Thursday, January 9, 2014

Back from the dentist...should not cook or choose/climb fabric stacks.

I have been working in my storage/cutting room gathering my fabrics for Bonnie Hunter's newest mystery quilt, Celtic Solstice. I have been making a total mess.
My colors will be: pink/gray/red/brown/neutrals  Left the mess and decided to bake a new recipe I found on FaceBook. Screwed that up major. Looked at the list and saw 2 cups milk and 2 cups buttermilk. Right you all figured it out... it was either/or not both...later when it all overflowed (thank goodness I set both pans on a cookie sheet.) Hubby ate what I scraped off. The pans are now in the oven at a much lower heat hoping that my Amish cinnamon bread is not bread pudding.

I am thinking I have a very good excuse though......

I have been back from the periodontal dentist a few hours now. Had gum surgery on three areas and he pulled my broken tooth (HAS BEEN BROKEN AND HANGING FROM THE GOLD POST FOR 4 YEARS!!!!) I have not bitten into food for that long. A bite into an apple broke it for me...on a weekend of course

He also installed a "flipper" for the missing tooth and told me to remove it at night until that hole heals. I cannot figure out how to remove the darn thing!!! I am also lisping badly. Partly from the numbing and partly from the flipper. I am beginning to feel tingles so I am thinking my feeling is coming back. But I am in no pain at all. Except where the IV infiltrated, I woke up and said "hi I am here ", he said just a moment I need to start another IV and out I went again. The infiltrated site is very swollen, red and tender. I have weak veins I guess.

Okay more feeling coming back. My tongue says there are wires on my two last upper teeth connected to the flipper. Do I dare to try and take it out or wait and call the dentist in the morning? I am leaning towards the morning call.
With the way my fabric pulling (avalanches) and baking (cinnamon soup) I am hanging things up for the night.
But I am still without pain.

XOXOXOXO Subee

Monday, January 6, 2014

Egg Carton quilt progress

Although Bonnie Hunter was my first quilt designer crush I have another crush on Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts.
The pattern called Egg Carton quilt is in her book titled Scrappy Firework Quilts.


I love 1 1/2" strips, squares and small units of course. And after lots of seams you end up with a much larger unit. And Edyta uses batiks and cottons in my personal color pallet. Yummy!!


This is just half of the blocks I made. I have enough for two smaller quilts.


When I am not sewing I am crocheting. And here is Lucky claiming my place in the recliner last night. Sleeping upright until I snapped the photo.

We are surviving minus 15 temps with minus 45 wind chills. I have filled the bird/squirrel feeder with generous amounts of high calorie food. House is snug with rugs at the doors blocking any cold air seeping in. We have lots of quilts and lots of food. Parts of our small town lost power last night. Our power has been flickering but has remained on. The snow heavy tree branches and high winds are not powerline friendly!

XOXOXO Subee

Friday, December 27, 2013

I own a Singer Sphinx hand crank sewing machine! Who knew???

When did I buy this?
Why can I NOT remember?
I am sure I was infected by Our Bonnie Hunter of www.quiltville.com fame.

The scary thing is I have bid on a couple hand cranks for the last month. Well, after she sewed on her hand crank sewing machine during a quiltcam broadcast.

I did know I had a machine major buried in the quilt frame room. And I also knew it seemed much longer than my other wooden case Singer.

I was looking for my 800+ Spool blocks that I had made earlier this year. I hate it when I clean because I cannot ever find anything. More to follow on the cleaning urge...


And here she is! A very clean and beautiful Sphinx hand crank. Wooden case with key that works. ( this is sooooo heavy I had to have Hubby carry it out for me)

But what is the model #?
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am guessing a Class 15.
Am I right?????? I need a manual but they do have her threaded.
Serial # says she was born on January 12, 1923.
She has a round bobbin case that looks like the Featherweight's case.

No pin rash...some rust on the bobbin slide cover. And there are decals on the crank wheel too!!!!



The decals are in amazing shape. There are some paint spatters on the wooden case. Not bad at all...


Isn't she lovely? They had the crank wrapped up...I never unwrapped her! Never tried sewing on her! Sure could have spent some quality time with her when we lost our power for 6 days last year!!!


See the rust??? It looks as if the finish was scraped off from pins and then it rusted. Should I or can I replace this one lousy issue?


And this is what I was looking for!!!! A stuffed full box of 3 1/2" Spool blocks that were last year's Leaders and Enders challenge. We even swapped spool and background fabrics.

I rotated my sewing area. My back is now to the front door. I am facing the TV and the computer. I swept and dusted and organized...that is how I misplace my things!!! GRRR!!!!

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Four Strip Twist quilts done for Christmas gifts.

Four Strip Twist quilts done for Christmas gifts. The Grand daughters get a quilt for each birthday. But I have not done the significant others in their families. Four quilts to make in less than 2 weeks. (that is when the idea hit me).
I did it!!!
Well...the black/red/white one (that I finished minutes ago) still needs to be quilted but I can knock that out in one day.




I made two green quilts. I made 20 blocks each. The quilts finished at 60 X 76.


I only made one blue one. It also is 60 X 76.
These three quilts were made with 2 1/2" strips per Bonnie's pattern.


This black/white/red quilt was made with 2" strips and I made 24 blocks. I also controlled the fabrics. Meaning I used only four fabrics.


I finally used up this white RocLon muslin. 50 yards!!!
Where did they all go?
 I have not used white -white in any quilts for eons.
I am thinking I must have used this for many backings in the very beginning of my quilting journey.


Bess is so hard to get a photo of. She is so dark that she blends into everywhere she lands. I lucked out today she was sitting in the sunshine.


Lucky Lucy is getting bigger every day. And taking more naps. So I am able to run the sewing machine a bit longer before she comes to "help" me.


I am also cranking out these baby afghans. 30" square. Made from Bernat Baby Sport yarns. No homes for these yet as the next great grand baby is another boy.

XOXOOXXOXO Subee

Monday, December 2, 2013

Progress on Celtic Soltice

I have been a veteran of all of Bonnie Hunter's mysteries. She has never failed to keep my interest, surprise me with the layout and LOVE her color sense.


I had a few extra batik units from the Eye Fooler quilt I made last year. And since I am a waste not want not quilter, I am going to begin with these units.


I took apart 30 (thirty) shirts for the sleeve swap on Yahoo last month. So I had 30 collars. I could not bear to throw them away. So I was able to harvest a whole bag of strings from the collars. And what better way to use them up but to make some piano key units. They will end up being a border somewhere. I make lots of units and never know what I will do with them. But I do use them up. And while I was searching for fabric for this current mystery, I found a whole large plastic container of finished string blocks. All shapes and sizes. WHOHOOO!!!!


This is the backside of a quilt I found hanging in the closet waiting for quilting. It was my first and only attempt at trapunto. Three layers of batting and a flannel back make for some tough hand quilting. I did use dissolving thread for the initial sewing before assembly. Then all I have to do is quilt around the feathers. PAIN IN THE PATOOTIE by machine. I gave up. And am now doing the final quilting by hand. It is not too hard. It is quite warm to be under while quilting and Lucky has found a new past time. Chewing on my left hand under the quilt. I love her so much!!!


Here is the front of one of the twelve blocks....


 Green lavender and white...
And when I am too tired to sew I crochet. This was a free pattern. Well the technique only called diagonal crocheting. Love it. When you get to the middle you start decreasing and the rows get shorter and shorter!!!!


Blue yellow and white.... 


And here is Lucky in another of her favorite places to play. There is no chance of her suffocating as there are several large holes in this bag. I swear she thinks she is invisible when she is inside the bag. She sure livens up this old house!!!!

XOXOOXOXO Subee

Friday, November 22, 2013

Quilters are givers and sharers

 Our Bonnie Hunter says it all. Quilters are givers. Quilters are sharers.

quilts4midwest

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2013/11/quilts-for-midwest.html

I will see what I can drum up here in Subeeland. I am sure I can whip up a couple quilts. And I am thinking I may see if my quilts can be sent to Kokomo Indiana as they suffered a tornado outbreak too.
When we had the tornado warning, hubby went down to a neighbor's basement with a precious guitar. I stayed here to take care of the kitties. But I could tell by the way the kitties were acting, that there was no danger.

XOXOXOXO Subee

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

A cat's tail that refuses to allow me to sew.

This is what I have to deal with when I wish to sew and Lucky Lucy wants to help.


She does it from the side...


She does it from the back.
She plays "chicken" with the needle and her tail. honest....I have to barricade the sewing area at times. She gets lots of attention from us. She does not need to do this to me! She swipes it back and forth with real force. She is not doing it by accident. There is real intent to interfere with my sewing.


And when she is not trying to hurt herself with the sewing machine she tries to suffocate herself in a plastic bag.


Look at that face...defying death!!


Love her little pink toes...


And this quilt is all done. It is called Road Trip. But my mediums were too dark so I stopped at 12 blocks and will make more.

 Easy block to make.
XOXOXO Subee