Category: sewing

Casa de Ortega · favorite things · Life after loss · quilting · sewing · wild rose quilter

My New Sewing Space

Wild Rose QuilterLeave a comment

We moved into our new home in January, and I only recently got my sewing machine set up and going in it’s new location. At my old house, the only place I had to set my sewing machine was on our dining room table. Thus, not a lot of dining went on there. I almost always had a sewing project, or several, scattered all over it. The plus side to that was that I wasn’t isolated from my family while I sewed, although I’m sure they would have enjoyed watching TV more without the noise of my sewing machine competing in the background. Also, I had a nice view to the outside from our dining room bay window. Now, at the new house the dining room is used just for dining, and we use it for that almost every day. 17353118_10208851062339519_8319086372177014617_n

This house has an office, that has a large built in book shelf with cabinets underneath for more storage, and is plenty big enough to hold my desk, computer, filing cabinet, etc. that I need for to do our business paperwork, and still have a whole corner for my sewing/cutting table. I can put all my quilting books and magazines in the bookcase, and my old dining table and bench is what I’m currently using for my sewing table. There’s also a window in front of it so I still have a nice view to the outside while I sew.

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When I’m standing up and cutting fabric, I can watch the bunnies that frequently come to visit and often nibble at the little goodies I have left under the trees for them.

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If I tire of sewing and the weather is nice, I can slip out the front door and enjoy a few moments in one of the rocking chairs on the porch. I am very much enjoying having a nice covered porch that wraps around from the front to the south side of the house, as well. My little mom likes sitting there with me on the days that I have her with me. She isn’t doing well these days, so any little thing that gives her some pleasure is a gift to be savored. The window between these two chairs it the one at the end of the dining room, and the office window is over to the left. As I sit here and type, I am starting to hear thunder outside. Time to wrap it up. I’m going to go sit in one of those chairs with my handsome prince and listen to the thunder and hopefully watch some rain falling down. Thanks for stopping by and have a Marvelous Monday tomorrow!

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fabric · quilting · quilts · sewing · stash busting

Fun Sewing!

Wild Rose Quilter3 Comments

In between work, and stitching the binding on Caleb’s quilt, and hectic wedding planning, I simply had to take a few minutes last night to try out a pattern I’ve seen floating around for a little while. The 10 Minute Block by Suzanne McNeill. I have a new four month old baby grandson and I thought a sweet little baby quilt would be the perfect project to try it out with. I only had a few minutes to spare and I have to say, I love this block! So much fun to put together and you can use it so may ways. Cutesy fun projects or change fabrics for a very elegant looking quilt. Fun fun fun! This may be my new stash busting “go to” pattern! A great one to use for gift quilts, charity, etc. It goes together so quickly and easily that it’s almost instant gratification! So, if you’re a busy quilter who has trouble finding time to squeeze some sewing time in between all life’s other activities, this is a good one to try!

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Wedding plans are progressing, and I’m really starting to have fun with the process and am getting so excited! I have 57 days to get the rest of it together. I’ve been faithfully working out again and trying to bust the extra stash I have put back on this body over the last few months. I’m starting to see some results from that hard work, as well. I just keep chanting “wedding dress wedding dress wedding dress” in my head when I feel like slacking. 😄

Today, I hope to make a final decision on the caterer and make some progress on the reception decorations. Have a fantastic Friday, y’all!

embroidery · sewing

Just having some crafty fun this weekend!

Wild Rose Quilter6 Comments

Happy 4th of July to my fellow American readers!  I haven’t worked on any of my own projects since I finished the quilting of my For the Love of Eleanor quilt.  All my spare time has been spent quilting on client tops.  So, this weekend, I decided to relax a little, and just have some fun.

First, I got out an embroidery collection I recently purchased, after seeing it on an episode of Fons & Porter.  It’s called In a Clutch, by Vicki Tracy.  I still need to find some magnetic closures, so I can finish out the tab.  I don’t think I got the zipper exactly right, but it was fun to make, and I will probably do a few more.

A peek at the inside.  The designer recommends finishing out the raw edges with binding, but I just don’t care that much…lol.

But, what I most proud of, is the little project I did today! I made a little apron.  I don’t think I have mentioned that my oldest stepdaughter, and her family, just moved back here from Nebraska last month.  That means I will be spending more time with my five year old “granddaughter-in-love”.  I reckon that we will work on some little projects, such as making those little embroidered clutches, or little quilts…and maybe some cooking together.  I often wear an apron while I’m working on stuff around here, so I thought she needed one to wear, too.  I was watching an episode of Sewing With Nancy, and got the inspiration to make this apron, from one of her Grandpa’s button-up shirts he no longer wears.  It was a nice Tommy Hilfiger shirt, but was just hanging around in the closet.  I didn’t have the pattern from the show, so I just had to wing it.  This is what I came up with, and I can’t wait to show it to my little Catey, later today.  I hope it fits!  Every bit of it, including the fabric for the ties, came from the shirt.

It’s even reversible!

The “front” has pockets.

The “back” has her initials.  That was not part of the original plan, but I accidentally snipped a hole in the fabric, and needed to cover it up.  Thankfully, it was almost right in the center.

I cut two identical pieces, from the shirt front and shirt back, sewed them together up the sides and across the front with right sides together, and turned it back right side out.  I just used the original shirt bottom, as is, so that I didn’t have to finish that edge off.

I had fun making it.  I’ll take a picture of her wearing it later.  Going to get ready to grill some steaks with my hubby!

longarm quilting · love of my life · quilting · sewing · stash busting

I love my STASH!

Wild Rose Quilter15 Comments

Friday afternoon my Mom called to tell me a dear friend of ours has been diagnosed with breast cancer.  And, being the quilter that I am, I ran straight to my stash.  Oh yes, she must have a quilt!  I had a stack of 5″ pink charm squares, and this is what I did with them.  Started on this yesterday morning, by early afternoon today, it was a completed flimsy.  I can’t wait to watch it be transformed by the quilting.  I’m hoping to squeeze it in, for a quick panto,  between the customer quilt that is on the machine, and the next one in line, so I can get it bound, labeled and off to our friend.  I am going to estimate that I busted 4 yds in the top.  No new fabric in this week.

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Speaking of customer quilts…the next one in line is soooooo cute!  It is appliqued “Chubby Chicks” in cute colors.  I will enjoy working on it.  I will be blogging it, so it’s owner can check in on it.  I just hope I do it justice!  Right now I am quilting appliqued pigs.  I really started second guessing my quilting choices a little over halfway through, and had a mini meltdown.   I took it off the machine to turn and repin it, so I could quilt the last two borders more easily, and took a some pics before I put it back on.  I think it helped to be able to step back and see the whole quilt at once.

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I’m sure I will worry about it a bit, until I get to hand it back to it’s owner and get her reaction.  I’m such a worry wart about that.  And it’s usually the quilts that I think will be the easiest.  Somewhere in the process, my confidence takes a hike, and in comes self-doubt and second guessing, and “oh my God, I’m a failure” thoughts.  Hopefully, she will love it and all my worry will have been for nothing.  Time will tell.

And these are my pretty new flowers that my hubby brought home Friday, to plant in my flower bed.  Purple asters…I love them!

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Tomorrow, I’m off to Amarillo for the yearly “female” doctor visit.  Yucko! Hope your Monday is better than that.

pretty fabric · quilt top · quilting · quilts · sewing · stash busting

Stash Quilt Reporting

Wild Rose Quilter14 Comments

I don’t think my reports are about stash busting any more, but what I’ve done with my stash.  I added 5 yards of Kona white cotton back to the stash, since I’m using what I had in my Boston Commons.  That is a staple I like to keep on hand.  I finished by sawtooth star blocks, finally.  And, I think I might like them all together, after all.  If you’ve been following my progress on them, you may remember this previous post, where I posted the ones I had finished together, and then divided into different color groupings and settings.  Well, here is the whole lot of them, finished and laid out how I would sew them together, if I decide to follow the original pattern.

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I think I do like it.  My husband likes it.  How about a poll?

To see how they looked divided into orange and no orange groups, click the link to the previous post, mentioned above.  I’m curious to see which one wins.  Doesn’t mean I’ll follow it, but I might!

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

Sunday Stash Report

Wild Rose Quilter13 Comments

Wow, I went a whole week between posts.  But it was a busy week with my day job, so there wasn’t much to say.  Not that I could post about, anyway.

I do have changes to report in my stash this week.  I busted 10 yards for backing, and it is just barely going to be big enough for my top.  I knew it would be close, but I really want to use this fabric for the back of this quilt.  It’s flannel, so I think there may have been a bit more shrinkage than I might have had with a regular cotton.

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As you can see, it’s a real tight squeeze on the sides.  I have plenty extra the other direction, though.  I will make it work!

I also ordered 8 yards for a one block wonder class I’m taking next month, for quilt guild.  I tried my best to find something suitable in my stash, but the only two that I thought would work, I did not have enough yardage.  So I had to order some.  It will arrive some time this week, but I’m going to go ahead and count it as incoming today.

So here’s my yearly totals.

  • Incoming Yardage to date: 8 yds.
  • Outgoing Yardage to date:  30.5 yds.
  • Total Stash Busted to date: 22.5 yds.
I also finished the binding on the memorial t-shirt quilt, and made the label.  I just have to attach the label and it will be completely finished.  I was able to use some of the scraps from the first quilt, made of his plaid cotton shirts, in the back of this one.
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I also made some good progress on one of my stash quilts today.  My Boston Commons top.
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Now, I have to decide how I want to quilt my 9P & stripe, that I made the backing for.  It is going on the longarm next! And it’s MINE! Yay!
Have a great week! Try to find time for something you love to do!
fabric · quilting · quilts · sewing · stash busting

The First Stash Report of 2009

Wild Rose Quilter7 Comments

  • Incoming Yardage to date: 0 yds.
  • Outgoing Yardage to date:  9 yds.
  • Total Stash Busted to date: 9 yds.

And we’re off! A whole new year of busting that  stash has begun.  I’ve been working away on some new projects, and preparing to do some more work on some older WIPS. 

Stash busted that I am counting for this week is as follows:

5.25 yards finishing up the commissioned memorial t-shirt top, preparing the backing, and the binding. 

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3.75 yard in 30’s repros. for the Boston Commons quilt.

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I also got 4 more stars made for Gracie’s Star today.  I am not going to add this to my totals til the stars are all made.  This is a queen size top, but when I had the stars laid out on the bed today, I realized that I could easily make it big enough for my kingsize bed by adding a border.  So, I may do just that.  This one is going to use up some stash!

I got quite a lot of pressing done this weekend, too. In addition to pressing the fabric for the t-shirt top, and the fabric for my star blocks as I go along, I pressed 10 yards of backing for one of my 9P & stripes, I pressed 5 yards of Kona white for my Boston Commons, and I pressed the border fabric for the other 9P & stripe quilt.

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The white is a fabric I will likely restock in my stash after I use it.  It’s a good staple to have on hand, because when you need it, you need it now…and it’s not like I can just run out to a fabric shop and pick some more up. I try to keep some of both white and black. 

I ended up with 15 finishes for 2008.

  1. Jill’s fleece blanket (customer job)
  2. Julie’s fleece blanket (customer job)
  3. Wild Onion Jacket for Mom
  4. Megan’s fleece blanket (wedding gift)
  5. Harold fleece blanket (thank you gift)
  6. Commissioned Full-size log cabin for Parkers
  7. Carrie’s Pillow Shams
  8. Ribbon Taffy
  9. Greg’s Courthouse Steps quilt
  10. Teresa & Rick’s fleece blanket (wedding gift)
  11. Betty’s fleece blanket for Doug (customer job)
  12. Commissioned memorial quilt #1 for the Martinez family
  13. Pillow cases for my aunt
  14. Betty’s bleece blanket for Howard (customer job)
  15. Daddy’s Log Cabin

And my final stash reporting for 2008 was:

  • Incoming Yardage to date: 200 yds.
  • Outgoing Yardage to date:  120 yds.
  • Total Stash Busted to date: <80> yds.

 

I’m already having fun quilting away in 2009.  I guess that’s it for this week.  Can’t think of anything else!  Tomorrow will start my first full week back at work since the holidays and my vacation started.  It’s going to be hard to get back in the groove.  Have a good one!

fabric · pretty fabric · quilt top · quilting · quilts · sewing · stash busting

Small Change = Big Difference

Wild Rose Quilter6 Comments

Ok, so I really like these fabrics together.

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I really like the individual stars I’ve been making with them.

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However, I  wasn’t liking them together. It just wasn’t working for me.  I was feeling like I was really messing up a lot of pretty fabric.

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And then I rearranged them…again.  But I used a different approach.  Instead of trying to alternate lighter star/darker background blocks, I quit paying attention to that, and laid them out according to backgrounds only.  Much better!  Now, it’s working for me.  🙂

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Only 29 more to go!

fabric · quilting · sewing · stash busting

Stash Busting BUSTED Report

Wild Rose Quilter20 Comments

Right here at the end, when I was doing so well…I busted it big.  And I’m not a bit sorry.  As I stated in a previous post, the fabric store, that my Mom & I like to visit together, is going out of business.  Everything was 50% off.  I love that fabric store and it was my last ever shopping trip there.  I bought big, but I think I made wise choices.  Things that will be very useful when shopping the stash.

Here is the sack.  It reminded me of Santa’s.

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My shopping spoils.

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Mmmmm….68 yards of yummy fabric goodness.  Love it!

My final totals for 2008:

  • Incoming Yardage to date: 152 yds.
  • Outgoing Yardage to date:  120 yds.
  • Total Stash Busted to date: <32> yds.

Today I have been in a piecing frenzy, but I will save those pictures for later this week.  Maybe my Wednesday WIP post.  My new  header will give you a tiny sneak peek. I’ve been working on three projects at one time!  2009 may be the year of project-itis. I have two days of vacation left.  I am enjoying it so, so very much.  I wish it didn’t have to end.