Where did my week go? Suddenly it is Monday morning and half the month is gone and I don’t have much to show for it. This time of year is heavy with equestrian duties. This week my horse got vaccinated, new shoes, clipped and a dental floating. I spent a lot of extra time with him at the barn. This other hobby of mine clashes with sewing and quilting, as they are two very different kinds of activity. One is sedate and mostly clean, the other is active, mostly dirty and sweaty (possibly hairy). The only thing I can think of that they have in common is good posture is a must and the ability to make money disappear quickly.
Things I accomplished in the sewing studio this week:
Finished the Candy Corn Quilt (custom order)
Quilted the 12 Days of Christmas quilt (needs binding)
Started quilting the Tilda Anniversary quilt
Finished the Santa land Top (custom order)
Started another Eclipse quilt with Art Haus fabric
Got month one of the Tara Faughnan class watched and stitched
Found and ordered a few more fabrics for the green peacock quilt
Added a few hundred stitches to the Lilies
Started a wallaby sweater
This week I want to get a few more quilts quilted. I want to finish up the Tilda quilt. I have the backing for one of the Peter Rabbit quilts, I need to make another from a few pieces of flannel. The other Halloween and Santa Land Custom quilts need to be quilted. Finish up piecing the Green Peacock top and free up the design board. Time to get a move on.
Last Wednesday I brought my machine in for servicing, the thread cutter was really getting on my nerves and the start screen telling me to bring it in for service everyday was worse than a “check engine” light. Before I went I checked for a “regular” fabric store in the area. There was one, Fabrics-R-Us, about twenty minutes south of the sewing machine store. I figured I would make a day of it, and hopefully find some leopard tee shirt material. I arrived at the sewing machine place and noticed that they still carried some clothing fabrics. I found a velvety knit Tiger stripe print that was perfect. I got two yards of it and went home, I really didn’t want to go to Fabrics-R-Us. I was able to cut and sew two shirts and a set of ears for the Saturday event. My friend and I were “Fabulous”, it was a good time and my friend loved her shirt, she asked to keep it for a Halloween event she has coming up. Yes, please, I am going to be stuck with two more yards of leopard print this week. I am thinking of a pajama set for me.
I started quilting the Candy Corn quilt, it’s going well. Although, I started with a black bobbin thread, after about three inches I stitching, I knew it wasn’t going to work with the stark white background. I switched to white, as the black was showing up as dots on the front. I really didn’t want to go through explaining that “issue” to another client. I should note that last client quilt was accepted, but I didn’t charge them for the quilting. The black bobbin thread will probably sink down once this quilt is washed and dried, but I won’t take a chance this time.
I have been working on the blue and green peacock panel quilt. I took it all apart and I am adding a different border. I saw this quilt pattern, called “What a View” and thought I could modify it for my panel. This is a horizontal panel, most panel quilts call for vertically printed ones. I’m using the Cats Cradle ruler from Creative Grids to make the blocks. It’s sort of a two at a time method like the flying geese two at a time one. Very little waste and they trim up square. These blocks are 5 inches finished size, and since I have a limited amount of matching fabric I am being careful. I may add some 4 patch blocks to fill and use the scraps I have left.
Cross-stitch land is gaining more X-es. I have the out lines of the house done and the windows and roof details. Lots of bricks and fill left. One night I skipped up and stitched the stem of the flower on top of it, to break up the monotony a bit.
With the cooler weather lately, I have been thinking about knitting, I want to start something new. I could start a baby sweater, or I have been wanting to make a throw. I recently went through my stash for yarn to give to a “new knitter” the daughter of a friend of mine. I have so much sock yarn and hand dyed yarn that I am never going to use. I have shawls and socks that I seldom wear, and I figured it was time to let it go. What I really need to work on is the sweater for my son that I started a few years ago. I worked on it earlier this year, but summer came around and knitting was sidelined for sewing.
Remember last month when I ordered some leopard print tee shirt knit? Remember that the store ran out of it and I didn’t find out until I emailed them? After that I found some more, in stock, leopard print and ordered it on October 1. I figured that it would be here in time for me to make the two shirts I needed for an event on 10/11. Even if I was sewing on 10/10, I knew I could get it done. Well, I just got the shipping notice, that the fabric will be here on 10/14. Great, now I will have some leopard print fabric that I may never use. Thankfully it was only 20.00, but still, am I being too demanding, to expect delivery within ten days of ordering? Or am I just spoiled by Prime?
I was feeling very accomplished yesterday, as I cut and sewed together a Christmas quilt top. It was pretty simple, as it used a panel for the 12 blocks. I am proud to say that I didn’t make more than two errors sewing it together.
I signed up for a monthly (6) on-line class from Tara Faughnan earlier this week, it started on October 1, I started on 10/3. It seems like a fun exercise in random-ness and wonky. After my wonky geese and star blocks last week, I feel like I need to loosen up and have some fun with scraps and make some little quilts. I have watched all the videos, but not the Zoom meeting from the first day. I like her laid back attitude and the way she explains things. The videos are well edited and she has a great laugh. There is another lesson/meeting on the 14th I hope I remember to watch. What I like about this series of classes is that there is a private message board that sort of set up like Faceb**k. It’s nicer though because it has no ads, reels, or ‘maybe you know this person’ posts. There is also dash board set up where you can access the message board, the classes and Zoom recordings. I’m probably late to the party on this, but it’s through Thinkific.
I am still deciding on what I want to do today. I am a bit grumble-some about the client I am making the three quilts for. I put the Candy Corn quilt back on the frame, because he finally contacted me about a panto for it. Of course when I messaged him back, about thread color, I got no reply. This is the second time I have put this quilt up and made it ready to quilt. Last time I didn’t hear from him for two weeks. I took it down and finished a few more of my shop quilts and a custom. I will give him a few more days to reply, and I may take it down again. He told me when we started these projects, that he was in no hurry, yup.
The Starry Skies BOM is caught up now, I did three consolations in one day. It’s easy when everything is printed and the fabric is out. My only hitch was that the thread cutter on my machine isn’t working every time. I have cleaned it a few times and still it cuts a few times, then the bobbin thread doesn’t get clipped. I don’t like long thread tails (does anyone?) there may have been some coarse language used. I need to bring the machine in for service, it keeps reminding me every time I turn it on. Maybe tomorrow, it’s a 30 minute drive to the shop, and there will be fabric temptations. I haven’t been to this shop in a while, maybe six months(?). They had greatly reduced their fabric stock and notions, focusing more on machine sales. Since Joanns closed, I think they have expanded a little back into those areas. I should drop off a few more of my Longarm services cards too. It is the only shop in my area that doesn’t offer longarming. Although, I am not really sure I want to delve into more customs around the holidays.
I’m ready to be done with Halloween fabric, quilts decor, and even pumpkins. It’s only the 3rd of October. I am thinking of going to get a pumpkin spice something just to toast the end of this making period. Now it is time to sit back and enjoy fall. Or start the next seasons makings. Isn’t that what Christmas in July is for?
I got all the new Halloween themed quilts listed yesterday. I use Chat GPT to help with the listings and SEO tag words. We had a chat all right. I ask for 13 SEO tag words with 20 or less characters, including spaces (between words). I get 13 usually good ones from the listing description. Yesterday I had to keep correcting the chat, as it was giving me 24 and 25 character tags. Three times I asked it to clarify the list and it acknowledged it was over the limit, even posted the numbers of characters in parentheses after each one. Finally I asked it how to “ask”, and it came up with a clear way. By then I ran out of additional questions, I use the free version, plus I was done too. I have one more quilt to list and it maybe today or tomorrow.
I have finished putting the Happy’s place together, all that’s left is the moon appliqué. I survived the mental anguish of making wonky stars and geese. The first geese were a disappointment, and there was ripping. Aren’t wonky blocks supposed to “free” your imagination from the rigid confines of geometry? I finally started looking at them as foundation paper piecing without the paper and had much better results. The fabric for the second Woodland Friends baby quilt came in the mail too. I challenged myself to finish up those eleven blocks before retiring for the night. I was putting the blocks up on the board, when I discovered I was three short. I am happy now that I stayed and finished. Today I have the borders, simple, and I hope to get it quilted and done by Sunday.
Also in the mail was the Winter birds kit. The fabrics are really pretty, Tilda’s Merry Little Christmas. I blogger that I follow, Sisters Choice Quilts, recently got the fat quarter pack and had blogged about it. I really liked working with the Tilda Anniversary fabric, or was it called Celebration? Anyway the kit is here, but I won’t start it right away, as I have two other Christmas tops that need to be put together. The first is a client quilt, small-ish wall hanging, the second is a twelve days of Christmas panel that is a free pattern from Henry Glass. I started with the panel, and it led to the pattern, which lead to more fabric acquisition.
Two weeks ago I ordered some jersey knit Leopard print, for two tee shirts I want to make for an upcoming event. The theme of the event is “Into the Wild”, so I thought that it would be appropriate. Plus, buying the fabric was much less expensive than going out and finding and buying ready made. I received part of my order, but not the spotted stuff, the event is 10/11. I emailed them, and it is out of stock, I got a refund, but can’t help but wonder when they were going to tell me. I did find a replacement fabric, and it will be here next week. Luckily these are just tee-shirts. The hardest part is cutting them out, and the easiest part is serging them. I may even use the cover-stitch, woohoo!
Consider the Lilies has been getting stitches, I started the house. I am thankful that the windows aren’t filled with stitches.
Futile. I am really trying not to get any more projects to do. My to-do list is very long, and there is my list of to-do for shop quilts too. The personal quilts I want to make, that list changes and most of the projects don’t get past the “buy the pattern” stage. Some get to the buy some fabric, some get to buy all the fabric, some even get started. I don’t consider these UFO’s though. They are in a separate category, sort of a current or new-ish list. I like to keep them written on my white board, so they don’t get forgotten. Anyway, back to the resistance part. I was perusing Shabby Fabrics the other day and saw the Halloween pattern I have liked for a few years, Merrie Halloween, was available as a BOM. It starts in January 2026, so by then I’ll have finished the Blooming Beauty BOM. I did sign up, too quickly, as when I re-read the listing, I realized it was laser cut. I was thinking hand appliqué, but now that I am really thinking about it, the laser cut will be fine. I can concentrate on the machine stitching, and not have to trace and cut out all the pieces. Also it uses the Moda collection Home Sweet Haunt, which I just used for a different quilt. Oh yeah, I also got a Christmas quilt kit from Tilda, called Winter birds. I really liked making the Anniversary quilt from Tilda, the fabrics are so nice, a good weight and hand to them.
Speaking of Blooming Beauty, I got the next installment in the mail on Friday. Another star block, month eight, of eleven. These large stars are for the four corners, then there are a few borders and it’s done. I am feeling good about the progress on this quilt, because I have been keeping up and I have the whole center put together. It is a large quilt, 98″ x 98″, and I am making it for my own use.
I quilted a whole quilt yesterday. I free-hand quilted the Lollipops and Licorice top. I tried to find a suitable digital pattern, but ended up copying Krista Moser’s design, straight lines in the diamonds and starts. It was a bit boring, but I got it done. I want to get it bound today, and part of the up coming photo shoot I am planning this week. Today is another rainy/overcast day, great lighting for outdoor photos, not so good for indoor ones. Happy’s place got its iron on appliqués attached. It looks pretty cute, I have to leave the moon off until I get the borders on.
I am still waiting on fabric I re-ordered for the small woodland quilt. I ordered the pearl bracelets fabric in the 108″ width, thinking it would be plenty to work with, and I would have some left over as it matches the Love Letters line of fabrics too. I was a little dismayed to open the package and realize that the bracelets were 5 times larger than the ones on the 42″ wide. Live and learn. The good thing is that I used it as part of the backing for the L&L quilt. I really want to finish this little quilt this week, and get it out the door, the customer needs it by the 18th. I re-ordered the correct fabric Friday, and it is supposed to be here by the end of this week. I have half of the blocks made and all of the pieces cut, except for the 44 white ones I need of the pearl bracelet print. I blogged about this pattern/quilt, Marching into April I adapted the Pumpkin Patch pattern to use 6 ½ ” blocks in stead of 10 ½” ones. I did this to be able to use the small left over animal face prints from the woodland friends prints. I was happy that I made some notes and had an extra block and photos to look at.
My goals for this week are to get the Woodland friends quilt done, start quilting the Tilda Anniversary quilt and finish the borders for Happy’s Place.
Touch of Grey 