Business As Usual

I got my sewing room all put back together and after so many days off my sewing machine I just had to sew something.  I decided to sew some blocks from Nancy Martin's 365 Quilt Blocks calendar I've had for ages.  I realized I'd never made a block from it.  I decided on 10" sizes as I rarely make that size block.  And to use strictly fabric from my scrap basket AND to not fret over every fabric choice, to just do it!  This Rambler was a bit challenging to press.  Can't say I'd want to make a whole quilt using this block.

Both these blocks were easy and fun.  I didn't really need a new project (Ha!) but I ended up dropping a Block of the Month I had originally planned on doing.  This was after I realized that all the blocks were going to be just HSTs.  Struck me as rather boring.

I finally got my King sized quilt back from the long arm quilter so binding that is next on the list.  Anyone know a really good method for doing that using the sewing machine?

Later~

Home Repairs

I finished this quilt and never got around to showing it.  It was a kit from Fons and Porter's Magazine that had been on my to-do shelf for ages.  I did use the little foam pieces I talked about here,
but I can't say they worked out all that well.  The foam isn't dense enough to really grip the pins so they kept falling out even though I was quilting a very simple design.  But there was enough hold that I could see them working for a table runner or smaller project.

We had a roof leak develop late September of last year and of course, it had to be in my sewing room.  Ugh.  It took several days to notice it as this was when my kitty was sick and had only a few days left.  We had the roofers come out but apparently they didn't fix it.  At the time, I decided to wait until after it rained to make repairs.  Glad I did! It did not rain again, not one drop, until late January.  The weather was more obliging this time and rained to test the repairs right after they were made.  So, it's been no sewing for me, I got my BOMs up-to-date and I've been spackling, sanding, priming, and painting.  I did get that yucky mildew off the rug mostly.  But my one bookcase was ruined. I got all three at Lowe's about 10 years ago.  They don't sell them anymore.  That makes me sad. Oh well, maybe it's a good excuse to sew more--- got to empty that bookcase!

Hope to have things back in order shortly~ Happy Sewing.

 

Building Block Angst

It took me for ages to finally settle on fabric for this Block of the Month over at Gen X Quilters. I hemmed, I hawed, I dithered, I vacillated, and finally had to have a serious talk with myself! It's only a quilt!  The premise of the BOM is to make a modern looking quilt choosing solids or a variety of tone-on-tones.  First I gave a cursory glance at the old stash and made a dash for the LQS.  Yes, even though I made a resolution to Stick To The Stash I indulged and bought the recommended tone-on-tones, 20 FQs, only to get home and decide, naw, not what I had envisioned.  Back to the stash it was!  I actually found 5 one yard pieces only to have two of the reds bleed when I, thank goodness, tested them for colorfastness.  It's not that I am clever, but these pieces were at least 20 years old.  What to do?  My LQS came to the rescue and had a small Valentine's Day sale that I ended up getting the stack you see at the top. 

That is January A and January B, February A and February B blocks you see.  I am finding the Vice Versa BOM fun since I settled on fabric.  I haven't worked with solids in ages knowing I had a limited amount in the stash.  I went through a phase back in the mid 90s where that's all I worked with.  I find them very unforgiving as you see every imperfection, any mis-stitch seems to stand out.

Anyway, I played around with the instructions and made the blocks a bit different, more loyal to the name Vice Versa.

Is anyone else doing this BOM?

Talk to you later~

Building Blocks

In my attempt to get my UFOs finished I could not resist a few Quilt Alongs and BOMs I came across.  It seems they were everywhere at the new year!

I joined  Amy's Sugar Block Club (I keep wanting to call it sugar bowl) over at her blog, which I just discovered,  Stitchery Dickory Dock.  Each month you get a star block along with a recipe for a sweet which I have managed not to make so far and I hope I can keep it that way!  It's not that the recipes don't sound very good, but, just trying to cut back on anything that contains a lot of sugar.

I've had this stack of oriental-themed fabrics since 2005 and this seemed the perfect time to cut into them  That and the fact that I am trying to use what I have on hand.  I love the results.  That red and pink January block is just so pretty.  And the february one isn't too bad either.  It's not too late to join!

Busy, busy

I've spent the last few weeks of the new year trying to get organized in the sewing room.  There's been a lot of rearranging, purging, and reacquainting going on.  I've discovered I have waaaay to many unfinished projects and that I need to dedicate more effort to completing them. 

I used some old fabric that has been in my collection for twenty years!  It's really amazing the progress made in the quality of quilting cottons since then
.
Also sewed up a stack of Conkerr pillowcases to be donated locally.

And finally, I made this table runner (using Jovial line) back in 2011, had it quilted along with a top I sent out, and then injured my back before it came back.  I'm embarrassed to say it sat in a box in my sewing room for the past two years.  But it's done now!  I've earmarked it for my sister-in-law for Christmas. 

More next time about some sewing I've squeezed in.~