Month: January 2008

longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilting

WIP Wednesday

Wild Rose Quilter16 Comments

I managed to quilt some more on my Wild Onion jacket.  I decided to just stipple around the motifs I quilted.  I don’t know whether this will turn out to be anything I will actually wear, but I’m having a blast playing around on it.  I’m having so much fun just playing with my machine and playing with the quilting designs.  It may end up a bit “busy” looking.  We’ll see.

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And a Kim Stotsenberg leafy heart. These are fun to quilt! Thanks Kim!

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I went to a massage therapist today.  I think she might help with my shoulder/back pain.  Time will tell.  It sure felt good, anyway.

More snow is on the way! More snow & more wind.  Lovely!

daily life · quilting

Tuesday Tidbits

Wild Rose Quilter7 Comments

Sunday night the weather began changing.  The wind was picking up.  This triggered a headache for me, by Monday morning.  Not a whopping, huge headache, but enough to make me feel yucky all day.  The wind yesterday was blowing from the south, and it gusted up to 62 mph! YUCK! A neighbor, two houses down, returned one of my birdfeeders to me this afternoon.  Two coworkers and myself had to go drive to Borger in that yuckiness, to attend the funeral of one of our coworkers from that office.  It was sad, she was only 57 years old. Cancer.

Today, I woke up feeling quite a lot better, but the wind was still blowing, only this morning, it was from the north, and had snow in it. By this afternoon, the sun was shining again, the wind had calmed down, and all was well with the world. 

I really, really dislike wind like that.  It unsettles me for some reason.  There was so much dirt in the air Monday.  The sky was brown.

With the funeral, and the way I was already feeling, I didn’t get diddly squat accomplished yesterday.  Today, after work, I managed to get my workout done, and cooked dinner, cleaned the kitchen, and am about to turn in for a night of TV.  I hope to finish the prayer shawl I’m knitting.  I did cut up some more of my fabric scraps into leader/ender squares, during my lunch break.  That’s all the “quiltiness” that has been done since Sunday.  I have been doodling some designs in preparation for a kingsize customer top that is supposed to be coming.  It will be custom, and I’m actually pretty excited about doing it.  I’m feeling confident, for a change 🙂

Time for the Biggest Loser! TTYL!

knitting · longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilt top · quilting · quilts · stash busting · weight

Sunday Stash Report

Wild Rose Quilter4 Comments

  1. I didn’t buy any fabric.
  2. I started my first try at a Wild Onion jacket. I shopped my stash for the fabric, which was a total of 8 yds. If you click the link, it will take you to my post about it, with pics, and I’m asking for advice on the filler quilting.  I’d love to hear your thoughts.
  3. I’ve made good progress on my Eleanor Burns 9P & Stripes quilts.

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I’m three rows further along on the darker one.

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I have those rows sewn for the lighter one, just not attached to each other, or the rest of the top.

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I’m really enjoying the process on these.  Taking my time, and really enjoying the piecing.  They are coming together nicely, and I love it when I remember that when I am finished, I will have not one, but two king size tops to quilt.  How cool is that!? That will move a nice chunk of stash.  I’m going to try to do the backings from stash.  I’m pretty sure I have suitable backing for one, but I’m not sure about both. 

In knitting news, I completed two gift scarves, and both were well received by the recipients.  Of course, one was my Mom, & she loves everything I do 🙂  I’m still working on a special prayer shawl, and am getting close to having it completed, also.

Weigh-in report:

My starting weight this week was 150 lbs.  My ending weight this week was 148 lbs., for a loss this week of 2 lbs! Yea! My total weight lost is now at 6 lbs. I managed to work out six times last week. 

Some gratitudes:

  1. My son’s wisdom teeth extraction going so well. 
  2. My stash 🙂
  3. Having a longarm.
  4. Having a great weekend with my family.

That’s it for me this week!

dogs · longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilting

Playing Around Wild Onion Style

Wild Rose Quilter3 Comments

I was really itchin’ to do some stitchin’ yesterday, so I picked out some fabric, got my Wild Onion pattern out, and started playing.  I don’t know how successful my design ideas will be in the end, but I’m having fun.  I’m scattering some organic looking designs allover, in random spaces, with Autumn Rainbows, then I will go back and fill in all the  unquilted area with some type of quilting.  I am going to use a solid thread that blends well with the fabric for that.  Since my blog seems to have been running low on actual quilting content lately, I’ll throw in a few teaser pics. 🙂

I had trouble getting the colors to come through accurately.  This first pic shows the true fabric color the best, but it still isn’t quite right.

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This is another pic I took just trying to get the color right.

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What I haven’t decided, is what type of filler to use.  I was going to just keep going with similar quilting designs, echoing around and swirling, throw in a shape, etc., but now I’m thinking that maybe just a regular old stipple meander around the designs, might be best.  What do you think? Any suggestions? Or maybe mostly stippling with a random shape here & there….?? And I’m thinking fairly small on the stippling, not micro small, but small.

I think I’m going to go do some more piecing on my EB 9p’s & stripes right now, though.  I will be back later with my Sunday Stash Report and weigh in results. Stay tuned!

How about a little dose of cuteness before you go? Big sis & little sis, all cozy on Daddy’s lap.

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daily life · longarm quilting · quilting · weight

Off to a Great Start Today!

Wild Rose Quilter5 Comments

My son feels fabulous today…not even in pain.  He’s just doing amazingly well.  I flipped on Fons & Porter on PBS, as I was getting dressed this morning, and Marilyn Badger was on, and it was an episode I hadn’t seen.  I love that they are doing some longarm episodes.  So I quickly dressed and hopped on the Treadclimber while I watched.  Boy did that workout fly by quickly, as I had something worthwhile to watch.  After that, I decided to try on a pair of Nike windpants that I couldn’t wear two weeks ago, and they fit again! Yeehaw! Now, what to do with the rest of this fabulous day…..work on my EB quilts, or throw something on the longarm and play….hmmm…..

daily life

Reporting in!

Wild Rose Quilter6 Comments

My patient is doing well! The oral surgery to remove the wisdom teeth went perfectly.  He was really cute & funny coming out from under the anesthesia.  He is only just now starting to feel a little pain, and took one of his pain pills.  Hopefully it won’t make him sick.  Thanks so much for all the prayers and well wishes!

quilting

Thursday Thoughts

Wild Rose Quilter7 Comments

It’s been a pretty good week so far.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  I think I forgot to mention that I finally finished painting the entryway.  Remember, I started on that back before Thanksgiving.  Before my shoulder and back had that bad spasm.  Come to think of it, maybe that helped bring on that episode.  Anyway, I finally got it done.  It’s certainly not perfect, but better than it was.  Now I would like to have a new front door 🙂

My fifteen minute timer stints did a world of good this weekend, in regaining some much needed peace in my home.  I made a lot of progress, and with hubby helping with the floors, it’s so much more relaxing.  Got control of the clutter once again.  So far, I have stayed on top of it through the week.  This counter where the computer is, tends to get covered with junk mail, bills, etc.  But I am trying to shred, toss, or otherwise deal with the mail, as it comes, and not let it accumulate.

I’ve worked on my 9P & stripes quilts a little everday, too.  They are coming along nicely.

Tomorrow, however, I am dreading.  If you are so inclined, say a little prayer for my son.  We are taking him to Amarillo to have wisdom teeth extracted.  I know it’s a routine procedure, but still, he’s my baby, and I’ll be somewhat anxious til it’s all over and done with.  They will use IV sedation.  The good news is that he only has two wisdom teeth.  The bottom two, none on the top.  So I am grateful for that little oddity.  Spares him a little, and makes the procedure $500 cheaper. 

I guess I better finish up my cup of coffee and get ready for work.  I really, really don’t want to go today.

knitting · longarm quilting · quilt top · quilting · quilts · sewing · stash busting · weight

Sunday Stash Report Time

Wild Rose Quilter15 Comments

Finally, I am back in a quilting mood.  I finished trimming the stripe blocks for my two 9P & stripe quilts.  I pulled fabric from my stash for the background squares and setting triangles for each quilt.  The pattern calls for 2.75 yds each, but I washed up 3 yds apiece.  I hate to end up a tad short, so I had a little leftover.  Here is a preview of what they will look like. 

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The pattern calls for using a medium background in one, and a light background in the other.  However, on my light, I decided to use the same fabric for the setting triangles and squares, as I used for the background of my 9P’s & stripes.  I hope to really hone my quilting skills in all those open spaces.  I’m planning on lots & lots of feathers.  Will I be able to pull it off?  We shall see!

I did get started sewing them together today.  I’m sewing them simultaneously.  That way, I don’t get one finished, and get burned out, and leave the other sitting for awhile. 

So, I got almost 6 more yards out of my stash and headed into quilts.  I am also happy to report that I did not buy any fabric.

I’m still working on some beginner knitting projects, and completed two scarves, and am getting close to finishing a special shawl I’m knitting.

Sunday weigh in time! Last week, my starting weight was 150.  Today, my weight was……………..150. I lost a total of zero lbs. this week.  I really wanted to see a 140-something.  However, I’m not disappointed in my myself, because I did great on my working out…a total of six times this week, and I did not blow it with the eating.  I know this is just a natural part of the diet/exercise process.  I know I made progress, because I can see a change in my body shape, and in the way my clothes are fitting.  Hopefully, the scale will be kinder next week. 🙂

Remeber that I mentioned that I found a new buffet hutch for my dining room, when we went to Amarillo.  I finally took a pic.  I am really enjoying it. It has helped so much to have this extra space to store some of my stoneware and other dishes, making my cabinets much safer to open…lol. (you know, less thing falling out at you when you open the door)

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Some gratitudes this week were:

  1. My son breaking away from an unhealthy relationship
  2. My 20″ Omnigrid ruler
  3. My new hutch
  4. None of us wrecked driving on the ice this week
  5. My husband cleaning the floors!

I guess that’s it for my report today.  Hope y’all have a great week ahead.

quilting

I Was Starting to Wonder….

Wild Rose Quilter7 Comments

Where my “quiltiness” had gone.  I just haven’t been into it for the last couple of weeks or so.  But today, I feel the urge returning.  I just put seven yard of fabric in the wash, from my stash, to start cutting the background squares & triangles from, for my EB 9P’s & Stripes quilts.  I almost have the stripe blocks finished.  Only a week later than I aimed for…lol. While the fabric is washing, I am off to do some housework.  I will set my timer for 15 min and go from room to room that way.  When it beeps…times UP!  Move on to the next room.  It always amazed me how much improvement I can make in just 15 minutes…TTYL! Hope your weekend is off to a great start!