Category Archive: quilts
Then I pulled out the quilt pattern I am testing. It has several pink and white 9 patches.. I worked on them until my machine rebelled. When a machine misbehaves, it usually is operator error, so I shut it down for tonight and it will probably be just fine tomorrow.Spool Souffle – a new quilt
Office Depot called my name today. I had not yet purchased my calendars and appointment book for this coming year. So calendars and 4 notebooks later, I left. I usually purchase them in September or October. I don’t know how this all sneaked up on me. Do you know how little of this year is left? Well, it is done.
This afternoon, I chose and cut large squares for the Spool Souffle quilt – a new quilt, that I plan to make the first part of the year. My plan is to cut out about 5 quilts for the first half of the year and go from there. Usually that’s about when it is time to start the garden. Of course there are other projects as well, but these will be totally new projects.
Pattern testing
On occasion, I test quilt patterns for others. This one I need to have done by the first week of January is now cut out. I am loving the colors and the fabric is old enough, it probably came from my mother’s fabrics. But the bears on a picnic are cute and fit well with this pattern I will test.
Bowl cozies, scraps, and puppy
The bowls are now ready to top stitch. However, I’m have to get the light above the sewing machine replaced first. It seems the ballast is bad.
The cotton scraps are all finished though I will admit that the “large” pieces that went into the color buckets were getting smaller as the day grew longer.
Daisy is and will be a puppy for another year. We are lucky she found an egg carton to destroy. Even though she has bones, she still loves to shred anything she can find. We know that and we are the adults(?) here, so if it gets chewed, we have ourselves to blame.
Yes, I did big damage at Costco and will not be going again this year. But we have dog food and dog treats and sheep treats, and even some people food. You didn’t know Costco sold sheep food? That’s because you might not know how much they love the little animal cookies.
Scraps, scraps, scraps
Scraps, scraps, scraps – after a day and a half of cutting, I am 2/3 done. This smaller box is still waiting its turn.
These are what these squares look like all cut into usable pieces (I cut 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5 and 6″ squares) and
these are the larger pieces, but not big enough to put with the fat quarters as well as lengths from bindings etc. These bins are all overflowing and remember I still have a box to do. I have no idea how many quilts can be made with all these, but it will be several. I feel as if I should invite you over to play in my sandbox – well scrap box, and we could make some very pretty quilts.
Cutting gives me lots of reflection time. I remember the quilts made from the fabrics, and sometimes I think about the scraps of my life and how they have come together with Master Quiltmaker in charge. And yes, there are still pieces for which to find a special use.
Tomorrow is Costco time. The dogs are wanting treats and the DH would like a few things as well.
She’s finished!
She’s finished and I’m very happy with how this one turned out. My sister did all the little Sunbonnets and I put them together and quilted them. I have not yet labeled it, but that is in its future. I’m linking up to Elm’s street One monthly goal.
After this I went to the barn for a good workout.
Sunbonnet #3
Sunbonnet #3 is now ready to bind. I’ve been looking back and it seems I have not done much sewing or quilting since late spring. This felt good to get on and off the machine.
Here is a close up of one of the blocks. This one received loops in between the blocks. Hopefully it will get a binding finished before the month is over.
The bad hay is gone and good hay is scheduled to arrive tomorrow early evening.
Apples and bowls
Black Friday and I no longer have dates, so I moved on to other things. Did you brave weather and crowds for a special priced item or two? If you did, I’d love to know about it.
100# of apples are now all sauced and about half of that is now finished apple butter. It seems to take longer than I remember it taking a few years ago. Then there was a major cleaning job in the kitchen as I made some of the sauce each of several days without totally cleaning each time. But now all is finished except the applesauce becoming apple butter in the slow cooker.
I was able to move on into the sewing realm. These bowls are coming together one seam at a time. Today I finished half the darts and then moved on 
to getting this quilt on the machine. My goal is to get it quilted and maybe finished before the end of the month which is this coming Thursday all ready. Hard to believe isn’t it?
October mug rugs and dozer work
I made 2 of these mug rugs experimenting with how they are done. The designs are from Julia’s needle work. My daughter and her friend both have cats and ride their bikes a lot, so they will enjoy them.
And finally the dozer, the sand, and the contractor are all here and the dozer work begins. The tanks go underground and then will be covered. The propane and water tanks were to be completely buried by the end of August. I will be so happy to get it done. They are now saying by the weekend, they will have it done. I have learned now to believe contractors.
End of October projects
It has been a good month, a very good month.
I finished the end of October projects by getting these socks done and
embroidering these guest towels with cute little Hatched in Africa ladybugs. They were a free download several years ago and I needed something quick and easy to gift.
I did get 19 of the 28 items done that I had on a list for the month plus much more work outside that wasn’t on the list. So I’m a happy person. The items that didn’t get finished will go onto the next month’s list. I finished a quilt and some embroidery that was gifted. I took care of paper messes and finished some wall hangings and I took a short vacation – all in one month.
Today was beautiful and I spent it using muscles that I didn’t even know existed. But hay is coming this week and I needed to have areas cleaned for it. Hopefully I will finish that tomorrow. What is left, I need help doing.