Our Oklahoma October started out in the 90s and ended in the 20s. Talk about going from one extreme to the other! And it snowed on the 30th! Extremely unusual for this part of the country. On the positive side with all of these too-hot-for-me and too-cold-for-me temps, I stayed in a lot and got quite a bit accomplished.
Oh, and I could have gotten more done if my husband hadn’t tangled with a copperhead. We spent an entire day in the emergency room while they monitored him and did repeated blood tests to determine what changes were taking place. Fortunately no changes in his blood so no antivenom had to be administered. His ankle is still a bit tender but he has been back on his feet since about three days after the bite. Then there were the two days that my dad fell and had to have CT scans to make sure he wasn’t having any bleeding in his brain. And thankfully he was also fine except for a little bump and a scrape on his arm. His doctor has since ordered home health, and a physical therapist is working with daddy to improve his balance. I was the one who suffered permanent medical issues from all of this. My blood pressure went a bit haywire, and my medication had to be increased. A wild month to say the least. Everything is back to normal now.
I finished Aspen’s quilt and the doll quilt that we are giving her for Christmas. I do still need to add the labels, so technically they aren’t quite finished yet. But I’m calling it a finish. I’m sure somebody has done a pattern like these two quilts, but I haven’t seen them. I just had an idea for what I wanted to do and started cutting and sewing. I’m pretty pleased with the results. I used two layers of Hobb’s 80/20 batting on the twin size quilt with a single layer in the doll quilt and quilted them using a panto called Crayon Scribbles by Anne Bright Designs. It is one of the most difficult pantographs I’ve used, so perfect quilting it is not.
In addition, I put together 4 baby quilt tops and finished one of them. I found this really quick-to-make pattern called Baby Bento Box online. I’ve also seen some variations that I may try later. I suppose because of the fabrics on a couple of these tops that these would be better as lap quilts. I really had fun quilting the little bunny one. I had never done clamshells so tried my hand at that using a 4” circle ruler and Lisa Calle’s technique. The quilt would have been just fine with the overall clamshell quilting, but I thought it looked a bit plain so added some free-motion feathers in each clamshell. I like it so much better now.
My month wasn’t 100% success story. I had a flannel shirt that I wanted to add lace to the back of to make it more feminine. Sadly it didn’t turn out to my liking; and since I didn’t want to spend time ripping out everything I had just sewn in, I am going to send it to the thrift store. Somebody will like it. Maybe.
I did spend some time working on mine and my husband’s quilt this month. Last month I only had sewn blocks into 5 rows. I now have blocks sewn into 15 rows. Let’s see……15 rows times 29 blocks……..that’s 435 blocks! If our weather is going to keep being this cold, I had better get a move on and finish this quilt so we will be cozy and warm this winter. But there’s so many other things I want to make………..
Oh, and I found my missing string blocks! They were between two books on my bookshelf. I had put them there to keep them nice and flat until I had an empty project box to put them in. It was really strange how I found them since I had already turned the house upside down three times looking for them and had given up. So after about a month, I started thinking about them again. So I walked into the sewing room and straight to that shelf to start searching again when right in front of me at eye level was the corner of one of them sticking out from between the books. This second search has to be the shortest search on record. Those wayward blocks are now safely stored in their own box waiting for me to make more.
Happy Crafting,
Lana
I just took a look back at December’s post to see how I’m doing in meeting the goals I set for myself for 2019. In the following list that I copied from December’s post, I’ve crossed through the things that I’ve completed and added descriptions on how I am progressing. Here goes:
- I have 192 quad Log Cabin blocks that need to be sewn into 16 rows of 12 blocks each and those 16 rows need to be sewn together. I have finished sewing the first row and have started the second. I think that I will just jump on this and get it done. It is actually going faster than I anticipated. When all is together the borders need to be cut to size and the appliqués put on them. Then there is the quilting and binding and labeling to do. I really would like to complete this quilt by the end of 2019 but am thinking that I may be setting my goals a tad too high since I like to mix in other projects as I go along.
- I have 14 appliquéd placemats to make. The background squares are cut and ready to sew together. The appliqués are now all stitched onto the placemats. Ready to be quilted and then bound.
- I have a quilt on my frame to finish quilting and three in the closet to quilt. I finished the quilt on my frame and now have another on it half quilted. And without realizing it, I somehow increased the number of quilts hanging in the closet waiting to be quilted from three to four. Now how did that happen? And after they are quilted, there will be bindings and labels to do.
- I want to use up all the 2 1/2” squares and strips I cut from thrift store shirts, skirts, etc. They will be sewn into quilts that will be donated. I’ve already chosen a pattern for the next one. Just need to decide what neutral color to use for the background. I have a bolt of white in my stash. That always looks nice. All of these scraps are in quilt tops – one on the frame being quilted and two in the closet waiting their turn. So this goal is nearing completion.
- I’ve chosen a piece of home décor fabric from my stash to make a cover for my new Sizzix eclips2 electronic cutting machine. I need to do that right away to keep the machine lint and dust free. I can check this one off my list. It is the only goal I’ve actually completed to date.
- I want to take more online quilting classes. I paid for a subscription and would really like to take advantage of it. I’ve watched a lot of videos and have learned a lot. I still have others on my list that I want to watch.
- And I took time out for a few unplanned projects – 5 crocheted doll hats, 5 crocheted dishcloths, 1 hair scrunchie, 2 sewing machine mats with pockets, 2 hotpads, and 1 wallet.
I’m actually doing better than I thought. Now I must get back to it.
Happy Crafting,
Lana
What with going to doctor appointments, watching our grandson play golf, and all the storms that went through, I hardly got in my sewing room. And before I knew it, June was gone with hardly anything to show.
On the positive side, all the doctor appointments went well, and the grandson did well for a 10-year-old golfer. He is one of the best putters in his age group but still needs to work on his distance on drives. He has to hit the ball more times to get to the green than the other boys but manages to stay up with his awesome putting. He placed 5th in the season.
When I was at home, I grabbed 5, 10, 15 minutes to sew whenever I could and so managed to get the appliques stitched on the Poinsettia placemats.
And that was all folks! Hope you managed to squeeze in a bit more crafting than I could.
Happy Crafting,
Lana
May has got to be the busiest month of the year! Well, it is when your granddaughter is a senior and is participating in her last high school track season – three track meets in consecutive weekends and graduation the next weekend. And on top of all that activity that grandparents love to take in, we were shopping for a car for my sister and a truck for us. AND we also helped the middle granddaughter move.
And there was success all around. We found a 2017 Toyota Tundra double-cab for us and a 2007 Toyota Corolla for my sister. And the granddaughter placed 2nd in state in throwing the discus and signed to throw for Oklahoma State University. And the middle granddaughter loves her new apartment.
When things settled down for us, I got back in the sewing room. But that was short-lived because of all the storms with lots of lightning, rain, hail, and tornadoes. We were on constant watch for tornadoes. There were 61 tornadoes during May with other possible ones being investigated, so the number may increase. If you want to read more about this, check out this link. https://okcfox.com/news/local/61-tornadoes-recorded-in-oklahoma-in-may
So during that stormy weather while sitting in front of the TV watching the weather, I removed all of the remaining paper from the back of the Rainbow Garden Log Cabin quilt. I’m so glad that is done. Now I need to get the seams all pressed in the direction I want them to go so I can measure for the borders. See! No more paper.
On those rare occasions that we didn’t have lightning going on, I stitched down the dark side of the appliquéd leaves on the Poinsettia placemats, and I’ve almost finished stitching down the light side of those leaves.
Early in the month before that long stretch of time in May that was stormy, I quilted half the scrap quilt top that I stitched in the ditch last month. I am practicing a different design in each white square which is sort of an audition for designs that I might like to use in the Lollipop Flowers quilt.
So do you see why I called this the merry, chaotic, tumultuous, stormy May? Not one finish, and this chaos spilled over into June. Well, that’s for a later post. Hope your May was a bit more relaxed and a lot more productive than mine.
Happy Crafting,
Lana
“I’m late, I’m late! For a very important date! No time to say ‘hello, goodbye,’ I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!” –The White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland
Here it is three days into May, and I’m just now writing my April report. They say time flies when you’re having fun. And fly by it has, so I must be having lots of fun.
April is my birth month, and my darling husband gave me three air cleaning machines with hepa filters. A week after setting them up, I dusted the whole house. Would you believe there was less dust in the whole house than what usually collected in our bedroom in just a couple of days before the machines were installed? Woohoo! Less time spent dusting means more creating. And here is what I created during April. (Did you like my lead-in to this months accomplishments? LOL)
Finishes: 5 crocheted dishcloths, 2 sewing machine mats with storage pockets, 2 potholders, and 1 wallet. It is one of my goals this year to use up items that were in boxes of fabric that I purchased at garage sales. Items that I would not usually buy. I used up two of such items this month making the above listed items – a ball of heavy tan crochet thread and a scrap of pre-quilted fabric. Now I’m looking at other such acquired items and thinking what I might make out of them.
Successes: I am a member of a Facebook group for owners of Bernina machines. While reading a post I learned that my machine has a hover feature. I was not told about it when I did my training, and I did not read about it in my manual. But once I knew it was there, I was determined to find it and get it turned on because it would make stitching down appliqués so much easier. You see, the hover feature causes the presser foot to rise slightly when you stop pressing on the machine pedal which allows fabric to be turned as needed. Of course, when doing appliqué, the needle also has to be set to stop in the down position. I searched in the presser foot settings to no avail. Wouldn’t you think that if it has something to do with the presser foot the setting would be in presser foot settings? Nope, wasn’t there. Then I just started looking in all the menus. And, lo and behold, there it was in the needle position settings window. I had three levels to choose from: no rise, slight rise, and higher rise. I chose slight rise. Now life is so much easier.
Progress on WIPs: all the blocks are finally together on the Rainbow Garden Log Cabin quilt. I now just need to get the paper removed from half the quilt. Just! That is putting it lightly. I hate this part of making this quilt so have been procrastinating. When that is done, I can measure for the borders and start the appliqué on them.
I also got stabilizer pinned to the back of the 14 poinsettia placemats and have started stitching down the appliqués. That hover feature on my machine has sure made this more efficient.
The scrap flimsy I finished last month is on the quilting frame. I did SID on every seam and was very pleased that 99.9% of the SID stitches went where I actually wanted them. Then I made a decision on how I wanted to quilt it. Each block on this quilt will be quilted differently as I try out different designs. You see, I’m using this one as practice leading up to quilting one that I’ve been putting off until my FMQ improves and in the process am deciding on a design to use on the quilt I’ve been putting off. I did learn an important lesson on this scrap quilt though besides FMQ practice. I should have used two layers of batting to get the results that I was wanting. It is a mistake I don’t think I will ever repeat. Lesson learned.
New projects started: In my efforts to finish using up all the 2 ½” squares and strips that I cut from those cotton garments, I made a flimsy for another baby quilt. What few squares and strips I have left have been boxed up and stored with stuff I will someday sell in a garage sale and donate if it does not sell.
So as you can see, I have lots of creating going on and plenty to work on during May. What am I saying!?! I have plenty to keep me busy for several months! Love it! Love it! Love it!
Happy creating,
Lana
This month has been a bit chaotic what with my having a touch of some kind of bug and my brother-in-law having to be put in the hospital. I’m still recovering, and he should get out today or tomorrow. So hopefully all will settle down soon.
In spite of all the madness, I managed to accomplish quite a lot during March. First up are two quilt finishes:
I quilted this 4-patch with stars and loops in black thread. It is a big queen size quilt and now ready to deliver to the church pantry.
I also made a small quilt that can either be a lap quilt or a baby quilt. It was a favorite of my quilting group. And I finally got to use the Tri-Recs rulers I found at a garage sale for $2 a few years ago. This pretty quilt will also go to the church pantry.
I chose backing fabric from my stash for a throw size scrap quilt that I started last month. The backing is loaded on the longarm, but quilting was put on hold until I pick up the batting I need for it. I will be playing with some custom quilting in the 6″ white squares.
And then before I knew it, this doll quilt top was together. These quilts put me a bit closer to my goal of using up all the 2 1/2″ squares and strips that I have cut.
And I got three more rows of the Rainbow Garden Log Cabin quilt together. Because this quilt top is rather heavy with all that paper on the back of each block, I am constructing it in two halves and will sew the halves together later after most of that paper is removed. It’s slow, but I’m getting there. In addition to the additional rows sewn together, I now have all the border appliques cut for this quilt.
Last Sunday afternoon, I altered the length of a dress for my granddaughter and added elastic at the waist to give it some shape. I would have gotten before and after pictures, but this 3-year-old was not feeling cooperative that day. Out of the fabric that I cut off the tail of the dress, I made her a scrunchy for her hair. Very easy and quick project.
I cut and adhered all the poinsettia appliques to 14 placemats which are Christmas gifts for this year. Stitching them is next. These have way more pieces than last year’s pumpkin placemats so will likely take a lot more time to stitch. I best figure out a schedule for how many to complete each month so that I have them done by Christmas. I’m thinking that I may also do a thread color change on this one. Or I could do it all in a deep forest green. Decisions, decisions!
Happy Crafting,
Lana
I forgot to tell you about some of my finishes in January so will take care of that unfinished business now. I did these while I was sick and totally forgot about them.
I didn’t feel like doing a whole lot while suffering from that nasty ole cold, so I spent that time sitting in my recliner watching TV, snoozing, and crocheting. Yes, crocheting. I find it very relaxing. I completed five cute doll hats and one pretty dishcloth. Here they are
Did January seem short to you? Well, it was for me in the amount of time I had for crafting. I started out the month just fine. Then caught a nasty cold that lasted a full two weeks. I’m still coughing some from it. I’ve had others tell me that they were still coughing 6 weeks later. And it is extremely contagious as most of my family has had it or are just now getting it. Hope you escape this one. Now on to the remainder of January.
I managed to get three rows of the quad Log Cabin blocks together. I’m really liking the way it is looking, and I’m anxious to get started on the appliqued borders. But, alas, I have to wait until all 192 blocks are together before I can measure and cut the border strips.
I also got the backgrounds plus the borders of the Poinsettia placemats together. Next step is to start work on the appliques.
I spent several days this month on the phone with a technician at ABM International trying to get my Innova longarm stitching well again. With his help I learned a great deal about my machine and got it back on track. So then I got busy finishing the quilting on Fading Charms. It is now bound and ready to go to the church pantry where it will be given to a needy family. It gives me great pleasure knowing that something I love to do will help to keep somebody warm. And didn’t this one turn out neat?
I also got the Apple Core/Double Axe head quilt finished. I guess I better tell you where the quilt top came from. When I delivered some finished quilts to the church pantry a couple of months ago, one of the workers showed me this quilt top and asked if I could finish it for them since they couldn’t find a home for it in its current state. I agreed even though it was double-knit which I had an inkling would be difficult to work with. And boy was it ever. It stretched and crawled and tucked even though I worked very hard to keep it from doing so. I eventually got it quilted but wasn’t happy. Definitely not my best work. But I promised I would finish it, and finish it I would. I decided to use a red and white striped fabric to make the bias binding for the curved edges. Took me four days to do that binding and has me questioning whether or not I will ever do another. But I think the binding adds a bit of fun to this quilt that was rather difficult to work on. I’m glad this one is finished and on its way back to the church pantry. But it did turn out cute and will keep someone warm.
Now back to the quad Log Cabin quilt and the placemats. I get to play with my Sizzix eclips2 cutting fabric appliques. I’ve done one test run but have a lot to learn about this machine. By the time I get all the appliques cut for both of these projects, I will be a pro.
Happy crafting,
Lana
A Look Back at 2018
Wow! What a fun-packed busy year! I completed so many projects!!! Here is a recap:
I completed
- 11 quilts, all were oversize throws and bed size
- 14 placemats
- 161 quad Log Cabin blocks to complete the 192 needed for my quilt
- 2 pairs of house booties as birthday gifts for 2 of my granddaughters
- 1 doll clothes pattern which was released early summer and only sold 2 copies
- at least 11 pieces of doll clothing and accessories
- 7 miscellaneous projects, and
- 1 online quilting class with Lisa Calle
And I have no doubt that I’ve forgotten to list something. To see and read about all these projects, just scroll down through the past eleven months of my life.
Looking Forward to 2019
As I worked on my quad Log Cabin blocks during December, I was thinking about how I was going to plan 2019 in order to complete all that I want to get done. Here is what I’ve come up with so far:
- I have 192 quad Log Cabin blocks that need to be sewn into 16 rows of 12 blocks each and those 16 rows need to be sewn together. I have finished sewing the first row and have started the second. I think that I will just jump on this and get it done. It is actually going faster than I anticipated. When all is together the borders need to be cut to size and the appliqués put on them. Then there is the quilting and binding and labeling to do. I really would like to complete this quilt by the end of 2019 but am thinking that I may be setting my goals a tad too high since I like to mix in other projects as I go along.
- I have 14 appliquéd placemats to make. The background squares are cut and ready to sew together.
- I have a quilt on my frame to finish quilting and three in the closet to quilt. And after they are quilted, there will be bindings and labels to do.
- I want to use up all the 2 1/2” squares and strips I cut from thrift store shirts, skirts, etc. They will be sewn into quilts that will be donated. I’ve already chosen a pattern for the next one. Just need to decide what neutral color to use for the background. I have a bolt of white in my stash. That always looks nice.
- I’ve chosen a piece of home décor fabric from my stash to make a cover for my new Sizzix eclips2 electronic cutting machine. I need to do that right away to keep the machine lint and dust free.
- And I want to take more online quilting classes. I paid for a subscription and would really like to take advantage of it.
What do you think? Is there enough time in 2019 to do all of this? One thing that should help is the Sizzix eclips2 I got for Christmas. This machine will save me time in cutting out all the appliqués I need for the placemats and the Log Cabin quilt border. Stay tuned to find out how it goes.
Happy Crafting,
Lana
For the past 9 years, we have hosted Thanksgiving dinner for all of my family. Anywhere from 18 to 25 people showed up each year. This year we had to cancel because my husband got sick. He couldn’t get in to see the doctor until the afternoon before Thanksgiving Day to find out if he was contagious or not. Turns out he was not contagious, so our daughter, her husband, her daughter, our other two granddaughters, and our great-granddaughter came and spoiled him. We had a very nice relaxing day.
Now on to the rest of the November goings-on:
- My weekly goal of three Quad Log Cabin blocks was met with 12 blocks completed. A whole lot of blues. Hey! Where did that pink block come from? LOL
I now have a total of 177 blocks stored in that nice big white box waiting for the remaining 15 blocks to be completed. I actually have the fabric pressed, cut, and ready to start sewing them up. In fact, I have pieces for 17 blocks just in case I don’t like the way a block or two looks in the quilt when I get everything laid out.
- Square Dance is finished! It turned out quite pretty for just a bunch of cut up shirts, skirts and dresses. Did you notice that I made good use of more scraps in the scrappy border and binding?
I also finished the Fading Charms top and have it on the longarm frame. Now if I can get my longarm to stop breaking threads, I’ll get it finished. Need to put in another call to the 24/7 hotline to continue trouble-shooting the problem.
And I finished another quilt top that I’m calling Zigzaggy. It is hanging in the closet awaiting its turn on the longarm.
- I’ve been shopping for fabrics so that I can get started on 2019 Christmas gifts. I did the pumpkin placemats for 2018 and will be doing appliquéd poinsettia placemats for next year. I have some of the background fabrics and the reds for the flowers and berries. I also have some fabrics that I can use for backings. Still shopping for the border, binding, and fabric for the leaves. Oh, and some more fabrics for the background. The fabrics I ordered didn’t have enough contrast. I ordered white on cream tone-on-tones. I’ll order some white on white to get the contrast I’m looking for.
So on my December to do list is the 17 quad Log Cabin blocks, finish quilting Fading Charms and bind it, and quilt and bind Zigzaggy. And all that whiling doing all the Christmas prep. You think that’ll keep me out of trouble?
Happy Crafting,
Lana
Lana's Lark 