Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Good News Night

Tonight while out running errands I received a call from the Quilt shop that the quilt was on the frame. I wasn't expecting it to go on until next week.  I am not complaining.  Matter of fact it cheered me right up after a hard day at work!  They needed a batting that is why they called, they didn't have what I needed in the shop.  So I ran down and took them a batting and took advantage of the moment and took a picture. 

Kierra's Quilt on the frame
I wonder how long it will take to quilt it.  Next job, doing 500 miles of binding!

Happy Stitching!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

New Small Project

After a king size quilt of black, red & grey I needed something small and quick with brighter colors to work on.   I have seen several Twister wreaths around so I decided to make one also.  This is how it looked when I first assembled the top.  Not very interesting is it. 
Pre-Wreath

This is how it looks now.  The background fabric is really white with a gold design in it, not yellowish.  My fabric are batiks.  I still have to quilt it.  I started it Saturday evening and got this far by Sunday evening.  I also worked on my handouts for my Flying Geese class on Tuesday evening.  Yes it was a busy weekend.
 
Twister Wreath
This is a fun technique, it is fun to see the design come together.  Cutting out the squares is a little awkward, but doable.  This is the mini twister tool I used which is 2.25 inches square.  My top is about 18 inches square.

Happy Stitching!


Kierra's Quilt Top is Finished

I spent Saturday adding the last two borders and picking out stay stitches that missed the seam allowance and pressing and pressing.  It seemed to take forever to press that top.  Kierra and I meet at the quilt shop and we picked out the quilting design, which is Celtic Scroll and she picked out the backing. 
Kierra's Backing
She saw the fabric in a quilt and like it and there was just enough left for the backing so I purchased it for her.  It makes her happy.  This was the first time she was in the quilt shop with me and I think she saw some interesting things.  She made a lot of observation while I was showing her different things.  I doubt she will ever go back with me, but I enjoyed the moment.

I am glad to have this top done. When it comes back I will have 500 miles of binding to sew on.  :-)

Happy Stitching!


Monday, November 28, 2011

Happy Blogiversary to ME

I just logged on to my blog and I noticed that my Blog Anniversary counter said my anniversary was in 365 days.  Well it really is today 3 years ago that I started my blog.  What an adventure it has been I have meet lots of nice people and I really appreciate all my followers and all the wonderful comments that have been left.


On Thanksgiving I thought about m blogiversary but since I was busy with the feast here at the house I forgot to write a post.

The day I started was Thanksgiving in 2008.   I am not sure what I was hoping the results would be but I really have enjoyed having the blog.  I am such a ham and it is a good place for me to show off my quilting.  As well as share the memories of our life and family. 

Thanks to everyone who has followed along with my adventure!

Happy Stitching


Thursday, November 24, 2011

Man Cave

Yesterday, Wednesday the 23 of November the Man Cave officially passed the city builders inspection.  I don't have to to tell you that Mr. B. is very happy about this.  He had a lot of fun showing it off today to our Thanksgiving day guests. 

He started painting the trim and he still has some more of that to do. 

And the door needs more paint.  We even had guest eating out there for dinner today but I didn't get a picture, I was too busy eating.  Up since 5 AM to cook by 12 noon I was starving.  Plus smelling everything cooking all morning didn't help.  And that little yogurt I ate for breakfast was long gone.


Tomorrow he wll do some more painting.  Soon I hope to be showing pictures of the things he is making!
 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

This little video says it very well. Have a great and safe day with family and friends.




Sunday, November 20, 2011

Seminole Borders

Yesterday, Saturday I sewed on four framing borders and two Seminole borders.  Here it is with Rosie doing her cat inspection.  She likes it!


Three borders are on, and two mitered corners are done.  I was going to add the two last borders today but I ran out of steam.  All that stray stitching on the edges of the Seminole borders and cutting off the extra triangles.  Intense!

It is a little bunched up in the middle so we can see both mitered corners. I hope I have time tomorrow after work to add the last seminol border!  I am so ready to be done with this quilt!!

Happy Stitching!

Let us not forget the Man Cave

Mr. B. has been working hard on his Man Cave. 

By Saturday the 12 he had finished all of the outside construction.  The last piece of wood is in place. All the caulking was finished and some primer paint on. 

Mr. B. has lots of vacation time to use up so he took three days off from work during the week and finished all the painting inside and outside except for the trim and door.  The color matches our house.

Painted outside
This inside picture was after the primer paint.
Painted in side


Here he is surveying his domain and looking very happy with himself.  
A man in his Cave
 He is getting things organized and in their proper place. 
This work bench was his Dad's
Getting Organized
The man cave will be hosting the overflow of Thanksgiving dinner guess on Thursday, I think it will be all the boys.

How did I make that Seminole Border

I thought it might be fun to post some pictures of how I made the Seminole border.  You saw the strips in the last post, they are 2 1/4 inch strips.

Here they are cut again, these are also 2 1/4 inch strips.


Next you lay them into pairs and notice they are off set by one square.


Here they are sewn.


You keep sewing the pairs together until they are all gone.

Each one of these are from one set of strips cut from selvage to selvage.  I made eight of them.
Well some of these pictures where from Friday the 11th and the last one from later in the week. 

Happy Stitching!

Border Progress on the Double Irish Chain

It never fails when I have lots of stuff to post about my hard drive experienced a failure.  It is only an eight month old computer also.  Lucky for me Mr. B is a desk top engineer and he was able to find the un-fixable problem, and since it was still on warranty he ordered a new hard drive and installed it.  He was also able to save all my files and load them onto my new hard drive!  Thanks you Mr. B!!!
So now to catch up on all I have been doing.  I have being seeing red, grey and black all over. 
I have been taking lots of strips of fabric...


...and making border sections.  After you sew those strips together you cut them again and sew them off set to make the Seminole border.  A fun process.



I even had lots of company but no help from my cat Rosie.  She is the only cat I have ever had that sits in my lap and not on the table but the machine.  She doesn't usually stay long because I am not paying her attention.

This is how things were on Thursday Nov. 10.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Irish Chain Update

I spent Saturday teaching EQ7 Beyond the Basics Class, it was a lot of fun.  My students where all having fun and saying a lot of, "I didn't know that", "Really" and "WOW that is cool".  It is so fun when the class is so enthusiastic. 

I was able to find some sewing time on Sunday & tonight.  I think I did a couple of other evenings of sewing last week, but I forget how many. 

Center completed

Well this might not look different then last weeks picture but it really is, the 8th column was added on and all eight rows were sewn together. 

Tonight I moved on to the border and completed the first section of 10.  I wasn't sewing in a hurry just relaxed and watching TV.  When I plan to do some more I am going to follow the directions in the book closer so I can save some time.  I have a date with the long arm quilter to get this baby quilted and I don't plan to be late.  This quilt is way to big to place on my frame. 


First border section


Man Cave Update

Mr. B. is getting excited to finish the man cave.  He was so excited yesterday that after work but before we went to a pot luck dinner he was adding caulking to the new wood he put up on Saturday.   It also has been raining so he wanted to get the caulking in before moisture entered behind the wood.

South side eave done
The problem with this was he was in his good going to work cloths and good outside cool weather jacket. 
Now does anyone else see a problem of being in your good work cloths besides me??
You guessed it he now has caulking on his pants and he jacket and he comes in to the house and said, "I tried to be so careful."  Really?!?!?! When does a man and caulking and careful all go in the same sentence?  

North side eave started
He wants to work on it after work this week but of course, he has something to do every evening this week.