Another one off the frame...

Another one off the frame! Today I quilted the quilt that I showed you in my last post. It is beautiful! Her mitered corners are perfect. It quilted up nicely with Hobbs cotton batting. She wanted it quilted with the "Chantilly Lace" design. I just love the fabrics used in this one. I'm always afraid to use larger scale floral, I'm never sure what to do with them and then I see a quilt like this one and I wish I had made it. LOL! This quilt was a nice size, it measures 92x104. I didn't get a photo of the backing but I think you can see a little of it in the first photo. It is a creamy floral wideback, I just love it.

I'm going to load my next one on later tonight and get started on it first thing in the morning after everyone leaves for school. I have to do the binding also on it.

During a couple of my breaks today, I sat down at my sewing machine and pieced a few more log cabin blocks. I think I'm up to 15 now. I still have problems with my hips from time to time so I have to take breaks every little bit from standing at the frame, so this was the perfect time to get a few more blocks finished. I didn't get a photo of them but you will just have to take my word for it. :)

I'm off to finish up some laundry and get that other quilt loaded on the frame before bedtime.

Kristie

I know what you are thinking...

I sewed a little for me last night! :) It did feel great, but I also know that I need to stay on top of these other quilts. So I did make me a little schedule to go by, that way I can get them done in a timely manner and also sew for myself.

This is what I did last night!!! I know what you are thinking....another one?? Yep! I just love making these blocks!
My first log cabin block was back in early 2010 when I made this one and I was hooked! After we get the painting done, I plan on hanging this on the balcony wall. If I remember correctly it measures 96x96. And I know I started this Courthouse Step quilt a while back and it still isn't completed. Well, it's close! I have it sewn into 4 sections and I need to sew the border on. Not even sure why I don't have it done yet, because it would take me all of 30 minutes to finish it. :(

But I just love making these blocks! They are addictive and mindless! I'm sure some of you are wondering why I am paper piecing such a simple block but I have a few reasons. 1) Precision 2) I love paper piecing and 3) most of these are made from scraps and strings and I don't want to take the time to cut them exact! I cut them to the length needed and just start sewing! So much fun for me!

Here I have some of the pieces separated and ready to sew. I keep them organized in small baskets for easy clean up and keeping them all sorted. BTW... Bernie, if you are reading this you will see the red fabrics that you sent to me. I started to work on my red/white quilt, but not sure what I have done with my white fabric for it. I'll have to dig for it. :)

Okay, back to the log cabin blocks. LOL! I only have 5 of them finished right now but I'm hoping to do a few more tonight before bed. I'm not even sure which layout I will use for this one.

This is the new customer quilt to be quilted. I have the backing loaded on the frame but I just have the top laying there. I haven't loaded it on there yet. It is another big one and it is soooo pretty! I have 3 to do for this lady. Her name is Maruzia, she is 76 years old and she pieces perfectly! I've quilted for her before and just love doing her quilts. I think every quilt that she does have mitered corners and they lay so flat and every seam in the quilts are exact. Anyway, this quilt is very pretty and I will try to get a better photo of it later. On the supper menu tonight....Chili!! Nothing like a big pot of chili to get you warmed up on a cold night.
Supper is over and I'm heading upstairs to the sweat shop to sew!!!

Kristie

Making Progress

The past few days I have been at the frame quilting. This first one, the lady called it Mariposa. I think that actually may have something to do with the fabric. It has lots of butterflies on it. Actually both of these quilts belong to the lady that owns the quilt shop. This one measures 65x75 and I quilted it with a panto called "popcorn" a very easy one to do. I ended up having to pick out the first whole row and changed the threads. It wasn't quilting that great and I'm wondering if it had something to do with the gold paint stuff on the fabric, know what I'm talking about? After I changed the thread everything was fine.

This is the one that I quilted yesterday and they both had to be delivered today! This one was pretty big measuring in at 96x106. I just couldn't get motivated with this one, I love the pattern, I just didn't like the design that she wanted quilted on it. The design wasn't even a hard one, it's just one that I find boring and I don't ever like to use it. The panto is called "cotton candy" It took me all day just because I kept walking away from the machine. :) Seems like I always end up putting things off to the last minute. I quilted on it until bedtime last night and then got up, got Richard and Hunter off to school, finished quilting the quilt and was out the door by 8:30am! How's that for pushing it??? LOL!
I delivered them both this morning and she was very pleased with them. I had several more quilts to pick up from the shop that other people had left for me, so now I have 18 waiting to be quilted. That is a little stressful knowing that I have that many waiting to be done but then again, I am very thankful that I have them to do. I'll get them done, I just need to pace myself and schedule so many a week to do. I don't want to quilt these client quilts seven days a week, I would like to sew somethings for myself too. Is that being selfish?

I have several big ones waiting to be quilted and one baby quilt that I can't wait to show you all, it is super cute! One of those quilts measures 110x118 and that is the first quilt that she has ever made. I was just shocked that someone would make one that big for their first quilt. Oh well, at least she jumped in head first into quilting.

Back to that big Carpenter's Star quilt that I just showed you above....that quilt shop sells those kits and I'm thinking about getting one to make later as a gift. I know that it wouldn't really be that hard to pull the fabrics from my stash and the pattern is easy to make, but I do like some of the fabric choices that they have in the kits. They have a couple of different colorways in the kits. Anyway, the kit costs $75 and the quilt measures 96x106 and I think that includes the binding fabric (I'll have to check on that to make sure) Is that a good price or is that high? I don't usually buy kits that often so I really don't know.

Yesterday while I was trying to avoid doing that quilt, I made Hunter a batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies. He was soooo pleased when he got home from school and said, "Mom, you make the best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the world" and gave me a big hug and kiss. He doesn't have to know that they came from a bag of Betty Crocker Cookie Mix, does he??? LOL!

Now I am waiting for them to get home from school. Supper is on the stove, we are having Spaghetti and Garlic toast with Chocolate Pie for dessert.
Kristie

What is your favorite POLY batting?

What is your favorite POLY batting?

I have several clients that want POLY batting instead of cotton. I am looking for a good, CHEAP poly batting that I can buy on a roll and it not cost me an arm and a leg. Some of my clients send batting with their tops and some do not. Some love cotton 80/20 blend or Warm & Natural. I have in stock 80/20 cotton, Warm & Natural and a thicker (high loft) poly. I am looking for a thinner loft that would be about the same loft as Warm & Natural....or at least I think.

I've been online today looking around for rolls that are not too costly, but I can never find out the loft, if it is needle punched or not, or if it is just fuzzy when you take if off the roll. Some places will say it is so many ounces per square yard and then you look at that same ounce weight on another website and it gives you a total different loft thickness.

So I'm just curious that if you do use POLY batting, which one is it?

Thanks so much
Kristie

First one quilted for the New Year....finally

I'm finally back to quilting! I am a little backed up and I need to get these finished. I think I have a total of 12 more as of right now that need to be quilted. So here is the first one...It is huge! 96x114 to be exact. This one was pieced so well, it was a dream to quilt. It took a while to get it done but it did quilt up nicely. Now I have to get the binding done on it this evening and deliver it in the morning! :( I have the binding cut, I just need to press it and sew it on. That part will not take too long but the had sewing will take a while. I am pretty fast at that part once I settle down and get started. After I deliver this one tomorrow I have to run and pick up some batting while I am out. Hopefully, I will get another one loaded on the frame tomorrow evening. Fingers crossed. :)

I guess I had better get started! Supper is ready and waiting for Richard and Hunter to get home. On the menu this evening....Pot Roast with potatoes and carrots, corn on the cob (Hunter's favorite), mac and cheese, and rolls (not homemade but store bought) LOL!
Kristie
Kristie

HELLO!!!!

I just wanted to pop in and say that I am back online!!! This is just a quick little post to say hello and hopefully tomorrow I will post again with some photos of a beautiful quilt that I have on the frame and it should be finished tomorrow.

We are loving living in the new house! We are very tired but loving it! Still have a ton of things to unpack but I will get to those as soon as I can.....maybe. LOL! Anyway, I am still so happy that after all of this time we are living in it.

See ya tomorrow!
Kristie

Finally it is going to happen!

Thank you all so much for the prayers and words of encouragement with the situation with dad. Things are still tough there for me but, I just don't know if I could live with myself if something happened and I didn't try to work through this. They did the other test and his left carotid artery is 100% closed off and there is nothing that can be done with it. The right carotid artery is 50% blocked! So the 50% that is open on the right side is trying to supply blood to both sides of the brain. Not a good thing, as he is not a candidate for surgery at this point. So a massive/fatal stroke will happen when the right carotid artery can do no more. Of course the doctors can't say when that will happen and I know that is up to the Good Lord above. Just a big mess and hard for me to deal with right now, but I did take my kids down to visit him, that went pretty good.

This may be my last post for a week or so. WE ARE MOVING THIS WEEKEND!!!! Richard is connecting the gas to the house as we speak! The electric and water will be connected to the house this weekend, but we have to wait for the phone and internet to be changed over. You know how that goes, they just take their sweet old time coming to do that stuff. If I am at mom's I'll post from there but hopefully it will not be too long.

I am so ready for this move! Everything is still a mess, but hopefully it will be over soon. Actually my couch and chairs are already in the house so all we have to sit on in here is the recliner and the computer desk chair! :( As soon as the electric is connected we will move the refrigerator, freezer, stove, washer and dryer over. Oh and our bed! Hunter and Andrew already have beds in there. Then I will move everything else over as I can. There is just mostly odds and ends junk left in here. The people that bought this mobile home say that it will be somewhere between the end of January and middle of February before they can move it, so that will work out great for me.

I am very excited! I just can't put it into words how excited that I am to be moving in this house that we have worked so hard to build and pay for as we built it. When we moved the couch in the other day, I just sat down on it and cried! Richard just looked at me and smiled.

Anyway, I will be back on here shortly....
Kristie

An emotional post for me....

This is a very emotional post for me, so it may not make a lot of sense to you all. My sister and I have not spoken to our dad for probably 4 or 5 years. Just a lot of problems there, that I am just too emotional to go into right now. He has been remarried for a while and things were always going on there that I just couldn't handle being around. So I decided that it was best to just stay away. My kids don't see things like that going on here at home so I didn't want them around it if I could help it.

Soooooo my brother calls Sunday to say that my dad is in the hospital and had a stroke. He has not been in good health for several years. He has had several heart attacks and surgeries. It did upset me when I got the call but I didn't go to the hospital. Yesterday they did more tests on him and decided that they thought his carotid artery is 100% closed off. If that test is correct then the doctor says there is nothing that they can do and a massive stroke is something that they can not stop. Today they are doing a test to see if there is even a pinhole there in that artery that they can work with. If there is a tiny pinhole then they may be able to do something, if that junk doesn't dislodge and go on the the brain.

Soooooo after lots of praying and thinking about the whole thing, my sister and I decided to make the trip down to the hospital to see him. It was a very emotional time for all of us including him. We called ahead because we didn't just want to pop in with him not knowing we were coming and take the chance of messing up his vitals. After a few minutes of tears and emotions he calmed down. Things were talked about to some extent between us all. We left the hospital around 1am last night and I think everyone felt better about the whole situation.

Today he is going through more tests to find out for sure if that is 100% blocked and if anything can be done. The doctor said that if it is 100% blocked in that area then they can't do surgery. Please keep him in your prayers and pray that if he does make it through this that we can all try to have a relationship and work through things...

Almost there...

It has been several days since my last post, here is a little update. Still in the moving process. The couple that bought the mobile home are not able to move it right now, so that buys us a little more time. Actually when I talked to them last night they talked like it may be at least a month. That makes me relax a little but we will be moved in to the house way before that time. Things are almost finished enough for us to move in. Just a little more drywall sanding, a few outlets, lots of clean up and then just hook up the electric and water!! Here are a few photos of some things that we have done over the past week.

This photo was taken from about midway of the stairs, this is the ceiling over my living room that is open. Mom bought us two ceiling fans for this room and my sewing room for Christmas.

This is the one in my sewing room. They match because they both can be seen at the same time. For some reason they look like they have a red tint to them in the photo but they don't.

Here are a couple of photos of the main bathroom. Everything is done in there except the trim and baseboards.
We finally got the tile down in there and I sealed the grout last night.
I don't have a clue why a couple of these photos came out small on here. Anyway, the table is moved in and I will probably add the extensions on it to make it larger now that I have more space. As you can see in the photo I still have drywall dust floating around and I need to dust the table really bad. LOL! I swear all of this drywall dust is giving me nightmares!
This is a section of our yard right now! It is a horrible mess! Richard had to dig a huge ditch for the electric wire and water lines. I'm hoping this will look a lot better by Spring! :)On to a few other things....I had planned on quilting 3 quilts for my 2 nephews and my niece for Christmas, but I just couldn't get to them. I had this one loaded on the frame before Christmas but I just needed to take a break from quilting and get some things done with the move. So I ended up just buying them gifts and I will get these quilted and to them as soon as I can. I took a couple of weeks off from quilting so now I need to get back to it because I have some customer quilts that need to be done. Today I quilted it and hopefully tomorrow I can start on some customer quilts....hopefully. :) I'll do the binding when I can and also get the other two quilted.

Here is my sewing table! I know it looks horrible right now but you should see my whole sewing room! I am using it for a dumping ground. Seems like with this move everything is getting piled in there until it can be put away. Okay, back to the table...you can see I finally got my Courthouse Step pieces out of the floor and I still have not sewed all of the sections together, I just haven't had time. Under that is a pile of curtains that need to be pressed and hung. I dread that, I just hate to iron curtains. Maybe I can talk mom into doing that, but then again I know she hates doing that too. There are also an ironing board, rolls of batting and some quilt tops under there. :( So as of right now, everything is a big dusty mess. Well, the downstairs is dusty the upstairs isn't, it is just messy! I have half in here and half of the stuff in the house...I can't find anything! It is starting to get on my nerves. Over the next few days we are going to try to get most of everything done except maybe the electric and water. I'm just not sure if we can get that done before Richard goes back to school. Actually, Richard and Andrew both start back to college on Monday, but they go to two different colleges. Anyway, I'm hoping to be moved in within a week or week and a half.

Off to do some laundry and finish supper! I'm frying chicken right now and need to make some mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and cornbread...
Kristie