Expenses: Basting Spray

I went to pick up a prescription for our little dog today, and JoAnn's was a few doors down from the vet's.  I had received an email about two 50% off coupons, so thought it would be a good time to get some basting spray.  They had three different kinds of the basting spray.  So I got two of the types I had used before and the only one they had of the other kind.

Expenses: $48.43

I remember seeing a recipe online for making basting spray.  I think I will search for that and experiment.  This spray stuff is a tad expensive, but what really bothers me are the aerosol cans.

=====

I also decided on another design to add to my Picasso Tic Tac Toe quilt.  I extended the crosses so they are in the border section.  I was hoping JoAnn's would have some thicker thread, but I didn't see any.  So will wait to add outlining to all the pieces when I get that.  I'm going to go ahead and start the quilting someday.

I've been gathering all our financial files into one place so it will be easier to scan and shred the papers.  It will be my interpretation of The Life Changing Magic Of Tidying Up Book by Marie Kondo.  I read her second book a few years ago, this is the first book.  She says to gather all the items in one category in one place and to go thru each one to design what to do with it.  She says to start with clothes, so I did that after reading the first book.  My closet is still in good shape.  These papers are for the most part going to be scanned, so the organizing will be done by the name of the file.  And once I'm done then I will have empty boxes!

WIP: Beginning Quilting of Picasso Tic Tac Toe

WIP: Piecing and Planning started October 2016.

I basted my Picasso Tic Tac Toe quilt at my last Monday quilting group, and today started the initial  quilting work.

Took 48 minutes to do the initial stitch in the ditching of the X blocks.  This was done using a walking foot and with only one thread break!  It's good to plan ahead.

Here is the back:

Another 45 minutes later and I had marked and added two doughnut circles, and marked a third more-like-an doughnut oval shape too!

       

I haven't decided if the ovals will be quilted so they are on top or under the X's so I put off the stitching of this for now.

So far have just been using a walking foot.  The batting is Quilters Dream Cotton, natural. (Won April 2016 as part of Quilt Qwazy Queens Blog Hop.) The thread so far is Leah's 40 wt. Isacord Polyester Embroidery Thread Silver.  I'm using an Ultimate Marking Pencil (White - iron off) and really liking how easy it is be press draft versions of the design away!

So I yet another Work in Progress.  I'm pleased that things are in progress at least!  : )

Quilt Beginning: Picasso Tic Tac Toe

I'm attending a quilt class, and have been working on my interpretation of the project.

The assignment to have blocks and then quarter double circle blocks. Completing the actual quilt as the teacher has designed it results in a 45" x 54" quilt made up of 30 blocks. There is one background fabric and, get this 35 other fabrics! It's all too much I think to have to buy or even organize for a quilt that I'm not really in love with to begin with. I didn't want to cut 8.5" squares out of 20 different fabrics when I already had some squares, nor did I want to cut 2.5" strips out of 15 different fabrics when I already had some cut in 2" strips.

So I'm making it smaller, and using fabric I had precut as part of the preparation for a Gwen Marston workshop a few years back.

After putting the potential fabrics on my design wall, I started making the X blocks.

Most of my precut strips in these colors were just 2 inches, the pattern asked for 2.5 inch strips.  I was determined to use the fabric I had so I decided to make just a 3 x 3 quilt for the assignment.

Putting the strips in the X block made the blocks over an inch larger, so I decided to use some solid fabric and to cut new squares out of that so the X blocks would not have to be trimmed.

The teacher wanted us to press so the X would have the seams facing in.  She said that would make them pop more in the quilt. 

Added 10-20-16:  My husband gave me the name of the quilt: Picasso Tic Tac Toe.  I think it's a perfect name for this combination of blocks and much better than naming it Variation of ....

Some of the blocks are pressed toward the X, some are not.  Four of the blocks are made with 2 inch strips and a center square, only the upper right one with the black background is made exactly as the teacher instructed.  I'm not sure the pressing really makes any difference, will see after it's quilted.

The thinner quarter O block was made using the pattern from the Block Lotto.  The thicker quarter O is made exactly with the teacher's templates.

The teacher had wanted the fabrics in the X blocks to show much more contrast than the fabrics I had already cut into strips and squares.  Another reason to make it smaller and get it done.  

I've now had to miss three of the weekly classes so I'm a little behind.  She wants us to baste and bind the project, then to do the FMQing.  If I can get that done before Thursday then I'm back on her timeline.

-=-=-=-=-

After missing two of my weekly Friday walks, I did walk last Friday with my friend.  We went in the Zoo and looked at animals and people as we walked.

San Diego Zoo

Beautiful tigers

There were several types of birds and ducks with rich deep brown, grey, black and white.

We cut our walking time short this time as my husband needed the car to take his students to Chicano Park for a photography run.

Chicano Park 

Murals: http://www.chicanoparksandiego.com/murals/

Restaurant:  http://saludsd.com/

The students had an assignment, I just took random photos as I walked around.

My husband with the students (from Taiwan and Denmark).

Neighborhood Grocery Store across the street

Notices Posted on Grocery Door

Afterwards we took them to Salud's for taco dinner. Very good, nice place.  We will return.

When we were looking at the art, we certainly knew we were under off and on ramps, but we could NOT hear or see cars so after a while it was just an art gallery to us where we were looking at the different ways themes were depicted.

I've been there before, but hadn't taken time to really walk around and enjoy the area.  I'm glad I was able to do this again the day we did.  The day after was the DUI accident where people enjoying the park were killed.  Horrible.