Round Up Week 29 and Week 30: Lauren Classes again

Time is passing very quickly for me.  I realized yesterday that I hadn't updated my exercise, walking or food purchases list since June!  So I did that, and wrote about the nice outing my husband and I had to the Quilt Shop Run during Week 28 just now...

So since then what has happened?

Quilting Related:

I have attended two zoom In the Studio with Lauren workshops.  They were just an island of experiences as the next real session will start in September.

For these sessions we shared anything we had finished from her previous classes, and for the first session she shared a way to do a rail fence quilt.  There was a handout - but the thing was to use scraps from other projects to create the quilt.  Since she used cut offs they were no always even - she straightened up the block rather than the strips so it gives the quilt top a very nice appearance. When she ran out of a fabric she just added another to complete the strip.

I do not have very good photos of these first session as I was meeting Penelope at Costco for our first face to face walk since March 2020, and I was listening as I drove for most of the event.

The second session she shared how to make a pillow out of a t-shirt.  It was interesting to see how she stabilized the shirt and decided how to cut the pillow top. This is her preferred stabilizer.

Lauren has published a book about making t-shirt quilts:

The Extraordinary T-shirt Quilt: A Scrapbook You Can Sleep Under

If I ever make one, I will get her book!

The September sessions will be organized around colors - that will be interesting to see.

My machines are still not repaired so I have no sewing to share.

I wrote political postcards with an online group - my husband joined in as it was about a California issue.  To NOT recall Gov Newsom. It will be a very confusing ballot.  More than 50% have to check to not recall - and if that level is not met then anyone with the highest number of votes will be the new governor.  What an expensive mess.

We had friends from Colorado come back to town so had a real BBQ - it was nice to see friends in person again. 

I am making slow but sure progress on the paperwork.  I got rid of a bunch of empty boxes and not paperwork stuff so the room feels nicer to work in.  

It has been very hot so there are only a few hours to get any real work done.  My DH took things to Goodwill - including the Kleenex and Flushable Wipes we had purchased when this whole shut in started....

Not exciting.  But will be soon I hope!

Calendar with list of week numbers: http://www.whatweekisit.org/

Round Up Week 24: I Just Don't Know

My sewing machines are still not in working order.

I finished my hand work for the In the Studio with Lauren Class.  Couching.  She only demoed machine couching though so I had to look online for help on how to do it by hand.

I ran the string that I was couching thru a stick of glue to help it stay in place.

And I cut the design out of cardboard so I had a shape to guide me.

At the end I wasn't sure how to finish the thread so I just doubled up at the end and beginning so it's thicker there - and I added more stitches.

This one for sure would fall apart if it were ever washed.

But at least I have the block done.

The class this week was another version of the first week's lesson, reverse applique - but this time instead of just cutting the line to be exposed, we are to have an pattern to cut out and then push the seams back and sew them down.  The example was a heart with sort of petal designs.  Way too complicated for beginners.  As the weeks go by it seems that fewer and fewer of the people are sharing their completed homework...  : (

I went to my once a month sewing group this week for the first time since the shut-in.  It was nice to see the other ladies.  They have been meeting for several months but I needed more time before I felt comfortable being with others.  Only 7 people were there.  The tables were more than 6-week apart.  I spent the time setting up to start making charity quilt kits - got an okay start on cutting strips.  My friend in RI happened to call when I was in the other room (away from the others) getting fabric so I lost a lot of time to that.  I left just as their group lunch was starting as I hadn't planned to stay and didn't bring food to share or eat. I received my share of the Christmas Swap Blocks!  I put them on my bed for a photo but I couldn't get all 20 of them in one shot.  Some have so much detail.  Very nice.

It will be nice to put these together and to have a holiday quilt....

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I used an app to order groceries and for the first time went to the store and had them put the food in the truck.  This was a great system.  The store I went to is the only one in San Diego with Home Chef Meal Kits on order - when I used instacart I could not get the meals.  They have been nice to make and eat.  My husband even helped out the first night.

I got more books gone thru and have six books of books and things for Goodwill.  There is a lot more to go thru, but I think by taking photos of what I'm giving away it will help me let go.  Not that I will ever be able to find the photos again easily, but I will have photos anyway.

When I was in between 6th and 7th grade I went to Germany to visit my Godsister and her husband (he was in the service).  I had a grand time traveling with her and staying with them.  I go this cute baby set while on that trip.  I never used with our son, so it was just boxed away.  I hope someone will enjoy using them now or at least displaying them now.

I had several books from the Barbie series - already gave some away to the little girls in our son's play group.  So dated now.... but I looked online and see offered for sale for between $23 and $45! So hopefully Goodwill will price accordingly.

I picked this book up at a free book place, as I liked the cover...

Ah well.  So started making more progress going thru things - and still avoiding paperwork.  I'm finally ready to chuck it all though.  No one would ever look at things if I scanned them so pretty sure I'm just going to shred things older than 2014 - I think 7 years is the magic number for how long needed to keep bills and statements for possible audits?  I just don't know.

Round Up Week 23: Slow Start

In the Studio with Lauren: Class 3 Session 3:
Bias tube appliqué for Celtic designs and Indian Kolam

The class was presented well - I'm getting the hang of hand sewing.  Last week finished my first ever hand stitched binding to finish a quilt because of these classes.

The homework for the Bias tube applique actually had two examples to try out, but they were large I thought for me. Instead I used the technique to make another heart.  From a distance, the work looks rather nice - it's the detail look that shows the rough concave and convex points...

To make the bias tubing I cut a strip from a cereal box and inserted that to get the seam so it was in the center of the tube when pressed - easy peasy!  If I were going to make a larger, more beautiful piece I can see how purchasing the metal tubes would be very useful in making flat tubes.

The lesson this week was on couching - but she used the machine instead of showing hand methods. Actually my machine is not stitching well so I will find a tutorial online to help me do this by hand.

I searched for mechanical sewing machine repair in San Diego and now have a name to try out having the machines maintained.  The previous place more than doubled their prices and I had to return the machine to have the repair refined as it did not work the first time.  So I want a new place for this work.

Five Star Resources:

YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/c/TinyOrchardQuilts/featured
Website: https://tinyorchardquilts.com/

Megan at Tiny Orchard Quilts has many useful, creative and innovative projects.  Very professional presented.  There are so many tutorials, I had a difficult time picking out a few as examples:

How to Change the Size of a Quilt Block! Make A Block Any Size with These Tips!

https://youtu.be/sffeszovP98

How to Calculate Fabric Requirements for a Pattern! Take Your Sketch to a Quilt Pattern!

https://youtu.be/JYL955rn-Qk

Gradient Quilt Tutorial: Choose Your 3 Favorite Colors to Make this Easy to Piece Quilt!

https://youtu.be/LtsN8p69j9U

The Easy Way to Get PERFECT 1/4" Seam Allowances! Improve your Accuracy and Stop Losing Your Points

https://youtu.be/X9-C0B5CZII

Beyond the Free Motion Quilting Basics: Combining Designs and Resources for New FMQ Motifs

https://youtu.be/0fUGrkwvmG4

Megan will be starting a new summer QAL that will probably be wonderful to do.  I'm in a rush to finish up my bookkeeping so I can start the end of the month. First post about this now at:  https://tinyorchardquilts.com/blogs/news/summer-skies-medallionalong

YouTube page:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF6OsS-yoLc9rpDzn4ELjjg
Blog: https://darlenemichaud.com/

Darlene Michaud - Videos on piecing, semi-quick recipes, and new series on decluttering to get ready for a cross country move. She is a one person production and posts something when she is inspired to do that.  For her lesson videos she plans ahead and at least usually thinks about the best way to present an idea. Sometimes she includes a lot of personal background information. She does not always post things that the quilt police would approve of.

I'm interested now to see her documenting getting rid of stuff in preparation for putting her family home on the market so she can move from Maine to Mississippi (to be near her son and away from the snow). 

She used to have videos (Organized so you could see progress each month or quarter) where she shared how much money she was earning from doing all the videos, but I can't find the link to that now.  But when I first found her she was making a few hundred a month, then it grew to I think a few thousand the last time I looked.  It was interesting to see the behind the scenes of all that part of YouTube business.

Here are some examples:

Make 2 Half Rectangle Triangle Quilt Blocks at Once

https://youtu.be/edTmHXtiYEY

Stained Glass Quilt Block Tutorial

https://youtu.be/Eqegl-ddbSw

Apple Raisin & Walnut Cornbread - Darlene's Concoctions - tried this delicious!

https://youtu.be/j2Hx-EJb0tc

Brown Sugar Walnut Ice Cream - No Machine, No Cream, 3 Ingredient Base

https://youtu.be/wiXmxHUCGbs

Crumb Quilt Adventure - https://tinyurl.com/y9zcg63f

Quilting with Darlene - https://tinyurl.com/y3752cyn

Crazy Crumb Quilt Adventure - https://tinyurl.com/yajctndh

Quilt Block Party - https://tinyurl.com/ha4uq2u

Postage Stamp Quilt - https://tinyurl.com/y4tw3tow

Easy Quilt Blocks - https://tinyurl.com/y742k6cc

YouTube Business - found one video https://youtu.be/6uLT3NwrLEk

A-Maze-ing Quilt - https://youtu.be/ocN4r6yWwio - pattern for $1

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXBQx7Mn77PQ46tRPpW9-oQ/videos
Website: https://quintessentialquilting.com/

Cindy Seitz-Krug.  A few years ago she set out to create and share a free motion quilting design based on starting with a grid.  I keep going back to her videos for inspiration. 

I may use this design in my wavy line quilt... (but enlarge so I do once for every block in the quilt).

Week 16 of "A Grid Design Every Week"; Flip/Flop Baptist Fan
https://youtu.be/lT27dWBgRXI

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I went thru my clothes, looking for a certain shirt, and in the process realized that some of the things I had put away had stains.  So plan to go thru again and pull things out - wash the ones that need it and then give them to Goodwill.

I also had a plan to go thru the books on my shelves in the bedroom - There are a few I have put aside, but I am hoping I can come up with some way to group things and then to be able to give away many more.  I decided that anything that had to do with teaching reading or writing I would just let go, so that will be easy.  But then there are cook books, learning language books, math books, novels I haven't read.  So already this is difficult to do.

All I can do is what I can do....

Oh, both of my sewing machines now need maintenance beyond what I can do.  I found a new guy, highly recommended on Yelp - but he will be on holiday until July.  So for the EBHQ classes the last weekend of this month I will just use the time to watch, and cut fabric in preparation for sewing later....