Make a list Monday

Hope to get these six things done by next week:

1- Quilt 4 different colored blocks of the 40 diamond quilt
2- Quilt the doll quilt from the Wee Wander scraps I just threw together/
3- Stitch all the white on the bottom left corner of the  CXS Lizzie Kate Winter Alphabet
4- Cut some pink scraps for the RBSC and make some HST units.
5- Make pincushions, another idea
6- Finish reading The Round House by Louise Erdrich (am midpoint right now).




Remember how I said that one wool was shedding terribly several weeks ago while working on the candle mat?  While visiting with my friend Carole, she gave me a different piece of the same wool to use and just to be sure, I pulled out my needle punch foot with the coordinating stitch plate and felted the heck out of it just to be sure.  Worked like a charm.  It really changed the clarity of the houndstooth print  Since that foot combination was out, I photographed them and pulled the other Bernina accessories I own out and share how I store them.





This bead box purchased at Michaels is perfect for the majority of feet and makes it a quick access since they set on a shelf right behind my sewing chair.  The Bernina Feetures Books, the 1-3 set on the bottom shelf just below the feet for quick access.  It's amazing how many times I'll pull out these books for a reference.

Some of the feet came with each of my two Berninas and most of the rest were purchased at Quilt Shows with a 25% off and then some others when the Bernina LQS offered a 30% discount including Bernina Accessories.   A win - win for sure!
Of course I've been collecting them since my first Bernina 170 back in the 1990s and when I upgraded I made sure the feet would transition to the newer Bernina 440.   The most expensive of these was the binding foot combo which was close to $160 when purchased, that is if my memory serves me correctly.  That one was a "Non-smoking Gift to myself" to justify the expense.

I have been enjoying a quiet day home alone today.  That doesn't happen too often.   Seems nice to have the house stay picked up and clean without more effort needed.  Typically I am picking up discarded papers left on the counter, closing doors, cabinets and drawers left open, wiping up coffee spills, etc.... and that is just DH's doing not the grandchildren!  They'll all be here tomorrow so I'm getting off this thing and going to read in the silence and enjoy it immensely.  TTFN.

Happy Thanksgiving and November's recap

Hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving celebrations with family and friends. 

I am thankful for all the blessings we have in our lives.  My gratitudes are typically expressed each morning upon waking and when I retire when the day is done.   So I try to live each day with gratitude in my heart.  Some other be phrases to use and I think are appropriate is:

be focused,
be unique,
be nice,
be on time! (a personal pet peeve of mine),
be true to yourself and to others,
be persistent,
be  loyal,
be your best,
and most of all........ BE CREATIVE!

This bouquet of flowers lasted over 2 weeks.  My DH gave them to me for my uh hum...th  Birthday on the 10th.  He surprised me with having them on the dining room table when I returned home on the 9th from my guild meeting in Glens Falls.  The roses didn't last as long and were shabby after the first week, but the rest lasted quite a while and I thought of the photo Mom took of her bouquet and thought this would be a terrific bookmark for moi and a reminder of that love when I read each night.  ;)







The November's goals I had were to:

1- Quilt Wee Wander Baby Blanket ( no intention declared for this yet, just to have it done and on hand.) I'm attributing this project as my ALYOF project with Melissa and H20 girl at Fiber of all sorts.  FINISHED!!! including a blank label to attach when I know where it's going.   Used a minkee plush fabric on the back with a variegated thread.  Photos below......
2- Quilt the Horse quilt PGD#1 made for the boy in Nicaragua. Also, I need to cut the binding so she can learn the binding making technique at one of our upcoming sewing sessions.    It's layered but not stitched a bit yet.  This will be moved to December's ALYOF project.
3- Quilt and Bind the Community Project quilt for WFQG.  Nada-zip, this will stay on my list for December
4- Make two stuffed animal quilts for CVQG.  Check!  Photos shared here.....
5- Do something for myself, this will be my wild card.   Check!  Made a table runner with leaves scattered on the center panel for that sofa table.  A nice easy finish.
6- Help PGD#1 finish her pillow she started with the cupcake kids. Almost done and it is too cute. She's planning on giving this to her Mom for her Birthday on the 22nd. Will be done this week! I'll post and share photos after the finish.   Check! 
7- Mend the vinyl on my Brother in Law's snap on weather protector for his backhoe. Hopefully right after I get off this computer. Edited 11/4- Attempted without success, but now I can cross this one off my list.  Check!
8- For Slow stitching Sundays I want need to start another cross stitch project. Maybe another small one like the recent finish, a Shepherds Bush Christmas fob.  Started a Lizzie Kate winter alphabet.  Planning on getting one square stitched each week -minimum! shown below...



Plush minkee used on backing.
Had an issue of that "fringing" effect so
had to rip out and redo with a thin bat between.
 




My favorite part of the panel ......
 

For next month's challenge....
It's laying on top of the sewing area to quilt in
December for the ALYOF challenge!
 

Started on November  13, 2014
using the threads called for.

So all in all, I'm content and feeling inspired to continue more.  Don't get me wrong I still have numerous UFOs pigs and plenty to get done on my lists, but if I can just keep all of these balls in the air and now focus on some exercise each day to boot and I'll be feeling mighty grand. 


Enjoy your blessings,
Jane





 

Going smoothly...

Things are going smoothly around here, despite the snow that started falling.  I am not ready, please make it stop! 
DH has left the hot tub open longer this season and it'll have to be closed soon. Inserting my whiniest voice for that, Sitting in it daily makes it so much easier for me.  When that's closed all the solar lighting will have to be stored as well as the last few other items that need tending so we can bunker down for the winter.

Our neighbor had a turn of bad luck on the 24th of October.  Their class A camper had an electrical fire.    It didn't take long before it was just a skeleton and they are not sturdy by any means.   They were just getting it packed up to head south for the winter.  Luckily they weren't on a highway or sleeping in it.  No one was hurt, Thank God.

As for project progresses made:
**That Backhoe door/vinyl repair was attempted and without success so it was given back to my sister in law.  I broke a needle in three different places and it jammed up my machine.  The stitches were huge loops and when I knew the Bernina didn't sound right and tried to take it off, it didn't want to release it.  I had one bugger of a time so I knew it couldn't be done here. I mentioned to my SIL that I figure an upholstery shop or boat/canvas repair shop might be able to help them out.  She was truly grateful for my attempt.

**McKenna-PG#1, finished that jack-o-lantern pillow for her Mom's Birthday on November 22nd, but couldn't wait to give it to her.  lol    She did a fantastic job.  I did quilt it for her and helped her years ago with most of the embroidery after she had colored the pumpkin.  The rest she did in stages with me helping her by pinning it together and directions with  the next step.  Here it is......


orThe jack o lantern pattern came from the Happy zombie which she started coloring it around 2007 or 2008!  (I knew she started coloring it when she was just three years old.)  Then we embroidered with threads and even a long piece of silk orange ribbon.  Then the center just languished in my sewing room waiting and grinning at my like a fool each october.  So glad that an idea finally hatched and it morphed into this project and became her pillow to give to her Mom. 

She learned numerous techniques with this project.  Simple up and down stitching, coloring on fabric, selecting fabrics with auditions, doing a partial seam, inserting a zipper and lining, and using a zig zag stitch.  Well done honey!  With the crafting for kids recently offered through web sights with Sew Cal gal, I should share her craft there. Perhaps there will be another time for that since it's a bit too late and it was a long project.  Way to go Honey, I am so proud of you!!!!!








 **The Wee Wander (WW) baby quilt was attempted with just Minkee fabric on the back.  Then that minkee fringing started showing up on the top of the quilt.  Grrrrr! Just last year I was able to use a minkee only for the backing on a batik quilt which has a much tighter weave and the "fringe effect" never showed up by coming through the top, I'll be playing around in the mean time to come up with how it's best to get that subtle drape I love for these cuddle quilts.   So for the WW, I ripped out all of the stitches, re layered the top, thinnest batting I had and the minkee sprayed then pinned it and it's ready to try again. 




Feeling great since it's only the first week of Nov. has gone by.  Now if I can keep the mojo running to get to the rest of my declarations done, wish me luck!
Next there is some paperwork on the horizon ......

Jane