Ha! I rarely actually laugh out loud, so I don't often use LOL. Don't get me wrong, I laugh a lot, just not when I read something. It has happened, just not very often... Made Me Smile is more my style. Like today when I opened this to write and I saw the mess I had made when I was trying to customize the header on this blog. MMS and shake my head. I really have to smile when it comes to some things, like computer stuff. I absolutely love the Internet, love email, and facebook. For me, living in the middle of nowhere, I love shopping online. I can order most things I need and have them at my door in a few days. AND I have been an EQ fan for years... although I still have version 5. I keep thinking I should upgrade, but as soon as I do, V8 will be released.
I have been working on the General's Wives quilts... I admit that I over think most things I do. So I was trying to cut out the last colorway of block 3. The blue/tan, my favorite. The blue is just a little turquoise... just love that combo. So, I am arranging the colors and I start worrying that I won't have enough of one of the colors I want to use for the setting blocks.. I swear this ocd/add part of my brain really causes me trouble! Instead of making those two blocks, I start searching for the same fabric online... spent at least an hour last night, then again this morning... Of course the easiest solution would be to make the setting blocks first, and use what is left to make the pieced blocks. and If there isn't enough for both of the quilts in this color, I can use this tan in one and get what I need to do the other one. The goal is to use up some fabric, not buy more because I might not have enough!
Looks like it is going to rain today. I think I will put something in the crock pot, or a roast in the oven and sew all afternoon... I will get those setting blocks done first!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Saturday, June 2, 2012
General's Wives quilt(s)
My Dad always said "If you have a frog to eat, eat it first thing in the morning. If you have more than one frog to eat, eat the biggest one first." I know this was Dads wording of a quote by somebody else, and I have looked it up a while back and read the original quote, but I like my Dads version. I often tell my kids to "Eat the Frog" or Eat the damn frog" depending on how tired I am of looking at their frogs!
I am eating all my frogs this morning, so I can sew this afternoon.Right now I am on my 15 minute break. Check out flylady.net. I love the theory behind "flying", but I am not always good at staying on track!
The key to being a successful Quilter is the right amount of organization mixed with the mess of creating. My sewing room is pretty organized using the deep Billy shelves from Ikea. The end shelves are filled with fabric, most of it folded neatly and organized by color on one side, and theme on the other. Those shelves have glass doors so I can see my stash. The TV, wii (for netflicks) and DVD player are in the center, with wood doors below to hide the projects I am working on. Bookshelves on both sides of the TV unit. Sounds nicely organized, right? Well, it would be if there weren't bins of fabric that don't fit into the shelves. Then I watch an episode of Hoarders, and wonder if that is my future... Kidding ~ it really isn't that bad! Watching those shows really does help weed out the things I have that mean something to to me and the things that I just have... got as a give and never used, bought, used once and put it in a drawer, or a bin and never used it again.
I am on a mission to lighten my load in the next two years. In two years my baby boy will head off to college. I will be alone. OK ~ not really, because there is the herd of pets still here. I do not know what I will be doing by then. Adjusting to life with out my Glenn. There are a few paths I am considering, but what ever path I choose, I will be selling this house. One of the ways I am trying to lighten my load is to finish the quilts I have started, make the quilts I bought all of the fabric for, and get rid of the bins of fabric, either by using it, or using enough of the fabric on the shelves to make room for what is in the bins. I have a list of about 15 people that I plan to make bed size quilts for. These are my best friends from High School that were married before I started quilting, so I never made them quilts, Glenn's Best friends who were all here for the funeral, and some other special people in my life.
Right now I am working on "The General's Wives quilt". Well actually I am making six at the same time. I bought the Kit so I would have the pattern, thinking that would be one of the color ways. The kit as enough fabric for two quilts except for the outside borders. So I bought 3 more yards of the same fabric and now there are two. I started pulling for another quilt and came up with a blue/tan combo, a red/gold combo and a floral combo. There is enough of the blue/tan combo for two quilts. which is good because that is the color I will be keeping one of! The other five are going to some friends of mine who just happen to be General's Wives... along with being amazing women in their own right! They are all wonderful mothers, one is a retired Air force Colonel Nurse, one teaches the deaf and translates spoken word by signing in classrooms so deaf kids are mainstreamed. One is what everyone would think of as the Southern lady, a true Steel Magnolia. Each of these women have been wonderful friends to me and knew the right things to do when Glenn passed away. When I saw the quilt pattern I knew I would be making several versions, and I picked the colors to suit their personalities. I will be posting some pictures of my progress.
This is what I started with.
I can see six quilts there, Can you? The reason I wanted to get a photo of the before is there seems to be a weird phenomenon of making large scrap quilts and there still being the same amount of fabric when you get done as when you started. I just want to document what I started with... Six King size quilts should make a pretty big dent in this pile right? We will see what is left at the end.
Time to get some chores done so I can go make a block ~ six times...
I am eating all my frogs this morning, so I can sew this afternoon.Right now I am on my 15 minute break. Check out flylady.net. I love the theory behind "flying", but I am not always good at staying on track!
The key to being a successful Quilter is the right amount of organization mixed with the mess of creating. My sewing room is pretty organized using the deep Billy shelves from Ikea. The end shelves are filled with fabric, most of it folded neatly and organized by color on one side, and theme on the other. Those shelves have glass doors so I can see my stash. The TV, wii (for netflicks) and DVD player are in the center, with wood doors below to hide the projects I am working on. Bookshelves on both sides of the TV unit. Sounds nicely organized, right? Well, it would be if there weren't bins of fabric that don't fit into the shelves. Then I watch an episode of Hoarders, and wonder if that is my future... Kidding ~ it really isn't that bad! Watching those shows really does help weed out the things I have that mean something to to me and the things that I just have... got as a give and never used, bought, used once and put it in a drawer, or a bin and never used it again.
I am on a mission to lighten my load in the next two years. In two years my baby boy will head off to college. I will be alone. OK ~ not really, because there is the herd of pets still here. I do not know what I will be doing by then. Adjusting to life with out my Glenn. There are a few paths I am considering, but what ever path I choose, I will be selling this house. One of the ways I am trying to lighten my load is to finish the quilts I have started, make the quilts I bought all of the fabric for, and get rid of the bins of fabric, either by using it, or using enough of the fabric on the shelves to make room for what is in the bins. I have a list of about 15 people that I plan to make bed size quilts for. These are my best friends from High School that were married before I started quilting, so I never made them quilts, Glenn's Best friends who were all here for the funeral, and some other special people in my life.
Right now I am working on "The General's Wives quilt". Well actually I am making six at the same time. I bought the Kit so I would have the pattern, thinking that would be one of the color ways. The kit as enough fabric for two quilts except for the outside borders. So I bought 3 more yards of the same fabric and now there are two. I started pulling for another quilt and came up with a blue/tan combo, a red/gold combo and a floral combo. There is enough of the blue/tan combo for two quilts. which is good because that is the color I will be keeping one of! The other five are going to some friends of mine who just happen to be General's Wives... along with being amazing women in their own right! They are all wonderful mothers, one is a retired Air force Colonel Nurse, one teaches the deaf and translates spoken word by signing in classrooms so deaf kids are mainstreamed. One is what everyone would think of as the Southern lady, a true Steel Magnolia. Each of these women have been wonderful friends to me and knew the right things to do when Glenn passed away. When I saw the quilt pattern I knew I would be making several versions, and I picked the colors to suit their personalities. I will be posting some pictures of my progress.
This is what I started with.
Time to get some chores done so I can go make a block ~ six times...
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
I regularly read a few blogs and I keep thinking I have one of these... maybe I should get back to it. My life has been in such turmoil since last September, and I really need to get some order to it. My kitchen remodel is taking too long and there are still so many other things that need done, but I am getting to do some piecing and I have actually finished several quilt tops. The Gammill is still under wraps in the garage, and the next priority is getting the floor installed in the bonus room and get the long arm set up.
This is the Kool Kaleidoscope quilt, Top done, not quilted. This is from the Book by Ricky Timms, Kool Kaleidoscopes.
This shows the border I got from a post on Pinterest. Love Pinterest, as long as I can use the things that inspire me. Sometimes I spend too much time getting inspired, and not enough time using that inspiration! I really need to get my room done upstairs so I can have a place to hang finished quilts for pictures, and my phone makes things look yellow. Need a new phone, but I am one of those people that hang on to things way too long, and then wonder why when I finally get the new one... like changing the blade in the rotary cutter!
Oliver was helping me display the quilt.
This is one I finally finished, a pineapple quilt using Bonnie Hunter's instructions. Again with the phone camera.... Maybe I will get that new phone today...
I have one more that is almost done, then I will start posting on a large project I have started, making 6 quilts all at the same time!
Lots to do today, recover from the trip I just got home from, and make a list of what I need to do to finish the kitchen.
Have a great Wednesday!
This is the Kool Kaleidoscope quilt, Top done, not quilted. This is from the Book by Ricky Timms, Kool Kaleidoscopes.
This shows the border I got from a post on Pinterest. Love Pinterest, as long as I can use the things that inspire me. Sometimes I spend too much time getting inspired, and not enough time using that inspiration! I really need to get my room done upstairs so I can have a place to hang finished quilts for pictures, and my phone makes things look yellow. Need a new phone, but I am one of those people that hang on to things way too long, and then wonder why when I finally get the new one... like changing the blade in the rotary cutter!
Oliver was helping me display the quilt.
This is one I finally finished, a pineapple quilt using Bonnie Hunter's instructions. Again with the phone camera.... Maybe I will get that new phone today...
I have one more that is almost done, then I will start posting on a large project I have started, making 6 quilts all at the same time!
Lots to do today, recover from the trip I just got home from, and make a list of what I need to do to finish the kitchen.
Have a great Wednesday!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Inspired!
I am so excited! My Daughter got me hooked on Pinterest, so now my mornings go like this... Wake up to alarm and panting dogs, pour a cup of coffee, let the dogs out, turn TV on to local morning news, open computer, check email, check facebook, go to Pinerest and drink coffee while I get inspired by sooo many creative people! This morning in the DIY and crafts category there were several quilts. Like all quilters, I love to look at other people's quilts. one had a border that is just what I have been looking for to finish a Kool Kaleidoscope quilt I started last summer for a wedding present for a wedding that was in November 2010. Really trying to get this one finished, but the border I spent way too much time on just wasn't working for me.
This quilt is for one of my best fiend's daughter. We became friends after we both divorced our husbands who worked together. We knew each other before that, but as with most divorces, most of the other wives in the group pretty much dropped us when we divorced their husband's co-workers. Fine, who needs them? I had two little girls and Catherine had one, a little older than mine. We hung out and helped each other with the kids, went out together when the girls were with their dads. This quilt is for her little girl, all grown up and married to her best friend.
Being a Military Brat, I do not have friends from first grade like some people. The best I can do is friends from high school. I started at a new school my freshman year and I was lucky to be able to stay at that same school all four years. Lindhurst High School, Olivehurst, California. Brand new school my freshman year. It took me a few years to really find my place in the school, and I had friends through out high school, but my senior year I was a cheerleader, and got to be be friends with Cari, who was a Song leader. She had a group of friends who she had known for several years. That group is now my longest group of friends. We talk a lot on Facebook and we were supposed to have a week together last fall. When I lost my Glenn, I had to cancel my trip, but they had a great time and I will make it this year. We have all spread out across the country. One is still in California, one in Oregon, one in Montana one in Indiana, one in New York, and me in Georgia. I always think of them when I hear K.T. Oslin's "80's Ladies", just add a decade or two... We Graduated in 1979...
I have been on the computer long enough, I need to get the rest of my day going! I am going to get my sewing room in order today so I can get back to Quilting!
This quilt is for one of my best fiend's daughter. We became friends after we both divorced our husbands who worked together. We knew each other before that, but as with most divorces, most of the other wives in the group pretty much dropped us when we divorced their husband's co-workers. Fine, who needs them? I had two little girls and Catherine had one, a little older than mine. We hung out and helped each other with the kids, went out together when the girls were with their dads. This quilt is for her little girl, all grown up and married to her best friend.
Being a Military Brat, I do not have friends from first grade like some people. The best I can do is friends from high school. I started at a new school my freshman year and I was lucky to be able to stay at that same school all four years. Lindhurst High School, Olivehurst, California. Brand new school my freshman year. It took me a few years to really find my place in the school, and I had friends through out high school, but my senior year I was a cheerleader, and got to be be friends with Cari, who was a Song leader. She had a group of friends who she had known for several years. That group is now my longest group of friends. We talk a lot on Facebook and we were supposed to have a week together last fall. When I lost my Glenn, I had to cancel my trip, but they had a great time and I will make it this year. We have all spread out across the country. One is still in California, one in Oregon, one in Montana one in Indiana, one in New York, and me in Georgia. I always think of them when I hear K.T. Oslin's "80's Ladies", just add a decade or two... We Graduated in 1979...
I have been on the computer long enough, I need to get the rest of my day going! I am going to get my sewing room in order today so I can get back to Quilting!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Still trying
My life has been in such turmoil and I have felt so scattered, but I am trying to get some quilting time in. The temporary sewing room is such a mess. I had bought milk creates from Walmart when I was moving to Florida, and when they came back to Georgia and I stacked them so I could see my fabric. The weight of the fabric has started to collapsed them and they just aren't working for me. Today I drug my 15 year old son to Ikea in Atlanta to buy some new shelves. What a mad house! There were so many people there that it was hard to shop and compare thing. I did find a bookcase with optional doors that I think will serve the purpose. So I bought three. I hope to get them assembled tomorrow and get the fabric in a new home. I think there is enough room for everything, but if not, I know where I can get more.
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