Started pairing them up.

Started to stitch the pairs together and see how far I am. I noticed after having taken the picture I had on pair laying the wrong way. See it in the upper right corner. Two flowers are next to each other. 

I have more in the process so I will work on getting a larger top. It is almost big enough for a baby quilt, but I kinda wanted a twin size with borders. 

It is busy but neat looking also. I think the girls will like it. 

We went and bought some more perennials  to plant. We have three still left to put in. Also I mowed today while he was digging. After we get done and they are over the shock of planting I will take more pictures. 

HAVING A GOOD DAY  Chris

More of the same

More of the same. It sometimes drags out and this has been one of them. I have cleaned out three string bins getting the string blocks done and had to cut some. There are 66 more strings done and 25 blocks with the mini hexies in them.

I have 25 of the mini hexies completed. I have the 16 patches to match waiting to be paired together and make another top.

The Log Cabin blocks above were 24 made by my Mother. I have several more done to the last strip around and then they will turn into a baby quilt. Trying to use up and make do with

out purchasing anything other than backing maybe, but I think I have it covered.

I have pieces of batting that can be pieced and used in the smaller quilts. I still have lots to get done in the sewing room. Slowly sorting through the rest and moving it to a better location. Hopefully before Fall it will be all completed. Better be done before that.

Memorial day weekend. Where has the first 6 months of this year gone? They say time flies when you get older and I believe it. Hope you have a great weekend.

Remembering those we lost in the many wars and conflicts we have encountered over the years. My husband and I talked about the Civil War memorial in the park of our local town. So many more have sacrificed since them. Thank you to all of them and their families for their service and sacrifice. No words can express the gratitude we have for them. Chris

I have an opinion

I try and read some each day about the World's affairs. I read online because the local paper is about 2-3 days behind the times.

My opinion is that with this election turning so ugly we as a Country are in for an awful ride. I hear things from both sides that make me wonder what voters from times past would think about all this.

It is a time for more being printed and read with the internet and yet how much is true and factual. The fact checkers were after both sides when the debates were going on early in the process.

I will not say who I will vote for, but really what are our choices?????

I am sure there are others out there as frustrated with the news as I am. The name calling and mud slinging is horrible. What happened to respect for your fellow countryman?It almost makes you ashamed to say your are a Citizen of the Best Country in the World. The USA. Chris

I am here just been busy

No pictures so I am just been here. I have been doing some small stuff. I have made the small hexie flowers for the blocks I made, but been doing a lot of other things.

Change was made in my house again. You would think with all the furniture moving we have done the last few months we would be satisfied with the arrangement we had.

Well we moved the furniture from one side of the living room to the other. My living room is extra big. We have a fireplace on one side and a french door on that side. On the other side we have a picture window and a front entrance door. On the picture window side we had a dining table and a curio cabinet.

On the other side of the room where the fireplace is we had a couch, and chairs. So we flipped them. With the new windows we decided to place the couch in front of the picture window. We don't have the air leaking in and they are low e-gas windows so the heat doesn't bleach out furniture and also carpet.

I still have nick-knacks to place back in place. But yesterday we had two little girls. So that wasn't a good day to try and clean antique glass stuff and place it back in place. They were good, but they kept us hopping.

So today the kitchen floor has cookie crumbs and the floor needs a good scrub. The extra stuff needs doing and I need to scrub bathrooms. I also need to do the wash and get it put away. Housework never ends.

Another gray day. We maybe will finally get rain. Many of you around me have had a lot of rain, but we haven't had much at all.

I would love to go shopping, but should stay home and get some things done. We will see what the later part of the day brings. Have a good one. Chris

Having a hard time today

Not ill or in trouble just not a great day for me. I guess we all have them. I have functioned, but not to mu ability.

It is beautiful out and it is 86 degrees. My husband mowed and I have done a few house chore, but again nothing to speak of.

My mind is in overdrive. I have several quilts in my head and yet I really don't want to start anything until I get some more to the quilt top stage. I have three that are bugging me to get done.

I use to say it was because I didn't have a TV in my sewing room. Well I have that now it is I feel guilty him watching TV by himself. Can't win.

I think I will sew tonight, but need to start supper. I plan on fried chicken and a salad for supper. I will bread his and just bake mine. I have done pretty good without the flour products.

I really miss the taste of the things I shouldn't eat. It is going on the second week and I think I will try again to eat a little of the stuff I like and be careful not to over indulge.

I haven't gotten on the scale to see if this change has made any difference that would be a plus if it did, but I haven't checked.

Hopefully you are all having a productive day. Chris

Did lots more sewing

This is a little tutorial as to why I use the telephone book pages for my foundation.I stitch my strings to the foundation paper so I get pretty straight seams. I set the stitch to a small stitch for reinforcement and also to perforate the paper for easy removal.They look like this crazy shape when completed. They are stitched at an angle.

You don't have to pre-cut your strings, just make sure they are long enough to cover the paper. The telephone page ink does not rub off like newspaper ink does.

Trim them to the size of the paper. Remember I used 6 inch square papers. You can make them any size you like. If I make them smaller I use 1 inch strings or many sizes to cover the paper foundation.

This is what it looks like all squared up ready to have the paper taken off the back. I stack them up and sit and remove paper after I quit sewing for the day. I do it will watching TV. 

This is just another picture of using the triangle ruler to line up my paper and cut a straight edge. This ruler is easy for me to handle to get the right cut. Square up all four sides and you have a finished foundation pieced string block. 

Today we went outside and pressure washed the siding that wasn't changed this last winter when we did all the windows. Some had turn green and discolored. It is all clean now. It is 82 degrees outside and the sun is shining. 

I still have some dishes to clean up , but I couldn't run the water while the water was being used in the pressure washer. So that is still left to do. 

We are going to grill out for supper and try and enjoy the rest of the day. Chris 

Finally getting it closer to being done

Got up this morning and decided I would get started on getting this all pulled together. I still have more blocks to assembled. so this will be bigger. 

These are just randomly laid out. I need to be careful of repeated strips coming together. It is a definite color overload in real life. I think it will have a black border and be queen size when completed.

This is a 12.5 inch block when the four squares are sewn with a 1.5 inch strip between the squares. This would be cute in baby colors or crayon colors for toddles to teens. This is a mix of all of it.

No print or period of reproductions will matter. I even have some solids thrown in and some shirts that have been cut up to add a different layer of color.

Going to go to a rummage sale and see what I can find. Chris

No sewing today

The other day I went to a rummage sale and this table was sitting there. It had been stripped, but it needed work. It needed gluing and the finish need attention. I went back home and got my husband and had him look at it. 

It was $20 and we re-glued it and refinished it. It is solid walnut. Definitely old and no veneers. It is sturdy and I really love the look of it. 

Amazing what a little elbow grease can do for an older piece and make it useful again. Chris

Things are coming together

Finally got the ironing board up this morning. So started by pressing the black fabric. It has been folded, but was still wrinkled. I wash my darker colors first and directly out of the dryer they are not easy to fold. When I use off of a larger piece of fabric like a 5 yard piece I cut a yard or a yard and a half at a time. That way I have something easier to handle and I can control how much I have to handle at one time. I started sewing the strings onto the string blocks.

Here is a picture of things sewn into pairs. I have to think about which way the stripes are going so it looks all alike block to block. 

These still need pressing. I needed to stop and get my day going. I have laundry and some shopping to do today. 

There will be a black strip between the pairs and then I will sash the blocks together with the black. I would like a queen sized quilt with this so we will see how far this gets me towards that goal. 

I have an anniversary I am working towards and it isn't until August, but never

to early to start.

I am running to the lumberyard today for a few things and then to Walmart for cards. Two graduations and a confirmation card need to be ready tonight.

My grandson and my step-grandson are both graduating from 8th grade this year. High school for both of them. Time flies by fast. Have a good day. Chris

What is the next step?

My 100 are made and I started a couple more, but as I said I will have to cut strips. I need variety at this point and I would like to clean up the sewing desk some before I go any farther with cutting strips. 

I laid down for a nap and thought I am going on a search for the black fabric and found it after about a minute. So now I have decide what size sashing strips I need to cut. This fabric need ironing. So that is another thing I have to get out is the ironing board. It is easy to find. I keep it behind the bedroom door. It is a big one and heavy so I think now that the window is all complete in that room I can set it up and use it more.

Wednesday I have a lot going on. I have to go to the bank and talk to my go to person there and then I have two graduation cards to buy and also a confirmation card to get. Thursday the two boys graduate from 8th grade. High School next year. Where have those years gone?

Doing ok with the diet changes. I am making stir fry for supper. I have a package of frozen stir fry veggies and a chicken breast so I will cook the chicken in the skillet and add the veggies until it is tender.

I can't add a lot to it because things on labels that say modified food starches can be wheat. It is in everything.

It is gloomy out this afternoon. Was sunny this morning. Have a good one. Going for the ironing board. Chris

100 of them

There are exactly 100 of these little gems finished now. They are 6 inches square in this form. Not sure how many more I will make. Believe it or not I will have to cut more fabric to make enough for variety to do any more. 

This used up a lot of strips. They are 1.5 inch strips and they sew up really fast that way. I need to get some fabric located for the sashing strips. I bought some black solid and I think it is still in the extra bedroom. I still have more to place back in the sewing room. 

The bulk of it is in place, but not sure where the rest will go. We are going to get rid of a piece of furniture in the extra bedroom that is quite large and some things will be able to be stored in there. 

Today was a different day around here. The sun was out, but we had frost this morning. I wish it would get a little warmer. I think we need a good stretch of days to enjoy the outside before the heat starts. 

We have some painting to do and it has to be above freezing and yet not a scorcher out because it is in the sun the bulk of the day. 

I have been a good girl got out and did some walking and ate no flour or wheat products.

Getting back to the squares. Don't forget to set you stitch length at 1.6 or about 18 per inch. I stitch my strips to a telephone book page cut into the size squares I want. The fine stitching helps perforate the paper to rip it off easier. 

You say why the foundation? Well I like the ability to pull a strip and cut to the length I need and not have to precut all the strips before I sew. Also the trimming makes them uniform because you cut to the foundation paper on the back. Telephone book pages do not smear like newspaper does.  

This is my preference. You maybe have another favorite plan. My Mother use to sew them onto fabric squares, but it added weight to the top. I pull the paper off the back while watching TV and I am now ready to get them sewn into a top. I also use up odds and ends of thread when making these. I have tons of garment thread and I wind bobbins with it to get it used up. Doesn't matter if it is polyester or cotton. It all works. I do buy quality thread and not 5/$1. I am not a purist when it comes to polyester vs. cotton. 

We make quilts and use polyester or polyester and cotton batting in it and use polyester thread to quilt with by machine. Even hand quilting thread comes with a poly/cotton combo. So it works for me. 

Have a good evening. Chris 

Busy

Got up this morning and did my dishes and two loads of laundry before 9 am. Then I went to the Aldi's store closest to me and I didn't really like the looks of the produce so went to the store in the next town and got the rest of what I needed. My husband is out mowing and the sun is out so I went and grabbed the camera and decided to take some pictures of the plants growing. This is a weigelia We have cut back so many times and it keeps on surprising us with the look it produces.

This is a giant Hosta that someone put out by the dumpsters and I drug them home. My husband had a fit, but it fills in a large area and is doing quite well. We made it into two plants and have one on either side of the back steps. 

 These plants are all doing well. Don't look to close we need mulch and I need to dig a few dandelions.

This is a blue Columbine. They are in their glory right now. 

I got some fresh veggies some to be cooked later and others as fresh veggies at the store. For so many years we used pasta and breads to stretch the menus and help the grocery budget. Now I guess I am going to have to rebudget the grocery lists when I go to the store. 

I bought apples, a cantaloupe and some strawberries. The apples I can make into a salad and change up how they are served. Totally different way of figuring what I eat. 

Jeff needs the carbs and I guess I can't have the ones I like to eat. Funny how your health dictates how you eat. Chris

Food issues

I think I am doomed. I love to bake and cook. Well after I eat anything made with wheat in it I fill up with horrible allergy symptoms. Sinuses and all the nasty stuff that goes along with it.

I now have to rethink all the foods I put in my mouth and see if I am right before I make a Dr's appointment. Hey I might even loose some weight if I do that also.

Wheat products are even in your ice cream, deli meats, let alone pasta, breads, cakes, gravies, So meat veggies and fruits. Not pie! And I am so hungry for a fresh apple pie.

I worked as a baker for years and I really enjoy the whole process and then the eating is the best. Well not for a month and then retest my theory as to weather it is true. Cost little to do that also is safe to do.

This does not mean I am dealing with Celiacs disease. It means I am allergic to the protein in wheat. With all the allergies I have it is the most likely answer.

Water will have to be my best friend and all the vegetables and fruits I can eat. Oh my no french toast, no pizza, no cookies. I have to think this thing through.

Going in to sew with a big glass of water and see what I can get done. Chris  

Cleaning instead of sewing

Today just had to be a cleaning day. I got my bedroom and the living room/dining room cleaned. It had been to long. I don't even care to say how long. Kitchen and one bathroom was yesterday. One more bathroom and the master bedroom and the extra bedroom need it to. Slowly but surely.

I have been digging into corners and going through papers and getting rid of things I just don't need to hang onto or need. Today I need to get it out of the house and to the garbage.

No rain today, but mostly cloudy. Sun is trying to break through.

Going to round up any old leftovers in the fridge and get to the garbage before I make supper.

I woke up today with a funny feeling. You know how you just feel like something is going on. Well today was my Maternal Grandmother's 110th birthday. She has been gone for a long time, but she was very influential in my life and my son's.

She was a sewer and a florist besides. She did sewing for others for years to support her girls during the depression and beyond. So I guess the sewing gene was there and I was blessed with it.

Hope you have a great evening Chris

Started out a good day

This picture was taken by my camera and it wasn't good light, but it is a picture of my granddaughter and her boyfriend the night at prom. She cleaned up pretty good compared to the little girl that was such a tomboy you would never see her in dresses.   

This is my stack of 6 inch square strings. I have 48 of them sewn to this point. I think I need 100 or 120 of them. So I will be at it for a couple more days. 

I got up got dressed went to the pharmacy. Oh yeah I forgot to say I started laundry did my dishes and then got out the door. Came back home and vacuumed the kitchen floor and one of the bathroom floors then used the steam mop on both of them. 

I atre some lunch and laid down and now I don't feel like doing anything. There is a storm system coming through in a couple hours and it is real calm out now. The sun has peeked through a little. We had gloomy skies this morning. So my energy level has ended. 

Tomorrow I need to get to the living room and the hallway. Maybe I can get  more done before the weekend. Then guess what it will be time to start all over again. LOL 

Maybe tonight I can sew some. I haven't done any all day. I plan on using leftover tonight for supper. We had roast beef the other night and I think hot beef sandwiches will taste good with mashed potatoes and gravy. We both grew up eating that kind of meal. We don't eat that way all the time now, but once in awhile we do. 

Hopefully no one is in the path of the bad storms coming tonight. Chris 

Lots of stitching

Lot of stitching going on. I actually got to sew for 7 hours yesterday. I think the day was bugging me and my husband thought I was hiding in the sewing room. No just had the urge to stay busy. 

This was my first Mother's Day without my Mother. I thought if I sat at her sewing desk and used her fabric it would ease my stress. It did, but nothing else got done. 

I have the girls tomorrow so if I need to do anything I have to get it done today. They keep me very occupied when they are here. 

This picture is dull. I see a lot more color popping through when I look at this footstool. These gray days we have been having I have to see color to raise my mood out of gloom. 

Suppose to rain later today. So I think we have to go out and mow before it rains. You see we punished ourselves by putting weed and feed on the grass. So guess what with all this rain we could mow every other day. But I don't have weeds and dandelions like ever one else in my neighbor hood. 

Next ordeal is the seeds coming out of the Maple trees. They are getting ready to release. They make a mess for sure. I also don't want trees starting every where. 

Hope you have some color in your life today. Chris

Sewing to be sewing

Happy Mother's Day to all those Mothers pout there. It is a quiet day here. We all got together Thursday night and had a meal together. 

I got up early and decided I just wanted machine time today. I have handwork I have been working on, but this was a machine day for me. 

I had a tub of 1.5 inch strings that have been around forever and I have some of these fabrics in almost every quilt I have made. so I thought why not make some string blocks. I am not sure how they will be set, but I got 23 made this morning. 

Now mind you I have been sewing for 5 hours already. I think this will have tiny sashing between the blocks. I can see this as a couch quilt for Christmas gifts. 

I have another tub with more 1.5 inch strips in and maybe this afternoon I can work with them. If I get 50 done in the next couple days I will be happy. I need to start sandwiching up quilts for machine quilting. I have so many to do and they won't get done if all I do it keep making tops.

Today will be a good day to reflect on my past Mother's Days with my Mother. She is gone, but not forgotten. Hope everyone has a nice day. Chris

Been busy, but not sewing.

Well I take that back I sewed for about an hour and a half yesterday morning. Then I got a phone call could we watch the girls yesterday. So we got the girls close to 10 am and they came to get them and brought supper for us.

Today the window trim for the sewing room should be going in. He has been taking the time off and on over the last three days to cut, sand stain and varnish and today is assembly day. Then I will be able to get the rest of the room finished. I have tried to be patient because he has slowed down so much and any work he does take three times more time. He is frustrated because it takes him so long to do it, but I try and be patient because it looks so nice when he gets it done.

The girls were fun and yet they were little stinkers to. The baby who is 19 months old today climbs into the bath tub and got the pump container of men's body wash and squirts it all over the bath tub. She got it on her clothes and she smells good, but I have a mess in there. I found her and she just giggles.

Today I need to clean. Extra little bodies can really stir the dust and also the things that are out of place. So I will sew some and also try and pick up things I see out of place and get the house ready to clean. Have a good one. Chris

Little sewing

Here is a picture of my little hexie shapes that I use to make my flowers. The thimble is sitting beside them. It takes a center and six of the hexies for around the center to make one flower that measures 2 1/2 inches. 

This is another picture of how small these pieces are. 

I got a few more worked up while waiting on the window rep. We got through that in about an hour and a half. The company changed some parts on the windows and it makes the open better. So he came on warranty work to get them so they worked better. 

The sun finally came out today. It got to 60 degrees. That is a lot warmer than what it has been and each day this week will get warmer also. 

My husband finally went out this afternoon and got the yard mowed. It has been hard trying to mow between rains, but he has kept up. We have a good sized yard and he did fertilize the yard this year so we really have grass growing. 

Going to try and get some more flowers made tonight while watching TV. Enjoy your evening. Chris

Few stitches here and there.

Ok I told you I wasn't done with the blocks. Well a hexie flower has appeared. I can sit at night and make the little flowers and applique them onto the block. 

These are the same size I use in my mini hexie flower garden top. They are 1/2 inch on a side. As always scraps are being used. The center of this block is 3 inches square so the hexie flower is about 2.5 inches across. It gives it a little something more than just squares.

I have been so run down with the weather being so awful. Rain for 4 days and gloomy for about a week. Today that is suppose to change some. We had a ton of rain over those 4 days. I just went to see how much it was over the four days. Well 4 inches of rain in the rain guage.

It will make the grass grow and the flowers bloom. I am now going to work on my flowers for a bit then onto finishing up more of the sewing room. Chris

Way behind in posting

I had my granddaughters all day Friday and over night so my days were not filled with sewing. This is to show you the other block to go along with the 16-patch. 

It isn't anything special, but I am not finished with them. I plan on a small applique in the white area of the blocks. I think they will be flowers, but they could be toys to make into a child's quilt also. Imagine using this as a lap quilt or just a quick throw on a couch. It is a color riot that will cheer anyone up. 

It is a 3.5 inch neutral square with two inch squares sewn around the outside edge. The 16-patch blocks are just that 16-2 inch squares sewn into a block. No nonsense sewing while watching TV. 

Today we will be working on clearing out the extra bedroom. We are having a few issues with the windows and the factory rep. is coming tomorrow to work on them. As I clean more up in the extra bedroom it will get put away in the sewing room. 

We have had three days of rain and have almost 3 inches of rain that has fallen. It has been cold and wet. Not a nice time for outside stuff. 

My Granddaughter went to her first prom last night and it was in a tent out on the football field with all this rain. At the last minute the prom committee supplied the girls with flip- flops instead of their dressy heels. We also heard the tent they rented was leaking. Anxious to hear how the evening went. I am sure eventful. 

Gray and gloomy again today. We have had enough rain. But we are more fortunate than others who had flooding and tornadoes. 

Take care. Chris