How to Get Exercise at Your Machine......

.....And this is only 4 of the 6 rows I am putting together. 

I admired machine quilters before, but my admiration has multiplied expotentially! Just the exercise to keep in shape to manhandle the weight of  these babies is something else.  I have to stop and rest after each row!  And all I am doing is creating the sashing between blocks!

Toward the end of the row it gets easier, but I have to be careful about the weight in back...

I have two more rows to complete and put together and only tomorrow to do it...then the sides...I may not get them done by the end of the month...

 But I will get them done!!!

A Pictureless Post, sort of, almost....

My progress on DHs quilt is coming along.  Thank goodness October has 31 days and I still have a chance to finish it by the end of the month.

I now have 2 sets of blocks on each row (6), one with 2 blocks and one with 3.  I have 6 blocks that do not have ties.  After I finish with them, then I can sew the 2 sets in each row together, and eventually manhandle the rows through my sewing machine to finish the job!

I started not to post any more pictures until the grand finale, but changed my mind and decided to give you one more picture.....of how it looked before I started.... and this is mainly DH's shirts, he added more pants later...

 

Musings on Post 100 and Rainbows....

According to all the blogs I have seen, protocol suggests that I do something special for my 100th post.  So I am working on it.  Probably some sort of giveaway.....

People say when you give a gift, you should choose something you really would want to keep for yourself, or would want someone to give you.......

I'll just have to think about this for awhile.....

In the meantime,  here is a visual gift we received in our back yard about a year ago.  Hope you enjoy it also.

Phase One Completed....Challenge Completed

The blocks are done!  All 30 of them.  I have handed them over to DH to decide on their order and arrangement.  He immediately commandered the den floor, moving everything out of his way......

He now has all 30 of them laid out, and has until next Monday to play with them.  Then I take over again.  Would love to be finished with these by Thanksgiving......

This was my One Thing One Week Challenge with Amy and I finished early!

I'm Visiting Today.....

I am a guest blogger on Stash Manicure today.  Come over and read...

Blogger Image Upload Maintenance today at 5:00PM

Good to know....

 I saw this on another blog, Studio 78 Notes

More information here.  Short notice for those who are just finding out, like me....

One Thing, One Week Challenge

 Amy, at Amy's Creative Side , is challenging us again for the 4th time.  You can guess what my challenge is if you have been keeping up with what I have been doing lately.   I have 7 more blocks to finish DHs quilt before I start sewing them together.  So, hopefully, he will be able to see the results by Thanksgiving.

20 Finished, 10 to go..then onto the next phase....

Just wanted ya'll to see that I am continuing to work.  Here are 20 of the 30 blocks, finished and pinned to the backing and batting. I finished 3 yesterday and late last night. 

This is going to be one interesting quilt.  And heavy too.  DH will have to wait until really cold weather to snuggle underneath this one. 

 DH will be the one to lay these out on the bed and decide which block goes where, so I will be finishing all the blocks before I start putting them together.  I just realized that the backing I have is directional, so the backing may be a little crazy, too. Sure glad this is staying in the family!

Am I Colorblind???

I have all my back pieces cut and am cutting the batting now.  These are such big blocks and take up so much room that I want to sandwich and pin together the blocks I have before I work on the others. 

I lacked backing for 4 of the 30 blocks I am making for DHs quilt.  So I looked in my stash and found, what I thought, was the "perfect?" fabric.  Colorwise, it definitely does not match, but as a stand out on the back, for sure.

All the Pieces are here....now to put them together...

We visited DS and family yesterday, about 1 1/2 hrs away.  Hadn't seen GD since July and she is 4 months old now! Such a difference.

 Anyway, they surprised me with an early b'day present...a gift certificate for their local Hancock's.  We don't have one where I usually shop, so of course we had to go right then and use it before we drove home. 

Here is what I got (and at 30% off!!)

Add that to this   

and blocks like these

and I have practically all the ingredients to start putting blocks together..

Still need to search for more muslin that is hanging around here somewhere and (of course) finish the blocks.  But things are starting to come together in my mind now.

Four More Blocks Done! Way to Go!!!

Rah! Rah! Sis Boom Ba!

I am leading the cheers for me.  First mini-goal reached.   Counting these blocks,,,,

I have completed 1/2 of the blocks needed for the quilt !! 15 down, 15 to go.  I am having fun putting these together.  I just let my imagination run amuck. 

I Should Not Blink ----

I blinked twice and time seemed to speed by.  Here is what I have done since last time. 

I have been handquilting 2 quilts in the evenings, working on these blocks,

and ENJOYING THE WEATHER while I can!


Okay,  really I have sewn on only 3 of these blocks, the others were already gathering dust.  But I have put my rear in gear and will be churning these babies out faster.  I want to get rid of all the pieces of clothing that are taking up room in my sewing room.  Or at least use them up as fast as I can. 

Only have 19 more to go, hopefully.  I have cut all the muslin I can find right now and have another 10 or 11 foundations ready for the blocks.  I probably will run out of the backing I bought (8 or 9 yards were all they had and DH loved it) so I will have different backing on a few blocks. 

Not sure how big this is going to end up, but the blocks are 16 1/2 " square and they will be in a 6x5 layout with sashing.  I'm not even doing the math.  DH will love it and that is all I care about.

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!!