black and red magic

Today while the boys were at VBS I completed the top of the black and red magic. Now the back needs to be completed. When I was sewing it together, I wasn't sure if I liked it anymore (it's been in the stash for a while). Now that it is put together, I like it. The quilt is going to become my next hand-quilting project.

AND because I can - you may want to look away.... My finger is soooooo much better. I know it probably doesn't look better to any of you, but it feels great. It is still swollen and if it gets bumped it throbs a bit. Thanks urgent care doctor.

the big reveal

Blue quilt and tree climbing

I started this quilt the weekend I went to Jones Mansion. It must have been a project that I needed to do because it was started this March and just completed. The pics are hot off the press.

The fabric was a collection of fat quarters that Mom bought for me in Hannibal, MO. That was some quilt shop. It was hard to pick, but I knew I had the perfect pattern for it. The pattern was Snapshots from the Happy Hour book. It was so easy and fun to do.

After it was pieced, I decided that I wanted to hand quilt it. The search for the right pearl cotton was on, but I couldn't find what I wanted. I "decided" on two different colors of a two ply quilting thread. The quilting is what I would call primitive. It's not going to win any prizes at the county fair (I was in 4H as a kid - can't help the fair analogies). The stitches are even, but a little big. I love the results.

Ian found that he can climb the tree in the backyard. First, he climbs the pine tree to get pitch on his hands (they work better when they are sticky). Then, he pulls himself up. He climbs up to the top. So far up that the tree kind of sways. It makes my heart flutter a bit, but he does come down a few branches when I ask him.

***I'll try for the pics tomorrow, blogger is not being helpful.

Day off

trying to finish quilting on the 2010 Christmas quilt

two boys who really needed to go outside

Yesterday was my day to stay home with the boys. I went downstairs to change over the laundry and decided to do some quilting. I came up and told these two to tell me when their movie was over and we would go to the library. Three hours later...I came upstairs and they were still on the couch watching a NEW movie. I had to smile because on some level they must have "known" that I needed that time sewing. Right? Ok let me be a bit delusional - just for a bit.

But I have that quilt almost done. There is about an hour left of quilting and then I have to bind it.

Maybe I'll go down and work on it after supper. It has been a doozey of a day - full moon - but this time it wasn't the students. It was the parents. Oh well tomorrow is another day right? I'll like my job better tomorrow right? (say right!)

The Front...

The "mood" front had moved on. This morning we made a quick trip to JoAnn Fabrics to get some minkie for the back of an alien quilt (not one of the 2 projects that I left on the table). We were scouting the polar fleece when I heard Ian say," I've found the softest stuff in the whole store". Wow, did he ever. I promptly put the canary yellow fleece/minkie in the cart. Then we perused the store.
It seems like I have been saying "no" to the boys a lot today. They have been asking for stuff... to go out for dinner.... to the grocery store for lunchables.... You name it they have asked for it and I have said "no". Today I said yes to some of those black velvet maker posters and they are working on them right now. Enjoying every minute.


Have a good afternoon, I'm off to do some machine quilting.

Better

The bridge between Metropolis, IL and Paducah, KY

Today is a better day. Yesterday wasn't so bad either. I didn't find a needle. But to be honest I didn't go looking very hard either. Maybe later in the week.

I did however start sewing on a quilt kit my mom got me at Hancock's of Paducah. Have you ever been there? It is fabric overload. Thousands of bolts of fabric...moda, alexander, butler....you name it.

The first time I went there was during AQS show several years ago. I was on overload looking at all of those quilts and then the vendors. Quilting nirvana. I remember going home (to the camper) at the end of the day and petting all of my fabric purchases wishing that I had my machine with me.

So that means today is another sewing day, if I can get the boys to cooperate.

Ohh and I overheard this yesterday...
S: What are you doing?
I: Looking at this moth?
S:Hmm, it's a big one.
I: slam
S: What'd you do that for?
I: Moth's are not good for fiber. We live in a fiber house.
S: Oh...but we are outside.

Quilting

I learned to sew when I was younger at home. I probably drove my Mom nuts because I remember thinking that sewing on paper was dumb. Then when I took sewing in high school (it was still offered then), we started out sewing on paper AGAIN (my boys are lucky because we skipped the paper part and went straight to the material!). In middle and high school, I made shirts. Lots of them out of jersey material. Some of you may remember the McCalls pattern with the little ruffle on top of the between the sleeve and the body - those were the ones. I also made camp shirts - ok it was the 80's.

I've been quilting since my mom taught me while I was in college. It was my go to gift for graduations and weddings for friends. I felt that a home made gift was the way to go. The first quilt I made by myself was after I graduated, moved home, and didn't have a job yet. My Mom took me out to Walmart and I picked fabric for a very scrappy log cabin. It's still around. It's very scrappy.

This lone star quilt was around long before the kids. I took a class with a friend and decided that when it was completed that I would hand quilt it. It took about 4 years to finish the quilting. Remember I am afflicted with crafting ADD, so sometimes things take a while - like the double wedding ring quilt that is in the to do pile. It was for my parents 30th wedding anniversary. They will be married 42 years this year.

I took a break from sewing when Ian was born. I just couldn't get down to my crafting room and sew (that's when I learned to knit - more on that later).

There are many other quilts that I have made. I'm glad to say that my color choice is getting better. I try to mix easy with challenging quilts, but easy seems to be winning out these days.
This is my stacked coin quilt. The coins are all stacked. Now I have to go buy material to go between them.

Many of my projects start out as motivational projects....especially when I was working on school stuff....finish the paper - work on project....clean the house - work on project. When I finished a big paper, I put together the pieces of the 4th of July quilt and quilted it.
I got a new sewing machine from my parents when finished my master's last year. I LOVE it!! I've graduated to machine quilting. I tried to machine quilt with my old machine, but it wasn't enjoyable. My arms hurt from pulling the quilt through the machine. NOT with the new machine...s m o o t h. I'm working on my tension and trying new free motion patterns.

I wish I had more pictures of quilts like pineapple quilt. I took a class at Nancy's Notions and sliced through the naughty finger nail with a rotary cutter. I remember saying, "oh no" right before I did it. Lucky for me, my mom looked up as I was holding my hand, squeezing the finger. We went directly to the bathroom. Didn't get any blood on the quilt pieces though. Or of the boyfriend quilt - which is on the bed right now. The boyfriend sweater is not a knitting phenomena, it goes for quilting too. I made Kal a bear claw quilt (in badger colors) for his birthday while we were dating. We did break up, but that didn't last. Tomorrow is our anniversary.

Crafting A.D.D.

I have been busy on the crafting front. Right now I have a bunch of stuff started. I really wish I was one of those people who could do one project at a time - I'm not. To be honest, this is not all of the projects I have started. I'm not even going to count.

This is a disappearing 9 patch. It is an easy pattern and with the coordinating fabrics the 9 patch actually disappears (it would probably disappear without coordinating fabrics). It will be wall hanging size.

I love the Oz fabrics from moda. I bought a bunch (10) charm packs to make a stacked coin quilt for our bed. It's been fun so far, but I am only through 2 charm packs. Ask me about it in a few more packs.

I have been taking a class to learn magic loop (also to knit uninterrupted for 2 hours for a couple of Sundays). This is the most loved heal flap. It was knit and reknit several times due to the people around me counting or saying the pattern out loud. Ok people.... it is not necessary to repeat a two step knit slip over and over OR slip one purl, purl, purl......
I was pretty frustrated because I have knit socks before - many socks... and I couldn't even get the heal flap to come out right.

My empire for a .....

spool of black thread. I started this quilt a year (?) ago and decided to get it done. It was all pieced, so all I had to do was quilt it (smile). I pinned it together and came up with a quilting plan.

See those pins - that's how much I had left when I ran out of black thread - less than two square feet plus the outer border. I had promised myself that I was not going "into town" this weekend and was a bit perturbed with myself. How could I not have ANY black thread?

(Some of the blocks have little dogs quilted on them.)

Now I have some black thread, thanks to a good friend, and am hoping for maybe...perchance... a snow day tomorrow....

pssst....

It's quilted...

I would like to be able to say it is the first finished object of 2010, but it doesn't have the binding on yet. It will be though by the end of the week.