…Not Fun Anymore

Have you ever started a project and while working on it you become so stressed the project was more of a chore to do then when you started it? I started the 365 Challenge (See previous post) with exhilaration thinking by the end of the year I would have another new quilt. What’s a block a day?!?!  It didn’t take me long to find out how difficult it is to make a block a day.

If you remember I had a box of ‘like’ fabric and wanted to use it up so I thought this would be a great place for it. I am finding out I still need more fabric! What?!?! More fabric…..NNNNOOOO I am trying to get RID of fabric, not buy more!
Not only that but it is taking just about all my time to make a block a day. I have so many other projects I am working on and was becoming stressed for not being able to work on that day’s block and nothing else that I decided to put this particular 365 Challenge on the back burner…..the way, way back burner. I feel like such a quitter but I have to be realistic and set better goals for my life. For now I am still saving the pattern of the day in case I want to really do this quilt but I will not be stressed about it.

So my goal for Feb. is to finish quilting the ‘Star Cakes’ quilt I pieced together last year. I purchased a layer cake about 5-6 years ago in burgundies, browns, creams and greens designed by Lynn Hagmeier:

http://kansastroublesquilters-lynne.blogspot.com

Obviously at that time I was into dark fabrics. I decided to use it and added some background fabric. The quilt went together sooo fast but the quilting is taking forever because I cannot decide on a design I like.
To give you an idea of what  the  'Star Cakes' pattern is here is a clip of a friend's:

 

I am loving making tops with the free pattern by Autumn: http://www.itsalwaysautumn.com

 

My favorite so far is the dots and stripes.

After I purchased that fabric I noticed it was reversible so I used both sides! I still have more to make a dot top. If I were to make one with the stripes I would have people getting dizzy like:

 

That’s how hard the striped fabric is to look at!

 

Don't forget to leave a comment for a give away!

 

This tip is from: http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com.   

To wash your bra put your bra in a salad spinner, add some water, baby soap and spin!  

 

Have a great week!

D.G. L

 

 

Learning

 

curve.

I have found out the hard way - do not wait until the end of the week to ‘catch up’ on the blocks in the 365 Challenge: http://www.365challenge.com.au

Finally got caught up on Sunday afternoon.

TA- DAH:

 

I have learned I have to take a half hour every day to cut out and sew that day’s block.

If you have not checked out Deb Tucker: http://www.studio180design.net you should. She designs amazing rulers  like thus one I started with. It is the ‘Tucker Trimmer’.  The whole dot is for squaring up blocks that are whole numbers and the half dot is for squaring up the half number blocks. Check out her site as there are many more rulers that save you a ton of time!

 

Just see how this ruler helps me trim up my block perfectly.

 

 

To save time cutting your HST apart, line them up overlapping a little on the ends.

 

Lay your ruler over the cut line (as much as your ruler will cover) and make one cut.

I had a bunch of HSTs cut in no time!

 

 A litte hint:  I do not stack the squares on top of each other in case any shift.

Have a great week!

D.G. L

Congratulations

to Sue J. for helping me start depleting my stash.
 
Remember this?:

 
There will be one less item in this box as soon as Sue J. lets me know what she likes to work on.
 
I haven't worked on anything this week because it was my first week back to work after having a month off. I must be getting older I was exhausted every evening!
 
 After all the hype with this week's big Powerball, just think about this:

                      Fortune may find a pot, but it is your industry that must make it boil.

                      Unknown.

 

Have a great week!

D.G. L

 
 
 

Glutton for Punishment

Or just plain CRAZY?

I decided to try and participate in the 365 Challenge: https://www.facebook.com/365challengequiltblocks

 

I say try because I am not good at ‘stick-to-it-tiveness’ as you who have been following me have already figured out...I have trouble being Consistent. (Previous post). Somewhere on the Face Book post about this challenge I thought I saw ‘Farmer’s Wife’ mentioned. Because that quilt is on my To-Do list I imagined this would be a do-able way for me to eventually cross that one off my list.
*Getting off track just a little:
I am almost ashamed to show this but it is real in my world. When I see posts of sewing over cleaning I know they are posting  about me….
I store all my extra ‘stuff’ in the spare room and have to move it to my sewing room when the kids come home, hence:

A picture of my sewing room of which I am able to open the door 6 whole inches!

In a good way when the kids leave I have to move it all back again so this time  I started to ‘clean’ out the ‘junk’. (Not as much as I should have but it's a start.)  I decided to throw out the magazines I had on the shelves (of 2 bookcases). I kept telling myself whatever is in the magazines I can find ‘online’ and that made it a lot easier for me to toss them! It was such an exhilarating feeling when I dumped the 3 large boxes of magazines in the recycle bin. Now I have a little more room for ‘stuff’, ummm I mean projects….

ALL the selves were crammed FULL!

I digress. In moving, sorting, and organizing I found a box of what I call my Jo Morton fabric (even though not all of it is JM fabric) and some shirting fabric (which I put in it's own box - yeah organizing!). I thought this challenge would be a great place to use these fabrics:

 

and thus this Crazy Person was created…..
I have 4 blocks sewn, 4 blocks cut out and hope to cut the 2 blocks out this weekend, sew all and catch up.

I am also finishing a miniature. I love creating miniatures because they are tedious enough to challenge me and I can finish a ‘whole’ quilt faster than a queen sized quilt.
I used George Siciliano’s: http://www.georgesiciliano.com ‘Birds in Paradise’ pattern and reduced his pattern.

 

George’s original 'quilt' finished at 12” x 15” (without borders) and mine with borders finished at approximately 9” x11”.

The chalk marks represent the quilting pattern but I am very unsure if I really want to quilt it this way. Does anyone have a better way to quilt this as I would love all ideas?

As stated I organized and ended up with things I just couldn’t throw away: patterns, projects I intended to do and now don't want to, ones I have already done, etc. If you would like a chance to receive FREE one of these (I have so many I just might make this a monthly event) leave a comment and my secret picker will draw a name.

Also let me know if you like to do Woolies, embroidery, paint, quilt, sew, whatever you like to do, I might just have something to help with your creation.


As I mentioned almost everything is online now even brain surgery! (Yes I looked it up on You Tube.)
Before I threw out the magazines I quickly went through them to see if there were any projects I might want to do in the future. I ripped out the patterns and I am keeping them in binders now. This takes up much less space... now more craziness can begin when I go to organize the binders!

 
Have a great week!
D.G. L
 

Welcome 2016!

Happy New Year!

 

I am reading several of my blogs and am noticing a lot of bloggers I follow are making resolutions and goals for this coming year.
This is not me! My mind just does not work that way, never did-never will. I am more of the spare of the moment, ‘Oh I need a gift….tomorrow’, last minute person.
This drives Larry crazy at times….for better or worse….
As my followers have noticed I am not consistent enough to make a list let alone stick to it!
(However a great example of a goal oriented list maker
is Beth: http://appliqueand.blogspot.com.)

In the last 2 months – wow it has been a time – I won a book from Anna: http://wooliemammoth.blogspot.com

and a pattern designed by Ronene: http://ohmybloominthreads.com offered in a

give  away by Doris: http://www.quiltingqueenonline.com/

I made a cute slouchy top using a free pattern designed by Autumn: http://www.itsalwaysautumn.com.

Her site is a great one to follow.

This year’s ornaments in glass were wreaths. When I was putting the ribbons on the ornaments, I notice the original price of the ribbon was 19 cents a yard! I bought the spool which was about half full at a close out sale years ago. I think I paid a whole dollar for it!

 

For my close friends I also embroidered T-towels and made cute pincushions.

 

My friend and I went to a different quilt guild in Oct. It was a nice guild but way too far away. This picture is a sampling of one person's work.

 

My son and family came up from TN for Christmas. Nice few days, just too short of a visit.

I did not see my youngest granddaughter (and son) but I sent her presents from Santa along with my older son as he and family were spending the day with them.

 

This tip is again a rather ‘elementary' one.

Very often I sit down to check my emails, Facebook, Blogs I follow, and Pinterest. I look up at the time and WHAT?!? Where did it go????

 

I wanted to get in the sewing room and it’s way too late to think about starting anything!!!!!!

AAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!

So this year I will be setting an alarm so time does NOT get away from me.

 

Why didn’t I do that last year? I might have gotten more projects done…..

Have a great week!

D.G. L

Still not much.

Please remember to pray for our world.

Wishing Happy Turkey Day!

Wishing

Have a great week!
D.G. L
 

Americans and Everyone!

Remember to thank the veterans this week and every week.
Our country would not be if it wasn't for them!

Have a great week.
D.G. L