Behind with Jan's blocks

Just started on cutting for third BOM for Jan. I'll make a small & large version. Glad to at least have time for the cutting. :)

Been busy

Haven't been able to post.... Been doing a lot of non quilting related stuff. Last week had great time running around at the Phoenix quilt craft & sew fair. And last & this week hit a few estate sales. Been sorting & posting on eBay & etsy.
Got some interesting stuff - N. Currier hand painted litho Landing of The Pilgrims at Plymouth - only one I can find is on the Library of Congress website. I'll post pics later or send a message if interested..
Off to bed, gonna work next three days, then hopefully will be able to finish some blocks for the BOMs. Thx for reading! Kelly

Busy week

Been a busy week. Now it's raining & cabin fever has set in bad for everyone. Ground's not designed for all the water. Learning to hand quilt, trying to finish my sisters quilt, but its not going fast. Stitches aren't even, lines aren't even. Trying different techniques to see what I like best. So far strait lines are a lot easier than curves - dont have to turn the hoop as much. Next week is the quilt show! I can't wait. Stepson supposed to be coming home beginning of this week- we shall see. Then couple more BOMs will be up & ready to go, too. Lots of projects all at once! This year will fly by!

FYI how to make circles on the Juki 2010 Q

A couple posts back I made a makeshift circle maker for my Juki. I looked around to find an actual attachment made by Juki, then I looked for after market parts and was unable to find one.
I looked around at circular stitchers by other manufacturers and ordered what looked promising. Well it worked. The Singer Circular Stitcher part no. 161847. I'm still using the circular discs that I made for my makeshift one, and this one makes more uniform circles because I'm not holding the tack. Little hard to screw down because of the screws design.

Last week and this week

Sorry didnt have the time to update last week. Went by so fast. Was working on discharge for stepson. Then had 2nd beginning serger class. Then picked up $10 BOM. Handwashed & pressed the fabric, no cutting or sewing yet. Somewhere in between all of that I got official news my oldest sister has Huntington's. So week was very draining. Was busy last three days at work, was probably good to keep my mind off of home.

So plan for this week is still up in the air. I started working on a different quilt for my sister, since sewing the circles will take forever and I want to send her a quilt soon. After taking the serger class I got the idea that maybe I can serge a quilt together for her. I took two different colors of flannel ~ 3 yards by 4 panels by width of fabric. Cut them fairly even. decoratively serged 2 matching panels together and stretched them to make 2 larger panels. Then put some batting in the middle think it's 80/20 because she's back East.  Then I hooped it with the largest hoop I have and am trying to hand quilt it. LOL it's definitly a piece of art. This is my first attempt. I am just going in and out of the fabric trying different sized needles to see what works. I have bent two already. Flannel wasnt a good choice for hand quilting but I dont have the room to expand my Inspira quilting frame to load it. It's just set up for a small quilt right now. Besides I want some hand work in there for a personal touch. No fancy quilting just meandering around leaving less than 4 inces in between quilting lines. I plan to use the serger to finish the edges around the quilt once I'm done meandering. I'll post pics before I send it off.

Next week is the Phoenix Quilt festival at the State Fairgrounds, I'm hoping everything to have slowed down by then. I'd like to relax and take a couple classes from square in a square. Got a couple of the rulers reciently and really like the points that I should be able to do. Always looking for my next project.

This week

Been busy preparing for step-son's possible discharge.

Did my homework of rethreading my serger for class tomorrow.

Made my own circle maker for my juki 2010 q. Called around and none are made for it because its a strait stitch only maching. I would love to have one for this expressive purpose. Robbing Peter to pay Paul doesn't need fancy stitching for construction. I used center of paper plates a strait pin and lots of tape. Tested and moved it and tested until close as can be. Very flimsy though, would design a piece that would screw into both of the screws to the right of the needle if I could. Oh and it has a part of a rubber feeling earring backing. See pics! Someone should make an after part universal just for the screws.

Tomorrow serger class & poss josh discharge. Saturday pick up $10 BOM from another quilt shop.

Saturday

Had an interesting day. Went to a textile arts mini fair in Glendale. Met some great ladies with very interesting projects!  Even my husband was interested. Heard he threw away a belt loom from a storage unit because he didn't know what it was... oh well, there have been many things we couldn't figure out what they were. Now we know. Watched someone make a  pair of socks with a sock knitter from the 1920s from commercial varigated wool yard - they looked great! If your ever interested in single shoes we have like 80K plus of them... Just incase your interested message me.
Right now I am continued on my rip cutting 4 inch squares. Have made quite a pile, just working through all the scraps & making more.
Step son is doing okay. Hubby going to watch football with him tomorrow. I'l be working the next 3 days, will update after then. Have a great weekend! Kelly

Friday update

Well went to serger 101 & spent nearly 2 hours threading and rethreading the machine. Serges well. Made some bandanas from fat quarters for the dogs.
Went to a quilt shop going out of business here in the valley - picked up a couple goodies. Fabric being sold by the bolt.
Then took dinner to the guys - from this great Greek restaurant - King Gyros on 44th ave & Thunderbird. Was worse time to drive to them though- took me 2 hours to go 40 miles. Traffic stop & go.
Anyways, pics of my rip/cut squares for my sister's robbing Peter to pay Paul quilt. And a pile of the leftover scraps. Have a good night. Kelly

Hello Friday

I spent yesterday looking for my quilter's boot - it's around here somewhere, still cant find it. After going through all my stuff (mainly fabric), I concluded I needed to use up some so I could buy more.

My sister called me a couple weeks back asking for a blanket like I made my other sister (they are not into quilting, so I accept the use of blanket from them). In the interest of not making the same quilt more than once - I wanted to try something new. At the fall festival at the AZ State Fair I purchased some Robbing Peter to Pay Paul templates. I bought the set, because I like to spend and save money. I want to make a large quilt for my sister with the 4" square template, but this means I need a ton of squares. I ripped a whole bunch of my older fabrics (some very vintage from my aunt and some from maybe 2 years ago being purchased). I know the squares just have to be no smaller than 4 inches so ripping the fabric makes sure I am on the strait of grain and the sides will be cut away once the circle is sewn anyways. I havent decided if I will add a small square of batting to each square or not. Here in AZ there would be no need, but my family lives in Virginia.

So I am off to a serger 101 class and will post later showing how I rip cut fabrics. I have never used a serger and just purchased a Singer Profinish for $75 out of box, brand new. Great deal! Even the class comes with the purchase of the serger. Cant turn it down, plus I never used a machine that didn't have a bobbin.

PS Stepson is doing okay - he knows I'm heading to class today - I had the class scheduled prior to him being hospitalized.

Kelly

Update

Made some blocks from another BOM. Haven't been able to do much because of visiting SNF for step-son. Hope he's home soon. Will update later. Kelly

Saturday update

Picked up my $25 BOM. Already finished the 4 blocks required. About 2 hours total including washing & pressing dry (for sizing). Cute block design. Very simple & easy to do.
I'm still working on the TQS one- not easy, not extremely challenging. Just time consuming and difficult appearing. Hubby actually likes the colors being used - at least the 2 I am working with. Not sure if that is good or not :/
Youngest stepson is in the hospital - was admitted yesterday. He's doing good; there for an ongoing issue, MD just wants him on IV ABT now. Right now I'm working on getting his quilt washed for hubby to take up there tomorrow.
Met couple ladies with similar interests today @ sewing shop I had never been to. Also had to get a serger - was less than 1/4 of retail price. & snagged some goodies to place on eBay when I get a chance.
Will be working until Tuesday, so no update till after then. As far as my schedule is out, I'll be working sun-tues. just glad it's not scattered.

Stayed home today

Was put on standby today - wasn't called in. Got the TQS Month 1 completed. Not perfect, just close. :) good night.

Now to cutting again

Didn't imagine how long I would be cutting. Sucks to not be able to use the rotary cutter. Anyways I'll update once I'm done cutting. I work the next 2 days- have sat off & work through tues so no updates until after then. Thx for reading! Kelly

Much contemplation

Decided since the strips were to be cut, they should be machine sewn. Working on it now.

Starting stitching.

I'm going to attempt to stitch everything by hand. Haha time depending. I have the first strip marked. 28 wt aurifil to match the darker fabric ( tip from Jinny Beyer's hand stitching book).
Pins added.
Working with a JJ 11 g&g quilting needle. My thimble is a tailors thimble - best one yet. Found in storage unit (husband buys them).
First seam done. Not too bad for piecing for about a month.

Getting started.

First strips cut. Had to recut the yellow/orange fabric.
First photo is lining up the fabric with the grain line.
2nd is first cut.
24 inch rulers work great for cutting and carrying.

Getting started BOM TQS

I've rip cut ( my favorite ) the first 2 fabrics ( washed & pressed) currently laying the out for cutting.