Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

What’s On My Design Wall

A couple of years ago I attempted to quilt this on a Little Gracie. The tension was horrible, so I pulled all the quilting out and the quilt has sat waiting to be quilted again. I pulled it out Friday night, thinking I’d try hand quilting it, but decided quickly that with the Warm and Natural batting and all of the seams on the back, that wasn’t a good idea. So, I pulled out my walking foot and started machine quilting it.

I’m just shy of halfway done. I should be able to finish it up this week. And maybe I’ll also get some work done on my Star Struck. It’s still stuck at 18 blocks on the wall.

For more inspiration check out the links at Patchwork Times.

Stash Report

No new fabric was used this week. I worked a bit on Star Struck and I pulled out my 1000 Pyramids baby quilt and started quilting it. Since this quilt had previously been quilted before (bad tension), I can’t count the backing. I’m not even going to be able to count the binding as it was made at the same time I did the backing. But I WILL be able to cross off a UFO that’s been hanging around since April 2008. I just have to finish it. I’m not quite halfway through the quilting.

Oh wait. I did use the equivalent of 1 5/8″ of fabric from my 1 1/2″ strip bin to make a clothesline coaster, but hardly enough fabric to count.

Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 132.011 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 56.606 yards

Net Stash for 2010: 75.405 yards

Check out how others are doing over with their Stash Busting efforts over at Patchwork Times.

QA Wednesday

From last week’s post:

So this week will be devoted to finding the guest room and if I’m lucky I’ll get to sneak a few minutes of sewing in.

The house is clean – if you don’t look in my sewing room – so now I can sew. Three of the girls arrived last night and then they went to a movie. I took a nap, but did get about 15-20 minutes of piecing done on Star Struck. With 8 more seams, I’ll have another 8 blue stars.

This afternoon I’m off work (and tomorrow too) — originally, I was going to pick up the 4th girl for our Justin Bieber concert party, but my wonderful husband took the three girls and drove up to get her. I think they’ve gone to the mall so I have time to QUILT — or maybe I’ll go take a nap. I’ve been told I get to stay up tonight with the girls after the concert.

So, what’s on the agenda for this week?

#1 – move the Double Wedding Ring from the floor frame to the lap hoop. I don’t know if this will require re-basting or not. I guess I won’t know until I try.
#2 – work on Star Struck
#3 – since the rest of the house is clean, I now need to work on my sewing room

Check out what other’s have planned by following the links over at Bari’s.

What’s On My Design Wall

Is anyone surprised that Star Struck is still on the wall? We’ve been cleaning and working in the yard, so no quilting has been done since about Tuesday. Although only two new blocks have been added, I now have the gold sewn to all of the blue units. They are also paired up so I can quickly sew together units to make 1/2 blocks — whenever I get back to the sewing machine.

Check out what other’s have on their wall’s by following the links over at Judy’s.

Stash Report

It’s been a busy week, not that I could tell you what I’ve done all week. But it was very little quilting after about Monday or Tuesday. Early this week I finished cutting the gold accent pieces for Star Struck. Nothing inbound quilting related except for the quilting hoop and book. Oh, yes, I picked up the current issue of Country Woman last night at Jo-Ann’s. There is an article about Jennifer Chiaverini and I think a quilt pattern in it. We were in Jo-Ann’s to pick up a piece of upholstery fabric to cover the seat of a small loveseat. That’s what I’ll be doing today.

So here’s the tally:

Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 132.011 yards

Fabric Used this Week: .7 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 56.606 yards

Net Stash for 2010: 75.405 yards

Check out how others are doing over with their Stash Busting efforts over at Patchwork Times.

New Hand Quilting Hoop

Wednesday around noon I placed an order for a 14″ lap frame and Jean Brown’s book 1,2,3…Quilt Finished from Jeans Impressions. It was delivered with my mail this morning around 9:30!

Now to find time to learn to use the frame and the Aunt Becky quilting Tool. Hum..I wonder where it and my deep recessed thimble are?

My First Sewing Machine

This is my first sewing machine.  Not the first one I used — that was my mother’s Kenmore that she got shortly before I was born.  This is the first sewing machine I purchased.

It was the first big purchase my husband and I made after we got married.  I remember it costing nearly $300.  My mother was horrified at the cost.

The first thing I made on it was this dress:

Why do I still have this dress?  It hasn’t fit in more years than I can count.

Over the years I made clothes for my husband and myself.  Baby clothes for my sister’s kids. A few early quilts.  This is the machine I started piecing my Double Wedding Ring on.

This machine did anything I asked it to do – until 2002.  That’s when I discovered heirloom sewing.  I couldn’t get the machine to make a perfect straight stitch on the lightweight silks I was using.  So, I went out and bought my Husqvarna Quilt Designer.  My mom just thought $300 for the Kenmore was outrageous.

Since I didn’t need two machines, I gave mine to my sister.  It was still a good machine if you weren’t working on delicate fabrics and with 3 boys and a tomboy girl, it wasn’t likely.  The only thing I know she made on it was a jeans quilt for our mom.

When she moved this spring she was going to toss it out since it “didn’t work”.  My husband brought it home – sans accessories and it’s been sitting in our garage.  We decided to Freecyle it and I brought in to see how bad it was.  After a bit of dusting out the bobbin case area and re-threading the machine I have to say it works as well as it did when I gave it to my sister.  The dark thread is from the Kenmore — the light and red stitching is from my QD.

Who knew I’d get misty eyed over giving away my sewing machine to a stranger.  But I really don’t need another spare machine.  I have the Singer Genie 354 that my husband bought me at a garage sale a couple of years ago.

P.S. Would you believe that the gal who got my sewing machine knew me from Knitting Camp? I’m sorry I didn’t remember her, but she knew me and remembered that I went to camp pulling a U-haul trailer (there were 4 of us and we needed more room for our machines, projects and clothes). What a small world.

QA Wednesday

We lost our internet connection last night, so I didn’t get to prepare today’s post. No chance during lunch either, as phone kept ringing.

Last week a couple of simple goals

  • Continue working on the sewing room. I think this project is going to last all month.
  • Find batting for the baby boy quilt. – the backing and binding are with the top.

I’m happy to report that not only did I find the batting for the baby boy quilt I finished it Friday night.

Working in the sewing room, not so much. So, it’s on my list again for this week. My husband is taking our niece and three of her friends to the Justin Bieber concert next week. Since none of them live in town, some of them are spending the night before the concert here and all of them are spending the night after the concert. So this week will be devoted to finding the guest room and if I’m lucky I’ll get to sneak a few minutes of sewing in.

Follow the links over on Bari’s page to see if anyone else has plans to get any sewing in this week.

What’s On My Design Wall

Yes, Star Struck is still on my design wall. But I have done more piecing on it.

When I get these pieces sew together I’ll have completed 40 blocks. I’m aiming for 80, so I still have a way to go.

check out other design walls following the links over at PatchworkTimes.

Stash Report

This week I used more fabric than I expected. The binding on the pink baby quilt was expected, but it’s the backing and binding on the Tossed 9-patch and the 96 – 2 1/2″ squares for Star Struck which surprised me. I had no idea I was going to be able to find time to quilt another baby quilt or make progress on my Star Struck quilt.

Saturday I stopped by my LQS, Heritage Fine Fabrics, to report in on my UFQ (UnFinished Quilt) progress. I have 5 things on my list and I’ve now finished all but one — quilt and bind my DWR. I best get back to it sooner than later if I’m going to get it done by my deadline (my personal goal is 11/29, but I have until 12/18 for the UFQ program). Since I took two items in — my completed Dancing Flowers and all three of my Carolina Christmas tops (they only had to make it to the top stage), I was able to pick 2 FQs. While I was there I dug through the button bin and picked up some basting spray and a needle threader.

So here’s the tally:

Fabric Added this Week: .5 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 132.011 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 2.267 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 55.906 yards

Net Stash for 2010: 76.105 yards

Check out how others are doing over with their Stash Busting efforts over at Patchwork Times.