Finishing up

Time to start checking things off my long long long list.

But first, last night

Him:  Why is your machine up on this counter

Me:  I just need the cover out of the attic and then I'm putting it in the closet, that one is the back up machine now.

Him:  I think I threw that out.

Me:  What?

Him:  I think I threw that out of the attic.  (chews on sandwich)

Me:  BLANK STARE

Him:  blank stare back while chewing sandwich

Me:  Are you serious?????

Him:  Serious. (chewing) 

Me:  BLANK STARE, PROCESSING INFORMATION

Me:  Why would you throw that out?  The cover for my machine?  Why can't you check with me before throwing out my stuff?  I may cry.  

Him:  I'm just kidding, I don't even know what you are talking about.

Me:  See?  This is why I need retail therapy.

Getting this baby gift Divided Fabric Basket out today.

I finished up burp cloths last night to fill it up.  These are just cloth diapers with flannel sewn down the center for extra absorbency and softness.  I made a whole package of diapers (10) but I'll hold on to a few for the next baby gift I need to send out. 

This is an angel mini made for the Traveling Quilts group.  One of the minis went missing, so I made a replacement.  I used a paper piece pattern from Craftsy.  The original was a star in bright colors.

I added a border for my round.  

That is two things I can check off as DONE.  Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Friday.  

Keep Calm andQuilt On!

Mary

He almost had me at Basting Spray

Him:  Why is the window open?  It's freezing in here.

Me:  Oh, that's because I'm using this basting spray that I love.  Check it out!

Him:  Why would you want to use that?

Me:  Well, I'm saving time by not having to pin.  And then when I'm quilting not having to take all the pins out.

Him:  I think you should go back to pins.

Me:  Well, so far I love this stuff, it works great.  

Him:  It's a gimmick.

Me:  A gimmick?

Him;  Yes, you'll use up that bottle then have to buy more, pins you buy once.

Me:  Oh.  For a second I thought you might be concerned about the environment or something.

Him:  No, I want you to stop wasting money on gimmicky tools.

Me:  Well, then don't look in that bag over there.  

I went through my groups on Flickr - I was in over 200, and several were QAL I never did, some I joined but never contributed or participated, old  Bees, Swaps that were over.  Several I did exit out of (un-join?), but going through some of the old bees was a nice reminder of blocks that I had made and had made for me.  I'm down to around 170 groups now, and I am going through more.  It's Flickr Spring Cleaning.  

Some bee blocks I have made this week and sent on to their homes.  

Pebble block for Modern Mavericks  March block using r0ssie's tutorial.  I wasn't entirely comfortable making this block, I think if asked to do another I could make the flipping part a little better.  

Sewn Together April Block, only had to make 1 block, it's very soft and I can tell the quilt will be pretty.

Simply Solids for April.  These blocks were to be improv low volume with pops of the colors.  Should make an interesting quilt.  

Also Sewn Together, March Tiki Hut log cabin blocks, these are 6 1/2" blocks which she is going to use in the border of a quilt.  

These are my only 3 bees currently.  I'm also in three groups where we pass along the blocks or strips.  One quarterly group that finishes next week, I can rejoin this any quarter.  Two swaps that finish this month.  One is my own swap if you haven't had time to look at it yet, mailing date for USA participants is not until May 1, so plenty of time to make the simple scrappy Postage Stamp Block.

WIP Wednesday

What am I working on?  Trying to figure out how to navigate Instagram.  I tried to avoid going to this app, it just seemed like one more thing to suck up free time, like Pinterest.   I am finding that some people are moving away from Flickr and using Instagram more often, I felt as if I should make an addition to keep up.  Sometimes it seems I have to spend more time figuring out how to navigate new media sources to get my photos and blog out there, and not enough time creating.  It's a choice, I know.  I have gained so much from Flickr with new quilting buds, new ideas, new ways to look at quilting - I hope Instagram will offer the same.  You can find my link on the right sidebar along with all the other ways to find me (bloglovin!, Flickr, Pinterest, email) I'll have more going on there soon, I promise!  I'm still not going to Twitter, it will be my lone hold out.  

Conversation this morning:

Him:  What are you putting on your feet?

Me:  Shea Butter.

Him:  Butter???? Why are you putting butter on your feet?

Me:  Not butter, Shea Butter?

Him:  And what is Shea Butter?

Me: ....(long pause)...... I have no idea.  

Him:  Well, by all means keep putting it on your feet then, but keep it away from my biscuits.  

Baby bumper pads in progress on commission.  My first time making bumper pads, I'm combining a couple of instructions I found.  I bought the pads on Amazon and the fabric is Sarah Watts Timber & Leaf.  

The patchwork sections will face the interior of the crib.  I have all 6 put together and 2 quilted with fusible fleece as the backing.  The bottom deer fabric will be face out of the crib, and I lined these pieces with a lightweight interfacing.  

Linking up with Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday

For anyone just stopping by, I hope you will want to visit again.  

I have a Postage Stamp Block Swap on Flickr with a mail date of May 1, check it out!

Keep Calm and Quilt On!

Mary

String Block

One of the loveliest blocks I know is the simple string block.

It's colorful, can use up scraps, good size and most important it is easy.

Yesterday I was making up one for a swap 

Him:  You use the phone book?

Me:  All the time.

Him:  But you are always telling me to 'goggle it'.

Me:  Oh, well I never use it to look up numbers, that would be slow and cumbersome.  Have you picked up one of these things?  It weighs a ton. 

Him:  Ok, I'm afraid to ask - why are you using the phone book?

Me:  The pages are thin and rip off easy.

Him:  You're sewing it?

Me:  Yes!  What else is a phone book good for these days?

Him:  What are you sewing?

Me:  You could google it.

Him:  I'm leaving.

Me:  (silently) Yay........

Here is how you can make some pretty string blocks 

Start with pages you rip out of the brick book and cut them to 6 1/2" 

Some people have asked about the ink - I haven't had a problem with it getting on the fabrics.

Your center piece is the important one - I cut mine 1 1/4" to lay diagonally down the center of the square page.

This is Kona White - but you can make it whatever you would like.

Some people might pin the white strip or glue it down in a spot - I just lay it on there and eyeball it.  

Chose a variety of prints in your colors or even scrappy, cut these strips a variety of sizes.

Lay a colored or print strip on one side of the white center and stitch through the paper.

Do the other side.

(this photo shows a second color strip added on one side - but you get the idea)

I press these open before sewing on the next strip.  Lay your next strips down, trim for correct length, and fold back the paper - only sew on the fabric not through the paper.  The paper at this point is just a guide for size. 

Press after each strip is added.

When you have the entire paper covered, trim down the sides to the 6 1/2" size of the paper square.

You can play with the placement of the squares to make your block after they are all trimmed. 

I only had 4 squares for this one, but if you are making multiple blocks you will have a lot more options.

Now pull off the phone book paper before you join the squares together.

The paper rips off very easily.

Finished Block

Here are a few that I made for a Flickr Swap.  In this swap we used a cut 1" Kona white strip.

Right now there is a new round in the Flickr group that is swapping this block Here.

They have guidelines for the center strip and the paper, so read about it, but it is open to anyone.

My finished string block is going to Amanda in the QAWII Flickr group.

Here are all her blocks so far, she wanted aqua and grey with a pop of color.  My orange is really popping!

There is still time to enter Quilters Blog Hop Give Away (until March 14th)

 Sunday 3/17 I will be setting up the Sew Sunday link Party - you can be sewing, crafting, painting - let us see what you are up to on Sundays!  

You can grab the button on the right side bar - 

Keep Calm and Quilt On!

Mary

Press On Pillow Finish with Comments

Another pillow finish for this month!  I like small projects - they get FINISHED.  

This paper piece pattern can be found on Where the Orchids Grow blog.

It's called 'Press On'
(I added the script)

I made the block into a 16" pillow cover

The back - tape measure fabric -if someone gave this to me this fabric would make me just die!- and that is why I used it.

I was so excited and pleased with this pillow - it's just too cute, so I showed it to my husband (who is completely the wrong audience, but no one else is here at 9:00 at night)

Me:  Look at this pillow!  (dancing around)

Him:  Stand still.  What is it?

Me:  (turns it around, and then back to him) It's an iron.  

Him:  An iron?

Me:  Yeah, you know, that thing that sucks up all the power and makes the lights go dim and sometimes I use it to get the wrinkles out of your shirts.

Him:  I think you mostly use it for fabric, I don't recall any shirt ironing.

Me:  Yes, well, anyway.....what do you think?

Him:  Ok, I see the iron now.  What does it say?

Me:  "Keep Calm and Press On" - get it, PRESS and IRON

Him:  That piece isn't square.

Me:  (turns it around and looks at the front) What piece?

Him:  The piece with the words.

Me:  That's called wonk, it is supposed to be like that.

Him:  So basically, you mess it up, and say, I meant to do that.

Me:  No, it isn't messed up, you just leave something the way it is instead of making everything square.  It has a name.  

Him:  Well, except for that part, it's pretty good.  You are getting better.

Me:  You know, there is a reason you only have one quilt.  Your compliments suck.

Him:  Why don't you test your iron on some of my shirts?

The wonky bit

Keep Calm and Quilt On

Mary

I already have that fabric

I had some out of town company, which was fun, shopping, eating out, window shopping, showing off sewing projects (she isn't a sewer, but she is a scrap booker, which is like making little quilts with paper, so she gets it).  

Her sister is having a baby and they were talking about someone on Etsy making the crib set.  They asked me if I could make a quilt to match the crib set.  Being the jump in with both feet eyes closed person I am, I said I would make it all.

Me:  I'm going to make the crib bumpers, bed skirt, and a pillow for D.

Husband: Have you ever made those before.

Me:  Of course!  I've made a pillow.

H:  And the rest?

Me:  And the quilt goes without saying.

H:  You've never made those things before.

Me:  Here is the best part....

H:  I see you are just ignoring my obvious statements.

Me:  She had this fabric line picked out that she had only seen on-line

H:  How is that the best part?

Me:  She told me the name, I looked at it on line, and then I went and dug through those shipments I got last week, because the print looked familiar.

H:  What shipments?

Me:  And I already had the fabric!  Can you believe that?  

H:  Sadly, yes.  

Me:  That was the best part.

H:  About those shipments?

Me:  I'm still ignoring you.  

Internet was spotty at our house for the last two weeks, and I can only sneak on to blogs and Flickr at work so much.  When I did have service at home, I had to do things like email, pay bills, and tax planning.  Yippee (said sarcastically).  Finally I got it through the Motorola customer service that our router was bad, which I told the man in the first 5 minutes of our conversation.  After over an hour, he agreed with me.  I wanted to call his wife and tell her she needs to work a little harder on getting him to see that we are right and it is easiest to just agree immediately.  

I did get to some of the bee blocks for January this week, here is a line up:

These four are for the 3X6 Bee on Flickr, I'm in the solids group.  I have two more to make.  This is my second round of this bee, I will need at least one more round to have enough blocks in my color choice for a quilt.  

This block is my second to last for the Running with Scissors flickr bee.  I love the Ring of Flying Geese block, and Carrie told us the triangle fabrics belonged to her Grandmother.  It is going to be a sweet quilt with the connection to her Grandmother.  

I am playing around with thread painting on a mini top.  Here is a sneak peek.

I'm not sure where this is going, but it has been fun just playing around and letting the design come about on its own. 

I hope you all had a week where you accomplished some sewing.  I would love to see, if I don't already visit your blog, list a link in your comments, and I will come by for a visit and start following.  

OOP New Obsession

It goes down like this:

Me:  Did you get me anything for Christmas yet?

Husband:  Why?  Did you get yourself something already?

Me:  Don't jump to conclusions.

Him:  I haven't shopped yet.  Is it even December?  

Me:  Ok, well don't get me anything.  

Him:  Because you bought yourself something.

Me:  Well, see, there is this fabric....

Him:  Why is it always fabric? 

Me:  Well, sometimes it's a book or rulers or patterns.  But anyway, I found this fabric that I have to have.

Him:  That's not much of a Christmas.

Me:  Well it's out of print.  And hard to find. And expensive.

Him:  How expensive?  

Me:  Well, it's really hard to find. I was searching and emailing for days.  I have to have it!  

Him:  And it is how expensive?

Me:  It has to be this.  

Him:  How expensive?

Me:  Well, Merry Christmas to me, and don't look at the PayPal account.

Him:  Is it more than the jewelry I was going to get you?

Me:  Wait, you were going to buy me jewelry?

Him:  Well, you'll never know now.  Merry Christmas.  Put some of that fabric in your stocking.

You guys understand right?  

Still time to enter Sew Mama Sew Give Away Day drawings.  Stop by and visit some of the other blogs, there are wonderful things to win!

My Give Away is HERE, for a package of 50 Wonderclips

Drawing December 7

Just enter a comment on that page to enter.

And there is still time to get involved in the Postage Stamp Block Swap on Flickr

Shackles, Cake and Best Bee Block Ever

My husband admiring my legs,

Husband:  What is that all over your ankles?

Me:  Those are my shackle scars from my gang days.

H:  You were not in a gang!

Me:  Well, if I was this is what the shackle scars would look like.  

H:  What is it really?

Me:  Bug bites.

H:  Were you bit by a scorpion? Because it looks like shackle scars.

Me:  Well, initially, I thought it was bug bites, so I scratched like a mad woman.  But really it's poison ivy.

H:  Wow.

Me:  Then it spread.  Everywhere.  

H:  Can you go sleep in the other bed?

Me:  Can you massage my ankles with a stick, because they itch like mad?

H:  You would never make it in a gang, by the way.

Me:  Already in a gang, the Quilter Gang, we have rotaries and we will cut you. 

H:  Is that your motto?  Because you have cut yourself more than anything else with that thing.  

Me:  While you sleep tonight, I'm going to rub you with my ankles.  

I would show you a photo of my ankles, but it is really gross.

I can show you the cake that I made I ordered for the baby shower for my Grandson.  The local cake shop Dream Cake in Virginia Beach put their creation on Pinterest, too.  The cake was delicious.

It was a great weekend, except for the whole poison ivy deal (seriously, who gets poison ivy in November?).

And on Monday, I received two packages from Bees to make blocks.  I checked in with the Bee threads and noticed that one said 'EASIEST BEE BLOCK.  EVER'

And it was.

I went and made that one right that second.  

While I love all the bee blocks (almost) and I have learned new techniques and tried blocks I never would have attempted outside of a Bee, this one was fun to do, took 10 minutes, because my iron had to heat up.   I am wondering what she has in store for these strips of fabric.

Pinterest will get you in Trouble

You can still enter to win this Fat 8th Bundle of Oakshott Ruby Red shot cottons, enter HERE drawing 10/31.

My husband took me to a movie for a 'date night'.  During the previews there was a trailer for some movie that I can't even remember what it was - but Ryan Gosling is in it.  I started to giggle.

Husband:  Why are you laughing?

Me:  Ryan Gosling.

H:  Who?

Me:  Wait....that guy.

H:  Why is he funny?

Me:  Well on Pinterest....

H:  What?

Me:  Pinterest, you know that thing on line that I look at.

H:  No.

Me:  I'm on there all the time!  And I have shown you the page!

H:  Oh.  Pretend I don't know, because I have no idea what pentherest is.

Me:  Ok, that is going to take too long to explain.  Anyway, there is a photo of Ryan Gosling on line with a caption that says:

H:  REALLY MIFFED LOOK 

Me:  What?  It's funny if you have a sewing table.

The Grand-baby shower is Saturday!  I took a break from sewing to make a few things for the shower.  

Like a diaper wreath I saw on Pinterest.  Everything on Pinterest looks so easy to make.  

I am crafty!  I can make stuff!  I will make a diaper wreath.

Supplies, and problem #1, I have been out of the diaper business for awhile, and I didn't know that diapers don't come in white anymore.  They are covered in Disney or Sesame Street or Pooh Bear or Dora or anything but white.  And the diaper aisle has far too many choices for someone who just wants to make a freaking wreath.

Problem #2, which isn't really a problem but something I forgot, when you open a package of Pampers, they SMELL so good!  Like a baby should, all baby powder and fresh.  Don't let someone walk in while you are sitting at the kitchen table with a diaper stuck up to your nose.  Embarrassing and difficult to explain.

It took longer than it should have, for something so simple as tying up diapers with ribbon, and I still have to make some sort of bow doo-dad to go on the side.  I will have to venture out to the store for that, so probably tomorrow the rain will have subsided enough.  Here is the finished wreath.  I will trim up some of the ribbons, but I am waiting until I figure out the bow situation.  You know think twice, cut once.  

Packages & Conversations

Our phone conversation about a package.....

Him:  You have a package here.

Me:  Thanks.

Him:  It feels like pants.

Me:  It isn't pants.

Him:  It's pretty heavy, I think it's pants.

Me:  I'm pretty sure it isn't pants.

Him:  Well, what else could be so heavy?

Me:  Dude, do you even know me?  

Him:  I don't know why someone would order pants to be delivered.

Me:  It's fabric, it isn't pants!  Open it up!  

Him:  You don't have to yell, I already left the package in the house.  I don't really care what it is.  I thought it was for me, but then I thought it was pants and knew it wasn't for me.  Anyway, you have a package in there.

Me:  Oh, my God.  Thanks.  Do we have any wine?  

It was this heavy oilcloth I bought to make bags.  I'll start by making a wine tote.