On My Needles Friday

This week on my needles....

same as last week.










I have been concentrating on completing some projects while waiting for the black batting for Amish with a Twist.

This is Serene Glow. These are for the centers of the blocks.








And, I have decided that I don't enjoy sewing after dark. The lighting in my house isn't good and it's harder for me to see when ironing and cutting. The lights cause shadows and I feel that I need to be able to see better, especially when cutting. And, my family is watching TV and my sewing machine is in TV room so I am trying to do quieter things in the evenings. I have been working on hand quilting a top for a friend. Her grandmother pieced the top, by hand. I am quilting 1/4 inch inside all the pieces and outline stitching around the center black circle. It is a beautiful quilt, but it seems so big. It might take me forever to get this one finished!

Frustration Flinging....

I missed Design Wall Monday.

That is a little frustrating.

What is more frustrating is....
my quilting frame and ironing board.
They are the spot where everyone in this house dumps things.

 Starting on the right, here you see the ironing board.... with yesterdays mail on it. Spread out so each piece can be easily seen.

Then, on the frame is the machine cover. I moved it off a chair so the chair could be sat on when we had a visitor yesterday. Then the Mega Quilter. Then some papers that need to be filed. Then a pile of fabrics and the bag they came in.

Then some items my son brought home from camp. He attended a camp for visually impaired kids. The theme was Go for the Gold because it is an Olympic year. They were fortunate enough to get to meet a fellow who was an Olympic diver in 1964, Louis Vitucci. He came and spoke to the kids and signed posters. My son got a poster of Micheal Phelps signed by Louis Vitucci. He also brought home a framed photo collage. There is a photo of his group and a photo of him building a Goldberg machine. He attended the STEM camp this year. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. He wasn't too excited about it before he went because he hates math, but I think he had a pretty good time. They were paired up to work on the machines. Each team was videotaped and that was shown at the closing program of camp. All the teams did an awesome job making the machines. And, they all worked!

You can see in the middle pic the camp trunk there behind the frame. My son has mostly unpacked it so I could do his laundry. The remaining items stay because he goes to basketball camp July 5. The trunk normally gets stored in the basement, but since he is using it again I haven't put it away. But it is in my way. That is the only way I can get behind (or to the front) of my machine to quilt. Boo.

You can also see on the end of the frame another pile of stuff. That is stuff I want to keep, but don't know what to do with it. So I keep moving it around :)

Back to my design wall.

I have been working on the Cosmic Jewels kit, a Calico Carriage Quilt Designs, Debbie Maddy, designer.

I have two more rows to add at the top, then borders.

Why am I working on this instead of Amish with a Twist? Two reasons. 1) I thought I needed black batting for Amish but could not find any locally so I ordered some on-line. That shop was waiting for their supplier to send it to them. I got a shipping confirmation and tracking number yesterday. It should arrive July 2. Fair is July 18. I really want to hand quilt this quilt. Not sure I want to add that stress to my life. Still pondering.
2) I can't get to the machine (see trunk in above photo) to finish the quilt that is currently on the frame. I haven't been in too much of a hurry though, since the batting isn't here yet.

So, I figured I might as well working on piecing some more projects! At least I will have projects ready to go on the frame, right?

On My Needles Friday

Judy L over at Patchwork Times has been posting her knitting projects on Friday.

  I finished these footie socks.

These are knitted with Patons Kroy Socks using the Simple Summer Sock by Liz Pankratz.

A free pattern on Ravelry.






And have started these.

The yarn is Paton Stretch Socks.

The pattern is I Heart Socks - Toe Up Socks by Wilma Becker.

A free pattern on Ravelry.

I am not knitting the pattern. I wanted to try the heel. I like to make toe-up socks because adjustments can be made in the leg if I think I am going not have enough yarn, but I don't like doing wraps.

My Space

I have been spending some time on Pinterest looking at all kinds of things, but I enjoy looking at other peoples organizing and sewing/craft room pins. While I am jealous of a lot of them for there large amounts of space dedicated to just a sewing/craft room and all the cute, wonderfully organized spaces I am happy to be able to quilt, sew and craft in spaces created in my own home. They are not fancy or all in the same room, but they work for me.

I do need to get better organized and get rid of lots of unused items,
but I am slowly working on that.

We have a finished room that used to be the attic. I originally set up my sewing area up there. I thought it was wonderful to have all that space and that no one could see the mess. The 2 problems I have with this room is that it became the room where things are put when we can't figure out how to make them fit anywhere else in the house, or that we don't want to get rid of but don't really need at the time. Also, that room is only comfortable a few weeks out of the year. There is only on air duct to that room. The duct has been disconnected in the basement so the air can blow in there to keep it less humid. The attic is a freezer in the winter and a sauna in the summer. So I share my sewing space with my family. Our house was built by my husband's great uncle and his wife in the 60s. When you walk in the front door of my house you will see the quilting machine ahead on the right. This room was originally a dining room and possibly a formal living/sitting room. There is a single overhead light but it is not centered in the room. The dining table was placed there.  There is a large picture window on the same wall as the door. When I stand at the front of my quilting machine (the space you see in the picture to the right) I look out that window. I like that view and set up the frame so I could look out the window. I can see when the mail is delivered or if we have visitors.

We have our dining room table set up in front of that window. 

My husband uses it as his farm office. 

My son has insisted that he get to use half of the shelf under the quilt frame. There are board games stored there. He also places his keys and hat there at the end of the day. I use the rest of that space to store batting, UFOs, and fabric. 

In front of the frame is my ironing board. I have it set up for usemost of the time. You can see it in the lower right corner of this picture. It has a blue cover. It is pulled away from the frame so I could take a picture. The baskets contain quilt kits. My husband is keeping me supplied with kits! 

I have a hard time keeping my frame top and ironing board cleared of stuff. All three of us tend to place things there. I have to clear them off to use them.

Sewing corner before

Sewing corner after

Turn right at the quilt frame to go into the family room. This room was added at a later date, but I'm not sure when. 

It has a fireplace centered on a wall in that room. You can see it on the right side of the pictures. Since the fireplace protrudes into the room it creates a space on each 

side of it. 

I use the space on the left for my sewing supplies. I have rearranged my sewing corner. I have been spending this week trying to re-organize and get rid of things I no longer use. I put together the quilt rack my husband bought a few years ago. It is behind the chair. The cabinet, also behind the chair, holds UFOs, fabric and, yes, more kits.

The space on the right is where the TV is. The TV has to go there since that is where the antenna wires are located. It would be a big pain to re-route them I have been told. 

We have never used the fireplace and the chimney was removed when we had the house re-roofed. I wish they would have removed the whole thing which would have made this room a little larger, but that would involved redoing the walls, ceiling and floor. Something we didn't want to do at the time. 

Cutting table before

Looking straight into this room from the dining room you can see the bay window. I love this window. It looks out to the barns, tool shed and pens. There are no animals in the pens now. There used to be horses and mules. There is a bull that lives there most of the time, but he is down the road at my in-laws visiting the cows. He will come back in a few months.

Cutting table after

I enjoy the light that comes in that window. It faces south. I hate the curtains and am working on something else to go there. 

We set up a big table there for me to 

use for cutting. 

I moved the fabric cubby under the cutting table. The satchels in the cube contain projects waiting to be finished. So many of those! The basket contains yarn - more projects waiting to be finished or started.

The TV nook is on the left in this picture. My son has his laptop set up on the left end of this table.

I use a Hoosier cabinet for my machine, more supplies, UFOs, and, yes, more kits!
The bottom drawer contains embroidery floss and counted cross-stitch supplies. The middle drawer is thread, top drawer is miscellaneous quilting supplies like specialty rulers, marking pens, etc. The bottom shelf houses interfacing, elastic and trims. The top shelf - you guessed it - more kits.

The top of the Hoosier cabinet cabinet contains kits, fabric for clothing and miscellaneous supplies. I have used this cabinet in the kitchen, but like it best for quilting.

We use a small end table between our chairs. I use the drawers for my knitting. It is mostly full of cotton yarn for dish clothes. I like those for take along projects when sitting through basketball practice or between games at tournaments. They are small enough to carry easily and easy enough that I can talk with other people when working on them. I also like to have sock projects for the same reason. you can see I had 2 sock projects going when this photo was taken. One pair is finished. One got unknitted. The didn't fit quite right so I will be redoing those.

So, that is my space. I am happy to have it and use it every day. 

And, I get to be with my family while doing whatever I am working on at the time.

Design Wall Monday...

I have finished the top for Amish with a Twist (AWAT) and am waiting for the black batting I ordered to be delivered.
















Since I can't proceed with AWAT I got Mirror, Mirror out and back on the design wall. I had to take a few minutes to read through the directions again but have almost all the blocks are sewn together now. Next will be deciding on how to lay it out. The directions give several alternatives. I guess I will play around with it and see which I like best.

This is a kit my husband ordered. It came with batiks. I love batiks and the colors in this one are blues and greens. Nice cool colors that I am enjoying working with in this 90+ heat.

On another note, we delivered our son to his first camp of the summer. There is a school for visually impaired students in our state. This is his 4th year to attend. He learns a lot about adaptive technology and makes some friends that he keeps in touch with through email and texting. Plus he learns some independence lessons.
We will have a pretty quiet week here.

On the Needles...

Judy L - over here - is posting what is on her knitting needles on Fridays. I usually have something - ok, several somethings - on my needles to I thought I would post, too.

I do have several projects going, but I will post what I have been working on most recently.

I like to keep something easy on my needles to take to basketball practice and tournaments with me. Usually dishcloths or socks that are easy to do without having to refer to the directions too much. I like these projects because they work up quickly, too.








 I have finished the top of Amish with a Twist. I had to order black batting and am waiting on that to arrive.

And, the added benefit of knitting at practice is that I have taught the sister and cousin of two of the players to knit! Yay! She has made a scarf or two and is currently starting on a baby blanket for a family member.

Doo doo doo lookin' out my back door...

Remember this song? It's by Creedence Clearwater Revival. I don't know why, but this song just popped into my head this morning when I was in the shower. So I thought I would show you the view from my back door...

 The garden. @ varieties of sweet corn, green beans, radishes, cucumbers and 3 volunteer summer squash or zucchini - can't tell yet.

 The roses looking from the right ....

 and from the left.

You can see we need rain.

Frustration Flinging!! Reader Beware!

The other day I was reading Quilter BOB's blog and BOB mentioned something about having a day once in a while to let off steam. She suggested calling it Quilter BOB's BFF (Quilter BOB's Bitch Fest Friday). I feel the need to have one of those days occasionally! So today is that day.

If you do not want to read about my frustrations, please feel free to skip this post. I will not be offended.

I have so many frustrations but I will limit myself to just a few.

Right now one of my biggest frustrations is my son. I love him dearly, but he drives me crazy some days. I know, he is a teenager, that is what he is suppose to do, but he asks me something and then says 'What?' because he can't hear me. Why can't he hear me? Because he has earbuds or headphones on most of the time. Playing music from his iPod. How does he expect to hear me answer him when his ears are covered or plugged? AArrggghh!

Another frustration is that he expects me to do everything - EVERYthing - for him. If you have read my blog you know that my son is a full-time wheelchair user and legally blind. He is almost 18 years old. We are working on trying to teach him some independence skills, which he is strongly resisting.
I am not asking him to do things he is not capable of. Filling out his deposit receipts, folding laundry, helping cook, those kinds of things. And, everything I say - in go the earbuds, up goes the volume on the iPod, and he can't hear me! AArrgghh!

To end on a pleasant note, my husband searched and found the steel rods I need for my quilting frame. Together we got the old, cracked plastic tracks off, cut the rods and got the machine back on the frame. And, it seems to be working great! I am waiting for the black batting and design board I ordered then I can start quilting on Amish with a Twist. Oh yeah, after I finish the last applique border and get it sewn on!

Design Wall Monday...

Amish with a Twist applique border

I am still working on the Amish with a Twist. Since I took this photo I have sewn on two applique borders and I am about to finish the applique on a 3rd border.
















I have also finished up a Quilts for Kids quilt. I really liked the fabric in this one. My husband thinks it should go to a boy because it is blue. But, I think a little girl would love it, too.

Quilt for Kids

Back of QFK

Horses side

We have a friend who will be having heart surgery soon. I wanted to let him know we are thinking of him and praying for a successful surgery. He likes horses and has had to give up his horse because he just cannot take care of the horse anymore. He also likes dogs. Again, he has had to give up his dogs as well. So the quilt is horses on one side, dogs on the other. When I saw these fabrics I knew they would make a good quilt for him.

Dog side

Design Wall Monday


Well, school is out so I will have more time to post... and quilt... and do all the other things that I put off during the school year to when I have more time.


So, here is what is on my design wall now.


It is Amish With a Twist by Nancy Rink. My husband order this for me - he's great about keeping me in projects! So glad we like the same things. Anyway, before this kit even arrived he told me that he wanted me to stop all other projects to work on it. After I started working on it he told me that I better hurry because he wants me to enter it in the local county fair! No pressure there.

You can see all the other projects I have going on on the side of the design wall and stacked in front of the bookshelf.


I have the top finished up to the 1st border.


I have all the applique pieces ready to be basted onto the 2nd border. And have started stitching them in place.


 







This part will take a while since I opted to do the applique by hand. I just am not happy with my machine stitching skills for applique yet.
















My machine quilting skills aren't where I would like them to be for this quilt, either.
I am pretty good at meandering and loop-de-loops and loops and stars. I love feathers and wish I was ready to quilt big beautiful feathers in the large border of this quilt, but I just am not ready yet. I also would like to be able to outline around the applique, but I am a little (OK, a more than a little :)  ) shaky on that still, too. I am thinking about doing the outline quilting by hand and machine quilting the rest. I would like to hand quilt the whole thing, but that would take me years!

I better get stitching!