Sister's Choice Quilts

Where Did My Sewing Mojo Go?

This is my poor neglected sewing table. It has not seen much action in a while. I don't know why, but I just have not felt like sewing lately. I've tried making lists of the projects I need to work on and itemizing the actions that need to be taken in order to complete them. Nothing works. I just don't feel like sewing lately.

I've been a bit distracted this week because my teeth hurt from my new clear aligners, but I didn't do a darn thing last week either. Except read. I seem to always be able to do that.

Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever just lost the desire to sew? Our weather has been nice, which means it is pleasant to sit outside with a book, which I have been doing. But otherwise, I have just been so idle. And believe me, aside from sewing, I have a number of household projects that need my attention, but I've lost interest in doing those too.

I have bags of books to donate to the library, or sell on Pango. I am going to turn Eva's bedroom at our house into a guest room, which she can continue to use when she comes over, but all her old toys and books need to be packed up so we can put the room to better use. And there is always housework: floors to be swept and washed, laundry to do, dusting and vacuuming, bathrooms to clean. I just have no impetus to do any of it. 

Have you ever been in the sewing doldrums? Tell us how long your dry patch lasted and how you snapped out of it. Wish me luck that I recover soon! 

 

 

Smile, You're On Camera

I had braces as a kid. For years, it seemed. And when they came off, did I wear my headgear and retainer as directed? No, I did not. And, over the decades, my teeth have crowded forward, making my smile irregular and to me, not very attractive. My teeth are not as bad as they were before orthodontic treatment, but they have tried to return to where they were.

For several years, I have considered going back to an orthodontist and having my teeth straightened again. But other things were prioritized and it never happened. Until this year. 

I have embarked on a teeth-straightening journey with clear teeth aligners. The brand that is probably most well-known is "Invisalign". My dentist prefers a brand called "Clear Correct", which is what I am using. I got my first "trays" today. The "trays" are the plastic molds that you fit over your crooked teeth. You are to wear them 22 hours per day. No, that is not a typo. 22 hours a day. You only take them off to eat and brush and floss. That is it. Every two weeks you get a new set of trays that move your teeth a teeny bit more toward the final goal.

My program is supposed to last 10 months, so that's a lot of hours wearing those things on my teeth. Supposedly my case is straightforward and should proceed well. As a bonus, I fully expect to lose weight on the Clear Correct Diet, since it is such a pain to take the darn things off to eat, then clean your teeth again and return the trays to your mouth. I will probably be tempted to skip meals just to avoid the fuss of cleaning my teeth and the apparatus afterward.

I am super excited to see some results. Have any of you had clear aligners to straighten your teeth? I'd love to know your story. Was it successful? What was hard about the journey? Please share in the comments!

 

4th of July Home Decor

I have been having fun pulling out my 4th of July decor. This little quilt is one of my favorites, a pattern called Endearments by Betsy Chutchian. I looked for a link to the pattern, but could not find one. It may be out of print. Betsy has a unique Civil War Reproduction style that really appeals to me.

I have lots of photos for you today. I had more 4th of July decor than I thought! This little star quilt is called Little Stars, a pattern by Minick and Simpson. I couldn't find a link to it either! I got out my Bath and Body Works patriotic candles, which are almost burned all the way down. I need to figure out how to use the jars again because they make such great accents.

For the coffee table, I like this runner in tomato red Fig Tree fabrics. I kind of made up the pattern and you can read about my inspiration here.

I have a collection of adorable wooden tomatoes which I've had for years. They are a perfect match.

In the hall that leads to our bedroom, I put a couple of extra things. The runner is a pattern called Zig Zag by Lehman Designs. 

This little Humpty Dumpty has been around for decades. I know I got him at a little shop in Los Altos, CA that has been closed for probably 30 years. He is made of some kind of fabric that has been treated to feel like oil cloth. I just love his alarmed expression. I used to keep him on a shelf in my office when I was a working person, but now he just comes out for summer. Love that little wooden slice of watermelon too.

My entry hall table is always fun to decorate seasonally. This little Minick and Simpson table runner was a kit Moda did years ago. It was a monthly subscription that was pretty pricey, but came in the cutest decorated metal box. The USA decoration is new this year. My husband actually saw it at our local hardware store and bought it for me!


Hope your week is off to a great start! Have you got your 4th of July or summer decor out yet?

 

 

 

Halloween Figs Sampler with Harvest Moon Fabric

 A year ago, Fig Tree  & Co. fabrics came out with a gorgeous collection for Halloween. This is one of several Halloween-themed collections Fig Tree has come out with over the past few years. The pattern above was a Block of the Month program featuring their All Hallow's Eve collection. Fig Tree's latest Halloween-themed collection is called Harvest Moon, and The Quilt Spot is resurrecting the BOM with that line. You can absolutely join in on this year-long sew-along, and if you regret not making the quilt with the original fabric line, no problem! Nothing better than having a second chance to create a quilt you drooled over in the past, but didn't get to make for one reason or another. 

This is my first month's block attempt. The Quilt Spot's fabric offering is a bit different than that of other BOMs I have signed up for. They sent about a half yard of most of the fabrics you see represented above, which was way, way more than needed for these blocks. The idea was, that if you followed their cutting directions, and saved the leftovers, you would have fabric available for future blocks. If you have done Fat Quarter Shop BOMs, you know they send what you need just for that specific block of the month. I'll be interested to see how this pans out. The Quilt Spot says you will end up with extra fabric but it makes me want to be careful with my cutting, just in case. 

This BOM has a number of blocks that are applique, which makes me nervous. That particular skill is not one of my best talents. I am encouraged by how many people, who have made this quilt in the first go-round, have had great success with the applique aspect of the project. 

So far, so good! If you have made this quilt, speak up in the comments and tell us how it went!

 

Haunted Halloweeen Week 3 and Salmon Bowls

This is a mystery sew-along, so I am not sure exactly where we are going, but this layout looks like a possibility. I finished Week 3's block, the haunted house. Which is a stretch. It kinda looks like a haunted castle, but that's ok. And the cat is huge in proportion.  It's ok, the sew-along has been fun and I will wait and see what happens next. 

I have another Halloween sew-along I must have signed up at The Quilt Spot for after 3 or 4 glasses of Chardonnay. It just started coming in the mail, with the first month's block and fabric. Remember the Fig Tree Halloween Figs Sampler of a couple of years ago? It is a repeat of that one, only with Joanna Figueroa's latest fabric collection, Harvest Moon. I signed up for a year-long sew-along, but will have to give you the details in a future post. Maybe tomorrow. 

It's a great quilt, especially if you aren't afraid of a bit of applique. I promise, I will tell you more about it in a future post. 

Since gaining ten pounds after last year's Christmas holiday season, I have been trying to eat healthier. I have lost nearly 15 pounds (14 to be exact) and am having fun being thinner. I actually bought a pair of size 8 jeans last weekend, which is kind of amazing. Single-digit sizing is kind of a new world. I can't seem to drop another ounce, so I must be at an ok weight. I wasn't that chubby to begin with, but who wouldn't like to drop a size or two? Anyway, my husband and I continue to try to eat less carbs, more veggies, and healthier choices overall. This dinner we had last night was so good, I just have to share. Easy peasy and so good.

We made brown rice in the rice cooker. I chopped up a bit of red onion, a bit of diced cucumber, a bit of shredded carrot, chopped fresh local cherry tomatoes, and some herbs from the garden. Then we cooked a small piece (less than half a pound for the two of us) of salmon in a nonstick pan. To serve, put some brown rice in a bowl, top with veggies, and a serving of salmon. Drizzle some Skinny Girl Fat-Free, Sugar-Free, Chipotle Ranch Dressing (less than $3 at Walmart), and you have a delicious dinner. Try it, I think you will agree, it is a very good thing.

Worked on piecing the Summer Memories top yesterday and made my Halloween Mystery haunted house, so some sewing is happening.

Designer Mystery 2022 Blocks #9 and #10

We got busy with some home organization projects at the end of last week and over the weekend, so not much sewing happened. I did finish block #10 of the 2022 Designer Mystery sew-along. It's the block on the bottom with the large navy square design. I think that is a cool block, and I don't believe I have seen it before.

Did you know that once a Designer Mystery project is completed, Fatquarter Shop will sell all the monthly block patterns and finishing instructions? So, if you missed out on making this year long project, you can still do it with your own fabric and color choices,

Two more main blocks to make for that project, as well as some log cabin alternate blocks. The blue and green colorway for this quilt is so restful. 

I am at my dad's house as I write this quick post. My sisters and I are tackling cleaning out the linen closet and pantry today. I'll head home this afternoon, and since Eva is on vacation with her daddy all this week and since I have no work to do, you can expect to find me up in my sewing room finishing the Summer Memories basket quilt and making more blocks for the Designer Mystery 2022 quilt above.

Hope your week is off to a good start!

Well, That Was Easy

What an easy fix that was. This is a much better look.

The tail on this kitty cat just wasn't working for me. Donna said it looked like it got stuck in a door.  lol

Why would anyone think that tail looked good? I think it is just strange. Apparently, a lot of other people who are doing the Haunted Halloween Mystery Sew Along think so too. There is a Facebook site (Kimberley's Stitch Squad) where folks are sharing pictures of their finished blocks and many people have made the same change I did. Some are adding a collar in a different fabric, or eyes, or changing the shape of the cat's face. I was happy just to make the tail better!

One commenter said that she often waits until the end of a sew-along before she starts her version of it. The reason for that is that she gets to see what others have done and any improvements they might have made to the block techniques etc. Sounds like a good plan to me!

Haunted Halloween Week 2

This kitty is the second block in Fat Quarter Shops' Haunted Halloween sew-along. That tail is just not working for me. Watch for my next post, I will re-do it so it looks like it is curving instead of being broken off in two places. I think a couple of well-placed half square triangles will do the trick. Don't you agree? I think it looks weird.

It's going to be a cute table topper when it's done, but that tail just isn't working for me.

Yesterday was my birthday and look at this gorgeous arrangement my husband gave me! I wish you could smell those roses and lilies.

Summer Memories: Light at the end of the tunnel

Oh wow, here we are, nearly at the finish of the Summer Memories project designed by Susan Ache. I have the lattice all cut out and some of it assembled. It won't take long to get that done, and the outer border attached. It is indeed a light, summery quilt. I am so glad I stuck with this, even though I was so sick of making half-square triangles for all those basket blocks that my eyes were crossed by the end.

It's funny, these hydrangeas always bloom for my birthday, which is coming up this week. I seem to recall that this particular plant was an actual birthday gift some years past, and it keeps on blooming every year to say "Happy Birthday" right on schedule. 

Do you grow verbenas? I was late to that party, but now plant several pots of them every summer. They are so prolific in their blooms, and if you are good about shearing them back, they will keep blooming all summer long. My idea was to plant a red, white, and blue arrangement in the pot. So where's the white?

This was also kind of funny. The plant on the left is calibrachoa, which is pretty prolific and often takes over the pot and trails over the side. Very dramatic and a good performer. This time, I decided to pair it with ipomoea (on the right), also known as "sweet potato vine". This didn't turn out quite as I envisioned. That bright chartreuse green plant has totally dominated the planter. I expect it will cover up the yellow calibrachoa any minute. 


I spent hours deadheading geraniums, verbena, lantana, and other flowering plants this past weekend. Calibrachoa is a plant that is great in hanging baskets and doesn't require any particular attention such as deadheading. It even comes back the next year, which makes it easy in our climate.

Are you enjoying your early summer flowers? What is your favorite to plant in the garden or in pots for summer color?

 

 

The Stars Are Aligned

I think the stars must be in alignment for me this week. Now that my sewing room is all tidied, everything I work on is coming out great.

I had another terrific day in the sewing room yesterday.  I finished another Summer Memories block, which means I only have three more to go. Today I hope to prep and get started on those last three blocks. Maybe cut out the lattice.

Next, I made the five small stars to go with the Haunted Halloween Mystery sew-along Fat Quarter Shop is hosting. Those patterns are totally free on their website, and it is a fun, smaller project that will be done by the end of June. It's not too late to join and would be great fun, especially if you are leary of long drawn-out sew-alongs.

The last block I made was Block 9 of the 2022 Designer Mystery Sew Along, also sponsored by FQS. Definitely not free, but beautiful. This block (the blue and green one above) was designed by Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Quilts. It is a complicated and lovely block. I was afraid that with all those seams and points that need to come together perfectly, there were a lot of ways I could go wrong. Oh my gosh. Despite my misgivings, it came together just about perfectly. I could not be happier.

So here's why I think it came together so well. After assembling each unit for the block, the pattern said "Your unit should measure 5". Or "Your unit should now measure 3 1/2". And every time the unit measurements were given, I stopped, went to the cutting table, got out a ruler, measured, and trimmed a skosh off so the unit measured what it was supposed to be. Was the difference very much? Was I trimming away very much? Nope and nope. But somehow that made all the difference. Instead of me thinking "Oh that looks about right" or "Close enough", I took the time to measure and trim.

And what do you know, the block came out great!

I am feeling so happy in my sewing life right now. Have a great weekend everyone!