28 June 2012

Update for Waldo Canyon Quilts

I have had several people respond and many with questions so I thought it would be easier to address them here.

I will take any size, although I think lap/throw would be best.
I can take blocks, quilt tops, and completed quilts.

I do have a midarm so that I can finish quilting them. I also have a volunteer to help with binding them as needed.

I would like to have backing with them if possible but it is not necessary.

I am starting to collect them now but I have no plans of delivery them for at least the next month. This allows me to get them quilted if need be and also to allow more time for people to donate if they would like to.

I want to wait until things settle down. I don't want to rush in and give these people a quilt when they are still trying to figure out where they will be living. I know that right now things are very unorganized and I think it would be better to wait.

I also figured that if there is an overwhelming response of quilts sent in then I will forward them on to the High Fire (Ft. Collins) or any other fires in need in the CO area.

As of right now there are 346 homes that were lost in the Waldo Canyon Fire...I would love to be able to give each and every family a quilt. There were also 250 homes lost in Ft. Collins. So whatever can be given will be greatly appreciated.

Wouldn't it be great if we could give a quilt to every household in both of these fires?

Michelle

PS. If sending a quilt please make sure your name is on there so that I can give credit. I will update the status of this endeavor as I get things in. Once again thank you so very much for your help.

HELP - Calling All Quilters

As some of you may know I live in the Colorado Springs area.  I am on the other side of town from the Waldo Canyon Fire and not in any way in harms way.  Sitting here through the last 5 days watching the 24 hours news coverage is heart breaking. So I am trying to help in the only way I know how.

We know that many homes have been lost and many people have been evacuated because of this fire.

Anyone who is willing to donate a completed quilt, a quilt top, backing or batting to please contact me and I will collect and disburse the quilts that are received.








Please pass this information on so that the word is spread and maybe we can bring some light to these victims of the fire.

Michelle

you can reach me by email at justforthepieceofit@gmail.com



25 June 2012

Design Wall Monday 6/25/2012

I decided to make yesterday a fun day. I wanted to do something totally different and take a break from Dear Jane and Sylvia's. Do I have tons to do still? Yes...but a break is sometimes needed.

I decided to make a quick Schnibbles so I picked out Plan C.  I originally cut the fabric from another charm square but ended up cutting and sewing wrong...figures.... So..I went with Plan B for my Plan C pattern.


I ended up using a Laura Ashley charm pack.  I love the fabric. My only complain was that it didn't have a lot of different fabrics. Each charm pack had 3-4 of the same fabrics.


I put the first 4 rows on my ironing board because I did not want to move everything around. It was really hot and I had 2 fans blowing at top speed.  This was the safest place. These rows are not sewn together. I was about beat and didn't feel like doing anymore.


I went to lay out the last two rows and for some odd reason I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get them laid out like the pattern.  I decided it was just too hot and I would work on it again this afternoon when I get home from work.


I will have to hurry and get this little top done and get back to DJ and Sylvia's but it was a nice break while it lasted. I would love to say I will have plenty of time to sew in the next couple of weeks but I don't think that will happen. We have family coming into town for the weekend. Hopefully by next week I will be back on track.

Of course it has been hotter than pee waddlin pickles this last week...in the 100's for Colorado is just not normal and when you don't have A/C it isn't great either. Then there is the fires on the other side of town and it is just so awful. Hopefully they will start to get containment on them today.


Well I am off to get ready for work so for more design walls head on over to Judy's.

Have a pieceful day.

Michelle

22 June 2012

On The Needles 6/22/12

I decided to just post every two weeks. I am such a slow knitter and I figured showing the slow progress every week might be a little boring.

Although in two weeks there doesn't seem to be a lot of progress.

I am still working on my Sunshine scarf.  It takes be about 30 minutes so sew each row. I try to do at least one row a night but that doesn't always seem to happen especially since I always have some sort of applique to get done (that DJ is just out to get me for sure).

I did do quit a few rows over the last two weeks. I even tried Continental stitching but I am even slower that way, my stitches are really loose, and it still hurts my hands.  Looks like I will be a thrower for quit a long time.  Oh well...




I am registering this week for a beginning sock class and a local yarn shop so maybe in a couple of weeks I will have something different to show.  I might have to put this on the back burner until my classes are over.  I know there is usually a lot of homework and it takes me awhile as well. Of course with company coming my time will be even less my own for a couple of days.

I am off to get ready for week. This weekend is our shop hop so I am sure it will be busy.  I even get to dress up as the gardener.  Hey, what can I say I picked an easy one...I get to wear jeans and a t-shirt...that is definitely a no brainer for me.

Piece a little and be happy.

Michelle

20 June 2012

Do I look like a hoarder?

These pictures I am about to show you are awful.  Last year we redid the sewing room and when we were done I showed fabulous pictures of the beautiful room, what I failed to show was the crap I couldn't get back in there.  I had planned on going thru it, sorting it and finding a place to put it all.  So far that hasn't happened.

I figured having company would help get me motivated..no such luck.  I just had hubby move it all into our bedroom and then after they left move it all back.  Sad so sad it is.

spare bedroom

spare bedroom

our room

\
We have company coming again the end of July. My goal this time is to only work 15 - 20 minutes a day and get some of this organized.  See that nook in the corner of the picture, it used to be a closet and my parents used it for their TV.  Since it is just empty, well...sorta...I am going to try and sort and pile everything in there neatly so that at least I can have the room look a little bit better.

In my defense I can say that there are 3 - 4 huge tubs of fabric that are kits for the store that I organized.  I was waiting for them to figure out how many more kits they needed cut and to get everything ready. I think now I will just sort into the kits that I can (most of these are BOM) and sending them back to work and letting them do with them as they may.


Hopefully in a couple of  weeks (or months) I can show you some progress.


Michelle

19 June 2012

The scrap pile

runneth over.  Which in my house isn't anything unusual.  I was procrastinating again on DJ, what's new right?  I had asked some of my co-workers for some 2 x 7 in strips for my bow tie blocks. I had already exhausted my 2" strip drawers and I really didn't want to cut into my stash for such a small section.  Anyway, it is nice going into work and seeing scraps in my folder.  I also had Mrs. F drop off a nice little package for me and then a couple of days later she brought me some bags.  I haven't really had the time to go through them all but I cut all of the other bags into the sets I needed and I figure I will get to the other ones...a little bit here and there as needed.


The small bags emptied and this is my pile.

I cut my bow tie sets and then cut what was left into usable sections following the scrap user system that Bonnie Hunter uses.


I go tired of standing so I went and sat at my machine table to get a few more done.


The second set of scraps from Mrs. F, although alot of these are big enough pieces to be used for other things and I think there is one or two that could be used for backings.



I would love to say that I keep up with all of my scraps but I don't.  I try real hard to sort after I am done with the quilt or when my 2 little buckets fill up.  I have been working on emptying a very large laundry basket for a couple of years that have tons of scraps in them.  I would work for 15 minutes a day then after a few days I would get sidetracked.  Guess that should be something I think about
getting into again.


See that wonderful wicker basket there on the left...the tall brown one...that is filled with scraps...agghhh...



Have a wonderful day.

Michelle

18 June 2012

Design Wall Monday 6/18/2012

It is really hard for me to post a Design wall...its seems it is always Dear Jane but what can I do...except for hurry up and finish them I suppose.


I was finally able to sew together rows B, C, D to that was really nice.  It finally feels like with all of this time spent on these blocks progress is being made.  I think once I finish the blocks for July (I only have 4 more to go) I will skip ahead and finish that one A block I have left so that I can sew that row on as well.


I even fixed my wall and put up the June wall hanging, figured it was finally time to take down April. I even brought down July so that maybe I can get that one up in time as well.



I also finished my Birds Eye View BOM blocks that I had originally cut double the amount.. I think it was month 9...so that one is on the back burner for awhile.


Yesterday I worked in the yard...I had to plant 3 lily flowers and then paint a sealant on 10 pieces of wood that we are using as the border for the yard. I found out today that I need at least 4 more which means more painting.  I am not too happy with that for sure.  I am still suffering with pains in my bum from muscles that I didn't know existed are becoming known.  I'm fine as long as I don't sit, stand or walk.  Oh well...it was worth it, the yard is starting to look a little bit better.

For more design walls head on over to Judy's.

Have a wonderful week everyone.

Come on back this week for more craziness from my humble abode.

Michelle

16 June 2012

What was I Thinking

Do you ever have one of those moments when you ask "What was I thinking?"

I was cleaning out a section of my "OMG I gotta figure out what all of this" while I was procrastinating working on Dear Jane and I found this quilt that had the top, batting and backing all together.  So I figured I would put it in my pile to quilt.  Well lo and behold when I opened it up my only thought was "OH CRAP! What the heck was I thinking?"

Then I remembered...back before I purchased my mid arm I was always on the lookout for simpler ways to baste a quilt. It always killed me laying the quilt out and safety pinning the sucker together..to be honest I absolutely hated it. I had found this site (I don't remember it for love or money) and it had showed how to use DMC thread to baste it together so that is what I started to do. I then realized that I personally did not like doing it that way, it ended up being to hard on my hands and my back. So then, I found the nifty little "basting gun"..You know the one that comes with a bagillion of those plastic little do dads that you just shoot into the quilt and hold it together. Well that is what I ended up doing I shot a million or more of those puppies into this quilt.

Now fast forward..I have a mid arm...I can just load the quilt onto it, but wait...I have to remove all of that handy dandy work that I had done previously.  Well let me tell you...that was not a fun task.  I snipped and snipped and well you get the idea.   I started by snipping each one and putting the plastic in the trash individually, quickly realizing that at that pace I would be snipping until the next millennium.  So I just snipped with no care where the plastic went.  I finished an hour and a half later..not too bad if I say so myself.

Then the clean up came...I had those plastic things from here to next week..luckily a broom and a dustpan cleaned up the majority of the mess. I do think I will find those little plastic things floating around for months to come because I know I didn't get them all and the quilting fairies probably kept some for themselves.  I know this because hours later I was still finding them here and there.

Moral of the story...if you do something different in the past try and finish so in the present you won't be wondering what the heck you were thinking.






Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

On a side note I was on a roll last night...I finished 3 DJ blocks and even finished the applique on two of them....


15 June 2012

Fat Quarter Shop Mystery BOM

I received my shipment today for the new Fat Quarter Shop Mystery BOM.  I told myself I wouldn't start on it til I had some other things done.  Well...I kept looking at all of that gorgeous fabric, vintage modern is one of my favorites right now.


I received block 1 and the setting kit.


Block 1 is finished.



My bonus HST from piecing block 1 together. Think I will save them til the end and see what I can come up with.  Don't know if or how many I will end up with.


My goal (hahaha) is to actually keep up with this one.  I might be able to do that because I love this fabric.

Since I took some time to play I am now off to start dinner then work on DJ...


Have a great one.

Michelle

12 June 2012

You know you're behind

when this is still on the wall.



Yes..it does say April. I actually have all of them done but one month I think. I have only been working on them for about 8 years.  I really think I should take the few minutes to go find June or should I just skip ahead to July.

Off to sew but maybe..just maybe I will go find a new month to hang.



Have a wonderful day everyone.

Michelle

11 June 2012

Design Wall Monday 6/11/2012

My design wall still looks the same but with more blocks.  I didn't do much sewing at all this week but yesterday I finished up some more Birds Eye View Blocks.  I finished month 7and 8 and am working on month 9.

Month 7

Month 8 - this one will be top stitched on to the completed top when sewn together.

For some reason I didn't think I had cut out month 9 so off I went to cut.  Once I was done I glanced over to the pile and realized month 9 was there. Since I cut out all of this fabric twice I decided I would go ahead and make all of the blocks.  So now I have 108 blocks I am sewing.  I figure I will have more options and the remaining 54 will go on the back or maybe a table topper or something.  Of course I  would rather a different (easier) block have been cut wrong than this one.  Well...it really isn't that hard just time consuming.



I only work three days this week so hopefully I can get these finished and move on to DJ again.  I must admit that I can not wait until after the first of the year.  That is when I am hoping to have all of my have to sews done and I can move on to more of I wanna sew.  I have been in a have to sew for the past year and it is getting really old.  So off to finish Dear Jane, Sylvia's and Birds Eye View.

For more design wall Monday's head on over to Judy's.



Michelle

08 June 2012

On the needles 06/08/2012

I am a new knitter because I really needed another craft to learn...but I enjoy it more than crocheting.  I am just really slow at it. Of course I have a tendency to procrastinate and don't do it as much as I would like.  My intention is always to sit and knit or applique or crochet while watching TV but I admit there are many times I sit and do nothing or read a book.  Man..if I actually used all the "sitting on my ads" (ok my friend and I were texting back and forth about what we were doing and her auto correct said ads instead of aqq) I would have a bagillion things done completed..

Anywho..this is a free scarf pattern from www.purlbee.com that I found while procrastinating on the Internet.  I figured for me it would still be easy enough (it is just plain knitting) to get better at knitting and actually get something accomplished.

I figure this could be on my "on the needles Friday" every Friday for a very long time but I am hoping that knowing I have a semi-deadline it might help be to spend my time more productively.



I guess I really could have shown some major progress since I was unable to sleep last night. I actually went to bed, fell asleep for maybe 30 minutes then woke up hot...tossed and turned for an hour, got up for about 20 minutes, back to bed, got back up and finally went to bed at 530am, heard hubby get up around 630, and the next thing I know the birds are squawking me awake at 945.  Talk about making for a short day...now I am off to pack some projects to take to the pool. I am such a nice mother and told my kiddos we would go....What was I thinking?

Have a wonderful day everyone.

Michelle

Head on over to Judy's to see some more needle Friday fun.


05 June 2012

Birds Eye Busy...

I have been real busy. I have done some sewing but also yard and house work along with working.  I seem to be on a never ending cycle of running behind.

I am up to block 7 on Birds Eye View...I can only put a few more sections together then I have to wait for the months to come up naturally...we are only in month 1...lol..guess I will have another long term project floating around.

These 3 blocks are really neat.  The diamonds are not pieced..they are set on top of the background square then on the diagonal they are sewn 1/8 in and then the sides and bottom get sewn into the seam allowance when the block is put together...thought it was a really cool idea.






The black squares on this block are not pieced in either...they are set on top corner to corner then top stitched 1/8" all the way around...love it as well..





As soon as I finish the piecing on block 7 - 9 then I will be back to starting on Dear Jane for July (which I get an extra week to do....yay) and Sylvia's and QOV...and....and...well the list goes on and on...


I may even show my progress on this hand pieced block...and my knitting...


Have a great day.

Michelle