Sewing is a Stress reliever

It has been a stressful week in a few ways. Not just what happenings here in the States and in Spain.

My mom was admitted into the hospital for a couple days. She was able to go home this afternoon and will need to still do a little recovering.

Then it has been raining a little pretty much each day so far this week, we have received 3 inches this week. That is what we normally get in the whole month of August, we can add what we had the part of the month.

But I loved the change.

Was able to finish putting on the border to "Let it Snow Again"
Finished out to be 67" x 67"

I did go with a thin 1" border of some leftover fabric that was used in the strip sets, with a 6 1/2" border.

Such beautiful fabric, made a pretty quilt top.

Hadn't done any more on Dreamy Hexagon because I had left it at my mom's went I took her to the ER Tuesday morning. I'll pick it when I go over there tomorrow.

So I started on the Christmas Trip Around The World I had prepped for the retreat and never did get to it.

I had been wanting to do this pattern for years and it has been fun so far.

On the loom is the cotton for the washcloths. So far I have woven 2 cloths and started a 3rd all on the same warp thread.
Here is a picture of the pick up stick behind the heddle. Which is the first time I will be weaving using this technique.

Not as hard as I imagined. 

Think I can get one more completed before I run out of the warp thread.

I had to assemble a block of the "leader and enders"  I had been working for the past year.
Really like this pattern, think part of the reason is the 3" nine patch, making the squares 1"

Till later

What's Up 8.14.17

Up on the wall this morning are a variety of projects.

First of all is the "Let it Snow Again" top and the border fabric came today. At first I thought it looked a little off in color but it is from the same fabric collection, Cold Spell by Moda. And batiks can vary slightly I know but the more I looked I believe it will work.

 I had also thought about putting a small border before the larger border. Haven't yet determined if it is needed.

Was going to work on that but was asked to go over to my parents this afternoon. 

Last night I was able to finish two more hexagon circle and pinned them up on the wall. Haven't yet stitch them to the background. I'll wait until I have all seven done.

Oh ya there are 3 sashing pieces ready to applique. Need 12 together so have a bit to do still.

Did finish weaving the scarf and now the loom is empty. 

Got out the tub of cotton yarn and I think I'll do the first

one in a blue variegated yarn. Not sure how it will go so I considerate a practice cloth.  

Linking up with
love laugh quilt
cooking up quilts
ems scrapbag  

Slow and Steady

It has been a good day, the weather for most of the day was cloudy, breezy and cool.

Gave me the opportunity to get a bit done outside and help "the man of the place" with the cows. It's time to take the calves off to market.

After that, I enjoyed some piecework. 

Started this last weekend to take with me to the retreat

Dreamy Hexagon  (from the pattern book Quilt Grandeur)

Made little progress then but have been working on it this week and have two of the seven done. 

So love the colors and tonight I'm working a muted green and pink hexagons while watching Game of Thrones.

Also today I drug out my loom. A while back I had started this scarf and had put it away while the boys were here. 
Pretty close to the end and need to get it off the loom because I would like to make some wash cloths out of all the cotton thread I have. Still bothers my wrists to knit so I might as well weave some. Who knows I might like them better.

Yesterday I did finish assembling the main part of the
"Let it Snow" 

Now I just have to wait for the fabric I order for the border to arrive. Should be sometime this week.

Linking up with Kathy's Quilt

Been busy

I have been meaning to write since I came home from the retreat Sunday. Monday was filled with unpacking, cleaning and going over to my parents home to check in on them. All is well, thank goodness. We talked about my sister and aunt who are driving here from California and would be arriving that day. By the time I arrived back home "the man of the place" was home from work and it was too late to do anything else but dinner and clean up.

Tuesday was 30's club at Sager Creek and had plans to go but things change.

My sister needed to work while here in Oklahoma and needed good internet connection but my parents and another aunt who lives here did not have what she needed. Being   not what she had thought she could work with by talking to my aunt, because she was going to stay with her during the week while needing to work and weekends with my parents. That's changed, she is now staying here and we have been working out a routine.

So here it is Friday and I'm finally writing.

At the retreat I had the best time, some of the ladies I haven't seen since last year's retreat. The weather was so different this year.....it rained some each day......perfect quilting weather.
I was able to make two tops using 2 patterns I been wanting to try for a while and almost completed another.

This is a baby quilt using one of 180 Design patterns called Tumbling Triangles using her V block trimmer.

 I like how it looks and will make this one again.

Then this pattern had peaked my interest because I figured it can be tried other ways than a large print fabric like I did here. Could use a panel, solid colors or a scrappy strips. Such a simple quilt and will be made again too. Great donation quilt.

Had this piece of vintage looking Hawaiian print that I thought would work, it did but I'm not too happy with the background fabric I took. If I was home I think I would've used the dark blue for the background. Still like it tho.

The third top is now up on the wall being finished. I had cut out all the quilts ahead at home to take, to save time but with this one, one of the dark strips needed for the sashing strip sets was cut wrong. 

But now I'm getting it done, next hurdle is that the pattern is shown in a light border but if you were to look in one of her books which the quilt is shown you'll see the border is dark I love the dark border and had to order some fabric to complete and I'm waiting for that now.

Here are a taste of some of what others were working on....

ENJOY

OUR YOUNGEST AND JUST STARTED QUILTING ATTENDEE

 Well that it is all for now but I am working a tutorial on how I made this portable design wall.

Hope to post that in a day or two.

Linking up with

confessions of a fabric addict

quilting is more fun than housework

Sashing and Nine Patches

 I finished cutting all the subsets for the nine patches.

As you can see, there are hundreds..... seeing how I'm making approximately 595 if I did my math right. So that makes 1,785 subset . . .  WHEW that is a lot, glad I didn't think about this before I decided to make this. 

It will remain my leader and enders 

Made one of each nine patches needed, 3 different styles..... had to see what they looked like. I'm a little giddy about getting the first step done and now it will start looking like something. 

While working I took a minute to snap a picture of the bird feeder outside my window. The Goldfinches are such a bright yellow, pretty little birds. 

Also seen a little later a young groundhog come up towards the house. Now this is unusual to see groundhogs so close to the house. They are very timid animals.

Let alone come up on the back patio.

He was a little bigger than a squirrel but he like the sunflower seeds too.  

This evening I was able to prep a little more  on sashing for this quilt that's a Blackbird design.

Making sub strip sets

Tuesday I was in Tulsa all day. Had my hair cut and ran around town. Favorite part was shopping at Costco, I can always find items I didn't realize I needed.
Go without saying but I will, didn't get a thing done in the sewing room.
But I made up for it some today.

I finished up sewing 36 strip set which means I'm done with that step.

Now it's time to press and starch the strip sets, ready for cutting into 1 1/2 sub sets.

Had made approximately 140 strip sets. Cutting the strips would be tedious if done like I had in the past but now that I have the Go cutter, it has made this step so much easier and faster.

Here I press and put 3 strip together and cut into 7 1/5 section to fit on the cutting board. Loaded it up and cut. In just minutes I had around 80 subsets..

If I did my figuring right, should have enough for the 595  
9 patches needed and maybe a few extras.

Didn't get them all cut today but will tomorrow.

Linking up with
sew fresh quilts

quilting room with mel