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

Thursday Thumping


Kay does Thursday Thumpers. I have one today.  Frogging.  Yup, I’m frogging a whole row of stitching…a 91″ row of a panto by Dave Hudson that has cowboy boots & hats.  I had thread troubles.  Looked great on top, but apparently my machine does not like Lava thread in the bobbin, as it looked like it puked little blobs of it out intermittently on the back of the quilt.  Damn!  I hate frogging…hate, hate, hate it.  It’s on the commissioned quilt I’m making.  It will be ok, I just really hate frogging, THUMP, THUMP!

Now then, enough of that unpleasantness.  Congratulations are in order for my friend Ronda!! She won Best of Show at MQX! And Best Machine Quilting/Stand Up! Way to go, Ronda…I am so happy for you.  Her quilt is called Essence, and it is amazing. 

And here is a little treat for you, before I go back to frogging.  This is the quilt I have up in line next.  It’s the 60 yr. old top that my customer brought me this week.  I was hoping I would get to quilt it for her.  The only thing I’m worried about are the pencil marks.  She said to just ignore them and quilt it however I want, and if she can’t get them out she will just live with them.  I did order a fabric eraser, to see if I can at least lighten them some.  Anyway, here are some pics.

daily life · family · longarm quilting · love of my life · machine quilting · quilt top · quilting · quilts

Ick! Wind! And other things…


Oh JOY! The wind is supposed to be really bad today, gusting up to 50 mph.   Y’all know I hate that, if you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time.  It  is supposed to be that way tomorrow, too.  That prolly ‘splains why my head hurt all day yesterday and my sinuses feel swollen and stuffy today.  My head seems to be very sensitive to weather changes.

Onto other things…Happy birthday to my DH today! Love ya babe!

Remember the printed panel quilt I quilted with the Cutie Patootie panto? And when my customer came to pick it up she brought a top with her that is 60 yrs. old? I posted about it here, https://allenquilts.wordpress.com/2008/03/18/tuesday-tidbits-2/.  Well, she called last night, and she does want me to quilt it.  She said she decided not to remove the pencil marks, so I will try to quilt over them as best I can, and she said if they don’t come out, she will live with them.  I’m excited about working on it for her…it’s really pretty, and I hope I do it justice.  I didn’t get to finish the one I have on the machine yesterday, as my head was really throbbing by the time I got off work.  And tonight, there will be birthday festivities for DH.  I will be sad to take this one back to it’s owner.  I LOVE this quilt.  It is sooooo pretty.  It’s a  Fons and Porter Stars & Stripes Sampler.  My customer did a beautiful job on it, and I really love the fabrics she used.  In fact, I like hers so much, I ordered the booklet from Fons & Porter last night, so maybe, someday, when I have time (LOL), I can make my own.  Since I was ordering, I also ordered Marianne Fons’ Fine Feathers book, as I have read so many great reviews of it. 

Time to get up from here and get ready for work! Have a great day!

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

Happy Easter Sunday!


I haven’t busted any stash this week.  I must confess that last Sunday, after I posted my weekly report, I ordered three BOLTS of fabric.  Hey, it was on sale!  $2.50 a yard for two of them, $2.75 for one.  One is a beautiful Hoffman print, one is Robyn Randolph, and I don’t remember what the other was.  I ordered them mostly for quilt backings.  I haven’t rec’d my order yet, but when I do, I will post a pic.  I ordered them from http://www.fabric4less.com/, after receiving not one, but two emails tempting me with their big sale. 

I did my weigh-in this morning.  Last week I was 145, and today I was 144.  I really don’t know how that happened, as I have yet to get back to exercising.  Maybe just because I’ve been so darn busy. 

I have made lots more progress on the quilt I’m quilting.  I leave you today with some more pics of it.

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longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilt top · quilting

Saturday Sneak Peek


Here are some pics of the quilting in progress of the customer top I’m working on right now.  This is the reason I’ve been quilting so many leaves lately…I knew this one was coming, and this customer had seen my Simply Leaves wallhanging, and wanted me to “just play” on her top.  She said to use the blank squares as my “canvas”, and there will be leaves in the yellow border, also.  I am using my Quilt EZ templates for the heart spine, and the rose in the pieced blocks is a Quilt EZ template designed by Sonia Hensley.  I hope my customer likes what I’m doing.  It’s also my first attempt at a “beadboard”border, and I really like it.

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This piecer should teach a class on how to properly apply borders.  She has it down perfectly, let me tell ya.  NO extra fullness to work in…none, nada, zero, zip.  Perfectly applied borders make the longarmer’s job soooooo much easier. 

Guess I better get back at it.  Hope everyone is having a great Saturday!

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

Tuesday Tidbits


My customer came for her Cutie Patootie’d quilt today.  She loved it.  She is the cutest thing…84 yrs. young.  She has the sweetest attitude.  I’m glad quilting gave me the opportunity to cross paths with her.  She also brought a quilt top to show me, to see if I could do anything with it.  The top is 60 yrs. old, and it’s in great condition.  She made it herself.  I think she is a master seamstress.  What little bit I got to look at it, it looks to be perfectly pieced.  It’s hard to describe, but it’s a pretty yellow cotton border, that she already has scalloped, and the same yellow setting blocks, on point, alternated with white squares with the state flowers handpainted on them.  It would be gorgeous quilted up.  I do hope she brings it back to me.  I really want to quilt this one.  She had already marked it for hand quilting, and is going to try to get the pencil marks out.  She said it might be middle of next month before I hear back from her.  I’m pretty well booked til then, anyway.  I can’t say why, but I just liked this lady instantly.  I do hope I hear from her again, and that I get to quilt this one for her.  It would be a shame for it not to be finished. 

I have the back of the king custom loaded up, but I haven’t gotten any further than that, other than planning my course of action in my head.  Maybe I will get started on the actual quilting tomorrow.  Maybe….

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

Still Busy as a Bee


Sorry you haven’t had much new to read here lately.  I’m spending most of my spare time getting my customer tops quilted.  I finished up both OSU lap quilts, and yesterday, I finished up what felt like 100 miles of Cutie Patootie panto.  It is a cutie, but boy was I tired of it by the time I got this one off the machine.  107″ long, 80 something wide.  I was Patootie’d out.  This is a printed panel top.  I must say, the quilting totally changed the look of it.  I think my customer will like it.

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I really like the way it looks on the back.

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I loaded it with the 107″ length going the length of the table.  I thought I would be able to make a whole pass on one bobbin.  Wrong reindeer!  I wanted the stops & starts to look really good on the back, so I took the extra time to tie off & bury. 

Today, I am working on my log cabin blocks, for the commissioned quilt I’m doing.  Of course, I’m watching the NASCAR race at Bristol while I’m doing that. 

The next project on the longarm will be to finish the borders on my friend’s quilt, if she has her binding removed.  If not, and it’s going to be a while, I will go ahead and load the king size custom top I have waiting.  I don’t have it scheduled to start til next weekend, so if I can get those borders done first, that would be great.  I’m looking forward to getting started on that king, though.  I think I’m going to enjoy working on it.

Sunday weigh in is back.  What was I last time…144, I think.  Well, I was pleasantly surprised today.  I have not been keeping up with the diet & exercise very well, for at least two weeks.  I figured I had gained at least 3 lbs. back, and was happy to see it was only 1!  I was 145 today.  I must get back on track with this.  Hopefully, I will do better this week.  I’ve had some comments from others that no way would they post it publicly.  I find that doing so really helps me to stay on track.  I feel more accountable.  And knowing all y’all know encourages me even more to not want to fail. 

I hope everyone had a great National Quilting Day yesterday.  I better get back to sewing.  The sooner I get done with these projects, the sooner I can get back to working on my own projects, and making progress with my stash busting!

Oh darn! Bobby Labonte just got caught up in someone else’s wreck.  Crap!

daily life · longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilt top · quilting · quilts · sewing · weight

An Older UFO


Here’s one I really should finish.  I love this little quilt.  It’s a New York Beauty pattern that was in a Fons & Porter issue.  I had so much fun piecing and quilting this one, that I really would like to find time to do another.  Especially since I have my A-1 Elite now.  I quilted this one back when I still had my Gammill Premier, with no stitch regulator.  I need to add a sleeve for hanging, and bind it.  BUT, I keep wavering back and forth on whether or not to add more bling bling to it.  What do you think?  I really didn’t want to overdo with the crystals, and some days I think it’s fine like it is, and then somedays, like today, I think that it looks unfinished.  Since I added crystals to each point in the center medallion, should I add them to each of the points of the rest of the fans?  I’d love to hear your opinions.

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My baby quilt customer came for her quilt Tuesday, and loved it.  She had also brought another baby quilt, that has a great story.  It was a blue, pink, & white flannel quilt.  I forgot to take a pic of it.  It was pieced by her 83 yr. old father.  The blue fabric had white hearts, so I quilted it with an all over heart pattern, and she loved it, too.  She left me a couple lap quilts made by her dad, and said she has more at home.  The little baby quilt had a few issues, but it quilted up just great.  I had to take one tuck in one border, to deal with a bit of extra fabric, but I just thought how wonderful that this baby will have a quilt pieced by it’s great grandFATHER.  It’s a privilege to get to quilt those! And it’s such a great feeling when your customer comes to get their quilts and they are so happy with them.  She’s a beginning quilter and she was thrilled with them.  Seeing the customer’s happy face is as much fun as getting paid for quilting  🙂  

I got off work a little early this afternoon, and am making some piecing progress on my 9P quilts.  I won’t get much done this Saturday, as I will be on the golf course following my son around at his tournament.  Yep, DH & I will be spending our 11th anniversary together in a golf cart.  Sure hope my son plays better this tournament than he has the last two.  That would be a great anniversary prezzie, to see him have a good day. 

One of my readers asked me to say something in my blog about how I photograph my quilts, to get the quilting to show so well.  Well, I’m certainly no photography expert, but here’s what I do…I plop them down where I have the best natural light coming in, at the time.  Such as the living room floor in front of our glass door & windows.  Or on my bed, with the light coming in from the side window.  I really need to get a photo stand so I can hang the larger ones.  Really, good sidelighting seems to show the quilting the best.  I don’t use the flash, except to get a good pic of the colors, sometimes.

Another reader asked me to share how I’m losing my weight.  I’m faithfully exercising no LESS than three times a week, trying hard to exercise four or five days.  I’m either walking on my Treadclimber at home, or in the mornings, I go in to work a bit early, and walk “laps” at the courthouse.  My office is on the third floor, so as I do the laps, I go down one stairwell, to the first floor, and up the stairwell at the opposite end of the courthouse, back up to the third floor.  I try to do at least 10 of those laps.  The stairs do wonders for your lower body  😉   Also, I’m paying more attention to what is going in my mouth, and why.  Am I really hungry? Also, how much I’m eating.  I pay more attention to fat grams, than anything else.  And that’s pretty much it.

I went for my massage therapy yesterday, and my chiropractic adjustment.  My massage therapist and chiropractor are in the same building, and family.  Between the two of them, my shoulder is feeling pretty darn good today.  The massage was especially wonderful. 

I’m going to get back to piecing, so I can have something else to post about!

Blogroll · food · longarm quilting · machine quilting · Mark Lipinski · quilt top · quilting · quilts

A Heart Full of Gratitude


Wow, what a week! I think I have said “thank you” more times this last three days than I have the last three months.  And I’m going to say it some more.  I have been so touched by all the comments regarding the quilt in my previous post.  Truly, I’m a little overwhelmed.  I was already thrilled with the responses from you, my regular readers, who for whatever reasons keep coming back to visit me here.  Many of you have been with me on different online message boards for longarm quilters since my longarm journey began.  You guys know that I’m that quilter that doubts myself all the time.  I’m used to being the one doing the drooling over someone else’s gorgeous quilting.  You guys have been the best cheerleaders, teachers, and encouragers, and you have no idea how much your friendships mean to me, and how much I enjoy “knowing” you.  I can’t wait to get to meet some of you in person, and give you all a great big hug.  And I have to give credit where credit is due.  You guys are my inspiration.  And those wonderful teachers among you, whose DVD’s and videos I have purchased, and watched over and over, thank you for putting such great teaching products out there.  For the feathers I used on this particular quilt, I have to credit Renae Haddadin, Sharon Schamber, & Sherry Rogers-Harrison, whose book I have.  Also, Jamie Wallen for the inspiration for the feather motif in the very center of the quilt.

Mark Lipinski, you really have no idea how surprised I was when I discovered you had tagged me in your blog.  Or how much I appreciated what you said about my quilting.  I have to thank you for my two biggest blog visitor days EVER! Truly, I felt very honored that you chose to highlight me in your blog.  My husband told me I better quit reading it or I was going to get a migraine from my head swelling 🙂  I found your blog right after you started it, I believe with your very first post.  As soon as I read it, I immediately added you to my blogroll, and have been faithfully reading it ever since.  You are one of my regular stops in blog land.  Now I’m gonna have to get a subscription to your mag. 🙂   Seriously, thank you.

I had another wonderful surprise this morning, from Carla B.  Check out this awesome cartoon she made! She made a “Pickle Award”.  I think it’s FABULOUS!  What do you think, Mark?  I printed it out and will have to find a spot in my quilting room where I can always enjoy it.

And if all the above were not enough, I was suprised by another act of kindess this week.  When I got to work Thursday morning, I found an envelope of old pictures laying on my desk.  A friend had been by and dropped them off while I was out sick Wednesday afternoon.  At first, I was trying to figure out who these kids were, and why did someone leave pictures of them on my desk?  Then it dawned on me…OMG! That is ME, and MY BABY! Do I look like a boy or what?

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Isn’t he a doll?

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These were taken 16 years ago next month, at my friend’s house.  She found them when cleaning out her cedar chest, and thought I should have them.  There were a few more, but I won’t bore you with all of them.

Check out this super cool baby quilt I had the privilege of quilting for a customer yesterday.  I love the fabrics she used.  What a great nursery this babe is going to have.

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Something new (to me) that I discovered this week, is this yummy fruit.  It’s a pummelo.  I liked it!

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Thanks to my friend Diane, who called me last night to make sure I didn’t miss my favorite NASCAR driver, Bobby Labonte, on Trackside last night. 

I really have been flying high the last couple days, and I think I have more than used up my 15 minutes of blog fame,  so one more time, THANK YOU!!

longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilt top · quilting · quilts · stash busting · vintage tops · weight

Sunday Report, True Confessions


In addition to the beautiful So Fine threads I bought this week, I bought fabric.  I decided that I didn’t have a suitable backing fabric for the the lighter version of the two 9P & stripes I’m making.  I will be able to find a suitable fabric for the darker one in my stash, but with all this feather practice I’m doing, I wanted something really good for the lighter one.  I hope it turns out really nice. I bought 14 yds of this beautiful Benartex Giverny fabric for $4.05 a yd. from www.thousandsofbolts.com.  I really only needed 10 yds,  but they only had 14 listed in stock, so I figured the other four may as well come along for the ride    🙂  And while I was at it, I went ahead and ordered 5 yds. of this beautiful golden fabric, to use for the back of my Storm at Sea top, that has been finished for quite awhile.

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And, I didn’t stop there.  I bought these stencils. Ronda always inpires me with the beautiful quilting she does, and she recommends using stencils.  With all the feather backtracking practice I’ve been doing, I might be getting up enough nerve to try some pretty stencils.

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I’m still working on feathering that vintage top to death.  I’m actually feeling feather frazzled…I’m ready to get it off my machine.  One last edge to do…but man does that precision work make my shoulder scream.  I’ve been getting a little more careless with my backtracking, and some of the CC’s, trying to hurry it up a bit.  It’s just for me, anyway, and I’ve gotten some great experience working on it.  However, I now have three paying jobs coming in soon, so I need to get done so I’ll be ready for them.

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I did sew up my Wild Onion jacket, and I’m pleased with the quilting.  However, I think I used the wrong batting.  It’s too stiff, and it puffs out weird at the back of the shoulders.  I used Quilter’s Dream request loft poly.   So if I make another, what batting would you suggest?  A light weight cotton, maybe? Also, I think I’ll make the shorter version.

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Sunday weigh in: starting weight this week was 147.  Today my weight was 145, for a loss this week of 2 lbs! Total weight loss is now at 9 lbs.  I’m not sure I’ll do so well this next week.  DH was gone from Sunday to Thursday this week, so it was really a lot easier for me to eat less calories. 

So, that’s my report.  I wasn’t really good, but I don’t feel a bit bad!

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

Sunday Stash Report


  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!