$5 Quilt Blocks

Here are photos of my first two $5 quilt blocks that have cost me $40 so far! Well, I have to say in defense of the quilt store, if I had the book with the patterns in it in my library already, it would have cost me only $10 - $5 for the first block, and $5 for the second block (because I did not make the meeting on time). The next meeting is coming up next Saturday, September 5, 2009. As you can see, I have my block done. If I can get to the quilt store before 9:00 a.m. with my finished block in hand, I will receive the fabric kit for the next month's block for free. I know right now that I will not make the October, and the November meetings since I already have plans for those days. I will need to go into the store and pay $5 sometime during those months to obtain my fabric kits and information on what blocks in our book are the patterns for those months.

I was intending to have nine quilt blocks for the price of only $5.00 when I signed up for this activity, but that has not worked out for me. We'll see how well I do for the upcoming months. Other than October and November, I should be able to get my kits for no cost if I can only follow the rules!

For my August Aunt Millie's Garden block, I have my vinyl overlay made and my freezer paper templates for the block. All I need now is to pick out my fabrics (purple background is ready) and get busy sewing. I want to have it done by Tuesday, September 1, 2009, so that I can keep up with the group. Crispy has her block done, so I must focus, focus, focus.

I did "volunteer" at my old job (from which I retired at the end of June) on Monday, Tuesday (first day of school) and Wednesday this week. I realized that I had not been able to "let go" of my job due to the fact that I did not know who was replacing me. I met my replacement, and I helped out in the office this week. I am now able to really feel retired. On Thursday morning, I came out of the bedroom and shouted, "I am retired. I am finally retired!" My hubby was the only one here to celebrate with me. The cat was not at all interested in the frivolities.

So, now on with the rest of my life - whatever that is???

Happy Quilting

Pincushion filled and finished

These pictures are of the pincushions that we did at Quilting 101 this month. The orangey one I made, and the larger purple and turquoise is the one my friend, Monica, made and gifted to me.

I hand pieced my pincushion using the English paper piecing method Monica taught at the last Quilting 101 workshop. I filled it with walnut shells. What a hoot! It feels like a bean bag. I sewed a half inch finished band all around the hexagons which attached them together. There are two pictures, one of each side. I made it reversible. I wanted it to lay flat, so I did not put as much of the walnut shells into it as I could have. I sewed the clear beads on through the pincushion to try to keep the walnut shells from shifting so much.

I have had a couple of quilting teachers making pincushions and telling us to use walnut shells instead of polyester stuffing. I like the poly stuff, but the shells gives it some weight and hopefully it will stay where it should stay on the sewing table. I had to go back over a few places where my stitches were a little too far apart as the shells started to pop out when I squeezed it. I was testing it to make sure my hand stitches would hold. I know it would be hard to sew it by machine since the hexagons I used were a smaller size than Monica's pincushion.

It took more time than I thought it would take to hand piece the strip all around. It was fun to figure out everything, but I am sure I would not want to try to make a living selling those little things! Maybe it will be like my apple pie...I did it, I mastered the concept, now on to something else!

Happy Quilting

Early Trick or Treat

Not a trick, but a treat. I have been treated by Julie. In the mail yesterday there was a mysterious package. My husband brought in the mail and set it on the table. Since I knew I had not sent for anything lately, I was mystified as to what it could be. When I looked at the return address, I knew who sent it, but not what it was. When I opened it, there was a sweet card and these darling Halloween fabrics with the two Halloween panels.

I have been thinking about Halloween lately. I have a Halloween quilt kit I bought last year sitting on my sewing table. There are a couple of projects that I want to finish, then I thought I might start on my Halloween quilt kit. Since I did not get to it last Halloween, my idea was to get to it this Halloween. I do have a finished Halloween quilt. I found it in a stack of quilts in my alternate sewing space yesterday. I saw jack o lantern faces peeking out at me. I had to get up and pull out the quilt so that I could remember what was on the front. I then remembered it was made from a Halloween fabric line that I call the Killer Tomato line. The line was called Pumpkinville, I think, but the pumpkins do not look like pumpkins to me. They look like killer tomatoes, little evil bad boy tomatoes!

I also have some Halloween exchange blocks from a few years ago that I have wanted to put into a quilt. I have been looking for a haunted house panel that I could place in the middle like a central medallion block. I also thought that I could applique a haunted house design in the center. My idea is to put the exchange blocks around the center block, then borders around that. I always have these great ideas, but not the follow through. I am often the idea person on the team, but not the follow through person!

I have not been doing much sewing lately. I did supervise the Quilting 101 workshop last Saturday. My friend, Monica, came and demonstrated English Paper Piecing with a hexagon design. We sewed small hexagons together to make a pincushion. I will get a picture of mine when it is done. It was lots of fun. The ladies in attendance appeared to have a good time. They all sewed the hexagons for their pincushion, or they could use them to make a quilt block, or however they wanted to use them. It was a productive afternoon for one and all.

Happy Quilting

Feathered Star Block Finished

I started applique on my feathered star block at bee last Thursday, and I finished it today. I added this block last year to my collection. I did not want to do it at first because of all the peaks and valleys. Well, I forgot about that when I prepped the block, but I sure remembered that thought while I was stitching it! LOL! Some of my peaks are not too peaky, and some of my valleys are a little fuzzy, but it is done. If you looked at my block while sitting on the back of a galloping horse, you would not notice its flaws. Right now I am satisfied with that! LOL!

I have been doing so much hand sewing this week, my shoulder is hurting. It hasn't hurt this much in a long time. It seems that when I am doing hand applique and machine quilting, I hold my shoulders up and tight. I try to remember to relax and do my shoulder shrugs often, but I can tell tonight that I did not do that often enough this week. I guess I need to do some machine sewing, or sit and read, or something else as a break from hand work.

Since I made chocolate chip cookies last night (and did not do the dishes then) I had lots of dishes to do this morning. So after breakfast, I did the dishes. Then sewed for a while. Then I made a cake for a friend's birthday that is today. After that, I did some sewing on my block. I had to stop at noon to watch Perry Mason, then I packaged up the cookies, and frosted the cake. Hubby and I drove to our friend's house, delivered the cake, then we went to the salon and I received a hair cut. We stopped at the store and did some shopping. (Hubby wanted a ham hock for his beans.) Then we returned home whence I started sewing again. So, I had breaks during the day, but I know I was so intense the last couple of hours because I was so close to getting my block finished.

I am so proud of myself. While sewing these last two applique blocks, I did not once sew the front to the back, nor did I cut a hole in any parts of the fabric that should not have holes. I did cut my thread once when I was trimming back some fabric on the feathered star block, but that's not bad. My track record on sewing my front to my back happens more than I care to say, so I am quite pleased with my progress this week and last week, even with a sore shoulder.

I want to get back to sewing some patchwork. I have just one more border to finish on my Bears in the Farmhouse quilt. It is all HSTs that will form a sawtooth border. I am anxious to finish my green and purple friendship block exchange quilt. I have a few more blocks to complete and I will have all the blocks done. The sashing contains these cute little nine patches, and I think they are all done. So I will need to cut some sashing strips and then put it all together. It is going to be way cool!

Kim is inviting folks to see how many projects they can finish this month. I have a little more embroidery to do, and I will have block #9 finished in my Periwinkle Lane series. I have drawn out the last three blocks. They need coloring, then I can start stitching. I have a tote bag that needs quilting, then construction. I have two more tote bags that I wanted to get done this summer, and a couple of quilts, but they are only in the pattern stage right now.

This week I did do some machine sewing. I constructed a shop hop bag sample. I still need to do the binding, then it will be finished. If I keep track of all of these things, I am sure I will be surprised how much I did "finish" this month. Join Kim and I see how many projects you can finish this month.

Happy Quilting

Aunt Millie's Garden Block #1

Here is my first Aunt Millie's Garden block. Purple was my choice for the background. I know you are not surprised. I have joined with Crispy to applique these blocks. With some gentle nudging on her part, I finally started, and finished, my first block. Thank you, Crispy. I changed the center of the block, but I am not sure I like it.

I have been out of my applique element for a while. Getting back into the rhythm of applique has been interesting. I found my threads, my needles, my vinyl, my freezer paper, and my marking tools. I also found lots of blocks that need to be put into quilts. There are also more blocks that need to be completed for projects. Then there are those five big applique WIPs (works in progress). I feel that I finally have my applique mojo back. Next is to get some patchwork WIPs finished and off my sewing table.

Yesterday, our family went up to Sonora for my husband's stepmother's memorial service. It was interesting to see all the family together again. The last time we were all together was for my father-in-law's 80th birthday. The weather was good, not too hot. Usually this time of the summer temps are higher in Sonora. We brought home a couple of apple pies from Cover's. They have a satellite kitchen in downtown Sonora now. The last couple of trips to Sonora it was not open when we drove through town. Cover's makes the best apple pies.

I made an apple pie from scratch once. It was so successful that I decided I would stop there. I wanted to go out with a winner! I have not made any pies since.

We also stopped at three quilt stores on the way home. I forgot to go to the quilt store in Sonora itself! DAH! I thought about it on the way home. I wanted to stop at the Quilter's Cabin in Oakdale to purchase some Kona Cotton. Since I have used up all the yardage that I bought there last year, a stop was in order. They also had some new solid colors that had just arrived. Our next stop was at Ladybug Quilts in Manteca. I bought a new Halloween pattern there from Crabapple Hill, Vintage Trick or Treat. I have the Hocuspocusville pattern from last Halloween that I have not made yet. I doubt that I will have time to make either pattern before this coming Halloween, but you never know!

Our last stop was at In Between Stitches in Livermore. I missed the $5.00 quilt class that morning, so I was required to pay another $5.00 for my next BOM kit. Maybe I can make the next class on time and with my block finished. Stranger things have happened to me, you know!

I am so excited that I finished my first AMG block, and now have the second block assignment. I also started working on another Baltimore Album block at the Thursday bee. My chubby little fingers are flying and my needles are humming a happy tune! Life is good.

Happy Quilting