Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Author Archives: Pam

I made my first quilted item as a visual aid for a math project in 7th grade. Over the next 25 years quilting was hit or miss, but quilting took over all the other crafts I've done in 2003.

Stash Report

Not much fabric used this week. The pincushions didn’t use up much fabric — in fact, I had trouble closing my strings box afterward — I think they multiplied when my back was turned. I worked on Carolina Christmas, sewing blocks together, so no new fabric used there, but I can count the squares used as the leader/enders for Oklahoma Backroads.

On the other hand, I pulled out some of Momma’s fabric to wash and put away. I’ve got to get a bigger box for Christmas fabric. A new box of Shout Color Catchers is needed as well. After washing, the first one was RED. The black fabric went in the dryer and the red back through the wash. The second time the catcher was only PINK so I went ahead and dried it.

So here’s this week’s tally.

Fabric Added this Week: 19 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 62.181 yards

Fabric Used this Week: .325 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 30.246 yards

Net Stash for 2010: 31.935 yards

Last week Judy said she was losing sleep over this week’s report. See if anyone else is by checking out the links at Patchwork Times.

Quilt Show Weekend

This weekend is the Kaw Valley Quilters Guild quilt show. I went this morning and saw lots of great quilts and got a few ideas on how to finish one of my UFOs.

Additionally, I had two quilts hanging in the show, which meets one of my goals for the year.

If you get a chance, head over to the show Sunday. It runs from 10 AM – 5 PM at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Lawrence, Kansas.

Wednesday’s Tasks are Done

Provided the hanging sleeve stays stitched to the Music Lessons while it goes through the wash, I’ve finished my goals for this week. Shhh, don’t tell anyone, but I machine stitched the BOTTOM of the hanging sleeve to the quilt. It was a case of if I didn’t, it wouldn’t get done. I used the blind hem stitch on my sewing machine and the ‘bite’ only bit through the backing and batting. All I have to do now is check it when it come out of the dryer.

The second task was stuffing the pincushions. Again machine stitching to the rescue. This time, a zig zag with monofilament thread in the top and black thread on the bottom.

Now off to look at quilt books.

QA Wednesday

Last week I had a huge list along with the priorities.  Here are the highlights:

  • Quilt and Bind Stripy 4-Patch – still quilting – can I finish it tonight [Wednesday]? – No, but it was done by Monday
  • Hanging Sleeve for Music Lessons – still working on it
  • Fabric for Hanging Sleeve for Springtime Flowers – DONE!

This week, just a couple of goals

  • Finish sewing on the hanging sleeve for Music Lessons
  • Stuff pin cushions

Of course all of this needs to be done by Friday morning, so perhaps I’ll be able to sneak something else in  — like finishing the rest of the Carolina Christmas blocks.

See what others are planning on doing this week by checking out the links at Bari’s.

Strippy 4-Patch is Finished

Monday I finished the binding on the Strippy 4-Patch. This quilt was started in January 2008 as a leader/ender projects. The top was finished April 5th and I found the a plaid fabric in my stash that I didn’t think was the best. It turned out to be perfect.

Since it’s a plaid, the photo just doesn’t do it justice, so here’s a close up and if you look carefully, you can see a bit of the quilting. Nothing fancy — outlined the 4-patches and diamonds in the unpieced strips and borders. I used a pink Fairy Frost to bind the quilt.

What’s on My Design Wall

My design wall is missing. Well actually, I took it down and took it to the retreat. It’s still packed, but I am still working on stuff. The Kaw Valley Quilt Guild Quilt Show is this weekend and I’m making boutique items.

Last weekend I made a bunch of pocket tissue covers using Ami Simms “Almost Free” pattern to take to the retreat for everyone. It was kind of funny as another retreater had the same idea, so everyone got two packets of tissues with covers. The extras are going to the guild sale table.


This morning I’m working on pin cushions. I’ve got one made and have the top of the second one made.

Follow the links at Judy’s to see what other’s are working on.

Retreat Recap

This past weekend I attended a quilt retreat just outside of Conway, Missouri. Thirty-four quilters, most of whom met on a Yahoo! quilting group. This was my 6th time attending and the 9th for the group. My local quilting buddies S & T traveled with me.

We stopped in at Merrily We Quilt Along in Springfield, MO for a bit of shopping and lunch in the Tea Room. Once at the retreat it was fun seeing old friends and meeting quilters new to the retreat.

Thursday night there was a bit of show-n-tell. I wish I had thought to get my camera out as there were some great quilts. That night I finished quilting my Scrappy 4-Patch and attached the binding. When I realized I made the seam too wide, I decided to head to bed. Even though the quilt wasn’t bound, I slept under it anyway.

Friday morning, we were back up and at our sewing machines. While some quilters worked on the mystery quilt, I worked on the quilt binding for a bit. Getting bored with that, I started attaching the hanging sleeve to Mom’s quilt (finally finished it this evening). Since my wrists begin to hurt if I do to much hand work, I alternated stitching it with working on my Carolina Christmas. After lunch, S, T, V and I took a road trip to Cabool, Missouri to visit Ozarks Patchwork Peddler. It is a cute store.

Once back at the retreat, we had dinner and then for S, T and I a change of plans. Instead of quilting all weekend, we rushed back home to bring T to her doctors. She’s fine now, but we had a bit of a scare. Would you believe we were completely packed – sewing stuff, bedding and clothes and the car loaded in 20 minutes or less? Once the others realized what was happening half of the ladies helped pack up our sewing stuff and the other half packed up the bedding. All weekend we sent text messages back to the retreat to keep them updated when we heard from T and her family.

While T and her family were dealing with her health issues, S and I spent the weekend quilting together while waiting for information. During this time I finished up the Poinsettia Star blocks for Carolina Christmas, worked on the hanging sleeve and started putting the second block together.

The plan is for more quilting Monday, but since we are back in town, we may end up working.

Stash Report

This past week I managed to get into 4 quilt shops, but yet, I didn’t bring home much fabric. Quilt shop #1 was a stop for my secret sister gift. 4 great 1/2 yard cuts, plus a book mark for each of us. Quilt shop #2 I couldn’t find an exact match to replace a binding (I did make the binding nearly 4 years ago), so only a FQ to make a couple of quilt labels. Quilt shop # 3 a couple of 30’s FQs for my SBS, a red and green diagonal stripe for my Christmas sampler and the cutest music panel and coordinating yardage (1 yard). Quilt shop # 4 sent a gift bag which included a FQ to each retreater (darn — I forgot to get it in the picture). A very cute store, I only bought Thread Conditioner, as I bought more than I intended at store # 3.

The array of 30’s FQs on the right and the cow FQ on the left came from my secret sister.

Fabric used this week was minimal. Dark squares on Oklahoma Backroads and fabric for a hanging sleeve.

Here’s the report:

Fabric Added this Week: 5.57yards
Fabric Added to Date: 43.181 yards

Fabric Used this Week: .379 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 29.921 yards

Net Stash for 2010: 13.26 yards

See how others are doing by following the links at Patchwork Times.

QA Wednesday

Oops — didn’t do to well on my list from last week.

  • Quilt and Bind Stripy 4-Patch – still quilting – can I finish it tonight?
  • Make pillow case to match – no – won’t do it until the quilt is bound
  • Prep for the Quilt Retreat – this I’ve done — if you don’t count gathering my clothes!
  • Make 2 Sylvia Bridal Sampler Blocks – didn’t do this either

Quilt Retreat is this weekend.  3 1/2 days  of non-stop visiting, quilting, and eating.  I always over pack (don’t want to get bored with just one thing).  In my bag are the following:

  • Carolina Christmas
  • Oklahoma Backroads
  • Dancing Flowers
  • Mom’s 4-Patch Stacked  Posies
  • Mom’s Thangles Buck a Block BOM
  • Hanging Sleeve for Music Lessons
  • Fabric for Hanging Sleeve for Springtime Flowers
  • Bonus HST from Oklahoma Backroads and Carolina Christmas

Priorities will need to be set because I’m not getting it all done.  The hanging sleeves absolutely must be done.  The quilt show is next weekend.   I really want the Carolina Christmas and Oklahoma Backroads tops done by this time next month.  Dancing Flowers is on my monthly list, but if it’s done by July I’m OK.  I’ve got plenty of time on Mom’s two quilts, so they may go to the bottom of the list.  The bonus HST will go into a baby quilt and the baby is due next month.  Hum.  Perhaps that needs to go higher than Dancing Flowers.

Well, check back next week to see if I overworked myself this weekend.  In the meantime, see how others are doing by checking out the links at Bari’s.

Read the Manual


Somehow, this is fitting. I bought my Husqvarna Quilt Designer 8 years ago today. I still love it as much now as I did when I bought it.

Today, I pulled out the manual to look something up. Page 6 is titled Accessory Tray / Sewing Surface. Huh? Turns out that piece attached to the lid of my the accessory tray extends the bed of the sewing machine by 1 3/4″.  Who knew?

I wonder what else I’d find new about my machine if I were to sit and read the manual cover to cover?