Another Quilt

Today after work I will be pin basting another quilt for the fund raiser for Villa Rama. I have found out that the event is not until the 25th of February, My plan is to pin baste tonight, quilt tomorrow and Monday and bind whenever I finish quilting. These are quilts made by the three first grade classes. I have a nephew in first grade at Villa Madonna Academy but his class quilt is already finished.

The doctor seems to think my kidney stones are not calcium in make up but uric acid in make up. So I have been put on medication for Gout, though no one has said it is truly Gout, and this medication will break up the stones. Yeah!!! I need to take the medication every day and they will see me in a year unless I have more problems. I seem to have picked up a cold which has settled in my chest and throat. Sucking on lots of Hall's and drinking lots of fluids. I still have one more day to take calls before my weekend starts. Last week I took close to 60 calls all day, so I need to keep my voice working. People always want me to talk louder when I have very little voice to begin with. I should have almost nothing by tonight.

I have pressed all the scraps in my Saturday Scrap Bag. Was looking forward to starting something today but that will go on the back burner for a while. I also have enough pieces of flannel that were gifted to me to make sleep pants for my nephew, Neil. They will get in line behind the quilt. I want him to have them while it is still cold outside.

In stitches,
Judy

Answers

Today I am in search of answers. I suffer with kidney stones. And today I am getting a second opinion about the stones. I have been a trooper and not taken any time off work for my stone pain. The medication I have been given for the pain makes me sleepy and hard for me to take customer service calls. I have been existing on ibruprofen and lots of water.  I am not pinning my hopes on the second opinion, but I would like answers and to be able to stop feeding money to the makers of ibuprofen.

In stitches,
Judy

Another Finish

The raffle quilt for Villarama is done!! The next thing on my list is two pairs of sleep pants for Neil. And the swift departure of the dancing kidney stone or stones in my right kidney. The medication my urologist prescribed for the pain should allow me to work. And it did up to a point today. But it did make me sleepy and I ended up with a diet Pepsi to help keep me awake. I am going to take something now and go to bed. I have more training tomorrow in the office but now that desk space is at a premium, I will get paid travel time to and from the training. That is a good thing. Lunch and then travel time and then training and more travel time. Yeah!!!

In stitches,
Judy

Stash Report

I was so proud of myself. I am using restraint in the fabric store and using up my stash slowly in 2012. And a statement like that is always followed by a but statement. And my but statement is that last Monday I was gifted some fabric. Now I am all for gifting of fabric and it is a money saver for me.  And I am not stopping at the fabric store and buying more fabric to feed my stash. This week I was gifted 12 yards of fabric!! I had put my stash on a diet in 2012 and now people are feeding it for me! Guess I will have to get busy and sew, sew, sew!!

Used this week:     0 yds
Used year to date: 14 yds
Added this week:   12 yds
Added year to date: 12.25 yds
Net Used for 2012: 1.75  yd

Stop by Patchwork Times and see how people are fairing this early in the year!!

In Stitches,
Judy

Friday

All kind of things happen on Fridays. My work computer lost connectivity once and knocked me off line altogether another time. Rebooted the whole system twice. We are anticipating some nasty weather this evening and overnight but in the middle of the afternoon my power went out in this whole area. The power company assured me that it would be back on  by 5pm. Yeah. You wish by the end of the week you could get off the phones and relax but in the winter that is not a good wish. It gets cold in the house when the furnace is not working. The power was off for about an hour and it is toasty in my house once again. I am hoping to get to the sewing machine soon and work on the quilting for the fund raising quilt for my sister's school.

Tomorrow after work my sister and her boyfriend are joining me for dinner and a computer clinic. There are a few things not connected on the new computer and a few things that did not make it to the new computer from the old one and I am missing them.

In stitches,
Judy

Preparations

Today I will be preparing to do some cutting. I have found a couple quilts that I would like to try and they are scrappy, which is my favorite kind to do. So I will press all the scraps in my Saturday Scrap bag and cut them into usable pieces earmarked for certain projects. A couple of them would make good leaders and enders projects. I am going to conquer my stash this year. I want to be in charge of it. 

 
I have decided to use some of the flannel I was gifted to make my nephew, Neil some more sleep pants. I made him a pair for Christmas and they turned out so cute that he will get at least one more pair. Bye bye gifted fabric and it will help my stash busting numbers. Win, win for everyone!!

In stitches,
Judy

Sewing Mends the Soul

My daughter in law got this transfer for the wall in my sewing room. There were never any truer words spoken. I find so much peace and calmness in sewing. Whether its cutting, piecing or quilting either by machine or by hand. My mind dances from quilt to quilt that I want to make or have made. I seem to be in my own little world of fabric. It certainly makes me happy. And when I am happy, I have no problem facing the world no matter what it throws my way!

In stitches,
Judy

I was being so good

I was being so good this year. Not buying any fabric unless absolutely necessary. I am already ahead of the game until last night. Went to my small quilting group and came home a pattern to make scrub hats, a quilt that needs some more hand quilting which I adore doing and some fabric. The gal that gave me the pattern for the scrub hat said she had some fabric suitable to make scrub hats. I took the fabric gladly and I did not realize until much later that she had just cleaned out her sewing room. How interesting would scrub hats be made out of flannel. I have enough flannel now to back a couple of baby quilts. So on Sunday I will have to add this fabric to my stash report and then sew madly to get it out of my stash!! Oh well this is life and I must just deal with it and I will!

In stitches,
Judy

Stash Report

So far so good, 2012 is going well for me. I am trying not to buy fabric. I so much in my stash, that I should be able to construct several dozen quilts without buying much fabric at all.

Used this week:     2 yds
Used year to date: 14 yds
Added this week:   .25  yds
Added year to date: .25 yds
Net Used for 2012: 13.75 yd

Check out and see how others are fairing this week at Patchwork Times 

In stitches,
Judy

Scrap bag Saturday

I have decided that I will start a new project on Saturday. And I am calling it Scrap Bag Saturday. I have loaded up this scrappy tote that I made last year with scraps from my sewing room. My sewing machine is currently located in my living room and in between calls today I am going to make something out of scraps in this bag. I am hoping for a couple of shopping bags and a mug rug or two. Or maybe a block or two towards a scrap quilt for summer picnics.

In stitches,
Judy

Cold

Winter is here in Ohio. And it has brought cold and snow with it. Right now it 21 degrees. I only know that when I went out to get my mail this afternoon it was really cold. We got a dusting of snow and it looks pretty. I have started looking for my Winter Survival Kit for my car. I do not drive that often now that I am working from home but I need to get it together. I need some melting compound, a shovel, a blanket, bottled water, snacks, and an overnight bed with a change of clothes and my jammies. You never know what the weather will do when you are out for the day!! I like to be prepared.

My day is over and I am going to go upstairs and get one with my sewing machine. A purple back pack is calling my name. And then what ever else I can get into. I do have to work tomorrow, so my weekend does not start until 4:30pm tomorrow afternoon. No big plans for the weekend. I am hoping to hook up with my sister to snag a quilt top from her that I need to quilt for her school fund raiser.

In stitches,
Judy

Happiness

Happiness can mean many things to many people but to me it is having moved the sewing machine back into the living room near my desk. Of course, we were  busier at work and my kidney stone is dancing so there was no time to sew. But I am still happy!

I have gotten some new pain medicine for my kidney stones. I just have to wait  for them to make their way of my body. Yippee!! The doctor assures me that I will be able to work and take the medication. I am going to start with a half tablet and make sure I am coherent before taking a whole tablet.

Snow has come to my corner of Ohio. So far we have had a dusting and it is so pretty and it is getting colder. More snow is expected overnight. I am so glad that I work from home. I do not have to get on the road and travel with the other crazy drivers in the snow. 

It is time to go back upstairs and start working on the purple back pack. It would be nice to have a beginning and an ending in January. And then maybe dig out a UFO to work on.

 
In stitches,

Judy

Daily Sewing

I am trying to sew at least 15 minutes a day. I could not get to my sewing machine today so I cut fabric instead. 

I have all 16 pairs of 5" charm squares cut for the purple back pack I am doing. I have the fabric picked out for the casing and the straps and the lining. I just need to pick out fabric for the interior and exterior pockets. I have moved all my purple stash from the basement sewing room upstairs to the cutting station in the living room. I am hoping to get everything cut and start assembling the back pack this weekend.

The pictures have been printed and the entry is on its way to Joann's corporate offices in Hudson, Ohio. The quilt is still on the wall in the living room. And the furniture is still out of place but that is okay with me. I will move stuff back tomorrow.

I think it is time for me to turn in. We had system issues at work today and I am hoping things are working better tomorrow and I need to be well rested for whatever comes my way tomorrow!! The weatherman is teasing us with snow!!

In stitches,
Judy

The Picky Photographer

 
I am entering the Quilt Contest that Joann Fabrics is putting. I have been busily designing, cutting, piecing, and quilting my latest masterpiece for the contest. The last item on the list is taking a photograph or two of the quilt on a flat surface. The quilt measures 56 x 62, odd size I know. Just where does one find a flat surface in one's house to accommodate a quilt this size.

 
I decided on my living room wall. I had always been meaning to make something to hang in that spot so here was my chance! I purchased a package of command hooks because my walls are plaster and nasty to get a nail into. I was going to out and purchase a wooden rod but I was having computer issues with my work computer and I was waiting  the "IT" guys to call back. It was my day off so now I am tied to my house waiting for their call back.

 
I am my father's daughter and I "jerry rigged" a rod out of a white aluminum cafe rod and the curtain in my dining room. The weight of the quilt made the rod bow and I was afraid it would fall down off the wall. I took my pictures went on my way to Meijers to have them printed. In the camera they looked fine but in prints it looked bad. Made my inner border look lumpy and pulled funny. And in real life it is not that way.  Plan B went to Home Depot and had them cut 1" PVC pipe to length and I put the other makeshift rod inside of it and now the quilt is happily hanging in my living room. 

I have proceeded to photograph that quilt with in an inch of it's life. I think I have taken close to 50 pictures of the quilt. I never knew I was this picky. I am seeing all kinds of bumps and blemishes real or imagined. I got up this morning and took 9 more pictures at least. The quilt will hang all day today and I am leaving at 4:30 to go to Meijer's to print my pictures. I am done, I think.

In stitches,
Judy

Guild Challenge

Went to my guild meeting last night and it was an interesting mix of ideas and eye candy. We always have an awesome Show and Tell and last night was no exception!     

I showed the Contest Quilt. I have given it a  name finally. Circle Game. It now needs a label stating all the important information. I still need to take pictures of the quilt hanging on the wall and I will post those on the blog later this week.

We discussed how to navigate our website. We have started not mailing our newsletter and having it put on our website. We also discussed the addiction that blogs seem to have. All the quilting blogs that are out there and all the pretty eye candy that comes on a blog, all the cool patterns that our out there on different blogs, and all the cool ideas that are on blogs. The gal giving the talk said it is like opening a new quilt magazine when you open a blog. That is so true. You can read her blog at The Polka Dot Chicken . It is a very interesting blog and reads just like the personality is put out at the meeting last night!\

The other point brought out last night was UFO's. Everyone has them and this year if we each sewed 15 minutes a day it is amazing how quickly those UFO's would become finished projects that could be paraded at the next  guild meeting's Show and Tell. So today I am going to try and find 15 minutes to sew. I am working on a purple back pack. So I am guessing that cutting more charm squares for this project counts as sewing. I would  like to have the cutting done so I can make that finished project.

In stitches,
Judy

2012 Challenge

I am signing up for a challenge in 2012. The NewFO challenge. Start something new every month in 2012 and you don't even have to finish it. Now this is something I can get into. There are a bunch of things I would like to start and this seems like a perfect opportunity.

1. Purple Back Pack. I have actually already started this project this month. I have cut some of my stash for this project. I seem to be on track so far. I would like to try and finish this project by the end of the month.

2. Christmas quilt. I have made two quilts so far from this pattern and I really like it. It takes 480- 3" squares and I am using Christmas fabric for this. I have the red fabric purchased for this project but it is not yet cut into the squares and rectangles needed for this quilt. I have purchased a package of replacement blades for my rotary cutter, so I am ready.

3. Shopping bags. I am trying to go "green" and use my own shopping bags when I go to the store. I have strips cut for these bags. I just need to put them together. I am thinking about making at least 6 bags. Another stash busting project.

4. I have three spots in my house where I hang smallish quilts seasonally. I would like to start a new quilt for each season for all three locations. Some locations already have a good variety quilts others not so much.

5. Tablerunners. I have the fabric to make table runners for myself and my mom, and my sisters. This would be a perfect opportunity to make something pretty for everyone. Not sure how many if any I would be able to finish.

Check out all the other brave souls at Cat Patches NewFO challenge .

I am sure that I will add and subtract things on this list as 2012 goes along, but I am thinking this is a good start.

In stitches,
Judy

Stash Report

So far the stash report is going in a good direction. I have used more than I have bought. Of course, it is only the second week of 2012. We will just have to see how things play out as the year goes on.

Used this week:    12 yds
Used year to date: 12 yds
Added this week:    0 yds
Added year to date: 0 yds
Net Used for 2012: 12 yds

Check out the results of week 2 at Patchwork Times .


The contest quilt is finished. Tomorrow I will post pictures. I am getting up very early for a cat scan of my pelvis and abdomen. My urologist is trying to find out the care of my kidney stones. I was lucky so far this weekend. It flared up on Saturday and since my weekend does not start until after work on Saturday I am happy that it had stopped when I got up this morning.

Went clothes shopping with my mom and sister Becky. I got several shirts on clearance at Lane Bryant's and several undergarments. Then back to Becky's house for lunch (homemade mock turtle soup, homemade bread, and leftover Christmas cookies all provided by my mom), and then it was  time to play Wii. Becky and I aren't any better at winter sports in Wii than we are in real life. But we sure had fun.

In stitches,
Judy

Update on Contest Quilt

I have been busy working on Contest Quilt. I put the binding on tonight. I now have to hand stitch it down. I really like the way it has turned out. This is a project that has gotten me out of my box and made me notice how particular I am when it comes to quilting. I am hoping to have all the binding stitched down by Monday. I will need to take pictures of it and then send the pictures, the entry form and all my receipts showing I purchased all my supplies from JoAnn's. I have a bunch of receipts in a drawer in my bedroom and one receipt in the living room and one in the dining room where I have been sewing. 

Next project is a toss up between a flannel nightgown for me, a pair of flannel sleep pants for me, or start stitching the squares together for a Christmas quilt for me. Hey everything is for me. Now that is so unusual. I am sure that will change. 

I am going to call it a night and get to bed. I will be getting up in the morning to start stitching down the binding!

In stitches,
Judy

Sewing

I feel much better when I can get a bit of sewing done. And after all my adventures last night I should be in bed but now that I have finished sewing I am getting ready to do a spot of exercise that I was unable to do this morning and then I will head off to bed. I have certain things I like to do each day and do not feel complete until all those things are done. 

In stitches,
Judy

Wednesday

In some circles Wednesday is "hump day". Mine not so much. Thursday is my hump day as I don't work on Mondays and work on Saturdays. Yesterday was interesting at work. We finally got busy, but they had sent home about 45 people first! I like much better when it is busy. I did start another dish cloth in Christmas colors and it is about 4 inches tall.

I was hoping to sew last night but I crashed in bed after dinner. I have had a kidney stone moving for the last two weeks and it has stopped for now. Yeah!! But the nausea has kicked in and I just pulled the covers over my head and went to sleep. But last night I could not do that right. Leg cramps and a sty in my eye kept me up. Sounds like I am falling apart. Well tonight is another opportunity to sew!!

In stitches,
Judy

My plans for 2012

I have decided that for 2012 I will try and finish as many Unfinished Projects as I can. That means not just quilting. I have plenty of them but there are other things that I have started around my house and this is the year I am going to finish as many as I can.

This is a bag of cotton dish cloths in the making. I used to make them while taking calls in mail order. Waiting for the caller to find the information I needed, I would crochet. This is the bag of the bits and pieces left over from that time period.

 
Yesterday we were slow at work and here is the fruits of my labor. One Christmas dish cloth that I will pack away with my Christmas decorations so I will have it for Christmas 2012. In fact there is enough yarn to make a second one. Watch out it may show up in a pack at your house some day!!

The contest quilt is coming along nicely. Tonight is stitching in the ditch carefully. Then it will be time to quilt the piano key border. The binding fabric is cut and I will be making the binding tonight. I am hoping to have it finished and photographed and then entry mailed off this weekend. My saving grace is that there is a branch of the Post Office inside Jungle Jim's that is open 7 days a week.

In stitches,
Judy

Thankful

Today I am thankful for many things. When I woke early this morning, I wished I did not have to go to work today and that I could sleep in for a while. Then I remembered I don't work on Mondays! I do work on Saturdays and that is not so bad.

I am thankful that I work from home! Especially today when I woke the second time to find snow covering the driveway, sidewalks, and the street in front of my house. We are used to having snow in this part of Ohio, but the first snowfall covering the roads brings out the "crazy" in a lot of drivers. I am thankful that I can sit in my dining room and quilt and watch the snow falling.

In stitches,
Judy

New Year's Eve

Here is what I did on New Year's Eve. Pin basting. I am going to machine quilt this quilt for the contest that JoAnn Fabrics is having. I spent several hours in my dining room bin basting this quilt. This is the second quilt I did for the contest. The first one did not pass muster and I have set it aside for now. I will add more blocks and several borders to that quilt and finish it for my son and my daughter in law. Hey a project to do in January!!

I have started machine quilting it and it looks really good. I am hoping to finish it tomorrow. Then add the binding which is the teal and get the pictures taken and mailed off ASAP.

In stitches,
Judy

Stash Report

Everyone is happy with the first stash report of the new year. I waited to post until after my trip to JoAnn Fabrics this morning. I am happy to report that I bought some thread and needles, a cross stitch project that all I wanted was the frame that came with it. It is a small project but my Mom uses the small frames to put pictures of her kids, grand kids, and great grand kids on her Christmas tree. We will be having a new great grand baby born due in August. But I can report that no fabric came home with me.

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards
Net Used for 2012: 0 yards

Check out Patchwork Times.


In stitches,
Judy