I lost another day...

What the heck is going on with my mind?! Somehow, I lost a day again. I thought it was Thursday all day today. Oh well...wherever it went, I hope I was getting some work done.

For work today, I finished the second embroidered custom quilting project, and completely finished the two quilts from four inch squares.

The second quilt is much like the first with only a few fabric changes. Still made with all four inch squares, and completely by hand.

Panto: Flower Power

Swirly tan backing

Okay! Here is the embroidered quilt, all done.

I like the blocks because they have more color than the other quilts.

Oops! The picture is sideways, but you can still see the quilting. Once again, I kept it simple per customer request.

The backing fabric was smooth and soft. I don't know what brand it is, but it is really nice.

A look at the quilting from the back.

Last order of the day was to get the bindings made and applied by machine to the two, four inch squares quilts.

I'm still working on the repair job. It passes the time in the evening while listening to the TV. Now, if I can just get my mind around what day it is...

Two machines running all day!

The last two days have been long and tiring. I have been quilting custom jobs while keeping Millie busy with pantographs. I realize some people think I just push a button and the quilt gets done. It is a computer, right? When everything goes smoothly, the computer driven machine is a wonderful asset to the studio, but it takes some knowledge and skill to get it to do what I want and have it look good, too. Fortunately, the quilts I did yesterday were both well made.

This pretty Christmas sampler will be a beautiful addition to the customer's living room during the holidays.

Panto: Holly Berries

The quilting looks nice on the back. I used Glide on the top and So Fine on the back.

The customer quilt is from a customer who has brought me similar quilts in the past. She does cross stitch embroidery on pre-marked blocks. She has made eight of these! Most are different patterns and colors.

Because she wants them to be soft and comfortable (not densely quilted) I did echo quilting in the blocks and simple loops and swirls in the sashing and border.

The back is so cool looking!

Today was a bit more labor intensive because the panto quilt was all hand pieced from 4 inch squares and didn't want to behave on the machine. The customer's aunt made two tops and gave them to her two nieces to have finished. I am quilting and binding both.

Number one has five rounds of squares around a big 

pieced square.

Panto: Splat. It took a lot of manual manipulation to avoid quilting in tucks.

I bought the backing from Connecting Threads latest sale.

Number two went on around 3:30 this afternoon, so it isn't finished. 

I'm on the last row of embroidery number two, then I'll just have sashing and borders to finish. Sixteen blocks done! Not bad for  a day's work. When it is finished tomorrow, you'll see how pretty this one is.

I have been doing hand sewing on the repair job in the evening. Boy, is it slow going. I have done three of the half blocks that run along one side of the quilt, and stitched down one of the blocks I made.

The calico bits are new.

This block had three different fabrics! Only the calico disintegrated. All fixed, now!

Mr Wazoo surprised me with a gift  for the studio! A tiny refrigerator, just big enough for my lunch, bottles of water and some apples. I get so involved in the projects, I often don't bother to go upstairs and have something to eat. Now, I can carry a sandwich with me and eat in the studio. I already have a small microwave for my afternoon popcorn snack. The rope bowl comes in handy with a paper towel liner for my popcorn.

He got the cabinet to put the microwave on, too, giving me a few more drawers for storage. The fridge is the black box on the other set of drawers.

I'm getting quilts in as fast as I can get them out! These are all waiting to go home. In the last two days, I have added seven more to the queue. Time marches on! Time for tonight's hand work...

Getting used to my new studio floor plan

A lot of Monday was spent having my annual cardiac check up. October will be a whirlwind of tests and procedures, but none are horrible. This is the time of year when all my health checks are due. Mammogram, bone density, stress test, echo and the dreaded colonoscopy. At least when I'm done, I have peace of mind for another year!

The new studio plan is working fine. I got to work yesterday, loading up two quilts and working on both simultaneously. I have now finished six of the seven vintage tops into quilts! Yippee!!

Oooooh! So sparkly clean!

Number six is quilted!

Panto: Modern Twist

My $6 a yard sale backing!

I had to replace three of the pieces before quilting. The dark triangle, the khaki small triangle and the dark green bit. There was a huge hole there.

Here is a picture with the binding on.

Here it is washed and ready to go home!

In the evening, I am working on the repair. Here is one block, pinned and ready for stitching

Ta-da! All done. Now, only 46 more to go...

 

No fun-day Sunday

 I got a bee in my bonnet to change sides with Millie and Big Gammill. Should have been easy...Mr Wazoo came to help and suggested we clean while the furniture and machines are moved out off the way. Okay. It took all day and massive muscle use for this girl to get the studio clean and put back together! Not a stitch was sewn. But, hey! The carpets, floors, machines and windows are clean! Three bags of trash removed and un-needed items in the garage. Tomorrow I have to finish up by clearing up the cutting table and putting a few straggling things away. I ran out of gas at 5:45, sat in the recliner in the studio, and admired my work. There's always tomorrow for some fun...

Oh snap, no fun tomorrow. I have a cardiologist appointment first thing in the morning for my yearly check up and tests. Rats!

The spider is back. This time, he has taken up residence on the screen outside my sewing  area.

Okay, here is a view of where we started.

Fist, we moved the machines off the carpets and vacuumed everywhere we could. Then, we took turns mopping the floor and drying it off.

The new view from the door shows Millie greeting people as they come in. I don't quilt from the back of the machine at all, so I am able to snug it a bit closer to the stash wall. 

We moved all of this, vacuumed and mopped before reorganizing and putting things back.

I moved the rulers from the cutting table to the notions cabinet next to it. 

Here is the view from the cutting table. I moved the drawers back under Millie, and tossed two bags of trash from under the Gammill. The bins with waiting repair quilts are underneath Gammill, too.

Nothing changed in the bathroom! I need to go through the quilts in here and pick some to send to Oregon for fire victims. I follow a blog from a quilter there who has mobilized guilds to take donations and distribute them. This is dear to my heart since our guild went through a powerful hurricane in 2004, that destroyed the homes (and sewing rooms!) of hundreds of quilters. We collected supplies from all over the USA and my little group of volunteers delivered boxes and boxes to bereft quilters all over south Florida. I feel like I should pay it forward and help the quilters and the families in the fire ravaged areas. **

There is much more room behind Big Gammill for me to play on the design wall. I was forever knocking blocks off with my ample derriere whenever I passed by the wall. There is more room to press huge backs, too. Yippee!

I will straighten this up tomorrow. The big pile is the vintage quilts I made from the tops a customer found in a box in her late Grandma's house. The rest of the flotsam is the scraps I used for the latest repair.

I'm tired, sweaty and dirty. But I'm happy. I don't have to clean for another five years!! LOL

** If you have a quilt to donate to the fire victims on the west coast, here are a few places that are taking and distributing them. I copied these from Lori DeJarnatt's  blog, Humble Quilts.

Mt Hood Quilt Guild is accepting and distributing completed quilts to go to victims and evacuees from the Riverside Fire in Clackamas County. You can mail or drop off at: My Quilting Loft, 253 E. Historic Columbia River Hwy. Troutdale, Oregon 97060

I'm not sure about this, but here is an email and phone number that you may call and get more info. 

communityoutreach@mthoodquiltguild.com

If anyone needs a kit to work on, or has completed charity tops or quilts ... call or text me! (this is a number that was online, it isn't me)

503-577-1434

BOLTS TO BLOCKS: Collecting quilt tops and finished quilts to support those in the Phoenix & Talent areas. (these towns were nearly completely burned down)

Contact: Barb of Bolts to Blocks, boltstoblocks@gmail.com, (541) 704-0386

Mail or deliver to: Bolts to Blocks, 950 SE Geary St., Ste C, Albany, OR 97322

100 quilts went to Talent And Phoenix Elementary school children today. Still need another 350 twin or lap size so every child who has lost their home will have something to snuggle with. Then we will try to serve the middle and high school kids. Please help by sending new or barely used quilts to Sew Creative Ashland at 115 East Main St. Ashland, Oregon 97520

Sunday, fun day

It may not look like it, but I worked really hard yesterday. The quilt that was up to bat had a border problem on three sides, and a backing only 4 inches wider than the top. Every row with the wavy borders was a challenge, but by watching while it was being quilted, I was able to manipulate the fabric to keep from having tucks and pleats. The bottom border was the worst. I figure it had three inches too much fabric and had been eased  onto the quilt center to accommodate that fullness. No amount of manipulation would fix it, so I di the dreaded fix of adding faux seams in two places. Even with all the pressing and moving the fabric with my hands as the machine moved along, I still got one pleat. I sewed it down in the end. Finally done, and fairly flat and square, I felt good about my job.

It is a pretty quilt in my favorite lime green colors.84 x 90" 

The backing was this swirly batik

Here is one of the 'seams' I added to get the border under control.

The pleat is in the center circle of the flower

I hid the other faux seam in the actual seam!

I was able to work on the repair quilt in fits and starts while quilting the green quilt. Most of the repair pieces are made and pinned to the quilt, and it is ready for the marathon of hand sewing. I'll check in during the repair and let you see where I am in the process,

Now, its time for Sunday- funday! Pouring rain again assures me of a wonderful day in the studio.

All the bits are sewn and pinned on, ready for hand sewing.Looking good!