longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilting · stash busting

Sunday Stash Report, 10-5-08


  • 0 yards in this week
  • 4 yards out this week

YTD totals

  • Incoming Yardage to date: 84
  • Outgoing Yardage to date:  109& 5/12yds
  • Total Stash Busted to date: 25 & 5/12 yds

The four yards busted this week was fleece for this navy/tan fleece blanket for a customer.

I’ll probably rather quiet til my living room painting job gets finished, and I can get things back in order.  It’s chaotic in here right now.  The painter was making good progress.  He put kilz on the two larger walls yesterday, and got started cutting in with the paint today.  Then we noticed a problem.  I had three cans of paint in the garage.  One partial can that was left from the top half of the entryway, which is textured wall, and a lighter color than I am painting the paneling, which is in the living room and the bottom half of the entryway.  We also had a partial can of the color for the paneling, and a full can of that color.  DH picked up the partial can and says “is this the paint, honey?”  I said it was, without looking closely, as I picked up the full can, and said “this is the full can that goes with it”.  I had forgotten that the other partial can of the lighter color was sitting in the same vicinity as the other two cans.  You know where this going don’t you?  Yep, he had almost all the cutting in done when we realized what had happened.  I managed to only say OH CRAP, OH CRAP out loud, though what was going on in my head was much worse. So work halted for today while the wrong color dries, and he went to watch the Dallas Cowboys football game.  The guy painting works for my husband at our glass shop, but he used to work for a painter, and does painting jobs on the side.  He & DH are gonna work on it tomorrow afternoon.  It could’ve been worse.  🙂

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

Finished Quilting and Salsa Recipe


My stash numbers remain unchanged from last week.  None in, none out.  However, I’ve been working on projects.  I’m almost done stitching the binding sleeve on my Storm At Sea.  I have started the handstitching of the binding on the memorial quilt.  I completed the quilting on my Daddy’s log cabin.  I used Quilter’s Dream cotton batting in the deluxe weight, Superior Rainbows Waikiki in the blue with Pastel Blue So Fine in the bobbin, Superior So Fine Cashew in the tans, with So Fine Toast in the bobbin. 

I quilted whimsical hearts in the corners, since it’s for my Daddy. 🙂

back of quilt
back of quilt

 

gorgeous variegated Waikiki
gorgeous variegated Waikiki

 

gorgeous Waikiki thread
gorgeous Waikiki thread

I was very pleased with the effect of this curl quilting and will be using this lots more.

My original plan was to quilt a ferny design in the tan, and literally changed my mind at the last minute.  I think this design was more appropriate for this one. 
Now, on to salsa!  My cherry tomato plants have been giving me more little tomatoes that I could eat, one at time, before they would start spoiling.  I’ve even been giving some away.  Why didn’t I think of using them for salsa before!?  Here is a quick & easy way to use up those cherry tomatoes in a hurry.  I used the the little food chopper thingy that came with my blender.
Throw in some ‘maters.
Throw in some cilantro, onion chunks, and jalapeno peppers.  I grew the peppers, too and they are hot. I do not seed my peppers, either, ’cause I like my salsa hot.  I just cut it into two or three chunks, so it chops up better. 
I put the lid on and hit the “pulse” button on my blender, quickly, two or three times, til I have this consistency.
I empty into a bowl and add some of this Creole Seasoning.
I’m pretty generous with it.
Squeeze in some lime juice.
Stir it all up.  Have a bite!  Be sure to have something close at hand, to put out the fire!
Yummm….think I’ll go have a bowl while I flip back and forth between watching the NASCAR race and the Ryder Cup.
longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilt top · quilting · quilts · stash busting

Stash Tracking, 9-14-08


No new fabric came into the stash this week.  I used 2.25 yds. adding the striped border to the darker 9P & Stripe.  YTD totals are:

  • Incoming Yardage to date: 84
  • Outgoing Yardage to date:  105 & 5/12yds
  • Total Stash Busted to date: 21 & 5/12 yds

I’m liking this one.

I also made the binding for the memorial quilt, and got it attached to the front of the quilt, ready for the hand stitching. 

I enjoyed the first race of the NASCAR chase for the cup today.  A little more so than most this year.  Maybe because Kyle Busch was not up front today…lol.  And it had a surprise ending today. 

I can’t believe it’s already going to be Monday tomorrow.  Where did this weekend go so fast??  At least I got some good fabric and thread therapy.  I hope you got a chance to do something you love.

longarm quilting · quilt top · quilting · quilts · sewing

Borders, borders, borders…


I spent most of my Labor Day laboring away on borders.  First, I finished the commissioned memorial quilt top, by adding the borders to it.  Then, I decided it was time to work on a “me” project.  So, I got out my E. Burns 9P & Stripes tops.  I got the darker one trimmed and ready for the first border, and measured and washed the fabric for that.  Then I got busy on the lighter one.  I had already added the first inner border to it, and the next step was the pieced border.  Whew!  That was a job, but I enjoyed working on it today.  This top is getting big, so not a great pic of it, and ignore the lumps of laundry under it.  I’ve also labored on laundry today, in between sewing sessions.

I have a bit of a design dilemma.  I don’t have enough of the light fabric left to do the final border.  So, I was planning on using the red.  However, this will make the border 9P red squares on the edge, not show up as clearly.  I would use the green, but there won’t be enough of it left, either.  I guess I’ll just go with the red.  What do you think?

Now then, for Jan & Connie:

Sand Tarts

  • 1 lb. softened butter
  • 4 T. powdered sugar
  • 2 C. all purpose flour
  • 2 t. vanilla
  • 2 C. finely chopped pecans

Cream the butter, add in the powdered sugar, flour, vanilla, and nuts, in that order.  Shape the cookies however you want.  (My Mom always makes them kind of crescent shaped, so I do, too).  Bake at 350 for approximately 20 minutes.  You want them just starting to brown.  Roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

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

Sunday Stash Report, 8-31-08


This week I did not buy any fabric.  And I even went to a fabric store yesterday!  The only thing I bought was a pattern for a quilt with chickens on it.  I love going to that store, though (Sands Fabrics in Pampa).  There are always some beautiful quilts hanging there to see…some pretty longarm eye candy, too. 

I have used one yard from my stash for the memorial quilt.  I now have the top together, except for the outside border.

I used 1.5 yds this week making those little jewelry/notions bags I blogged about in the previous post.  I made these two today.

So zero yards added this week, and 2.5 yards busted. Year to date:

  • Incoming 83 yards
  • Outgoing 95.25 yards
  • Total busted 11.25 yards

I’m still going in the right direction!  I’m determined to end this year with a positive total.  My fabric is falling off the shelves in my closet. 

I finished the repair work on my storm at sea binding, and am back to stitching.  That will be a 2008 finish before long.  I just piddled around, back and forth, between projects today.  My seasonal allergies are in full bloom today.  I couldn’t get far from a kleenex today.  I broke down and started back on the prescription nasal spray today.  I also made these sand tarts today:

Did you get to do something you love today?  I hope so!  I’m looking forward to another day off from my day job tomorrow.  Enjoy your labor day!

daily life · longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilting · quilts · sewing · stash busting

A Small Thursday Thump :-)


I have one small thump today.  I’ve been stitching away in the evenings, stitching down the binding on my storm at sea quilt.  I rounded the third corner last night, so pleased with how good it’s looking, only to notice a funny looking spot in the binding fabric.  Upon closer inspection, I discover it’s a small slit in the fabric.  Great!  Next, I start looking to determine how much I am going to have to detach, so that I can replace that piece of binding, when all the way down that edge, and around the last corner, I see a snag in the binding fabric.  Of course, both of these flaws are on the outside of the binding.  Couldn’t have landed on the part that’s going to be closed up into the quilt, nope, right on the outside layer.  So instead of stitching, I’m now unstitching.  I don’t like unstitching.  I like the doing part of quilting, not the undoing.  Oh well, like I said, small thump.  Minor setback.  Just an aggravation.

I have had a few write and ask me about my test results.  I meant to post about that Sunday, and forgot.  I have nothing really new to report.  I never heard back from my doctor, so I went to the hospital and got copies of my reports and read them myself.  The MRI on my c-spine, mentions some “concentrical disc bulging” and some “mild facet degenerative changes and hypertrophy”.  I think the one on my brain was fine, except they said in the report they  injected me with contrast dye, which they didn’t.  Called the hospital about that, to make sure it was really my brain…lol.  I think that’s probably just a med. transcriptioner mistake…you know, just automatic verbage that they didn’t delete.  The only thing that I could pick out on the blood work was the high red blood count, that the doctor mentioned when he did call me, but the followup report test didn’t seem to show anything unusual.  The lupus test and hormone results were on the same report.  That report had me listed as a 42 year old male.  Soooo….not sure what I think of that.  I haven’t called the lab…I was pretty disgusted at that point, and fed up with the whole ordeal. 

In the meantime, I have been having my husband, or son, whichever is handy, apply some pressure to the muscles around my shoulder blade, to keep working on those pressure points between massage appts.  And, I’ve been putting an ice pack on it every night while I’m sitting in bed stitching and watching t.v.  I don’t know if that is making a difference or not, but I have felt much better this last week.  Much less pain in that area.  It’s been great to have some relief!  And maybe it’s because some of you have said prayers for me.  Thank you for that! I believe in the power of prayer.  I’ve been saying them for me, too.  I felt even better after my massage therapist, and chiropractor got through with me on Tuesday.  I’m starting to think that maybe a lot of it is repetative muscle injury.  Maybe from being on computers too much all day, and those muscles back there are getting screwed up, and pulling everything else out of place.  I’m not giving up on getting better.  That is why I haven’t been blogging as much, though…I’m trying to lessen my time at the keyboard and mouse.

I finished the quilting on the Chinese coins baby quilt.  I worked on it during lunch Monday, and after I got home.  I’ll post pics of it when I get it all finished.  It came out really cute, though. 

I have gotten two more rows of the first memory quilt finished.  And I found this great tutorial , on Debby Maddy’s blog, while blog surfing.  Thank you for sharing it, Debby.  I had fun giving it a try, and I think this is a great gift project.  I am sure I will be digging through my fabric stash to make a few more of these. 

So how is your week going?  Have you taken time to do something you love?

longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilting · stash busting

Stash Busting Report, 8-24-08


I busted 4 & 1/3 yds this week.  I used four yard fleece on a fleece blanket, that I forgot to photo.  I used 1/3 yd. making binding for the storm at sea. 

YTD totals:

  • Incoming Yardage to date: 83
  • Outgoing Yardage to date:  92 & 3/4 yds.
  • Total Stash Busted to date: 9 & 3/4 yds.

It’s been a busy week.  I made a fleece blanket.  I quilted the customer wallhanging, and that took most of my spare time during the week, and yesterday.  Small quilt, but time consuming.  No pics yet, as it is my customer’s for a guild challenge. 

I loaded up the commissioned baby quilt (Chinese coins that I posted recently), and did one pass of a panto on it.  It’s looking good!  I also attached a hanging sleeve, and did the machine stitching of the binding to the front, on my storm at sea quilt. 

Corky, my longarm, got her “spa treatment”.  This involves removing the front cover piece and oiling several points in the front, oiling all the regular oiling points, loosening the covers that give me access to the gears, so that I could pack some more grease on them, and just giving her an allover cleaning.  I cleaned the table, table tracks, carriage tracks and wheels. 

I also attacked the huge mess that was in my closet, and cleaned out a big sack of clothes.  Woohoo…that’s like a weight off.  How does it get in such a shape? 

Seems like such a boring post without pics.  Glad you stopped by.  Hope you have a great week ahead!

longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilting · quilts

Wonderful Wednesday Mail Surprise!


Teresa! Thank you so much!  What a sweet surpise the mail brought today.  I’ve wondered what these taste like for a long time!  Now I know…yum! I thank you, and my family does, too. 🙂  And yes, they made it just fine, with no melting.  You really, really made my day.  Hugs to you!!

I also have a cute little swallow pic to share with y’all today.  This is the newest little batch of fledglings.  This is what they look like when it’s raining outside. 

I wish they didn’t make such a big mess, right at my front door, but I don’t have the heart to make them leave. 😦

I must get back to quilting! I picked up a small customer job, but it’s gonna take a fair amount of time.  It’s a rush job, to be shown at the next guilt meeting, as part of their challenge. I’ve been praying that everything goes smooth sailing on this one!  Sew far, sew good, but I’ve barely gotten started.

daily life · longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilt top · quilting · quilts · sewing · stash busting

Another W.O.B. Bites the Dust


Yesterday, I just felt the need for that satisfaction that comes from finishing something.  So, after I finished the quilting on the Oz quilt, I pulled one of my quilts that has been waiting on binding, Greg’s courthouse steps quilt.  The sad part, is that this one was Greg’s Christmas present last year.  Well, at least he will be using it before Christmas this year.  I did the binding completely by machine, so I could get it all done in one day, plus added the label.  I much prefer to attach my binding to the front of my quilts, by machine, then do the finishing stitching to the back by hand, because they look so much better.  I do a good job on those.  This one, I attached to the back, by machine, then flipped it over, and stitched it to the top, also by machine.  This is a technique I am still trying to perfect.  But in this case, done is good, hubby is happy, and so am I.  That gets two of my w.o.b.’s done this month.  Woohoo!  I used 2/3 of a yard for the binding, and that is my stash busted amount for this week.  Total incoming for the week is zero.  YTD total busted is 5 & 5/12 yds.  (I’m not ashamed to admit I had to use a free online fraction calculator to come up with that amount…lol).

I woke up to a beautiful, rainy day this morning.  And it has not stopped.

I’m loving it! I’m piddling around on laundry, worked on the memorial quilt, and just enjoying some down time.  I’m having the next best thing to a pajama day.  Nice comfy sweats & a big, sloppy t-shirt, with fuzzy house shoes day.

Yesterday, was cool & cloudy.  I’m glad I got out to the garden to harvest.

Who else has really enjoyed watching Michael Phelps make history?  I am officially now a Phelps Phan.  He seems like such a nice guy.  Congratulations, Michael!

I conclude my post today, with a couple pics of the first Olympic hero in my life.  My Uncle Randy, another really nice guy.  I was born in 1966, right between his Olympics, and named after him.  I had asthma really bad, and would get so sick at times.  He would come over sometimes, and sit up with me at night, when I was a baby, so my parents could get some sleep. 

Silver medal, Tokyo Olympics, 1964
Silver medal, Tokyo Olympics, 1964
Gold medal winner, Mexico City, 1968
Gold medal winner, Mexico City, 1968

 

This post has been quite a hodge podge of topics!  Hope you are enjoying your Sunday as much as I am mine.