Maybe It Wasn’t the Best Idea

I measured the top, center and back I showed yesterday. Each time I got different measurements and realized the top isn’t square.

There was a 3” difference in length from one side to the other. Then on the width there was a difference of 2”. Obviouly I needed to even it up.

I folded it lengthwise on my kitchen floor and could immediately see the issue. I got the scissors and measuring tape. Glen, you might want to go pee before reading further. I got down on the floor... I measured the length again to confirm what needed to be trimmed and trimmed it. I now needed to refold it to take care of the width.

Here is where the “Not the Best Idea” comes in. Back on August 22nd I was walking out of the office and I heard the bone in my right foot snap. I have neuropathy so it didn’t really hurt. Long story short I have a Jones fracture and a lovely new accessory...a boot.

It hasn’t been the easiest thing to get around with but I’m better at it. Well as soon as I sat on the tile floor I thought...this isn’t going to work out for me. Luckily I carry my cell phone around like a life alert.

I called Ray, my significant other, and asked if he could help me with a couple things. He walked in and gave me that look. He knew. We started with the most important thing which was refolding and trimming the quilt. Mission accomplished.

Then came the fun part. Can he get me off the floor? I got to my knees and he grabbed me to stand me up. I said wait! I walked on my knees to the kitchen counter. I pulled myself up on the counter while he pulled me around the waist. I needed the extra boost to get that boot out from under me and stand upright again.

Now I have a trimmed top. Do you think he’ll rescue me when I work on the backing??

Hugs!

Swooze

The Hurrier You Go the Behinder You Get

Are you familiar with that phrase? I first learned it when I visited Amish country in Lancaster, PA.

Sometimes I chastise myself for being so slow to do things. In this case it was getting the next quilt loaded on the frame.

I’m glad I was so slow because while working on enlarging the back I remembered that I wanted to load this with it running from side to side so that I can avoid the thick seams. This also meant I needed to enlarge the backing differently, more width than length.

If I had rushed I would have had to do a lot of rework. I layed out all the layers and took measurements tonight. The white part which is very gauzy and thin is the “batting”. I’m trying to decide what to do with it. Will probably enlarge it and use it too.

There are a lot of different fabrics in this quilt. I am just going to keep it simple and quilt straight lines to anchor evetything down.

Hugs!

Swooze

OMG Finish

I put the final stitches in this Matchstick Marimba on Friday night. I was commissioned to make this quilt by a high school friend that had admired the other one I completed.

She and I discussed possible colors for the backing and binding. We decided on pink or purple with purple as our first choice if it went with the top. Purple and white were our school colors. We thought it would be a nice touch.



I went shopping for the fabric Saturday and found three possibilities. Of course my favorite was the blue which wasn’t in our plan. We texted back and forth after I shared the picture. Her response was...Oh I really like the blue. I laughed and told her me too. She wasn’t ready to give up on the purple so I suggested blue back and purple binding. Now to quilt it!

Getting the top completed was my October OMG. I’ll be linking up to Elm Street Quilts.

Hugs,

Swooze

Purple Cow

I quilted this today....finally. I just told myself I won’t inow if something will work if I don’t try. I certainly won’t I prove if I don’t try. So at 9:30 this morning I stood at the machine and got started. I’m a member of a PHD club. Projects Half Done. I knew that this quilt was the selected item for probably two minths. It was also my September OMG which Obviously was not done.

So maybe the inventive of winning a $25 gift certificate from my LQS was what I needed to get me moving. The meeting was at 2 p.m. today and I was pulling this off the machine at 1:40. Luckily the declared goal was quilted and not finished!

I loaded this one with the top face down and had decided I was going to quilt it from the back. I had this crazy idea I wouls stitch around all those spots with all those stops and starts. Maybe that’s why I let it sit. Then I decided to try and stitch around the white sort of like the black spot idea but the white was all connected. Hmmm....a stipple. I don’t care for stipple. But it is done. It is cute. The recipient won’t care.

Now to load another one and continue the momentum. Oh, my next PHD is in December. I have to make 80 DWR melons. Arcs are all done and the melons have half the arcs atrached. I can do it!

Hugs!!

Swooze

4Q FAL

Last quarter was not very successful. I only finished my Matchstick Marimba. So here is my entire list of UFOs. Plus I was asked to make another Matchstick Marimba but longer.

Leanne at She Can Quilt hosts a Finish Along each quarter. You link to her blog, or one of the other hostesses, with a post about your proposed finishes.

1 Strip Stacks - purple borders
2 Strip Stacks - red border
3 Double Four Patch
4 tumbler
5 4 patch on point - black green pink
6 Avignon Picnic
7 Matchstick Marimba
8 Strip Stacks - green and pink
9 Renees navy top
10 Nancies Floral and White Blocks
11 Pieced together contest
12 Pink Poppy BQ
13 Bloomers
14 Garden Party - Bonnie Mystery
15 Wanderlust
16 Pfefferneusse
17 Baby BQ
18 Lazy Sunday
19 Strip Stacks - green and pink
20 Original Orca Bay
21 Rainbow Orca Bay
22 Stepping Stones
23 30's Dog prints
24 Happy Block Jean Quilt - Jason
25 Row by Row Quilt
26 Antique top to quilt
27 Garage Sale top to be quilted
28 Dizzy
29 Grand Illusion
30 Freeze Frame
31 Double Wedding Ring
32 Nancies 30's Red
33 Nancies 30's Green
34 Christmas Packages
35 Razzle Dazzle
36 Stepping Up - yellow lavendar
37 Awareness - red black
38 Hopscotch - yellow green
39 Red and White bow tie
40 Red and White Burgoyne Surrounded
41 Turquoise blocks
42 Crossroads
43 Renees yellow top
44 - Ricci’s quilt

45 - ? Find and quilt all the charity quilts I have lingering here

Here’s to a more successful quarter.
Swooze

October OMG

I almost didn’t join this month. It won’t hurt to join and not do. But I can’t join later.

I was commissioned to remake a quilt I finished earlier this year but longer. Here is where I am today.

My goal is to make the top to flimsy stage. Linking up with Patty at Elm Street Quilts.

Hugs,
Swooze