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

May 31, 2015 6:28 am ⋅ Pam

Another week with lots of cutting but numbers not moving. I think I have everything cut for Sew Scrappy. If I don’t I just need 1-1/2″ strips and I’ll toss the extra that are cut into my project box. If I need more than that I think I’ll be in a good place to find something to add to the quilt.

With all of the cutting, I’ve been able to put my Kansas Trouble Quilters fabric box in order.

There’s enough fabric for at least 1 queen size quilt and I’d guess possibly two. Perhaps if I get all 4 of the quilts tops I’ve cut out finished at the retreat I’ll pull out my KTQ patterns and use some more of this fabric. But if I don’t, it’s nice and orderly for when I do get that far.

Fabric Added Since Last Report 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 178.11 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 0 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 43.423 yards

INCREASE in Stash to Date: 134.687 yards

See how others are doing over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Sew Scrappy, Stash Busting Report

Preparing to Retreat

May 29, 2015 5:35 pm ⋅ Pam

I tend to over pack for retreats. As a result, I put a limit on myself. My Tutto Rolling Case, matching serger bag and the case with the Sew Steady table and seat cushion. Well this year, with the much smaller sewing machine, instead of the serger bag, I’m taking a bag which holds two project boxes.

The rolling bag of course has my sewing machine in it, along with things like spray starch, thread holder, light, notions box, leader/ender project (plastic bag on left) and the yardage for the DP9 quilts. There’s still a bit of room in this bag, but I’m confident the machine won’t shift in the case.

One project box is already packed. It has the squares for the 3 DP9 quilts I cut out before Memorial Day. But because I like variety when I go to retreats and this is a Kansas Troubles Quilters retreat I’m doing my best to prep the KTQ quilt that I’m working on that is on several of my UFO lists.

It’s Sew Scrappy from Evelyn Sloppy’s 40 Fabulous Quilt-Cut Quilts. Naturally, I’m tweaking the pattern, making more blocks and skipping the border. All of the not-quite flying geese blocks are made. Twenty of the 9-patches are made. I think I need 139. I also need 40 25-patch blocks none of which are made. So, between now and Thursday morning I want to at least get the strip sets done for the 9-patches & 25 patches as the KTQ fabric box won’t fit in my bag. Especially if Butterscotch is in the box.

Posted in: retreat

Another UFO Bites the Dust

May 28, 2015 6:30 am ⋅ Pam

Actually, it is more a realization that this quilt will not get made — that and I wanted to clear a project box. These are the first two blocks of the 2010-2011 BOM that my guild was doing. I managed to print off the first 4 blocks, but then between a computer melt down and dropping out of the guild I didn’t get the rest of the patterns. So, I’m crossing this quilt off my WIP list and putting the two blocks in my Orphan Quilt Block Box. One of these days I’m going to have to make something with all of those blocks.

Posted in: UFO Busting - 2015

The Garden Report

May 27, 2015 4:00 pm ⋅ Pam

The lettuce has been moved a little west. I discovered the tomatoes were casting a shadow in the morning.

The salad bucket looks good. I’ve had small lettuce salads several times, once with spinach! Still waiting on the carrots.

The beefsteak have blossoms, but no tomatoes yet.

The are two bunches of cherry tomatoes, but they are still green.

The Purple Cherokee also has blossoms, but no tomatoes.

The cucumbers are coming back up. This is the second time I planted them.

The Lima Beans (left) and Black Eyed Peas are coming along.

The corn looks good too. There’s a Lima Bean also in this bucket.

Now if I can figure out what these little things are. I thought it was cucumber the first time I saw it (last week in the cucumber bucket), but they are in all of the buckets. I’m pulling it out as fast as I find it.

Posted in: Garden

Putting Together a Travel Notions Kit

May 27, 2015 6:30 am ⋅ Pam

In the past I’ve tried to put together a traveling notions kit — but invariably I dig into it when I can’t find something — or I add to it because I want to take my “favorite” notion with me. In the end the boxes get rummaged through and I’m having to redo the boxes each time I head out with my sewing machine.

Now that I have a travel sewing machine, I’m going to try again. This time if I decide to take the “favorite” it’s going to go into a separate container to see if that helps. So, what’s in my travel kit? Lots.

Working from the back towards the front.

Magnetic pin catcher and box of glass head pins
Extra bobbins
Zipper foot (it’s the only extra foot I have for this machine)
A couple of hand needles, thread puller, threader and dime (aka screw driver in a pinch) in a magnetic needle box
Size 80 and 90 machine needles
Thimble (I don’t know why, I don’t wear one)
Seam ripper
Marking pencil, extra lead, pen, pencil, Sharpie, fabric pen
Tiny Tigger (because all my quilt tops need cat approval)
Iron cleaner (found a one use tube, so why not)
Purple Thang
Paint brush to clean machine
HST line guide
Stiletto
Finger Iron
Screwdriver – flat blade reverses to Phillips
Snips
Stack of 1 1/2 inch squares for leader/enders
Flower head pins (partial box)
Tiny clothes pins
3 AAA batteries for lamp
Scissors – large and small
Glue stick
Extra rotary blades
Curved basting pins
Retractable tape measures
Neutral thread
Rotary cutter
1″ x 6″ ruler
Nail file, lip balm, hair band, tissues and glasses wipes

It’s a whole lot of stuff, but it all fits in my large pencil box. When I get to the retreat, I have a cute little folding bag with pockets that I’ll sort the stuff out into so I’m not constantly rooting through the box.

Also going into the travel bag, but too large for pencil box is the led lamp on the left of the pencil box in the first picture, an empty spray bottle, a can of starch, the thread holder, a spool of painter tape, a sheet of freezer paper and the owner’s manual.

I’ve got a brief case which hold my extension table, a cutting mat and my chair “cushion”.

If I can keep this together I should be able to grab a project (fabric, pattern and any special notion not in the kit) and the machine and travel to a sew-in on a moment’s notice. I’ve got a couple of “day” retreats later in the year. We’ll see if it works.

Posted in: Uncategorized

My New Travel Machine

May 26, 2015 5:30 pm ⋅ Pam

A travel machine has been on my list of “wants” for a while, but simply hasn’t made it to the top. I’m not taking as many classes or going to as many retreats as I used to. Technically I have a travel machine — Miss Genie (not that I travel with her):and I’d rather spend my money on fabric/batting/quilting time.

But a few weeks ago I gave/loaned Miss Genie to my nephew to use since he’s started to quilt so I really had no travel machine and have to travel with my big machine, which is not easy to get into the case and it is heavy. It’s an older (since when is 13 years old?!) computerized machine and I had a hard time finding parts for it the last time it needed to be repaired.

My husband & I went to an estate sale over the weekend — music and sewing — and I spotted the Kenmore Mini Ultra. I know people who use this as their travel machine and like it. Since it was day 2 of the sale, everything was 50% off. I turned it on, there were no funny noises and the bobbin case was in the machine. But do I really need a machine as I don’t travel much anymore? “Well, maybe if it still there tomorrow when it will be 75% off.” Dithered a bit then headed to the basement and grabbed it.

There was a little bit of cosmetic dirt on the machine, but otherwise it was clean and it makes a pretty stitch. I wish I could move the needle to the right, but for $22.50 I can live without that feature. I’ve already figured out where the 1/4″ is — tested by making one of the Disappearing 9-patches. I’ve even printed off the owner’s manual and the maintenance manual and have it bound to go into the sewing machine case.

Speaking of the sewing machine case. It just swallows it, but I think if I cross the straps and fill up the empty space with projects it will be OK. Now that I officially have a travel machine, the next step is to put together a box of notions that stays with the machine and that I don’t swipe stuff from. To that end I need to get a pair of scissors and some more straight pins.

At this rate I’ll be ready for the quilt retreat a week early!

Posted in: Mini Ultra

What’s On My Design Wall

May 25, 2015 2:39 am ⋅ Pam

My design wall hasn’t seen anything since I finished Eye Fooler. I’ve spent the past week cutting fabrics for not one, but 3 Disappearing 9-Patch quilts to work on at an upcoming retreat. I am happy to say that I’ve finished the cutting — that is the cutting before I start sewing. There’s more cutting after I sew a bit.

My shirt boxes were stuffed to the point there was absolutely no room for another cuff, let alone another shirt. Now that I’ve finished cutting my squares, I have half a box empty — out of 8.

There are three things left on my quilting list for May:

Figure out where I left off on Sew Scrappy
Figure out what I’m taking to the retreat besides DP9s
Trace off some stars for the now ‘Star Every 3rd Day’ quilt.

See what others are working on over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: designwall, DP9

Stash Report

May 24, 2015 1:30 am ⋅ Pam

My rotary cutter has had a workout. I’ve gotten about 70% of the fabric cut for the 3 Disappearing 9-patch quilts I’m making, but since I only count the fabric when I finish a top, it will be a couple of weeks before this get counted. Hopefully I’ll be able to count it by mid-June.

So, no change in my numbers.

Fabric Added Since Last Report 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 178.11 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 0 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 43.423 yards

INCREASE in Stash to Date: 134.687 yards

See how others are doing over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: DP9, Stash Busting Report

New Starts

May 21, 2015 2:14 am ⋅ Pam

What good does it do me to finish quilts off my UFO list if I’m just going to start more? Yes, I’m being a good girl and counting this as three quilts. I’m making Disappearing 9-Patches using recycled shirts. Each quilt will have a different center square. The orange one will be roughly 65″ x 80″ for a twin bed and the other two will be roughly 80″ x 95″.

For each quilt I’m cutting 4 squares from each quilt. Some of the fabric is in all of the quilts, some is just in two of the quilts, and I think there is at least one shirt that I just had enough to cut 4 squares. My squares are cut 5-1/2″.

While I’m at it, I’m also cutting fabric for Rectangle Wrangle from Bonnie Hunter’s Scraps and Shirttails II. I started cutting these back when I was finishing up Checkerboard Plaids and starting Nifty Thrifty and now have 101 strips and I think only 1 is a duplicate. But I have a way to go, I need at least 300 strips, so perhaps I should have been cutting 2 from each shirt.

Well, these three bring my UFO Count to 64. Perhaps I can find something small to finish over the long weekend.

Posted in: DP9, UFOs