Playing with the shirtings I have to use the Blue and Gray pattern book.

I bought this book a couple weeks ago when the Yahoo group decided we wanted to swap Civil War fabrics in January 2014.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Blue-Gray-Patterns-Fabrics/dp/160468254X

This was the pattern that drew my eye. I am thinking because of the 16 patch blocks using 1 1/2" squares. You all know how I love that size of patch!

But before I ever commit myself to a quilt, I do what I call "cut as I go". This saves a lot of heartache down the road. Believe me when I say I have cut out an entire quilt and then found my error! GRR!!

It does make for a messy sewing session. But I found my first mistake. I faithfully use the EZ Angle  and Companion Angle rulers. There is a learning curve to change someone's cutting instructions to work with these great rulers.

I was converting a 3 1/4" square cut on the diagonal twice to using a 1 1/2" strip and the Companion Angle. But the instructions from one side of my brain to the other was garbled. I was cutting with the EZ Angle ruler not the Companion ruler as I wanted. I soon learned my mistake. So see what I mean? Sample cutting and sewing is a good habit to have.

One 6 1/2" block made...despite all of Lucky's help. I have been distracting her with a laser light. But she eventually decides that messing with the sewing machine is more fun. I am sure she will grow out of this dangerous habit. So I put everything away and give her my undivided attention.

The pattern only calls for 18 star blocks. I did make 19. Then decided I wanted to use some of the shirt fabrics I had prepared for the current swap. Back to the cutting room.

And then another memory of a shirting swatch card I had bought eons ago on E-Bay. But where have I stashed it? Two days later as I was searching for something else and I found them!!!! 5" X 9"...enough fabric to cut one block!!! WHOOHOOO!
XOXOXOO Subee

October is a busy swap month!

I am a hostess on two Yahoo swap groups.
There are times when the two groups' swaps come due on the same date.
This month three (3) swaps arrive at the same time.
I have my 1,250 1 1/2" postage stamp squares all ready.
I have my sixty (60) sleeves all ready.
I am washing my reds today. They will be pressed, cut and packaged by the day's end.
With all these packages coming due to mail back at the same time, my DH will have to help me get them to the Post Office! I will also call ahead and make sure they have two clerks at the desk so I do not hog the whole little Post Office.

Dh went to a garage sale and brought back two nice dressers. One is living in the garage and the other made it to under my design wall. It sure looks nicer than a bagillion plastic containers!!!

I gifted to myself a new mixer. I bought a KitchenAid Pro 600. The thing is massive. It makes my old mixer look like a child's toy.

And then I needed a new mixer cover. this fabric was languishing in the bottom of a container. It took three (3) bobbins worth of thread to pre-quilt it. Then only a short hour to assemble the cover.  I even made a small mat to put under the darn thing so I can move it around the countertop.
Life is good!
XXOOXOXXO Subee

Clover's Black Gold needles

I am not using this size hexie right now. But I have been saving heavier weight mailers papers to stamp out more papers. This is such a great way to recycle all the junk mailers!!!! Thanks to Our Bonnie Hunter for this tip and the recommendation on the stamper.

I love these Black Gold needles from Clover for slipping smoothly through the batiks. Only issue is that they are black and a bit hard to see against the batiks.
I had to stop sewing/basting because my thumb was getting pricked so much from the needles that I started bleeding on the fabrics. I then went to wearing a piece of waterproof band aid tape. That works well...but my thumb is still sore. So I am straightening up and cutting up fabrics for my Leaders & Enders project.

What a nice clean cutting area. I love working in this room. It is the closest room to the furnace and the outside air conditioner unit. So it is toasty warm in the winter months and as cold as a fridge in the summer. Perfect for me each way!!!!

This is the box that I keep the swap envelopes as they come to me. Believe me that box is FULL and HEAVY!!!!! There are two swaps here. Washed batik strips and 1 1/2" Postage Stamp Swap. Both are on the Yahoo groups. Every third month both swaps are due at the same time. Lots of packages for the Post Office. But I keep telling them (Post Office) it is job security. HA!!

Baskets all ready to receive their individual packages after I count them and check for accuracy. I have to have them by color (baskets). That is the OCD in me. It actually helps in the quilting process too.

Here are some 5" squares being cut up for the Spool Blocks that is my Leader & Enders project. And a NEW friend from Facebook who is also Bonnie's #1 fan and I swapped 10 sets of spool units. Her fabrics arrived today. So neat because I was in the middle of cutting more fabrics too!!!

I have a new great grand child coming. We do not know the sex yet. But Grand Daughter wants a monster theme. Quilt coming soon......

XOXOOXOOXO Subee

I love neutrals!

 And it shows that I love neutrals. I invaded the dreaded quilting/storage room and harvested neutrals that have been buried and have not made it into any quilts or swaps yet.
I guess I was saving them for my next life!
I cut 1/2 yard hunks off 54 neutrals. Yes...you read that right 54! There was 2-3 yards from each fabric left. Once again these were purchased before I discovered scrap quilting.
And I did find two chocolate browns and added them to the group for cutting.
I think I wore out my iron and I used a whole bottle of spray starch!
Now all I need to do is cut into these lovelies. I will have two sets of 25 neutrals for my Yahoo swap! Yes!

 Love my Baby...she always gets into any container she can. Even if the container is too small.

 Here is one of the three baby squirrels. Their mother is the one that climbs the door. Stubbie allows them to feast here too. I watched the Mother bring each of those babies from somewhere in the addition. She carried them one at a time in her mouth. The youngin's curled around her body. She rested every few feet. And them climbed the spruce tree with each of the babies. I bet she was worn out! Then after a few days the babies ventured down the tree. They are still shy of me and the feeding ritual I have with their Mommie and Stubbie. I am looking forward to watching them grow. Their little tails are sooooo sweet! I think this one is a boy.

Here is Baby and Bess helping me to quilt. They always have to test drive the quilts. This one is destined for Grand daughter Zoey.

Buckeye Beauty Blocks

Why oh why did I wait so long to sew on these units?
I was in a swap 6 months ago for these units. I just mailed away 24 more sets for another swap and then played with the ones I had. I think I have enough units to make three quilts. Very scrappy. I was happily sewing away today. Even though it is Friday it feels like a Saturday to me.

Here is my package as it was waiting to be mailed away

Here is my sewing area while working on the Buckeye Beauty units. Happy chaos!

This delightful little pincushion was gifted to me last week from a fellow guild member. Just because she said. Lovely Rita (not a meter maid) knows how much I love kitties. She was my secret sister this past year. I so enjoyed seeing her using the gifts I had given her during the year. THANKS RITA! And this little beauty looks like my two dark torties.

Postage Stamp Swap all done!

If there is anyone out there in Blogland who wants to join the Yahoo Group to swap 1 1/2" squares just let me know or go join on your own.

We are planning another swap due September 15 of this year.
Here I am at the very beginning of sorting out the swap. I soon realized that I wanted each swapper to have their very own plastic container.
This seemed to me the best way to not get confused.
So..................I went through all my empty and almost empty containers. Each of the 25 swappers has their very own container. Mailing back envelope under each basket and each package has been counted to make sure that we (I) each start with the correct amount of squares.
I felt like Elenore Burns throwing her strips over her shoulder. Only my item was used shipping envelopes. Now let me tell you....the cats loved this pile to play in! but it may be because I sternly warned each of them to stay off the table.
ALL DONE! I just need to seal the envelopes and get them to the post office.
I will do that task tomorrow. I need to rest up!

Block_Swappers Yahoo swap blocks ready for mailing

Instead of doing sets all the same, I decided to mail out totally scrappy sets. That way I have scrappy sets to start my own quilt.

But I am having a brain drain in the setting of these Buckeye Beauties. Everyway looks great. But I do not want to sew a bagillion of them together and then decide I do not like the effect.

This way looks great too. I may just have to slap them ALL onto the design wall and let myself and Hubby play with them.

And that bit of block you see on the left is my one and only block leftover from the Carolina Christmas quilt designed by Bonnie Hunter: http://www.quiltville.com

My stacks of 4-patches in Autumn colors.

Hawks at my bird feeder and some swap blocks

When you click to enlarge this photo, I swear you can see disappointment on this hawk's face. He missed my birds.
I am totally aware of the "food chain". I used to buy feeder goldfish for my large aquarium fish. So I really do not hate this hawk. I feed the squirrels and birds. So I am also feeding this hawk as my feeder is a very popular place to be. What amazes me is that they ( yes, there are more one type of hawk coming to my yard) seem to attack between 10:00 a.m. and noon everyday. I fill the feeders at daylight, so that is not what triggers the attacks.

Monday as I was unloading my groceries, a hawk was almost in the back of my SUV as I stepped back out the door. The sparrows were flying wildly around and under my truck. The hawk was on the driveway. Empty handed again.

Last weekend a hawk was able to catch one of the DarkEyed Junkos. It was tearing the feathers off the poor thing. Once it spotted Hubby and I at the window, it flew off with the prize.

I am in another swap on the Yahoo site. We are swapping Buckeye Beauty block sections in Autumn colors. The color pallet is right up my alley. I have enough made for the two swaps (Feb. and July) this year. Just need to whip up some 4-patches....easy peasy. I do them all at once for these swaps for two reasons. #1-no duplicates and #2-I will be on time for the deadlines.

And I saved the dogears in my jar of course!