Sure glad I washed these

These batiks have been sitting there and I was pretty sure they hadn't been washed. I am going to use them for applique on a white background and wasn't liking the thought of bleeding stray dye onto the white background.  

So they got thrown into the washer with detergent warm water wash and 2 tablespoons od Dawn dish soap and three Color Guard sheets. They are in the dryer now. Will be ironing for ever when they come out of the dryer. 

I found two of the three Color Guard sheets. Look at the mess this would have left on a finished quilt if I hadn't washed them. So glad I did this. If in doubt do the right thing to protect your work. Chris

No affiliation to this company at all. Just a convinced user that they work.

I have made some progress

I got this tub of batiks from my Mother's stash. I like the bold colors, but never was attracted to them. I have just left them out to see if I could get inspired. Most of this tub is fat quarters. I have an applique project I wanted to get started and so why not use them for the applique pieces. There are a lot of variations within one piece. 

This is just a small piece, but look at the posibilites. 

Here is another group of the pieces. I can see this in applique flowers. 

I started last night with trcing on freezer paper and then I decided I need to do a different process. Also my permanent marker is going dry so I need to replace it to finish. Next trip to Walmart. 

These block patterns are from Teresa Rawson's Little Treasures. I bought the packages of flowers patterns. I have my background fabric bought so it is just get the pen and start in. 

Gloomy weather again today. No precip. but just dark. Hope you have a great day. Chris

This is another baby quilt size

This is another crib quilt in the works. I made this one and decided it wasn't big enough. Lots of color.

So I added 4-patches to the outside edges. Now I think it is big enough. I need to get this one basted and ready to be quilted. 

My husband started a big project. He is painting the ceiling today in his room. Then the walls need to be painted also. It has been several years and this is the last of the main projects. This will be two rooms done when this is completed. 

Well the sun was put for 30 minutes. Not near as long as it needs to be. It was 13 degrees at 5 am this morning. It is about 27 degrees out now at 10:42 am. Have a good day. Chris

I think this is ready to sandwich

I went into sew for a short period of time. I got the last border on this. I just didn't think it was wide enough for a crib quilt. This is crayon colors and really bright. Just from 2 inch wide strips. 

This is what I thought  would be enough but it just wasn't quite as wide as I liked. I put it down for several days well like 20 days if you look at the dates on the pictures. I thought about it and decided to add the logs around the 4-patches. 

I think it works and adds about 3 inches more to the width of the quilt. Which isn't much but it finished off the edge in my opinion, but who am I?

So later tonight I will get the backing pressed and get the batting ready. Maybe tomorrow I can get it pin basted and decide on the quilting and thread. I have a pale yellow I might use. 

Hope you have had a good sewing day. Chris

Errand day

Nothing real exciting for today. I have to go today and get the oil changed in my car and while it is there they are going to rotate tires.

Then I am driving to meet my son at the Fire station he is working at today. I need to talk to him face to face and not over text for a change. He works all the time and is exhausted when he is home.

Trying to regroup with my thoughts on doing machine quilting. I am not good at free motion quilting. I think the type of quilts I make the walking foot method is going to be the best I can do.

I have watched You Tube videos of using this method. Also I have experience with using a walking foot with garment sewing for years.

I am not bashful about my short comings when it comes to free motion quilting. I know I am not good at it and at this point in my life I know my learning curve is beyond my abilities. Not saying I can't try to learn, but just not a priority.

At the time I quit work I  had a dream of teaching basic piecing and trying to do machine quilting. I looked into buying a used longarm machine, but my life style changed because my husband's health changed. I am so glad I didn't get that job done with the purchase. I know now with my back issues I never would be able to stand to finish even a section of a quilt. Sometimes things happen for the best.

I love to look at machine quilting and longarm quilting. It fascinates me how these quilters come up with the beautiful quilts they do for others and for their judged pieces.

Well need to get a take along bag to go while I sit and wait for my car to get done. I am sure it will be about an hour worth of repairs to sit through.

Have a good day. Chris

Bits and pieces

Some more hexie work going on. I do this in the morning to get my hands limbered up. This is the 3/4 inch hexie papers. So it goes a little faster. I have been using garment thread to baste the paper pieces. Might as well use it up.

I have been the person many gave me leftover thread to. I received a lot of polyester thread and it was ugly colors so in basting it has worked well. In the Utility quilts I make I use polyester thread for stitching the units. 

Some will say that isn't right. Well polyester batting is used so what is the difference??

I found sets of these little containers at the local hardware/lumber yard. They have 3 larger containers with snap lids and three smaller ones. They can be connected together with the black little handles also. 

I use them for my EPP pieces and also small applique pieces. With them being clear you can find what you want at a glance. I think i got them on sale and then a month later they were buy two and get one set free. My husband has a couple sets in the garage for pop rivets and small screws. 

Another good storage contine is pencil cases. They are on mark down at the big box stores. They were cheap when school supplies come in also, but now like a quarter a piece. 

Well the nice weather has gone away. Colder temps and flurries off and on. Stay warm and safe Chris

Yeah they are here

Finally today my patterns I ordered came. No ones fault. We live rural and usually mail is slow getting to us. 

I ordered two packages of Little Treasures flowers from Teresa Rawson. I can't wait to get the small pieces cut out and stitched onto a back ground fabirc. I have thought I would maybe make two sets at one time. Maybe agressive, but it you have the colors out and the thread out why not. As they are printed they will make a 6 inch block.

I went to the store today and I can't believe the cost of everything now. Milk and eggs are cheaper, but meat sure isn't. 

Well I would like to thank Teresa for taking the time to send this to me. Thank you again. Chris  

Placing an order for fabric today

I have a package of applique patterns coming in the mail.Sorry Teresa didn't get to the mailbox today. My husband wasn't feeling good so stayed close.

I want to get some fabric ordered for background for applique blocks. I like the Kona Cotton Snow, but I have tpop order it. The Joann's doesn't carry it here. I do like a good quality tea dyed muslin also.

I would like to get to the quilt shop in a local town. It is about 50 miles away. They have civil war era prints.  I need neutrals. I have plenty of the other colors, but weak in neutrals.

Tomorrow it is suppose to rain so I think I will get my monthly shopping list made and try and get out between showers. We might get some snow fall also. We are 7 inches short on snow fall this winter. The farmers worry about that because it retains moisture in the ground when there is a ground cover.

Well going in to get ready for the day. Cleaning for sure. Chris

I made these over a year ago

I got on my Facebook this morning and you can see the date in the corner. Over a year. They are in stacks in the sewing room.

Scraps were used and maybe a little variety had to be cut to make these blocks. 

I have many of these done and a couple more in the works. I haven't sewn for several days again. I had granddaughters over three days for several hours each day. So that isn't a good time to sew. I go to bed early because of pain, but don't sleep until way after midnight and up by 5 am. Not enough rest.

I need to be on a mission. We are experiencing indoor allergies this Winter. Probably have before and didn't identify it. I ordered some new mattress pads and I am going in to clean bedrooms first. They now suggest sheets be changed twice a week. Also they need to be washed in hot water. I am thinking the quilts should be washed more often. So my goal tomorrow is tackle the bed rooms.

Jeff has difficulty also so I will start there. He can't afford to be sick.

I went out shopping today. No fabric, but went to a thrift store and found baby clothing. Some still had tags on them from stores. I got a huge sack full for $10. I made a good haul there today. The baby is growing and is in 3 month clothes already just under three weeks old, but she was so big at birth. Well enjoy your evening Chris

Busy evening

Last evening we got visitors. Katelyn is talking more all the time. She was using small sentences and all of a sudden it is a long conversation. She was 2 in October. She was recalling an event that she was involved in recently and she had to act it out. We just laughed. Fun when they are changing and evolving.

Autumn made sure we knew she was the big sister now and she could do everything herself. She will be four in March. Her logic is she needs to control everything. Mommy had to go to an appointment, o she took the baby.

Today we get all three of the girls so should be interesting how that goes. The older girls are good for us, but will they give Charleigh personal space. LOL. 

I have a bouncy chair which is a sling chair that she can lay in and not be held all the time. Then tomorrow they will all be here again for birthday supper for Grandpa.

I need to go to the store this morning and look for meat for the birthday meal. It is suppose to be in the 50's so we are going to grill out. I plan on steak. If you watch your buys sometimes it is cheaper than hamburger. So girls are coming at noon and I need to go to the store early or wait until early tomorrow.  Sometimes they have mark downs to move packages fast. 

Regardless of how you voted or feel politically this is going to be a historic day. I am not normally outspoken about politics or religion, but I have lived through many events over my 65 years. This one feels different even strange. Many have hope in there being changes, but I have fear and strange feeling which I hope aren't going to come to be an event. 

I hope today will be an event you will look back on and the things you want it to be or hope will happen. Days ahead will be a new adventure. Chris

I am here, but uptight today

The weather has this horrible effect on me. We are to get rain for the next 5 days. Yippee!. The last rain we got hasn't all soaked in. There is flood warnings in our area.

This is like cabin fever also. I want Spring or at least sunlight. Neither is happening.
I am trying to watch a little bit of TV while posting this.

Saturday is my Husband's birthday he will be 67 years old. I am planning on a grill out. We have a small grill we can put on the porch and still not be out in cold weather and have grilled steaks.

I need to go to the store and buy the meat and some things for a salad, but it won't be any black tie affair. We like our jeans and sweatshirts.

Besides I want my hands on that baby too. She will be two weeks old on Friday. Where have those two weeks gone???

I have some house picking up to do and a couple floors need cleaning before they all get here.

Well hopefully the sun comes out. Chris

Hexie work going on.

Making progress while I am aching from the weather. There is going to be a lot of color in this one. I think it will be a table topper when finished. 

These are hexies that are 3/4 inch on a side. They cover the area faster, but more stitching to get them sewn together. 

I bought this book this last Fall and haven't decided to start the main quilt. I need to come up with the pieces for the templates or EPP piecing. I can order them, but they are expensive. I need to take some time and see if Inklingo has them online so I can just print them out. I use printer paper and seem to get along well with it. 

This is the author of the book sitting working on this quilt. This pattern was not in the book, but it was intriguing. So I decided on the size I wanted to make my hexagons and started sewing. I think a lot of quilters can come up patterns. Maybe they aren't the same size as advertised, but if it works keep sewing.

With this being scrappy as far as the color theme it was right up my alley. I thought at some point I might do one with a brown inplace of the red. Sky is the limit. 

I went shopping today for some groceries at the local Walmart. I just had to get out of the house. We haven't had sunlight for over 10 days and it is suppose to come out today, but not until 4pm and then it goes down soon after 5 pm. It is trying to burn off now. 

Saturday will be my husband's 67th birthday. Plan on the kids coming for a supper. Not sure what I want to cook. I think he knows something is up, but we haven't discussed it. He loves seeing the grandkids. 

Well going to do some more stitching then figure out what for supper. Oh I know order a pizza. Chris  

Gray and Gloomy

This is a project I worked on last Spring. I don't think they are sewn together yet into a top. Modified Courthouse Steps.

They have a 4-patch in the center instead of the usual square block for the center. I had a lot of strips so I just kept sewing. I need to find them and get it made into a top. 

I have a plan after this next weekend to get the backings all made to fit these tops I am assembling. I will then measure up what I need for batting. I have a tons of scraps which for the smaller lap quilts or baby quilts work. For a bed size quilts I like a solid sheet of batting. 

Then the room will need cleaning because all the digging and I will sandwich the tops with the back and batting. I have to look for a transparent Mono filament thread to experiment with. I have a stitch on my new machine that if you use the clear thread on the top and regular bobbin thread it looks like hand quilting. So I will try to accomplish the look I want. I am going to Joann's and see what brand they have tomorrow and then determine if I need to go to quilt shoppe to get something else. 

I know some people have preference, but the availability to me without ordering isn't an option in my neck of the woods. If anyone has a preference let me know.  

This morning I woke up to a funny feeling. I had this overwhelming urge to call my Mother. Which is not an option. She has been gone over a year and a half. I spoke to her in my own way and felt better. 

I think this was all brought on by my Granddaughters lack of concern for her family members. We have reached out and got the cold shoulder so I am letting it rest for now. I know my mother would have done that. Maybe she was trying to tell me to step back and take a deep breath. It is so hard when you know they are making a mistake.

Growing up for teenagers when you are the parents and grandparents they use to love and rely on, to no contact for the adults it is so very hard to cope with. Hopefully it all works out and it becomes easier to adjust to changes. 

Gloomy weather doesn't help either. I wish the sun would come out and give everyone a purpose for being alive today. Life is to hard to have so many gloomy feelings to deal with. Especially when the feelings are not something you can change. Hope and prayers. Chris

She is 10 days old

Charlotte Elisabeth is 10 days old. She sleeps about 5 hours at a time. She has regained to her birth weight and grown 3/4 inch since birth. She is just a little under 10 lbs. 

She is wearing 3-6 month clothes and size 1 in diapers from birth. She picks her head up and puts it where she wants it. 

Her hair is going to be wavey we think and really silvery blonde. 

We didn't get the worst of the storm. Some ice, but more rain. The ground has frost in it and the water is pooling on the lawn and my driveway. So by the end of the week we are to be up almost at 60 degrees. So it will seep away eventually. 

Stay safe Chris

1/4 inch difference

Got my act together get things organized for easier access to the EPP projects. As you can see the difference in the size of the hexies. The blue one is 1/2 inch hexie shapes on a side. The  

 orange is 3/4 inch on the side.

Of course more than one project doesn't get me bored. I have things ready in case we have weather issues over the next couple days. 

Last night I spent way to much time on Pinterest again, but I learned. Mind you I am a self taught quilter and sewer I haven't had any formal training in the sewing skills in school. I was way more advanced than the other students and the teacher was frustrated with me in a Junior high school class I was required to take. I was finished with the project and they had just begone to  get started on a project. 

The learning I  found out with searching last night was the Walking foot designs for quilting has advanced over the years. There are several sites that have very organic designs that I can see me using with my scrappy quilting style. I just looked into Walking Foot Designs and it was really eye opening. I have used a walking foot for many other things in my sewing life over the years. 

I saved a lot of the info for future reference. If you want a different look and if you are like me that free motion quilting is a horrible challenge this might get you closer to the look you want. Take your time. A walking foot works better if you slow down. 

I cooked a big package of stew meat the other day and froze 2/3 of it for future use. I made beef vegetable soup with the first amount. It was really good. I think I am going to get the other batch out and make beef and noodles today.

If I do this kind of cooking we have a good meal and it is not fast food. 

Hopefully you are not in the way of this storm and you maintain electricity. Stay safe and warm. Chris

My purchase

I was at the big box store. Walmart and looked through their craft and notion aisle. I found a different type of pin. Dritz now makes a pearlized headed applique pin. Clover has made on for a long time. But theirs are smaller. 

The one on the left is the Dritz pin. The head is bigger for those of us with stiff fingers who still do applique. I also use them on holding the hexie papers and the fabric together until you baste the units. Sorry the pictures aren't great. 

I think there are 150 pins in this container for just under $2 at Walmart. I like to pass on new items that might make your work easier. 

We have a storm coming and I am going to go in and organize my fabric for more hexies so I can sit by the window and watch the weather blow on through. I am trying to find a container to hold the hexie shapes, scissors, thimble, thread, pins and fabric. I have a basket with a center handle that is flat on the bottom so I think it needs cleaned out and refilled with the necessary things. 

Update: I have worked with the new pins all afternoon and 

I love them. Chris

OMGosh.......

I have been reading blogs of quilters for about 7 years. I think there are still a few I read every day or at least every time they post. I have made a decision.

I am not dedicated enough to accomplish what they do. Not every one is a quilt teacher or in the business to make a living. I am not, but they keep cranking out the quilts.

I have a small house and I have limited ways of getting rid of them. My kids and grandkids have no place to store them.

I think I have been pretty hard on myself with the goals to complete things. I think after this last Fall and being sick I need to work on myself.

I plan on working on what is here, but I think I need to not keep a to-do list that maybe will get started, but never finished.

I think I have a plan and I think I am going to stick to it. Chris

I am up

Not sure what is going to take place today. We have the possibility of ice storms coming our way over the weekend. I have food in the house and I thought about making some snack stuff before the possibility of loosing electricity.

We live on a well so water will have to be drawn off to use to drink and toilets. I think i am going to round up some hexies to work on in case we loose the electricity. I can do that to keep myself busy.

Charge my phone and maybe the laptop. We can maybe watch a movie if nothing  else. I have a ton of DVD's around. We have a puzzle in the works. Plenty of batteries and we have a gas fireplace we can light for heat.

This old girl has lived in the country before and needed to be prepared. If an outage is prolonged it will be cold enough to place food in containers and place on the porch. If we have to place food in containers and put on the porch to keep it from spoiling. We have the covered porch and it isn't 80 degrees out. Thank goodness.

Sit by the fire and sew like they did in the pioneer days.

I remember being without electricity out here for 19.5 hours a couple years ago. This time we have the fireplace with a manual gas pilot in it so we have heat. It struggles to be above 60 if the furnace isn't running, but better than no heat at all. We will survive.

Hope everyone is safe and not in this storms path. Keep on stitching Chris

Cutting and sewing but over whelmed

 Sewing to try and keep my sanity is now making me insane. Everywhere I turn there is a pile of sewn pieces or completed blocks and there they sit.

This will be a century old before I get done with it and I have another one just like it with different tan fabric started also. 

This was an experiment that I think will be placed in a row quilt with some other odd blocks I have tucked away. 

9-patches in multiple sizes are floating around and nothing more has been done with them. There is probably 50 of them there.

4-patches well what can I say I think i have four bags of them and also I found some smaller ones on a pressing board I have in the sewing room and there is almost 200 of them. 

Solid and string blocks. Enough for a couch throw. 

I have been up since 3:30am. Hurting and couldn't lay there any longer. The  longest period of sleep last night was an hour and fifteen minutes at one time. 

I got up this morning to go make coffee and stubbed my big toe and ripped the nail pretty badly. So Which is worse hurting laying quietly or walking and hurting while moving. I give up.

I think after a little while I am going to go back and lay down. I have taken some meds and Hopefully I get sleepy from them. 

I think I will get up then and get dressed and sew until I can't sit there anymore. Don't have any other plans for the day. Made a pot of vegetable beef soup yesterday so lunch is just a warm up deal. 

Ok as you can see I have lots to do if I just get in there. Chris 

What is wrong with me???

After dinner each night I start to get uptight. Lights are on. I am not alone, but the feeling is still there.

I try and find a hobby or look on Pinterest. I can loose several hours looking at Pinterest. Mostly I look at quilting, embroidery, cooking sites.

I guess I now when I lay down at night I suffer with pain I can't get rid of. I am improving, but I still hate this time of night. I have an adjustable bed which I play with a lot during the night to find less pressure for a period of time.

During the day I walk use the heating pad and change chairs to relieve it. At night you don't have those options. I have tried pillows, side to side positions. I need some good sleep.

I am going to try and calm down and see if I can make a different approach to going to bed.

Here is the block

The logs in this block are all cut in 2 inches X 3.5 inches. You can print out this picture for your pattern. It uses up lots of color and pieces in a hurry. A bright colored quilt top with these colors for kids. You can change the colorways to pastels and neutrals or repro civil war prints.

I have used men's shirtings in this one for contrast. This one will make a twin quilt when the blocks are all sewn together. 

You can change the size of the logs to larger sizes to make a larger block. The challenge is make it your own.Chris 

More sewing

Row sewing has been going on. I ran out of bobbin thread so I took a break. These are 2 in X 3.5 inch logs sewn together to make the blocks. 

You sew to together the long way and then add the logs around. Tomorrow I will make a tutorial on the block. It uses up a lot of scraps and makes a good sized block when all the rounds are sewn on.

It has rained today and kinda gloomy. I went to Walmart and did a little shopping. So I am pan frying chicken for supper. I am hungry for chicken. So after this I will get the prep stuff done and get dinner started.

We normally don't eat big meals every night, but I was hungry for a change.

Hope you have a good evening. Chris

Still looks messy, but better

Yes it is a mess yet, but several things have been completed or moved to a better stage of completion. I can see the top of part of the desk top. 

In reading other blogs as I do in the morning I read a sad post. Sue Garman has ended her struggle with cancer and is now resting in peace. She lost her husband a couple months ago and now she is gone also. 

She was a very talented quilter and appliquer. 

I have little or no ambition today. I have to get to the grocery store and also do meal. I slept, but it is suppose to be a rainy day and the aches and pains come back. I use to get migraines now I get body migraines. LOL

I have noticed more and more that quilt bloggers are giving up posting or they have slowed down to one a month. Some bloggers are changing their blogs. I am fine with mine the way it is, but I wish I was more inspired. 

The stack of Log Cabin blocks on the desk in the picture were started by my Mother. I finished over half of them to  get about 35 blocks. So I need to get them laid out to see if I need more or I need to just get them sewn into a top. 

I am trying not to start anything new, but complete things. Some things I haven't worked on in so long it is like a new project. Funny how life gets in the way and priorities change. 

Thinking of Sue Garman. You are given today, but maybe not tomorrow. Do your best. Chris

Finishing up some loose ends

I started this way before Halloween. I got the center pieced and then just left it. So the last couple days an hour or so at a time I have gone in and put the two borders on it. More of a baby quilt size. Lots of color is in this top. 

Everything in this top is from 2 inch strips. I had tons cut so I thought I would use them up. I need to look for a back for it and do cross hatch quilting on it. I don't want to take away from the geometric design with flowers or hearts.

This is another top that was started over a year ago. It is for an extra long twin bed. I need to add some borders to get the right width. I think the 4-patches were made with 1.5 inch squares. I received some in a thrift store purchase and I just added to them. 

So I am progressing, but which pile do you start in. I have two log cabin quilt tops to quilt and 1 courthouse step top to quilt. 

I want you to know I am happy with my improvement, but the real gift in all this I have lost 40 lbs. I have gone back to pants I hadn't worn in over 18 months today and they slid on easy. I hope I never let myself go again. I am still trying to get in better shape. Can't stop in the middle now. 

I think three little girls are coming for us to watch tomorrow for about an hour. Mommy has to go back for a checkup after having baby. The two girls have been staying with their grandma and they saw the baby at the hospital, but today they come home and will have to adjust. 

Katie the two year old doesn't understand. So her nose will be out of shape for awhile. 

Here is a picture of the three girls at the hospital. Autumn is the older one she is 3.5 years old. Charleigh was 2 days old and Katelyn who is 2 years old is standing behind the baby playing with the baby's hair. They sure do look like sisters. Hopefully tomorrow we will get some more pictures.

Have a good one Chris

New baby girl

Poor baby went through a lot. She had the cord around her head stomach and leg and couldn't go through the birth canal. She was a C-section baby. Ready for this 9 lbs 14 oz and 21 inches long. Look at the little rolls. She will not be able to wear newborn clothing or diapers. 

They think her hair is red. Katie's hair is read and Autumn's hair was red when she was little. The  last I heard her name is Charlotte Elisabeth. Nicknamed Charliegh

She will be a go getter like the rest of them.

I will go to see her tomorrow. Mommy is wore out. Chris

Delinquent

I have been a bad girl. Lurking on Pinterest for hours at a time. 

I really think tomorrow I will unplug and try to get something done. I did get out of the house for some medicine for my husband today.

Then I fixed supper and changed the sheets on my bed. I have been trying to do more each day. Yes I did two loads of laundry also. 

Well the baby update and expected date has passed. Tomorrow evening they are planning on inducing her. The baby according to their measurements or guessing which ever is close to 9lbs. 

So maybe we will have a new granddaughter sometime in the next 48 hours. Hopefully everything goes ok. The other grandma is keeping the girls this time. 

Going to try and go to bed early. Last night I layed down and was awake until 12:30 am and then up at 5:30 am. Not much sleep. 

Artic air is on its way and I think my bedroom window is open. Stay warm. Chris