Category: weight

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

Still Busy as a Bee

Wild Rose Quilter10 Comments

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!

longarm quilting · machine quilting · Mark Lipinski · quilting · quilts · weight

Sunday Report

Wild Rose Quilter14 Comments

I’m still piecing my 9P & Stripe quilts.  Just the two bottom rows to add.  I am this far along on both of them:

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If I manage to finish these two quilts this year, they will take a lot of yardage from my stash. 🙂

I got a call for another commissioned quilt this week.  It will be a graduation gift, so as soon as the fabric for that gets delivered to me, it will become priority one, as it needs to be finished before the end of May.  It won’t be my favorite colors to work on, as it’s for a boy headed to Oklahoma State University, so it’s black & orange.  This one will only be full size, so hopefully it won’t take me too long.  I enjoy doing the commissioned quilts, as usually these are for people, who while they appreciate quilts, don’t have any idea how to make one.  Therefore, when you are finished, and deliver the completed quilt, they are so thrilled.  That’s fun.  I like that.  I will do the standard simple log cabin, so I can get it done in time.  For those wondering, as I usually get some emails asking, for a simple pattern such as log cabin, or rail fence, I charge 7 cents per square inch, for the constuction of the quilt.  That does not include fabric, batting, or thread.  More complicated patterns, or more complicated custom quilting, would increase the price accordingly. 

This is the quilting in progress, of the customer quilt I mentioned yesterday.  The quilt was completely finished, with stitch in the ditch hand quilting.  After machine quilting another quilt for customer, she decided she would like me to try to add some quilting to this one.  I knew it would have some challenges, but except for problems with the borders, I think it’s coming along nicely. 

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I’m concerned about some excess fabric in the back in a few spots, but so far it’s looking pretty good on the back, I think.

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The only big problem I’m having is with the borders.  I may have to just leave them be, as there is too much excess fabric, as you can see on the right side of this pic. 

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Since it is already bound, there is no where for the excess to go.  I already tried to lightly quilt one, and ended up with a big pucker.  So, I will be frogging that when I get done with the rest.  I will probably also leave the sashings alone.  After I get done, I will show it to my customer, and see if she wants to leave them, or remove the binding.  My customer happens to be the friend that brought the pics of mybaby to me week before last.  I think she’s really going to like what I have done, so far.

The weigh-in wasn’t so bad afterall.  I didn’t lose any, but I didn’t gain, either.  So for now, I’m holding steady at 144.  There are still cookies in the house, though!

I read my first issue of Quilter’s Home.  I really enjoyed it, and will be looking forward to the next issue.  No, I’m not just saying that because Mark said nice things about my quilting on that vintage top I posted previously.  😉   I really did like it! 

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

An Older UFO

Wild Rose Quilter9 Comments

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!

quilting · stash busting · weight

Sunday Report Time

Wild Rose Quilter8 Comments

Well, I missed last week completely, so you’d think I’d have something substantial to report this week.  Not really.  I haven’t purchased any fabric, and today I managed to get four more rows pieced for my Eleanor Burns 9P & Stripes quilts.  I was going to sew up a storm today.  But instead, I seem to have managed to just fiddle fart the day away.  I did do some laundry and a wee bit of house work. 

My parents stopped by for a short visit today, on their way home from my brother’s house.  My mother will be the final recipient of my Wild Onion jacket.  She tried it on and it fits her PERFECTLY! No weird poof at the back of the shoulders, as it does on me.  I’m thrilled about that, as I wanted to make her one anyway.  So now I do have to get that binding done.  Then I can add that fabric used to my official tally for the year. 

Judy, I am waiting til I actually finish a project to tally the fabric used.  How does that sound?  And thus far this year, though I’ve pulled quite a bit of fabric from my shelves for the projects I’m working on, I haven’t finished any of them yet.  So my UFO list is growing….lol. To date, I have added 19 yards to the stash.

Weekly weigh in! My starting weight this week was 147.  My weight today was 144!  I lost a total of 3 lbs. this week! Yea! That puts me at a total of 10 lbs.  If I can lose 10 more, I will be so happy!

Finally, the NASCAR race is getting ready to start.  Rain delay…I was afraid they might postpone it til tomorrow, when I will be at work.  But they are about to go green!  TTYL!

daily life · machine quilting · NASCAR · quilting · weight

Monday Menagerie and a Meme

Wild Rose Quilter8 Comments

Since I didn’t get around to a Sunday report yesterday, I’ll throw some of that in here.  I don’t have much to report as far as accomplishments, mostly due to the trip.  I did finish quilting the vintage top, and I’ll try to get some pics of that up soon.  Other than that, nothing really noteworthy quilting wise.  I didn’t buy any fabric.  I did quilt a customer fleece blanket, and I have a baby quilt coming in this week to quilt.

My weigh-in report is not so good.  I knew it wouldn’t be this week, but I didn’t know that my mother was going to make us a batch of cookies to take on our trip.  How could I say no?  And OMG, they were good.  They were addicting good.  My friend and I that went together ate the whole bag in two days.  I know there were at least 2 dozen, maybe 3.  She made a bag for the boys, too.  Five boys on the golf team, and they didn’t even eat all of theirs.  I’m serious, we could not stop eating them…we started calling them “crack” cookies, ’cause that must be how a crack addict feels…lol.  Ok, so remember those 2 lbs I lost last week?  Guess what came back to me?  Yep…starting weight was 145…my weight yesterday was 147, for a total GAIN of 2 lbs.  Crap! Oh well, I’ll be back on track this week.  I’m disappointed, but not discouraged! Besides the cookies are all gone now 🙂

I totally enjoyed watching the Daytona 500 yesterday, even though I was having a somewhat bad day otherwise.  I was happy to see Ryan Newman win, too.  Really happy to see Kyle Busch NOT win 🙂   My apologies to you Busch brother fans.  I don’t really care for either of them. 

Why was I not having a good day?  I have had a relatively easy child to raise, thus far.  He’s a good kid, really good kid.  I’m not just prejudiced, he is a good kid.  And I’ve always been able to reason with him.  But we have begun to butt heads a bit, and it’s all over a girl.  Lord, give me the wisdom, strength, and heart to handle 16.   And give him the wisdom to understand.  And please don’t ever let him decide to move out and go live with his real dad and step-mom (which he says he will never do, but I still worry about it).

Now for a bit of fun.  I was tagged a few days ago by Southern Girl Musings, to do this little Meme.  Here are the rules.

Now, you chosen ones, this is what you have to do:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Okay, now for my 7 things:

1. I love going bass fishing with my husband.

2. I was named after my uncle Randy Matson, who was an Olympic Silver medalist in 1964, and the Gold medalist in the 1968 Olympics, for throwing the shot put. 

3.  I love NASCAR! Boogity, boogity, boogity…let’s go racin’ boys! 

4. I wear a gun to work, a .40 caliber Glock.

5. In the spring, if we have had a lot of rain, and our yard gets a lot of baby toads in it, I will go around the yard and collect them in a bucket, before my son mows, so they won’t get smashed.  Then I let them go again, after he is done…every week, til they are gone.

6. I’m not much of a traveler…I’m uncomfortable in unfamiliar situations.

7.  I’m not what I call a “foofy” girl…you know…a really girly girl…hair & makeup done perfectly “all” the time, manicures, etc. 

Hmmm…who to tag…how about Diane, Kay, Gayle, Jan, Freda, Carla, and Terri.  Ok, so play if you like, if not, that’s fine, too! No pressure.  If I didn’t tag you, and you want to play anyway, go right ahead!

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

Sunday Report, True Confessions

Wild Rose Quilter22 Comments

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!

quilting · stash busting · weight

Sunday Stash Report and Weigh-In

Wild Rose Quilter9 Comments

I don’t have much to report this week.  I’m still working on my Eleanor Burns quilts. I finished quilting my Wild Onion jacket, haven’t stitched up the seams yet.  I didn’t buy any fabric, even though I got lots of tempting emails from fabric shops having Superbowl sales.  Not sure what the Superbowl has to do with fabric sales….

I pulled a FatBack! from my stash to back this vintage quilt top I’m quilting.

On the body stash busting…my starting weight this week was 148.  My weight today was 147, for a loss this week of one pound.  That’s a total loss of 7 lbs.  I worked out six times last week.  I’m hoping to get back into some of my favorite pants that I like to wear to work.  Well, as of today, I can get back in them, buttoned and zipped.  However, I still cant wear them, because honestly, the only place I want to see a c@mel toe is on a camel. 😮

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!

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…..

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.