Selvedge Yard quilt Done-done!

So, as an out-of-my-box experience goes - let me tell you - that quilt grew like a summer weed. Here begins the saga: years ago I started making string blocks incorporating selvedges. 6 inch blocks and they were fun. Something else came along ... distractions, many quilts, you know how it goes.


The blocks were buried - but I still cut selvedges when I could. Those little gems are deceiving - a 'muffin-top' filled shoebox goes a very long way!! I have to admit, most of those selvedges are my very own. I did collect some from friends; at workshops and actually bought a fat quarter just for the selvedge at the end!!! I was convinced I absolutely needed, had to have, a selvedge that said 2011!! I have selvedges that have many, many dates - at least a 20+ year span. And I organized a list of all I could actually find on the quilt. If only I could find that darn list now!! There will be a later update on that!!! Much later!!!



There are 600ish selvedges in the quilt - yes, there are repeats! And the most colorful ones came from the quilts made for grandkids and the many pair of pj pants I've made them. But there are many reproduction fabrics represented!!

I always wanted to do LazyGal's free-style 'wonky' alphabet and this was the project to do it. Those letters are fun - use a whole lot of thread and are bigger than you think they are. I made the choice early on that I was going to use 'many' muslins in the words. Knowing me, it was going to happen anyway!!

I figured out my saying - hmmm - too long, shortened it and started creating. Let me tell you there were threads everywhere!! But words appeared. After I had the quote 'written' out, it was bigger than planned. [Of course, it IS that quilt!]



Revision - gonna need more blocks!! I had 25 ready to go - optimist!! Like twice as many! Oh Dear! Sew machine - sew! Most of the parts were together - altogether 49 6inch string blocks - I fit the pithy quote around the outside. Using some fudge factors - it fit pretty well!



There was blank space at the end of the words - before the corners. Hmmm, I could lengthen the quote with quilted words - fill in, so to speak, but now I'm stuck with an "AN".

Think of adjectives that start with an vowel, make lists in the middle of the night! Consult with mom over the phone. Using my own 'best' [HA! - my handwriting isn't known for it's clarity!!] handwriting I added these 'secret messages' to the quote and free-motion quilted the words. I'm pretty proud of how they came out. I even added interface to that area because the back was shadowing through. But, seriously, you could even read them!! Who knew!!

Darn - you know what would look really good finishing it off - a selvedge border!! So four 3" borders 58 inches long - I'm back in sweat shop mode! I'm loving that new ironing board that works. Sewed all four at the same time, chain stitching 60" long strips, well, better planning might have avoided that tangle!! Onwards and upwards.

Why the 'sweat shop mode'? Well, at the beginning of the summer, our local guild issued a challenge - use something in a quilt you usually don't use. Bring it to the September meeting. Of course, you mull it over, you gather the blocks, you check the selvedge supply, you have company come, you go to an awesome retreat in Sisters with Sue Spargo and Tonye Belinda Phillips, you revise ... CRAP! It's now September - hello-o-o, it has to be a finished project!!! I'm sure this sounds familiar to others as well! I do 'sweat shop mode' really, really well - lots of practice, etc!!



The back: Well, I was certified (I know you believe that now!!!) on a longarm this year and that practice piece was driving me bonkers! Too big to throw away; to big to store in my itty-bitty sewing closet - what to do! Of course, it was too small for this brute now. Pull out a way-to-dark-for-me blue backing I bought on sale eons ago - add it on. Need more batting - so I whip stitched some pieces together - yes I did!! Another first in a very long list of challenges incorporated into SY.



I considered using Tonya's alphabet to make my label - but I'd have to figure out how to make it tiny. So-o I sewed 3 blank selvedges together - and wrote my own selvedge label.

I sewed the binding down by machine, added the label and sleeves by hand. Threw that puppy in the wash with a dye magnet and ended up with the first quilt that ever obviously bled for me in a 36 year quilting career. Oh yeah - it WAS that quilt!! Poop - I washed it again with Oxy-clean and Tide stain-remover. Still bleeding. Of course, being me - I dried it in the dryer so I may be doomed. I'll go into town this week and see if they have that magic dye product and try again.

Ta Da - without further delay - presenting Selvedge Yard:



The original too long saying was: Quilting: not so much a hobby, more like an obsession. I love me some (quilting)

The revised saying with the quilted words is: Quilting: not so much a hobby [you know] more like an [infectious] obsession [and we love it sew]

Thank you, thank you very much. Elvis has left the building!!

Bonus Post!! Happy Labor Day

Hope you're having a great weekend. Our weather kind-of reminds us more of winter than summer this weekend. Wearing sweatshirts and socks. Closed windows - because "we're NOT" going to turn on the furnace at the beginning of Sept!! Is that the ongoing battle -err, rule- at your house too??? LOL!

Well, good news and bad news. Bad news: Our company cancelled this weekend. [Sorry it didn't work out B&D - hope everyone's feeling better soon and we'll have better luck next time.] It might have been better if they had cancelled BEFORE we bought the groceries; baked the pie and switched out the bedrooms and baths!! Good news: I had a clean house and 2 'new' days to fill with what I wanted to do!!

I'm officially CRAZY! [okay, I knew you knew that already!] The UFO I’m working on is "Selvedge Yard" made from - you guessed it, you clever girl - selvedges. Lots and lots of selvedges.

For the back, I used the long arm sample I got certified on – I heard that snicker!! Of course, I had to make it bigger, because this quilt is growing like a late summer weed! That meant I had to sew on extra batting – this may have been the first time I’ve done that!! Then add another piece of fabric for backing. I may be carrying this challenge a little farther than necessary! [ya think?] Today I’m going to frame it and spray baste it (if the weather cooperates) and hopefully, get a good start on the machine quilting.

Saturday, without company coming, I ran into the library to pick up a book or two. On the way home I had a thought. With all those selvedges - some with dates - how will anyone know when I stopped? Other than the label of course! DUH! So I stopped at the local quilting store. Bought a FQ -not my style of fabric at all - simply for the selvedge that said 2011!! AS IF I needed another one; AS IF anyone would spot it in this mess I like to call ‘SY’! LOL!

Although, while there, I did spot the new Quilt Sampler magazine and brought it home too. I'm not saying I'm a 'type A' when it comes to quilting. BUT I take my "Quilter’s Travel Companion” book and highlight the Top 10 stores when they are published. It all started when in Mpls we had time for one quilt store. Using the yellow pages, I picked one –boy, it was pitiful!

When I got home, I found out I missed a Top 10. As Scarlet in “Gone with the Wind” might had said, “As God is my witness, I shall never miss another Top 10 shop!” Each year, after I transferred all the highlighting to the new “Quilter’s Travel” book – my old book was fought over by quilting friends. I used to buy the new edition immediately upon publication – now I skip years. We don’t travel off the beaten path much now. Ironic, isn't it!! But when we do travel - the Companion goes with us. No matter how hard DH tries to hide it, then bury it in the car!!

Did I tell you my ironing board died. Yep - it only lasted 40 years, and I'm pretty sure I inherited it from my mom, at that! But I wanted to get a wide one that still folded up so I could make room in a very crowded sewing room for beds for guests, when they come to visit. Well, I'm glad to report, got my new ironing board! 18” wide – it was quite the saga!

I tried all the usual places in our very small town; nada, then our ‘local’ Walmart –45 miles away – they didn’t have that size either. So off to Medford, the ‘big’ city! Well, the medium sized city, Bed, Bath and Beyond had one – a Rowenta ironing board -$99. Hmmm, possibly not. That could buy alot of selvedges - errr, fabrics!

On to Sears – didn’t have ANY! Apparently, Sears has two grades – I was at the smaller store and they didn’t carry anything I wanted!! BUT they had a catalog que in the store. Had a 18” ironing board for $35ish. That’s better. But shipping was $39!! Wait for one almost as expensive as one I take home today?? Maybe it will have to be Rowenta's.

Then, thankfully I remembered the Medford Walmart is bigger than Crescent City's – before I cave into $99, go check it out! Happy Dance! They had it. My price range. I bought the extra cover while I was there! Goodness knows how hard that would be to find later!! Fit it into our new car - a sedan, leaving room for the golf clubs, and life was good once again!!

In fact, a little too good! I set that puppy up right next to the machine, at the low height, sewed the selvedge borders one after another – forgetting to get up and about crippled myself!! 59 - it's not just a number you can ignore!! Yesterday I set it up a few steps behind me – just so I wouldn’t forget to get up and stretch!

I’m off this week to a Folk Art Weekend with Sue Spargo in Sisters. I had to call the store to be sure … not a typo, sewing machine not required!! We’ll be gone a week by the time we also go to Portland for Miss P and DH’s birthday. A week without my sewing machine … how unusual!! But there will be plenty of handsewing of wool available!

Doni @ Oregon coast

Catch Up Time!

How on earth did it get to be September? The summer is winding down and I've got lots to tell you!

I've finally gotten my quilting mojo back. YeeHa! I started with a plan I heard years ago on the Stashbusters online quilting group. Pick 5-7 projects you want to complete. Assign each one a day.

Example: Monday: Mr D's Jungle Baby quilt ... Work an hour on the project that day. After that hour is done, continue working on that project; move to another project or go sit on the deck with a book! Doesn't matter! Next day - pick up the "Tuesday" project. If you miss a day - simply start up where you are - don't worry about getting caught up.

So the first day I got the first border on Mr D's jungle baby quilt and set it aside for 'consulting' with his mom and dad as to how big to make it. [Silly mom said, if we make it bigger, we can use it on his 'big boy' bed. I said, "No worries about that, I always make a 'big boy/girl' quilt for the bed. How big do you want this baby quilt????" We decided a little longer will work. Piano key border in the works.

The second day I got out the "Selvedge Yard" UFO. And from then on, I ignored the other projects and worked on this one 5-6 hours a day!! It grew and grew and grew ... I added Unruly letters to it and am almost done with the selvedge borders going around it. This will be double credit for me - an UFO finish AND a summer challenge at guild - due in September. YIKES! It will have to remain a surprise until that meeting's reveal. But other than being twice as big as I thought it would be, I like it! And nope, not running out of selvedges yet!!

Today, it all got put away - company coming tomorrow for the weekend and needed room for the other single bed in the sewing/guest room. I feel odd about not sewing on it today - but there were threads EVERYWHERE - and we vacuumed today - so best not start up again!! Monday when they leave ... sewing commences again!

Poor "Birds of a Feather" has been languishing in the corner. So close and yet so far! But I'll get back to it - hope to finish it in September too - at last!

I've got to tell you about the coolest quilt hanger I bought. No affiliation - yada, yada - the Hang It Dang It quilt hanger.

As you know, I used to live in a large house in Nebraska. I had quilts hanging in each room - sometimes more than one in the room. Now I live in a small [some might say, 'itty bitty'] condo with lots of south facing windows and only one wall large enough and dark enough to hang a quilt. But I want to hang a bed-sized quilt today, maybe a 40" wall quilt next week, then a 60" wall quilt for Halloween ... HOW? Let me tell you!! This telescoping rod hangs with a magnet on -wait for it - one nail in the middle!! All you need it a sleeve on the back of the quilt - as usual. You might have problems getting a quilt to hang straight if there's alot of embellishments, some heavier than others. But that's not my style - so no problem!

Go to their website and check it out! I measured and hammered and hung it all by my little lonesome, while Rick sat on the couch and watched sports!! Woohoo! I've had 2 quilts on it already - both looked awesome!

A little Mr D story before I go. We were there last Monday - L & J2 had bought, for my birthday, tickets for 3 of us to go see "Pirates of Penzance" at the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland Oregon. BeachPapa was the designated babysitter. The show was G*R*E*A*T! The casting wonderful and the stage props hilarious!! A good time was had by all. If you have an opportunity to see it - run like the wind to it! And be prepared to have a great time!

We came home to a calm Papa and a calm baby - until 2 am. Then it was a howling good time for a couple of hours! I got to give him his bottle in the morning. I warmed it up first and then went in to get him up. He was all snoozy and cuddle-ly and hardly opened his eyes while chowing down the bottle. Half way thru - time for a burp. No burp cloth so I sat him up, braced against my hand. He turned and looked at me with big amazed eyes like I was crazy! "Good grief, don't you know how to burp a baby??"

R threw me a burp cloth, and Mr D went to my shoulder like 'Frankenstein' arms straight out. R laughed and he got one of those wide-eyed looks, "Good grief, there's someone else here too??" So fun to see his little personality developing. He's 5 months old, rolling over and trying to blow bubbles. Just perfect!

Next time pictures!! Happy Labor Day weekend!

Dog Days of Summer

HA! We've had mostly cool fog and overcast skies this week. I did manage to get to water aerobics every morning after we got home from our 'visit the grandkids' tour. The new PJ pants went over wonderfully. Miss P alternated the pink pair with the purple pair during the day. We had to wrestle Mr M out of the racing cars after 3 days - we can only assume the 'sports' pair fits too!!

I said last June that I was tired of missing 'easy' water aerobics opportunities. I was going to go to classes when I was home - no matter how cold it was, no matter what excuses I was able to come up with! I'm happy to say, I've been almost 40 times since the first of June! And some mornings - it wasn't easy!! And I got a tan!! Which is unbelievable - 8 am and majority of classes in the fog! AND a tan down to my water shoes! Thru 4-5 feet of water!! The sun is getting stronger - I'm proof!

At least I won't look back on this summer with regrets! I do regret not using the pool at UNL more. It was just past the parking lot and we always had a good time in class. I really regret not using the pool at Newport more. I could walk to that one!! And although the workout was a DVD tape - we worked hard and I could have pulled the cart setup out anytime I was there on non-class days. If only I'd have gone!! I did walk the beach more there - it was a wide beach, walkable almost all year. The quirky winter tides being the only problem time.

The day after Labor Day I start carpooling back down to Crescent City for classes 2-3times a week. That's 40 minutes in the car, both ways - but oh, so worth it on my knees. AND it IS a beautiful facility. Of course, we do manage to talk all the way down and all the way back. And we often stop for a fruit smoothy at MacDonalds so we don't 'faint' before we get back to the border!!

Yesterday started the Stashbuster Stay-at-home Retreat. And I was actually home! So lined up a couple of projects. I wanted to finish fusing Mr D's jungle babies blocks - 3 of 8 to go. But the lion was going to be a bear! Pun unintended the first time!! His mane is so thick with so many pieces, I'm afraid it would stand up by itself with all that fusing. So I'm going to try heavy starch to hold the edges stiff until I get it stitched down.

The blocks and supplies were finally found "somewhere safe". The monkey and rhino were fused into place. I did have to re-fuse and recut some missing eyes, but everything was up on the design wall - just the lion to go.

Then I hear from the other room, "Dear, would you like to watch the first episode of 'Damages'?" It's available on Netflix streaming now and we'd never seen it. Okay - 9 episodes later ... needless to say, we're hooked! I hand quilted 'Birds of a Feather" while watching it -got 3/4 of the first border on the last side quilted! Woohoo!! A very successful Stay-at-home retreat and there's still time today to work some more!

The first border is a dark blue plaid with hanging diamonds quilted on it. I usually rub off my markings as I go, but by the last side - I finally worked out a system to avoid that and so far, so good! After the hanging diamonds I stitch in the ditch. The outer border is pieced 'ice cream cones'. I'm looking forward to getting the last border done - there's some fullness to work out on this side. Then I go back into the interior blocks for more quilting.

I've been trying to talk myself out of more quilting in there - but I know I won't be happy if I stop now. I couldn't decide what to do clear back when I started quilting it - back in 2007, according to the machine stitched date on the signature block. [sigh] So I started SITD and around all the applique - hoping against hope, that that would be enough. But suspecting just the same ...

But maybe another 2 weeks will get this albatross off my back - er - give myself a big finish from my UFO list!! It's funny - I love this quilt but I'm oh-so-very-tired of it!! Afterall, I do have a few [dozen] other beloved UFOs on my to-do list!

Mr D was on his own grand tour and we hadn't seen him for a month!! He had grown so much - he's 4 months old now. He holds his head up so well, stands on your lap with ease - in fact we have to teach him how to sit back down! And last Monday he rolled over for the first time!! Oh, dear - beware, dear parents - your life is going to change, change, change!! Here is his picture taken at the Denver wedding - little cutie that he is!

Vacation Adventures Recap

L&C were here for two weeks on their vacation and we had so much fun showing them our favorite places in Oregon. Once Ljr got here for the last 5 days we walked the beach, ate at our favorite restaurants, walked the Coastal Trail and ate muffins and ice cream everyday! Hmmm, sounds a lot like the week before he came! It was overcast the second week, but that didn't slow us down. They even saw 'our invisible friend the lighthouse' with their own eyes one day!! So hard to explain there's a lighthouse out there, on the horizon, when no one can see it thru the haze. Kind-of like that spout at Whaleshead beach - a shy little thing in company!! LOL!

But one morning at water aerobics - you hear the best news there, you know! - someone mentioned that there was a 50 ft grey whale hanging around in the river south of Crescent City. She wandered in after her calf clear back in June and has been enjoying the attention and stayed. So-o off we went!




The 101 bridge is only about 20 feet above the water and yep - 'thar she blows' right by the bridge! It was so much fun seeing a whale that close - and she was showing off that day. We saw lots of spouts up close and personal; flipper waves from both flippers and a lazy loop-de-loop roll.




There was a canoe with a flutist playing her a song close by and it really gave some perspective as to how big this little gal really was. It might have been the closest we'll ever be to a whale not in captivity! Glorious!




A blogger close to the bridge said she can tell which side of the bridge the whale is on because the people automatically troop from side to side for a better view! And after a careful look for cars each time, we followed right along, back and forth!




Since we were that far south we simply went on down to some of our favorite redwoods down there. We walked along ZigZag Trail, which we loved, and thru the Cathedral grove, an old favorite. We got home just in time for happy hour at Ponchos for dinner. A great day all around.




On Friday, I turned North out of our gate when L,C&Ljr turned South to go home. I headed up to Newport for the Quilt Show. It was a beautiful show this year. We stage it at the Rec Center - wonderful space. We had such a variety of quilts AND vendors that it was a pleasure to walk thru. On Saturday, friends and neighbors made sure I got my exercise by planning their visits to the show with perfect timing - as I was saying good-bye to someone, the next friend walked in!! What fun to catch up with everyone.




Friday night I got together with friends from South Shore for a 'girls night out'. It was fun to visit and get caught up with each others' lives. And Saturday morning, 3 of us got together and did the water aerobics DVD - like old times!

Sunday I drove home - just me and 1000 RVers on the road! But the drive was uneventful and I took a 2 1/2 hour nap after water aerobics Monday morning!! Home again, home again ... until tomorrow - when we head for Portland to see the grandkids up there and babysit for a wedding.

Busy Busy Birthday!!

Okay - it's not a 'zero' birthday but almost!! It's still a big number!

I've had so much fun this last week. C,L&L2 were here and the party definitely continued. We told them they couldn't come back for 9 months - that's how long it will take to work off the weight gain from muffins every morning and ice cream - the good stuff - every night!!

We were able to road trip to where a whale was hanging out - Once I get unpacked and caught up I'll sit and post pictures!!

Foggy Morning Mish-Mash!

My August bouquet was Hydrangeas and sunflowers - how fun! Both are big flowers and the delivery gal is a petite little thing - when I opened the door, I couldn't even see her!! The grouping was so big we got 2 bouquets out of it so there's an all sunflower group over in C&Ls condo!

It's a cool foggy morning here. C&L are renting the condo next door and we're having such a great visit. Lots of walks on the beach, grilled dinners and of course, dessert every night!! Got to love vacations!!

One morning it was so foggy that when I followed everyone down to the beach 30 minutes later - I couldn't find them!! Spooky thick fog - where everything looks different and somehow sinister!! Was that giant piece of driftwood always hanging there like that?? [well, yes it was!]

We have so much sand added to the beach that the cave is filled - yep, the cave with a 10 foot ceiling!! So the rocks all look different - cuz you're only seeing the top part of them!

Speaking of rocks - Rock collecting: I love to pick up rocks. It was my biggest activity in Newport. There were lots of agates and fossils on that beach. Here in Brookings, not many agates or fossils that I can spot. But more colorful rocks. I especially like the ones with stripes! I polished rocks for a year and a half. I haven't done that since I moved here. Maybe I'll get back into it, maybe not - we'll see!

Where some collectors only stoop to pick up Jasper, Agates, etc. Well, not me. One day in Newport I had the most fun collecting objects with holes in them!! [I was tying them on stomping sticks and things with friends later that week!]

Yesterday was "O" rock day! Sometimes you don't spot a rock with a natural "O" on it anywhere - and other days, well, you can't avoid them! My friend D from Redding alerted me to "O" rocks, "That Oprah, she's licensing everything nowadays!!" LOL! D has a rock garden in her yard that is dedicated to "O" rocks - so hip!! These "O"s are going home to Arkansas with C&L but they make me think of D also!!




Well, Mr D is off on his great adventure today with his mom and dad. They are traveling to Colorado for J's family wedding and then on to Nebraska to visit A's family. Three weeks on the road with a 3 month old!! Camping when available! YIKES!

And you just know they will pull it off with grace and lots of wonderful memories. Mr D has already camped at a wedding close to home ... and did just fine! The only big question is can Beach Nana [that's me] live without her Mr D fix for that long? That baby is growing like a weed, and we see him just often enough to notice the changes. I swear, grandkids grow as fast as the car commercials show on tv!! Here he is with Beach Papa.




They went swimming since our last visit.




Trying out his chair now that he can hold his head up. Hmmm, was that chain always there?




This week will be jam-packed with trying to see everything in Oregon while our friends are here! LOL! Hopefully, the weather will continue to cooperate - although it's not looking good for today! Oh well, if it's icky out we will just have to sit inside and quilt - or just talk about quilting! Also fun!