Sister's Choice Quilts

Busy in the Sweat Shop

This week is just getting away from me already and it barely started!  Hope you all had a lovely Mother's Day.  I did!  I missed the BOM Rehab Monday post yesterday.  So sorry!!  Maybe I can get two blocks made this week for next time.

My son in law opened up his new wine tasting shop and wanted a few boutique items to offer for sale along with his wines.  So, I have been occupied making sets of "mug rugs" or drinks coasters. 

My goal was not to purchase any new materials if I could help it, so I began shopping at home in my studio.  I discovered a project I had started sometime back, using a jelly roll of the cutest Deb Strain fabric called "Bistro".  I had lots of jelly roll strips left over, and they are perfect for making the six inch blocks I like for mug rugs.  Imagine my surprise to discover I had purchased about five yards of this cute back ground fabric with little coffee beans dancing all over it.  You cannot get Bistro anymore, but Deb Strain has another collection called "Java" which is quite similar.  Adorable fabric.

The quilt blocks I had already made, I sewed together in sets of four blocks to make little table toppers to go with the mug rugs.  As you can see, I am using my tried and true machine quilting method of following along a strip of blue painter's tape. I finished one with quilting and black binding, but can't show you a photo since I took it to the shop already.  The black binding really finishes the look off nicely.

I have doctor's appointments down in the Bay Area this week, so I may just stop at Marshall's and see if I can pick up a couple of polka dot coffee mugs and maybe a tea pot that would coordinate with these little mats.  Wouldn't it make a cute display?  The tea pot, mugs and my little table topper and mug rugs?

Evidently people like the mug rugs.  The sets I made last week nearly sold out over the weekend!  Maybe I am charging too little?  What do you think?  I was asking $20 for a set of four little patchwork coasters.

 

I Coulda Made a Quilt

I've been so crafty this week!  These are sixteen mug rugs I made for my son in law's new wine tasting room.  Not to be used by the guests, but to be sold in sets of four.  I plan to make lots more, and may do some sets of Drunkard's Path.  Which would either be funny or in bad taste...

It was my thought that the red, white and blue color scheme would be appropriate as we enter into the Patriotic Season.  I just chose random standard quilt block patterns and made them up in a six inch size.  I made a quilt sandwich with the block, batting and a backing and turned it inside out and whip stitched it closed.

In the background, you see the original mug rug that started it all.  It was a gift from my friend Thelma.  I loved it so, I have made lots more.  Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and all that.

The zippered bags have been multiplying as well.  Sorry for the glary picture.  It's late as I post this and lighting is bad.

Hope all you mothers out there have the best Mother's Day ever! 

 

Uptight Much?

There is nothing more effective for making you realize how tense you are than machine quilting.

I got a notion to practice my machine quilting this week, and it was quite an eye opener.  I had two pieces of wonky strips I had stitched together awhile back, and thought they would make cute table runners.  I spray basted them to batting and backing and thought they would be perfect vehicles for machine quilting practice.

Cute, huh?  This is an old Sandy Gervais group (I think), correct me if I am wrong.  I had a jelly roll, and after seeing how adorable Sara's Pickety Sticks quilt was, I started playing around with sewing strips in a wonky manner on a piece of muslin.  (Pickety Sticks is a Heather Mulder Petersen pattern).  This is another sign of how uptight I am--my wonky strips are practically straight.  Trust me, it is a much cuter look if the the strips are much wonkier.

So, about mid way though quilting the first runner, I realized I wasn't breathing, my shoulders were totally hunched and tense, and my little squiggles were teeny tiny tight loops.  I also ran out of bobbin thread TWICE while quilting this small piece. 

I managed to get through the quilting on the first runner, and took a couple of walks around the yard, breathing deeply.  My next try was more successful.  I concentrated on keeping my loops larger, and remembered to breathe and not sit all cringed over the machine.  At one point I even had a fly pestering me, which landed on my nose.  But did I stop quilting and bat it away?  Heaven's no.  I certainly did not want to lose my rhythm.  I maintained a Zen state of mind regardless of the circumstances.  This runner turned out better than the first one, and I only ran out of bobbin thread right at the end.  I was going to show you some photos of the back, but my ego isn't quite ready for that yet.  My nerves are only a little shot from the whole fly episode.  Ick.

Do any of you struggle with machine quilting?  Does it get better with time and practice?  How much time?  lol

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BTW, thanks to all of you for your helpful suggestions regarding my Fig Tree cream fabric.  I tried to email Cheryl of Fig Tree Studio, who was so kind to write me with a suggested Bella Solid dupe, but my email bounced back!  So, thanks ever so much Cheryl, your advice was much appreciated!

 

Oh Help

I just had to cut out a background square and make a center circle to be appliqued to one of my Dresden Plate blocks.  Sure, I know, I have only made three out of the twelve "plates" so far, but I love to have a finished Inspiration Block to cheer me on while I complete the others.  I got the blades and the circle prepped and pinned to my background before something unfortunate came to my attention.

This is what I need help with---My background fabric is a lovely pale cream that was part of a Fig Tree collection.  Actually, it was in several Fig Tree collections.  It is the perfect cream, verging on the palest of yellows.  Well, I don't have enough for my block backgrounds, lattices and border for this Dresden Plate quilt.  That's ok, I can substitute something else.  No harm, no foul, I haven't actually cut out more than just the one background square and nothing is sewn down yet.

Hopefully, there is a Fig Tree Fanatic out there who can advise me.  Is there a Moda Bella Solid that is a dupe for the Fig Tree creamy yellow?  There actually is a solid in the Moda Bella line called Fig Tree Cream.  Do you think that is what I have there?  I can still order it and the whole thing will just be too good to be true.

Sidetracked

I have been seriously sidetracked this week.  Well, maybe scattered is a better word.  Being "sidetracked" implies that one has a primary project one is working on, to be sidetracked from.  Since I have four or five dozen projects in various stages of incompletion, I can't technically be sidetracked, can I?  It's just one big happy hopeless disaster in my sewing studio.

First I started working on my zippy bags.  Then the Doc Schnibble for May caught my attention.  Then Dresden Plates started calling my name.  Finally, I decided I really needed to practice my machine quilting.

Back to the Doc project, which involves a block called Card Trick.  I was way cocky in a previous post about this not being the challenge I thought it was going to be.  Sure, I got through the first two blocks and was all proud of myself, and that jinxed everything.  Serves me right.  I sewed the pieces to the block pictured above every possible which way except the right way.  And that meant un-sewing and re-sewing pieces that had already been trimmed (to fit other units) and working with bias edges.

I persevered and got the block together at last, and it isn't too much of a mess.  I just couldn't toss these fabrics because I LOVED them.  When you are working with charm packs, you don't have room to waste your pieces, and these were so cute I wasn't about to say "oh well" and start over.  I was like Tim Gunn.  I could hear his voice in my head saying "Make it work".

BOM Rehab Monday

Luckily this block was the easiest thing in the world to make, or I probably would have missed the BOM Rehab deadline today!  Well, it is still Monday where I live, and I did come in just under the wire.

I was wrong about the name of this collection of fabric in a previous post.  It is Peace on Earth, not Grace.

I swear the 3 Sisters Christmas collections are one big blur to me--they all seem so similar!

Here are the other nine blocks I have made for this BOM.  Only two more to go!!

Thanks again to Sinta at Pink Pincushion for hosting this finish-it-up BOM Rehab.  This project could be languishing indefinitely without her spurring me on.

Glorious Weekend

What a glorious weekend we had here in my little neck of the woods.  Perfect weather in all ways.  A little work, a little play, some family time, some sewing, and some good food.  I got the binding on my T is for Thelma Schnibble and you can see it all pretty on my kitchen table.  Just so you know, those roses are fresh picked from my garden!  The kids came for a barbeque on Sunday night and my table is so festive.  Their last name begins with T, so I am expecting they will possibly want to take it home with them! 

You may notice the table is only set for three.  My husband works in a town 200 miles away, so he usually leaves on Sunday afternoon and isn't with me for Sunday dinner.  Or Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday dinner.  I miss him, but I know this won't last forever.  And at least he has a job!

Speaking of Schnibbles, I got started on the Doc Schnibble for May over the weekend.  At first I was all in a dither, super confused about the cutting instructions, sewing, and lay out.  I have some real spatial issues, it seems.  I figured I would be challenged by this project, since in the past I have really had a struggle with this sort of thing.  My Tessellations quilt comes to mind.

The Card Trick block is similar in that you have to pay attention to the adjoining blocks and get your colors arranged just so in order to make the pattern.  This Tessellations quilt nearly drove me Ca-Razy.

No problem though.  I guess Tessellations was my trial by fire.  I didn't have the same level of frustration with my Doc blocks.  After a bit of a dither, I sorted it all out.  What fun these blocks are!

These are possibly the cutest blocks EVER.  I cannot wait to finish this Schnibble and get it on my table!  The fabric is a Sandy Gervais group called Zippity Do Dah.  It is several years old I think, but you can still get it if you search online.

I don't have my BOM Rehab block done yet, but it is still Monday.  I may get it done yet!

Some Worthwhile Links

This has been a very unproductive week around here!  Since I have not done any sewing, I wanted to share links to some various things you all might find of interest or inspiration.

This book by Pam and Nicky Lintott has been out for some months, but it only just came to my attention.  Paulette at SweetP Quilting posted on it this week.  Go check out Paulette's blog and look at the basket quilt from the book cover, that was made out of Rouenneries fabric.  Go ahead, I'll wait.

Amazing, right?  Don't you want to get online and order a layer cake of Rouenneries II and make one?  Me too!

Another tantalizing vision that I spied online is the Floral Antique Flower collection by Lecien.  This is an upcoming group that will be released sometime this summer, according the Lecien rep I spoke to on the phone.  Kristyne at Pretty By Hand showed a photo of the entire bundle, which you need to go look at right now.  Go on.  I'll wait.   She is making things for the company for Market, and obviously needs it in advance of its release so she can make up a quilt or two.  I want that job.

Must. Have. That. Collection.  It is sort of confusing to me, because I have a feeling that Lecien names one or two of their collections "Antique Flower" every year, but I swear, this is a new one.  Shade of silvery green, burgundy, tobacco, charcoal, pink, champagne.  Gorgeous.  I wonder why they can't come up with a name other than "Antique Flower"?  They have another group in pinks and aquas coming out this summer also.  Called Antique Flower.  So good luck ordering the right bundle.  Fat Quarter Shop differentiates the two groups by calling one Floral Antique Flower and the other just Antique Flower.

And here is a link to a Moda Lissa post (first linked by Sherri at A Quilting Life) where she shows how she organizes her charm packs and Schnibbles patterns.  For all of us doing Another Year of Schnibbles, this is such a wonderful idea!

Ok, hope those links give you something fun to ponder!  Have an excellent weekend everyone!

Grandpa Larry update:  Grandpa was transferred to another care facility yesterday.  His insurance won't pay for any more care in his previous skilled nursing facility, so we had to find another place for him to get rehabilitated.  And pay for it ourselves.  He still can't walk, so with luck, the physical therapists will be able to work with him and get him mobile again.  He just can't understand why he can't go home, but in order to do that, he needs to be walking.  He has thoroughly enjoyed all your cards and good wishes.  Thanks so much for contributing to his recuperation with your prayers and messages.

Guess You're Stuck with Me

I know I am not half as cute as Baby E, and I am more high maintenance to boot.  But the family has laid down the law and Nicole won't be posting pictures of the baby's face in the future.

But hey.  What's wrong with my mug?  As dogs go, I think I am pretty stylin'.  Even though there aren't many groomers who are that happy to see me.  That's why I am kinda shaggy right now.  Haven't been to the groomer in many a moon.  I hate that place.  They make me wear the "Happy Cap" when I get my hair groomed.  I hate the Happy Cap.  I haven't actually ever *bitten* anyone.  They are just nervous nellies who think because I growl that I am likey to take a piece out of their arm.  Heh heh.  I'd never do that.  Heh heh.

Nicole will be back tomorrow with a quilty post, so don't despair.  She never meant she would stop blogging or change up her style much.  Just not so many pics of that darn baby.  Honest to Pete, things sure have changed around here since that kid came into the picture.  "She's so adorable, she's so cute, isn't she smart, how awesome is she?  Blah blah blah".  What a fuss.  I will say they buy the kid cool toys, but really.  They don't let me anywhere near 'em.  Well, there was that little incident with the rubber ducky...

Zippy Bag Bonanza

I've been making zippy bags galore of late, as you can see from my photo above.  I think my favorites are the little eyeglass cases!  I have also made cosmetics bags in two sizes, large and small.  What great gifts these will make!  Wouldn't a set of all three bags make a nice presentation?  If one purchases coordinating fabrics, it is easy to mix and match the prints and get all sorts of fun combinations that all work together.  I have been playing around with embellishments:  rick rack, buttons and yo yos.  I find the yo yos a bit tedious to make, but gosh, they sure are cute.

Thanks for all your comments, cautionary tales and sharing on the subject of being too revealing of personal information on a blog.   Honestly, I think I have heard enough warnings about the dangers of posting photos of children and personal information to deter me from ever doing so on my blog again!

My blog started out as a format for me to share my (not so interesting) life with my friends and family.  When I first started this blog five years ago, I knew I wanted to blog about quilting, decorating, books, entertaining, and family .  In the begining, the main people who read my blog were friends and family.  I did make new acquaintences through blogging, primarily women who also had quilting or decorating blogs, and I felt that over time, some became friends.  It has been my feeling that a few of you have become very good friends indeed.  The intention of the blog was to be a personal journal of the things that were important to me, and a record keeping system, if you will, of my projects and activities.

What I never thought all that much about was how many people came to read my blog as time went on.  I get a fair number of "hits" and obviously have only become acquainted with those of you who take the time to comment.  With very few exceptions since 2007 when I started this blog, I have enjoyed positive, friendly, and informational comments from readers.  It is so easy to fall into the euphoric (but not so realistic) feeling that everyone is friendly and means well, since that is predominantly the feedback I get.

The thing that I hadn't really considered is the number of people who may be regular, sporadic, or random readers who never comment and may not at all fit into the category of "friend".  Several people pointed out that when you put something on the internet it can stay "out there" forever.  Also (and I don't know if this is true or not), I was told that some cameras have GPS information programed into them, and if a person knew how to decifer it, the actual location of where the photo was taken could be revealed!  One woman emailed me that information she shared on her personal blog was used by someone from a family member's past, whose current intentions were destructive.

So, after much consideration of all the interesting comments I got on this subject, I think it will be my practice in the future to be somewhat less revealing about my family members.  Not only does that seem prudent, it is their preference.

Don't worry though.  I will still be prattling on about my sewing (or lack of it) and continue to expound on many other subjects!  Thanks again for your candid comments on this subject.