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

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Irony – September UFO is # 9

September always marks the back to school routine for students and parents, leaves starting to change colors,and cooler temperatures. Another season is cycling away.  I am extremely proud of my UFO no more  accomplishments this year.  I have freed up many tubs. What am I to do with empty tubs?  That is so strange to not keep accumulating new projects.  This is very unusual behavior for me.  Nine months of staying on target.  Now that’s an accomplishment.

On my list it is a Fons & Porter pattern “Neopolitan Delight”.  It is a pieced quilt top.  No applique, imagine that.  Looking forward to getting started on it.

But in the meantime several things are going on.  Firstly, I have successfully revived my fig tree.  It had lost it leaves and was looking as if it had died.  I re-potted it in a larger pot (basically, I finally took it out of the nursery pot it came with when purchased) gave it new potting mix and watered it.  I will be bringing it in the house for the upcoming winter.  But for now it is on the deck and sprouting new greenery.  I am proud to say I did not murder my fig tree!!!!

Secondly I was asked to make a baby quilt for a friend to give as a gift.  The parameters were lavender and gray nursery with an owl theme.  This is what I came up with:  I am finishing the owl applique by hand.  Then there will be a gray skinny border and then a 4″ lavender border.  I am going to attempt to machine quilt it myself.  I mean after all that IS why I bought my dream machine to learn to machine quilt using it.  I have been giving myself a pep talk and am pretty ready for the challenge.

Thirdly, Vickie had let me know that my 80’s “what was I thinking” quilt is completed.  She has texted me photos and what a transformation.  I am actually liking that quilt now.  I can hardly wait to see it in person.  I will get to see it next weekend.  I will post photos when I get it.

This is what is going on in my UFO world right now.  Hope your little flying saucers are  aligning.  Have a wonderful week.

Sissy

I am a quilt top maker

I love quilting.  The whole process, from cutting out the fabric, to piecing to applique.  I even enjoy hand quilting the quilt.  I just no longer have the time to devote to hand quilting.  Especially if the quilt top is going to get finished.  I have not yet acquired the skill set for machine quilting (even though I now have my dream Bernina  with it’s wonderful BSR (bernina stitch regulator), and I have no expectation of purchasing a long arm,  I rely on others talents  with a long arm.  There are so many talented long arm quilters out there and I am blessed to have access to one who quilts my top.  Facing breast cancer puts life in perspective.  I totally look at things differently.

Since signing up for our UFO group, I have been working diligently finishing up those tops, screaming, my turn, my turn.   I have my monthly UFO to complete, then I make a list of other projects to get started on or make.  This month’s list is:

1. Row by Row  2014 (finish 2 rows and design border with 3 license plates) Sadly I am declining to participate in the 2015 Row by Row.  I would really like to spend a weekend driving around to different shops like I did last year but unfortunately I have pressing projects to try to squeeze in with my UFO list without adding more.

2. Finish Applique Class Sample (I have been asked to teach an applique class)

3. Mock up 3 blocks of Autumn Joy pattern by Sue Garman  (on my ufo list) I realized that I would not be able to get this one completed in one month so trying to get a head start.

4.  Piece Miriam’s quilt – this is a panel pieced quilt top that has panel blocks and each block has a scripture on it.  Miriam is always cold and this would be useful to wrap around her while she is relaxing in her recliner.

5. If there is anytime left in the month…. start mocking up more blocks of Autumn Joy.  or start cutting out the background fabric for  the “A Boy and Girl” quilt. Secretly, I am itching to start this quilt but am practicing delayed gratification.

I was so pleased with myself last night for how much I had gotten accomplished yesterday that I even put together my 2016 UFO list.  This time I was more realistic as to what I can actually get accomplished in one month. Going forward, my game plan is to tackle one major applique quilt a year, interspersed with pieced quilt tops, baby quilts, and lap quilts.   Words fail me to express the elation I feel when I actually accomplish the items on my monthly quilting “to do list”.  Too often I had pushed aside what I wanted to work on for other requests against me time.  I guess I am now being totally selfish and focusing on what I want to do.  I am not neglectful of my fur babies as they accompany me to my sewing room and wait patiently for me to take a break and go outside with them.  The only thing I have been neglecting is yard work.  The abundant rain we have had recently has aided in my procrastination in mowing the yard and weed whacking.  But this afternoon, I have to tackle this project.  My sister is arriving on Wednesday to spend the 4th here on the farm.  I am looking forward to her arriving so I want the yard to look nice.  So I will get this posted,put on my straw hat and gloves and go fire up the lawn tractor.  Vroom Vroom!!!!

Happy Quilting Everyone

Sissy

The Lucky Number for March is 7 – Kim Diehl pattern “Late Bloomers”

After sewing madly for two months, I took a week off and watched you tube videos on short arm machine quilting.  I also discovered a plethora of videos for my Bernina 550 QE.  I purchased my dream machine last summer and we are still getting acquainted.  So finding 66 videos covering basics to advanced usage was a real boon.  I had taken a machine quilting class at my local shop and came away a little overwhelmed but encouraged.  After watching a couple of short arm videos I practiced with my BSR and executed a respectable feather and filler background.  Not quite ready to tackle a full size project just yet but getting closer.

Yesterday, 6 inches fresh powder.  Yuck, so over winter.  Ready for spring but looks as if it’s weeks away.

So today cutting into 30 fat quarters (which I determined have to come out of my stash – cannot purchase new) for this cute scrappy project.  It’s a perfect size for a sofa quilt.  I really like draping quilts over the back of my sofa.  I originally saw this quilt in Better Homes and Garden American Patchwork & Quilting April 2012 and fell in love with it.  The pattern came with the magazine.  Then for some strange reason I purchased Kim Diehl’s book last fall 2014 with this same quilt in it.  I guess I REALLY like it.  I had a tub that I had started collecting fabrics to make this which relegated it as UFO status so on my list it went for 2015.  Now I am making it.  YEAH….. not just a dreamer (nicer than procrastinator) but a quilt top maker.

I am hoping to get this one completed ahead of time so that I can forge ahead with one of my other UFO projects.  I have many more that are not on the list for 2015.  I am already planning my list for 2016.  I can be such a geek.

Till next time.

Sissy