Mini quilts finished

Dear readers,

I have finished the little mini quilts that I started for the practice for quilting.  I did the micro quilting on the first one.  Cross hatching on the second one.  And a radiant look on the third one.  For the spools I did free motion circles on the lights, and used my walking foot to stitch in the ditch for the inner part and did gentle curve in the border.

Still working on names ....

Terry

Re-configurating a cabinet.

Dear Readers,

Today I worked on the next lesson, cross hatching but I don't have that project quite finished to photograph.

My other project this weekend was to change a cabinet in my kitchen around.  Even tho my kitchen is big, I had a big pantry in Columbus and I was missing that type of storage.  I wanted a place to store some of the things that didn't seem to have a good place in this kitchen. But at the same time, I would need a place for brooms and tall things like that.  So what I decided to do was to but shelves that were 9 inches deep in.  That would leave 2 inches that would accommodate the broom or mop handles.

So, thought the best way to do this would be to add adjustable shelving.  So I had been thinking about this and planning to put a level and measure to where each hole would be, and I had been worried that I would not be able to be consistent enough to make all the shelve sit level.  So today I had a breakthrough.  I decided to take a board and use my drill press to put the holes in that would act as guides to drill the holes in the cabinet.  It worked like a charm.  And boy did it make putting the supports in easy.  No marking on the walls or trying to measure and level all at the same time!

So I put the holes in and cut the shelves with my table saw.

So that looked great.  Added the shelves and now have a basket for nuts, and one for onions and one for potatoes.  And I still have room canned goods or cook books...I haven't decided which will be better to put where.  I can readjust the height if needed.

So feeling rather productive tonight!

Think this technique would work well if any of my quilty friends need to change up a closet for fabric!

Sew long,

Terry

Mini Quilts and a Craftsy Class

Dear Readers,

Our guild, Possum Town Quilters, is going to host the Mississippi Quilting Association next year and we are considering different fund raisers.  One is to have a silent auction of mini quilts that people can hang as art pieces or use on a table.  I also signed up to take a machine quilting with your walking foot class from Craftsy.com taught by Jacquie Gering.  So I decided to combine the goals of making something for the guild, trying the techniques that Jacquie was teaching, and learning to use my new Juki.

So last week I made a mini tumbler quilt and I took my scraps from the quilt I made for my son and sewed them together to make 3 other mini quilts.

So I put the Juki back out and started micro quilting this morning.  About an hour and half in it started making a noise then locked up.  So I have a trip to Meridian in my future.  Ugh.  They got on the phone with me and we tried for about a half hour to get it going but determined that it was not something I could fix.  I hope it is an easy fix.

So frustrated.  So I put it aside and got the Bernina back out and finished it up and trimmed it.  I still need to bind and name it, but I did the micro quilting.  Not sure it was the best choice for this project but I needed to practice it.  It makes a quilt really stiff so it is only a technique I would want to use on a wall hanging.  I used a variegated thread for the quilting. The colors in it go from brown to cream although it looks white in the photo.

If you have any suggestions for a name let me know.  I will probably bind in red or blue.  

Have a great weekend!!  

Terry

Jelly Roll Races

Dear Readers,

Last month at Possum Town Quilters sit and sew meeting we had a Jelly Roll Race.    Terri (another member) presented some options if you did not want to do the typical Jelly Roll race quilt.  She showed how to do the 3 dudes quilting pattern that Jenny Doan did on a Missouri Star quilt tutorial.  You can link to that here.

My son had wanted a quilt to use as a spread in his guest room.  So I had been on the lookout for a pattern that would make up pretty quickly as it did not have a spread at all.  We had discussed using the colors in an area rug he had in the guest room.  The room is painted blue.

I did not want to make the original Jelly Roll Quilt as I had made two of those already.  Since I had made the JJ Knox quilt and had gotten a lot of good feedback decided that would be a good direction to go.  So in order to make it big enough for a queen sized bed, I figured out I would need two jelly rolls.   I was using the Artisan Batiks - Prisma Dye Neutral Nuance Roll Up by Lunn Studio for Robert Kaufman.   After I had those in my home, I decided that I should add  a few red strips and add enough of the black/blue so that each set of 5 would have a black strips in it.    So I ordered the extra fabric and  two charm square packs to use in the border.  I was also planning to use the black/blue in the border.

I cut each strip in half and pinned them in groups of five so there would be a good bit of variety in the blocks.  At the sit and sew I got about half the blocks done. I finished them over the next few days.

After I got the center done, I decided I needed something between the black border and the body of the quilt.  On a trip to Birmingham, we stopped in Tuscaloosa and bought the bright blue to break it up.

There were lots of pretty quilt tops made that day.  Check out what you can make with a Jelly Roll and you can produce a quilt top quickly!

Since I had the day off Monday and had the borders on by about noon, I decided to take it to Betty Lewis to quilt.  That way I could still get back home to verify grades for the end of the 1st 9 weeks for school.  I was nervous about doing such a large quilt on my new machine.  It is about 103" x 103"!  So I decided I will try that out on my next quilt.

Sew on!

Terry

New Machines

Dear Readers,

This summer/fall I also upgraded my sewing machines.  I bought a Bernina for piecing to replace my Janome.  I bought a Juki for quilting lap and smaller quilts on.  I bought a featherweight for taking to classes.  I traded in my Babylock that I used to take to classes when I bought the Bernina. I know this is confusing to follow...but suffice it to say, sewing machine wise, I am in a much better place.   I had also bought a older singer for $35 and then had it serviced, but did not realize the light was broken off.  So I need to sell my older singer and my Janome.  Everything is ready to go except that the Featherweight needs servicing.  I will need to take it over to Starkville to Richard Vasik the featherweight doctor.

I brought the Juki home yesterday and had to enlarge the opening just a little so it would fit in...so out came the saber saw and it really went pretty well.  I am pretty excited about having the set up I have wanted for a while.  The Juki has a larger throat than the Bernina to accommodate more of a quilt.  It also has easy drop down feet for free motion quilting and was recommended by Sharon Schambers to one of my friends who took her class as a good machine for sit down quilting.

I also put up a shelf in the bedroom, while I had the tools out.  That, cleaning bathrooms, dealing with a clogged drain and a few other things and all of a sudden the day is gone.

At least tomorrow is a day off....whew I need it.

Terry

Row by Rowing with my son

Dear Readers,

After I got home from my travels, my air conditioner died.  Well here in Mississippi, in July,  that means you have to find another place to stay.  Normally it takes a couple of days, but because the ac man's son was having surgery it ended up taking about 2 weeks.  I was hanging out with my son in Tupelo while we were waiting on it to be fixed.  Well, since I was at his house, I mowed his grass on Friday so we would have the weekend to play.  I had wanted to go to Tennessee to get some of the Row by Row kits and license plates.    I have also never been to the civil war battle fields in Corinth and I thought Will would enjoy that.

 When we first got out of the car and started walking up to the visitors center of the National Park at Corinth commemorating the battle of Shiloh, there were mini sculptures of things soldiers would have had with them scattered along the walk, as if they had been lost or abandoned during battle.

 I will admit it brought a lump to my throat to think of all the lives lost there.

After we toured the museum we watched a demo on how to shoot a musket...and on our way back to the car we passed this plaque that reminds of the good that came from that conflict... to read more about the National Park or plan a visit click here.

After we left the battle field we drove to Jackson, TN and then to Memphis to look for license plates and kits.  Some stores were out but some were fun.  

We tried to end by going to the new Bass Pro Shop in the pyramid but we couldn't find parking so we headed back to Tupelo.  Will was mighty nice to go to three quilt shops with me.  Thanks son!

Sew you later,

Terry

Trip home from Colorado

Dear Readers,

When I left Celeste, I decided to stop at quilt shops between Colorado and Mississippi.  But because I didn't want to take forever to get home, I decided to target shops in smaller cities that were close to the interstate.  I was collecting the patterns and the license plates from the shops participating in the Row by Row program.  It was a fun way to break up crossing the heartland.  It had been years since I had taken that route, and I really enjoyed the drive even if it was not dramatic in the usual since of the word.  I was continually amazed at how far you could see.  I was blessed with beautiful blue skys that seemed to go on forever.

 America is truly beautiful in every state.

 These are a few of the plates I picked up.  All of the shops were so much fun and welcoming.  I

 One of the highlights of the drive home was a stop at Missouri Star Quilt Company.  I had a nice time there.  There are a 5 stores there that you can shop at, and I think I found things I "needed" in all of them.  Here is a link to a  video tour that someone posted on youtube.  That will give you a better idea of what is there better than I can.

I got a picture with Jenny Doan!!

Mural in progress.

 After I left Hamilton I headed over to the Mississippi to get on 55 to head South.  I went a little out of the way to see the arch.  I wanted to get out and try to get to the top, but there was a Cardinals game and construction at the Arch park.  Combined they created so much traffic and so little parking that I decided to keep on rolling.

While I had a wonderful trip, I was glad to get home and see my fur babies.  Almost all the work from the contractors was done and I was able to start setting up my home!!

It was a wonderful summer!!

Sew long,

Terry

NQA Show in June 2015

Dear Readers,

Last June I went to a quilt show offered by the National Quilt Association.  It is a smaller show than some of the others.  Some friends and I met there and took some classes and went through the show.  It was delightful.  Judy Stokes had some quilts that had been accepted into a juried show and so did another friend of mine Julia Graber.  So we wanted to see them and Lauren and I wanted to take a class on modern quilting as we are both a little perfectionist, at times, which stops us from producing because it is hard to be perfect.

Julia won an award for this quilt https://www.facebook.com/nqaquilts.  So proud of both of these ladies.

Lauren, Eva Marie (Judy's sister) and I all enjoyed our class with Christa Watson.  Here is a link to her blog.  There are links to the classes she teaches and in her shop has her patterns and other things for sale.   She is a very encouraging and fun teacher.   Anyway, Lauren was making a quilt in Red, White and Blue for use for picnics, tail gating and the 4th of July.  Lauren is an Ole Miss Grad so she picked the patriotic/Ole Miss colors for her quilts.  I decided to do mine in teals, browns and a little red thrown in for fun.  I waited too late to write this as I cannot remember Eva Marie's colors.  Eva Marie has finished her quilt but I have not seen it.  I did not take near enough photos on this trip!!

Christ with her sample quilt.

Lauren's and mine are still in the WIP (work in progress) stage.  When I can get to it, I really liked the process.  It is really freeing.  There are mine on my design cover (wall).

I was hoping to have the quilt finished before writing this post.  But decided to go ahead and write it before I forgot everything I saw.

Weight is still the same...no progress and no backsliding.  I am going to have to add exercise if it is to move more....sigh.

Sew long.

Terry

Summer Trip

Dear Readers,

This summer I took a road trip.  I had some things I wanted to take to my daughter out in Colorado so I didn't want to fly.  I also had a trip  planned to go to the National Quilt Show in Little Rock and since I was that far, I had decided to go on to Colorado.  Celeste, my daughter, needed to get some work done on her car, so we could use mine while hers was in the shop.

On the way there I did not stop at Row by Row quilt shops as the program had not started yet.  Celeste let me sleep in her room and she took the couch...After the first night, I knew something needed to be done.  There is a security light on the building next door, directly opposite her bedroom window and even with the blinds down, I believe you could read by the light.  Yes it is that bright.

So the next day Celeste and I went to the fabric store and bought the supplies to make Roman shades.  We found a great buy on the remnant table.  That makes it even more exciting.  Celeste has two windows.  A small one in the corner and a larger one over the bed.  We decided the shades should hang inside the frames, but on hindsight it would have been even darker in the room with them on the outside of the frames.  It was a big improvement, but a bright sliver of light makes it though.

It wasn't all work and projects.  Celeste and I had a couple of nice dinners out and a really good smoothie at a place near where she had a dentist appointment.  I also had time to drive around and get lots of kits and plates in the Denver area for the Row by Row.  It was fun to visit quilt shops and get an idea about what is available in the area.

One day I drove out to Golden and went to the shop there and the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum.

 I had just come from the Little Rock Quilt Show where I had taken a class on Modern quilting, which will be another post for another day, and they had a portion of the exhibit in July was on modern quilting.  The picture above was my favorite.  They also had an amazing exhibit of quilts that honored Native Americans.  The quilting was truly amazing.

I'm not guaranteeing you would see these things if you went by, but if you are in the area, it is worth stopping.  After visiting the museum and the shop across the street, I stopped at a sandwich place and picked up a sandwich and took it to the top of Lookout Mountain and had a picnic.

This makes me miss my girl, she is so much fun and so smart.  Next post...I will tell about the trip home.

Sew long,

Terry