Been out of touch

The computer provider says it was the modem, I think it was all the rain and the outside connection went bad. Why am I getting it now well I think all the wind is drying out the outside connection. We have a small telephone company that another company bought out and they are trying to upgrade, but it takes time. I won't even try a picture today. Be back in touch in a few days

Here is the progress

I finished this block yesterday morning. But I am not sure it is quilted enough. I want the background to fade away more. I outline stitched the applique and then grid stitched the background. I think it needs more quilting to get the effect I want.

This is the plain block, but not plain. I am doing traupunto on this quilt and I know I need to make the background flatter to make this work the way I envisioned.

Here I haven't stitched all this part of the block. I ran out of thread in the bobbin so it was time to stop for the day. I have to do my shopping day today so I think I will think about the look I want for this and get home and try and see if the look can be accomplished.

Here is the whole block. It is the applique shapes only just in stitching. There will be 5 of these blocks and 4 of the appliqued blocks all stitched together with sashing to make the top of the bed. Then appliqued borders and not sure of the drop sides of the quilt. I think appliqued but not sure of just swags or a viney leaves and flowers.

This is a work in progress and a challenge to me to get it all together. No design accept for the applique blocks which is a Piece-O-Cake design from an older Quilt magazine. It was done in bright colors which is their signature color choices. I chose the dark colors of Fall to make it. Never look at a design as made as the only way to make it. Colors can change the look and feel of a good design.
I think I will use this quilt as my launching of more creative designs in the future. I have to gain confidence this will work. Hopefully the overall look will be pleasing. Chris

Well I didn't do anything I planned on

I decided I needed to try and get something finished and well nothing is totally ready to finish so I worked on something that was started. I need to get this one done and tried to see if I was happy with the machine quilting. I outline stitched the applique parts and then grid quilted the rest of the block. I found out in three places I need to slow down. Some ripping happened. I had to stop to go help my Mom with her design wall. She had a Bento block on it and she wasn't sure she had enough color contrasts going on.

I have half of the block quilted and need to get back in there to get more done. It is raining again today so a good day to finish and cut out the next batting for the next one.

Hopefully I get another one done before you know it. I did cut the threads long and tucked them in by hand on the block because I want to make this one reversible. Stay tuned maybe more today maybe not. Chris

Many things I can work on today

I have been reading this book and it has a technique I think I will use to quilt the next quilt with. Machine quilt each block and then assemble. You can get a reversible quilt that way. This is the book the instructions are in. Novel idea to have a reversible quilt. I think I will try it. Since I am a scared to try and machine quilt a whole quilt in detail this maybe is the stepping off place for me to try.

Ok this is the next project I can work on. These are rows of the HST block all sewn together. The problem I am having is the variety of the pieces in one block. As you can see a couple are the same fabric in a different combination.

Need to cut more sashing pieces and try and get this one all together.

Then I have visitors in the sewing room. They are waiting for a new wardrobe. they are really cute dolls and belong to my Granddaughter. She is beyond playing with them, but like to change their clothes to make her room look different.

These are Lee Middleton dolls. The one on the right is a kit you can make and the other was one of the baby line that was made several years ago. They are both thumb suckers and are really baby sized. They wear 12 month clothing. So I have several things to do and yet not sure where to start. I guess see what is on the sewing table and start with that.

Raining this morning and I won't be able to do yard work. I have a little more laundry to do and late cooking. I think Country style pork ribs for supper tonight. I need to figure out sides. Maybe broccoli and mashed potatoes.

I have one job I hate to do that really needs doing. I need to clean my oven. I hate the smell of the chemicals and yet nothing works as well as the kind of spray I use. Need to push my husband to the garage while I do it. He has breathing issues and the spray is not good for his lungs. Maybe today will be the day for that. Housework is never done and my least favorite thing to do anymore.

Hate to listen to the news today never like what you hear anymore. The days are getting closer to me wanting to shut the TV off. The elections and all the turmoil have gotten to me and I need to be positive. So the music will be playing and the work will begin. Talk to you later. Chris

So what did you sew on this weekend?

Zip, nada, nothing in my house. I have stepped back and not done any. Not that I don't need to, I haven't felt great. Sore throat and earache. I think allergies, but who knows.
I want to get some machine quilting done and I just don't have the energy to get up and do it. I have it all planned out and yet nothing gets done. I was afraid to start and them have to rip out so I put it on hold. We had a lot of rain today and it is gloomy outside.
I did turn on the oven and I bought Chicken potpie and Beef potpies for supper. Haven't done that forever. I like Chicken potpie and I usually make my own. This is a meal for the two of us for $5.00 not bad. Sure can't go out for that. Plus the oven is on and it smells good in here while it is cooking and the oven is taking the dampness out.
Can't wait for this to get done. Chris

Grandkids School pictures

Taylor and Derek are sure growing up. This is this years school pictures. They do clean up ok. We don't get to see them very often. They live about 90 miles away. It is really hard on us because they were such a great part of our lives when they were little. So many things have gone on we aren't a part of and it is hard. I know other Grandparents are not around their grandkids and I can sympathize with them. The last time you saw them is the last memory they have and you have to. Chris

Fall is officially here.

Today is a cool morning and the sky is sorta gray. Calling for rain, but nothing on the radar. Fall is here and we have to face it head on. The fact is I haven't worn jeans all summer so now I have to get use to wearing them again. The closets will open up and the heavier clothing will be brought out of the dark corners. This morning I got up and got the coffee started no incidents today. I had cut some yesterday and decided to stitch the HST together and get them pressed and ready to make some more blocks. This mess turned into quite a few finished patches for this quilt.

Here are the finished HST patches to keep me going I was running into no variety to stitch together and you don't want to much repetition. So this was the first hour I was up this morning, but now ready to piece them together in rows for the blocks to get farther along on this quilt.

Here are some of the rows and there was to many duplicates in the rows to sew these together. I make a row and then I compare the rows for variety before I make the final block. I have twenty of the blocks sewn into four rows and I think I am going to make 35 total blocks. I measured it out and want it long enough for my guys. They are all over 6ft. tall so need to cover the toes to their necks.

Last night I went in to get my mind off of a few issues and I decided to trim some of these 9 patch in a square blocks. They look so neat with the dog ears trimmed off and squared up. I am getting anxious to get this one pieced together. The satisfaction of seeing something that far along warms my heart. To think It was a pile of scraps and now it is something makes me feel like I have accomplished something good.

We worked in the yard for a while in the afternoon and got another flower bed put to rest for the Winter. I have five more to clean up and then we will be ready. I don't mind doing it when the air is below inferno temps. Today the cucumbers get yanked and the rest of the garden is done.
The trees are starting to turn and the air is cooler and more dry. The allergies are starting to calm down and the feel of the weather is sometimes sad for many because the cold Winter is around the corner. I love Spring and Fall both. The cool crisp air of Spring when everything wakes up to show it's colors and the cool crisp air of a sleepy time to curl up with a book and a cup of hot chocolate by the fire in the Fall. I am hungry for a fresh baked apple pie and a good pot roast in the oven cooking I can almost smell it. Enjoy the Fall it will soon be over with and the cruel hard reality of Winter will be here. Chris

No pictures today

As you read this you will understand. Have you ever had one of those days? Nothing seems to go right even though your intentions were to get a lot done.
First thing out of bed I make a pot of coffee in the morning. I took the old filter and grounds to the garbage in the basket that is from the coffeepot and I dropped it. Upside down on the carpet. Wet grounds fell all over a piece of carpet I have in the kitchen. I thought boy oh boy. So I had to leave it and will have to clean it up today with the vacuum. If you do it wet they can mold in the cleaner and that isn't good.
Went to town to help my mom with something and she didn't understand what I was trying to say and we were at odds over the situation, but got it resolved. Frustrating.
To top the day off I went in to get ready for bed and took my clothing off and realized I had put my underwear on inside out in the morning. LOL I wore them that way all day. So see why I didn't do pictures. Chris

I am bad!

I chose the fabrics to use. I have the background also. No money out lay Right???? Well the convincing part is yet to come. I needed several colors to make the designs I chose. I chose the books. This one has several to choose from and it can be a sampler style or an Album style quilt.

Some are the conventional style blocks and others are more modern.

There are 83 blocks to choose from. The hard part is going to be to see which ones I will make. Will I make a multiple block quilt or duplicate one block for all blocks in the quilt? That is the part that I am not sure about. Thought I would make a couple blocks and make them into pillows and see which I prefer after making a couple samples.

This is more traditional to me so maybe will be a choice. In this book she uses batiks and the rich colors really make the blocks come alive.

Here is the book Sharon Pederson's "Rose of Sharon". The book simplifies the use of Applique to a few templates and you have so many different looks for a few templates. Why am I not smart enough to come up with something like this. LOL Beautiful blocks that came from a Challenge with EQ6. Quilters all over the World contributed to this book. As I make them and picture them I will acknowledge the originator of the blocks. Many talented women all came together to make this book available. Yes the book has been out for awhile but a good source for those of us that need a plan in front of us. Well me anyway. Chris

BOM or do I use a book I have?????

I am a sucker for BOM's and then not doing them. I save all the info and the patterns and religiously at that time of the month to copy the patterns and send them to my documents or to a jump drive. I have two jump drives full of pictures of the family and patterns from the Internet. Fatcatpatterns and Ester's Blog all have really nice BOM's at different times of the month. By the way thank you for including all of us in your talents. I recently ordered these three books. I want to get a Winter hand sewing project going and I think I have every color I need to do either one online or from one of these books. If I do one online I have to print it out and use the ink and paper. I guess I can't justify the expense when I just received these in the mail. How do I get the fact that I am starting another quilt in my husband's brain that this is a good thing. LOL He is a start a project and finish it before you start another one. He frets over not finishing things and it makes him crazy. I would hope he just figures it will happen and he doesn't have any say in it.
I really have to plan this out to be a positive project and set a goal to get it done. I have an applique quilt started for my sister and I need to get it done also. I am frustrated. Not enough hours in the day. Yard work to end the Fall season has to be done. I can find all kinds of excuses to say I need to do this and lots to say I should wait. What should I do? Chris

Getting closer to finishes

I have this little personal table sitting by my machine with a pressing board on it. I can stitch and press seams and not get up. Not a good thing because I need to get up and move, but for now until I get a few more things out of the sewing room I am stuck with this plan. As you can see I am cutting and stitching and trying to get closer to getting finished with three different quilts. The HST quilt is 2/3 done. I have 4 rows sewn together and I am working on cutting the other pieces I need to complete the top. The 9 -patch in a square is coming along and I have lots of trimming to do on the blocks but at least they are sewn.

The 25 patch blocks are coming along also. They are 13 of them now and I have more to sew together. As I wait for laundry or for dinner to cook or in the morning while it is quiet I try and sew even for 15 minutes and amazing how much you can get done it the pieces are cut out for you.

I am really wanting to get this one done. I have 71 9-patch in a square blocks made. They are 6 inches square when trimmed. That pile is growing fast. I think I need to make 120 of these blocks for a queen sized quilt. Yes a lot of cutting and sewing, but I like the look that keeps your eye moving when you look at a quilt.

I read some one's blog the other day Sorry I don't remember who, but she said she guessed she needed to start making scrap quilts because she had so many laying around. I have been known to get into the garbage at my Mom's to rescue a bag full of small pieces and it was enough to make a lot of blocks with. Yes I am frugal. I found out in the last few months that my heritage must be showing. In looking into Family History and clear back 500 years or more on my Mother's side of the family I am almost of pure Scottish lineage. They are known for their frugal management of their land and belongings. I found that very interesting because I thought maybe I was just a mutt and the heritage had been lost along the way.

Born and bred to use things wisely. Funny how the human being has so many layers of overlapping things that shape you into a person. Back to the sewing room to put a few more together. It is raining so maybe I can get a lot done. Chris

HST Tut part 2

This is a simple task, but if not paying attention can get tricky. Place the light square on top of the darker square because you have marked the diagonal line for your cutting line. Place your pressure foot along side the cutting line and sew a 1/4 inch seam. I chain stitch and at the end of the pieces you are stitching turn it around and stitch the other direction.

As you can see the chain stitching works well and you do save thread with doing it this way instead of cutting each set as you stitch.

When cutting the pieces apart you will have a square with two lines of stitching and now the fun part cut on the drawn line and you have two HST pieces to work with. As I said easy. Hope this takes some of the scary part out of doing it the old fashion way. Chris

We went from A/C to Furnace

This was awhile ago but not more than 7 months. I don't want all this to come visit us again very soon.

It looks cold and gray. We had a lot of snow last Winter and I am afraid we will be in for the same this year.

Ten days ago we had 90*F temps and the A/C was running like crazy. The last two mornings the furnace has run to take the chill off. We had Frost on Thursday morning. Seems early, but you get what you get with Mother Nature. The soup kettle is out and the oven has been used. Time to think about what will be warm and good for meals again instead of all the salads and light eating we have been doing.

Fresh tomatoes are done and the reality is coming Fall is in the air and we have to great it with the knowledge that Winter is to follow. Hope it is nice where you are. Chris

Garden is all but done

We went out and dug potatoes. I had old potatoes that had sprung eyes in the Spring so I cut them and planted them for giggles. Well I got about 15 lbs of potatoes off of the ones I would have discarded that many months ago. The price of potatoes is really high right now So I have new ones. Yippppppeeeee We pulled the tomatoes also. All that is left is a hill of cucumbers that are still producing and four pepper plants that are going nuts with it cooler.

Next year I think and I know I said I wouldn't do it, but I think I will plant a bigger garden with the neighbors. We have a bigger spot picked out and they are willing to help with it. So we will see how things go.

Fried potatoes and hamburgers on the grill tonight. Yum! Chris

Cutting for two quilts at once

So many times when you make a cut of fabric in a strip there are leftovers. Simply because of the width of the fabric. In this example I am cutting a 3 7/8 strip to be cut into 3 7/8 inch squares. See the amount that is left over. Well watch and see where I cut another quilt out of the left over pieces.

This is another strip cut for the 3 7/8 inch squares and the left over piece is diced into 1 3/4 inch squares with a tiny piece left. That is all I throw away. Some pieces will have more leftover because of the width of the fabric.


Here is the white strip I showed cutting from the fabric piece earlier. Not much waste and I am cutting squares in two sizes for two different quilts while the fabric is in my hands.

I then am going to make HST out of the larger squares. Yes I know there is a paper foundation to stitch over and there is other methods to making the HST, but this one works for me. I find the angle and mark the center cutting line and stitch on either side for my 1/4 inch sewing seams.

I use a #2 pencil for this marking because I cut on the line anyway so it isn't visible.

Here is the mark and I have my seam guide this way so I can zip along with the stitching. I only mark on the lighter of the two squares and then I can see where I am sewing. When stitched and cut apart I have two HST pieces and the sewing begins to make a block.

I have 25 HST squares in each of these blocks so I have plenty more cutting and sewing to do. But I will be cutting for the other 9 patch in a square block I am making at the same time. Try it and you will save time. Chris

No sewing this morning. Errand Day

Since I have to be on the run today you can enjoy the colors I am seeing in my yard.

This is the new birdhouse he put up in the Spring. The vines are taking over.

The flowers are so delicate and pretty blowing in the wind. This is an annual.

This is Red Sedum. Not sure if you can see the bee on the bloom. They are thick out there liking the flavor of the flower.

This is the crowning glory. It is 9 inches across the bloom. Enjoy all the color and the images. Chris

I have two blogs

This is some progress. I have been sewing early in the mornings and I finally got enough to start sewing them together with the sashing fabric. I still have some more blocks to make, but as I said before I am cutting three quilt pieces at one time. This will be a couch quilt when it is all done. Can't ever have enough of them. The one that is pictured on the arm of the love seat is really worn. It can go on the floor if someone wants a quilt while watching TV on the floor.

I have two blogs and here is the other site. http://chris-wells.blogspot.com/ It is called Pins and Needles. It is a sewing and everyday blog. Feel free to look at the other blog when you would like.

As I transition away from the quiltingblog I will be adding more things to my blog. Please let me know if You missed something or would like to re see something from my old posts. Thanks Chris

No longer on Quilterblog.com

I am a bitter person, but I am really disappointed with many issues of the site. If you want details email me. I will remain blogging, but only on my own. May not be as often, but I don't need all the exposure. It is just little me and my blog is for my pleasure and not the World's unless you choose to follow me. I enjoy the comments when they are present and I do appreciate all the kind words. I have had more difficulty with my computer in the last few months and I think some of it is associated with all the bloggers on that site.
Now time to get back to the important things like quilting. I do enjoy quilting and I do enjoy sharing. I felt like a gold fish in a sea of sharks on the quiltingblog. Everyone has so many talents and I guess I didn't fit in. I had some advise to do things different and I would get more comments. I tried several and it didn't work. Some have the knack of blogging and others don't. Wanda thanks for all you support and suggestions. Hettie and Amy your support is really appreciated also.
It isn't about the number of followers as it the quality of the person who is the follower. Bren knows that really well. Please stay tuned I am here and I can be reached by my email and I will go into more detail at that time. This isn't the place to err my feelings because they are my own. Chris

Reflections

Fall is in the air. The garden is winding down. The final flourish of the flowers are on the stems. The air is cool and crisp in the mornings. Another season is about done. My how time flies by. Is it because I am older I notice the changes or is it time has stood still and I am not keeping up?

Even though I try and keep up I am so far behind in my chores it isn't funny. I make the goals so maybe they are unattainable. Reality is a fickle thing. Somedays things work well and other days they are so far flung that you never see the light at the end of the tunnel. Having lived through the last decade with all the World's troubles and destruction we have to look at the day and say it will be ok. Right???
Take today and look at the flowers, smell the air, breath deeply it will be alright. At least I keep telling myself it will be. Have to believe in something. Look at this Rose of Sharon. It is perfect in shape and color. Somedays I wish life was perfect, but we will never see that in our lifetime.

Life has it's zigs and zags and we never know where it will take us. Go with the flow and see where your day will take you. Remember the others who sacrificed for your saftey and freedom and pray for those yet to stand for freedom.

I sometimes complain about things not going well, but I also think there are so many worse off than what I am. Is the complaining for others to hear or for me to make myself feel better? I think the latter. Put a smile on your face and say it is another day and I will make something of it. No one can do that for you only you can make that happen. Have a great day and be aware you make your own World go round. Chris