Thursday, February 28, 2013

2013 NewFO Challenge - February Update

I wrote about the 2013 NewFO Challenge at Cat Patches here. I will begin at least one new project each month this year but I don't need to finish anything! You can see what everyone else is doing here.

My February starts:
1) A batik quilt is on my original list. I began a Lonestar quilt in a class at Lucky 2B Quilting this month and finished piecing it at our February retreat. It is about 24" square. It is close to being finished - it'll be done in March or perhaps a couple of hours before then!

2) Donation quilts are also on my original list. I started a QOV quilt. I saw the block on a Fons and Porter TV show. Then I tried to draw a picture of it and decide on measurements so I'm not sure how close it is to the original block. Who knows, maybe it is nowhere close!
A new QOV quilt started
Progress on earlier 2013 projects:
1) I am machine appliqueing my Spring Bouquet quilt, designed by Edyta Sitar. Four blocks done! And still a long ways to go!

2) I am doing the 5th Anniversary BOM Quilt at Lucky2BQuilting. Here is the February block:

3) The flannel snowman quilt now has borders. Although you can't really tell in this photo. It just needs to be sandwiched and quilted.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Beautiful oak tables

My tables arrived. They are beautiful! I love oak and these are solid oak - heavy and very stable! It is wonderful to have a neighbor who is such a craftsman!

This one is in the front dormer - the sewing machine room. Here is a photo before everything was moved in.
In addition to my Bernina, my Viking and my serger are now setup ready to use whenever needed. We decide to keep this table a normal height instead of making it shorter according to my original plan.

I kept the desk since it also provides additional surface and storage space.

The cutting and storage room has two new tables which are fantastic. They are the perfect height for me to stand and cut or whatever of course they were made for my height! This one in the middle of the room is 3' by 5'.

You can see the one along the wall. Here it is before everything was moved back into the room.
And one more picture after the move back in.
I can rotate the middle table and butt it up against the side table so I can pin a 9' quilt the Sharon Schamber way.

The move back into the rooms was work - lots of work! The fabric was already sorted by color and in plastic drawers. I didn't take any photos of the left side of the room with all of the plastic drawers. Nothing else really had a place and there was lots of sorting to do - especially patterns and books. Why do I own so much?! 

It is so nice to have our guest room available again! I need to clean out one of our huge dormer closets that is billed the 'craft closet'. Then I'll move some things in and the sewing rooms will look even better! 


But for right now, I'm done cleaning - it is time to quilt!

Saturday, February 23, 2013

I'm ready - and waiting!

My sewing rooms are ready and waiting for the new tables. This project started in January - I showed you some before pictures here.

We had this old buffet in the front dormer room. The previous owner of the house told me that I would have to chop it up if I ever wanted to get rid of it - it was too big to go down the stairs. She said she bought it at a garage sale for 50 cents (35 years ago) and did $600 worth of damage to the house getting it up the stairs! The piece of furniture was well made but of little value.

We took it apart yesterday. First the back came off.
 Then the top.
 From there, we just disassembled it with very little sawing.
 And eventually, we only had pieces.
I really am ready for my new tables.
Now I'm just waiting...but not for long. They are being delivered tomorrow!

Friday, February 22, 2013

Blue Irish Chain ... done!

In July of 2011, we visited Quilter's Compass in Monticello, Wisconsin. I bought a blue batik to make an Irish chain incorporating some other squares I had made. You can see my idea below, an idea that I did not like once I saw the pieces together!

The little pinwheels ended up in a donation quilt.


The blue batik did become an Irish chain. 

It is 120" X 104". I hand quilted it in three large pieces. The motif is my own. Here is a closeup of the motif.
Recently I finished and joined the pieces. I added the outer border on the ends and machine quilted the border since it is batik which is hard to hand quilt. I put on the binding. Then I realized that I did not add the 1" white inner border on the ends (where the borders were added after most of the quilting was done).
I'm not tearing out binding, quilting, and borders!

The back is cotton, a Japanese fabric. 

I love the color - it looks summery on this snowy, wintry day. The quilt is definitely unique thanks to my 'error' but I love it. It is a keeper!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Wool socks done!

The sheep were raised and sheered south of Stockton, Illinois by Suzy the Shepherdess. The yarn was spun at Blackberry Ridge Woolen Mill in Wisconsin. The pattern is called Stockton Socks.
The socks are knitted top down. I made these for Ray. They are soft and warm. I thought it was about time I made something for him!

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Hockey and Cheeseburgers

Last Saturday night, we went to a Rockford IceHogs hockey game with a bunch of other Lions. Ray is a Lion. The IceHogs haven't had the best season since the NHL strike was settled so I thought it would be a so-so game. Wrong!
GOOOAL! Yes the IceHogs scored early and often in the first period! Five goals in a period broke the franchise record! And they weren't done yet. They beat the Abbotsford Heat 7 - 2. 
One really fun part was that when the 4th goal was scored, everyone got free frozen custard from Culver's. When the 5th goal was scored, the frozen custard changed to concrete mixers. And when the 6th goal was scored, the concrete mixers changed to cheeseburgers. Yes, all 4300+ people could claim free cheeseburgers at a local Culver's the next day! The player that scored the sixth goal cost Culver's a lot of money and it was his first goal this season!

Now the sad part - we weren't in the area to claim our cheeseburgers the next day. And in case you are wondering, we didn't win anything with the 7th goal except a great IceHogs victory!

Monday, February 18, 2013

Interesting Start To Private Retreat

Ray once again has a meeting in Champaign, IL. It happens twice a year like clockwork! So I come along and keep him company on the trip. While he is at his meeting, I sew in our motel room. 

I brought the QOV quilt (in pieces) that I started a week ago at our retreat. Last night about 9:30, I set up my machine and got everything ready. Then I realized what I had sewn last week. 



The top piece is fine - when the blocks are made and put together, the blue/white HSTs will make a pinwheel. The bottom one, well, it is NOT fine! Seventy some piece were ripped apart last night and re-sewn this morning! 

I'm now making progress so I'll get back to sewing!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

A joyful week

Good friends and family are like quilts. 
They age with you, 
yet never lose their warmth.

Today, we enjoyed lunch and a visit with some friends that we haven't seen in a while. What a joy!

On Wednesday we enjoyed lunch at our church - we have soup and sandwich lunches every Wednesday during Lent. It is a joy to visit with local friends.

On Tuesday we had dinner with two of my brothers and their wives. It is always a joy to spend time with family!

The week is not over - we still have plans... and yes, there will be more eating!

Sunday, February 10, 2013

A Great Quilt Retreat


A quilt retreat with friends is a great way to spend a weekend. Thought I'd share a few pictures. 


We stayed at Memory Lane. Oh, what a place! 
We were out in the country, 
in a beautiful house with plenty of room to quilt. 
Yes the four of us had the entire house!
A photo of a photo!
I didn't get a photo of the house 
since I didn't want to go out in the snow.
A photo from their website.
Above The craft room is at the left end of the house. My workspace was right by the window on the far left.
Below This was my view all day Friday - gorgeous!
There was no sunshine on Saturday.
On Sunday we had ice and rain.

Looking out over deck and pond.
This was the view out of the front door on Saturday.
Looking towards the road.
The light in the workroom was fantastic - unless one was taking photos towards the windows!
We each had two 2' x 5' tables - plenty of space!

We used the kitchen island as a cutting table - nice!
I loved the house phone.

When I wasn't sewing, I spent time in this great glider.
 It was a fantastic weekend.

Quilt Retreat Projects

Barb brought a number of items to finish.
She machine quilted most of the time. 
Sorry about the glares. 



Barb free motion quilted this one.

Sandy was doing lots of piecing.
She spent lots of time on the floor laying out blocks.
I didn't get a picture of her lasagna quilt.


A back for a quilt top that Sandy had already made.
       
Krista also was doing lots of piecing.
She joined us Saturday 
because she is a coach and her basketball team played Friday night. 
They won so maybe(?) it was worth missing the day with us.
She really made up for lost time.


I took along some UFO's that needed a little work.
I put on the binding but still need to hand sew it.
I finished the last 2 seams - I thought there was more to do!

I finished putting together this small top that I began in a class on 2-5-13.
I put on the two borders.

I did start some piecing also.
February BOM Lucky 2B Quilting
Playing with new Quick Curve Ruler from Sew Kind of Wonderful
A new QOV quilt started

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