More Blocks for my EQ Design and Sew Class

In February I had my first EQ Design and Sew Class, my second one is tomorrow.  The first one was fun, I enjoyed it anyway and the students seemed to also.  

So here are the blocks for Class two.

EQ version

The real thing

EQ Version

The Real thing

EQ Version

The real thing,

I am not sure how to fix the monitor issue that makes all my pictures look so yellow, it bugs me.  I forget about it until I edit my pictures and post something.  Hopefully I will add it to Mr. B.'s honey do list soon.  

This last block was not hard to sew but figuring out how to cut the fabric to paper piece it was a bit of a challenge.  I just really like how it looks!
Well Happy Stitching I am off to bed!

I Have Been Busy

My scrapbooking friends went to the Scrapbooking Expo this weekend.  I wasn't able to go because Mr. B. was on call for his job as IT Desk Top Engineer for one of the hospital groups where we live.  Luckily I stayed home because he ended up working 8.5 hours on Saturday and someone has to watch over those cute girls. 

So I scrapbooked here at home by myself.  

I did do three pages from my Dad's old album but I won't show you those.  My big project I did was to redo the tabs on My Life binder.  

In my binder I have my life divided into decades, 1948, 1958, etc.  I think I am ready for the second binder.  The tabs I had were cute but too small and they were bent and won't stick on well.  So I made new ones.  You can see them here.  I used the We R Memory Keepers Tab Punch.  Plus a friend gave me a set of letter and number punches that I used for the numbers. 

Here is my first decade. I found these fun sheets of What Happened  In for each year.  I put a picture of me that I thought represented me for that decade.  

Here is the 1968 page.  On the back side I have a time line of what happened each year in that decade.  

Here is a close up of the tab.  

I found this fun pages at CKC Creations. 

I was surprised how long it took me to make these tabs, between finding the right color paper from my scrapes, punching those numbers, gluing those tiny number and making the tab.  I think it was worth it.  I am happy with the results.  

The other thing I did this week was load a second practice quilt on my frame and I am doing some more practicing.  Feeling more comfortable with the process and working out some details I forgot, like raising the front bars with the back bars.  

This one is pink and I purchased enough of the backing to have is pass the end of the quilt and backing making it easier to work with.  I am not sure why I didn't think to do this sooner with other practice quilts but it's is called live and learn.

Trying e's and circles. 

And last but not least is a picture of our cat Sugar in one of her favorite nap places.  This is our coffee table in the front room, with our life binders in them, well mine and the girls.  

Frame Quilting

I am sure you all have forgotten I have a short arm quilting frame.  I hadn't forgotten I had one because I see it every day.  I just haven't touched it in three years.  I stopped using it the January before I retired.  I was just too tired to bother and I felt I'll be retired by next year so I can use it all I want then.  Little did I know that two little girls would come bouncing into my life and turn my world upside down and that I wouldn't find the time or energy to use it again for two more years. 

So on February 6th I loaded a practice quilt.  Just a yard of two fabrics and some batting.  My first past of stitching wasn't two bad and the second one looked better.  Than I had some issues when I tried to work from the back of the quilt.  My machine would freeze up.  I re-threaded it, and cleaned out the bobbin area and started up again and it has been fine since.  I think I had my bobbin in the bobbin case backwards.

Yesterday I finished my practice piece. 

I did a variety of patterns just to get my groove back.  I even did a couple of Pantograhs for the first time.  I find it hard to work from the back of the machine and it is really hard to follow those lines. I know no one follows those lines perfectly but I would like to get some where close.  I even have this one section that I completely missed quilting.  I must have rolled it up too soon.  

I like doing free motion but it was good for me to follow the pantographs to find a more open design.  I am going to buy fabric today to do a second practice quilt.  I have a quilt a friend wants me to quilt for her.  One of her friends made her a T-shirt quilt.  I want to do a good job.  So I am practicing!

Happy Stitching!!