One Perfect Day With Help From Modern Maids......

Last Saturday was lovely outside, sunny, even in the 60s, so I opened the windows a little bit to let some air in.  I love this house and it's windows.  We have lived in houses where you cannot open windows.....never again.  There is nothing like fresh air inside a house...

It was also a Good Day!  I accomplished many tasks and worked on a variety of things.  I was able to start around 8:30am and work through the day, at my leisure, without laying down for a nap.  That was a big accomplishment in itself.  I usually tend to flake out about midafternoon, usually because of a somewhat sleep/on, sleep/off night before. 

Anyway, so you asked what did I do?  Alright, you didn't ask, but here it is anyway...

Besides cooking a lushious beef soup for dinner (I froze the excess....a quickie meal for another day), visiting neighbor with DH, sitting on the front porch with DH and a cup of coffee,  I availed myself of the conveniences of the modern world,,,dishwasher (2 loads) and washing machine/dryer (lost count of loads).

I washed and dried the browns and blues of my newly planned quilt (separately, of course, with Color Catcher); included a couple of loads of clothes and towels; folded all and put away;

(Don't you love the basket?  $2 from a thrift store...)

In between the loads I.....

 Picked out fabric for my table runner back, washed, dried, ironed, and sandwiched said runner.

Decided on size and shape of place mats (more later).....

 

Started cutting pieces for practice churn blocks (may make small quilt out of these).

Started handpiecing the last 4 rows of my DGDs quilt. You'll see it when it gets done....

Isn't it lovely to have the two "maids" doing your work while you play in the sewing room?  Now all I need is one of those gadgets that toodle around on its' own, vacuuming the floor...

LQS= Lots of Help for Confused Me....!

First of all, someone asked me if my food fabrics came from a series called Farmer's Market.  I had no idea who was responsible. So I looked at my selvages.  I was using FQs and of the 12 I used, only 7 had the printing on them.  Here they are....

Sure enough, 2 of them came from Farmer's Market...notice the dates on some...I told you I had them for quite a while...

I have picked the backing for the table runner and have cut it and the batting..I will be pinning it either later on tonight or in the morning...then I "think" maybe I'll try some MQing using the Walking Foot, following the seams...

(Added on before posting: Am having second thoughts about the backing..4 washings and it is still bleeding onto the Color Catchers...May go back to the Stacks and look for another backing...)

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Had a big day at the LQS.  They helped me so much! I had e-mailed them asking for help in choosing fabric for BILs quilt. Of course they were willing to show me all sorts of fabric.....and even acted like I was part of the choosing team also...

We looked here and there and at this group and that group....wandered all over the store...I had the help of the owner and a young lady who was color/pattern wise beyond her years...for at least 1 1/2 hours..

I really bought more than I thought I needed, but that is par for the course.  I wanted some "oops" inches with each choice, and I got them....

One of the borders may be scrappy and I plan to use these also.  It will be a king sized quilt and you will be hearing a lot about it in the days, weeks, months, (years?) to come.....watch the side panel for picture updates..there might be a lot before I am finished....

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Just a quicky request...I have been using comment verification for awhile and don't need or want ya'll to be subjected to the new word verification.  I don't think you are, but if someone would let me know for sure about this, I sure would appreciate it....

See Ya Later!

Milestone 2,034.....

...or so it seems...

Only 4 more rows to finish my GDs quilt (see side)..been working on it ForEver!!!

Yea!

Table Runner Piecing Done

I have just finished piecing the table runner.  Because I know myself, and there are so many pieces to keep straight, I snapped a couple of pictures of the arrangement.  I had to have two pictures, because
the blocks are easier to see.  I have learned in the past that this is a Big Timesaver, having a GoBy like this. 

I know this is a weird angle, but wanted you to see entire rows partially done.  I just happened to have 12 different food fabrics. This worked out well, because I had 4 rows of 12 each...just had to be sure that each fabric was in every row. 

So here is the result so far. Top is all sewn together......

 

I may round the corners slightly when putting on the binding.  This may be a Christmas present to my DS and his family (6 children, remember?) so I plan to make placemats out of each fruit fabric. That will give them 12 placemats.  Enough for company, maybe......

I will show the final, final result when I finish everything...which may be a little while.  Today I am heading into town to try and find some brown/blue fabric for a kingsize quilt for my BIL whose birthday is in May...That may take priority for awhile....I have given my LQS fair warning and hope they will have some ideas....it won't come together as easy as this did..... My DH is going to drop me off and run a couple of errands (haircut, bird seed, etc). 

Ha!  Just checked..BIL birthday is the first part of June!  I have a little more time!  May get this done yet!   But Kingsize????

OH, OH, I'm Gonna Have Fun-un.......

...and I did..

..once the trimming was done, I got to play

Where Will All the Pieces Go?

I laid out my table runner on a slightly smaller table, hence the overlaps..

and Came up with This..

Humm,,,maybe I have pinwheels on the brain....

...or This

..okay this is what "they" suggested...should I go with the flow?

....Decision time...

The key to having fun while sewing/quilting sometimes is just to "go with the gut" feeling...don't overthink....just do.  So I have decided and now I am ready to

Chain Stitch!

Will I add another picture with the results, or should I schedule ahead and make you wait? Or do you already have enough clues in the picture to know what it will look like?....

You probably already have guessed, but I don't want to hurry the process, so until next time....

Sew Long.....

I Hear My Sewing Engine.....

...comin' 'round the bend......

I'm sewing - actually sewing!

 

I'm clipping - actually clipping!

 

I'm cutting - actually cutting!

 

I'm pressing - actually pressing!

All ready to trim!

Did I get a new battery?  

Or is this just a fluke?

Stay tuned......... 

Back in the Saddle Again - Where's the Horse???

I have been so nonsew/able lately...

In case any of you noticed, I posted a winner 24 hours ahead of what I was supposed to on the last giveaway....Tuesday thru Thursday is sort of a blur to me,,kinda...first of all I thought Tuesday was the 15th. It wasn't.

 Short version:

Dentist = 1.5 hrs away approx. = early appt.= bad fog = left the night before @ 1:30am=arrived 4:00am = motel = arr. at d. office 8:30am = iv sedation = lousy trip home = wha' h'ppnd?

So I have not been myself lately.  Am trying to get back in the groove. I picked out these FQs at least 2 weeks ago from my stash to start making the table runner. Only have had them for close to 2 years, at least....

 

I had been saving them for a Jar Quilt and may still have enough left, unless I add some place mats with the table runner....we'll see.

I have cut the white squares and am marking them for the HSQs.  Then I will start in on the other pieces.

More later...

Winner of the Dinos - MiniGiveaway #24

Denise is the winner of the Dino yard.  Congratulations!  I am sure her I Spy quilt will be a winner also.  As soon as we can contact each other for a mailing address, I will send the package flying...

Thank all of you for participating....Please return next month on the 15th for another giveaway...

Mini-Giveaway #24 - Dinos

Welcome!

I made one of my first whole quilts out of this older fabric and have a little over 1 yard left... (the piece is folded over)

That blue is even a darker blue in person, and the dinos are neon colors.I am pretty sure I got it at either Walmart or Joann's.  I was somewhat new at quilting when I worked with this so it may be an unwashed piece. You might need to use at least a couple of Color Catchers, but it is worth it...

I can see some large blocks in a "Match This With That Quilt" or a "I Spy Quilt"........or even applique......

So comment if you are interested and DH will pull a rabbit out of a hat, or some such thing, on February 17th sometime after 10:00am.  Be sure to be available for contact and Good Luck to all...

My Other Learning Curve - HSTs

I want to make churn blocks.

In order to make them, I needed to review HSTs.

Half Square Triangles - those little things that look so easy...but can irritate you like a pebble in your shoe.  See them in the corners?

I started out with 4 7/8" squares and drew a line from corner to corner. This time I used my rulers and drew 2 more lines, one on each side 1/4" away from the first.  I then sewed on these two outer lines, using the middle as a guide.  Before I had only the one line as a guide and hoped I could keep it even.  Using 2 lines was more time consuming, but I think it helped me with my "balance", so to speak.

After cutting the two triangles from corner to corner, I pressed the resulting HSTs while still folded to set the sewing.  I then opened up the HSTs, light side to the ironing board, being sure I folded it right on the stitching line, then I put my iron down and Pressed the seam.

I ended up with 6 HSTs... and used only 4 of them....

Of course, I won't have to make pinwheels with HSTs when I make my churn blocks, but

couldn't let them just sit there, could I?

This is a picture after I had sewn 2 sets of 2 HSTs together (top row and bottom row). After I had set the stitching line (while still folded) I opened up the two HSTs and looked at the seams (the straight seams in the middle). By examining the "natural" layout of the seams, I decided to fold them toward the white portions.  It was less bulky and Lookie Here..I can now match the final seam with ease. 

When I was pinning the squares, I made sure the meeting midpoint matched.  When I decided the size of squares at the beginning of this exercise, I really didn't know what I would end up with...I was just practicing..

I ended up with roughly (really rough) 8 1/2" lopadoodled pinwheel. So I used my ruler (above), centered it on the midpoint of the pinwheel, 

trimmed, and trimmed,,,,,

.

and finished with a 8" decent size block

 

And what have I learned in this small exercise?

Speaking for myself....I cannot rush HSTs..the more preparation before sewing the better.  Check dimensions constantly, and don't sweat the small stuff.....it will all get done.....

Learning Curves - culinary and HSTs

No, I am not going to whine...or pout....or have negative feelings.....really I'm not...

I don't mind learning curves....everyone has them whenever they start something new, or need to refresh their memory.

Sometimes they are as easy as 1,  2,   3....

I have been on a couple of learning curves the last couple of weeks...

Cooking....

Not just warming up, or microwaving, or outside grilling (DH's job), or even opening up jars/cans/boxes. 

It involves recipes;  finding, searching, examining, printing...and Using.

Then comes various ingredients, spices, measuring, mixing, dirty dishes, pots, pans, counters, tables, ovens, top burners, {Cleaning Up!}

I haven't been in the kitchen so much since my 3 children were young and I had to cook 3 meals a day.  Boy, have I gotten lazy in my old age!  I had morphed into quicky meals, simple and unelegant. 

This is all due to the fact that I have not just gone on a "diet", I have been forced to acknowledge that that diet is absolutely necessary and ongoing, like, maybe ForEver!   So all my thoughts have been, what can I fix myself to eat....much less DH.

 My DH has been so sweet.  During this time, he has done more than just accept the fact that while I don't exactly ignore him at mealtime, for a time he has become second place.  He has actually been willing to cook for himself a time or two...although he did look at my numerous # of  small  turkey meatballs and say, "We could use those with spagetti sometime"...

I think I am still at Phase #1 in the chart above...looking for multi-serve recipes. I plan to have a lot of choices in the freezer all the time, ideally.  It is like searching for treasure..... and X marks the spot .... in the kitchen.....

I know that as I progress through this curve, I will be able to make some of these recipes my own, tweaking here and there, possibly even to the point that DH will enjoy them.

Who knows, maybe I'll share some more treasures with you in the weeks and months to come....after a sample has been properly consumed by yours truly, the human guinea pig....

I will tell you about the HSTs (the second learning curve) in the next post.....please be patient.  The curve is curving......

Leeettlle Bit of Quilting - Among Other Things

I have been HQ at least 15-20 minutes a day on my GD quilt. (see side) That is about all I have been doing sewing-wise since I posted last.

I have cut some of the practice churn block pieces, but not all...

I have been collecting recipes for my new diet.  I have dusted off my George Foreman grill (small) and bought a newer crock pot, large enough to make soups, etc so I can freeze individual portions. I have been grocery shopping and have a lot of fresh, therefore quickly perishable vegetables, fruits, etc.  Must cook/eat these soon.

Now give me a few days to cook up some of these recipes and I can get back to quilting for a little while. 

My favorite recipe so far? 

Spinach and Cheese Omelet

I keep the butter, but use egg substitute. 

Will be cooking this today, if the chicken ever thaws out:

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

 Talk to you soon......