes to bedding. I'm beginning to think half the reason I want a guest room in our next place is so I can have the fun of constantly redecorating a bed without having to deal with my personal change-is-scary issues. 

Still Unnamed Wedding Quilt Progress

I'm completely out of things to watch on Hulu (except Korean dramas, and I can't use the sewing machine and read subtitles at the same time) - and started going through the shows I own on DVD...

But I've made huge progress on this quilt top!

Getting every block framed up took longer than I thought it would - but like I said, I should have remembered the short cuts before cutting all the pieces! From here, it was a matter of piecing these blocks together into larger blocks, first by making 1x2 pieces:

then 2x2 squares:

Notice the open drawer? It's fully of my cast of trimmings, either thread or trimmings from making stars. I've never been so happy to have messed up a project! That bag was supposed to be a purse - but I fought with the lining for it until I gave up and found another use for it. It's made a huge difference in my sewing - and it's helped keep the rug under my feet a little bit cleaner (at least from thread trimmings).

The goals is to work up to four 8x8's, four 2x4's, one 2x2, and one single full row (1x10). If all goes well, that should be the building blocks to piece together the whole top (ending with a single 10x11).

I'm still absolutely loving this. It's a good thing no one is watching me quilt - and that we have no neighbors on the office/sewing room's window side. I keep shaking my arms and squealing I love it so. Which would probably look more than a little odd to anyone who could see me. Or hear me.

Time to let the kinks out of my shoulder muscles for the day, but I can't wait to finish this top. I think it's going to be amazing.

Harvest Season

My husband is a huge fan of winter - from colder weather to Christmas to snow. For him, every cooler night is yet another reason to celebrate autumn, if only as a bringer of winter. Me? Not so much. I'll skip the cold weather, skip most of the snow, and I'd like Christmas to stay put nicely between December 1 and December 25 thankyouverymuch.

I'm a fan of growth and flowers and sunlight, so autumn is a sad time for me. I hate that it's already dark every night by 7:30. I hate knowing that in a blink of an eye it'll be completely dark by 5. I hate knowing the leaves are going to change color and fall. I hate watching the plants prepare to die, or hibernate, or put all their energy into the next generation/spring.

But 'Harvest' - that I can make a happier time. After all, Thanksgiving is my favorite major holiday. And without Harvest, we wouldn't have much of a Thanksgiving. Or much to keep us fed throughout the winter months to come.

So instead of dwelling on the things I'll miss for the next few months, I'm trying to turn my attention to the things I do like about Harvest Season. Things like days that (usually) aren't 100 degrees. Sweaters. Boots. Legwarmers. Fingerless gloves. And yes, like just about everyone else, pumpkin flavors coming back.

Last weekend I made my first batch of the season of three ingredient pumpkin cookies: 1 can pure pumpkin, 1 box spice cake mix, chocolate chips as needed. Mix. Drop spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-13 minutes (depending on size of spoonfuls). Allow to cool slightly. The guys said they tasted like the best part of pumpkin pie. The whole batch was gone in less than an hour.

I haven't bought candles all summer - but I recently got sucked into Bath & Body Works and came out with these two scents: Pumpkin Caramel Latte and Bonfire Maplewood. Those certainly have me appreciating the cooler weather a bit more. (Also, meet my favorite mug ever. All I know is I got it at Target on clearance. Such happy things happen there.)

I went to the store for milk and grapes. I came out with milk, grapes, and these Pumpkin Spice Hershey's Kisses. I haven't tried them yet. I'm saving them for a couple recipes I've been eyeing.

I swapped from red/white/blue stars to sunflowers for August - and now that it's September I talked myself in to adding the colorful leaf clings as well. I'm still not ready to see leaves that color outside, but it's been a nice chance of pace to have so much color at the door.

Last night called for burning candles once again. Our house doesn't have much in the way of insulation, so even a single candle can make a huge temperature difference. Between that and the constantly running swamp cooler, we rarely burn anything between March and September. But the moment the swamp cooler gets turned off, and the house starts to smell like two people, a cat, and all the dust from the three dirt roads and numerous farms near us mixed together (or in the case of yesterday, burning used hay), it's time to start scenting the house again. And yes, it also helps warm the room - more than I would have guessed before moving here.

But even with my Harvest decor coming out of storage, and the occasional candle getting some burn time, and pictures of newly fallen mountain snow surfacing, I still plan to hold to summer as long as I can.

More Stars and Block Progress

Something about that title sounds almost patriotic.

I'm still seeking a name for this one, but I don't quite think Stars and Blocks fits the bill. Working with the fabric, I keep thinking of taffy or cotton candy. Not sure either of those are the right direction either.

Anyway.

I've been making some headway on both star blocks and black blocks.

A few early stars. I think I'm up to 10 now. I'm not sure when I'll stop. I don't want too many, but 10/110 seems either too many or too few. I'm leaning towards making somewhere between 15 and 20 stars, then just mixing them in randomly.

This one is one of my favorite plain blocks so far. I really like that extra dark streak of dye on the side. The random application of the various frame pieces results in some interesting blocks. Some of them aren't quite what I'd have done if I was taking the time to color match the frames, others are just delicious looking. I'm loving this. Which is good considering how many blocks I have yet to go!

The two basic blocks the quilt will be made of. I've been thinking of using either machine or hand quilting to add more stars in some of the empty blocks - but that'll be one of those if I have time and if I figure out how kinds of things. Nothing I'm tied in to doing. At least not until I see how the whole top comes together, and how much time I've got between finishing the top and the wedding.

I am, however, out of thread. I've been using up strange threads I got at a garage sale (all a quality I know, but strange amounts and colors). So far I've gone through the remains of two 300 yard-ers and one 250. So if I'm going to make progress without delving into the threads I'm saving for actual quilting, I guess I'd better head to the store and get a roll or two.

Second Cross Stitch

My goal with the second cross stitch was to update the diy Word Art "All You Need is Love" I have hanging in the bathroom - but... that didn't go well.

Instead I wound up with something completely different - and more executable. Even if my pattern/plan still wound up being off from the actual stitching. How I misplaced so many stitches in my plan, I don't know. And it makes me nervous about anything else where I've made the plans myself.

Anyway, on to the pictures!

 I'm not sure why that one picture is always crooked. I fixed it to take the 'after' photo, but it's already back to being crooked.

It's great to finally have something hung up in that open spot - and it's the perfect balance between white space and color. I had been thinking I might add something more decorative in the white spaces on either side of the 'you + me' but seeing it in place, I think it works as is.

I do wish I'd used orange floss instead of yellow for the majority of the 'awesome' part, but I worked with what I had on hand - which made this a free project.

Wedding Present Stars

While I ought to be spending my time piecing together frames around black blocks, I've allowed myself to get distracted by the appeal of a few wonky star center blocks. 

Would you believe these are only my second, third and fourth wonky stars?

Okay, I'm not thrilled with the yellow-ish one (my second) but I'm short enough on fabric I'm just going to have to learn to like it. That said, I can't decide which of the other two I love more. For comparison, the center blocks of the stars are: 2", 1.25", and 1 inch. I certainly can't go any larger and still fit within the finished size of 5" square, and I'm not sure my fingers or my machine are agile enough to go any smaller.

I'm not sure how many I ought to make. Three stars out of 110 black blocks seems a bit scant, but I don't think I have enough fabric to make a star for each row.

Hmm... I wonder if the couple has a special number. I don't think we do (I should ask my husband before I say that too factually!) but some people/couples do and that might be an easy way to determine how many stars I make. Unless of course the number is greater than the amount of fabric I have to make stars with...

Slow Thoughts

I usually enjoy running around, keeping one step ahead of disaster or keeping too many kettles in the fire. A part of me thrives in the rush and excitement. And yes, a part of me likes the stress.

But sometimes, I need to take an easier pace. Sit down with a cup of tea and just relax.

And today calls for a very big cup of tea and a long, slow evening.

Wedding Present Quilt

I must really have a thing against short cuts.

I didn't remember my own handwritten note about how to make this easier for myself until after I'd already cut the fabric into smaller pieces.

Don't get me wrong - there's something very satisfying about seeing all that fabric cut and ready to go.

I just wish I'd remembered my short cut in time to use it!

I'd intended to cut the black into 5" by 20" strips, then attach the two bright 2.5" by 20" strips, then cut the 20" into four 5" blocks. This would have made adding those first two strips a little faster and easier. But instead I cut all my black into 5" square blocks before I remembered I had easier options.

Guess I'd better pick up another audio book. Or pick up a new tv series. Any recommendations?

Wedding Present Thing...

After shelving Rainbow Road for the time being, I spent a while looking at other quilts for inspiration. Most of the quilts I have pinned or filed away for future inspiration are difficult for me to imagine as something other than a baby quilt - but I finally found some inspiration on Pinterest. Where else!?

Inspired by a pin of Freemotion by the River's Midnight Glow Quilt (click on over - it's beautiful) I've come up with a plan I'm much more confident I can finish - not only within my budget, but within my timeline and skill set.

Something more like this:

110 black blocks, framed by colorful borders. With a few wonky stars thrown in - if I have the left over fabric to do it. I know it sounds like a lot of blocks, but if each one's finished (sewn together) size is 8 inches square I should end up with a quilt about 80 by 88, which the internet tells me is a good size for two adults to share (and some sites tell me that's the proper measurement for a 'full' size quilt). This should be my largest quilt to date - another reason why simplifying the project is probably a good idea.

Thanks to some Labor Day sales, I went ahead and picked up the fabric. 

This is my first time working with batik fabric - but I loved the candy-like colors and the tie-dye appearance. And I think the recipients will too.

It's usually a toss up as to whether I'll wash the fabric before working with it or not. This time there's no question. I've already run the batik pieces through the wash once - and I'm debating whether I ought to put them through again.

I usually give my quilts some kind of name, even if it's a temporary name while I work on them, but I haven't come up with the right name for this yet. Maybe once I start working on it, the right name will come to me...

What I didn't share in August...

My parents and their suv took on a free range, highway-walking bull. My parents are completely fine, not even bruised from the seat belts! The car is another story.

Basil/Garlic/Cheese bread. This is actually what I had for dinner one night. It probably should be a side, rather than a meal, but it was delicious.

Random shopping finds - some space invader like fabric, metalic acorns for the future tree, pumpkin spice chocolate 'orange' (not as good as it sounds), and flannel fabric packs.

My basil plants are putting out a storm of growth. No one believes that I've gone out there and taken leaves several times.

Cinnamon butter crescents. I thought they'd be more like little cinnamon rolls, and I guess they almost were... but these weren't as good as the other crescent things we've tried.

September Goals

September Goals

• Read 5+ books
• Work on Pansy Patch
• Work on Wedding Present/Quilt/Thing
• Clean counter tops: kitchen (daily), bath (weekly)
• Hang out with my friend and my godson

I'm going to keep it very simple this month. While there are still a lot of things I'd love to get done, including everything left on the list from August, I'm concentrating on these few key things and anything else is bonus.

The tension on Kenmore/Janome is still strange - it holds well, but it looks funny. If I get that fixed, I'd love to work on some quilting. But it's less a priority this month than piecing together blocks for Pansy Patch and the Wedding Present Thing. Those lines of stitching can be hidden, so I don't mind if they are a bit odd looking.

Also, my book-tracking year turns over in October. I didn't read much at the beginning of my year, so I've got a lot of catching up to do if I'm going to hit my goal. Which is incredibly unlikely, but I do enjoy a pressure challenge. Kind of.

I'm not sure what I'll find to blog about - unless you want day by day updates of Wedding Present Thing and Pansy Patch progress! - but I'll try to keep something semi-interesting going here.

August Wrap Up

August Goals

• Read 5+ books
• "The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever" - Julia Quinn 
• "A Game of Thrones" George R R Martin
• "The Agency: The Traitor in the Tunnel" Y. S. Lee
• "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns)" Mindy Kaling
• "The Far West" Patricia C. Wrede
• "On the Way to the Wedding" Julia Quinn
• "Brighter than the Sun" Julia Quinn
• "Toward the Sunrising" Lynn Morris & Gilbert Morris
• Listen to 3 audio books
• "Behemoth" Scott Westerfeld 
• "Goliath" Scott Westerfeld
• "Terrier: The Legend of Beka Cooper Book 1" Tamora Pierce  
• Complete 1 Pansy Patch Face 
• Purchase some fabric for Rainbow Road Quilt - Well, I didn't purchase fabric. I did give up postpone this project for the foreseeable future. I'll either rework it as a smaller piece or come back to it when more of the called for fabric could come out of my stash. So, I'm toying with an easier and less costly quilt. 
• Get the Kenmore machine repaired
• White Car. Seriously. 
• Binding for Procrastination 1/2 Square Quilt 
• Make a better cover for the Singer machine
• Make progress re: sash fabric for the Jungle Blocks quilt
• Continue 1-2 quarts water or unsweetened tea per day
• Make something from the garden Basil Garlic Bread; Thai Basil Chicken - both made with home grown basil. I also helped make raspberry jam and applesauce from home grown fruits. 
• Clear off the chair in the reading nook (which sounds easy, but will not be, it's covered in sewing projects) Do I get double points if I had to do it twice? It's clear now. Oh, except the basket of laundry I'm about to fold. But, it will be clear in 15 minutes. 
• Start a second cross stitch
• Edit photos for Family C
• Continue working on Christmas projects
• 1+ sewing or crafting related Pinterest Challenge DIY Prairie Point Garland
• 1+ food related Pinterest Challenge The Basil Garlic Bread and Thai Basil Chicken all started from pictures I saw on Pinterest. Also: Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies, and 2 Ingredient Cake again (actually twice, once with raspberries, once with about 3/4 the can of lemon), and Honey Chamomile Peach Pie and Whole Wheat Flour Pie Crust.  
• Clean out the car - Again, I think I should get dual credit, having done this twice now as well. Or maybe I should stop keeping so much garbage in my car!
• Set more mouse traps  - Done - but I still haven't caught any in a trap. Little buggers aren't won over by cheese or peanut butter. I think they're after water... 
• Get those plates on the wall this month or give up on the idea

IF I get the Kenmore back in time to do anything with it: - I did get it back fairly early in the month, but I didn't finish either of these two things. I think my machine is working well (though I still wish taking it in had resulted in my not hearing that noise again, I only heard it the first two times I used the machine) - but I'm having a hard time getting the tension set right for pretty stitches. I'm not going to machine quilt or piece binding until I've got that working right. And if I don't get it figured out soon, I'll be asking my friends who sew/quilt (or calling my friend the home ec. teacher!) what I'm doing wrong. 

• Quilt Procrastination 1/2 Squares Quilt
• Try my hand at sewing an article of clothing

If I don't? 

• Reading. 

In addition to these things, I also managed to take and edit photos for another project, catch more mice with my hands and feet than any of our traps (2:0), work almost every week day, go to my first ever quilt show/festival, do something social with friends every week, almost get a dog, and attend two family reunions. August didn't feel like a terribly busy month, but it sounds busy when I start listing everything! 

Time to start turning my brain in an autumnal direction. For me, August is still summer. But we've had a couple nights of below 50 degree temperatures - so now that it's nearly September, I'd better start adjusting to the idea of autumn again.