I'm Still Among the Living

Believe it or not I am still among the living. We had a nice long weekend trip up to Amish Country. Hit the outlet centers. Ate too much of the wonderful food up there. Only got to Zook's for fabric. They were packed with customers. Long lines at the cutting tables. So I just grabbed a few pre-cut fat-quarter rolls and some charm packs. Both were at what I thought were awesome prices! We did go to the National Christmas Museum, first time we have visited it.

I saw these Keds Sneakers and had to have them. Though the shoes are not identical in the lay out of the fabric I still had to purchase them. I could not believe they had them to fit my huge feet! They reminded me of strip quilts and also selvages making them a must have purchase for $12.99

At the National Christmas Museum there was the most awesome quilt. Here is the information about the masterpiece...

Folks that is all tiny blocks of sewn fabric!!! You would swear it was an oil painting!

I was back in time for two Scrap Therapy Classes. The third and last meeting for "Bloomin' Steps. Which I have yet to finish!!! I really want to enlarge on it so it will fit our bed. Trying to decide if I have nerve to adjust the size. Thinking I'll enlarge on the middle section. And then the two borders accordingly. I still have one more row to do to make it the size pattern calls for it to be. I need to get a better picture put here's a close up of part of the middle section.

This is what the outer border looks like.

A closeup of the outer border.

I have made a few of the blocks for the inner border but not sewn any of them together yet.

The other class I don't have a picture of yet but it uses sections like the outer border and I have made two of those sections for it. It's a smaller quilt, more of a wall hanging size or small throw.

Last week my beloved Laptop computer started acting strange. It apparently is very sick. Friday I took it to the son-in-law who is a computer whiz. Haven't heard anything from him yet. I am sure that isn't good news. They'll be here Easter Sunday to eat so I am hoping and praying he will have her patched up and able to save the information and programs I had on it. Most of the stuff I have backed up but not all of it. So I'm now only have my OLD desktop to connect to cyberspace and blogland and bless her heart she is like me OLD and SLOW!!!

NATIONAL QUILT DAY

Hope everyone had a nice National Quilt Day yesterday! I worked on my "Bloomin' Steps" for scrap therapy. I did get three rows completed. Some boo-boos in there. But when I ripped out and tried to correct they turned out worse!!! Made a bunch of blocks from more rows. HOWEVER, not enough to finish the main/center part---AND---that has to be completed in time for tomorrow night's class at six p.m.

Baby girl had us over to eat last night. Her DH cooked some sirloin steaks on the grill that were so good, she did french fries and some green beans that were yummy. Her sewing machine bobbin tension is acting up. Dr. Al is away for a couple weeks and has two weeks of work when he gets back---so I heard when I was in the shop Friday. There is a thing cracked that we are wondering if that is the problem. It has a drop in bobbin with out a bobbin case and I've never had a machine like that so am clueless how to help her. It does seem to me the thread on the bobbin isn't tight enough...just came to me...may have her rewind it to another bobbin and see if that helps.

Need to get back at the machine and sew some more rows...and see how many more blocks I need to cutout and sew together. Have to make a Costco run today, too.

Will post picture of what I have done so far on "Bloomin' Steps" later.

Scrap Therapy, My Giveaway

I worked on my Scrap Therapy's "Bloomin' Steps" Quilt this weekend. Made a lot of the two different small blocks, sewed some of those into blocks. Have ten or twelve blocks done. Have a stack of the small ones stacked up to sew the final step to make the complete block. Counted them to make sure I had enough to make the total required.......MERCY.......when I finish sewing these together I won't have Half of the required blocks made! Guess I'll be burning the midnight oil a few nights!


Liz of Lizards Little Luxuries who won my giveaway and lives in Australia emailed that she received the package and likes it. Can't wait to see what she creates with it!

SCRAP THERAPY---STARTING ANOTHER QUILT

Monday night I went to Scrap Therapy at Nancy's Calico Patch and we started a new quilt. It appeared to be all of the same group from the "Charming Buds" Quilt we did the last time. This time we are doing "Bloomin' Steps" We arrived with our boxes of squares in two different sizes. I took these ---
and these

We also took strips cut from our background fabrics. We sewed the small squares to the narrow strips,

Pressed them open and got this--

which we cut apart and sewed two of these units into small blocks.

The larger of the squares we had prepared we cut and got these---

Which we sewed to background pieces and got small blocks like these--

The left over part of the squares we are saving to use in the borders at the next meeting. Here's some of mine--

We took two of each type of the small blocks and we got these larger blocks.

Our homework is to make the required amount of these blocks and have them sewn together for the center part of the quilt for the next meeting in two weeks. When we well move on to do the piping and the first border.

SATURDAY & SCRAP THERAPY

Saturday started with fried salt herring for breakfast. Then off to helping the economy with running some errands....a trip to Sam's, Wal-mart, Dunk-in Donuts, and home. DD came over with the grandbabies. They were outside blowing bubbles and drawing on the sidewalk with chalk. Next we all went to BJ's where the older two love driving the car attached to the shopping cart they have there. Stopping by What-A-Burger for lunch. Their fryer was broken so no fries or apple pies but the hamburgers/cheeseburgers were still tasty. Back home DD took the girls over to their house as it was naptime.

Papa and I were watching the USA team versus Canada in the world tournament (not sure of the correct name of the tournament) being played this year in Canada with teams from various countries around the world. Miss Daisy, one of our kitties--the one who has been so ill for over a year with kidney problems then thought she had lymphoma and all of a sudden a couple months ago rallied doctor no longer feels she has cancer and is feeling chipper as can be, she jumped up on the table and was watching the game for a good hour.

When USA won she jumped down and went on about her way.

When the girls woke up from their naps their mommy took the oldest two to the Living Museum where they saw fish, turtles and alligators and baby sissy decided to stay home and come over and play with Nana and Papa.While she and Papa were playing I started some extra cutting squares for Scrap Therapy's Blooming Steps Quilt that we are starting Monday night at Nancy's Calico Patch. I cut some of the small squares to add to my collection. This quilt requires a PILE of small squares. Over a thousand of them as I recall.

And some medium size squares..

While I was at it I cut some of the largest size squares to add to my collection of them even though this quilt doesn't call for them.

Tomorrow afternoon I need to cut the strips and squares from the background fabric.

Thrifting

The other day my friend who is Queen of the Thrift Stores called me while I was ironing fabric. She said she had an iron she had ordered from one of the shopping networks but didn't like it as it was heavy and it was too late to send it back to be returned. I told her I loved heavy irons. I'd buy it from her because mine was getting old, a LOT hours on it and I expected it to die on me any day now. She would try to find in and bring it over but was not taking a cent for it. She came by the other day and it was a Rowenta. I about died!! I was beyond thrilled! Used it last night to iron fabric. It's smaller than my Rowenta Professional model but has the same looking sole plate just a tad smaller. Believe it irons better in fact. The sprayer on mine doesn't work half the time this one works like a charm. Only thing it kept setting off the fire/smoke alarm. I was ironing the same place I always do not directly underneath it but nearby.

While fixing supper last night she called me and described this fabric she saw at one for $2.97. She was at one of the thrift stores in another area of town and she said it was a pile of it. I told her get it I'd pay her. She came on in with this ARMLOAD of blue background large floral print. She thought it had been washed because it felt rather stiff. Between you and me because of that stiffness I doubt I would have bought it. She doesn't have a computer so won't be reading this. I threw it in the washer and dryer. She thought I was crazy to wash it. Told her I threw all fabric in the washer and when it came home with me if it was going to run or shrink I wanted it done before I spent hours making something not afterwards and ruin the project. Out of the dryer and onto the ironing board.

I measured it. Granted it's not top quality fabric but at almost 11 continuous yards for less than Three Dollars!!! I figure I'll use some for a quilt backing and some will be cut up for scrap collection. Maybe a totebag from it. Oh, it did come out softer. It's not wide enough for a decorator fabric but on the heavy side.

My DD had stopped in a thrift store a little over a mile from us and bought a piece of fabric the other day. Told me they had right much in there and a pile of patterns. I needed milk so when I ran out to get it a few minutes ago I ran in there to look. Got some fabric, the price was right, threw it in the washing machine. When it comes out of the dryer I'm cutting it up for Scrap Therapy and Bonnie Hunter Scrap Quilts. I got a pattern for vintage style aprons.
Don't know why this came up sideways it was saved vertically. There were hundreds of patterns in a huge basket. Tons of Vogue. Wish I had time to go through them. Most looked never used. The one I got has been used....I'm just hoping all of the pieces are there.

I did add pictures of the fabrics I talked about under "Tuesday's Ramblings" if you want to see them.

SCRAP THERAPY--CHARMING BUDS, cont.

On Sunday I worked on my "Blooming Buds" Scrap Therapy Quilt.
I took my units that looked like this-- And with my trusty Ginger rotary cutter, Olfa square and cutting mat with my friend Gucci keeping close in case I needed his expertise--

I got a pile of trimmings which you see here---

And got a pile of squares you see here---

I then sewed them into strips. Next I made the rows of sashing---and you see these two here----

Later in the week I sewed my strips and sashing together...here is a picture of them lying on the rug in order as I was going to sew them. HOWEVER....I can NEVER keep things in order---and the order got switched around several times. I'd find a print too close to each other and switch.

In the end I think I ended up with maybe one or two of the little cornerstone blocks in the sashing being a little closer than I would like to the matching print triangle in the row of blocks...but don't tell the Quilt Police!!!

Monday night I went to a meeting/class and there I sewed my last row in the middle joining the top and bottom units. Cut my borders. I did put the bottom border on and one of the sides borders on...I think the right side one. She taught us her way of doing the miter...NOW I hope I can remember how I did it. I've had the three grandbaby girls this week and tomorrow. I'm hoping that Saturday or Sunday I'll get the rest of the border and mitered corners completed and I'll post a picture of the finished top once I get it done.

No one on this green earth knows when I'll start quilting it. Think I'll machine quilt it on my sewing machine. I normally prefer to hand quilt. But really don't feel like getting the frame down from the attic over the garage, through the house, upstairs to large bedroom and set it up for a throw size quilt. Queen or King OK but not a throw size one. The border and the backing are going to be the same print. Floral on Black background. I may need to pick up a package of batting....I'm not sure I have the one I want to use in it on hand.

Monday night I signed up for two more classes in March on Monday nights. One is one night and the other will be three nights. I bought fabric to do two quilts for the class that is one night. Since that is the week we are planning to go to Lancaster, PA---weather permitting and also when DD can get off to go with us and her DH can get off to take care of the three grandbaby girls and the three kitties and two doggies. But, that one should be a breeze so I at least have the pattern to do it. The other one is much much larger and I do want to attend those classes/meetings and also the fourth night for a cutting swap.

Sunday Afternoon

I spent this afternoon trimming my "Charming Buds" quilt squares. Cutting the sashing strips. Sewing the strips to the sides of the blocks and sewed them into the required number of rows.

I need to sew more of the strips to squares for the sashing that goes between the rows I made this evening.

Tomorrow evening I go back to Nancy's Calico Patch for the second class on "Charming Buds". We are to have as much as we can of the top finished except for the outer boarder. We'll work on the top and put the border on and miter the corners. We are to do the quilting at home whenever we have the time.

I took a couple pictures this afternoon and want to take some more later tonight and will post them later.

Good news...Friday evening I took feline Daisy and K-9 Legend to see the doctor. Legend was due for shots, get his ears checked and lumps on his hind legs. Lumps are fatty tumors. Good news. Daisy who Dec. 26 recheck from a few days earlier lab work was told she most likely has lymphoma or leukemia of the bone marrow. She test negative for Feline Leukemia. She is a former show cat by previous owner and may have been in contact with FL at the shows but in her developed into a different type. Or may not be related. Good news her blood came up from 13 to 28 without any medications...so now doctor feels she does not have cancer. She does have kidney disease in one kidney but doing fine without special diet. She's been ill for over a year with a really bad kidney infection and been on powerful antibiotics until just before Christmas.

Scrap Therapy--Charming Buds Quilt

Last night I went down to my local quilt store, Nancy's Calico Patch for a Quilt Therapy Session/Class. We're working on the Scrap Therapy's Charming Buds quilt. A month or more ago I went for a cutting session where we cut our scraps into squares. Here are some of my squares.

Last night we cut these squares in half diagonally and got these:

Next we cut strips and got a stack of these:

We sewed the triangles and the strips getting a bunch of these:

Then with right sides together matching points of the triangles and sewed the unsewn (is that a word?) sides of the strips together and got these:

Next we are to square these units, trimming off the extra.

During the next two weeks we are to make more units, squaring the units. Cut our sashing, sew together the various rows.

In two weeks we meet again and will sew squares to sashing until we get our quilt top. And we are to cut and add the borders with mitering the corners.