Baby quilt update

I would like to say the baby quilt is all done and the baby next door is enjoying the quilt but that would be a lie. I have never had so much trouble making a quilt. I have sewn several blocks wrong and have become great friends with my seam ripper. So now the blocks are all done and I am ready to assemble the top. I originally decided on purple cornerstones. Can you obnoxious. I made a quick trip to Joann's last night and now I am on track again.

I ordered dining chairs from Amazon and it looks like they will be here in time for Thanksgiving. I won't be hosting the dinner here but it would be nice to have chairs that are not broken when we eat our other meals. I have been cleaning and decluttering a bit. I am on schedule for the arrival of my family from Brooklyn, including my grand dog, Frankie. Should be a wonderful visit all around.

 I need to get a few more things done before I start work in an hour. The sewing for today is to make new covers for my throw pillows on the sofa. I am using my brown and teal quilt and the orange plaid homespun covers will clash. And after that it will be working on the baby quilt.

In stitches,
Judy

Slow Saturday

Work is slow today. They offered overtime and several people took the company up on their offer. Now there is almost nothing for us regular Saturday people to do. So I am moving my sewing machine out of the dining room and into the living room next to my desk. I am going to use my time wisely and work on the baby quilt. Napping is not an option.

I got to Skype with Elly last night. She was a cranky baby. She missed her nap in the afternoon and that power nap at dinner time was not a good idea. Showed her the fabric I have for her pants and nightgown. She was not impressed but her mom liked them.

In stitches,
Judy

It's a numbers game!!

Quilting is a numbers game. And I think my math is rusty! I decided I needed 20 blocks for the baby quilt I am working on. I cut enough pieces to make 21 blocks because I am using 7 different pink prints and I would end up with one extra block. That is doable. I ended up cutting more background squares. That is fine. I trimmed them all last night and pressed them. That is when I found out I actually had 8 different pink prints. Now I will have 4 extra blocks. I guess  I will be making another pink baby quilt in my future. Oh well!

After work, I will start assembling the blocks and hopefully get to quilt it soon. I should have something show you tonight.

In stitches,
Judy

Slow and Steady

I had such high expectations of getting this baby quilt done quickly. Not quite happening that way. I am going back to the sewing room tonight to work on it again. With a little miscalculation, I have already made a second trip to Hobby Lobby to get more background fabric.

I have spoke with Tania and got measurements for Elly's pants. I am excited to start on Erin's refurbished bunny. Tania thinks it would be nice for all of them to have matching night clothes for a Christmas card. She needs to decide soon. Thinking about sending her and my son to JoAnn's the day after Thanksgiving while I am working to get the fabric. We shall see. Or we can go after I get off work.

I have decided my door decor for December, a quilted wreath from bow tie blocks. I have found a pattern for January/winter. Mittens!! I like it when I have ideas dancing in my mind. Just keep working out of my stash.

In stitches,
Judy

Cutting and sewing

I have spent most of today cutting and getting ready to sew. I have to decided to skip my guild meeting tonight and stay home to sew on the baby quilt. I read the newsletter and there is no program or speaker tonight, just sewing room sale. For $5 you can set up your wares for sale. I have enough wares now and am on a no buy diet except for certain projects. If I stay home, I cannot get into trouble.

I had to go out and buy some pink background fabric this morning. My quest sounds like the three bears. The first background was too light, the second background was too dark and the third background is just right. I have a good audio book on my Kindle Fire and I am ready to go. I have no pictures to share now but check back tomorrow. I hope to have the top ready for machine quilting!

In stitches,
Judy

Sunday stuff

It has gotten a bit chilly in this part of Ohio and that makes me want to layer a quilt and do some hand quilting. I have a flannel top that is pieced and a pieced flannel back that needs to be pin pasted. I have decided to use crochet thread for the quilting and use a big stitch.

And then again, I am okay with starting something new. I have decided what I want to do for my door for December. A bow tie wreath. And it will come from my stash. So that is a good thing. I have not been buying fabric unless absolutely necessary. It is such fun to shop from my stash.

I am starting to look towards to 2014 and trying to decide what projects I need to finish and want projects to start. I am thinking about putting a quilt in my floor frame and quilting it during the winter. I have several quilts ready for hand quilting.

Just as everyone's weekend is winding down, mine is just starting. I am normally off on Sundays and Tuesdays, but this week I took off Monday. Three days off!! I have done the mundane stuff today. Laundry and grocery shopping. I did make a stop at JoAnn's for some flannel to back the baby quilt that I am getting ready to cut out. I am pretty sure that I will be able to finish it by the end of Tuesday. It goes next door for the new baby girl. 

In stitches,
Judy

Happy Friday!!

I had such plans for my day today, but the wind storm we experienced in my part of Ohio last night changed my plans. My power went out last night right before midnight. I was able to find my flashlight with its very weak batteries and my battery operated radio. Note to self, time to get more batteries just in case. Power came back on at noon. I ended up missing about two hours of work and had to take a drive around the neighborhood to recharge my phone. But all is well and I am back at work and lost nothing in my frig to spoilage. 

 I was able to hang my new fall wall hanging on my front door and I think it looks pretty good. I call it Ticker Tape Fall. Linking up with Finish it up Friday

In stitches,
Judy

October

 

 
It is hard to believe that we are saying good bye to yet another month. I feel like I have accomplished much this month. I embellished three turtle costumes for the dogs up the street, I made 18 dog scarves, the costumes for the kids, and the wall hanging that is going on my front door in the morning. This week has been the only week I have not worked any overtime.

I have already decided on my November projects. I want to make a Christmas wall hanging for the front door, pants for Elly, start refurbishment of Erin's bunny for Christmas, the baby quilt for the new baby next door. And cleaning of the house in anticipation of company at Thanksgiving. I will probably squeeze in some overtime into the mix.

In stitches,
Judy

Happy Monday!!

Weekends are never long enough especially when you only get one day. I did not get any where near the sewing machine but had a wonderful time with my mom, two of my sisters, my brother in law and a nephew. We all went to mom's for lunch. Two kinds of homemade soup, bread, salad and homemade cookies.

I do have big sewing plans for this week. I have to start my fall wall hanging for my front door. I only have a few days before the Halloween wall hanging needs to be put away for another year. I also have to take in my sister's dress. She has lost some weight since I finished it and now it is too big. And I have fabric to make a baby quilt for the new baby next door. And of course, I have a little bit of sewing to do for Elly. It is getting cold and she needs new corduroy pants.

I am doing very little sewing for Christmas. Elly is not going to be needing a Christmas dress as they will be in India for Christmas and they do not celebrate Christmas in India. I do have to refurbish a stuffed bunny for my friend's daughter. I have what is left of the bunny and picture. Piece of cake. Elly is getting a flannel nightgown.

In stitches,
Judy

Dog Scarves

This week I was finished 18 dog scarves for the dogs up the street. I made three of each fabric. I also finished Halloween costumes for my son and daughter in law. They were mailed on Tuesday and should have arrived in Brooklyn this afternoon. I am hoping for some good pictures this weekend. And as always I did some overtime this week. In fact, when I got booted off the system today and when it came back up it reverted to Central Standard Time. Not a problem but I did work an entire extra hour.

Linking up with Amanda Jean

In stitches,
Judy

All Done!!

I do not have any pictures to share, but my Halloween emergency sewing is complete. I went to JoAnn's last night and bought felt, hair barrettes, glue, and chenille stems. This morning I drafted the letters {HERSHEY'S} cut them out of grey felt and glued them to the brown felt. Sewed the front to the back and now Nick will be a Hershey Bar. I cut out black seeds for Tania to pin to her red dress. She going to be a strawberry. I also fixed a head piece she can clip into her hair. Leaves and a stem. And I made her a collar of leaves. And Elly is going to be a chocolate covered strawberry. I started and finished today. And it has been mailed and will be in Brooklyn by 3pm Friday. The party is on Saturday. I hope to have pictures to post by the weekend.

I have a little bit of sewing yet to do on the 18 dog scarves for my neighbor. Three dogs and six different prints. Halloween, Fall, Flames, Patriotic, Flamingos, and Owls. Such a busy person I am. But I would not change it for the world.

In stitches,
Judy

Life is what happens....

Life is what happens when you make other plans. Right before 11pm, I get a call from my daughter in law with a Halloween emergency. Elly is going a chocolate covered strawberry and her costume is set. My daughter in law wants to be strawberry. She has red dress with needs black seeds, a neck piece of felt leaves and a head piece of felt leaves. My son is going as a hershey  bar. Lots of brown felt and silver felt letters. I am putting all my other sewing on the back burner and Tuesday is my day off and I need to get my supplies and get sewing and gluing. And I need to mail it on Tuesday in order for them to have it for their party on Saturday. Good thing JoAnn's has their felt on sale this flyer. I am being paid by Amazon Gift Cards. I am saving for a second television.

Wish me luck,
Judy

Sunday

It seems as soon as I finish one project another one jumps on my to do list. I have cut out 18 dogs scarves for the dogs up the street. Halloween, fall, patriotic, flame, flamingos, and owls. I have figured out how to finish the golf club cover. I did not get to work on Elly's pants or cut anymore squares.

The newest project will be a baby quilt for the new baby next door. Lilly is her name and her room is barely pink and soft purple. I have decided to use the quilt on the cover. I have made this before as a patriotic quilt for my front door. The background will be soft pink, the flowers will be various pink prints, the corner stones, backing, and binding with be purple.



So I am off to the sewing room/dining room to make scarves and look for my book. Wish me luck!!

In stitches,
 Judy                                                                                                                                                                   

Sunday plans

My weekend has started. I have big plans for my Sunday. I have already been to the grocery store, my dinner is marinating in the refrigerator, and my sewing machine is ready.

I am going to be making scarves for the dogs up the street, make another golf club cover using a Cincinnati Bengal puppet, and start on my fall wall hanging for my front door. I have fabric to cut into 2.5" squares. So much I want to do and so little time. But I have several books on tape and on my Kindle Fire, so I am set.

I also have four pieces of corduroy to make pants for Elly. Just need a measurement for length. Should not take long to put together.


Ghosts made by my niece and nephew.

In stitches,
Judy

Sewing Time

 I have done a little bit of sewing this week. I have embellished turtle costumes for the dogs up the street. They are rescue dogs and will be attending several events this Halloween. With a needle, some thread and some they are now Ninja Turtles. My neighbor will add the weapons.

This is Roxie and she is a puppy and this will be her first Halloween. Her body language suggests that she might not be overjoyed with getting dressed up.

  I have been busy cutting my 2.5" strips into 2.5" squares.  I have several project in mind for those squares. The fabric in this bin is pretty ugly. It is either fabric I bought at one time or another or it is fabric I have inherited from my sister. The ugly stuff will look better in small doses!


Linking up with Amanda Jean

In stitches,
Judy 

Another Finish

I have been a busy girl this week. I have finished yet another project. I am busily cutting up fabric to start several new projects. I think the sewing and quilting bug has attacked me and I am loving it.

  

If it looks familiar it is because I did another one just like this earlier this summer for my sister. I used the leftovers to construct this one for a client. Linking up with Amanda Jean

In stitches, 
Judy

Best Laid Plans!

I had great plans to sew this evening after my meeting. But there was a slight change in plans. I got a text from neighbor and she wanted to know if I had fixed the golf club cover for her boyfriend. The answer would have been "no" if I answered her. So when I got home, I got down to business. Twenty minutes later this is what I got.

 

 

And I sent her a text with a picture and she and the boyfriend were at my house in minutes. So that project is done and the boyfriend is on the look out for a Cincinnati Bengal's hand puppet for me to fix for his golf club. Tomorrow it will be baby quilt time.

In stitches,
Judy

Plans!

I had all kinds of plans for today. It is my day off. Sewing was high on the list. Somewhere along the way it fell to the bottom. I got up this morning and made a grocery run. Just a few things and several bags later, I was home. Next up was overtime. Besides time and a half, every 5 hours of overtime worked you get a $25 gift card to American Express. I am saving for new television in my basement so I did 3 hours. So far this week, I have completed 5 hours of overtime and it is only Tuesday. Next up was a nap, laundry, a shower, and a meeting. Then a trip to JoAnn Fabrics and then I will be able to sew.

  
I have two projects in the works. One is quilt like I did for my sister earlier this year. It is already cut out and partially sewn together. But I had misplaced it in the rush to declutter the house for the baby's visit earlier this summer. But I have found it and I am ready to sew. Also, I found the fabric I am using in this project . I found the yellow. I will use it for a border, backing and binding. 

In stitches,
Judy

Two Finishes!!

I have been busy this week! I have finished my sister's dress for her presentation tomorrow and it has been safely delivered to her home in Northern Kentucky.

It almost looks like a tunic, but she is just barely 5 foot tall and it is a good length and fits perfectly!! It was not hard to do, but it was an interesting experience. 

I have also gotten a little bit of quilting done this week, too. I hang a wall hanging on my front door instead of a wreath for the holidays or the seasons. I think it is festive. The fabric on the front were a gift and there were already cut and the back is some fabric from my stash. I am quite happy the it has turned out. 

Linking up with Finish it Friday

In stitches,
Judy

Progress

I am making progress on the dress for my sister. I spent a good part of the day reading the directions and getting it ready to cut out. It has a full skirt and the front and back pieces each have an extension piece that you need to tape the front and back before you can cut it out. I have done that and I have done all the cutting. Not without some angst. Some creative placement and creative cutting, I am now ready to sew after work tonight. I am planning to have it ready for a fitting on Saturday. I am going to be busy!!

Still need to start my Halloween wall hanging. Guess that will be my next project. Time to get back to work!!

In stitches,
Judy