Quilts for Sale

I am making a clean sweep of the studio and selling all the quilts that i now have. tired of looking at them all the making new. Here are a few pics of some of the ones for sale. Come on down and check them out.

 #53...Frederick the Frog Prince...machine embroidery...50x72....$75

 #26...Blue and green tube quilt....74x90....$50

#14...Shadow Churn Dash....63x63...$40

#45...Nantucket Knots...Red, white and blue....66x82.....$60

#60...Sunburst...paper piecing...76x76....$150

#28...My Sister Jewel...applique, custom quilted...82x86....$300

#59....Color Blocks....Selvages....60x65....$75

#12...Word selvage quilt..says Put Some Selvages in Your Quilts...88x92...$300

#30...Hand embroidered hearts...with 2 pillowcases...98x98....$80

#33....Memoriam to Sarah...applique....86x86....$300

Those are just a few...will post more later

Questions....send me an email   brunerwoman@yahoo.com

Organization

About once a year or so i have to take stock of where i am and what i have going on. i am big (and bad) about having multiple ongoing projects....they're everywhere. i need a better handle on things.

So, yesterday i spent 8 hours.....getting all the magazines and books in order on the shelves and labeling them all. my feet and back were tired. we went to town for dinner...no cooking for me. but the shelves look awesome...quilting mags and books, painting books, and art books all pretty lined up.

Today i started early and spent 2 hours going through all the plastic bins i have here in the studio. nothing got trashed....sad.  a very few fabrics got put back on the general fabric shelves.....most of the stuff in the bins were projects that i still wanted to do.....someday.

I actually emptied 5 bins....but before you get excited....most of it just got incorporated into other bins. LOL

This side of the shelves are things i want to do...that elusive 'someday'. i hope soon....within 3 years.

Most boxes hold just one project....some hold multiple projects.  all have labels so i can read at a glance what is in there.

This side holds projects that i want to finish first. lots of them are started....some even almost finished. but several of these boxes hold multiple projects.

And the things on the top of the shelves are things that are currently on eBay for sale....i am working on that, too. cleaning out the studio of quilts and things i don't need.

All in all.....there are 77 projects that need to be finished.....or started in some cases. i know that sounds like a lot....but the goal is to empty all the boxes on this side by the end of 2013. i think i can do that if i work at it really hard.

Multiple project boxes have labels like  "8 kits to make"..... or "11 sets embroidered blocks - ready to piece into quilts". and my favorite box...."18 sets of blocks ready to be pieced into quilts". i am in serious trouble. hahahahahaha    i need a withdrawal program.....or many more hours in my day.

PLUS.....besides all this....as if that wasn't enough....i have projects that i am currently working on right now...

...My Tweets flannel quilt with wool applique....only have to applique top border then it is ready to be quilted
...Dear Jane quilt...middle blocks finished....2 1/2 borders to go
...Santa piecemakers quilt....2 blocks finished....10 to go...plus center medallion
...2012 class quilt....borders to add
...Ad signs quilt....just started....2 blocks made...probably make about 100
...blue and green selvage quilt...all blue done...about half green done
...embroidered Earth Angels blocks...just started...1 of 20 blocks done
...embroider Geisha quilt....4 blocks made....about 40 to go
...UFO #11 for this month to be quilted

AND....there are:
...14 tops in the 'to be quilted' cabinet that are mine
...4 customer quilts to be quilted

So, if you don't see me for a bit....i am locked in the studio...working.
Send food

Later (maybe much later) hahahahaha

2012 Judy Laquidara UFO Challenge

It is time to think about quilting in 2012. JudyL of http://www.patchworktimes.com/  is once again overseeing an UFO monthly challenge...and, of course, i signed up.

This year i managed to meet the challenge obligations each month....and i don't anticipate any problems with December either. so, let's ramp it up a notch...shall we?   this year i mainly used quilt tops that only needed quilting for my monthly challenges. but i think in 2012 i will use the projects that are in those dreaded plastic boxes .... in various stages of completion.

Some have been marinating for YEARS.   here is my list for next years projects.

#1  Tube blocks. this is actually a new project. it has only been in the box a matter of days. i learned this technique and wanted to try it and write it down before i forgot it. turnes out i LIKE it....so it became a box project. i have made 18 blocks so far and saved the fabrics to finish the top. we'll see how large it winds up.

#2  Shadow Quilt    I found this in a book by the same name. i have 1 block pieced and several cut out. i need 25 9" blocks for the center of the quilt and 40  4.5" blocks for the border.  it goes quick so this is do-able.

#3  Flower Fracture      Another book i found and decided i wanted to make one. the center fracture is finished...just need to do the pieced border and the final border.  this has been waiting for me for a year or so.

#4  Scrap strip blocks.  these are simply strip blocks using up scraps. i have lots of strips already cut and several blocks started. i will just piece them together and then trim them all down to match in size. another simple plan.

#5  Old Glory    this is a pattern from McCalls Quilting magazine, June 2007    i have lots of blocks pieced but many more to go. some are cut out.  i took this box out once last year....looked at it....and put it back. i was having trouble figuring out what was what. hopefully i can finally get this together in 2012.

#6   Heritage Medallion    i found this picture in Quilters Newsletter Magazine..Jan/Feb 1996   i don't have the pattern but it looks pretty straight forward. i plan to paper piece many of the blocks and have paper patterns copied and ready. i am using 3 books for the blocks....300 paper pieced quilt blocks by Carol Doak; Radiant NY Beauties by Valori Wells; and, 50 Fabulous paper Pieced Stars by Carol doak.  this is quite a project....Heaven help me.

#7  Nantucket Knots   this is a pattern from the Fat Quarter Shop...June 2006  it will be red, white and blue. all pieces are cut....lots of blocks are pieced. many, many more need to be pieced. but it can be chain pieced easily. this is a box that sat in my 'room' at my sister's house....in the closet....for many years. the idea was to work on it when i went over there. that lasted about 2...maybe 3 times....LOL   gotta get it done.

#8  Tsunami    this is a strip tease quilt pattern.  i have a few strips pieced.....lots of work to do here.

#9  Snowball variation blocks   This is an EQ block.  the plan is a 100x100" quilt alternating snowball blocks with 9 patch. i have lots of blocks made and pieces cut. just need to get a-stitchin'

#10  Winter Games   pattern found in Fabric Trends magazine  Winter 2007   i have 3 blocks pieced and all pieces cut.

#11  Roosters    i love this fabric. i need 25 blocks and a pieced border. i have 10 blocks and fabric.

#12  Split 9 patch   this was to be a 102x120" quilt ...we'll see.  LOL  i have several blocks pieced and some fabric in a box.  not sure i still have enough.

So, there are my planned UFO projects for next year. i have no illusions here...this will be a mighty tough year to accomplish. although i fully plan on finishing them all....if i get the project out of the box and into the 'to be quilted' cabinet as a top....i will consider it completed for that month. some of these are going to be tough.

SO, in 2012 if you don't see my at quilt shows....or around the neighborhood....you know where i will be....in the studio....working on this mess. hahahahahahahaha

Later

Today was eBay day

I decided today i should stop talking about it and start doing something about it.

I have wanted to get my quilts out on eBay for some time....the studio is filling up. I am keeping everything in plastic tubs to keep the mice out and I'm running out of plastic tubs. this is experience talking.

I started at the studio at 8am....good for me....these days i might not even be up by then. and i worked till 4:30. i got 14 quilts listed. all shapes and sizes....from $20 to $400. hopefully i can sell a few and buy a few more windows for the Duck.

It's been a while since i sold anything on eBay so there was a bit of a learning curve on the picture insertion. they changed things a bit. i had to go and resize my pics first and then fight their system to get them to upload. but it finally turned out ok and i was successful.

I took pictures of a few more before i left for the day. i think tomorrow will be another eBay day. couldn't hurt. i have some embroidery CDs to put out there and a few other things.

If you are inclined to take a look....look for seller   shimmymom   that's me.

Since i basically sat on my butt all day i spent 30 minutes outside stacking some firewood for hubby so he'll be ready for the snow and he can start up his wood heater. we got frost this morning for the first time.....so colder weather is not far behind.

Gonna go rest up now.

Later

I'm tired of nature

Most days i like 'living off the land' .... gardens and fruit trees.....blackberries and persimmons and black walnuts. but today i am officially done with nature. no more picking black walnuts and hulling them. hence...no more black fingers.  i have great respect for the folks in the 'good ole days' who toiled all day every day just to get food on the table to feed their families. at least i don't have to go out and shoot game for dinner.

I have 2 containers of persimmons in the freezer...enough for this winter's breads and cakes and cookies. enough walnuts to crack for several years.

I got rid of the chest freezer in the barn. we never kept it full and it was old and not energy efficient. it will be replaced with a new, smaller model. there was corn on the cob in there from 2007. and loads of green beans and banana peppers. we always seem to freeze veggies and then forget they are in there. the new rule around here is no freezing of veggies. a friend bought the old freezer for her son so it has a life elsewhere for a while.

I believe today will be an eBay day. i have loads of quilts that are taking over my studio and i need to get them sold. hopefully today i will get a large portion of them listed. if you're in the market for a new quilt go on over to eBay and give them a  look. might be something you like....Christmas is coming you know.  look for a seller called .... shimmymom .... that would be me. and just so we are clear....no, it does not mean i am a belly dancer....shudder....bad picture. LOL   it is the name of our last dog.

So, i need to go start my day. hope yours is fun.

Later

How i spend my mornings

I like mornings. i especially like mornings if i get up earlier than hubby and have a nice quiet house all to myself for a bit.

First i gotta climb onto that dreaded treadmill and do my mile to get the blood flowing and the sweat to dripping. yeah, just a mile.....but i come back a couple more times during the day and do more. i just don't want to do 3 miles all at once...that usually takes an hour and seems like too much time wasted.

Once i can crawl off the treadmill then me and my water bottle head for the computer. i HAVE to check with my blog friends to see if there is any excitement i might be missing. LOL  just a bit of vicarious living.

My very favorite blog is Judy Laquidara...she is a hoot. she blogs about quilts....she has written 2 quilt books...go check her out on Amazon. she gives super great recipes and talks about her family. Sometimes i check on her twice a day.    www.patchworktimes.com

Then i go check on Dawn Meehan. bless her heart...she has 6 children and a life full of ups and downs. she is an author, too. go check it out and get her books...there are 2 of them so far. she is very funny www.mom2my6pack.blogspot.com 

Then there is Spuds..his name is Vic but everyone calls him Spuds. He is hilarious....he has 6 kids also.   sometimes he has some thought provoking moments on his blog and sometimes you just laugh till you cry. his young twins would give a lesser person heart attacks.  www.blirred-reality.blogspot.com

Since i am into demolition these days i have to check in with  www.diydiva.net    she is building a house and doing the work herself. along with a fulltime day job. there are lots of pictures and you learn a lot there. i am impressed.

And since i love thrift stores and yard sales i HAVE to check in with Sharon Henegar. she lives in California and shops garage sales on Saturdays and blogs about what she finds on Sunday. She always meets the cutest dogs and shows their pics and talks to some interesting people, too. mostly she blogs on Sundays but sometimes there is news during the week, also. but she is my regular Sunday stop....and she is an author, too...i have read her first book...it's a mystery...cool book. check her out.  www.queenoffiftycents.blogspot.com

I'm a quilter so i have to check out various quilting blogs....here are some good ones.

www.blog.maryquilts.com  a Heart Strings quilter...she is one busy lady
www.selvageblog.blogspot.com    you know i have to check out the selvages
www.pintangle.com   Sharon Boggon...cool embroidery blog
www.ohfransson.com   Elizabeth Hartman   great BOM going on right now
www.erinrussek.typepad.com   BOM  My Tweets

I am a member of MQR...a longarm quilters group...and i check on some of their bloggers daily, too. like...
www.suzanneearley.net    the owner of MQR
www.blog.deborahlevyart.net   terrific quilt teacher
www.vickiwelsh.typepad.com   fabulous hand dyed fabrics, great quilts, lots of patterns
www.gaylemckay.wordpress.com   Gayle is so much fun...she is hilarious. she talks about her quilts, her man and sometimes their cows.

Of course, there are many more blogs that i read....but not all of them on a daily basis. the folks that i have listed almost always have something to say every day. if i spent less time on this computer i would sure get a lot more done. 

Tell me...what is your favorite blog that you HAVE to check out every day.

Cleaning out the studio

I have soooo many quilts in the studio piled up that something has to go. there is a point where there is no where else to put them. they have all been to several craft shows...or hanging in the studio....or been on ebay and not sold. so i talked to a friend that knows how to contact the people that run the women's shelter in the next town. she will come and pick them all up next week. when i spoke with her i told her i had 35 quilts to go...of various sizes. but since i spoke with her, i found yet another tub with about a dozen more.

I pulled out about 6 that i thought my son and daughter in law might like...a couple have horses on them and a couple have indians and a couple are asian. they have an asian room in their house so i knew they would like those. i told them they could have them if they wanted them....nothing fancy...sort of small....and not to worry about hurting my feelings if they really didn't want them. and explained that i was cleaning out the studio and was going to donate to the women's shelter. i get an email back from my son that says his wife tells him...."if she donates those quilts...i am going to leave you...move to missouri...become homeless...and find that shelter and get those quilts."   LOL  she is so hilarious. she says she loves all of them and wants them all. i have made them seveal quilts over the years and she just goes to pieces when she gets one...like i've given her a million dollars.

So i went out to the barn and dug around for a box to mail them out to them. i found a box that was a bit larger so i put in the 6 that i showed them and also about 6 more...to fill up the box. they will be surprised. she will be crying...and so happy. a daughter in law easy to please....i love that girl.

And the thing is that there are many, many more tops here to piece and send off somewhere. by the end of the year there will probably be about 30 or 40 more. the fun never ends.