sewing this week

I have gotten all 12 of the blocks for Chain of Faith made. I still have to piece the connecting sash. Let me just say it looks a lot better in person than in this picture. The green accent doesn't have as high a contrast as I would like but I think when finished it will be a nice blended color combination. I hope to sash it tomorrow. It won't be a real big quilt even with 18 inch blocks.

Meanwhile tonight I played in my scraps again. I really liked the Dancing Nines that I did with the 30's reproduction but after looking at Bonnie Hunter's again, I liked her borders. I have a bunch of fall 2 inch strips left after making those place mats so I pulled a bunch of them out and started sewing strip sets. The framing strips is actually a dark wine color not this bright purple. This goes really fast. I made 24 nine patches just after supper. Got other plans for my off day tomorrow so may not get back to this for a while but I have a good start.

MCM finished

I started Mad City Mama on the 15th of August and finished it on Sat. Aug. 24th.. That's pretty good with working too. It stops with the yellow sashing on the outside no outer border. I may go back and add an outer border even though the pattern doesn't call for one. Because I used 3 inch sashing instead of 3 1/2, mine is about 72 inches square.

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I did use up a lot of 1 1/2 inch strips from that overstuffed drawer but in no way did I empty it.

I got started on Chain of Faith. This is the small block. It is a Moda Bakeshop pattern done by Jo at Jo's Country Junction.

Put four of the small blocks together with sashing and a corner square to make the large block. Her pattern calls for two jelly rolls and makes 16 of these larger blocks. Again it is a square quilt. I only had one jelly roll and two charm packs from the same line. On of the cuttings you made from the jelly roll was 128 pieces 4.5 inches long. I cut these from the charm packs. Even doing this I will probably only have enough to make 12 large blocks. That will be fine since the large blocks measure 18.5 inches plus sashing between the blocks. I think that will make a nice size quilt. I may try to search the internet for some of that fabric for a border. Or it may call for a trip to Stitcher's Garden, can't remember if she carries much Moda.

Have a good week all,

Saturday morning update

Friday was probably the most stressful day I have had in a long time. Between the very weird customer (notice that is singular, how can just one make such a difference) and visits from upper management who have no clue about the real day to day workings of retail, I was mentally exhausted (but not nearly as stressed as others who work there). Thankfully we had planned just go get something for supper, but guess what there the drama continues. Just as I go in to the restaurant, they are trying to get a young girl out to a car and she is totally out, just limp as a dishrag. Others voiced what I am thinking, should have called an ambulance. Thankfully Johnny is a good listener and I was able to share all of my day with him and relieve some of that built up stress . Of course I had to get it all out before time for the race to start. LOL Time for therapy, to the sewing room I retreat. It was a good night of sewing. I finished all the blocks for Mad City Mama and actually got one row of blocks and sashing put together.  Johnny came to check on me about 9 o'clock because I was awfully quiet, he is disgusted, Kyle Bush won again.

I have a few things to do today, getting hair cut, thank you Donna. Probably have to buy groceries but plan to grill tonight so Johnny will be in charge of supper tonight. While reading Jo's Country Junction blog this morning I found the perfect pattern for a Jelly Roll and 2 charm packs that I bought when Ada and I went to Houston market with Gina. When was that 2007 or 2008 maybe 2009, I have been looking for a pattern for those fabrics since. I have bought at least 3 different light backgrounds trying to find something to work them, then I saw Jo's Chain of Faith that she did for Moda Bakeshop and loved the  pattern. Quick, easy and I think it will work with the one jelly roll and 2 charm packs. I went to my green stash first and the first piece I looked at was a perfect match or blend and I have about 3 yards so I think that will work. 

What do you think, I think it looks pretty good. I am going to finish Mad City Mama before I start this one, but since there are only 16 blocks that shouldn't take too long. Hopefully today!

Have a good weekend, check back for finished photo of Mad City Mama,

plugging away

Got a little sewing time in this morning. One more block made so I am half way there. Worked on pieced snowballs over weekend so this morning worked on 25 patch blocks. Got 5 more finished only 15 more to go. Making a few strips sets at a time to see how far they will go. Got to get ready to go to work now, have late hours today, but then early hours tomorrow and Friday. When I get of Friday I should have 66 hours before I have to go back to work. YEA!

This morning my financial guy came by to talk with us about the status of my retirement accounts. The main thing Johnny and I got out of it was that if we live long enough everything will be alright. The really big thing is that in one year I will be 59 1/2 years old and can do more with my money or what little is left of it without penalties. So for sure I have to do my best to stick out another year at Hobby Lobby then we may reevaluate things. So HI HO HI HO it's off to work I go, I just need those 7 little guys to help here at the house.

Have a good day all!

Latest Project

These blocks are "Mad City Mama" from Leaders and Enders by Bonnie Hunter. This is probably my favorite of her books even though I don't practice the leader/ender method. I have either completed or have as works in progress 9 of the 12 patterns in this book. I have completed variations of Hopscotch and Butterscotch 3 times. If you have read recent blogs then you know I started Mad City Mama to relieve some of the excess in my 1 1/2 inch strip drawer.

I now have 7 of the 16 blocks complete and have barely put a dent in that drawer. I am still making strip sets for the 25 patch so hopefully I will be able to see some relief by the time this project is finished. There won't be much sewing time today but maybe a little the next two morning as I don't go in to work until the afternoon. Speaking of work, we are all celebrating the little ones going back to school today. The last 2 or 3 weeks have been wild at the store, I guess everyone was getting keyed up about the new school year. Hope things will be a little quieter today and maybe I can get all my freight out on time. Wish me luck. Have a good week all.

Saturday Morning Update

Last night I finished  putting together the little Dancing Nines. It measures 33 x 43 1/2 inches. I quilted it and got the binding sewn on, now to get it whipped down. I know it is much smaller than I usually make but I am thinking about trying to sell it and I knew I couldn't pay to have it quilted and even get my money back. I took my time quilting this one and think I did a pretty good job on the quilting. I am just not sure what to ask for it. I may take it to a shop downtown Hartselle and see if they will take it on consignment.

 

I did get a little house work done and part of that was stripping the bed. While I was doing that I decided to change quilts and put Easy Street on for a change. Of course that meant the pillow cases I had made would not match so I made these.

I think it looks pretty good but just as I finished Johnny said "It's different" which translates to he doesn't really like it. Then he said "I thought you would do a brown quilt to match the curtains". Well first of all I just got the dark brown curtains no time to have made a quilt and second, brown curtains, brown walls, brown quilt, no I don't think so. Maybe something with more earth tones, I will think about it and see what I can come up with down the road.

I have got three Mad City Mama blocks (no new picture) made and 38 stripped units for the snowball block and nine 25 patch blocks. So far I have not cut a single 1 1/2 inch strip, they have all come from the strip drawer. I have a pile of scrap fabric on the end of my ironing table that I may cut to add more variety, but I really haven't put much of a dent in the strip drawer.

I have another hour or so to sew before I have to get ready for work. I wish you all happy sewing today. Enjoy the weekend.

scrap strip overload

Yesterday I got off work at 3:30 and I don't go back until 2:30 Saturday, so I am thinking 47 hours off, what will I do? Yea right, it is more like what all can I get done. Stated time off making supper since hubby is still so sick with this cold that I GAVE him. Remember now I have continued to work.  Well after super dishes were done I came to the sewing room with no intention of starting anything new, ha ha. My drawer of one and half inch strips is packed and they started screaming Do Something please we can't breath in here. I picked up Bonnie Hunter's Leaders and Enders book and it just fell open to Mad City Mama. Guess what, is uses one and half inch strips, so off I went on another project. Who among my quilting buddies is surprised (right Cathy)?

And just to show you it was meant for me to do this, that purple center is part of a 5 1/2 inch border that I just put on one of the last baby quilts. I have enough left for all the centers to be the same. The dilemma came with the sashing. The pattern calls for two yards cut into 3 1/2 inch by 15 inch strips.
I really want to use the gold on the right rather than the one on the left,  the one on the left is just too muddy. I only had 50 inches of the brighter gold,  solution cut a 15 1/2 in strip then sub-cut into 3 inch sections. This way I will have enough for the 16 blocks. It will be just a little smaller but that is okay.

 

I wondered how it would look if I turned the two side stripped snowball blocks horizontal but it just doesn't work as well.

 

Couldn't figure out how to turn this picture up right, but anyway here are two blocks done.

This may be all the sewing I get done today, the house is in serious need of cleaning. Maybe I can squeeze a little more time in for this project or maybe to finish the Dancing Nines.

Happy Friday all.

Dancing Nines

I gave up my Facebook  games so I would have more time to finish some of my quilting projects. But what has happened is I spend more time on Pinterest and reading different blogs. Last week I saw the cutest little bibs made from scraps and I thought I would make one for DeAndra's new baby. So I started pulling out my 30's reproduction fabric. I think I need a pattern to get the bib size right so while I am waiting on that I read other blogs. On Quiltville.com I see Dancing Nines and since those 30's fabrics are pulled out, off I go. These worked up very fast, but I think I will make a few more blocks to make it larger. Yes I am in to these baby quilts lately, but then they are  so finishable. (not a word except to quilters)

I have had some other creative inspirations that have not worked as well. This Bargain Basement pattern by Bonnie Hunter is done in recycles shirts in the book and I have had it tagged to try in Batiks for a long time. Just got around to making a few blocks and I am not sure it is going to work. These may end up in the orphan box. This is another reason I don't cut out the whole quilt before sewing. In this case my vision is not quite making it.

A Starting Addiction/not finish

I have given up my Facebook games for a while. They are an addiction and very time consuming. That being said I now have more time to sew, read other blogs and view pinterest. This is not necessarily a good thing, because I see too many things I want to try. Notice I didn't say finish. That is another issue on which I am working.

I was on Bonnie Hunters blog and saw Dancing Nines and I thought I needed to try it in 30's reproduction.

 

 

It is a scrappy nine patch framed on two sides. My dilemma now is the border. Everything I have seems to take away from the overall soft feel of the top. Should I just make more blocks to make it larger or keep looking for a border?

 

Here are a few border auditions. Nothing feels right.

If no border should I use a scrappy binding or what?

Stitch Group

I got to go to the Tuesday stitch group a little while this morning. It was really great to see everyone again, only Dianna was missing, so maybe she will come by Hobby Lobby so I can see her sometime soon. I thought I would share some of the projects the others have been working on in my absence.

 

 

Here is Ada's red work project, it turned out beautifully. This picture does not do it justice. Donna A. checked to make sure Ada had left it to her in her will, but others claimed dibs as well.

 

Barbara has been working on some wool block of the month projects. Very nice work. I think both Cathy and Linda are doing them as well but Barb's the over achiever here. Way to "getter  done" Barb.

 

I think this may have been what has kept Cathy from doing much on the wool projects. Beautiful applique work as usual Cathy.

 

Cathy also had Stephan's Soccer T-shirt quilt done except for the binding and Ada was working on that today. Remember the all day paper pieced soccer ball if not go back to the April Retreat postings.
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I think she said she found this in Paducah and added it to the back of the quilt.  
I had to leave before lunch in order to get ready for work, but since Johnny had everything ready when I got home I had time to post  this (just barely) .

Irish Chain

I have rediscovered the joy and speed of pre-cuts. On Thursday of last week I started this single Irish Chain using a jelly roll from a Kansas Trouble line called Autumn Journey. In just a few hours of sewing time I has completed strips sets enough to do 80 blocks and had actually sewn 20 blocks before I had to stop and go to work. I was off Friday so I had another good sewing day.

I now have all 98 blocks complete and about 75 percent of the quit top put together. If I have calculated my measurements correctly the top will be 78 X 90. I still have some of the jelly roll left plus some background fabric so I may try to make it 90 square. If I add a border it should fit our king size bed. I don't know if I have any yardage from that line but if I can find any Kansas Trouble it  will work. All their lines blend nicely.

Got a long day today but don't go in tomorrow until 2 pm so maybe will get to  go to the stitching group for a little while. I can only hope. First time I have had Tuesday morning off in several weeks.

Happy sewing all!!!!!