Snip....snip....snip

Guess what i've been doing today.....for the last 3 HOURS......LOL.....

Going through all my boxes and boxes of selvages and cutting out all the little color windows.  i have a box full....and my fingers are tired of snipping.   next i think i have to iron them.

I have been wanting to make a word quilt and i saw the perfect idea on someone's blog the other day.

So, i am going to combine my selvages and my word quilt and come up with something i think will look cool. stay tuned for more.....soon.


AND....as i was cutting the color windows.........i cut out names, too. have you ever noticed all the names that are in selvages?      i have ANOTHER idea for a quilt....using these names.   i have to refine the idea somewhat and then we shall see where it goes. but i have lots of names cut out.....the only drawback is that they are so tiny. but...hey...i can do it!!!   LOL

And why don't we just add one more project to the mix....just for fun. i have already made 20-something of these blocks with orange selvages.

I am using an 8 inch black and white print for the foundation....i'll trim them all up when i am done. i think i will make 42 blocks and set them 6x7. i think i have enough orange selvages for that.....if not....then plan B will come in effect. i think after i get them together i will embroider some black cats and bats and witches and things in the middle spaces.  to make it even more Halloweeny....(that is too a word).

So, now i am tired and guess i'll go back up to the house and see what Jim is up to. when i left him this morning he was working on brakes for the tractor. he might be taking a nap by now. i can use a nap, too.

We won't even talk about the fact that i turned ON the longarm when i got over here to the studio but never even quilted one single stitch. Doesn't matter there are customer quilts to do or my own quilt to finish that is on the frame......noooo.....i go and spend hours cutting out dots and names. 

I think i need serious mental help. hahahahahahahahahahaha   or at least a pill that makes me actually finish a project before starting 3 or 4 more.    or maybe a pill that doesn't let my brain think of any new projects until i am done with the old ones.    or...even better....just a clone or two so i can do EVERYTHING i want to do.   yeah....that's the answer. LOL

Jim says....

"A big Thank You" to all who wished him a happy birthday. i just showed him a few minutes ago and he was surprised. he said it was a perfect ending to his day.

So, thank you my friends....for making Jim's day a little brighter.

I do appreciate all of you.

All together now........

Happy Birthday, Jim!

I'm a bit lame in the birthday department usually....no card, just an email.   no present....just going out to eat later.

But....you can do better than i do....right?   

All together now......Happy Birthday, Jim.

Please leave a comment for Jim  and let him know where you are from. i hope he can get birthday greetings from all over the world.

Let's make Jim's day........all together now....

Happy Birthday Jim...........you old fart. (73)    hahahahahaahahaha

Tumbler Blocks

This is a little (48x72) donation quilt that i put on the frame this morning and quilted in about an hour.

I used my AccuQuilt machine to cut the blocks a couple years ago. finally pieced them together a few months ago and today got it quilted.  i first thought it needed some curved stitching but then decided to just do an "X" through the blocks. it sort of makes the whole thing look crosshatched. quick and simple. i like how the crossed part of the X moves up and down...closest to the narrower side of the block.

My camera didn't capture the dark green color of the back. nothing shows there as i used dark green thread. and i turned the backing fabric to the inside...which looked black....and used it for the binding.

A good kid cuddle quilt and one more out of the 'to be quilted' cabinet.

#2 for July .... 30s French Braid

In trying to hook up my photos at Judy's blog for the July challenge quilt.....i realized i had never shown it finished. July was a very busy month. i had taken pictures....just not posted them. anyway, i finished this quilt on July 20.....and that was in the midst of to-do jobs getting done at the farm. i hope August is a bit saner. LOL

Here is the front. i believe i had some of these prints....got more from my sister....and then bought a few more to round out the selection. it's an easy pattern....just tedious.

The top was started about 3 years ago. i'm glad i finally finished it up.

The braids got feathers and cross hatching in the sashings. borders were piano keyed.

Nothing fancy or exciting...just another top finished.

Now it's time to tackle the August #7 challenge.....it is already pieced....a huge 112x126 top with embroidered blocks. that has been pieced for about 6 or 7 years. i almost dread quilting it. it also has 2 pillow cases to go with it. Aack!!

Pink Crazy Quilt

My monochromatic challenge for August is done. no, i didn't stay up 24 hours a day. i sort of cheated. i started this top a few months ago because i knew it would take a while to get it done and i would need more than 1 month. i'm glad pink wasn't called sooner. LOL   the way it was it took me 3 days to quilt it.

It is about 62" square. it is 9 patches in a giant 9 patch. is that 9 patch squared? i used some bright pink flannel for the back. So Fine thread in the bobbin and Glide on the top. love that Glide thread. i just sort of wiggled over the seams and did some curly Qs and swirls in larger places. all freehand....no rulers...just sort of scribbly.

I used selvages and strips and any fabric that i had that was pink....or even close to pink. 

There's a 3 dimensional rose in this next section....top right corner

I had a bunch of different lace, some rickrack, and some lacey pieces.....

....and i threw them all together in a glass jar and put hot pink dye over them and let them sit for an hour.

Some things came out almost red...and some things, like rickrack, barely turned pink at all. 

Blocks pieced all helter-skelter....no rhyme or reason. i even used a pink zipper in this next block. do you see it.......bottom left block.

This quilt is just meant to be a snuggle quilt for the couch. no fancy stitching.

It wound up being a bit heavy. i used muslin for a foundation for the crazy quilting. took 9 bobbins of thread just for this size.

Now i'm waiting to see which number is pulled for the UFO challenge for the month. most of those still need to be pieced.....so good thing i have the whole month left to do it.

Pink

Judy's monochromatic color for August is Pink!  i have my pink top done already......a crazy quilt.  and i am halfway done quilting it.  so, i am ahead of the game for August. I'll show you a pic in a day or two when i have it finished.

I am managing to get to the studio for a few hours during the day. I'm trying hard not to mess up my back again. but now i am getting the urge to finish a couple jobs that need finishing.

My plant porch got painted when Josh was here working for us. but the floor only got one coat. So i have to put the second coat of paint on it and get the furniture back in there. the furniture that is parked all over the bedroom and living room now. and the books that are out of the bookcase and all over the floor. it is starting to bug me and i want it cleaned up. so maybe in a day or two i can put that second coat of paint on and be all done with that project.

I stayed up late last night...about 1:30.... finishing a book.... i had to know the ending.  so i slept in this morning till 9:45.  if you haven't read a book by JA Jance.....you need to. she is an incredible author....keeps you turning pages and wanting to know what happens next. she writes murder fiction. the part that i especially like is that the stories sort of continue from one book to the next. the town is the same....the same characters are all there....you know what is going on in their lives.....but in the midst of all this....there is a murder or 2 to be solved.  great reading.  i seem to have erratic hours these days. when i got up hubby was gone. no note....his truck is gone and the barn is closed. that usually means he went to town or somewhere. i'm trying to think.....did he tell me yesterday that he was going somewhere today?    can't remember anything.   so, i guess i'll get dressed and wander over to the studio and work on that pink quilt for a bit. he'll come back eventually.....probably with something he bought. LOL