Thoughts on Quilting

No pictures today sorry. The first thought is I don't have enough time to finish all I want to. The second thought is will it matter if I don't have enough time? I am not an Heirloom quilter, just a quilter who likes to handle fabric. I know others have said heirloom quilting is all you leave behind,I mean no whole cloth hand stitched lifetime quilt.
I am a scrap quilter most of the time and I really do envy others work. I guess I am a want-a-be quilter.
I have been cutting and organizing since the room got cleaned. I cut for about 2 hours yesterday. Today I think I will do some sewing. My Mom said if I sewed 24 hours a day for the next century I still wouldn't get everything done. She is probably right. Now the next issue is Here I am on the computer and not at the machine. LOL So what is more important. Speak our thoughts for others to appreciate, laugh at or ponder or be in there to sew quilt and create. Ok I know you all think I am nuts as I think too and I should get the kester up and get into the sewing room. At least the computer isn't in the same room. I tried that for awhile and I never got anything done. Hope some can relate to my frustrations and laugh with me. I know I am not sewing enough said BYE. Chris

Sorting, Sorting and more sorting to do

This is where we started this morning. Still piles everywhere. We worked at it together and got a lot done. She would work awhile and go play the Wii games and then she wander back in there and work some more. We moved some of the storage drawers to the end of the table to let more light into the window on the west side of the room.

This is the counter after major sorting was done. We got a lot sorted by size and also by whether it needs a lot of trimming before it could be used. The irons and the distilled water are all up on the shelf and not sitting where ever they were set.

This is two laundry baskets and a wicker basket full of fabric that was sorted refolded and stacked. After I got it all on the shelves I looked at Taylor and said now we need to sort by color and I thought her chin was going to fall off her face. She said No way. She wouldn't help me do that.

I still have a few storage containers to go through and make sure I have all the pieces for UFO's in place. I did place some blocks that were completed all together in gallon sized storage bags. All the over flow is on the extra bed and needs to be sorted through. Magazines and garment patterns are in there. Also the ironing board. Not sure where I am going to place it. Maybe folded up behind the door for now. I have a pressing board for blocks. Taylor was really great help so I need to get her dolls dressed now.
Isn't it amazing how much stuff we have and it can all be placed in some order and not look so cluttered. I still have some things to finish but this was a great lot of it done. Hopefully with some practice I can keep it this way. Chris

The room is better but not done

The process has started. We wanted to get done sooner, but after three trips to the hardware store and the neighbor coming with a lawnmower part that he needed help with we got the shelves on the wall. The batteries for the drills were dead also. They are up and the process has started.

Not sure I will ever be able to find anything. Taylor is a great help, but she has a tendency to move one pile to another. I let her go and when I get back in there I will sort one shelf at a time. She feels good helping.
We found a lot of things that got pitched. This room has been a dumping area of late and that is going to stop. We have more to go through this morning. In all that mess I have 4 sewing machines and she was floored to think I had that many.

My son said that when I pass away it is all going to the landfill anyway. Nice thought. I can always change my will right!

Well it is lightening and thundering really badly so I am getting off. Later Chris

Things are going to change

My granddaughter is here for a couple days and threatening me that everything is going into garbage bags and to the dumpster. Well her Great Grandma told her to get hands off. I made her a deal. We would go tot the hardware store and buy some shelves and brackets today and bring it home for her brother and grandpa to put them up on the wall.

She thought that would be a great idea. Now to the other part of the story. When she was at her dad's she found a couple of her dolls she wanted new clothes for so that means I need to get some doll clothes made for her. She doesn't really play with them anymore but she wants them to look nice on display. So as soon as I can gt out the door we are on the run today to get this done. Chris

Who do I blame for this??

My sister came last week as I told she would. She did bring 5 bags of fabric. Now what do I do with it all? It is sitting on my freezer and I have to get it put away tomorrow.

She owned a designer bear business and dressed all the bears with real dressy clothing. Most of it is linen and cotton velveteen. Some lace and satin and taffeta fabrics are in the bag. This bag had some cotton prints in it that I can use for quilting. She told me she had a small box of fabric and she came with 5 bags full. I finally told her I would maybe do a crazy quilt with the velveteens and taffeta and satins.
I thought I would like to try my hand at all the embroidery stitches and the trimmings of a throw. Maybe I am dreaming, but I can't see good fabric go to waste. Now[as I am scratching my head] I need to find a spot for it. Under my bed, shoot I have it full now what? Chris

Holy SKAMOLEY it is HOT, HOT HOT!

That is an understatement. The heat today is suppose to be worse than yesterday. We had heat indexes at 116*F yesterday. They said Iowa and I feel for all of you in Iowa had the worst heat indexes yesterday they have ever had. One was 131*F. That is the actual heat temp and the humidity added to it. Just the opposite of Windchill factors. I need to pick beans and also pull weeds. I think it will wait until it gets cooler this weekend. I do need to mow also. All this humidity makes the grass grow.
My sister was here for three days last week and we did some things together. My Mom visited with her more than me. Then over the weekend I had the two grandkids all weekend. So I was tired from all the confusion. I guess I live to much of a routine. When it has changes it is more than I can handle. I need to get my day started and yet I don't think I will be able to settle down to a whole lot today.
With all this heat watch for your neighbors and children and also for the pets that are outside. Really the pets need to be brought inside out of the weather. Stay cool and keep drinking lots of water. Chris

When will the fear quit??

My sister is here to visit for a couple days. She is a landscape designer and learned to use tools to make her drafting of landscapes easier. We have had this conversation about making feather designs for quilting. She remembered she had these French Curve tools that she thought I could use to make the types of designs I am looking to use on my quilts. They are sold at most office supply places and can be ordered online. As you draw with them you can slide them to make an exaggerated line and then you have a more flowing design when completed.

There are several sizes and yet I can't make them work. I must not have a mechanical brain to make them work. She is coming back to visit today again, she has been staying at my Mom's so maybe I can get her to demonstrate the usage before I purchase some of my own.

I admire the designs of so many quilters and how they get the shapes they use to quilt with. Many have the skills to do things free hand, but I fall flat in that category. My hand drawn feathers are irregular and miss shaped so badly they look like nothing. Maybe I will be a grid person the rest of my life. The fear of trying to make something look great and then having to tear it all out is paralysing to me. The fear of not knowing what I am doing is also not a good feeling. I usually can figure things out with trial and error, but this has stopped me in my tracks.

Maybe these tools would help others that have my fears. Maybe you are talented enough to figure out how to work them. As I get older my ability to learn new methods is so daunting it scares the wadding out of me. I know practice, practice, but it is frustrating, frustrating. Chris