July swap is all done!

July swap is all done!

I confess that I am OCD. I am proudly OCD.
Most of my factory working life I spent in shipping departments. I love counting. I love number combinations. And as a lead person I trained new people. I sure could tell who was not able to do the job. I do not know why I am saying this. I guess I wanted to share my love of counting.

Every package was opened and counted. I had 9 swappers + myself.
Easy peasy...some sent 2 sets some sent 3. I played 4 times...
except I came up 20 packages short. So I pulled 20 from my own pile and fixed the one basket that was short.
Now I am putting the swap into their respective envelopes then remembered that one swapper only swapped 5 sets! HA! I was right all along.
So funny!!!
Something like this would have major freaked me out. I have noticed that since I have been on thyroid meds that I am coping so much better with the blows that life throws at me. I get a blood test this month and then will see the Endocrinologist to see how I am doing.

Here is my Bess helping with the hexie sewing. She claims my left hip as her territory all the time. And she is so sweet that she asks first before jumping up.

Bella claims my feet/legs. Sometimes she is between my legs and other times she is also on my left side.

Here are the 200+ fabrics I ran through the Accucut. And the basket is full of my strips. This was taken a few weeks ago. But I had not posted about it.

I have 171 pink hexies with cheddar centers done. I may make them into diamonds. The two extra hexies are under each flower. I am using 3/4" hexie papers. I was punching all my hexies from junk mail and those postcards in magazines. I took a chance and bought a ream of 67# cardstock vellum. Perfect weight for hexies. Not as stiff as regular and purchased hexie papers. I bought pale gray so I can tell the difference without too much worry.
XOXOXOXO
Subee
Postage stamp swap hostess!

Working on the Libby's Log Cabin quilt.

I have so many quilts I want to make bouncing around in my head. Also laying around in various states of assembly. I had the entire fat quarter collection that was used in the magazine you see below.
The weather had gotten warm and humid so I turned the air conditioning on high and locked myself in the cutting room.
A day later I had reduced my entire Civil War fabric collection to an assortment of 3 1/2",2 1/2",2" and 1 1/2" strips.

I do have a complaint though about fat quarters. I have never been burned on them as I have been with jelly rolls. What I mean by burned is inaccurate cutting from the vendor. I used all the colors in the Community collection by Moda. I bought that collection, well really all my collections from The Fat Quarter Shop.
http://www.fatquartershop.com/

I cannot say enough good things about this internet store. Prompt and well packed shipping. Great selections. I had no complaints until now.
I decided to cut all my other fat quarter collections as I was cutting for this quilt. I am a firm believer in Bonnie Hunter's Scrap Users' System. It is a wonderful system.
I was able to get cut from each fat quarter the following strips:
two 1 1/2"
three 2"
two 2 1/2"
one 3 1/2"
total is = 17 1/2" the other 1/2" was for straightening each of the edges.

Worked great through the first 40 FQ's.

Opened and pressed another 39 FQ's and began the cutting...but ran out of fabric. So I measured the FQ and it was only 17". WHAT??? Measured all the other 38 FQ's and they were all only 17" not 18". I was very disappointed with Moda after this snafu.

After the wonderful day spent cutting fabric I moved out to my sewing area and further refined my cuts to the lengths I needed for Libby's Log Cabin.

I spent that day making the Ohio Stars for the center of the 15" blocks. I needed 20 so I made 24 in case some did not make the "cut". HA!

Used up the last of my Presencia thread in my favorite paper bag tan color. Love these cones of thread. I was able to buy the matching colors in 60 weight for the bobbins. It is getting harder and harder to find. And is as $$$ as Aurifil.

Here are my 24 blocks all done. I just need to sew the blocks together now.
I also used some of the other Civil War fabrics from other collections if they matched the pallette I was using.

This container is still full!!!! Many more quilts to come out of my precut box!!!!

And yes, as I cut I am very neat about strings and cutoffs.  Filled that 20 ounce cup! I sew with carpet underfoot so I do not want too much debris. But no matter how careful I am I still have debris. Sigh...I had to roll the lint roller over myself several times during the sewing.

Life is good.
XOXOXOX Subee

Still sewing away

I did not get much done at the retreat as I was having issues with my place being set up awkward. I had lots of room but seemed unable to get comfortable. Finally I put the main project away to be finished at home and just made little 4-patches from my Civil War fabrics.

Then finished them up here at home as Leaders and Enders.

Today I made this pattern called Falling Leaves. This is the second one I have made. The first one was given to my doctor when he retired last year. Somehow this one seems lighter in value even though I used all the same fabrics.

I am so glad I have a tall husband.
XOXOXOX Subee

Cutting fabric for the upcoming retreat.

I still cannot decide what to sew on for the upcoming retreat in Shipshewanna Indiana. The last time I was there, so was Bonnie Hunter and Mickey DePre.
Sigh...yes I am name dropping. HA!

Anyway, I love pressing fabric. I really do. I love the smell and feel of fabric when it is pressed. I have gone through three collections of Civil War Reproduction fabric. They are not becoming quilts sitting in the containers. And leaving them all folded makes the pressing harder.

So even though I love pressing I cannot waste my time doing it all over again. So I have developed a system of making rolls of the fat quarters and tie them with the straightening strings. When I want to cut again I simply unroll the log. They may need just a tiny bit of pressing to calm the curves but the fabric stays great.

And of course the ever present quilt police kitty Lucky Lucy. She seems to have stopped growing. She will be a petite 7 #'s and is full grown. She sure is not as smart as of beloved Macy but she has moments of brilliance. Sometimes she fetches. And almost all the time she sings her part with James when he plays a Mellencamp tune. She meows on the breaks. Too funny.

I also went through my CW fabrics and cut 1 1/2" squares. Love these little things!!!!!
XOXOXO Subee

Feeling free

After coming home from the WONDERFUL Project Linus retreat I felt as if I had been reborn.

I started going through my fabric drawers pulling out all my Civil War fabrics.
I love them so!!! Then I lost my mojo. But I did put them all into a plastic container. They are no longer scattered through my stash.

The only Mojo I have is making Project Linus quilts. But I did whip out a Hello Kitty (Minkee backing) for GDD Caitlyn's January birthday.

I have quilted two more quilts for PL.

The panels were given to current PL members. I was gifted a panel just before the retreat. The Bunny quilt was finished and donated at the retreat. The Bear quilt was finished here.

I have been wanting this print for eons. I remember when it first came out. I bought 8 yards. I will save it for a special quilt.

I started this quilt at the retreat. It was a Mystery quilt which I love doing. I finished it here. Still need to quilt this one.

Wonderful snowstorm this weekend. It was so bad that Hubby had to drive me to the specialist this morning. A lovely lady doctor. I felt comfortable with her from the moment we met. I have never had a female doctor before.

XOXOXOXO Subee

Civil War quilt has reached the flimsy stage

WOW! I am so very pleased with this quilt. I think I have had a taste of the satisfaction Our Bonnie Hunter ( http://www.quiltville.com) has when she designs a quilt.
This is not a very complicated design.
It is a traditional setting and layout.
But it is all mine for now!!!!
Setting out just loving the process of making the 3 1/2" 9-patches. No goal in mind except I wanted to make the quilt larger than the pattern called for. Then I totally discarded the pattern and the quilt took on a life of it's own.

It is only 42" X 46". It seems small for the amount of sewing time it took to assemble the rows. That process used to be the least favorite part of quilt making for me. But this project has kept my focus and I also managed to make 5 more Cheddar 3 1/2" Bow Tie blocks as the Leaders & Enders.

I really like how even though I did not use all Civil War fabrics, they still play well together. I was picking the colors not the fabric type.

See the pink and blue block in the center?

The fabric scraps were gifted to me by a fellow guild member.

I cut out her Mystery quilt for her and she gifted me with the fabric scraps!!!

She understands my scrappy heart.

Thanks Ellen!!!!!

And here are five (5) more Cheddar Bow Tie blocks. So far the basket seems endless and it will remain my L&E basket for some time to come.

I was only along for the ride!

I bought this quilt kit at the Gathering of Quilters two weekends ago. I knew I was going to add my own Civil War reproduction fabrics to it. As you can see by the pattern cover photo I only needed 24 blocks. I made 114...I could not stop. So suddenly the quilt took on a life of it's own and made it's own design decisions.

I was only along for the ride.

 And what a fine ride it is turning out to be. I am loving how the blocks I made are playing so nice with each other. I made a few negative (LDL) blocks for sparkle. But the majority were all positive (DLD) blocks. And a few of the fabrics were not Civil War reproductions. But their color was right so they came to play too.

 I had to stop to make dinner for DH but this is what I got done with today.

 And I had only two blocks left over. Spooky right? I love how "fate" or "serendipity" plays here at my home. It is like having an angel on my shoulder.

 I did have to do a little sliver trimming on the 9-patch blocks. Some of my 1 1/2" squares were a thread or two too large. That is fine with me. I just had to trim a few. It makes for a much nicer assembly when the units are the same exact size!

 This was my careful beginning this morning...I was not sure if I would like it.

 All the rows need sewn together but I am in love with this quilt. I can see some applique' on a wider type border. I am determined to learn to do applique'. I love the look but have never tried it. As I said I am determined. And after watching that DVD on Needle Turn I think that is the type of applique for me. There seems less prep work involved.

 And as I was sewing the rows together I was using Our Bonnie Hunter's Leaders & Enders technique at the end of each row. I worked from my Cheddar Bowtie box since I sewed all the Kona Snow L&E's last week. And I did get over my OCD obsession to only use that Cheddar thread to sew the Cheddar Bowties with. Otherwise it can NOT be a L&E project!!!!

ALL you Janome users: have any of you bought and used the newer pink Cherry Blossom bobbins? They are soooo pretty.
(I do not like the box they came in...too fragile.)  And two boxes arrived cracked in the mail! I did get credit for that but I am not using them. Too cheap...
The Cherry Blossom bobbins seem to be much quieter in the machine. They also feel a bit heavier than the clear bobbins.

And since quilting has taken over every aspect of my life I now put my pats of butter on my toast "on point". I just had to share that with you.
XOXOXOXO Subee