Hot and Hazy and Humid...........

Yep... it's no different here than it is everywhere else although I've heard that Minnesota has rain and crops!! yay!!! The foot is just about back to normal.........it's my machine pedal foot so I know when I've been sewing too long ( if there is such a thing) ...... had another medical issue a few weeks ago that's being worked on.......but I've been able to just about empty the WOB pile!! I have 1/2 of one quilt to finish binding and then the pile is empty... I've been trying to finish as I go.... sometimes not too easy! Still working on the knitted fingerless mitts for fall...... I'm up to the thumb on one........lol. I'm trying a cotton/elastic yarn... it's a bit weird to work with but I think the mitts will fit better I made myself a cute little lunch bucket... pics on flickr... and a birthday mat for a friend......that's on flickr also.....not much else has been done since we got back from vacation........ The lighthouses were beautiful!!!! The lake was gorgeous and the weather that week was perfect!!! We quilt shop hopped our way back home... there are some nice stores in wisconsin... but I can't believe the prices! They are about 2.00/yard more than here in Indiana and the novelty prints were as high as 14.00 per yard! I like novelty fabrics... but not that much! I picked up some stuff that was on sale.... their sale prices were normal prices here....and a few patterns... the lunch bucket was one of them... There was just one store that I doubt I'll ever go back to.... I spent a bunch of bucks...... bought a kit for some feedsack type potholders... I got home and the one panel wasn't cut correctly...there was no way to even square it up to be able to use it without cutting off part of the design.... so I emailed them about it... sent a picture of the small panel... only about 5x7 and a copy of my receipt.... not a word......... not even a too bad so sad sorry bout your luck!!!! So as much as I liked the store and their style......ain't gonna go there again!!!! The rest of the stores were great! My checkbook is still recovering! lol Hopefully August will bring a totally healed foot.......and resolution on other issues..........and I can get back into the swing of things.........my sewing machine misses me and I her!! lol There are pics on flickr.... but I haven't finished up the lighthouse pics yet... that's next on my list of stuff I GOTTA do!!! Til next time Lish

Been a long busy month

The past month has been busy in so many ways!! I managed to get two inflamed tendons in my foot... wow! talk about hurt! geeeze.... the foot guy taped it for a week and when that didn't work I got a boot brace... two weeks and lots of ibprofen later i can now walk without the brace.... it still twinges a bit... but it's sooooooo much better now! I finished my 6 weeks of six sigma training and got my certificate of training!!! That frees up some time now.... since I don't need to spend as much time studying... I still have to complete my project to receive my Green Belt... but I can work on that at my own pace now.... I have til the end of september to complete it and that should give me plenty of time....... The kitchen window quilt is still on the wob pile but it's halfway done... I took it along to quilt guild the other nite and worked on it there....... the feed sack quilt...3 skinny mini runners and a table runner are on the wob pile... my plan is to take them along with me on vacay next week and work on them in the truck as we drive from here to there and back again.......... we'll see how that goes....... not alot else has been done in the sewing pit.... I finished up the large Zakka nesting box.... it's ok... i don't particularly care for the way she does some of her construction... but i'll make the other two boxes as she suggests.... I have my quilting book club summer project started... it's an applique lighthouse wall hanging... I have the fusing done...so next is the applique and then putting it together.... the summer mug rug is on it's way to my partner and the mini magnets for the RATZ swap are somewhere in the postal system.......... the weather has been really hot with just a teaser of rain here and there....the crops are sooooo dry... my lawn looks like a desert..... all of the pics are out on flickr.... i'll be posting vacay pics also... we're going on a lighthouse tour in wisconsin so it should be lots of fun!! for now... that's it stay cool and happy crafting Lish

And so it grows............ again!!

The WOB pile is growing again!! That's a good thing for sure. The feedsack quilt and the kitchen window quilts are now quilted and on the WOB pile... 3 table runners have been added to it also. It still contains the snowman wallhanging and I found the red/white/blue table mat folded inside the snowman... so that's there also. I got the newest atkinson pattern. It's called Tankini and it's pretty cool! You can make the smallest mat with just 3 jelly roll strips! I'm in a table runner swap and I wanted to test these out and see if my partner likes them...and if she does... I'll make them in her colors. Next up on the to be quilted pile is the frog face quilt from several years ago and a second snowman wall hanging.... both UFO's....... I didn't get to work on the Tokyo Subway Quilt this week... but 2 complete rows are done and together! Hopefully this week I can get another block or two done! I'm getting excited about finishing it.... I need to practice the quilting I want to do...... guess I'll have to make another table runner! lol The quilting is called orangepeel and Elizabeth has it on her ohfransson site. It looks simple to do... so I'm thinking with a bit of practice ahead of time I should be fine! The weather here has been sooooooooooooooooooo hot! This morning we finally got some rain and a thunderstorm... it's supposed to storm now the rest of today and tomorrow... but that's ok.... I'll take the noise as long as the rain comes with it! I'll post a few pics below and you can see the rest on flickr! Oh..and the Indianapolis Zoo has a new bird exhibit...very cool and mostly interactive...pics are on flickr also Oh... I almost forgot! I won a gift certificate to SewMamaSew on the Zakka Sew Along... Mr Random picked my number in the mini magnets project! I'll put a picture of those here also... I got some summersville fabric in blacks and white and a very colorful charmpack of the same...... I also got some cute fabric for see thru pencil cases.. it looks like the connect the dots stuff! till next time......... Lish

Ok...so I've been busy.............

I really have been busy............ doing stuff around the house ......... set up a network between my computers so when I'm upstairs on the laptop I can print to the printer attached to my desk top........... I'm in a 6 week program called SixSigma that's kicking my butt........and I've been working on my subway quilt... I have two complete rows done now........ 15 more blocks to go! I'm really getting excited!! The WOB pile was down to one thing.......... the snowman wall hanging.......... now the Kitchen Window Quilt has joined it.... it's quilted and ready to have the binding stitched down!! I can't wait to display this one! So I went to the guild auction last week.......... oh holy mother of fabric!! There was sooooooooooooooooo much stuff there!!! It was incredible! Anything you could possibly imagine! I got 6 magazines... older editions of quiltmaker and minature quilter............ 6 patterns..........one of which is a really cool wallhanging that's just calling my name.... funny thing is... this is so far out of my box.... it's just not me... but I had to have it and I've gathered my fabrics and I'm gonna do this!! I also bought an old plastic sewing box.... you know... the amber colored plastic with the handle and tray that lifts out.... cost me two bucks.......i'm gonna throw the box away but there were all sorts of goodies inside... a cute christmas wall hanging kit... complete.... crayons and colored pencils... two old scissors that just need a bit of sharpening.... a package of new mechanical pencils... a brand new pen... 4 soapstone marking sticks and an assortment of snaps... hooks... needles... and assorted stuff.... I think I got my two bucks worth there! The i spotted a bag of pearle cotton... about 15 or so balls... some used... but very little... assorted colors.. I had to have it!! I use if for the hand quilting on my mini's... so I watched it.... and I see them pick it up and oh no!!! they are putting it in a can with a whole bunch of other stuff.... I don't want the other stuff... I just want that bag!!! I guess Igroaned kinda loudly...so the wonderful auction lady took that bag out and took it up to the front.... then I see them bundling... what?? oh man!!! oh well... wait a minute.... they put my bag of wondrous pearle cotton with a brand new... in the box... never used... pink sidewinder! I got it for 5.00!!! yup! Just 5.00! what a deal... I was a very happy camper.... I started to get the itch... you know... that auction gotta have it... here's my 2 bucks itch... so I left... besides.. the season finale of criminal minds was coming on soon.... I didn't need to be buying more fabric... heck... I'm trying to use up what I have.... but there was such wondrous stuff there!!! oh my! Well I'm sure I'll find some goodies at the next guild auction in two years! lol I worked on a few odds and ends.... some baguettes from the new Terry Atkinson pattern.........and the Zakka magnets...........and cleaned out here...and rummaged thru there............ the organizing continues and probably will go on for a looooooooooooooong time!!! lol but right now the subway quilt is really calling to me............ I have a chorus in my sewing pit.... subway quilt and wall hanging.... do the come to me duet! Maybe this week......... there are pics on the flickr site........and if I do the wall hanging this week... I'll post it here! til next time Lish

3 More UFO's bite the dust

Many Many months ago I started quilting fat quarter sandwichs....... one reason was to practice my free motion and cross hatch quilting skills and the other was to make humbug bags and lazy girl nikita pouches... I got the quilting done... and there they sat........ the migrated their way into the ufo box.... yesterday I got them out and took care of 4 quilt sandwiches! The comical zebra fabric and the comical hippo fabric turned into 3 humbug bags and 1 tissue cover EACH!! and the remaining two sandwiches turned into Nikita Bags... one from each... and there's probably enough left to make one or two tissue covers from each sandwich. The Nikita Bags are the boxy brick shaped bags from Lazy Girl designs Purse-nikities pattern... one of my very fav's!! I also completed block one of the Subway Quilt.... 12 drink me bottle bitty blocks for the Alice in Wonderland Swap... the center star of my Quilting Book Club Challenge Project... a hexagon pin cushion and a Bishcornu Pincushion for the pin cushion swap! Saturday and Sunday were busy days!!! I'll post a pic or two here since I haven't done that for awhile and the rest are out on flickr.. http://www.flickr.com/sewwunderful Here is block one of the Subway quilt

Here is the Bishcornu I like this and I think I'm going to enlarge it to make a cushion for the living room........

Lots of things left to do........ more subway blocks.... more christmas quilt blocks..........got about a dozen of those down now......... 3 quilts that need to be backed and batted and quilted.......... plus new bitty blocks for May! This month is houses!! I think when I get these... i'll add them to my other house blocks and tree bitty blocks and make a small throw for the back of the sofa or maybe a wall hanging............ we'll see.......... I think that might be it for now.... be sure to check out flickr Have a great week Lish

back to basics!

Whew! All of the * gotta do for others * stuff is done! I did two vests.. lined...and two bow ties for twin 10 month olds for a wedding.... I forgot how much I enjoyed garment sewing...but these were little! They are so cute though...and pics will be going up on flickr a bit later today.

I got all of the blocks cut now for the Subway Quilt... what a job that was!! I hope to get to sewing up a block or two this week

Tomorrow nite is embroidery club and I have 12 blocks done of the Christmas Quilt we are doing. It's Lunch box quilts... machine appliqued...not sure yet if I'll make the big quilt for me or make 3 or 4 smaller ones for christmas gifts.........but I've started...so that's good. We're shooting for an october/november finish and that equates to about 20 blocks or so a month plus assembly time. I think a sew day or two this summer will be quite helpful

I joined Quilt Guild last week. It seems to be a fun group.......and they have lots of fun stuff coming up.... Eleanor Burns sister in June.... Auction in May.... Sulky workshop in July.... yep... I think I might like this.........

Didn't get anything done on the snowman wall hanging on the WOB pile... it's still there...all by itself.......but maybe this week....... the hubster might have to help plant plots in Ohio so that means some extra time in the sewing pit! wooohooo!!!

The doctor visit was good!! Cholestrol is down....... BP is holding it's own.... blood glucose levels are normal and all is well with the world! lol

Thats about it for now... hope to have more progress to show you soon!

Happy Sewing

Moving Right Along

All three books are read and they were great!!!

I have a little bit to finish on the two baby vests for a wedding.... oh wait... I didn't tell you bout those, did I? A coworkers daughter is getting married very soon... she has twin grandsons... 10 months old..... who needed vests for their aunts wedding... so I made the vests and bowties...... I need to do a little bit of side adjustments and the button holes and then the vests will be done and I just need to add some velcro or snaps to the ribbons for the bow ties... I'll take pics when they are all done and get them posted.........

I have 6 of the 12 colors cut for the subway quilt........6 more colors then 940 white squares and I can start putting the blocks together.... I've decided to shoot for an end of summer finish for this one.........

I have all my templates and block sizes drawn and printed for the embroidered quilt and hope to get a few trial blocks done this weekend...... after the vests are finished......... we'll officially be starting that quilt next tuesday

Tonite I'm going to a quilt guild meeting. I've heard so many things both good and bad about quilds that I decided to just go and see for myself!
I know several ladies that go to the guild so I'm guessing it will be more good than bad!

Tomorrow is doctor day......... biannual checkup so we'll see how we do! I've been basically good... with occasional meltdowns lol..... as long as I'm sewing I'm good......... when I'm not sewing I get antsy and antsy leads to munchies and munchies leads to chips and cookies! not a good trail for sure! so we'll see

The binding pile has ONE.... yes ONE thing on it!!! The snowman wall hanging is the last thing on the current WOB pile!!!! Time to get busy and build it up again.... I have a frog UFO quilt ready for quilting......... the two current quilts... Kitchen Window and FeedSack need to be backed and batted and one Turning 20 UFO that needs to be sandwiched....... those will be the next 4 quilts to be done and wob'd! lol There are so many more to be done.........but I think up next will be my Giant Postage Stamp UFO....and my Eleanor Burns Goose Chase.......... also a UFO.... I think these lil buggers breed when I'm not looking! lol

Hopefully I'll have a good and productive rest of the week and have lots of fun things to tell you about next time!

Lish