Recently the LQS and quilting cataglogs started carrying a stick on light for sewing machines. Some of my friends have it, but to me it costs more than I’m willing to spend at this time.

Today, while DH and I were out running errands, I found an inexpensive alternative. It is a Coast Tackle Box Light. At the time, I wasn’t positive that I would be able to use it on my sewing machine, but was confident, I could use it for something, and it was only $5.

Well, I must say, it does put a little light on the subject.

I’ve clipped it to the ‘hood’ of my sewing machine. It’s too heavy to for the hood to stay up, so when I’m using cone thread, I’ll have to figure something else out. But for $5, what a deal.

Now, back to the black & white Strip Twist.

Pam

Yes, the little guys are wearing beads. And funny hats. And apparently are doing a take on the three wise monkeys (hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil). I’m not certain what that’s about.

Pam

I love the look of hand appliqué. I like to get things done fast (ok, so I’m going on 20 years with my DWR) so I can finish them (ignore the fact that I’ve counted 33 Projects in the works). Bottom line, these two things don’t mix, so each time I’ve seen an appliqué project that I think will be neat to do I start chanting the following:

I don’t do appliqué, I don’t do appliqué, I don’t do appliqué.

Ususally it works, occassionally, it results in me buying an appliqué book – you’ve got to have eye candy for inspiration, right?

Even my LQS owner will say “Pam, there’s appliqué in that quilt” to remind me that I don’t do appliqué.

I’m not certain what happened. I ended up in a hand appliqué class. A three week long class this past May. Nine different preparation methods – some I liked better than others.

Tonight (ok, this morning as it’s after midnight) I finished the last of the appliqué.

Pam

My local quilt shop, Heritage Fine Fabrics is using the book Kansas Spirit and Kansas Troubles fabrics for a Block of the Month. I’m making the store sample blocks. The first 3 blocks were made in October or November and this week I’m working on the second 3 blocks.

The first two this week went together really well. Which was good, as it was late. I decided to go to bed before working on the 3rd block. This morning I discovered it was Corn and Beans. Oh, I am so glad I didn’t decide to work on this block while I was tired.

Blocks cut with 7/8s mesaurements, squares cut on the diagonal and flying geese made with a large square and 4 small squares – a technique I’ve only read about. Deciding I didn’t want to use ‘real’ fabric, I pulled fabrics for a test block. Recently one one of the many lists I’m on, it was suggested that when making sample blocks, use a collection of fabrics so at some point down the line you’ll have enough blocks to make a quilt top. It seems like a good idea, so I pulled fabrics which together read ‘Christmas’ to me. I’ve got a Christmas sampler in progress (going on 4 or 5 years now) that I want to make bigger than the pattern, so I’ll toss this block into the mix.

Anyway, the block is done. It’s definately ‘fiddly’. Friday we’ll make a decision if we are going to use this block or pick one of the others in the book — an option since we are only doing 12 and there are 15 in the book.

Pam

Procrastinating

I know I’m in trouble when I start watching the evening news, cook dinner, seriously start thinking about cleaning the house and actually READ a book instead of listening to it on CDs Either the house is a disaster even in my eyes (and it takes a lot to get to that point), or I’m putting off something.

Although I love to read, I’ve taken to listening to books on CDs so I can continue sewing. Lately, I pick up books at the library and then read them in a hurry right before they are due because I’ve been quilting. Not this time. Friday before leaving town I picked up two books: Old Maid’s Puzzle by Terri Thayer. and The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts. I started on Old Maid’s Puzzle on the trip, finishing up Sunday morning and then read The Pagan Stone Sunday and Monday evenings. I enjoyed both of them.

So what I have been procrastinating about? The Lone Star Sweatshirt. There are two pieces to making this shirt which I’m not overly fond of. One is ripping out the neckline – I hate the thread – but I can do it while I “watch” TV and the other thing is turning the edges under so I can appliqué it to the shirt. My original desired date was January 2nd (of this year), but I missed that. So, I’ve adjusted my ‘due’ date to this Friday. See, I’m improving, in the past, it would go into the UFO pile and I’d work on something else. Since I had previously decided I wanted to finish this before working on anything else (ok, I did cut out charm squares, but there was no sewing), I made a deal with myself this evening. If I got the edges turned under by 9 CST, I could watch Leverage while I ripped out the neckband. I had 3 hours, surely I could do that.

Well, the good news is I was able to get it done, even though I stopped to watch the local news and pet Seven who hopped up on my lap without me calling her. I even ripped out the neckband so I could start sewing it to the shirt before I stopped to watch the show.

However now, I’ve got to rip. I’m not sure what happened, but my sewing machine kept sewing after I took my foot off the pedal. My thread matches so it’s nearly impossible to see. I’ve got to wait until morning to work for better light. I think it’s time to go to bed.

Pam

Earlier this week I said I know where all my stash is. Most of it is on the shelves in the picture of that post. In addition to those shelves, I have a chest of drawers that houses miscellanous stuff, including two drawers full of music fabric.

Four or five years ago when I started quilting in earnest, I picked up a couple of music themed FQs. My thought was someday I would make a music quilt for my DH who is an instrumental music educator. He suggested that I cut a single repeat from each fabric and sew it together for the top. The quilter in me wanted a piecing challenge and dismissed the idea. Besides, I only had a couple of FQs.

Now I’ve got 2 drawers full. The some of the blue fabric I raided for the Blue Applecore quilt I made for my DH. So there’s less than a FQ, some pieces are 2 yards. Most are FQs or 1/2 yard pieces. But how much fabric do I NEED for a single quilt.

Since I couldn’t fit another piece of fabric into the two drawers, it was time to design a quilt. Now DH’s idea that I dismissed sounded really good, but I had over 150 pieces of fabric, not including repeats bought by mistake. I still wanted to ‘piece’, but didn’t have a clue what I was going to do.

On the Quilt in a Day forum (http://www.quiltinaday.com/) someone posted a picture of a floral quilt. She had used 100+ different floral fabrics (5″ or 6″) and then sashed them with pieced sashing which formed a star with the cornerstones. The quilt design was set. That’s when I discovered I needed another 8 music designs. That was another 2 yards of fabric to the stash.

I’ve got part of the quilt done. — All the charms are cut — but that’s only 3 1/2 yards. The backing will take another 7 or so (yes, I’ll piece it from the music stash when I get that far.) But my guess is I will still have two drawers full of music fabric when I’m done.

This is my first post. I’m not certain of what I’m doing, so please bear with me.