Got a couple things to photo-worthiness today. I also had a quite productive trip to Hancock Fabrics, where every item I purchased was 50% + 15% off. Of course, with one of those being a roll of batting, the grand total was fairly impressive. As the rest of the order involved individual zippers, the length of the receipt was also impressive. The cashier wasn't totally impressed, as it was a couple inches shorter than she was. She has evidently had two taller than she was before. It is also fairly impressive how not one employee stopped to help me lift the batting of the top shelf, but customers went out of their way to help. Why are people more considerate of others on their free time than when we are getting paid to be helpful? One elderly man literally ran across the parking lot to open my car door for me. When I got home, I got to work, I finished enough string blocks for a quilt. And I cut sashing and set squares. I laid is out all the blocks since I worked on them in several batches so the same batch of fabrics wasn't all in the same section of the quilt. I grabbed the first pile and got ready to sew, and discovered that oops... the strips were 1/2" too short. And as I had chosen to use a brown fabric that was left over from the backing of a different quilt, I didn't have enough to re-cut 2" strips, but I managed to squeeze out enough 1 1/2" strips to make it work. I only had to piece 10 of them out of the original 2" strips, and I am left with these:

Since I have a similar batch of brown pieces from an exchange a couple years ago already in the drawer, I think I need to some kind of project involving 5 1/2" or 7 1/2" blocks that can be set with brown... Here is what it turned out put together.

I also used every last safety pin to get this one basted. Making 6 the most quilts I have EVER had ready to quilt at one time. And I am pretty sure that unless they were all miniatures that is the max my safety pin stash will accommodate

.

Strips and strings

After a trip to Idaho last weekend, mom sent me home with a big bag of strips and strings. Why did I agree to take them again??? But I did. Some of them are really awesome fabrics. There was this grey and blue batik that was pretty amazing, Some were special. Some just make me wonder, "now how did these end up here???" Like the frogs. There is probably close to a yard of this huge print of frogs, kind of a tropical print cut into a range of strips from 1" to 1.75." Why? This is my question. Why would you cut so many skinny strips of something there must have been a purpose at some point, and then not use it??? One night this week, I got them sorted and pulled out all the 1.5"+ strips for log cabin blocks as well as the strings and 1.5" strips of the more bright juvenile prints. I now have enough blocks for an all-pink juvenile log cabin quilt and blocks a second "boy" log cabin done. I am also closer to a 2nd "girl-y" log cabin, but I think doing all the pink blocks left me a couple strips short on a handful of the blocks. I am also caught up on the juvenile string blocks. (I have a set using boy fabrics with blue in the center and a set using girl fabrics with pink and purple centers.) This evening I was working on the "grown up" string blocks. When I started these I chose to do 8.5" blocks. What was I thinking? The difference in number of strings between a 6" and an 8" block is crazy. But I have all the blocks started that I think I need for a quilt. I think. I will see how big it looks when these are finished. They are getting so close, but I am soooo dead. So tomorrow? I should be getting ready for the week, but I may sew instead. I have these blocks to finish and then I'll have two log cabins and one string top to put together. And the bag of strings from Mom doesn't look like I have taken anything out of it... And that is not even mentioning the 1.5" strip drawer. It is full. Ok, bursting. I also have been pressing/trimming/sewing triangles together that were left over from various projects. They work great in between things, when you don't want to stop and clip your threads and you want to take everything you've sewn to the ironing board. It is amazing how much you get sewn when you just sew that little extra seam between things. I am kind of impressed with how much I have been getting accomplished, though it doesn't always look like it. There are I think 2-3 quilts waiting to have binding hand sewn down. 5 basted and waiting for quilting (thinking about a quilting weekend on the long weekend). 1 waiting for to be sandwiched (I just MIGHT have enough safety pins left over after basting the other 5? It is a small quilt...) And now blocks done for these ones. If I keep knocking quilts out out of the scrap bins, will I eventually be able to close the lids??? I know that is a crazy goal. The roommate hasn't been buying fabric for too many scrub tops lately, so I have a chance to make a little progress, as long as I don't do crazy things like accept "gifts" of bags of scraps.

A productive weekend

I had a productive weekend. I put some borders on the shop hop blocks using the left over pieces to use as much of the fabric provided as possible. I pieced the backs for 3 quilts and pieced together batting for one of them. I will get them sandwiched soon and add them to my bag of quilts to be quilted. I really need to have a quilting weekend soon! I think I am up to 5 that are at that stage. Then I started a new project. This one will be around for a while. It is from the book Nearly Insane by Liz Lois. I am going to use various grays and different pops of color sneaking into each block. So far I think they look pretty cool. I finished two blocks this evening. The blocks are 6 inches finished

Shop Hop Blocks Done

I have been working on finishing up my shop hop blocks for this year's hop. This year I decided to make blocks "inspired by" the blocks provided. Many became smaller, because 8" blocks can be clunky. Many were simplified because I don't do intricate applique. Especially not using fusible web... Only three were on the "I really can't figure out what to do with these pile" when I called it quits. I am planning on putting borders around some of the blocks with whatever scraps are left over. I only used a couple squares of fabric from my scrap bin for one block and the water and sky on the sail boat one out of my stash. I will probably need to find a fabric to fit in between them when I get around to putting the blocks together. Here is the set on flickr where you can see them all.

Not much to show

I have been sewing away this week and I just don't have much to show for it. Here is the best illustration I have of my accomplishments.



Oh, yeah, I forgot to take a "before" picture of the bursting at the seams baggies of strips that I started with so it really isn't that impressive looking. I really have been working at them I try to stay caught up with the strings and such and the bags were full again... I am proud to say I am now caught up with all my less than 1 1/2 inch strips as well as all of the 1 1/2 strips from the scrub fabrics. (The fabrics left in the bags were the ones that I had way more of than anything else, so I need to wait and make more scraps to befriend the in a block.

The string block bags were the first to get to come out and play. I added to the pile of juvenile fabric blocks (mostly leftovers from cutting out scrub tops for my roommate) and more recently a couple aprons for her and several little girl sundresses for another friend's neices. I divide these into two different piles:

a) excessively girly and/or pretty, pretty princess (I have 23 6in blocks so far)



or b) things a little boy would be willing to be within 20 feet of (there are 26 of these)



I also emptied the bag of "grown up" fabric strings too. These become 8 1/2" blocks.



I also made progress on more log cabin blocks from the scrub fabric. In addition to the two tops I finished last week I have three more tops each about half way. One is "boy" fabrics, one is all pinks, one is other girlie fabrics.

It has been a while since I have had a major project I was working on. I have had many projects, but since the Dear Jane was finished...



(See... it's really done) I haven't really had something fun challenging to work on for me. I decided to start this one as a reward for finishing so many other things. I made the first block a month or so ago...



...and have been working on cutting out the rest (I love my little storage boxes with the perfect sized little boxes to hold 48 1 1/2 inch squares)...



I am sure that if I actually looked at the pattern, you would probably do some strip piecing, which would work with either the rings or the background being all the same fabric, however, I wanted each ring a different fabric, and a scrappy neutral background, so that means individual tiny little pieces. 7,020 of them (total pieces, not just neutrals). They are all not cut. The greens are, but there is a limit to the neutrals you can cut (and store) so I have this many, and when my lovely little boxes are emptier, I'll cut more.

AND my new book arrived in the mail today. Nearly Insane by Liz Lois. So now I have two slightly insane, crazy, fun projects to work on. Here is my collection of gray fabric that I think I am going to use for it. With little splashes fo color peeking out....

Insanity

I discovered this book today. Yes, it is a little insane. It is even in the title of the book. But they are bigger blocks than the Dear Janes, so it isn't SOOOO crazy. Ok, maybe it is.

I went exploring to try to find it, but ended up with this pile of fabric instead. I am pondering doing the insane quilt with greys with little bits of various colors sprinkled in the blocks as pops of color.



I also made this top yesterday and today.



I was looking at this pattern. And I pulled out a bag of 2 1/2" squares that were mostly leftover from some over cutting on a project several years ago. I wanted to use them up and changed the pattern, because I didn't want sashing and didn't want to have two different strips. This is what I came up with, not sure yet if I am in love with how it turned out.

Two more down (or how bad I really suck at sewing on binding)

Two more quilt projects are finished and off my list. Of course this will illustrate how bad I am at hand sewing on binding and why I con people to do it for me at every opportunity.

This is the Western Washington Shop Hop Quilt I made from 2007. I tend to toss out block patterns that annoy me or I don't like, so I only ended up with 8 blocks. But that is ok, it is a nice little quilt. I quilted it this week and then sewed on the binding myself. Not too bad you may say...



However I also quilted this one. Aunt Alicia sewed the binding on for me. It took the same amount of time for her to sew this binding as for me to sew the first. If I did the math right that means she is 209% faster than me. Awesome.



This is for Cammy's wedding, which I should really go get ready for, as it is in an hour.

Thanks Mom :)

So, thanks to my mom I have some things actually finished. She is the binding queen. This weekend I went to Idaho and while I was there, Mom hand stitched the binding on 5 quilts (ok, two were mini, but still, would have taken me forever...) She has another one that she is working on, but here are some FINISHED quilts!!!

For a friend's baby... nursery theme is pink and brown and elephants. And done almost a month before the baby is due!



One of these will be for my classroom. One is yet to be determined where it will go.




A co-worker requested a dark brown, red, and green quilt for her living room.



This one is for a while, it doesn't have a home yet. I'm sure I'll come up with something.




Of course the one with the nearest deadline isn't done yet, there was a little dilemma waiting for the back to arrive. Off to quilt it tomorrow (it got bordered and basted tonight so we are ready to go...) and it should be ready for the wedding on Saturday.



Close up...



Here are some more of those 1 1/2 strips used up. I divided them in to a boy and a girl quilt. Most of these are fabrics from Alissa's scrub tops. There are still enough blocks done for probably parts of 3 more quilts, but don't worry, I am sure more strips will appear.

Progress

Today is one of those days that looks quite productive because several projects got to the point of looking close to done. I got the borders on two quilts:



I also got binding made for 4 quilts (of course two of those are the mini conductor ones which only require one strip of fabric, but still) and then the binding sewn on one of those, so it is just waiting for the hand work to be finished.

Quilting ADHD

It is hard to get any one thing done when you have so many others running through your brain. From my quilting to do list I have a minimum of 28 quilts that I am currently working on... gotta love organization as a procrastination tactic. It doesn't quite feel like it is procrastination when you are creating to do lists of the things you should really be working on. Way to go google calendar for making this a possibility in my life... and to have it broken down with sub tasks under the other tasks, not only that I should finish that quilt, but the sub-steps involved, finish borders, sandwich, quilt, machine sew binding on, and that evil last step that is hanging over my head on so many of them, hand sewing the binding down. Some of them have 'gredients added to my shopping google list that is conveniently divided by store...

I have been starting this and thinking about doing that back and forth, back and forth. The weekend I spent in Olalla. I played and was "helped" much in everything I did by my good buddies Layden and Clara. Clara is actually starting to tolerate me. She no longer runs screaming to wrap herself around Mommy or Grammy's necks when I try to talk to her, so that is progress. I have not ascended to the ranks of people-with-whom-she-is-willing-to-receive-her-bedtime-snuggle-from but I am now tolerated as a reader-of-bedtime-stories. Had a fun cooking experiment with both kids. Clara and I made grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch one day because we were the only ones who got the hand washing in before Papa turned off the water to the house. Some of them were less than perfect when it came to getting the bread out of the bag without breaking it front, but she had fun. Layden and I made cookies (Spice Bars) when he really need to be helping with something. We also got a chance to go down to the beach at Al's. Almost got sucked down into the muddy glop a couple times (amazing how much the sand and glop look the same...) but ended up with a ice cream treat at Al's, so it was worth it. Then I helped Aunt Alicia with a couple of projects. I hear I am quite the slave driver. But as her 1 1/2" strip scrap bin is emptier than it has been in a long time, she needs not complain.

Before I left, I had spent a little time getting my own scraps caught up. emptying out the bags of less than 1 1/2" scraps in string blocks. I sewed some log cabin blocks together that come out of the scrub scraps. I also finished the elephant baby quilt top.



I started two musical conductor quilts



I FINALLY FINISHED a project this summer! Ok, so it is only 12"x14", but it is done!



I also got the conductor quiltlet tops done, more pieces in a 8x12" quilt than should be possible:



And in the last two days I started...



...and finished...



...the blocks for a friend's wedding quilt. The sashing will be white with green triangles that make little leaves. I have a million little triangles left over which will become yet another project. Really? Do they ever end? I should go put that one on my to do list too. Because, clearly, it is helping me focus!

There is now a herd...

Of elephants. Or possibly snuffleupagus? Or is that snuffleupagi? Snuffleupaguses? Considering all that we learned from Sesame Street, the plural of snuffleupagus was not taught. Possibly because there was only one. Possibly because no one was really sure if he was real.

But I am pretty sure that these elephants may be actually be snuffleupagi. Especially the brown ones. Mostly because they don't have ears. And are brown. Some of the prints look like fur. Really the more I look at them the less I can convince myself that this is an elephant quilt at all. Luckily they are cute, whatever trunk-bearing creatures they are.

Start and restart

After visiting 37 fabric stores across Western Washington Wednesday and Thursday, I had to go back to three of them this morning before finding supplies to begin my next project. (Was I supposed to be finishing things? Oh, I forgot... but babies appreciate having blankets before they are 17, so some things get bumped up the project list...)

I got started this afternoon on the elephants. When I got the sections finished and laid them out to put together, I discovered this...



Sometimes when you reverse two colors in a pattern it isn't that big of a deal... sometimes it introduces babies to elephant anatomy a little before we need to...

So I re-did that section... I have the 5 sections of each of the other 9 elephant blocks with 5-7 pieces added. They should be finished tomorrow, but for tonight, I am done.



I am also finally posting this one... this is block 1 of lots. I have some of it cut, but not all. Each block has 88 pieces which is insane, but I enjoy insane...

Beginnings of productivity...

After running around this morning looking for foundation paper and a pink and brown print for a project that there may be photos of later this evening... I got home and Alissa was up and wanting to work on some things off our project pile.

So.... We covered a cushion for a tractor seat. I am NOT taking a picture. We added a zipper (washability seemed like a bonus in a tractor seat...) The quality is great for sitting on your tractor. Not much else...

Then we got started on Alissa's latest obsession. Reusable bags for food (in place of ziplocs) We did the basic boxy tote bag pattern with the zipper and used different fabric that could be wiped off for the inside. We made 6 bags in a couple different sizes. They turned out fairly well. Alissa will test them with her lunch today.

What do I sign myself up for...???

School is officially out for the summer at 11:15 Monday morning. Yes. 2 1/2 "official" hours of work left this year. Of course I haven't started getting ready for summer and getting my room cleaned up, but that is just minor details.

I thought I would start off the summer with a list of the things I hope to get accomplished quilt-wise before the end of the summer... Then I can feel good about myself when I finish them, because they were on a list. OR tell myself that lists are stupid when I don't get them finished...

1) Quilt for Cammy's wedding. I gave her a stack of fabric for her shower today. Really, that's how far I got on it... A completely un-started project. But since most people either a) don't quilt and are just impressed that you have that skill, b) are amazed that you can pick out a stack of fabric that matches and is attractive, or c) know how to quilt but decided to go with the shower curtain and bath towels instead as they also have a busy life... Everyone was impressed. But now I have to finish it. Or start it. Ok, both.

2) Quilt for Jamie's baby. Pink efalumps. (That's elephants...) Found this pattern today. Shall be cute, and part of the proceeds went to an elephant sanctuary, so that was my good deed for the day.

3) Celtic knot quilt for Jinney. Only requires handsewing binding...

4) Broken dishes quiltlet for Jinney. Also only waiting on binding.

5) Log cabin... again... binding

6) Alphabet... more binding...

7) Golden birthday quilt. Have to finish the quilting, maybe a quarter of the way along.

8) "Window" block exchange. Blocks set together, need to add borders and then quilt.

9) Brown, blue, green charm block block exchange. Set blocks together, border, quilt.

10) Log cabin wedding ring. I broke down and started it the other night. I have one block done. It is going to be awesome. Neutral background with rings of medium and darker green.

Another "lazy" productive day

Started this morning with finishing the alphabet quilt's quilting. Here it is...



Then I went on to put the borders on the fall leaf quilt. Putting off basting it I got started putting my 2009 Round Robin exchange quilt top together. I just need another border on it and the top will be done.



Now I've got the 29th birthday quilt ready to baste and quilt. We'll see how much of that I get done this evening. But first dinner...

Day of quilting

Day one of quilting weekend is over. I got quite a bit accomplished. Last night I got the log cabin quilt bordered and basted. This morning I got to work and here is the top completely quilted. It is a log cabin that I did an overall stipple on. This may have been the first quilt I ever stippled. I don't remember another one.



After that was finished I got started on my alphabet quilt. I pieced the back together and then got it basted and half way through the quilting of it before I decided that was all I could handle in a day. I am writing in each strip, whether or not you can see it... "a is for aliens..." etc... I am through one column (A-M) and have the other to do (N-Z) tomorrow.



After finishing for the night Lucy may or may not have swallowed a pill that was on the floor so I am now on puppy watch. So far she is waking up whenever I call her (though looking at me with increasing annoyance every time I do) so hopefully there will be no emergency trip to the vet tonight.

One down...

Another productive day under my belt...

I finished quilting three quilts! And one is completely done and ready to go to its new owner, who is thankfully still young enough to not notice the belated arrival of her baby quilt. Hopefully parents will be jazzed enough with the lovely handmade gift that they will also overlook the tardiness.

Here is a closeup of the quilting... I used a combination of swirlies and flowers and multi-stitch zig-zag.



And here is the finished product. Satin binding and all...



I also got this little one quilted and binding sewn on. I have a fortunate (or unfortunate, depending on how you look at it) tendency to make WAY too much binding for quilts, so I got both quilts today out of binding from other projects.



And another ready for the binding to be hand sewn on. That multi-stitch zig-zag sure comes in handy often. One of these days I am going to learn to set the machine up for it without consulting the book...



However, despite two quilts awaiting my fantastic handwork, I decided to procrastinate by adding the border around all of my blocks from one of our exchanges. On the last fabric depot excursion I found this fabric that works with all of the assortment blocks that have either brown, white, cream, tan, or teal around the outside. So those are ready to put together. But that will require a day where my brain can more successfully do math.

Keeping Myself Accountable

As the world didn't end today, I had some extra time to get some things accomplished.

So far this weekend (with the great help of my friends Jack and Hallie... here I am sure they are conspiring against me...)



I got three quilt tops finished, sandwiched, and ready for quilting.

The first was this caterpillar quilt for a friend's little girl.



It needed a face, so I spent some time remembering how to embroider. I came up with this...



Then I got the leftover triangles from the celtic knot quilt I am working on trimmed and put this together.



As you can see, Jack approves... or maybe he is just making sure there are no puckers in the batting, I am not sure. Both of my "helpers" are extremely fond of batting. Who knew?



Finally, I got borders on this one and got it ready for quilting.