Yes I Am Insane

I took a quilt from someone and turned back one corner of it rrom its folded state. I sad sure, I can fix this. Then I got it home and opened it up all the way. I stared in disbelief at the tattered mess before me. I thought just dig in and get it done.

I worked on it at home taking all the layers apart. Later I wished I had just overlayed it with tulle and stabilized it with more quilting. You could tell this quilt had really been used and loved. I thought it was washed but as I worked on it I realized how filthy it was. I just kept going.

I finally got all the layers separated and put the front and back in the wash for a quick wash. After a few minutes I realized I needed to drain the tub and run it again. Ugh!

I got everything dried and decided to use the backung to repair the front and to provide the new binding. I started by removing all 140 pieces of green from the quilt. A few were ok but I decided just replace them all. I felt so dsheartened taking this thing apart and seeing the damage. I wanted to quit and just make him a new one. I texted him and he agreed but he still asked that I use as much of the original one as I could. That made me feel bad. I trudged on, got everything apart and cut new green replacement pieces.

When I got to this point I was like a dog with a bone. I sewed and sewed until I had all 35 blocks back together. I did have to steal from the removed borders and backing for the other colors. I used a fusible to patch some of the holes. What a relief! Of course I got the blocks all sewn together. Yesterday I went and spread out and have all the borders cut and ready to attach too.

This is definitely a labor of love. In this case it is more my love for saving these old treasures!

What crazy thing are you working on?

Swooze

Blogger Comment Fix

I saw this fix and tried it. I didn’t get the subscription email mentioned and thought maybe it doesn’t work for everyone. I ran across another blog with the same fix and tried again. It was a little more elabirate about removing the old email and adding a different one. I also tried that and there was no subscription email.

I went back in to the settings and noticed a message that said I had comments awaiting mideration that I needed to take care of. I went and checked them, deleted them since they were spam and went back to the email setting and clicked save. I got the subscription email. Yeah!

After following the instructions in the email I commented on my own post and got the email.

All is well! Leave me a comment! Please!

Swooze

Double Four Patch UFO Finish

Here is my latest UFO finish. I was gifted these four patches back in 2012. I assembled them into a top last year and quilted and bound it this year.

This finish got me off the Stashbuster UFO list as Queen. I will have to see if this was one of the numbers called for the numbers game.

It is on my 2Q FAL as number 11. I’ll be linking up when that is posted.

What are you finishing?

Snooze

June OMG

Here it is! I am going to get this quilted this month.

Linking up with Elm Street Quilts.

Swooze

Sewing, sewing and more sewing

I sewed Friday night with the church ladies. We broke around 8:30 because we were going to sew the next day too! We left all our stuff overnight. We resumed at 9 a.m. the next morning. The planned departure was around 6 p.m. I thought I left early but it was around 5:45 when I left.

My goals were to assemble the Savannah top, make my Saturday Sampler block and disassemble Lynn’s quilt for repair.

Accomplishments:

Assembled the Savannah top. Bonus: I also assembled the back and made a scrappy Susie’s magic binding for it.

I got my Saturday Samler block fused. Later in the evening I completed the blanket stitch.

I disassembled Lynn’s quilt. I thought it was clean but it was a dirty mess. After takng it apart I washed the front and back. The first tub was a muddy mess so I stopped the wash, drained it and washed it again. I draped them in the garage and by morning they were dry. I just finished picking the outter two borders off that were shattered. I was regretting taking it all apart but I think I can make it work.

I’ll use the backng for repairs and stash too. It will get a new backing and I plan to make the binding also from the back.

Accomplishments met and then some!

Remember my little basket of kitties? Athena was a feral kitten born behind my favorite LQS. We guestimate she was born April 1st. She came to my house May 11th. I’ve been concened that she would not settle down and want to be cuddled. Look at her this a.m. I must be doing something right.

I’ll just have to be patient with her.

What sewing goodness is happening at your place?

Swooze

Savannah

Two more seams and it’s a top. I am planning the binding now. Thinking scrappy gingham with a white flange.

The green around the elephant will be the backing.

What’s under your needle?

Swooze

Blogger Comments

Blogger announced they are tweaking their email system for comments. They expect to have it resolved soon. Here is the article.

Have you ever left a comment and not heard from me until months later? First I am sorry. Second I found a setting to send me an email (insert hsterical laughter here) if a comment is moderated.

Sit tight. Email me directly at swooze62 (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Here are some cute kitties to calm you.

Aries, Athena and Artemis.

Swooze

Designing

I bought a panel called Savannah. I happened to have scraps of gingham that inspired me to combine the two together. I was at my LQS some tume ago and she had a big beautiful bundle of gingham FQs. I tried to walk away but by the time I got home I texted her and asked her to hang onto them for me.

Here is what I have so far. I went and bought a yard of a bella solid that matched the panel.

I think I’ve decided to surround the small animal block with the off white then sew another round of the matching gingham.

Use your imagination! Now that I’ve made the decision I need to get back to quilting and save the piecing for when I am out sewing with friends.

It was my birthday a few weeks ago. I treated myself to the Handiquilter echo feet set. I changed out my Avante 1/4” foot for the 3/8” foot and took a little test run. I like it. Will be quilting for the rest of the week.

Are you piecing or quilting?

Swooze

OMG Progress

Made it to the top stage. Will be loaded on the longarm tomorrow.

I’m mentally working out the quilting pattern.

Will you meet your OMG goal?

Swooze

Border Creek Station Mystery #16

The mystery was solved with the final clue being handed out last Saturday. It was all border work that involved joining the pinwheels and cutting 4.5” slab borders.

I’m on the lookout for a wide back that is black with words on it. I may just bite the bullet and piece the back.

It finishes at 60x72”.

What mysteries are you solving?

Swooze

Give Away

Any embroidery fans out there? I am offering up this hot iron transfer. I’ll draw a name Monday May 28th when I get up. I’m an early bird so don’t wait too long!

Good luck!

Swooze

Hells Angels Progress

When Friday night rolled around I was faced with having to cut down the center panel, trim the giant HSTs and remaking the checkerboard panels. I started with rechecking the math one more time then brought out the rotary cutter.

I sent off a picture to the intended recipient with everything layed out to make sure he approved. He responded almost immediately to move forward.

By evenings end I had two completed checkerboard panels, 8 trimmed HSTs and a center trimmed to size. I picked back up yesterday and pieced all of these components together. I got a start on the first border with first two sides added. The remaining borders are already cut. Will just have to trim to size and sew.

My May OMG is to have this top finished and loaded on my machine to quilt. I can make it!

Remember Sandra? She was also sewing Friday night. She was working on a quilt for one of her grand children (maybe great grand). She was asking her sister to sew for her. I told her to go use my machine since I was mainly cutting. Here she is using my 301K that I named Janie.

Hope you had a productive sewing weekend.

Swooze

Focus

Yesterdays blog post helped. Cleared my head. Reset my priorities.

Applique is done. Onto the Angels.

What’s your focus?

Swooze

Too Many Things

That is what I’m trying to focus on. Too many things.

Focus: the center of interest or activity

So I am focused on my quilting but too many things within that. I am in a sampler class that I have been spending a lot of time on. Making hexies for my first time. Assembling hexies for my first time. I will be appliqueing these on a foundation, all by Saturday I hope.

It was not too hard. I got bored with it too easily. We will see if I have a career in hexies.

I was trying to work through the Hells Angels quilt a step at a time. I was feeling really good about my progress until I realized my checkerboard segment seemed very large in relation to the size of the quilt. I stopped working on it and checked my math. From my sketch I told myself each square represented 3”. That was referring to the CUT size. I managed to cut all the borders correctly but I worked on the center and checkerboard in a separate session and translated my 3” to be the finished size.

I oversized the center of the quilt. Easier to cut down than to buy all new and start over. So I just have to cutdown the supersized pieces. I am trying to overcome the fear of the mistakes thus far. I’ll probably run through the math again then take the leap.

I’ve been making bindings for quilted quilts. I’ve been seeking backings. Seeking fabric for repairing a top. Been resizing a pattern. Been thinking about postcard designs.

Time to STOP all the busyness. Time to focus within my focus. I will be focusing on the hexie applique then the Hells Angels quilt.

What’s your focus?

Swooze

Lost Things and Hells Angels

As soon as I posted that last post I stood up and leaned over my sewing maching. It has it’s own table on top of a sewing cabinet. I looked down and what did I spy? That missing HST had slipped under the table with just a little corner peeking out. Woohoo!

I grabbed it’s incomplete mates and sewed up that final pinwheel! Here they are, waiting for the next clue. I do have a bit of pressing to do.

I also began piecing the center of my Hells Angels quilt. Here is the beginning of the center.

There will be checkerboard at the top and bottom.

And there will be 8 mega HSTs. Can you see how big they are? Zoom in.

After I trim they will be 18.5”. There will be 8 to form a lonestar shape. Fast and fun!

Are you missing anything?

Swooze

What Kind of Quilter are You?

You make all your HSTs.

You sew them into twosies.

You sew them into pinwheels.

You are left with:

Do you:

1) just cut another HST and get on with life

2) keep working on your quilt because you know it’ll show up

3) turn your sewing space upside down looking for the darned thing

Sadly I am some form of 2&3. I have lots of pressing and sewing to do before I need that last pinwheel.

Where do you see yourself?

Swooze

Border Creek Station Mystery

I am working on their 16th mystery. I think I’m on installment 7 so this started in October. 2 more installments to go.

I have been googling Border Creek Station mysteries from previous years to no avail. Are you familiar with them?

I was in the process of putting together 54 pinwheel blocks for the border. When I went to the LQS today the teacher of the mystery asked if I could bring the completed center from last months installment for our next meeting in 2 weeks.

I had wanted to get those pinwheels done but decided to sew the center.

It needs a hot date with the iron 😂😂. I also worked on the pinwheels and completed a few. I have over 30 pinned ready for their final seam.

I’ll be finishing the pinwheels then back to the Hells Angels quilt.

What are you sewing these days?

Swooze

May OMG

I was talking to a friend at work about the OMG concept and asked her what she thought my goal should be. I told her what I had in the works that I’d like to finish sooner rather than later.

She turned the tables on me and asked me a question. Next thing I knew I felt like I was confessing to her about what I really should be focused on. So I present to you the Hell’s Angels quilt. It’s current form is a bunch of cut up pieces in a bag with my sketch and notes.

I am using photos printed on fabric for the center. Here is one of Sonny Barger, one of the founders.

My goal is to have the top made and have it loaded on my longarm with quilting in progress. Wish me luck! Linking up with Elm Street Quilts.

What’s your OMG?

Swooze

OMG Completion

My goal for April OMG was to quilt my Happy Blocks quilt for Jason. I pulled it off the machine this a.m. and have the next quilt laded and ready to go.

I might put a little more thread in that heart. Trying to think how to improve upon it. Open to suggestions.

This will land on the binding pile until I get through the quilting marathon.

Did you meet your goal for April? Are you going to play along in May? Linking up with Elm Street Quilts.

Swooze

Incredible Texture

When I loaded this quilt I had intended to quilt it diagonally. I chickened out and decided to go with an “easier” plan. I quilted it on the diagonal into the center then back out.

I think sticking with my original plan would have been easier. But it’s done. I chose to free hand the lines to get that organic look. As I quilted I vaccilated between liking and hating it. But done as it is I love it!

What do you think? I can’t wait to run it through the wash to see how it feels. This is the heaviest quilting I have done to date. On to the next one!

Swooze