A Very Productive September

September rolled through quickly or did I just imagine it.  Fast paced but still a productive month. I started off focusing on Sue Garman’s Bed of Roses of which I got quite a bit accomplished. Pat on the back.   Blocks 7 and 8 are appliqued, one border strip appliqued and one set-in block appliqued. All have been hand washed, pressed and hanging waiting to be put together in a quilt.   Whew, are my fingers tired and sore. The quilt is coming together nicely. The goal is getting her to the quilter January 2019.

I had a staycation in September.   My routine consisted of sewing room time from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and then outside to tackle procrastinated tasks that were starting to haunt me.  I worked on clearing out the garage. It’s really a 24 x 32 building that’s more of a shop that I have used as storage. (The building’s not mine, I wish it was.  I would have procrastinated longer.) I had a bonfire 4 nights running. I live in the country and am able to have those nice soothing evening bonfires to relax those tired muscles from lifting and going through boxes that had not been opened in 10 years.  Those boxes were the last vestiges of my former married life and the only thing going through my mind as I was sorting through everything was, “What in the world was I thinking, why did I hang onto that?” So onto the bonfire it went. Very cathartic.

I also got my she-shed storage building organized. What a job that turned out to be.  More lifting and using those muscles again. The shed has a loft, great for storage. My sister gave me a set of metal shelves and we put them together.  I was so sure there was no way they would fit through the doorway once we had assembled them, but, I was wrong and it went right through. Those shelves hold tubs.  Yea!!!! I also put away the deck furniture for the season. Brought in the plants that will spend the winter in the spare bedroom and spare bathroom. The process of bringing in the plants, organizing them, and repotting some of them burned up a good 6 hours.

 

By Friday, I said ENOUGH and proclaimed the rest of my staycation was going to be anything I wanted except anything that might involve physical labor.   I was actually thankful to go back to work. I’m not used to all the physical labor and my body was starting to rebel.

 

September was also the month for the Ozark Piecemakers Quilt Guild Show in Springfield, MO.  I entered my A Boy and A Girl pattern quilt by Kim McClean. I did not ribbon, but I got some very good constructive criticism which I will take to heart.  I also got to meet several people who share my same interests. Isn’t it awesome that total strangers can have a comfortable dialog just because of one shared interest? Now that the show season for me has come to a close, it is time to get back into the sewing room.  

First off I do have to state that it is unseasonably warm and does not really feel like October should feel like.  It’s supposed to be cool and rainy. It’s upper 80’s and into 90’s and sunshine. Summer still in full swing here. Will it never end?  Wining done. So, October goals : Month 2 of Afternoon Delight, Block 9 and Block 10 of Bed of Roses are at the top of the list. That should keep me pretty busy.  If time allows I will be doing a quilt along of Angela’s from Quilting is My Therapy. I need to practice some more and with each practice session, I am getting more and more comfortable machine quilting.    When I become complacent about tackling my own quilting jobs, I have to remind myself that is why I bought my Bernina so I could learn to short-arm quilt. It’s awfully easy to just deliver them to Vickie.  I mean she does a wonderful job and it frees my time for applique and machine piecing tops.

I think it might be time for me to spend some time piecing a quilt top.  I am hearing the siren call of instant gratification. I have been doing so much handwork these last couple of years that I feel the tug to sit at the sewing machine again.   I did put a list together of 20 quilts (I know just 20) that need to be completed. My lists keep me going. I just love’m.

My motto for October, no new home projects til next year!!  Only sewing room quality time. Would someone tell my sister for me, no new projects.  🙂

 

Happy Stitches.

Sissy Malone

Advertisement

Another UFO down

one more UFO done.  🙂  Lists work!  If it’s on the list, it gets done.  I know I’m a geek but it works for me.

This was a BOM that I purchased around 2001/2002.  It’s a Marti Mitchell design.  This photo is terrible.  It is mostly yellow and green with a little blue and dark magenta thrown in for balance.  The kit did not include the binding.    I will be taking a swatch of the outside border with me to the quilt shop to see if I can find something to match it and look for considerations for backings.   There was no room for error in this BOM.   You got exactly the amount of fabric that you needed, no more, no less.   Personally, I need that fudge factor.  I am an early morning sewing room person and sometimes my coffee has not finished filling my veins with go juice when (silly me) attempts cutting.   So, I admit, I do from time to time make colossal cutting mistakes.   After I had completed the first month I noticed right away there was NO extra fabric.  Sometimes that jinxes me.  But I made it through this one only by being very careful with my cutting.   Now the search is on for backing fabric and binding fabric.  Then off to Vicky  it goes for quilting.   Can’t decide who is going to be getting this one.  

I have now chosen the next UFO to tackle.   It is called Cat Nap and it is a pattern that was published in Quiltmaker Magazine May/June ’02 issue.  It’s a baby quilt and hopefully won’t take too long to finish.  This one I will quilt myself.

Now that my September list is all caught up I am ready to start on one of the borders for my A Boy and A Girl Quilt.  I think I will work on the right hand side. I have given myself 2 weeks to get it prepped.  Woohooo.  No pressure.

I have been staying on top of Jen Kingwell’s Long Time Gone and have completed all 7 months of that BOM.  Anxiously awaiting # 8.

I have prepped months 1 & 2 of Sue Garman’s Bed of Roses.  I work on the hand applique on my lunch time so maybe this one will be completed in a year.   It is nicely portable.  Just one block already prepped and matching thread doesn’t take up much room in the tote.

I have discovered 60 weight cotton embroidery thread.  It is as nice as silk thread to work with and slides through the fabric like butter.  And to top it off it blends in beautifully and becomes invisible.  Now it doesn’t get any better than that.

I have just received Month 3 but it is not on the calendar to prep until October.   Besides, I am still doing the handwork on Month 1.  Wouldn’t dream of getting ahead of myself.

Happy Stitches Everyone

Sissy Malone

9696

 

UFO Journey includes Making New Friends…

I have been diligently working on my Lists.  UFO being one and just my Monthly “To Do” list.  It’s April and I just finished January’s To Do List.  It’s progress.  I had quite a bit on January’s list, in my defense.  But it is now check marked and I have moved on to February.  To my surprise I have already completed a couple a things on that list and it’s not as lengthy as January’s.  I might just get caught up.  Wait, no I won’t.  I have started several new BOM’s to add to my Monthly To Do Lists.  But you know it’s okay.  I’m having the time of my life.  I am learning new techniques and making new friends.  We can all welcome new friends.  Each new person in my life just adds more perspective to me.  Enjoying my life!

Here is what is currently under my needle.

Block # 7 of A Boy and A Girl – prepped and ready to hand applique.

Working on prepping Block # 8 of a Boy & a Girl –

I did get 5 circles completed this a.m. before heading to work. I have about 12 more to make.

Now my new BOM’s.  I signed up for Long Time Gone by Jen Kingwell.  She is an awesome designer from Australia.  Check her out.  i have completed Month 1 and have just received Month 2.  I haven’t started it yet.  Month one is half square triangles and 60 degree angle blocks.  Here are my blocks

My half square blocks are consistently square.  I am very impressed.  I tried this new Block Loc  ruler for my half square blocks.  I’m sold on the technique.  If you have not tried it watch a you tube video on it or have you local quilt shop demonstrate it.    My grid above is 7 x5 –  2.5 ” squares.  Notice that it is actually a rectangle. Usually mine are wavy. Yes, I will be using this ruler again.  They also have a flying geese one and are developing a pineapple block ruler.  Now, that I want to see.  I can only paper piece pineapple blocks.  Learning new tricks.

My Kaffe Fassett scraps.  Having FUN!

Happy Stitches

Sissy Malone

 

 

In a Snap….. Not So Much.

UFO work continues.  Believe it or not I am still working on January’s to do list.  Arghhhh.  I just can’t seem to put a realistic time from  on my hand applique work.  I always seem to underestimate just how long it will take.   That in its self is a work in progress.  So to see what I did get accomplished I did finish piecing the 2016 Saturday Sampler quilt top and got it delivered to Vickie for quilting.   Big round of applause and I take my bow.  That also took more time than I had anticipated.  Those pesky log cabin blocks were a challenge and approached differently than I had previously made them.  P.S.  I like my way better.  But at least I tried something new and different.   

The cute woodland baby quilt got finished and I delivered it.

I finished block 6 of the Boy  & Girl quilt

I am now no longer procrastinating on the yellow and green quilt.  I am actually working on month 5.  I thought once I got the set in y seam sections added it would be a breeze.  Not so much.  I forgot I had to make the bias strips for the corner ribbons and make like 50 stars and applique them all on.  that is what I am working on now.

Then there is Block 7 of a Boy and a Girl quilt to prep and applique which will complete January’s to do list.  Not bad considering today is March 5th.  I’m on it though.

Went to Saturday Sampler yesterday saw more beautiful fabrics and quilts to inspire me.  I truly believe I need to be in fabrics anonymous because I see beautiful fabric and greed takes over and I just want it.   It doesn’t matter that I have a room full of beautiful fabric it seems I just want more.  Feed the beast!  Anyway, I controlled my self and didn’t buy any new fabric just touched it a bit.  I didn’t even drool on it.    Although I have to admit, reluctantly, I did purchase 2 yards Friday and the quilt shop in Rolla when I was there working.  They were pieces that would work well in the Friends of Baltimore quilt that is on my list for next year.  I’m currently collecting fabrics for that project.

I have a muse.  I drive by this adorable barn everyday on my way to work and I fantasize about converting this into living quarters with a quilting studio on top.  I know it crazy, but it’s fun to think about.  Isn’t it wonderful.  I know, I’m crazy.

Happy March everyone.  I’m heading back into my sewing room to work on ribbons and stars.

Sissy

 

 

Winter Weather Advisory :(

Here we go again.  Winter Weather Advisory for 1/4 to 1/2″ ice storm.  The experts are already comparing this storm to the 2007 ice storm in this area.

I did not have power for 8 days.  Yikes what a nightmare that was.  I remember standing in the front yard and listening to trees crash in the woods.  Devastation was everywhere.  I also remember being able to see for miles due to tree tops no longer there.   This is just crazy because last Saturday it was – 2 degrees here when I went to Saturday Sampler.  Yesterday it was 73 degrees.  What a yo-yo.  Scary.  The good news is I had already planned on taking Friday and Monday off work for vacation days.  I had planned on spending that time in my sewing room.  Now I am concerned I won’t have electricity.  I have got to get my hand work ready to go or cutting the strips for 2016 Saturday Sampler.  I would have thought I would have been better prepared but it seems not so much.  Isn’t it amazing how much we rely on our conveniences, like electricity. 🙂  I certainly take them for granted.

So much for grousing about the weather.  This is what is under my needle right now…..

I finished hand appliqueing the 7 Sisters block, the last block for the 2016 Saturday Sampler.  I can now start setting that quilt top together so it does not become a UFO.  

I have a baby quilt for a friend to make this month.  The panels I ordered have arrived.  They are quite larger than I had anticipated so I am rethinking how I had planned on putting them together.  The back ground fabric I ordered did not disappoint.  It was exactly what I wanted.  Hopefully I will keep electricity and can blissfully sew while the weather is doing its thing.

Lastly,  there was an awesome full moon last night.  My camera is a good one but I do not know how to take nighttime photos, so here is the best I can do.  That little  white dot is the full moon that was beautiful.  The broken limb on the oak tree is a remnant of the ice storm from 2007.

Unfortunately, I have not gotten the next 2 blocks of A Boy and A Girl prepped.  Can’t get to that until 2016 Sat Sampler is completed and Baby Quilt completed.  Let’s pray that this predicted storm is not so severe.

Be safe everyone and happy stitches.

Sissy

P.S.  I have been saddened this week with the passing of Sue Garman.  I so admired her work and the quilt patterns she designed.  I did finish one of her patterns Autumn Joy and plan on beginning my journey into the Baltimore Album realm in January 2018 with her pattern Friends of Baltimore.  Rest in peace we will miss you dearly.

 

 

 

2017 Fresh Beginnings A New Year A New List of UFO’s

Fresh Beginnings doesn’t that sound inspiring.

January 1st, 2017 – 365 days of planning, sewing & finishing those pesky UFO’s.  I have a sewing room full of tubs of projects I thought at one time I had to make.  Many have fabrics, patterns included.  Some are just the idea of the quilt, like a photograph or page torn out of a magazine.  From time to time they tug at me to open them up and consider working on them.  I am feeling that tug today.  Yet, I have my current project on my sewing table to be finished.

Kudos to me.  I cleaned my sewing room!  I believe having brushed against those UFO tubs has given me the curiosity to peek into them and say, “hello, I haven’t forgtotten you”.  I am truly trying to stay focused on the list I would like to accomplish this year.  But sometimes it’s a challenge.

Yesterday, I had planned on cutting and sewing together 2016 Saturday Sampler quilt.  Surprise, surprise,  I had not completed block # 12.  Seven Sisters, a block of English Paper Piecing.  Slap to the forehead.  I had put off making this block while I worked on A Boy and A Girl blocks.  Not to get discouraged, I dug right in and started making the block.  I am hoping to finish the block today.

Maybe today I can actually start sewing the quilt top together.  It is a half log cabin setting.  I have made a quilt like this before.  The instructions for this one are a bit different than the technique I had used before.  I toyed with the idea of drafting my own pattern, but have decided I will be adventurous and follow this designers instructions.  Then I will have something to compare and know going forward which technique I prefer.  You never know if you will like something or not until you try it.  At least that’s what I’ve always been told.

Just 3 more sisters to go and I can finish this block.

I have a birthday coming up and I am trying to decide what to give myself as a present.  I need a new mat for my sewing table.  The one in the photo above is 36 years old and is starting to show it’s wear and tear.   But then I just saw this quilt book by Jen Kingwell, Long Time Gone, and all I could think of is what a wonderful way to use up my scraps.  I think the mat may wait a bit longer.

Happy Stitches and Happy New Year Everyone

Sissy

 

Reviewed – Satisfied- Looking Forward

I have reviewed my work for 2016.  I admit to straying from my list of goals with profound satisfaction.  No regrets!  I got started on my A Boy and A Girl BOM and am thoroughly enjoying  myself in each step of the process  of each block.

I am satisfied with the projects I completed this year.  I have learned to set realistic goals.  No more pie in the sky.  I ask myself, is this doable, if not, scale back expectations.

Now, I am looking forward to 2017 with my eye on finishing more old UFO’s and my beloved A Boy and A Girl BOM.

My year in photos:

 

And also a round of applause for my helpers.  They kept urging me on when I stumbled.

Happy New Year everyone.  My wish is that everyone’s hopes and dreams come true in 2017.

I am finishing up 2016 by cleaning and organizing my sewing room so I can start the new year in an inspiring place.  Fingers crossed I get it completed today.  Sadly, there is much work to be done.  🙂 But what a wonderful day to be able to spend it in my happy place.

Happy Stitches.

Sissy

 

 

Merry Christmas Everyone!

It’s Christmas Eve here in Missouri and the rain has stopped and the sun is shining.  It’s a beautiful day.  I can remember past Christmases where there was a least a foot of snow on the ground and it was below zero outside.  I am very thankful for this beautiful day.

I have been busy working on Block # 5 of A Boy and A Girl and am determined to have it completely sewn by Monday.  Keeping fingers crossed!

I just wanted to stop for a moment and wish everyone a very Happy Holiday season!

Happy Stitches

Sissy

High Hopes

I’m on a roll.  I finished prepping Block # 4.

I belong to a Hand Applique Group on Facebook and posted a photo of WIP of this block.  I had a question asked how I placed my pieces so I decided to illustrate in photos a step by step.

The squares for this pattern are cut 24″ and will later be trimmed to 20.5″.  I place my ruler along one side and mark 12″ from the edge with a water soluable pen.  I then rotate the block 90 degrees and do the same.  I then take it to my sewing machine and using a 4.0 stitch length stitch the lines.  This creates a center placement guide

I tape my pattern to my light box  Right Side Up.

Then using my stiching lines I match them to the pattern centering lines and tape my background fabric to my light box.

I then trace the pattern to my block background using a blue water soluable pen.

I generally reverse the pattern on the light box and trace my patterns on my freezer paper with the dull side up on the freezer paper.  Some people just leave the pattern Right Side Up and trace their pattern with the shiny side of the freezer paper up.  Either way works just fine.  I typically iron a second layer of freezer paper to my traced patterns for more stability.

Then the fun begins…. cutting out all those patterns.

And then I find out I had a senior moment while tracing.  I have 2 number 40’s and no number 22.  Oh well, back to the drawing board.

Progress so far..

I have to put away my play things right now and get ready to head to Branson, MO to see the theatrical production of Moses.  I have been so looking forward to seeing this.

Happy Stitches Everyone

Sissy

Next Up Block 4

It took me longer than I had anticipated to complete hand sewing block # 3 but I am pleased to say it is finished and hanging on the design wall in good company with Blocks 1 and 2.

I am always surprised when I soak and hand wash the block after I have completed hand appliqueing it just how filthy, not just dirty, but filthy the water is.  Now, I expect it to be milky in color due to the spray starch and the glue I use to hold the pieces in place, but this time the water was dark and filthy.  Makes me wonder where my hands have been.  Note to self, wash hands more frequently before picking up hand work.

I had a nice break at Thanksgiving that allowed me to finish Block # 3 on time.  Thanksgiving spent with family and traditional trimmings.  Yikes but it was good.  I also had 2 vacation days where one was spent in my sewing room pushing myself to finish my block.  The second day I spent cleaning the garage so I would be able to park my car in there out of the weather.  I suppose winter will rear it’s ugly head at some point and I do not want to spend time scraping my windshield.  Domestic duties are always getting in the way of my Utopian Bliss.  Patting myself on the back for clearing the garage I am back to prepping Block # 4.  What I have accomplished so far…

Here is Block # 3

I have such high hopes for this month.  I am hoping to complete 2 blocks.  Ambitious but what are goals if not to push ourselves.

Happy Holidays

Sissy