A little behind

 So....we went to see the eclipse in its totality and it was AWESOME again.  We saw one in 2017.

We left on April 4th and spent a night at Tombigbee State Park in Mississippi then went to Doniphan, MO and stayed at KC's on the Current.  After the 2017 eclipse took us 8 hours to make a 1.5 hour trek we decided to stay here an extra night.  So we left here on the 9th and spent a rainy day driving and 2 rainy nights at Trace State Park in Mississippi and a then pretty rainy day driving home.  This wouldn't be such a big deal if the windshield wipers worked correctly.  That will be remedied before we take our next trip.

Here we are all ready with our eclipse glasses on. 

We watched it with a sweet family from Kentucky.  They were camped across from us and they reminded us of our son and his family.  The mom took the picture for us.

Lizzie amazed us both.  I would put her on a leash to go for a walk but other than that she never left the mat in front of the motorhome.  People would walk by, even some with their pets on leashes and she stayed right there.

For only 10 months old we were amazed.  I guess rescuing her from a crate at 5 months old makes a difference.  I tell her she's an old soul all the time.

While at this campground I walked to town (we don't have a vehicle yet) to the LQS and purchased a kit.  (my quilting group laughs at me because I PURCHASE KITS).  But who could resist this while visiting to see the eclipse?  I saw the pattern and picked it up and was carrying it around while I looked.  And then I spotted the kits.

It will be the next project now that I have this one together.  I started this one on March 15th and last Thursday I put it on the design wall at stitchin so I could get the lights and darks arranged.  This picture was taken before rearranging the blocks.

It was made with the Quick Curve Ruler from Sew Kind of Wonderful.  This is the third quilt I have completed with this ruler.  They make curves SOOOO easy.

This is the best picture I could get of the eclipse with my 8 year old phone.  I held a pair of the glasses in front of the lens.

Hope you enjoy.

Wishing you more stitchin time than I will have.

Rose

Change of Plans

This quilt pattern was a Craftsy class by Jacquie Gering (I believe).  I started it several years ago using the RSC for my color choices.

I loaded it on the longarm and after quilting the top border and down the sides, I realized the 19 inch throat wasn't enough to do what I wanted to do with the diamond shapes without rolling it back and forth.  I could have reloaded it sideways but I didn't really want to do that after starting the borders.  So I basted it on the frame and decided I would quilt it on the sit down.

I did learn something though.  I have my backing too tight on the longarm frame.  While quilting it, it has puckered quite a bit.  Once it's washed, dried and crinkled it will be just fine.  But I will loosen the backings on future quilts.

Here is a sneak peek of the quilting.  For the record, some of the puckering could be because of the dense quilting.

Then, I found out that my SIL's stepbrother and his wife are having a baby girl so I went to work and made this little.

It's 36 x 36.  Maybe when she starts toddling she can drag it around with her.

One of our guild members is in charge of the quilt alongs.  She tries to make it coordinate with the program that is presented at guild meeting.  The speaker we had at our March meeting spoke on humor.  When Susan said what am I going to do with that the speaker said "good luck".  This is what she came up with.  Breast Cancer Awareness Bras.

This one is hers.

And she asked Julie to create one for demonstration.  Here is Julie's.  At the top is says "Don't be scared to check your Boobies".

The goal is for each guild member to create one for the September meeting and we have coordinated with the local hospital to display them in the radiology waiting room during Breast Cancer Awareness month (October).

I think it's going to be fun.

And lastly, we are leaving next Thursday on a road trip in the motorhome to see the total eclipse.  It will be Lizzie's first road trip.

I found this in a piece of fabric and I plan to close my posts with it.

Wishing you more stitchin time than I will have.

Rose

Can't get past the Scraps!

 I managed to get the blue tub tamed and since the color for the RCS this month was purple, I did that tub also.  Sorry, no before picture of the purple.

Other than the project that I took to stitchin on Thursday and finishing a customer quilt, I have done nothing but stitch scraps together.  Trying to tame these.

It can be overwhelming.  I believe it's impossible!!!!

On Friday seven of us stitchin buddies went to Tuscaloosa to the West Alabama Quilt Guild quilt show and we visited a LQS.  That was fun.  It was the first time one of them travelled with us and she won a door prize.  Congrats to her.

On Saturday I went to an estate sale and came home with this haul all for $20.

It ended up being 22 yards of fabric (like I needed more fabric).  Several panels, several one yard pieces, a bunch of half yard and quarter yard pieces.  It has all been washed now but hasn't been pressed, folded or put away yet.  I can't bring myself to fold it without pressing.  The quarter yard pieces will be cut up into the scraps and half yard and more will be put into the stash.

Here is a picture of one block of the customer quilt that was finished.

Handi Quilter Jade Wreath ruler used for the center and straight ruler work in the corners and points with variegated thread .  Meander in the background with So Fine - Chalk.

And finally, Lizzie must have been embarrassed by the picture that I posted because this is how she sleeps now.

I have multiple pictures of her like this.

Wishing you more stitchin time than I will have.

Rose

Books or Scraps or Both and a Finish

The Studio Organizing Task choices this month from Shelly were Tackle Books and Magazines or Work on Scraps.  I decided I would tackle the books and magazines.  I did this last year so they aren't in too bad of shape.

Wouldn't you know the first book I pulled out was Joan Ford's Cut the Scraps (can you say "SQUIRREL'?), so I've been working on scraps.

Several years ago I started this and managed to get four color tubs completed.

Then I got to this one and went UGH!!!  So I quit.

Since that task has come around again I believe I can do this.  Just keep plugging away, right?

While my sister was here I did a little hand stitching so we could visit and I could still get my stitchin time in.  She doesn't quilt and I hate hand work.

Hand work is necessary if you choose a Jen Kingwell design.  I completed 6 of these while she was here.  I only need 14 more.

I haven't picked up the needle since she left on Saturday. 😏

I've played a little thread chicken this month and won both times.  YAY!!!

Now, on to the finishes.  I finished a customer quilt.

It was quilted using Urban Elements Paisley Park Pantograph with white Glide thread.

And my own finish.  This was finished on the 3rd of the month.  I'm just getting around to taking photos.  This one will be donated to Butterfly Bridge CAC to be used as needed.  To help a child or to help raise funds.

Buttercup and Slate by Moda jelly roll quilted with Urban Elements Vintage and quoting one of my stitchin buddies,, this pantograph is "above my pay grade".  It will be fine once it's washed and crinkled but I'm not sure I will use it again.

That's it from me today.

Wishing you more stitchin time than I will have.

Rose

January Recap, February Goals

 

I feel very unaccomplished for January.  The only completions I had were the orphan blocks and the green blocks for RSC.

I know there were other things but I, for the life of me, can't remember what they were so let's just move on.

I always keep my next 6 projects in these boxes.  I actually have 12 but that got too complicated.

A couple of weeks ago I spent 2 afternoons cutting parts for tops.  I had cut the parts for all of the projects in boxes 1-4 plus the Just 2 Charm Pack for the QAL with Cheryl. Because I'm going on retreat from Feb. 8th - 11th and the blocks for this challenge are to be completed by the 13th, this is one of the projects I'm taking with me.  I asked DH to pick one from the book and this is the one he chose.

I usually do quilting Monday - Wednesday and then on Wednesday evening I roll the dice to see which project I will be piecing this weekend.  The day after the cutting marathon the toss of the die rolled a 5.  That one wasn't cut 😞.  So cutting was completed and most of the blocks were sewn together over the weekend.. 

There are 8 of the blocks on the top, 4 each of the hourglass blocks and 5 of the smaller ones which aren't finished yet.  I chose this kit because of the colors.  I didn't pay attention to the content being about knitting.  I know how to knit but I don't. 

Then this week I rolled a 6, another one that wasn't cut 😬.  It has now been cut and I will begin stitching this weekend.

February Goals

1.  I obligated myself for 2 project bags per month.  Everyone at our fall retreat will receive one upon arrival.  The January ones didn't get done, so I have a goal of making 4 of them this month.

2.  Red RSC blocks

3.  Just 2 Charm Pack units into a flimsy.

4.  Bind Buttercup and Slate, wash and crinkle and photo.

I'm keeping this list kind of short because my sister and BIL will be visiting for a week two days after I return from retreat. I probably need to a little straightening before they come.

Wishing you more stitchin time than I will have.

Rose

Various Projects

I have had so many things going, there was a time that overwhelm hit me.  I decided to join the RSC this year.  I did this a few years ago and never got past January which was also green.  I'm not sure where these are going but this is what I have so far.  I can tell you that the crumb block won't be going anywhere.  I realized that crumb quilting is not for me.

I do plan on making a couple more of each of the others.

In December I picked up a bag of orphan blocks from the free table at the BQG meeting.  I can't believe I didn't get back far enough to get all of them in the picture.

 

This was another cause of overwhelm.  I picked some more up in January but I haven't done anything with them yet.  After the overwhelm I decided I won't do that again.  But here's what resulted from this.

I have two washable mats for Lizzie's food bowls.

And a hot pad table runner.  I sandwiched insulbright in between battings and did minimal quilting.

I'm going to donate this to the guild boutique for our quilt show.  And I'm taking the rest of the blocks back to the free table and let someone else have a chance to make something from them.

I'm also the president of Cotton Patch Quilt Guild.  We are a fairly small guild with approximately 25 members.  We have five QOVs in the works.  One of them is made up of star blocks made by guild members.  I volunteered to make the sashing (what was I thinking).  It turned out not too bad.

It has since been passed on for borders and now is in the hands of another for quilting.

I was asked to quilt one of the five and that has been completed also.

I have a couple new gadgets.  I happened to see this bamboo soap dish at Walmart for about $5.  It is perfect for the longarm rulers that I'm working with at any one time.

My daughter gave me this thread holder for Christmas.

It is made to hang over a door but the only door in my studio is in the morning sun so I hung it from the back of a shelf.  I had my longarm threads in a drawer that didn't open all the way so it was hard to see what I had.

Speaking of threads.  Has anyone had this problem with thread?

This is Superior Thread's So Fine.  I changed the needle thinking that was causing it but it continued to "feather" even with the new needle.  Any ideas/advice?

And one last picture.  I couldn't resist this picture of Lizzie napping.

She is so entertaining!!!

Wishing you more stitchin time than I will have.

Rose