Random Blocks in Brown and Teal

Is anyone else having trouble getting to the sewing machine lately? Please! tell me it's not just me... ! Maybe it's the heat, maybe I'm just not feeling inspired, maybe I found a good book to read... who knows, but I'm not moving very fast on the Random Blocks quilt that my friend tirane has enticed me into making with her.

But! I have one block finished!
I really really wish the colors looked better.
I don't have all the seperate blocks sewed to each other because I thought I might switch things around when I have more made -- make the 'random' part more planned,, (( grin ))
And, instead of making it 30 inch blocks in a 3x3 layout, I'm doing 25 inch blocks in a 4x4 layout so I can get the size I need to fit the queen bed ( I want drape on the sides and end ).

Slowly,,, ever so slowly,,, but I'll get it done!
( i don't like the top block in the left corner and I'm hoping that more blocks will offset the dark brown that just seems to jump out at me)

SLACKER

Hello! My name is Beth,,,,, and I'm a SLACKER!!

I haven't done a darn thing all week! I come home, do dinner,clean the kitchen then sit on my tush in front of the tv or read.. I'm a slacker.

My bit push by my friend tirane fizzled out.... I spent I don't know how many hours trying to figure out just how many strips of each color I need for the random block quilt she is FORCING me to make... just to decide The Heck With IT!!! I'm just going to cut strips and put blocks together,,, it will be REALLY random! Not planned random, but R-A-N-D-O-M... ((grin ))

wonder how that is going to work??

well, I won't know for a few days. We are going to Branson MO to see the sights. I'm not a big fan of Branson,, (been there a couple of times, have a couple of t-shirts) but my husband likes it and my MIL is going, too, so she can see an old friend of hers. This may be the last time she gets to travel like this ( she's a hoot! 80 years old and still getting around ) cause you just .. never.. know. So, wonderful wife and daughter-in-law that I am I'm going.
Hey! I'm off work, won't have to cook or clean and get to go shopping, too! Not that there is a thing I need ( giggles and grins ) but you just never know what I might WANT!

I know there is a big quilt store in Branson, right on the main drag and I'm sure I'm going to have to stop and check it out... not that I NEED anything ( LOL ) but I just might WANT something!

Ya'll have a good week... maybe I'll come back all rested and ready to get those darn blocks done!

(( tirane told me she already has 3 of hers done! ))

I HAVE NEVER BEEN GONE - BUT I'M BACK!!

I don't know where time flies to but it sure has passed me by. I noticed that it has been about 2-3 weeks since I posted anything.. geez! You would think I haven't been doing anything but lazing around, eating bon-bons and watching red-eye movies with a box of kleenex in my hand. You would be right!! ( yea, I wish... )

Actually, I have been busy busy busy trying to get the Judy Neimeier quilt I started about 2 years ago finished... it will be just beautiful when finally done, and I'm on the very last set of paper pieced sections.

ANYWAY -- do you have friends that entice you into doing things that you JUST DON"T NEED TO BE DOING !!?? Well, my friend tirane,, (very bad girl ) sent me an email with an idea for a quilt and DANG if I didn't jump in with both feet and say " I want to play too!!" ( silly me, why do I do things like this!! I have too many unfinished things now! (( can you hear me whine ?! )) ... do you also see the big grin, just like the cheshire cat )

Check out her blog,,, it shows you what she is doing and she also put up the fabrics that I have planned on using . Hers are all in blacks, very striking! Mine are more... I don't know,,, beiges and teals,,, the aqua is the zinger. and this is the focus fabric


it is so rich looking in person,,, the stripe in the grouping above is a companion piece for the line.





and this is my idea of the quilt Looks just like tirane's
( surprise surprise ) but different colors. it should finish out at 90 x 90..
thought about making smaller blocks ( these are 30 inch total ) and putting in more and making it 100 x 100.. that should fit the bed for sure!



I bet she has already cut her fabric and made the blocks - she is a sewing demon!



But, I'm going to lunch...

later!

STASHBUSTING - Week Whatever

I'm giggling to myself cause I can never remember what week this is supposed to be for stashbusting - guess it really truly doesn't matter as long as I keep track.

Ya'll would be so proud of me! My LQS was having its annual "Garage Sale" this weekend. The employees gather up all their stuff that they don't want anymore and sell it in the back room of the store - it is ALWAYS a wonderful event!! AND I usually do a pretty good time at buying - remember, these are people who work at the store... so you know the quality is good! And it's not just fabric, but books, magazines, notions, sewing machines,,, anything and everything.. a fun time for all!

Anyway,,, I really thought about taking off work ( a long lunch ) and going Friday, but I said to self, "Self, You know you don't need a thing, not one blessed thing!" and I said to the other self, "Well, I could use some backing fabrics and you know there is always large amounts of fabrics" then I got to thinking about my own personal outlet store down the street, and I was a good girl and stayed at work ( not nearly as much fun! )

Well, Saturday I had to take the dog to the vet and you know the LQS is just down the street ( literally ) so I did stop,, and I looked and I looked and I touched and sighed and touched some more,,, but I was good! I didn't succomb to the Evil Fabric Arm Twister -- Pat me on the back!!








I'm lying,,,











I gave in...





I bought a book and 2-1/4 yards of fabric ( do you see my big grin? ONLY 2-1/4 yards!! I saw this piece and just had to have it... the perfect fabric to make The Amazing Grandson some pillowcases...


and,,, If I had gone on Friday - I might not have seen it! The Evil Fabric Arm Twister got me just a little bit...

2-1/4 yards for $5.00
the smile on The Amazing Grandson's face - priceless!

Turning Twenty - I did another one

My bee retreat was this past weekend and it was a blast... I never like to cut out anything when on retreat,, the mind just isn't focused to do that ( I'm too busy talking! ) so I cut everything and take pre-cut kits to work on. I figured that I couldn't screw up too much if I did another Turning Twenty, straight seams,, no matching seams,, and this is such a fun pattern for mindless sewing. Get a bunch of fat quarters together, cut them all the same, sew them together and -- WOW another quilt is done. So this was my first project for the weekend and I really did finish it on Friday!! well, everything except one side of the last border,, so I guess I can say I finished it - hey! it's my blog,, I can say it! I was sewing up a storm!! I finished the last border side on Saturday morning... I was quite proud of myself! I got a top finished, talked, ate, and had fun, too! Aren't retreats wonderful!?!

This one I think I'm going to practice some longarm quilting on.... my friend tells me to come try, so I think this is a good one to play with.

I am real happy with how it came out,,, maybe the oranges are a little strong,, but I still like it.

I am going to call this one Tangerine Blues,,, hhmm wonder what is hiding in the stuffed closet that can be the back,,, but I'm going to leave that for another day .

STASHBUSTING - Week Whatever

yep, I'm still counting how much I use, and I haven't bought anything else. In fact, the 5 fat quarters that I bought a week or so ago are going back to the store... why ruin my winning streak??

No fabric purchased this week
Fabric used this week - 8 yards for Tangerine Blues Turning Twenty. No backing yet picked out
Totals are over to the left...

Golly!! I feel so liberated!! No fabric purchases!!

now if I can only give up chocolate

FINIS !! or finished BEARS IN THE FARMHOUSE

at least the top is finished! I had a dickens of a time with the borders,,, not enough fabric for what I wanted to use, had to get creative. I think it works,, I think....

anyway,, it's done! Yipee - I'm doing the happy dance! still have to find some backing for it,, but alas, I can't get into the fabric closet and see what I have!! Now THAT is a real problem, right?? To dang much fabric shoved into a closet and you can't even see what you have... I have got to figure something out and remedy this situation ( don't worry, banging my head against the wall will only dent the wall and not my head )

VOILA!!

STASHBUSTER - WEEK WHATEVER

I never keep track of what week this is for Stashbushing ( thanks Judy Laquidara for making me keep track of how much I use, how much I buy, how much I have ! )

I finished the Bears in the Farmhouse quilt top tonite so I can add in my fabric usage. Haven't pulled any fabric for backing yet, so I won't count that in.

I have been on the wagon and have been trying to not buy any fabric this year - using what I have. I fell off the wagon :( this weekend. I wanted to have JUST THE RIGHT SHADE ( you all know what I mean ) of a salmon-y colored orange.. didn't have it in my stash. I saw that Joann's had FQ on sale for 99 cents so I stopped and ( garsh darn it! ) bought 5 fat quarters. That's a 1-1/4 I purchased.

AND... as luck would have it,, I'm not even sure now that I'm going to use them! I hate to take them back ( yes, still have the receipt and they will take them back ) ... if I took tham back, then I could truly say that I didn't buy any fabric all this year... hhmmm how important is that to me?? It's sorta being a big tight wad if I take back $5.00 ! geez,,, I should just keep the darn things.

Ok, Stashbusting counts
Purchased 1-1/4 yards of fabric
Used 8 yards of fabric this week. This is for the Bears in the Farmhouse quilt top.
Look over to the side of the blog to see the totals for the year. I can tell you that I have truly only purchased the 1-1/4 yards ( 5 fat quarters ) of fabric all year -- WHHOOO HHOOOO!!

BEARS IN THE FARMHOUSE -

I haven't posted anything in a while cause I have been frustrated - VERY frustrated! I worked so hard on the Bears in the Farmhouse quilt ( from Judy Laquidara's sew along ) ... all was going so well until I got to the last, very last, border. Cut my strips from the fabric that I had selected and (( said those words again )) I just didn't have enough material! Cripes, I hate when that happens!! Sometimes in a quilt, you can sneek in a couple of pieces that are the same color but maybe not the exact pattern, but what do you do when it is the OUTER BORDER !!!

I put the old thinking cap on and tried to come up with an idea to stretch the fabric but not take away from the bears paw pattern ( cause I really liked how that came out ). I wasn't happy when I saw how it was working,,,

I stopped when I laid it on the floor cause I just wasn't happy. Took some pictures to see what I could do,, mulled it over for the past week...

Today I'm thinking that maybe it isn't so bad ! I like how the darker border makes the middle jump out and the stripes in middle of each border don't detract too much. Of course Webster has to put his inspection on it! He is in the upper left corner, just walking away... silly four legged beastie

So, I think I'll keep it,, finish the last side and call it good

Sometimes things work and sometimes they work really well,,, and sometimes, like this time,, you have to talk yourself into it.

INTERNET FINDS

I admit that I'm an internet browser,, one thing leads to another to another to another and pretty soon a couple of hours have been eaten away - when I should have been cleaning, cooking or sewing (( arrrggghhh! drives me nuts! why!! do I have to clean !!?? ))

This morning I stumbled on this great pattern for a pincushion organizer,, yes there are plenty of patterns out there in cyber land, but I thought this one was pretty cool.

Pincushion, scrap bag, and a little section to put some tools. Check it out at http://www.sewmamasew.com/media/blog/SMSPincushionOrganizer.pdf

and look at her other stuff too! Cool blog. I printed the pattern then said some of those bad words cause my black ink is gone.

Bye! going to the store now!

I'm a Klutz!

OUCH!!! #(($*%&#N#N#N ( those are words I was saying )

How many of you have cut a hunk out of your hand or finger with a dang ol' rotary cutter??? Stitches? Trip to the emergency room? Blood all over your quilt??? There is not too many quilters that haven't had that experience - or close calls! Reminds me of when I was a kid and learning to whittle ( don't ask me why a girl was whittling,,, but I had the knife and the balsa wood and whistled while I whittled ) until I whittled a good size hunk out of my thumb. My dad then became the owner of the knife.

I used to pooh-pooh the idea of needing something to keep that from happening to me again, after all, I'm an adult and careful - and up to lately, I have been REAL lucky! No trips to the ER, no bloody quilt pieces, no husband saying "I TOLD YOU SO!" ( gosh, don't you just hate it when they do that!?! )

But, yesterday, my mind on the tv and not what I was doing,,, oops! the darn thing slipped (( OUCH!! %*(#*&%&% ( those words again ))) and I just about could have cut the tip of my ring finger off! No, I didn't, I was really really lucky and got just a deep paper cut ( which hurts like a ..... well, you fill in that blank! )

Can't tell you how many times I have been in a quilt/craft store and walked past the gloves that keep that from happening and saying to myself,, " naw,, I don't need one of those", or " not today, got to get other stuff"... Well, now I own one! That was a little too close for me and I like all my fingers! In one piece!

I got the glove at Joann's, it was 40% off and I have the AQS discount card cause I belong so I got this for less than $14. It really works, too! I took that rotary cutter and ran it all over ( and I mean ALL OVER! ) the glove while it was on the table -- as hard as I could, probably ruined the blade. I wanted to make sure that it really works. And it does!

Now, I'm not saying, but I'm just saying,,, I feel better for having bought it. Just something for you to think about. I like my fingers....

(( I have no interest in the store of purchase or the brand I bought ))

A BLOG GIVEAWAY

AHOY Everyone!
I just stumbled on a blog PIGTALES AND QUILTS and in honor of her daughter's 30th birthday this year, she is giving away 30 fatquarters. visit the following blog and sign up!

Don't forgt to tell her where you found the the link,ok??

http://www.pigtalesandquilts.com/2009/04/give-away-time.html?showComment=1239141120000#c8732991996019582961

Good Lunck!

Pink Black and White Bee Quilt

I'm doing the Happy Dance! "" It's done! It's done! "" Gee, wish you could see me dance - just imagine yourself when you finally, FINALLY finish something that has been hanging around for years!

Well, I finally got all the borders on the Pink, Black and White Bee quilt - from 2006! This was a block swap that my Thursday bee, the Material Girls, did. I love all the blocks and can see each lady in each of the blocks that they chose to make...!
But, oh my goodness! My quilt came out so SO much bigger than I had planned!! It's a big 87 x 123 inches!! and it was supposed to fit a twin size bed!! oh well, Texas, everything is big in Texas (( grin ))
Here it is,, waving in the wind!

24 blocks, 5 individual borders and corner blocks. I put sashing around all the blocks to make them stand out,, guess I didn't have to go so wide ( quilt wouldn't have been so big! ) but I think that this helps each block to really stand out on it's own. I am happy with the borders too,,, they finish and frame the quilt but don't take away from the blocks. Ok, more dancing... (( I'm done, I'm done ))

I did have trouble hanging it, though,, I don't have any place really tall that has hanging thingys.. so this is hanging off the guttering around the porch, and it still is dragging the ground! Gee, wonder if dear husband would put hangy thingys up on the fireplace outside ??? and maybe something like a pully that I could use to get the quilts up there,,, no ,,,, probably not.....

A word to the wise,,,,Don't make a quilt so big that you have trouble displaying it! I finally had to lay it out in the grass.. (( I had to make sure that there were no four-legged beastie surprises in the grass before I laid it out )) !!!

The bottom corner square is the title square for the quilt -- Material Girls Tickle Me Pink Block Swap August 2006.

See why I'm doing the happy dance!?!?!? Three 3 three 3 years to get this done!!

but it still ain't quilted....

STASH REPORT - Week Whatever

I really truly have been keeping track of what I use... I just haven't used very much during the last couple of weeks. I think I have turned into a couch turnip.. a growing, leafing, root bearing couch turnip. For the first couple of days it was cause I was so darn tired,, then it was cause I just wanted to vegetate, then,, oh heck,, who knows why - maybe cause I just wanted to sit.

Well, I've had enough sitting, time to get some STUFF done!!

Here is my report for Stash Busting, Week Whatever..

Fabric added this week NOTHING!! Yep! it has been 4 months since I bought any fabric!! ( but if I keep sitting on the couch, I don't need to buy anything (grin) ! ))

However,, I did use up some stuff! I finished the borders on a quilt, pulled the backing from stash for it,, so by golly, I'm counting it!

Fabric used this week -- 11-1/8 yards !! I like that!

(( pats on the back to me! ))

NATIONAL QUILTING DAY

yea yea yea,, I'm a day late but yesterday was National Quilting Day... I heard but didn't remember until now ... browsing other blogs and EVERYONE ( yes, everyone ) is writing about it. I didn't know that it had been around for 20 years - saw that on someone's blog. Well, I did spend some of the day quilting - with my friends at tirane's house. There was just three of us -- we missed you SueAnn and Swooze! - but we managed to have a good time.

Babs had a couple of packs of nickel charms a couple of months ago and we fiddled with laying them out... they were just too busy to put TOGETHER,, they needed a plain something to make them work. She didn't want to mess with them so I was the happy recepient of the squares. That was severl months ago,, and they were still sitting on my computer table ( they moved around the room LOL but ended up by my computer ) I got tired of seeing them.

I found a good pattern in "MORE NICKEL QUILTS" by Pat Speth,, I have some plain white Robert Kaufman Kona White and - hey! I have a new project to work on...
These are the squares, some already sewn into the HST

From Shoo-Fly Quilt

I also got a lesson in sewing straight lines yesterday. We were all talking and I was marking my lines so I could sew the two squares together. I got all marked, and started chaining everything together ( 30 pairs ),,, cut the squares apart from the chain, laid one on the cutting mat,, measured out my 1/4 inch to cut, did the big cut .... ( do you see it coming yet??)
DUHH,,, big double DUHHH...


Do you see what I did???

From Shoo-Fly Quilt

There is my lesson in straight stitching - and I did it well, too! Oh well, I can't talk and sew at the same time. I went back and sewed the two line on either side of this one, cut the HST apart, pressed and gave up...
Came home and took a nap