Crazy Quilt..and more

First of all, officially, I did not meet my 1 week challenge of deciding a layout of my D.S. blocks.  But it will come.

I did, however, get a few crazy quilt blocks out of the closet, dusted them off and put them together. 

Granted, there is a long way to go, but I have begun! DH is trying to figure out if I can get them all made and sewn together before the winter has started AND ended.....I can see him now, taking what I have done and trying to fit his body underneath during the upcoming cooler nights.....

Then, I have not forgotten my free motion practice.  I found that I cannot use the gloves on my hands, so  I have come up with a decent substitute.....

We used this in our RV to keep the dishes, etc, from sliding around.  I cut it down (smaller pieces not shown) and can put them between the fabric and my hands.  They do not move and I am learning to move the fabric.  You can buy a roll at any $$ store or Walmart or other places for about $2 or so. 

Finally, since I only have one machine, I have put the needle, thread and sewing foot all together so when it comes time to change everything out, I will have it available. I love my little bobbin holder on top of my spool!

Progress, of a sort.

I promised several things in the last post...well, never promise anything in print.  Things happen.

I did touch on everything, however.

1) I cut my Dr. Seuss story blocks.  Now to arrange them.  As some of you have realized, they are not squares.

 They are 2 sizes of rectangles, which opens up a variety of layouts.  Being rectangles, the width of the quilt will need to be "padded" a little more than the length.  So I decided to take my time on deciding how to arrange these.

2) I did work on my free-motion.  The front looks okay, but I am not sure of the tension in the back yet.  Will need a little more work.  I have  been writing in my journal and keeping tabs, but I still think my tension needs a little more tweeking.

3) I have laid out and am ready to start putting together a (1) row of crazy blocks.
 


  

I only have one machine, so have decided to finish the one row of blocks before I do anything else, other than finishing up Clue #3 on my DaChintzky Code quilt-along, which needs to be done by Wednesday.

Now is the Time to Make Waves!

I sometimes feel as if I am on a work cycle, sort of like waves splashing around reefs or breakwaters....I have been sitting here, thinking and planning in placid waters, waiting for the next big surfing wave that comes on the beach with a roar and is really breathtaking!  I have waited long enough and plan to create my next big wave.  So onto the real deals....

1) I am cutting into my Seuss fabric before ya'll get tired hearing about it...I think I have figured out the top of one..A real simple cut with pretty sashing around each "block" , which happens to be a rectangle.

2) Practicing my free motion,,picture to be taken as proof and shown here in a couple of days.

3) And ....shock of all shockers...I heretowith(?word?) promise to try putting the backing on at least one of my DHs Crazy Quilt blocks.  It may not come out the way I planned, but at least I am learning while I am doing.  Those poor things are really getting old!

This is Tuesday...I WILL get this all done by Friday!!

One thing: One Week Challenge from Amy, #3: Seussing it up

Another challenge from Amy. 

 This month, I am allowing a week to decide which layout and companion fabrics I will use for my Dr. Seuss tops.  There are so many possiblities and layouts that it is hard to decide.  I really hate to cut into it,,,I have enough fabric for at least 3 tops because I have that many "panels" of "pages" of  The Cat in the Hat.  But I need to decide how to "Seuss" it up a little, or a lot, and would like all of them to be slightly different.

It will be fun to experiment, and hopefully, I can use EQ6 to help.  It has been so long since I used the program, I might have to practice a little. 

I am even looking forward to using the "scrap stash" I will have left over!!

A "learning" top is finished.

I finished one of my tops in Amy's quilt along.  I read once that you should never point out your mistakes, so I won't.  Suffice it to say I will be reminded of the things I learned every time I look at it.  It still turned out pretty and I may keep it for myself when it is quilted...I don't know yet.   The top will be put aside in a nice stack for now so that I can start another project I have in mind.  I will not forget it and will start handquilting it eventually.  I've come this far on this top and I am not about to abandon it now!!!

Look What I Got!

Sorry I have been so lax in my posting.  This week I will have been gone from home on long/semi-long trips for 3 days(MWF), leaving only T/T to recuperate from being away from home.  BUT, today's trip was a good one.  I received a phone call yesterday ( Tuesday) from the LQS, as per my request.  Dr Seuss had arrived! I went down there today (Wed) and was the first one to cut off the bolt.  I wanted more, but when I added up the $$$ I nixed that idea.  Enough spent!  I'll get more coordinating fabric when I decide how to use these babies.....

But aren't they pretty?  I got 3 "panels" of the book fabric and a couple of coordinating fabrics to go with them.  I want to shove everything off on the floor and start working with these....but I am mature and calm and my cooler head will prevail. 

I'll wait until next week!

....And more time.....

It has been so long since I posted.  I really have been working, just not so hard and consistently as a lot of my  quilter friends.  So what have I been doing besides the everyday stuff? 

I have been handquilting and coming along nicely, thank you. You can see it better in the back.

I have been cutting and sorting my stash. Different picture, less stash to sort...

Main thing: 

Yesterday I laid out the 16 uneven blocks on the den floor from my quilt along and took a picture of it so that I will remember where each block goes.  I then moved a couple of blocks around and will be taking another picture momentarily.  I am procrastinating putting the sashing on and making the quilt top.  I know that the corners will be as far away from each other as New York is to Los Angeles, with a few a little closer in Kansas City.  I have decided not to use corner squares.  The wonkiness will be emphasized enough. Don't get me wrong, I loved learning how to cut and shape the different squares.   Learn is the operative verb here. 

The reason for the wonkiness is that during, not before, I started making the squares, I read Amy's tutorial on how to fix your machine's needle placement so that you can stand a chance of making consistant 1/4" seams.  The blocks I made before reading are smaller than the ones I made after. I am not remaking them because I am (1) too lazy, (2) not enough of the same material, (3) anxious to make the top, or  (4) too lazy. 

I debated on cutting down the larger blocks, but do not have the gumption knowledge and am certain concerned that I will make all the blocks worse.  So there they lay, (16) 12 1/2" (or 12 1/4", 12 3/8", etc) blocks on the den floor for the second (or is it third) evening.  They are calling to me......

(PS) Those white tags on the different blocks? They tell me the size of the block so that I can play with the placement.  Maybe that will help, who knows????

Some things take time.....

I really wanted to WOW you with a great post that would generate oodles of comments....but sometimes one just has to be satisfied with the everyday stuff...

And okay, so I didn't labor on Labor Day as much as I thought....

However, my scrap pile has slightly dwindled....

and turned into this.....

with more to come....

I want to add more fabric to the pile in the box, but I want to see it empty first.  Then I will really start  putting my other piles of scraps together into one pile and turn them into stash also.

In the meantime, I will alternate handquilting my blue/white quilt with this project.  I also promise to  start free-motion practice (which I should have started this weekend).  I have everything ready and because I am not piecing anytime really soon, I can dedicate my machine to practicing the next few days (if we just get rain and not too many storms from Hermine..)

Toodling along like a Turtle......

OK, I have my construction quilt sandwiched and ready to handquilt...it will go into Never-Never Land where I will quilt it and others at 15-30 minutes at a time.  No big hurry, can "sandwich" those projects within others.

Now, back to the list.  For those who do not want to go back and look, here is a  quick progress and the shortened list, as it stands today:

1) handquilt blue/white quilt - working

2) 3) and 4)  pillowcases and construction top (sandwiched) - DONE

5) and 6) 2 quilt tops to put together - waiting

7) and 8) freemotion and mystery quilts - following

9) crazy quilt - slowly inching its' way up the list.

My next project is to start sewing the blocks together on (5). 

This weekend I hope to continue working on something that is not on my list, and that is cutting my scraps into manageable pieces.  On August 27, 2010, Sarah from Confessions of a Fabric Addict wrote a post on Stash Manicure called Creating Order from Chaos.

I really liked the idea,,,she went a little further than just telling what size and shape to cut your stash.  So I am going to try and follow her example.  She showed how a pile of pieces came together in a nice manageable order in one weekend.  Mine will take longer than a weekend, because I do not intend or ever hope to accomplish that in a marathon cutting and sorting frenzy.  And I am not going to put the task on a list...it would stay there for a year!   

I figure working a little each day or so, 15-20 minutes, or 2 or 3 fabrics a day, will start to whittle down the mounds of fabric laying all around. Here is the before picture of what I will be working with (I have more!).   

 Maybe I'll award myself extra time cutting when I finish something or reach a goal.

First step in solving a mystery

The DaChintzy Code - I have started working on my first mystery quilt.  Sorry, no pictures for awhile..perhaps I can show a few after a week or so, otherwise it would spoil the surprise....this will last for 12 (or 13) weeks. I will tell you that I have to sew a certain number of shapes with the same number of shapes to create a final number of shapes.  And I plan to sew an extra seam with each shape so that I will have another group of shapes ready for a scrappy quilt at another time......

So, What is Next?

I finished my pillowcase a couple of days ago and they are mailed, along with the other two.

  Now I need to choose what I will tackle next on my list.  I have several on-going projects so those are a given. 

I will choose this:

I hope ya'll aren't getting tired of the same pictures here, but that is why I decided to go ahead and sandwich this one in preparation for hand-quilting.  Even though I am trying to keep up with the free motion quilt along, I am definitely not ready to try machine quilting on this one yet. 

I have no time frame on this, except to say that I plan to start it today...even if it is just to find the batting and the backing for it.  I know I am already handquilting another one, but it always helps to have a variety of things to do.