We're both OK

Nothing like a disaster to change your focus quickly.

After a couple hours of not hearing from Keith I decided to go look for him. He'd mentioned one restaurant as a possibility for dinner so I went there and found him (and his business associates). I probably embarrassed him by showing up but I felt better.

I'm so sorry for all the families involved and hope that no one from Keith's company was on the bridge when it collapsed.

Moving on

I bought the small red ruler at MQS and have been trying to use it to guide my quilting around this applique - unfortunately I obviously need more practice because it's not working too well for me. I remembered I had some leaf shaped templates I bought when I first got the longarm and tried that too - better but still very awkward.

I tried stitch regulated mode and quilting slowly and got wobbles.
I tried non stitch regulated mode and quilting faster and ran up on the applique.

Finally, I put the rulers away, put the machine in non stitch regulated mode, and started quilting my first line of echoing a little further away from the leaves.

Believe it or not practicing something REALLY does make a difference - I've quilted 21 of these blocks now and the last set wasn't half bad not particularly great but not bad.

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On a completely different topic - the new laptop

I'd read that people didn't like Windows Vista - I have to admit I'm still getting used to it but it has some seriously cool stuff. In Explorer, instead of having to open multiple windows you can open new pages in tabs - now if I can just remember to click on the tab instead of hitting ALT + TAB to switch between open pages!

Also, I was telling Keith the other day I needed to get a small drive to take with me when I travel so I can transfer photos from the camera's memory card to the laptop. Imagine my surprise and delight last night when I found the laptop has an SD/MMC slot built in.

Feedback is good

Apparently, my anonymous commenter was not the only one who thought I was being harsh about my Aunt's quilt. It's a good reminder to me that things don't always come across in writing the same way they would in person.

I thought with a title that said " I really suck at this" and text that read "if I'll walk away from the quilt when I'm discouraged and come back to it later, I don't see every single wobble and poorly stitched line like I do as I'm quilting it" it would be clear that my negativity was directed at my own efforts

Although she doesn't read my blog; I have told my Aunt that her quilts tend to be a challenge mainly because of her borders and fullness so I wasn't saying something here she hasn't heard before.

Well this was an interesting comment

Anonymous said...
I am glad I am not your aunt. Quilt police seem to reign.

Unsigned of course, I guess I sounded a bit harsh about my Aunt's top but this is the first time I've ever been accused of being the Quilt Police.

What I was trying to convey is that she's very casual about her quilt construction and not concerned with perfection in her work and here I am stressing over my quilting which yes, is much better than she could do herself even if she managed to shove this king size quilt through her DSM.

I don't usually get negative comments on my blog but then I'm pretty careful overall about what I write and how I write it. Luckily, most of you who know me and read my blog realize I was stressing about MY failure as a quilter not hers.

Thanks!

You guys are way too nice but I am beginning to realize that if I'll walk away from the quilt when I'm discouraged and come back to it later, I don't see every single wobble and poorly stitched line like I do as I'm quilting it.

I did a few more blocks tonight and they're getting a little better except for a few places I ran up on the applique. I know I should take those stitches out but I'm debating leaving them in. Since my Aunt's blanket stitch is all over the place on the applique it seems a bit pointless for me to pick out some stray lines of quilting and I may do more harm than good to the applique itself.

I think in the end I'm going to be OK with this quilt - it won't be my best work but I will have learned something along the way and since even my worse quilting is better than my aunt could have managed she comes out ahead too!

Of course, I told Debbie that in the future Nancy might choose to send her quilts to Florida rather than Minnesota. After all why have me quilt them when she could have them quilted by an award winning quilter! (Yes, I'm feeling a little inadequate these days!)

I really suck at this

I can't echo quilt - I really suck at it but I think it's in part because I don't ever do it and since all my quilts are scrap quilts there's just not the opportunity to practice. My Mom does do a fair amount of applique but I always chicken out and do a small meandering type background on her quilts.

I've decided that no matter how bad this looks I'm going to keep on practicing - YES on my AUNT'S top.

What the heck

• she doesn't pay me for quilting (she does pay for the supplies/shipping);
• her piecing leaves a LOT to be desired and her quilts are always a challenge anyway;
• finally, if I don't practice I'll never learn to do it.

Progress is being made

I set minimum goals for my quilting today since I knew that going out to buy the router and setting up the wireless network would take me the bulk of the day but by 5PM I hadn't done any quilting.

This is when having a husband that travels frequently comes in handy. I quilted some on my aunt's top and then went out for dinner. When I got home I worked on the 4 patches for my QFAH project. I snapped this photo and then finished sewing that pile in the middle. So thanks to Keith being out of town, I accomplished my goals on both projects I'm working on.

Just a quick note

I'm heading to the longarm right now - well as soon as I type this post!

I ran out to Office Depot today and bought a router - got it hooked up but of course there was a glitch. I called Debbie since she'd just set one up but ended up calling customer service at Linksys. They were wonderful - had me up and running in 30 minutes. Then I set up the printer to work on the network and I'm all set.

Just to show Keith that I had it up and running - I sent him this photo. He's off in Dallas for a couple days.

Still no quilting

Unusual I know but another day has passed without me sewing a single stitch. Keith and I took off this afternoon for Minnehaha Park. It was nice to be out walking/hiking and overall it was a beautiful afternoon but I was a bit overheated by the time we got home. A cool shower felt great. Keith heads out of town again tomorrow so I'll get back to work then.

More laptop stuff

This is so cool. I've been playing around with the new version of Office that I got with the computer most of the afternoon. I haven't done any quilting or piecing at all.

There's a Deli/coffee shop/bar in our apartment building so Keith and I decided to bring the computers down and have some coffee. I high-jacked someone's wireless earlier today but couldn't get on this afternoon. I guess I'll have to get a router and set it up on Monday. Debbie just did it with her Comcast Internet and assures me it's easy! For this weekend I'll just have to use the desktop or drop in for some coffee.

A neat feature of the laptop is a built in webcam. Here's a photo of me sitting in the coffee shop. I know it's not the most flattering picture but it's fun! (Can you see Keith in the background getting my coffee?)

It's finally here

My laptop finally arrived from Dell and I've been playing around with it all morning. They shipped some of the accessories separately so I'm still waiting for those. So far I love it! I've been sitting on the sofa with Keith rather than back in the den where my desktop is located. I'm highjacking someone's wireless internet connection for now but I may set up our cable internet for wireless.

It's so pretty!

I don't think I'll get much quilting done today!

OK - now it's hot

Summer has finally arrived in Minneapolis. Keith and I have been looking at each other all month and saying "can you believe it's July?". Coming from the South, the lack of humidity and the lovely summer days have been wonderful but now it's HOT. Luckily, it's also almost August so we know the hot weather won't be here long.

Today we decided to walk across Loring Park and visit the Walker Art Center. We've been over to the Sculpture Garden but hadn't been through the museum. They have a Picasso exhibit there and I have to say he's not my favorite artist. I prefer paintings by Monet and Van Gogh.

Quilting progress seems slow the last couple days. I continue to work on my Aunt's top but just a little bit at a time. My QFAH project is coming along. I finished all the large 4 patches and cut my browns yesterday. I've sewn the strips for the small 4 patches. Later today I'll try to iron the strips and get them cut and sewn.

I hadn't updated my reading list for a while - I've been reading a little bit of everything recently. The usual mysteries and some historical fiction are there but I can't you the last time I read something by Danielle Steel. I brought that book home from Mom's and it was very light summer reading.

July QFAH

I've been wanting to begin Judy's July Quilt for an Hour project but felt that I'd never get caught up enough to get started. I finally decided today after visiting Vicki's blog that I'd just combine the QFAH project with a quilt I need to make for a gift. So I played around some with Judy's EQ file and here's my version - my quilt will be scrappy but I tend to use a single color in EQ to save time.

I've been making so many string quilts I'd forgotten what a pain it is to cut out a scrap quilt. I still have my browns to cut and I'm going to have to hunt up some more beige but I'm ready to start sewing tomorrow.

HeartStrings CC #4 - Top - Done!

More of the same today

Yesterday was productive. I worked on quilting Nancy's top - it's a king size version of Mom's Honeybee and piecing another HeartStrings Coins top. I'll continue to work on both today and maybe even get the coins finished - I have the top and bottom inner border to add and then the outer green print.

Tonight I actually have a dinner date - a friend is visiting from Florida (she does some work for Keith's company) and we're going to grab dinner and then meet Keith for drinks after his business dinner.

Chinese Coins

I was in the mood to work some last night but but had a hard time deciding what to do. Finally I started sewing another Chinese Coins quilt for HeartStrings. I pulled out a bunch of coins and started putting them on the design wall.

I had a set that was donated together but only enough for 6 rows of coins so I had to go back to EQ6 and play around with the sashing and borders. I'm almost finished putting the center together and the diagram below is the pattern I used; this other one will be used for the next quilt. Both instructions are on MaryQuilts.com if anyone is interested in knowing the cutting measurements.

I'll also start quilting my aunt's top today - really I promise - I'll stop procrastinating!

A couple more quilts finished

These two are now on the completely done list. The Coins binding was finished up before the weekend and I took the final stitches in the Amish Stripes and Strings binding (a UFO) this afternoon. Both of these are HeartStrings quilts - don't you love the swirls quilting on both of them?

St. Paul

We're back from a weekend trip to St. Paul - yes it's just a few miles away but Keith had a conference on Friday so we spent a couple nights at the St. Paul Hotel. Now Keith has headed off to St. Louis and I've been watching some of the British Open. If I can summon some energy later - I'll quilt some.

A few photos from St. Paul. I always try to visit the local library - the outside of the Central Library was nothing special but I loved the inside - I spent a couple hours in this room on Friday. Lots of green space in the city - Keith took this photo of me yesterday after our walk.

Using the stash

Interesting discussion on Stashbuster about using *up* the stash. Having seen the stashes of some of those quilters as well as those on this Stash Quilt ring I'd say there is no danger for many of us of actually using the stash up.

It wasn't until I started making string quilts for HeartStrings that I realized how little fabric it took to make a scrap quilt and how much of it I had not only in my scrap bins but on my shelves. I've come to realize that the best I can do is try to use more than I buy.

Even with all the string quilts made this year (along with pieced backings) my scraps are multiplying not being used up.

I finally loaded that damn top!

My Aunt's top is loaded and ready for quilting AND I finished the binding on the HeartStrings Chinese Coins quilt tonight also. Along with the Purple Project top assembled earlier that makes for a VERY productive day!

Chesty and I had a longer than usual walk in the park but that didn't stop him from following me around all day. I constantly go back and forth between the bedroom that has the longarm and fabric and the smaller den that has my computer and sewing machine - poor Chesty gets up every time even when I tell him I'm coming right back. Here he's waiting to see where I'm going to go next before sitting down.