Repeating Myself (Maybe)

Yes I know I have already shown you the Black and White Stepping Stones, but that was before I quilted it.

Here it is all quilted for Vicki to bind.

backing

And yes, this did make me crazy when quilting it.  Really had difficult time finding my threads from row to row trying to be careful not to cross over.  I think I did some cross overs, but you will never find them.  Even though this is a busy quilt, it is really beautiful in real life.  Its a big quilt, 98x98, it has a full drop all around my queen size bed.   My pattern called for 6 rows across and down but Vicki enlarged my pattern to 8 blocks across and down and adding 2 borders each @2.5 inches.  Like I said, its beautiful.

Next on my list of to do's.  Must get a new Lazy Hour Glass finished for photo shoot to send to the girl that does the final pattern.  I still have not heard from the proofer working my pattern, but I know the pattern will work, now that I have Sandi editing and finishing my patterns. 

I have people requesting "Lazy" pattern and its a shame I have 2 others finished and still have not finished "Lazy". Next time I need a proofing, will give it to Vicki, she can have it done in a week or less.

Also on my agenda is to do the pattern for Six Flags.  Still have a few more floating around in my head.  I really don't want to start another until I am caught up on Lazy and Six Flags.

Today is Thursday, and week is flying by.  With so much going on in my sewing room and my itty bitty head the days are seeming short. 

Yikes, its tax time and I havent even taken the time to prepare.  Gotta get this going too.  I think I need an assistant.

Aqua Batik

What a good movie "Dragonfly" with Kevin Costner.  Watched this yesterday afternoon, little bit of scary, little bit of sad, lots of suspense, little bit of joy. Loved it.

Up early and quilted the "Aqua Batik" quilt for new customer.   Pretty.



Backing

 Just a simple block framing pattern, but the colors are beautiful. While I was quilting it, I kept thinking of a pirates map, blue waters and land ho.  So quilted in meandering with long trails and then curves and reverse directions. Fun.

Happy to say friend Nettie is back from Florida.  She was on vacation for 2 weeks and it seemed like a month. 

Catching up at lunch today.

Six Flags

Grabbed scraps/stash and see what happened.

                                                         Six Flags, my newest original.



big enough for pillow tuck



Love this, it fits my full size bed with a pillow tuck.  Can't use it for myself yet. Gotta keep it all neat and clean. Will be showing this in Edgerton quilt show along with my other originals (October) long way off.

I am seriously thinking of entering my quilts in the Madison Expo September.  Never entered such a big show before, but I'm thinking this is the year I will.

Sooooo excited.  Sent my rough draft pattern to Sandi in Janesville and she did a fabulous job creating an actual pattern of Stepping Stones.  Its finally ready for sale.  Sent her the rough draft for Merry-Go-Round. She will have this done in a day or two. 

Yesterday, cool, wet yucky outside, Wayne and I spent the day cleaning.  Now this doesn't sound interesting, but  necessary. If I didn't stop every once in a while, the mess in my sewing room might qualify as a disaster area and FEMA would have to step in. When you spend so many hours quilting, and working on computer patterns, doesn't leave much time for the housekeeping chores.  Good guy Wayne, pitched in and helped recover our home.  

I almost hate to start quilting again, looks so clean.  That's not going to happen. Started to load a new quilt for customer this morning but ran into a snag.  The batting she brought was in a bag, but when I opened it, all that was in there were bits and pieces of batting.  She hadn't realized it was like this when she dropped it off.  She said she was given batting from friends and without opening bags thought they were as described on package.   I could remove the backing, which I pinned on this morning, and load another quilt, but I hate to do this, so today I will take the day off from quilting, and work on my patterns and watch movies. "Dragonfly" with Kevin Costner, kinda spooky.

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Great Day

Had one of those perfect days today.

Finished the quilting of my newest quilt. No photo yet, need to do binding first. Nobody's getting a preview before finished quilt.

Wayne and I went to niece Kenlyn in Lake Mills.  She is doing photos of my quilts for the patterns.  What a beautiful job she did.

We hung these from the railing of her deck.

Kenlyn sent me an email with an attachment of quilt and single block overlay that was absolutely beautiful, unfortunately I cant figure out how to attach here. Would love to show that to you but its not going to happen.

Had lunch in Cambridge, I'm still full, not eating supper tonight. Visited Stacy/Bert, Brittany and Little Tavyn.

Actually it all started last night, went to fish supper with friends at Fireside in Ft Atkinson.  Delicious, combo fish and chicken.  Arrived there early, eating before 5 and you get free coffee and desert.Yummmmmm. Loved the food and the atmosphere is so relaxing, really enjoyed the evening with friends.

I have been in contact with  the lady that is going to put my patterns together with a professional look, not my rough draft attempt.  Mine looks pretty rough, kinda like I had a 1st grader do it.

So I will stick to designing and making of quilts and leave the paperwork to others.  Spent more hours on doing the drafting of pattern than I did on making the quilt.

At Long Last - Done

It seems like it has taken forever but I can finally say "STEPPING STONES" quilt is finished, but you knew that.  What I'm talking about is I have pattern finished and ready for sale.


Now lets hope other quilters think it worthy enough for them to want to purchase pattern and make their own Stepping Stones quilt.  While I was at quilt shop today, I spent time just looking at fabrics. One of my favorite past times. Saw some beautiful prints/colors that would look wonderful using this pattern.

Thanks to Mary Kay at Loose Threads Quilt Shop for letting me come and hang quilt for full view picture

It looks so much better when you can see it this way as opposed to lying on a bed.

I also showed her Merry-Go-Round, she really liked that quilt as well.  Now to finish with binding and photo, and then finish pattern with diagrams and photo.  However, M-G-R still needs to be proofed before I can complete the pattern.  Vicki is off to Florida and wont be back until March 1st, so proofing will just have to wait.

 Not to worry, I have plenty to do before she returns.

Merry-Go-Round Quilted

Spent the day quilting Merry-Go-Round, 3rd of my original patterns.  All finished, except for binding.



Back of quilt

 What I really like about this quilt is the many different patterns through out the quilt.  There is the Lazy Hour Glass, a square inside a square on angle, pin wheels, and even bow ties.   So much to look at, all in one quilt, and you get this from a single pattern block and alternating every other block., This creates all the other patterns.  When you first look at it, you see the squares and pinwheels, which might make you think these are 2 separate blocks.  But in fact, the only pattern block used is the Lazy Hour Glass.

Now for the hard part, get the rough draft ready for proofing.  Vicki has agreed to proof this for me. 

She did such a great job on Stepping Stones, cant wait to see what she comes up with for colors for this one.

Black & White Stepping Stones

Look at how awesome Stepping Stones looks using black and white only.  This is being sewn and proofed by Vicki Oaks, the awesome quilter that did all those wonderful quilts for Christmas.

I am so excited seeing this quilt sewn by someone using my pattern.  She tells me she has notes to improve on pattern instructions. Looking forward to seeing her notes.

She is such an awesome quilter.  I am using the word awesome over and over because I cant think of another word that fits.

Went to guild last night and spoke to the quilter that is proofing Lazy Hour Glass, cant wait to see what she has done.  She told me she is using Teals, grey, off whites and a teal print. Sounds beautiful.

Finished the blocks of my new pattern this morning.  Need to add sashing and borders and then work on drafting the instructions.

No more sewing for the day.  Have to do my errands, banking, post office shipping quilts, quilt shop show off finished red/white Stepping Stones, Joan's to purchase backing for Merry Go Round and the new one.

Back to the 60's

Tshirt quilt mostly from the 60's. Really neat and big 93x94 quilt sewn by my friend Kelli from Ft Wayne.

Its so big had to take several pictures just to get it all in.

Had another brain surge in the middle of the night.  I now have another pattern circling around in my head. 

So, after completing this quilt, I proceeded to pull out scraps and start matching colors to work on my new idea.  What a mess I can make when searching for fabrics.  Pieces flying all around me, looking for just the right choices and sizes needed.  This size too small, this color not quite right, hmmm, maybe this works, and oh there's another one I think works, and so the process begins.

I am going to try real hard not to give you any peek preview before I get the quilt put together.

While working on Lazy Hour Glass, Merry-Go-Round, Stepping Stones, I was wondering if I could come up with yet another design, totally different from these 3, and sure enough, pops into my head in the middle of the night. How about that.

Its getting so I don't have the time to finish one, before I am already thinking about another one.  Still have Merry-Go-Round to quilt, have to take time to buy the backing so I can do this tomorrow.
If this keeps up I'm going to need a helper in my sewing room.   Dee Dee, get home from you winter vacation and come quilt with me.

Really hope others like my patterns as much as I do.

Log Cabin Star

First off I would like to say WHOOOOOO HOOOOOO PACKERS WON THE SUPER BOWL

Wayne and I waited all day in nervous anticipation for our beloved Packers to play in the big game.

Let me just say, it was one of the most nerve racking games.  Wayne actually had to take nitro towards the end of the game.  Heart condition, not a good thing to have while watching a close game.  Good news is he is OK.

Last time they won the Super Bowl, we owned the Packer Inn Bar in Rio. 1997. Such excitement.

I could have done without the half time show. Didn't care for it at all.  Where they come up with some of these acts for the most important football game of the year, I just don't know. But that's just my opinion, I'm sure some people, mostly younger than me, probably enjoyed it.  Although checking all the Face Book comments, there weren't many who did.

Now for today's quilting report.  Finished the sewing of Merry-Go-Round, need to purchase backing  before quilting.

I did manage to quilt a New Customer's quilt brought to me on Saturday.

This is a really big quilt.  97x114 - fit on my queen size bed with plenty of overhang. Could have even done a pillow tuck.  I used a large meandering, as requested and it turned out beautiful.

Doing Just A Little Quilting

I am among many people who have gotten the worst cold every. Sore scratchy throat, coughing, more like hacking. Yuck.  Trying to get some quilting done, but its been really hard to do. I could only manage to put in a couple hours today, working on Merry-Go-Round.  Have 3 of 6 rows sewn together.  I'm so close to getting this finished.

Yesterday, I just didn't do anything, sat in my recliner like a lump, and only left the house because I had to pick granddaughter, Kylee, up from school.  Took all the energy I had to get dressed and do that.

Today, Wayne was so kind, he did all of the laundry and vacuumed house. 

Seeing as I have nothing new to show you, here is something from the past.  Just a scrappy done my special way

2 For Texas

2 adorable quilts for Texas customer.

So simple but sweet. Love the bright colors.  I dont know what patterns were used, but really like them.

Finished one yesterday, and the other this morning.  Now for a  short break from quilting.

Completed Stepping Stones

Its done!!!!!!! And absolutely no rippling problems.  I am so  pleased.  I was a good little quilter and added the borders the proper way, measure 3 x cut to fit and attach. It worked out beautifully.

Like I said before, I have always done a sew and trim off excess before, when doing my borders, and I honestly have never had a problem in the past.  Because of the trouble I had with Lazy Hour Glass rippling I decided to give it a try and do it the correct way.  Well I am now a believer.

Still have to attach the binding, but wanted to at least post these pictures.

I have a rough draft of pattern ready. Need to send to be proofed before printing for sale to public.

Wish I had a wall large enough to hang these quilts so I could get a straight photo shot at them.  Gonna take this out to Loose Threads quilt shop.  Mary Kay has the wall space and she said I could bring my quilts for photos.

Nasty, Nasty weather this afternoon and tomorrow.  Did all my errands today, so I could stay home the next few days.  Received the 2 quilts from Texas (new customer), so I will be quilting them tomorrow.

Its days like this that I say THANK YOU THANK YOU to my ex employer for laying me off 2009.  I giggle every time it snows, just knowing I don't have to go anyplace if I don't want to.