freehand quilting · machine quilting · quilt top · quilting · stash busting

Sunday Stash Reporting, December 7, 2008 (edited to add photo posting tip)


  • Incoming Yardage to date: 84
  • Outgoing Yardage to date:  114 & 7/12 yds.
  • Total Stash Busted to date: 40 & 7/12 yds.

I used 6.5 yards over the last two or three weeks. I can’t remember when I last posted a stash report.  I used 6 doing some tweaking with my machine, and I needed some fabric to play around on, and 1/2 yard was pulled to take to my guild party.  I have not brought any new stash in, except for the four Christmas fat quarters I had to buy to take to the guild party.  I’m not counting those. 🙂

I’m still not feeling 100% up to par.  I get tired really easy, and I have had lots of sinus headaches.  I did get our tree up and decorated yesterday, as well as set out a few other decorations.  I also finally got back to quilting on Anita’s quilt.  I worked on it a bit yesterday and today.  I finished up all the bugs, and quilted a loopy design with hearts and butterflies in the rest of the blue space.

000_7828

000_7824-medium

I used the ladybugs in Michelle Wyman’s Lotsa Lady Bugs pantograph pattern as the inspiration for this little bug.

000_7826

I am now working on the stars.  I have one done.

000_7822

I used my Circle Lord crosshatch template for the first time, and I do like the results, but I’m not sure exactly how, when using it from the back of the machine, you are supposed to be able to tell where to stop stitching, as the hopping foot is in the way.  So, I stitched from the front, and for every line, bent down under the machine to move the stylus to the next row.  There’s got to be a better way…..????

I am also using my swag templates from Tracey Browning for the first time.  (Anita, you didn’t know you were going to be such a guinea pig, did you?)  I like them, too, however these did not fill the border as much as I had hoped, so I will go back and add some quilting on the outer edge to fill it in some more.

000_7823

I really wasn’t in the mood for Christmas yet, this year.  And I was being grouchy about putting up the tree, as I am just feeling a bit behind in my quilting, my housework, everything.  Then, I checked in on a blog I’ve been following, ever since I read about it on Judy L’s blog awhile back.  This young 32 yr. old mother, Shawndra Turner, has been battling colorectal cancer, and seems to have really taken a turn f0r the worse.  I was so sad reading it yesterday.  I have really been touched by her writings.  As I put up the tree and fluffed the branches, which I really don’t enjoy, I had a whole different attitude.  I fluffed those branches and felt grateful for every blessed minute of it.  I listened to the Sirius holiday station, and am grateful to be celebrating the season.  I pray for this little family.

I want to thank everyone that sent me get well wishes!  I haven’t been good at keeping up with my replies this week, but I appreciated each and every one.  I am still doing my replies by email, for the most part.  Most of the comments I received when I asked, prefer them that way.  Also, when I think about it, I don’t always go back to blogs to see if a blogger has posted a reply to my comment on their comment page. 

This is the only new progress on my mystery quilt.  We will get more instructions in January.

000_7818

It seems like there was something else I was going to write about, but it escapes me just now.  Have a wonderful week, y’all!

(I’m noticing that since the new changes at WordPress, that some of the pics are not clickable anymore.  What’s up with that?) I wrote WordPress Support to inquire about the photos.  I got this answer and thought I’d pass it along.  I tried it out on the first photo in this post, and it worked.

“Make sure to click the File URL or Post URL button before you click the Insert into Post button. Once you’ve done this, your choice will be remembered for next time.”

 

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

Sunday Reporting and a shout out to Anita!


My stash hasn’t changed much.  2/3 of a yd out for binding.  Oh! I had to come back and add a yard I forgot about! I have gifted a yard to someone, they just don’t know it yet! So 1 & 2/3 yds out of my stash this week.

  • Incoming Yardage to date: 84
  • Outgoing Yardage to date:  118 & 1/12 yds.
  • Total Stash Busted to date: 34 & 1/12  yds.
Today’s post is mostly for my dear, sweet friend…Anita.  We became best friends in high school.  Life has kept us apart from each other, physically, for about 12 years now.  But the quilt I have on the machine now is Anita’s.  This is a very special project for me! Twenty-seven years ago, would you have thought we would be working on a quilt together? 🙂  A little sneak peek for you, so you can tell me if you think I’m on the right track.
000_7779
000_7780
000_7782
Now do tell me if you don’t like it! I’ll pick it out and start over! Really!
Working on this today got me thinking about this.
000_7784
This was my wedding gift (my first marriage) from Anita, her mother and grandmother.  Her grandmother made it.  I have forgotten a lot of things over the years, but I remember that the card that accompanied it said they hoped I loved it as much as they loved me.  The marriage lasted a whole five years.  I had to choose some things to leave behind.  This was not one of them.  🙂
longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilting · stash busting

Good Mail Day and Late Stash Report!


Good things come in these packages!

000_7749

000_7750

I ordered this cute Laurel Burch drawstring bag from Suzanne’s store, Knots & Bolts.  I ordered it Saturday, and it was waiting for me on my front porch when I got home from work yesterday!  That was fast!

000_7751

I also ordered another marking pencil, and the fat quarter was a sweet surprise! Thanks, Suzanne!

000_7752

Quilting news of the week is that Joanna’s quilt is coming along quite nicely!

000_7754

000_7753-medium1

My belated stash report for the week is mostly about what I didn’t buy!  I figure that I saved $516.32 by sticking to my guns and not purchasing more stash right now.  I allowed myself to shop a sale at an online fabric store I love, and put everything in my cart that I usually would have, but then emptied it all out after I got my total.  There was some good stuff in there, too!  Yay me!  I’m close to having saved enough for a linen cabinet I’ve been wanting to buy from Plow and Hearth.  🙂

longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilt top · quilting · quilts

I Got There!


I did get to the end on this one last night.  The pics aren’t the greatest, but it’s so big, and so busy, it’s the best I could get.

000_7687

000_7690

000_7692

000_7696

000_7715

Now the waiting begins.  The waiting until my customer comes to get it and I see her reaction.  I think she will love it, she has loved everything I have quilted for her, but will I ever quit being nervous and worrying about this part?  Ever? 

Longarming is a linty job…for sure.  This is what it looks like in the bobbin area, after just one pass.

000_7699

This is how much thread I used, just on the top of this one.  The cone on the left was brand new, and you can see how much is gone, compared to the new one next to it.  I used a complimentary solid on the bottom, so you can see that this one took a LOT of thread.

000_7700

This morning I gave my longarm, Corky, a thorough cleaning to get rid of all that lint.  Cleaned the table and table rails, wheels, and gave her a thorough oiling.  Put in a new needle, and she is all ready to go on the next quilt.  This one is going on next.  What nice bright change from the dark fall colors I just finished! Won’t this be fun?  This top belongs to Joanna

000_7708

And check out this sweet little surprise she had tucked in the box for me!  She tatted this little Christmas wreath.  It’s awesome and I can’t wait to hang it on my tree!  Thank you, Joanna!

000_7711

Lastly, I wanted to thank everyone for all the sweet comments about BunBun.  I found one final pic that I’d like to share.  This is right after I brought her home.  She thought she found a new mama. 🙂

lulubabybunbun

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

Sunday Stash Report, 11-9-08


  • Incoming Yardage to date: 84 yds.
  • Outgoing Yardage to date:  116 & 5/12 yds.
  • Total Stash Busted to date: 32 & 5/12 yds.

I’m hanging in there with the stash busting! I busted 2.75 yds. on the final border of one of my 9P & stripe quilts.  That has me over 30 yards now, which is just over two whole bolts worth out of closet.  This quilt top is HUGE!  The book says it’s 108″ square.  Hmmm…mine is 114″!  Anyway, thanks to everyone who suggested adding a small accent border between the red border and the rest of it, to keep the red 9P from disappearing into the border.  It was the perfect solution.  It’s so big, I had trouble getting a good pic for you.

000_7668

000_7669

I also got the pieces cut out for my guild mystery quilt.  I’m not counting this in my stash totals til I get it sewn together.

000_7667

And, I only have about three or so more rows left to finish the quilting on my customers Turning Twenty Again.  I won’t bore you with anymore pics of the the quilting til I get it finished.  And that probably won’t be til this next weekend, as each row takes me an hour, it’s not something I can work on during my lunch breaks.  And I may not be up to it the evenings after work.  Plus, I’m taking tomorrow off, in addition to getting Veteran’s day off, and going to spend a day & night with my parents, and my aunt & uncle that will be visiting.  That will be fun!  So you may not hear much more out of me til later in the week.  Have a good one!

longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilting

Doodles In Thread


I got started on the quilt.  I couldn’t wait til I the morning sunshine was coming in to try to get some pics.

000_7663I 000_7654000_7655000_7656000_7657000_7658000_7659000_7660000_7661000_7662

I also wanted to address a question that Sharon asked me, in my previous post.  She asked if I’d ever thought about making my doodles into a pattern.  I answered her privately, but I wanted to publicly give credit where it’s due.  I told her no, because I don’t feel they are mine to make into a pattern.  Sure I put my own spin on it, but I am only quilting what I’ve learned from watching Nichole Webb & Jamie Wallen’s dvd’s.  They are awesome quilters, and awesome teachers.

One row down…only a gagillion more to go. 🙂

longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilt top · quilting · quilts

WIP Wednesday


I had hoped to have this quilt loaded by today, but I had a quickie Christmas table runner come in that I squeezed in first.  Tonight, I’m just too worn out to load it.  I’m still feeling the effects of the crud I had caught last week.  I’m just drained by the end of the day.  This is a big kingsize Turning Twenty Again, and my customer has requested that I just freehand it.  She’s one of my best customers and I enjoy quilting for her.  I’m going to have fun with this one.

000_7652

I’ve been brushing up on my freehanding with some doodling.  This one isn’t very good, but I left the notebook with the better ones in it at work today.  Still, you should be able to get the idea of how I’m planning on quilting it.

000_7653

It’s for the same customer that brought me this Wizard of Oz  to quilt, and the gorgeous kingsize sampler in this post.  She also generously gives me permission to post pics of her projects.  She said she feels they are part mine, also.  🙂  I will post some quilting in progress pics once I get going on it.

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

Sunday Stash Report, 11-2-08


I busted four more yards of fleece fabric this week on a fleece blanket for a customer.  No new fabric came in.

  • Incoming Yardage to date: 84 yds.
  • Outgoing Yardage to date:  113 & 2/3 yds.
  • Total Stash Busted to date: 29 & 2/3 yds.

I finished the binding and label on the Chinese Coins baby quilt.  A quick wash and it will be ready to be on it’s way to it’s new family.  I used Terri Watson & Michele Wyman’s Star Swirl panto for the quilting.

I finally got my storm at sea completely finished, including a hanging sleeve.

I also was busy at the longarm this past week, working on the three lap quilts, one baby quilt, and the four casserole cozies for one customer, along with the aforementioned fleece blanket.  I lol’d when I read this insert in the package with the casserole cozies.

The casserole is NOT included?  Really?  Really!  Wow…

And, since I’m kind of like a kid with a new toy since I figured out the video posting, and I didn’t have anything really interesting to post, I’m giving BunBun some time in the spotlight…hehehehe.

I have some really fun customer quilting coming up, barring any technical difficulties, of course.  First one up is a kingsize Turning Twenty Again that my customer told me to just “play on it” and do my thing.  Hopefully, I will get to start on it during this week, but I’ll have to see how it goes at my day job.  If not, this weekend, for sure.