My cool auction wins

Out here in the sticks there is not much no entertainment...so you have to make do with what you have. LOL

There is an auction every week at the end of our road....usually stuff that i wouldn't want if you gave it to me but every once in a while you come across a treasure.

I found this lamp. i had to fight a lady for it...but she gave up at 10 bucks...it cost me $10.50.  it is very heavy but doesn't have any kind of mark or name on it. but i love it.

It's about 14" tall...has a little thumb switch on the cord to turn it on and off. i like the frosted glass on the top and bottom. it will have a forever home at the Duck....when the Duck actually has a place to put it. hahahahahaha

I actually scored some cool hooks made from horseshoes....3 of them. hubby said...."you BOUGHT those?"....yep, i did.  more treasures for the Duck.

I figure i can mount them by the back door and hang my jacket on it. and mount one on the back porch for an umbrella and hat or something. or hang the broom and mop on it. endless possibilities.

I also scored an old wooden chair that needs some tightening and a new covered seat.... and 4 caramel apples with nuts. you never know what they will have to sell. i passed on the cucumbers and tomatoes and cereal.

They sold 2 shotguns for $275 and $340 respectively. don't ask what kind....i have no shotgun knowledge. I know one was a Winchester....the bidding started at $100 on that one. the other was a 12 gauge something or other.

There was a cool metal corner shelf that i wanted and i missed it. Things moved along quickly and before i could catch my breath....it was sold....for $3.50...dang it. There were lots of folks there and i was too far back to see well. i gotta do better...

Later

2 more tops for the to-be-quilted cabinet

Well, quilting is not being done much....but i am piecing things. in the last day or so i finished piecing My Tweets...finally...only took me about a year to do it. but is is all hand applique with wool felt....so it took a bit. but i have big quilting plans for it.

This is my second hand applique project to be finished for this year. i have started a third....the Santas from the Piecemakers calendar quilts. and i have another one cut out of animals....we'll see how far i get on those 2 for the rest of this year. I also have a few more that i would like to do. i am enjoying the hand applique...who knew. for years i resisted it.

I also finished all the half blue/half green selvage blocks and got those all pieced together. and i would love to show you a picture of it...but Blogger is having a problem today so i guess not. it took 6 tries to get the pic of My Tweets on here. the selvage blocks are 10"...pieced diagonally...one side blue, one side green.

And i also finished all my crazy quilt blocks for the years challenge online. I have 108 blocks but won't use them all for 1 quilt. got to figure out which ones and piece those together. perhaps in the next couple days.

So, 2 more tops in the to-be-quilted cabinet. when will they be quilted you ask?

Later

Look at eBay!!....i'm cleaning out the studio

All the buckets are full of quilts....the walls are full of quilts...my house is full of quilts.

Something has to go.

I've been listing quilts and embroidery stuff and sewing stuff on eBay the last few days.

Go check it out and see if there is something you like. prices are very reasonable.

Search under Advanced Search for seller... shimmymom

Now....go buy something.

Later

More bird cages

I finally found more cages. these 2 are actually hamster cages rather than bird cages...but, hey, they work just as well.

This one has a light socket in it and is the last lighted cage. first i was going to weave zippers through it...then i thought of leather belts. finally found this fuzzy trim and used it. those zippers may still wind up on a cage somewhere.

The only difference between the hamster cage and the bird cage is that the hamster cage has metal sides....the bird cage is open all around. still works, though.

The second cage i found will be home to this bird...toucan, maybe?...that i found at goodwill for 50 cents. some green fabric scraps for him to sit on. i hope he is happy.

Still in the market for one more cage this size and several small cages. i'll keep looking....thrift stores are fun shopping.

Later

#11 UFO Challenge for September

The stars are aligned correctly and my mojo is working....thus, the UFO #11 for September is finished well ahead of time. and it would have been done last week but i had to make a trip to help my sister tear down her garage and install some windows at the Duck. but, hey, i'm still done early.

This one is kind of small but that is all the rooster fabric i had. it's a square in a square in a square block.

That pinkish rooster fabric does not photograph well.

I like the chicken wire sashing....that was used for the binding, also.

The last bits of fabric were incorporated into the backing. Roosters now all gone and another monthly challenge finished. 

Three more months to go for this year's challenge. i have managed to make the deadline for each month so far. I think i can keep it up for the rest of the year.

Am starting to work on those other 77 UFO projects that i have in the studio. i might be buried for a while. catch you

Later

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

Advertising Signs

On my adventures yesterday....in an old, packed to the rafters thrift store....i found 2 little valances made of this fabric....for 50 cents.  score!! i loved the little advertising signs....so country. so i took the seams out of the valances and ironed it all down flat....and started cutting.

So the valances became these little pieces....destined to be the middle of a quilt block. so far i have cut up about 20" by 15" of the fabric and got 22 of these little pictures.probably have at least 100 more. i have to sacrifice some pics to get others.

In an entirely different store...in an entirely different town.....i found this exact same fabric as yardage...only with a black background. i got 2 yards....it will be the border

I dug in the scrap boxes and cut out 6" squares for the base. the brown box yielded me 40 squares.

I dug in the scrap strip box and found colors to match the first sign. it is diamond brand powdered milk. it has orange, green, gold, and brown. i found the right colors. so that became this little block. isn't it cute? now to make about 100 more. LOL

I think i will only use plain colored fabrics for the strips that go around the ad. or fabrics that read pretty much as solid. no florals or wild things. it will be a challenge.

I love my little idea....so now there is one MORE UFO box to add to the stack. hahahahahahaha  but i'll bet these get worked on a bit...

Later