That was quick

I finished the Roman Stripes quilt just before going out to dinner. Keith has another business dinner tonight so I'm on my own - again. I walked a couple blocks to Buca and a couple glasses of wine, a salad, and 2 slices of pizza later I'm very mellow!


I've also been working on the spiderweb top - just 3 seams and then I can add borders. I'm really having to make myself finish this top rather than putting it aside. This is the first time I've sashed the blocks individually - I don't know if it's because there are so few blocks or if the design wall makes it easier but I didn't have to *think* too hard.


I was playing around in EQ6 again today - I love this new version - it's so easy to save photos of quilts and blocks. Here's the 16 patch and pinwheels that Mom and I were working on.

Baptist Fan quilting

Did I mention I love this template? I'm quilting another HeartStrings top today - this is a quilt that I designed in EQ and cut out for my Mom. She pieced the top and gave it to me to quilt and donate. Look at how nice and flat that border lies unlike the one I just finished quilting for my aunt!

The skies have gotten dark and the rain is pouring down. I'm going to unplug the Gammill for a bit since I noticed we have a tornado warning in effect. Don't want any lightening strikes or power surges to mess up my machine.

Did I sound like I was complaining?

Maybe the last post sounded a little whiny but I don't worry too much about the tops waiting for quilting. I don't quilt as a *job* so I rarely have set deadlines and usually make good progress.

Today I quilted my Aunt's top - you remember - the one one I lost my mind and spent hours pulling out the quilting stitches before going to visit my Mom. Anyway, she's pretty *relaxed* about how she adds borders to quilts so they're usually a challenge. After picking out all that stitching and reloading the quilt - I remembered why I had changed my mind about a pantograph in the beginning. There was way too much fullness in the entire quilt to manage from the back and the borders were going to be particularly difficult. In the end, I just quilted a loopy meander and the leaves I started with would probably have looked better.

My solution was to quilt pleats in the borders since there was no way to quilt them without getting lots of tucks. Because I'm such a nice niece I even slip stitched them down after finishing the quilting.

Before someone asks why I don't tell her the *right* way to measure and add borders - she already knows how but just chooses not to.

Waiting for quilting

I have about 25 tops in line for quilting right now and that number keeps growing. In addition to tops from my Mom and aunts, I've added these 3 to the pile.

Two of these are the ones Mom and I finished this past week (they'll go to her church at Christmas) and the Roman Stripes is a top that Mom made and gave me to finish for HeartStrings and donate. The green double 4 patch is a UFO from last year and I'm happy to have that top finished and ready for quilting.

Wallhanging

I had several comments about the wallhanging in the last photo. The picture was taken at Mom's house and that's a pattern I adapted for her out of a book or magazine. The center is unchanged from the pattern and we put a braid border around it to go with an applique quilt she uses on that bed.

If someone *needs* to know where the pattern came from - let me know and I'll chase it down.

I'm home

My flight got in this afternoon and after another sleepless night and early morning I'm tired so there be no work for me today. I'm getting behind so I'll have to start quilting again tomorrow - I brought 5 tops back with me plus all the ones I already have waiting.

After taking me to the airport this morning at 6AM, Mom went home and finished putting this last one we'd been working on together so it's ready to send to me for borders and quilting. This was from leftover strips from the green double 4 patch and it's a 16 patch alternating with a pinwheel block.

Progress on May's Use the Stash Challenge

Mom and I have worked long and hard the last couple days and have made great progress on our May stash quilts. We both still have borders to add but these will be ready to go back with me for quilting when I go home on Saturday.

Mini-vacation

I've had a 3 day break from quilting but today I'm back at work. We had a nice Mother's Day weekend but my sister and her family have gone home and Mom and I have started on Judy's May Stash Challenge.

Mom's working on the Courthouse Steps quilt and I'm working on the green Double 4 Patch. Both quilts will be completely from stash and will be donated this December to Mom's Church through their Angel Tree.

Quilt Pink and Mother's Day

I had two packages this afternoon. First, my quilt I bid for and won from the Quilt Pink Auction. Thanks to *Bidder #5* I had to work very hard to win the auction but I'm glad I didn't drop out for a couple reasons - I love the quilt and it was donated by Little Quilts in Marietta (I was feeling nostalgic just having moved from there).

The second package was Mother's Day Flowers from Chris & Becky and Adam.

Thanks for all the encouraging comments - I'm going to visit Mom for a week so maybe when I get back I can finish my Spiderweb top and quilt the top for my Aunt. I'm usually very tolerant of my work so I'm not sure why I've been displeased lately but taking a break will help.

What's wrong with this?

I went in to pick out more quilting stitches tonight and the crazy thing is I don't even know why I decided I had to pull all of this out and start over. It's really not that bad.

However, I am going to finish it now and just do a pantograph. Honestly, I don't know why I'm so dissatisfied with my work these days.

I'm so disgusted right now

If my dissatisfaction with the progress on the spiderweb quilt wasn't enough - I loaded a rail fence quilt for my Aunt on the longarm this morning. Started quilting it and decided I wasn't happy with it either.

I've spent all afternoon picking out quilting stitches and still have at least 2-3 hours left before I'm done. This is obviously a week I shouldn't be quilting!

Feedback

Thanks for all the feedback on the spiderweb quilt. I woke up this morning intending to rip out the sashing I'd already sewn but I've decided to just finish it up. It's tempting to just set the whole project aside but I know that it won't turn out as bad as I think and in the end it will make a nice donation quilt.

I did finish quilting this top that was donated to HeartStrings by Lori in CA. I leave for Virginia for a week on Friday so the binding may have to wait until I get back. The color in the first photo is truer but the 2nd one shows the quilting - another pantograph called Fay Feathers.

I asked Keith's opinion

I'm ready to sash and border the spiderweb blocks and had 3 combinations pinned to my design wall this afternoon to study while I was quilting another HeartStrings top (sent to me by Lori in CA for quilting). Since I wasn't any closer to a decision by the time Keith got home I asked which one he liked and he chose the center - olivey green combination.

Figuring what the heck - I cut out the inner border and part of the sashing and starting assembling the top tonight but with 2 blocks sashed I'm worried. I'm going to stop and reassess once I have daylight.

This quilt has really been a pain especially for something that was supposed to be a quick donation quilt from some leftover strips.

Helping those in need in Greensburg, Kansas

Sue Frank, one of the HeartStrings Quilt Project Coordinators is encouraging our quilters to help those in need. She has contacted a church that is sheltering 300 people devastated by the tornado in Greensburg, Kansas and gotten information on where quilt donations may be sent.

Visit the HeartStrings blog for more information.

See photos of Greensburg, Kansas after the tornado.

Spring

It's been an overcast and breezy weekend here in Minneapolis but we've still been out and about. Yesterday we tried for one of our 10+ mile walks but the weather didn't cooperate. Today we headed to the Mississippi for a walk along the river.

Here's the view from the other side.

Other photos from our walk can be seen in my online album. Now, I'll work some on my spiderweb quilt.

I'm tired of this already

I made myself work on my scrappy spiderweb blocks but I'm already tired of working on it and the quilt has been downsized so I can finish it sooner. It will still end up being about 54x68 or maybe a few inches bigger depending on my final border decisions. I did finished making the block quarters and have half of the blocks sewn together today.

I'll load another quilt on the longarm and maybe the next few days I can alternate between quilting and getting this to the finished top stage.

Does anyone else do this? Start out with grandiose plans for a large quilt and get bored?

By the way, that innocent looking dog at the top of the page, got into my batting again - twice!

They're running - I'm watching

There's a race starting at the park this evening. I'm sitting up on the balcony watching them run by as I sip a glass of wine.

Use the Stash Challenge

Judy has issued the use the stash challenge for May so after several conversations with Mom today this is what I've decided to do.

I'll be visiting Mom in a week and while I'm there we'll work on two stash quilts together that will be donated at Christmas time through her church's Angel Tree.

We'll make a version of this Sandy Bonsib quilt using a tea dyed muslin I've had for a while for a background and her leftover strips.

We'll also make a green lap size version of this quilt I made for Chris and Becky but we'll use greens and beige fabrics. I have all the strips cut but they've been sitting around for almost a year now so it's time to use them.

Today I pulled fabric and fused the houses for the Bonsib quilt and I'll work on stitching them down by hand using the blanket stitch. There's only 3 of them in the quilt but we're going to add one for a total of 4. Mom doesn't think that's enough of them but I think more would be overkill.

I hadn't pulled out Sandy's Folk Art Quilts book in a while but look at this log cabin on the cover - that would make a great string quilt. I've been wanting to try some free form log cabin blocks using strings anyway so maybe I'll give this one a shot - after I finish up some other projects. Evelyn recently posted a heart quilt that reminded me of one I made from this book.

Busy!

The last couple days I've been busy quilting, binding, labeling, and washing. A HeartStrings quilt was mailed to To The Top Project today, I finished washing and labeling 5 other donation quilts and the quilting and binding is done on the Chinese Coins quilt. I feel so productive!

Quilts washed and ready for donation.

It's starting to look like spring

The trees have started sprouting leaves this week and when I looked out this afternoon it finally looked like spring.

I haven't accomplished much today but did get an off center 4 patch backing made for my Chinese Coins quilt which I hope to get loaded later tonight.

There's been a lot of discussion on Stashbuster about books. I use the bottom shelves in my bedroom studio for the bulk of mine but there are stacks in the den where I have my sewing machine and computer, stacks in the living room, and stacks in the bedroom too.

I've also been folding fabric again - I made a start when I moved in but only got a few shelves done. I tore the blues apart looking for a binding for a HeartStrings quilt and those 3 shelves are the messiest right now.

Carol's HeartStrings top is quilted and bound

Another HeartStrings quilt is finished. Pieced by Carol and quilted by me, this is such a great setting for string blocks and the finished quilt looks great. As Carol requested, this quilt will go to the To the Top Project and be given to a veteran. Here's another link to an article about the To the Top Project.

Here's a better photo of the quilting.

HeartStrings MN area Sew-in

Yesterday was fun visiting Stillwater and getting together with other HeartStrings quilters. I brought back a finished top as well as another pile of Chinese Coins sections. I'll wait a few weeks until that special project is over and all the sections have been mailed before I start playing with them.

Keith is still out of town so I've been continuing my retreat and should have another HeartStrings quilt (Carol's top) bound and finished tonight.

HeartStrings Retreat Weekend

The HeartStrings group is retreating this weekend in celebration of National Volunteer's Week. I got the wrong week thanks to my calendar but we're only a week late! Those of us in the Minneapolis area are getting together in person tomorrow at Sue Frank's house.

I started early by loading the top sent to me by Carol to quilt and donate to a Veteran's home in New England. I think I've said it before but Popcorn by Willow Leaf Studio is my favorite pantograph. It looks good on everything. I decided since this was going to a Veteran's home I wouldn't use flowers, feathers, or hearts. I think Popcorn looks like clouds against the sky blue border and fabric.

I took a short break to have a cup of tea and check email and I thought I'd share my coffee/tea maker with you. I love my single cup brewer - I order the pods for my coffee and tea from Green Mountain Coffee.

Notice my Seattle mug?? I collect coffee mugs from my travels and every cup of tea brings back memories of one of my trips.

Another scrap quilt from leftover strips

These blocks are going pretty quickly and I really like how they're turning out. I'll probably sash them and I'm auditioning some greens for the sashing and the border. They look darker in this photo than they actually are.

I have more of the purple and red print I used on my Pineapple so I'll look at that as a border possibility too.

Aging Parents

Several blogs that I read have been discussing challenges of caring for aging and ill parents and I was reminded as I read my latest book, Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science by Atul Gawande, of the challenge of making medical decisions not just for ourselves but for our parents.

Two years ago Keith and I brought his father to live with us and cared for him in the months before he died of complications from Leukemia. One accusation his mother would make was that it was *easy* for me because I was a nurse. Well I hadn't worked as a clinician in 10 years and caring for a family member at home is different anyway. It was very rewarding but certainly not easy.

My Mom lives alone in Virginia and so I'm also struggling with how to be there and available to her when she has health issues. Having the flexibility to go help her when needed is one of the reasons I choose not to work outside the home.

For those readers in the group these are the books that I found helpful as I cared for Keith's Dad and I as continue to try and be there for my Mom. I would also suggest that you obtain a copy of your parent's living wills and make sure you understand what their wishes are. Some of the most difficult decisions we made were possible because we knew they were what his Dad wanted.

How to Care for Aging Parents
Caregiving As Your Parents Age
The 36 Hour Day: A Family guide to caring for persons with Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementing Illnesses, and Memory Loss in Later Life

And the book that helped me most when it was time to let Keith's dad go.
Dying Well: Peace and Possibilities at the End of Life by Ira Byock, MD

It's done - I don't like it

Finished up Mom's quilt and am ready to ship this one and her basket quilt back to her. I'm not happy with my quilting on this one because;

1. it's too thready


2. the quilting is too dense


3. I don't like the medium blue thread in the white squares.

Oh well, live and learn - good thing Mom is an easy to please *customer*.

Leftover strips

I had plans to use the leftover strips from my Pineapple quilt for rail fence blocks and set them on point. I'm tired of the two bins being in the way so I started making some blocks this weekend and decided I didn't like them.

My solution was to cut them in half and I'll sew them back together like this photo. Of course, I realized as I was laying these out I'll need mirror image blocks so will have to cut sets of 4 as I go along so I don't get to many going one way.

Grand Rounds

I'm trying to get back into a walking routine. Keith and I have been walking some at the nearby park and yesterday we did a 5 mile walk. Although I walk just about everywhere I'm not even close to logging the kind of miles I was last year training for the 3 Day Breast Cancer walk. As a result (and thanks to too many dinners out!) I've been regaining the weight I lost last year.

Today I got up early and finished up Mom's quilt except for the side borders ( I have to trim and reload it on the longarm) and then took off for a 12 mile walk.

I love the pathways along the Mississippi River.

http://www.minneapolisparks.org/grandrounds/home.htm

Anniversary

Keith and I are celebrating our 18th anniversary today. Since we just got back from Hawaii we're having a low key celebration this evening at home.

After running some errands and walking through the park to get some lunch at Joe's Garage, I decided to work a bit while Chesty and Keith watched TV (they're really napping but the TV is on).

I'm not really crazy about my quilting on this - it's one of Mom's quilts and she said I could practice on it. I'm trying a overall leaf meander and I think it's kind of thready - not terrible but not great.

Chinese Coins top finished

I got the final borders on this morning. I wasn't sure yesterday how much I was going to like it but now that the top is finished I do (like it). I don't know if anyone else is working on Chinese Coins for HeartStrings so I may or may not get additional sections for another quilt.

I wasn't using a pattern and debated how wide to make my sashing strips and borders. I did searches on google and webshots looking at other versions before deciding on 2 inch sashing and 4 inch borders.

In response to a question about the size of my coins - they're trimmed to 5.5 inches wide. My sashing was cut 2.5 inches, and my borders cut 4.5 inches. The overall quilt is 55x70. I would have made it a bit longer but the green fabric turned out to be only 1.8 yards and not 2 as I originally thought. I barely squeaked the sashing, border, and binding out with just the piece below left - how's that for cutting it close?

Today's progress

The final borders still need to be added but it's getting there. For now, I'm taking a break and going out on my balcony with my book and a glass of wine.

Chinese Coins

I debated what I'd work on today and the Chinese Coins won out over loading another quilt on the longarm.

I put the sections I have up on the design wall and can see a few I need to move around. I had thought I'd use the blue fabric for the border and sashing but I like the green better.

Can I get this top done today? I still need to make about 2 rows of coins and I also want to walk downtown this morning or afternoon to grab a bite to eat and visit the bookstore.

HeartStrings

I'm on a roll! I finished quilting a HeartStrings top today and posted a photo and the story behind the quilt on the HeartStrings Blog.

Another UFO

This is the quilt I've been practicing on. I bought this top off eBay a few years ago intending to quilt and donate it. I wanted to *learn* to use my Featherz wreath template that I bought with my Circle Lord and I hate practicing on muslin so I decided to use this UFO as my practice piece.

I'm getting ready to get the binding sew on and will stitch it down tonight watching TV with Keith and then it will go in the stack of quilts to be donated.

Next up for quilting will be a HeartStrings top made by May - I'll quilt it and send it back to her to donate in memory of her sister.

VA Tech

You may recognize this quilt from a blog post last July. My Mom and I made it for my niece who was heading off to VA Tech for her first year of college.

I spoke with my sister earlier and Laura is OK but my thoughts and prayers go out to all those killed or injured as well as their families and the entire Tech community.

Quilt Pink

Is anyone else watching the Quilt Pink eBay auction? I have one of the quilts that was auctioned a couple years ago and I'm watching this year's auction too. I wish we could see all the quilts so I'd know which one was my favorite before bidding.

I'll also be watching to see how my Quilt Pink donation does.

Pineapple top finished

I went to the quilt shop yesterday to get a blue border for my Pineapple quilt - as you see it's not blue! I really miss my quilt shops in Marietta - the one I've been going to here really has limited fabrics choices.

However, they do have a nice rack of fabric that is 50% off. This border was on that shelf as well as 4 other ones I bought - good thing I'm not in the Stashbuster No Buy group. This is not the best picture but the border is a deep purple with a red print.

Home again

One last sunset on the Big Island

What could be better than sitting on the beach in Hawaii, in the shade of a palm tree, reading a good book?? However, I was SO happy to get home this afternoon and run to the kennel to pick Chesty up. We had a wonderful time but 10 days was such a long time to leave my baby!

I have tons of pictures but once I go through all the disks I'll create a Hawaii album on Picasa so those of you who are interested can take a look.

I have lots of running around to do tomorrow but hope to get back to quilting on Saturday.

Top 5 blogs that inspire me

I'm just getting caught up with email after vacation but I've been tagged on a couple sites so I'll quickly respond with my top 5 inspirational blogs.

As everyone one else has mentioned - there are many other blogs out there that I follow which provide inspiration for my quilting - you guys know who you are because I visit and comment on your blogs. Thank you all for sharing.

Judy - for starting the Stash Quilts blog ring, Quilt for an Hour patterns, her stash challenges, her quilts - no matter how busy I am I always check Judy's blog for updates.

Bonnie Hunter - Bonnie = scrap quilts. Her website has even more goodies.

Jeanne's blog - She's another scrappy quilter whose quilts strongly appeal to me.

Patti's blog - I love her applique quilts but it's her scrap quilts that really inspire me.

HeartStrings Quilt Project - I know I write this one BUT I started it because I was so inspired by the work being done by quilters involved in the project that I wanted to share their work on a broader scale.

Vacation!

Frustration sends me back to my strings!

I'd assembled my Pineapple blocks before my trip to GA but hadn't yet put the borders on. I'd originally planned for this to be a king size quilt but Keith wasn't crazy in love with it so I decided I'd make it twin size for me to snuggle on the sofa with because I do love it!

I decided yesterday I'd get those borders on before allowing myself to sew more strings but the blue I bought for the border just wasn't going to work. The color was PERFECT but the print didn't look so great when I cut it up (I can use it on the back). Unfortunately, I don't have another piece of fabric in my stash that is this exact shade of blue which I'm determined to use. So the top went back up on the design wall with the red border strips and it will wait until I come home from Hawaii.

Blogging Vacation

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I'll be gone from April 3rd through April 12th and most likely I won't be blogging. I decided last night rather than try to keep up with the blog I should take a vacation. So I'll see you all in about 10 days.

I will be making a post or two over at the HeartStrings Quilt Project Blog as the spirit moves me. I love all the stories I'm hearing from people participating so don't be surprised if you see an entry over there.