Not a lot of Progress going on here

I have been slacking. My head has been giving me fits. Migraine for three days and finally the weather changed. I got some tracing done and got the freezer paper shapes stapled together to get ready to trim them. I sat yesterday morning and got some of them trimmed so I can start doing the pressing to get them cut out. I then waited until the weather warmed up because we had frost and I went out and mowed three yards.

My head is better today and I think I am taking my husband to see his Mother. She lives about 60 miles away and he doesn't drive anymore so I have to take him. I think I am taking my Mother and we are going shopping while he visits.
My Mother -in- law is 95 years old. We need to go as many time this Summer as we can. The weather last Winter didn't leave us much choice when it came to travel. If he isn't up to it today then tomorrow. Chris

Migraine and thinking to hard

I woke up with a horrible migraine today. Went to the bank grocery and paid my bills and it is worse. LOL Now I have been thinking. And yes it does hurt, but I have decided to try traupunto on some quilt blocks. I think by machine. I have the washout thread and the batting. Wish me luck. Chris

Grandkids here for Easter

Taylor is trying out the power tools in Grandpa's garage. She wanted something to do and Grandpa gave her some scrap wood to try her hand at it.

She will be twelve next month and she thought it was fun.

She liked the drill press. It made neat holes in what she was making. She made a sign with a smilie face and then went on to making birdhouse hangers.


Her Brother Derek just turned 10 and he needs power under his butt, so the lawn got mowed. Maybe not the way I would do it, but it is all mowed.

He takes his time and does a great job for only 10 years old.

This was out Holiday weekend. I did a lot of cooking and laundry but we all had a good time. Chris

Testing..........Testing

No , no medical tests just setting and color tests. Scrappy blocks and do I use sashing or make an all over quilt??

This is the different lighting in the room. But it says alot for the difference in the light in the room you are placing the quilt in. Do I want sashing? Not sure yet. The original look I wanted was a sashing, but then do I do light or dark.

Here again the difference in the light of the room makes the quilt blocks totally different.

These are the same blocks just a different amount of light in the room. What do you think. All over scrappy quilt or a quieter look with the sashing?
I am still on the fence. Guess I will try some more samples and see where my testing gets me. Hope everyone has a Happy Easter weekend and all are safe and well. Chris

Flooding

The water levels are really getting high. We live along a river but a long ways away from the River bed. Our septic system is at a spot that could get bad. We have a friend whose brother has a home and bar on the Mississippi and he has water against lower level windows. This is his bar location. My son is working in a River town now today as a 911 dispatcher and there is water in the parking lot of the Fire Station he is working at. It is right across the River from the bar. The weather is cold and cloudy and all the snow that is up in Minnesota and Wisconsin that they received in the last 24 hours is going to melt and all flow down river. At my house in the last 30 hours we have received almost 1.5 inches of rain and more to come over the weekend. Other areas are in worse shape then we are in this neck of the woods, but flooding is horrible stuff to deal with. There is bad weather everywhere. Keep your thoughts and prayers with all those that are in harms way. Tornadoes and bad storms, flooding and devastation are uncontrollable and we are at the mercy of Mother Nature. Stay safe. Chris

Supper is Ready

I admit I haven't eaten to good in the last year or so. I am really not in a good weight class. No I am not wrestling. I have been on a rate of gain which is what you do for fattening up cattle for butchering. So I sat and cried last night I was so disgusted with myself I decided I would eat better. I made a stir fry with onions, celery, carrots, cauliflower and shrimp dill weed and celery salt which was minimal because of the salt. No rice not fat other than a little canola oil. Then I was a good girl no salt after it was cooked and I used a pie plate to eat off of. I had about half of this left over for tomorrow.

Now to the hard part of my day. The leaves and stem piece for the applique is a stinker. It is such a close area to cut between the leaves and the bottom part of the flower. So I hold my breath that I have enough to get the turn under deep enough to catch it well when doing the hand stitching. I take several really small stitches and I sure hope it holds for eternity. I worked so hard at one of them today I got a stiff neck. I really think I needed to get up for awhile and walk away. So I did. Now I need to get the laundry started because it is cold out and my husband's

long johns need washing and I sat and sewed today. Shame on me. Chris

Ok this is what I did

Last night I wasn't sure what to do with the center of this block. I went to bed and thought about it in the middle of the night. I got up this morning and did some line drawings for my Husband to look at and he said it should be the flower that is on the pattern. I thought oh what the heck! So here is the pattern completed like the designers from Pieceocake designed. It was in a magazine from August of 1996. I like the shapes. It was done in oranges and yellows and dark greens and some purple.

It needs a little more pressing but it can wait until ready to assemble any quilt I come up with. I feared the needle turned instructions. I used freezer paper and hand basting to turn seam edge under. Well the center really scared me. It had so many peaks and valleys I chickened out and did a facing on the back of the gold and off white pieces. I then trimmed really close and stitched the right side edge with the hand stitching to pull any facing to the back and not show the facing. I guess any port in a storm. Hey it worked. Over all I think I like the look for a Turn of the Last Century House.

My sisters house is over 100 years old. She is painting the walls a chocolate brown with white trim so it should fit into her scheme of things. She was going to send me colors and I had picked these out and guess what sisters think alike I had the right colors picked out. Chris

Two Days of Work and not done yet

Here is the progress today. The applique is really going slow. But it is a big block.

I now have to find a center for the block and not sure if I like the one that was provided with the pattern. It is a three layered flower design and not sure it is the look I am wanting. Have to think about this for awhile. The designer did needle turn and I am not a needle turner. I like to use freezer paper and either glue or hand baste the seam allowance to the back. This time I did hand basting. I can pull the stitches and get the freezer paper pulled out in the different stages of the building of the parts.

As I was stitching I am convincing myself that I have made a big mistake wanting a whole quilt out of these blocks. I am sure I will be changing the layout as I get closer to getting like 9 blocks done. I guess I am a wimp. But I do have other ideas for the rest of the quilt if I do wimp out and only do 9 blocks. To clarify I made a bed with clean sheets and did 5 loads of laundry and did my dishes today. So I did get up and move some. Tomorrow I think I will try and figure out the center of this block and cut the freezer paper shapes out for the next few blocks. Well nothing on TV tonight so maybe I can cut shapes tonight. Time will tell. I am ready for bed now. Chris

Two hours already this morning

As you can see this is a big block. Sixteen inches across and I have spent two hours stitching already and only one flower anchored down so far.

I think when it is done I will rethink the 36 blocks and maybe made a center on the quilt in applique and the edges in something else. I will have to ponder the border thing. Maybe just appliqued borders and not get so tied up in making every block of the top appliqued. As I am stitching the rest of the quilt has taken on several different finishes. And Yes it is Hand Applique. I need my head examined. LOL Chris

Windy and Rainy

Not as good day to go outside. So I stayed in and played with parts and pieces.

This is one of the flowers I have partially constructed. Here are two more to have the stems added to them. More to come this is going to be a long winded quilt. all day for just this much.

I think I figured 36 blocks and this isn't even one. Am I stupid?? Chris

This might work

Here are the next set of fabrics for a quilt. I would like it to be pieced and appliqued I am using a tea dyed muslin for the block background. The colors are for my sister's new bedroom. She has a period bed frame and she would like something to show off the bed. She has chocolate walls and brown and tan accents in the room. I will add the gold and rust to make it all come together. The stripe will be accents in the block to pull all the colors together. There are some small 4 patch blocks in the borders so it the fabrics aren't used in the applique they will be in the 4 patch blocks.

Definitely period look and Country on top of it. She is not a pink person so hopefully she likes the look. Chris

Hey what is going on?

I have had a couple down days. Not to bad today and tomorrow will be better. BUT I was reading some of the favorite blogs I hadn't looked at in a couple weeks and everybody is quiting. Some with no interest one with health issues and others just don't post anymore. One I respond to almost daily usually responds back and nothing from that site either. I took a shower today is it me? No I think lives change and the duties we once thought were fun and enjoyable change. Have you ever had a few days where you had nothing to say? Well I have many days. Or what I had to say no one would like to read about. Taking a break can refuel the juices. I want to start another applique piece and I have the stuff to complete it, but I keep think something or someone is going to come and take me away on a nice trip and it wouldn't get done. Hey I can dream can't I? Hopefully with Spring here we can refuel and try and get some new inspiration from the sun being out more. Even though we have 5 days of rain ahead of us. Oh well I hope not all of you leave me. I promise to take another shower tomorrow. Hope to see you soon. LOL Chris

Going Shopping today

Well the real trip purpose is to get my Birth Certificate and Wedding license replaced. I found out I have a paid up Life Insurance policy that was bought when I was 6 years old. So I need to update my info for the insurance company. Then onto the quilt shop. My Mom makes Linus Quilts and she has 5 of them done, so will go and donate to the cause. I don't get to go very often and I need to get into the shower and get ready. Chris

Have you ever felt inadequate?

I read and drool over others talents. I feel sometimes like my efforts are so lost on what I get done. I guess I have a fear of not knowing what to do and how to do it. Ever felt that way? I get a quilt top done and then the big question how should I finish this? It is overwhelming sometimes. I would love to be Erin, Diane or Wendy. They seem to have the talent to do the right thing with their quilts. By the way there are many more with this unbelievable talent. I only mentioned a few. I feel really lacking in vision, talent and willingness to venture into the World of the unknown and start to advance my talents. Such as they are.

I tend to do more scrappy quilts because outline quilting is a simpler way to attack the challenge of finishing the quilt. Even with the applique quilts most of the hand quilting is in grid work. I envy all of you that are challenged to make you hand or machine quilting so beautiful. I have several pieces of leftover batting and I think I am going to buy a few yards of good quality muslin and try and make some sample squares of free motion quilting to try and make my

a feeble attempt at trying to broaden my skills. Hopefully it isn't a laughable effort. The fear of failure is lurking in the shadows. Sounds like a murder mystery about to unfold. But I do have a fear of frustration that I will not like what I do. Yes I know practice is a big factor. Do I mark do I free hand it? Do I use matching thread or try my hand at contrast to see my mistakes? Then what do I do if I really can't do it? I have sewn for 50 years. Yes I get in a hurry and maybe don't sew a straight line as seen in my piecing of Log Cabin blocks. If anyone has any patience they can spare I need a dose of it. Also confidence is unattainable at this point. At least in my estimation. Now that I have run myself into the ground and no self esteem I think I will go and doodle some on paper and see what I come up with. No one can do it for me I have to do it myself. I know! Chris

This was a gift

Yes a gift, but I have to finish it. It has gone back and forth across the country three times. You see my Birthday is

Valentine's Day. So my Mother thought I needed a heart quilt. She pieced it while living in Arizona. She sent it to me and then I sent it back and she then sent it back to me. I moved it 6 times from house to house and started it about 6 years ago. Well it is out of hiding again and getting worked on. Silly me I thought I would do some small quilting on this one. 1/4in cross hatching. Yeah I know silly me. What was I thinking???? It does set off the heart thought. Then I decided to use a feathered heart pattern in the larger hearts. Well my first attempt was feeble. I traced a feathered heart onto freezer paper and pressed it to the heart I wanted to stitch. Got the stitching done and all the little shreds of paper finally off and the pencil yes the pencil I used came off on the thread. So I get to rip all the thread out and redo the feather. My pile of UFO's is starting to get finished. I have two other quilts in the quilting process started. Both are by hand. Mind you I have 7 other ones to be appliqued or finish piecing that are in states of needing to be finished. Oh someday. Chris

Finally

I have been blocked out of my Google accounts for two days. Maybe I tried to hard to get them up and going again. Yesterday morning I had a sight I hadn't ever seen before. I walked through my house and looked out the sliding glass door and two wild Turkeys were walking down the side walk one behind the other. By the time I got my camera they had scurried across the street and between houses and back out into a field. I stood there with my mouth open when I saw them. They have a brown cast to the feathers unlike the domestic birds. We use to raise turkeys and they are the dumbest animals. If it rains out they can stand when they are young out in the rain with their mouths open and drown. They don't know enough to come in out of the rain. Well I am so relieved to be back on my blog again. Chris

What is on the sewing table today?

This is what is on my sewing table today. One Quarter Log Cabin Blocks.

This is the shelves with the half yard pieces on them. I need to straighten and as I do it cut some more strips.i

So maybe I will get something done today between laundry and scrubbing toilets. LOL Chris

Done

Here is the final quilt. All washed and on the bed. With the dark Chocolate walls it turned out pretty good.

I am so glad it is done and out of the sewing room.

It only took two plus years to finish. Shame on me. Chris

Another UFO bit the Dust

Two years plus and it is finally done. I have to wash it, but want to get it right out of the washer when it is done so will do it in the morning. I am so glad this one is done.

More thread than what I kept track of was used. It took forever to stitch all the 2 1/2 in squares and then quilt it too. I will take pictures after I get it washed and dried and it is on the bed. I have called this one the Ugly Quilt. I used scraps that were of fabrics I wouldn't normally use. I then paired with the dirty tan fabric and added the rust fabric and we have the "Ugly Quilt."

My husband made a statement last year he would never see it done. He would be dead before it was on his bed. That almost happened and I am ashamed I hadn't gotten it done before this, but it is done now and will be on the bed tomorrow. The other thing I need to finish is his flannel shirt I made three years ago and it is all done but the buttonholes. I hate making buttonholes. So maybe tomorrow I will do that and surprise him with it. It is a weight he could be wearing this Spring and be comfortable in. Will wonders never end. Chris

Been Missing

Well no not really. I have been here, but doing other things. My sister came for my Mother's Birthday and she stayed with me for a couple days and with my Mom for two more days. She left yesterday and went home. In between I have gotten a UFO almost done. It has been a three year quilt. I have three more sides of the binding to sew on and the washing machine has a date with this quilt. Another thing I did while this week went by so fast I cooked and grilled a meal for 36 firefighters. I grilled 72 pork chops outside in a very cold and windy day. So I haven't taken a vacation or anything like that. I have been busy and yet I really haven't been on the computer much in the last week. Yesterday I went out and picked up limbs and trash out of the yard that has blown around all Winter. Today I think I am going to go and mulch up all the leaves that have blown in from everyone else's yard. I take care of my yard and no one else does theirs so I get the mess in the Spring. Mowing in the Summer takes up a lot of my time. I mow three yards twice a week. Little extra money to buy fabric with. This year though with gas prices up maybe won't do as much as I have in the past . Both mowing and buying fabric. To make ends meet on a fixed income you have to sacrifice something. I should quit eating maybe I would loose some weight. Sorry no pictures and not much to report on, but I did enjoy my visit with my sister. She is a widow and been facing some challenging times. She has a birthday in a few days and will be 55 years old. Well off to sew on another binding. Chris