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Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Archived December 2, 2015: 2012 Dream Online Projects


These are things I was interested in during 2012.  The projects involving free motion quilting were the main focus.

Some of these links are so bad the images do not even appear anymore.

Moved here as part of the blog clean up project 12-2-2015.


2012 PROJECTS

Worked on these

http://www.quokkaquilts.blogspot.com
My FMQAYGQAL Progress
Almost done - the last step wasn't clear so the blocks are still waiting to be joined.
I'll have to rip out what I did and figure it out... (once I refind the blocks in the garage that is!)


My FMQC Progress
Done - I completed all the challenges.



Liberated Round Robin 2
http://liberatedroundrobin.blogspot.com/search/label/LibRR2%20Step%204
I didn't get far on this quilt, was blocked as I hadn't finished the first one!


Read the blog posts - done!


Nothing for this year.



Easy Street:  Saving the pieces to this challenge to learn from the directions!


Didn't do this after all.


It Just Takes Two:
My goal was to download and learn from the directions - Done!



Saving this for another year.

Archived December 2, 2015: My Blog List


I'm going to rearranging my blog, I think this post will be a snap shot of the blogs I was following.  Most have not be active in a while so will be making a new list...  First I have the frozen image of the list as it appears today, then I have the links that will hopefully change as people make updates to their blogs...



My Blog List - Active Links


Charity FMQ Unmarked Baptist Fans, Orange Peel, Feathers

I finished another Quilts for Kids!

This one I had planned on sewing together so the squares would be on point, but I goofed so just have strange corners instead.  The leader of our local Quilts for Kids said it would be okay so I went ahead and basted and free motion quilted.  I started with some feathers in each of the corners, but the pick thread makes it very difficult to see that detail.

I decided to try some unmarked Baptist fans, was afraid I would run out of thread so switched to orange peel design that would use less thread.

It's my first time for both of these.  It would have been easier if my working space were consistent instead of having the strange corners.

So this quilt has several firsts for me:
1.  The first huge mistake with piecing made it so I didn't get to try the on point setting as I wanted to.
2.  First feathers on something more than a practice piece (and those were done in 2012!)
Example Feather - each corner has a different interpretation of a feather.
3.  The first Baptist fans
Unmarked Baptist Fans - they do look nice from a distance!
4.  The first orange peel
Unmarked Orange Peel - Very easy to stitch in the squares.

I didn't break any needles even though I'm just getting back into sewing and quilting again.  Had planned on using some gold thread but that didn't work out so grabbed the one spool of pink that I had just to get going on the project.  My hand was unsteady so guess it's okay that the thread blends into the background in most cases.

I have another quilt with these materials that is made of all squares waiting to be finished.  I wonder how that will end up being quilted?  It will have binding made from bring the fabric from the back to the front.

This one was made with the top and back facing each other, then it was turned inside out.  I've only done this one time before. I think I should have basted this one even though my 'teacher' said I didn't need to.  There is one spot where things bubble with extra fabric.  Perhaps that could have been avoided with some basting.

Still it will be a nice quilt for someone.

It was pretty easy to move my tables so I had extra table behind the sewing machine and to my left - think I will be liking the new sewing space!

I just realized I hadn't posted a full photo of this project.

Made from charms cut from fabric with Studio GO.  Was supposed to be on point, realized after sewn that I had to add corners to make the quilt a rectangle!

Back was one piece, sewn as an envelope then pulled inside out, so there is no binding.

I think this is my fourth finish for QFK.

: )



Here are I think better photos of the project.  Including a few toes!

Monday, November 23, 2015

Monthly Quilting Saturday and Fakesgiving - our testing of new recipes

First,  had a wonderful time at the monthly quilting session.  I put the label on my hour glass quilt and turned it in, then I basted two charity quilts for a different charity, Quilts for Kids.  I did one of them so there will be no binding as it's turned inside out and the other one I will probably do one of my wide bindings after quilting it.  Unfortunately neither of these are very pretty quilts but they will be warm for someone and I plan to practice more of my FMQ, including feathers in the corner of at least one of them!
Two projects ready to quilt. Going to use gold
thread on the front one - click to see the color!

Since then, I'm all about recipes and shopping list, so didn't do anything in the sewing room, and Shasta, I haven't done any decluttering or cleaning beyond straightening up the downstairs.  
My circle would be out of bubbles as our clothes washer has decided to not work - the lights are just happily flashing at me.  Of course I discovered this after putting in kitchen towels and putting in some bleach directly on the towels.  I had to pull out the towels and put them in a container full of water so they wouldn't be destroyed by the bleach.

Kaja has made my day and written to tell me about the linky she has on the last Tuesday of each month where people share their projects. Link up your recent improvisational quilt, top, block, plans, or ideas. Sounds like great challenge to share this way.  I added a button to my side bar on the blog!


Fakesgiving

On Monday before Thanksgiving three kids that went to high school with my son are coming over with two new-to-them recipes and we will all taste to help determine if they will bring to their Thanksgiving dinner with family.  They are bringing bread pudding and 'pink stuff' something one of them remembers from her childhood - involves cool whip and cranberries.  Sounds very interesting.  I'm not sure if the cranberries will be cooked or raw, whole or ground up.

Last year we did the cooking together the same night as the test tasting, but it took a long time so this time we are doing the prep work before.  (I guess we should have done this in October so we would have more time for fall back plans - and so we wouldn't have to eat the same thing so many days of the same week!)


So tomorrow my DH and I are making:

  1. General Tso’s Cauliflower - http://www.purewow.com/recipes/General-Tsos-Cauliflower
  2. Slow Cooker Sunday: Honey Garlic Chicken- http://www.slenderkitchen.com/recipe/slow-cooker-sunday-honey-garlic-chicken
  3. Salad -Broccoli, red onion, cashews dressing 1 c mayo, ¼ c sugar, 2-3 T red vinegar
  4. Pumpkin Dinner Rolls - http://www.cookingclassy.com/2015/11/pumpkin-dinner-rolls/  I'm only going to completely bake one for each of us to taste, but will par-bake the rest per this website: http://redstaryeast.com/yeast-baking-lessons/postpone-baking/
  5. Grapefruit Cornmeal Cake - http://www.thebittenword.com/thebittenword/2015/11/grapefruit-cornmeal-cake.html   http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/grapefruit-cornmeal-cake  DH is going to half the recipe for the testing - if we like will make a full recipe for Thursday.
  6. Pumpkin Ice Cream - Might make double recipe of pumpkin ice cream - https://shar.es/1c3QoN
Everything except the Honey Garlic Chicken might make it to our Thanksgiving dinner.  We we decide after we taste!

Or maybe my circle would be a happy face, feeling very good about the quilting, the ladies in the sewing group, that I have a sewing room, that I have online friends, and that we are going to have our recipe testing session tomorrow!


Added Dec 7 2015:  Photo of the flowers DS brought - the white flowers were buds when he gave to us!

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Cultural Fusion: Charity Blue and Green Hour Glass







So finally, I have finished the blue and green charity quilt.  I started the blocks in a workshop taught by Sujata Shah using her Cultural Fusions book.   It took about two hours to get the sides trimmed and binding done.

I did it all by machine and had wide binding so it was pretty easy to do.  I wanted to add some inches by keeping the batting, but the backing wasn't large enough for me to do on the sides.  I goofed when measuring the bottom but just kept going.  So the binding at the top is wider than the bottom and the sides.  The last border was left unquilted as I think it will be pretty puffy when washed.

So next time:
Write down the measurements when trimming.
Add more hour glass blocks instead of just borders.
Find the pressure feet for this machine, so I don't have to use the darning foot when putting on the binding!
Pay more attention to the colors and placement of blocks.

Now a break and then bookkeeping!


Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Sewing Room


Our son is married now so I'm able to take over his room and use as a permanent sewing room.  I had been using the guest room or the dining room or our bedroom and always needed to pack up and put away when folks came over.  It will be a luxury to be able to leave things out.

I packed things away when we went to Cambridge in 2013 and still have not recovered from that decision.  My friend was staying in the house while we were gone so I thought it would be nice for her to have empty closets and cupboards so she could really move in.  Anyway since then my sewing supplies and projects have been moved round for house painting, for new carpets, and for major parties.

But now I have a room.  It was empty when I started moving things in.  I would like to paint the area, but a higher priority was to start to get settled in.  I got several shelf units from someone giving them away so put two of them up in the room, then moved boxes that were in the garage on the shelves.  In theory each box is labeled.  I haven't checked yet.  I just wanted to have all my sewing things in one area - but gosh I have a lot of stuff!

The quilt on the table needs to be finished as it is a charity project.  That monthly group is already meeting this Saturday.  So either I will finish it before I go, or that will be what I work on there.  I can't stress about it.

Minutes before the photo was taken there was a pile of fabric on the table too, along with other charity quilts that need to be finished up too.  Tomorrow I want to spend some time sewing and then would like to keep sewing a bit every day.  That's really the only way my skills and confidence will improve!

Here are other photos of this room:
Shelves showing how some have shorter height so smaller items can be put in smaller boxes.

Window with pile of projects underneath ready to sandwich and finish up!


Sewing table and ironing board.
Showing the wall opposite the window with design wall, closet not even pretending to be organized.

Boy, I have new appreciation to people with attractive blogs!  So difficult to format things in blogger, much easier to do in Dreamweaver with a regular page, or even with HTML.  But this is easy to post ugly photos...

The guest room is ready now for one person to come stay, soon we'll get a full or queen bed so a couple could stay.  Last year had a friend stay for a month and it worked out well.  She had her own bathroom, and the bed room.  Next time she comes there will be empty closet so she can hang things and even empty drawers!


Sunday, November 15, 2015

Odds and Ends from the Week

This was a strange week.  Can't put my finger on it...

Anyway, so no sewing again.

Walked in neighborhood by San Diego Zoo and saw this different looking cactus with very smooth round pears.
Did have a gathering of mainly my husband's students for a game night and dinner on Wednesday night.  We've been doing each fall for several years.  Always make Shepherd's Pie and Salad.  This year only made vegetarian version and it was gobbled up.  I also made a Magic Pumpkin Cake, that was a hit.  I used regular whipped cream instead of cool whip but followed the rest of the recipe.  It's a lot of calories, but was well received and I'd make again in a flash!

Friday I had friends over for the extra casserole that I had made, and brought over some for our neighbor and left some with our son when I had lunch with him.

Saturday we met with a friend's son for Indian dinner.

So it wasn't a lonely week - but it was strange.


 Saw this interesting design on wall of Indian restaurant last night.

Looked like it might make a neat free motion quilting design.
 Went to dermatologist last week for exam. Misplaced my parking ticket so thought I'd have to pay the maximum fee for the day instead of the one hour rate.  Decided since I had time to go to the hospital to have lunch and to walk my 10K steps before leaving.

Saw this chair with interesting back in one of the lobbies I passed thru several times.
There was a wall of different mainly paintings by patients or employees, I'm not sure who they were by.  Each had a contact card so think they were for sale.

This was the only fabric piece I saw.  Each time I passed it looked more interesting.

(I had considered attending a few quilt guild meetings this week, just to taste them.  But decided to not do that this month after all.)







Some of the hospital office doors had little windows.  This one was semi-blocked with stickers either for decoration or for semi-privacy.

My husband has a similar office window. But his is floor to ceiling next to a solid door.  He wants to block the view completely.  I guess the students are staring in on him as he works and it bothers him to be peeked at.  He is getting a chair to sit in with his laptop.  Perhaps he doesn't want them to see him if he happens to nod off while working in that comfortable chair!!

In the end I only had to pay a dollar more than the regular fee for medical office parking, but I was glad to have my steps in especially since my usual Tuesday and Thursday walk partner wasn't available this week.

I was walking Friday while the tragedy in Paris was happening.  So very, very sad. There is a lot of sadness around the world, difficult to understand people needing to be so horrible to others.