BAD BLOGGER !!!!!

Well,  I'm not sure which of my excuses is the right one to use,  but I cannot believe that my last post was in early May!    It's been quite the summer.   Here is what I've been up to:

•      June 15,  last day of school  summer vacation started.
•     June 4,  Mike started 7 1/2 weeks of radiation treatment... 5 days a week.
•     No traveling for us... as we were sticking close to home.... how far can you get in 24 hours?   and not knowing how he was going to be feeling at any one time span of his treatment, we opted not to make too many travel plans that we might have to cancel.   We played each day as it came.
•     We did get some projects done around the house...
• new power overhead door on the front of the big shop
• new smaller overhead door on the back of the big shop
• these replaced very heavy rolling barn=type doors
• got the greenhouse built that had been in the box for 2 years
• landscaped around the firepit and patio we poured last spring
• I built a waterfall/ waterfeature from rocks we had in the yard
• did some irrigation pipe work to add spigots out closer to the perenniel beds
• got some gymnasium lites hung up in the shop
• tried to start cleaning and organizing the shop, but it is a work in progress
• cleaned out a few cupboards and closet and got stuff taken to goodwill and salvation army... this is also an ongoing project..... I should do part of this every week.
• We bought and traded cars.... I've already lost count....but we did take some 3 hour car rides to look at cars or to pick them up.   
• And I did accomplish some quilting along the way.... I'll save that for another post.

Mike is now done with his radiation and we are tapping our feet waiting for the first set of test results which we will get at the end of September....  He is at the point post-treatment where he should be starting to regain his strength and energy,  so that is just in time for me to go back to work next week.

It is amazing to me, that having that 20 minute appointment every day can totally undermine whatever project you have going.... it seemed that by the time we got home from the appointment at 11:00 am or noon, or 1:00 after running errands,  the day was too short!     We have seen lots of Redbox movies this summer.....

I'm not usually one to post several times a week,  or to share what it was I had for lunch yesterday,  but three months is a long time.....  I'm hoping that with the treatments behind us, and work on the horizon, that life will find it's normal rhythm soon.  

April Finish

Here is my April UFO progress!  Another finish!  I played with my new curved ruler set that I bought at our quilt show to get the curved cross hatching.  I definitely need to practice more.... but that's the story of my life.  For those of you who are just starting to follow, this was a bonus quilt from my "Roll Roll Cotton Boll" quilt that was Bonnie Hunter's 2010-2011 Mystery. 

I don't know where this quilt will go yet.... it's a small lap / crib size quilt.  

This little sunflower template seemed perfect for the alternate blocks.....

Weigh In Wednesday

We had a "dark week" last week, so when I weighed in this week, it was for a two week time period.  I have lost another 1.2 pounds.   I'm just starting to notice some of my clothes fitting differently.... my jeans with the spandex that I wear the most, must have been stretched just about to their max when i started this process,  because they aren't falling off of me yet, LOL.  I did wear a pair of non-stretch jeans last week, and they were loose on me.   PROGRESS!  My overall measurements haven't changed too much yet,  but it will happen eventually.  

Annual Quilt Show

Well,  it's been a long week,  but our quilt show is officially over for another year!   It always feels good to have this behind us.   I was in charge of where the quilts were laid out.  Set up day was Wed.... and it was a long one.... We got started early... before 8 am... and it was right at 8 pm when I finally climbed into the truck to head home.... 32,000 steps on my pedometer later. 

Over 200 wonderful quilts and wearable art items plus lots of fabulous vendors... I purchased two extension tables to extend my quilting surface,  and some rulers for free motion ruler work.   I tried to keep my fabric purchases to a minimum,  but came home with about 10 yards of fabric.

Our show is a peoples choice show... and visitors our first 2 days choose their favorites in several categories.....  then the ribbons go up for the 3rd day.  

This is our Peoples choice... the most votes of all quilts.... First place for piecing... and first place for hand guide long arm quilting... plus the show chairmans' favorite.....  This gal deserved them all.   She saw a picture of this quilt which was about 3"..... and replicated it without a pattern to go by!   There are heat set zwarovsky crystals on the points and centers.....  As if the workmanship wasn't enough... this young woman made this quilt while her huband was dying of brain cancer..... it was her solice during a very dark time in her life.   Hearing her story brought you to tears....  She has titled her quilt... "He Calms My Raging Soul".

Stash Report Week 14

It has been 4 weeks since I last reported... and in that time frame... I've finished quilting a quilt... but have not used any more....  but I've built on my stash totals  ...

Used this  Month:                  0 yards
Used year to Date:           17.5 yards
Added this Month:              67  yards
Added year to Date:       215.5 yards
Net used for 2012:     -196.00 yards


Thread spools at start of 2012: 294
Thread spools emptied this month:      2
Thread spools emptied year to date: 12
Thread spools remaining : 282

It's a wrap! My Dresden Plate quilt is finished!

Finally!  I got this quilt finished.   It was my February UFO quilt... and I got it finished on the 5th of March... so not too bad....

If you haven't heard (or read) the story.... I purchased the antique rings in 1999.  I then hand appliqued them with a needle turn technique to some muslin.  (this process took me a little over  a year of on again, off again handwork.)  

Then I needed a setting for 11 blocks.   A weird number..... but I did not want to make a 12th block. 

The setting I used was in an old quilt magazine, (can't remember the name, or the date) from the mid to late 80's.  I photocopied the pages I would need,  and purchased the blue fabric.   The original pattern had 4 dresden plates in the four corners, and then a scalloped border on four sides to make it a double size.   I had orignally planned on just using the solid blue for the corners, and leaving the scallops off, to make a twin size quilt.   

As I got around to piecing the top together 3 years ago.... I miscut the corners, (imagine that after 10 years, I had misplaced some of the pages).   And to make matters worse,  I did not have enough fabric to fix the situation.  I chose the scrappy block for the corners, and made 4 of them using my reproduction 30's.   (I felt that new dresden plates would look too new).   

The new corners I made with those blocks, were also not the right size, and I had a top that would not lay flat.  

Fast forward to now,  and by adding a "coping strip" to the corners,  I was able to get the top to lay nice and flat. 

Since I really wanted this quilt to have a vintage feeling to it,  I decided to quilt it with a grid.   This will be a quilt that will stay in my personal quilt collection.   I don't have plans to give it to anyone anytime soon.    

Stash Report Week 10

I haven't kept up each week with my stash report, but I haven't had something to report most of these last few weeks as far as stash progress goes. 

I've backed another quilt, and got some quilting done, and a little stash enhancement... so here I am...

I found the fabric I need for an internet challenge, and besides... batiks were on sale!  While at the fabric store, I just had to check out the sale room, and there were some great black and white prints for $3.50 a yard, so I grabbed those.  I also picked up the border fabric for an upcoming baby quilt a week or two ago.

I backed the dresden plate quilt and it's nearly finished!  YEAH! 


Used this Week:   5 yards
Used year to Date: 17.5 yards
Added this Week: 21 yards
Added year to Date: 148.5 yards
Net used for 2012: -131.00 yards


Thread spools at start of 2012: 294
Thread spools emptied this week:     1
Thread spools emptied year to date: 10
Thread spools remaining : 284