Happy New Year? YES, please!!

 My last post was the middle of November??  Well, that six weeks went by swiftly!!  How can a Christmas that doesn't involve entertaining take so much of your energy??  Who knows - but move on!!

I love to make lists at the end of the year.  How many books I read.  My favorites.  How much quilting got done.  And the never-ending To Do List for the new year.  I have UFOs from 1997 on that list!!  Not many, but still ....

All that will come out in the next post.  Tricky, not promising a date ...

A picture is worth a thousand words so here is a selection of our skies on the Oregon coast.  Most are taken from our deck  ...  Happy New Year!

WOW! This is my 501st blog post!! Amazing

Oregon is ordering "The Pause" starting on Wednesday.  A sneaky way of getting everyone to quarantine for 2 weeks.  And please, let's do that!  We have to get back to our lives! 

We've been laying pretty low most of the time.  I wear a mask in public.  No meetings.  I do have P in my covid pod.  We're together quilting or cleaning up quilting most days.

My sister (almost 80) caught Covid in Nebraska.  She was in the hospital for two weeks, but never on a ventilator.  It was so scary.  I was able to talk to her most days.  Thank God our medical personnel believe in science and use it daily. 

Sis got the plasma from a recovered patient, steroids and the drug.  We kid that people have to stand up when she enters a room - Presidential treatment, don't you know.

Please wear a mask - it isn't going to kill you - and Covid could.

Off the soap box - I teach a Hand Quilting class to artists tomorrow!  Gulp! This month's display is  Annabelle Walkley's one woman quilting exhibit at the Manley Art Center in Brookings.  She's a good friend of mine, and a member of Mod Squad.  At our meeting yesterday, she curated her show for us.  What a font of info!

After finishing a quilt, she soaks and rinses her quilts in cold water - no soap.  And never puts them in the dryer.  Blocks them on the floor to dry.  Hmmm.

Well, tomorrow, I teach up to 7 women hand quilting tips.  The first thing I will say - "our quilting is NOT going to look like Annabelle's!  But we'll work on learning the process."

Working with artistic personalities has so far been like herding cats!  And I'm allergic to cats!!

No contract; I didn't get the class list until I begged for it yesterday to send a reminder.  I furnish the kit so-o we'll all start with the right supplies!  

They wanted a class to 'go with the show'.  Everything about piecing quilts can taught at stores, on the web, etc.  But even books tend to 'cover' quilting with "quilt as desired!"  So - wish me luck!

We're having a King Tide here - seriously, there is NO beach today!!  The promised winter storms have arrived with a vengeance two nights ago.

I was wearing ear plugs (DH was mumbling / whistling in his sleep)  And the wind in the trees woke me up!  It was that strong! We're supposed to get about an inch of rain each day for the next week.  But the storms always give us an interesting ocean to watch.

So - it's been going thru my mind lately, Hello, I'm Doni and I'm a quilter.  I have no wish to 'recover' from it.  Quilting has occupied me for over 40 years now.  DH says 'possessed' is more accurate!  

I honestly don't know where I'd be without it!  It's given me an outlet for creativity and energy.  Kept my mind active - planning the next project, working out the problems and organizing.  And I love to gift them, display them and pet them!  And of course, cuddle under them.

My DS and DDIL are in Panama for 2 years.  Interesting times to be there.  They left everything they couldn't fit into suitcases in a storage unit in Oregon.  It burned down in the Almeda Fire. Luckily I have the important papers.  BUT they lost family photos, the kids' toys and stuffed animals, thousands of Lego blocks, musical instruments, books, videos, kitchen supplies, dishes and at least 28 quilts.

A friend in the area went into the storage unit area and found very few things left but recognizable.  One golden dragon tea cup that was part of a set of dishes my birth brother brought back from Japan for me in the 50's.  DS loved that set.

No Legos were found - they were expecting to have a large multicolored plastic lump but apparently Legos evaporate!

Do families that are not related to quilters have 28 quilts?  Probably not.  I'll have to count how many quilts I have in the small condo we live in.  I'm pretty sure it's more than that!  How many do you have?  Yes, count the wall and holiday quilts!

I'm going to make/finish a quilt for each of them - ready when they come back next summer.  Most of the kids' quilts were panels, we have pictures, but there is no way I can duplicate them now.  It will be a new adventure.  Lord knows I have enough fabric for the undertaking!!

Stay safe!

Quilting Physics - no really!

 I've been quilting for 45 years!!  OMG!  I consider myself an 'advanced beginner'!  I don't take my skill seriously.  I mainly follow the "Squirrel!!" method of learning!

"Squirrel!" is from the Disney movie UP!  The dogs would be seriously training and then ... you guessed it - they saw a squirrel and everything changed!  And all of a sudden, everything on the To Do List was forgotten and off they all went in a totally different direction.  Sound familiar??  It's rampant here!

Once a year we have carpets cleaned.  It's this month!  DH likes to make it easy for the company to clean every inch so everything comes off the floor.  Furniture is set in the bathrooms, brick hearth and kitchen space.  Closets emptied onto the beds.

The problem - as always - is my sewing room.  I'm always 'rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic' in there.  There is always lots of things on the flat surfaces; sewing desk, single bed top, under bed, ironing board ... and the floor.

I had an epiphany - I don't have enough storage space.  Perhaps I should "Marie Condo" everything!  If you're not familiar - she only keeps things that sparks joy.  Bad news, when you're a quilter ... everything sparks joy!

I was doing fine until I started helping my friend P fit everything back into her sewing space.  Yep, some things started coming home with me.  

I have several UFOs - Unfinished Objects - some are even from the 90s!!  I have revised the list year after year ... but some projects still spark joy! And trying to tide up does encourage me to revisit those languishing UFOs - seeing if they are worth working on again. 

Here is Bonnie Hunter's Pineapple Blossom in Christmas colors. Bonnie was here teaching 3 years ago.  I'm happy to say that the top is finished.  I made a few more blocks for the back - I really love seeing that row of blocks on the back when I make my bed!  It cheers my soul!

             

And a very old Courthouse steps with 54-40 or Fight Stars combo.  It's hanging on P's design board.  We did take breaks!!  This pattern is definitely from the '90s. One of my favorite pattern companies, that I cannot remember the name of!!  Any guesses??

 I'm still playing with what size I'd like - the next task is to cut and sew a bunch of the stars.  Then I can see ... but it's one of those that I can picture KING-SIZE.  Gasp!  We'll see.

The quilts above have a wide variety of fabrics in them.  From batiks to plaids.  

I love plaids!  And I have several UFOs and current projects that look really good in plaids.  So, I took out my basket of plaids and the Bear Paws UFO - started around 2000.  It must be the Mary Poppins basket of plaids, I'm not joking!

The cute little basket sitting in front of the door to the balcony.  That's a 12" square ruler in it!  So innocent looking, don't you think?

This is basically a 41 x 53 kitchen counter.  My appointed cutting station.  Covered and stacked with the basket contents!!  After ironing!!!  Someone call the science police, please!!  Two long days of recutting into the pieces required for the 3 patterns.  Oye Vay!  But wait there's more ... I found another box, so another day of cutting up pieces tomorrow!

Luckily, it's work I love - petting and reshaping beloved fabric.  We always say - shop the stash first, it's filled with fabrics you love!

The plaid projects I'm currently recutting for are:

Double Slice - see the tute on Jenny Doan's Missouri stars.  I've made this several times with different types of fabrics.  It looks good in everything!  Especially cute - in a manly way - in homespuns.  Voila!

On commission for my sister, Here's one I made for a Great Niece, I sashed the blocks to calm it down - these fabrics were wild and crazy without the sashing!  Trust me!

Plaid Bear's Paw blocks - I was hoping to just make a 60 x 80ish quilt - my new resolution.  I can quilt that size myself with my domestic sewing machine.  But, alas - it's way too cute!!!  Pay no attention to the bedspread under the blocks! That striped checkboard is not part of the quilt.!

And a new project found in an old publication - 6.5" squares with 2.5" squares making up a sashing.

Must go and start getting thing done ... oh, oh!!  Squirrel!!

Hello - waving royally - The Queen of the UFOs is in the room!

 I belong to Stashbusters online.  And we have an UFO challenge contest every year,  you finish UFOs to go to the bottom of the list.  There is usually around 70 participants.  

As other quilters go to the bottom, you work your way up.  There's a few Ladies In Waiting and a Queen of  UFOs.  (This is not really an honor!!)  

I just got an email last night that I've actually been Queen since Monday!!!  During your reign of 1 week, if you finish an UFO you can abdicate the throne; descend to the dungeons and start working your way up again.   IF you do not finish an UFO during your reign, you must mail a FQ to the royal treasury.  It's not the FQ that bothers us, it's the shame of not finishing the UFO. After you send in the FQ you do go down the list to the dungeons.

Here's what I've written to my loyal subjects so far:

Wednesday:  Arrrg!  I've just found out I'm the Queen of the UFOs ... Since

Monday???  Your royal highness is so sorry to leave my royal subjects 

without guidance.  Oops!  I’m pretty sure that I’ll be mailing a FQ pretty

 darn soon!  I just finished “Wild Thing - I think I love you” BUT alas, it’s 

not an UFO - it was started during quarantine!  Quarantine just seems like 

it’s been years!!  It really hasn't been years, at least not yet!!

More assignments, royal edicts and babbling will be forthwith tomorrow!!!

Queen doni @ Oregon coast, humbly asking for your attention at this late 

date!!!

Thursday:

Ahem - waving royally - the Queen is in the room.  A little history on your queen:  I’ve been quilting since 1974 [gasp – that IS a long time!] My grandma quilted but not by the time I came along – she was hemming diapers for the Red Cross by then because her eyes had failed.  Besides, I was too much of a tomboy to bother learning to sew from her!  My great-grandmother on my dad’s side ran a house for ‘girls in trouble’.  She kept them busy with piecework – and I’ll tell you, they were NOT passionate about it!  I found some really odd scrap quilts that were poorly made – but immediately fell in love with them.  From then on –scrap patchwork has been my favorite type of quilting! 

Here is "Wild Thing - I think I love you!"  top.  It was quilted by L, a longarmer here in Brookings.  "Finished" picture still to be taken!

 

My first quilt was 2 sheets tied together – after I made a simple frame.  Don't laugh!  My children are still using them and they have definitely stood the test of time.  Then – well, would you believe, a queen sized bedspread of baby blocks [tumbling blocks] set in a pyramid!!  I was sure it would be oh-so--much cheaper than that $200 bedspread!! LOL!!  I was simply too dumb to know it was beyond my reach!  AND my MIL’s quilting group hand quilted it with a bed sheet back!  Poor ladies!

Here is my 'booth' as Valuable Guild Member in 2018.  You can see the Tumbling Blocks quilt on the right.  Everything in the booth was made by ME!  The fabric postcards hanging on a ribbon on the right, the Nautical Stay Robin, the silk screened lighthouses of Oregon.  The Pies and Tarts on the back table and "Cat Bellies" on the side table!  Yes, that is a green bungee chair.  My good friend P loaned it to me and I charged everyone who wanted to try it out $1 - to the cookie sale just across from me!!!  The cookie chair decided she always wanted to be near me - where ever I am!!

I have learned a thing or two since then,  and forgotten a lot of information I wish I could remember.  I still love scrappy.  The more the merrier!  I'm not a 'neat sewing space' type of person!  

And you have to be a really good friend to be willing to share a table with me - I don't work well in captivity!!

One time, a friend was coming over to quilt.  We have a LARGE dining room table that seats six.  To be funny I ran a piece of masking tape at the 2/3 for me, 1/3 for you mark.  BUT the joke was on me - by the time my friend arrived, I was already spread across to her side of the table!

Ladies, start your engines, errr, sewing machines!  I will give an edit about the weekend tomorrow!

Queen doni @ Oregon coast

Foggy August Days!! but not complaining!

 When the valley across the mountains from us gets HOT, we get fog.  They've been up in the 90s - 100s for the last month.  And although we typically get some sun each day, the fog has been pretty tricky this week.

Last night it was beautiful at sunset, DH and I were sitting on the deck having martinis(!)  Something new we started during quarantine!!  And I spotted a whale!  There is an island close to our beach - Rainbow Rock Island.  And the whale was between the beach and the island!  I don't know if he was really BIG or just looked big because he was so close!  Either way, it was a thrill.  I'll take a picture of our view looking North - if the fog ever lifts!

And don't think that it was just the Lemon Drop martini talking!  We both saw it, spouts spouting for hours!!!  No we were not drinking for hours, but after we had lasagna for dinner, I went back out to see if he was still there - he was!

Just like dogs ... people tend to refer to whales as he or she.  I think that depends on which sex your dogs were / are.  I always call them 'he' but a good friend calls them 'she'.  We try to convert each other to the other pronoun, but no luck so far!

Last night I finished binding "Wild Thing - you make my heart sing"!  You remember the X-plus blocks I made during quarantine.  (picture of blocks on the design wall.)  Someone, when seeing it, asked if it was for a child?  Nope, just made by a 68 year old child!!!  A Grandkid might get it eventually ... but tonight it's going on my side of the bed!!

I've been going to our outdoor pool faithfully all summer.  It had a late start, but we've been holding water aerobics classes.  There's a lot of hoops to jump thru ... wearing masks everywhere but IN the pool.  Temperatures taken each morning.  Outside entrance and outside shower.  I miss the changing room.  But so glad to be there, my knees are much happier.  For those of you concerned, our county has only had 19 cases.  The lowest covid count county on the Oregon coast. And we are fighting to keep it that way. :>

Pictures coming,  really, I promise!!

Some more quilt stories that are my favorite

Blogspot has changed photo selection - Arrrgh!  But I found this wonderful photo of my Great Niece N and Granny (my mom).  N is back home after a hospital stay.  I know Granny is watching over her - their spirits are so alike.  God bless you, N.

When I started making QOV, I thought, "Well, this is a good program, but I've got veterans in my life that I want to make a quilt for first.  My DBIL was one of the first 3 recipients.  I was afraid that it wouldn't go over well, but of course, it did.  He loved his quilt.  And we love him!

A spring challenge (loosely interpreted!)  It now belongs to our local Habitat.  They hang it at their Annual Garden Tours!  Can you find the bunny?

This little scamp moved in and used the wall quilt I was binding as her new quilt when I went to make her bottle!!  Mom and Dad's Blue and White wedding quilt on the back of the couch.

Reminisce by Lori Smith.  Challenging but oh-so-worth-it!!!  Scrap Happens, our Lincoln NE small group all made the border blocks to exchange.  We didn't all finish at the same time, but the ones that were ready (a year past deadline!) hung in our guild show.  Exciting to see them all in a row!  And no - they did not look alike, in fact, we couldn't convince some people they were all from the same pattern!

 

I love this July wall quilt.  I adapted a pattern, to make it bigger and I love it.

We used the Blue and White wedding quilt pattern to make a "get well soon" quilt at South Shore in Newport.  Fun working with  non-sewers.  But it turned out awesome!  Tied, not quilted for comfort.

Starry Starry Night.  Variation of a Red Wagon pieced star.  I was laying this one out at a small group quilt meeting in Lincoln NE.  I had all the stars lined up all in a row and MJ, a neighbor looked at it and twisted a star, and I almost fainted!!  But she convinced me they 'twinkle' when mixed up.

A challenge at the Brookings guild.  We all wrote a technique and each month we pulled one out of a lunchbag!  We started with a center block, then drew paper piecing, applique, words, triangles and squares!!  My friend had a new embroidery machine and sold me these lovely vintage nautical blocks that are in the top and bottom borders.  The poem adapted by a poem, 'If You've Ever Lived on a Island' embroidered around the center:

If you ever lived by the ocean; if you ever lived by the sea,

When you return inland, your spirit will have been set free.

If ever you've heard the sea gulls, the waves,a foghorn, the winds,

then you've heard the song of the ocean and the peace it sends.  ... so true!

A flying challenge at Brookings.  I asked my Grandkids what should be on it.  Airplanes, obviously, birds, bees, hot air balloons ... then we got silly!  The house from 'Up', Superman, Mary Poppins ...  Most of these are cancelled stamps, some pictures of stamps (there was a deadline!)  Blocked with very heavy boxes sitting on top of it - because it couldn't be washed, of course!

Leftover blocks from A&J's wedding quilt.  I sewed them up and used it as a charity quilt for Soroptimists!

Mr D with his big boy bed quilt.

Next time ... back from the quilter ... The PlusX Covid quilt!!  How Exciting!!

Quilt Stories!!! I seem to save them up into batches!

Shhh! It's Low Volume  made in 2017  64 x 82

This was another hunt for fabric that lasted years!  I saw this pattern on a Swedish quilting website after following the link from Pinterest.  

It was a baby quilt! Oh, Baby! my bin of 'conversation prints' was overflowing and it was such fun to use some of my favorite fabrics!

SL in Scrap Happens called text fabrics "conversation prints" and the name stuck.  Kind-of like 'Beige-ings"!

And of course, I had to buy bright fabrics to go with it!  I use this on my side of the bed in the winter!   And Oregon summers!!  It's my second quilt RIGHT NOW!!

The back is a nautical print that didn't work for a QOV back. 

Spring Strippy  2008

Evening Stars Workshop had a block exchange of the churn dash blocks. Then I was in a "strip of the month" club led by a good friend of mine. I'm sure I drove her nuts! But she never said a word!. [Thanks, M!]

The first month's assignment was "half-square triangles" - that's churn dash! 

The next was "square in the block" - ha! churn dash!!!

Well, you get the picture - if churn dash fit the description - there it was! [I had a lot of the blocks!] I even had a row of churn dashes left over - [they ended up on the back!]

I thought the extra row made the quilt too long for the width and didn't want to deal with redesigning it. That's probably why it had a l-o-o-n-g incubation / Time Out period as UFO.

As you know, if you came here via FB.  Miss JJ is now the proud owner of this quilt.

Kinsey's Whimsy Wall Quilt - Literary Challenge  2007

Just 27 x 27

Lincoln Quilt Guild had a "Literary Challenge".  Pick a favorite book or character.  Make a quilt that character would like.  It was a great challenge - so many different interpretations.  I chose the Sue Grafton alphabet mystery series.

I used nickel squares (Kinsey was very thrifty!) in a Bento Box pattern.  I picked bright "California" fabrics and loved making it.  I used it for years as my picture online.

Edyta Sitar was just beginning her quilting career - or I just found her!  And she said - against all Quilting Rules - that you CAN put quilting fabrics and batiks in the same quilt!!  So I did!  and I never stopped from that moment on!

 Oregon Lighthouse Wall Quilt - the Challenge  2006  40 x 40

I found some mini lighthouses on our Oregon Trip one year.  Quilters Corner Quilt Store in Port Orford had had a challenge with them.  The entries were on display and Halleluiah!  They still had the silk-screened lighthouses.

There was a challenge in Lincoln guild too, so of course, I incorporated them into that theme.  I liked it - but when I hung it up in my cubicle at work ... there was a whole lot of sighing and begging for it.  JJ has an August birthday too, so I gave did it to her ... eventually!

Hmmm, I do love that Bento Box setting.  I have another challenge this year for Brookings Guild ... hmmm!

We're getting to the end of the FB challenge - but this has been a whole lot of fun to pick out favorite projects and review them again.  What do you think of "Quilt of the Week"???  Let's see I'd have enough to publish them for a decade or more!!  LOL!  We'll see!

Have a great weekend and stay safe!

Favorite Quilts over on FB - but the fun part - WHY! - is here!

Selvedge Yard  2011  

CAUTION:  Long story you might want coffee!!

Selvedges galore, Unruly lettering, I even put my practice longarm piece on the back!  2015 I sold this piece at Sisters!  Cheaply ... but still, it sold within the first few hours!

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. 

There are 600-ish 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 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!! 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. 

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:

QUILTING NOT SO MUCH A HOBBY (you know) MORE LIKE AN (infectious) OBSESSION (and we love it sew!)

A & J's Wedding Quilt  2010  

I thought doing this king size log cabin quilt would get those out of my system, nope!  I'm still making mini log cabin blocks for one of my own.

This has 2 color combinations for each row and even though it was carefully drawn out ... I made 20 blocks with the wrong colors together.  "Recalculating ... "  

Wanted the Love stamp block in it to break it up, 3 of them.  Got it all laid out on the floor at Bayshore.  We all looked it over, moved a few things around and completely missed the log cabin block going the wrong way!!  Arrrrgh!

I cut the strips  2" and although finished 1.5" logs seem reasonable for a king-sized quilt - I have to admit the logs look really big! Don't ask me why! I don't know!

The Lights of Home   2006

I bought the silk screened lighthouses at Lattimer Center.  I found the lay-out on a barn quilt.   My friend, MW, helped me draw it up.  I made the quilt and R loves it too.  

The funny part about this quilt is when I was in Nebraska it reminded me of the Oregon coast.  And after we moved to Oregon, it reminds me of working on it in Nebraska!!  It's one of my DH's favorites because it's only 2 colors! 

There - we're all caught up.  Other than the blogspot problems, it's fun to look through 45 years of my quilts ... hope you're having fun too!

Foggy Mornings, Beautiful Afternoons - must be July on the coast

This week has been a blur!  Monday there was a chlorine imbalance at the pool so no water aerobics that day!  But TTF classes have been great!  And Wednesday we actually got to have Tai-chi in the park!

It was an 80 degree day here (very unusual any time of the year!)  But under the tall pines, it was cool and very zen!  There were 10 of us.  Nine regular class students and one wanna-be joiner!  Next encounter Tuesday - same time, same place.

I have to admit, parts of my body hadn't been stretched or held a position since the beginning of self-isolation.  Wrist?? But we did well, Almost made it thru the long form - with everyone thinking hard "what is next"  and usually one of us would come up with it!  And boy-oh-boy it was a beautiful day to have class outside!!

Over on Facebook there is a 'tag challenge'!

I Love Being In a Quilter Challenge.... Every day for 10 days I will post a quilt I’ve made and I’ll challenge one of you to do the same, and you will challenge someone to do the same and so on. No description necessary, just a quilt photo. 10 days means 10 different quilts.

I love these pop up challenges. It's great eye candy and something not political on FB!! Win-win! Today I posted:

In 2017 I finally brought my "Quilt Diary" up to date.  That was the year I was "Featured Quilter in the Azalea Guild Show.  No one cared that I had it, but it was a great deadline to work toward!  I haven't add any quilts since!  So I guess Self-Isolation Summer is a good time to hunt up all the pictures and what information I've written about them and 'get'r dun!'

I wrote the diary because I was sure I was loosing my mind.  And at least I'd have this diary to look at and see the quilts again!  The following is the entry for this quilt!

All Around the Town - Boydville, That Is   This quilt was made in 2002.  It's 60 x 60 and I still own it.  I love it!

My friend M was making the shop sample of this Sue Garman pattern for The Front Parlor. (just ONE of our local shops in Lincoln NE!  Those were the days!)  4 of us were also interested in the pattern, so we split the BOM costs.  I challenged myself to learn machine appliqué - but I went with fusible and machine blanket stitch.  A method I still prefer!!

It was fun to pick fabrics and quietly incorporate our lives into the quilt.  There's a brick house with shutters, DH will be glad to tell you how he had to stand on a ladder and drill holes in brick on his first Father's Day as a dad!! and a grey schnauzer with a red collar running around a corner. My horse, Thunder. Poor M had to do the sample exactly as published!!

I went to all the trouble to put FOUR sleeves on it, so I could hang it any which way up.  But, I only like it with the Flag flying correctly.  There was many a giggle over the "whale of doom" over its house!

I used G's DSM for the blanket stitching when she was traveling.  I was working on this when DH let it slip I was getting a new machine for Christmas! For the next few months, I would come downstairs and "bother" him with hugs for my new machine.   My Janome 4800 (picked with Glenda's advice). 

2018:   My 4800 is still running strong! Thank you - both of you!!

Today  I'm sad to report that my wonder-machine is failing.  I can only read 1/3 of the stitch screen - that makes special stitches very hard!!  I'm hoping the EverSewn machines ship next month - because I'm ready to buy a new one! (I blame all the face masks I made on it this summer!!)

So, each day for 9 more days, I'll give 'the rest of the story' to my FB choice!  Hope you enjoy it!

Well the #100dayproject is officially done.  I so enjoyed it this year, especially with the kind of year we're having!  It keep me going in the sewing room, even when that wasn't what I wanted to do.  But am I glad I kept it going - I feel more creative and that's not bad when you're turning 68 this summer.  Remember way-back-when I was afraid I was losing my mind (I am, of course!) but quilting keeps me cheerful and thinking about the next quilt all the time!!  That's the best thing about retirement!! A sustainable hobby!  And believe me, I can sustain it for a few more decades with just what I have in the house!  We'll discuss that problem another time or two!

What I accomplished:  2 quilts I'd been wanting to do forever - really - forever!  I made all the blocks and topped the quilts.  One went to the Quilter today!  And she named it "Wild Child" - can you guess which one!!!  LOL!

I also made FOUR 60 x 80 StashLab string QOV quilts.  The blocks were made.  I did have to mark, make and trim HST blocks out of them ... 

Last year our group donated strings and sewed string blocks at group gatherings and at home.  Just when we were ready to start putting quilts together, Yep, Covid showed up.  

So when I got tired enough and curious enough to do something about the giant amount of string stuff all over the sewing space ... I put a top together.  Boy, they are addicting AND don't ever 'fluff' strings!!!  

Pssst! Don't tell -   we are having a Guild meeting at the end of the month and I'm closing out our year long challenge with the promised prizes, and 2 (so far) table runners.  AND we're going to have the Big Reveal of what we created!!  I'll post the little darlings later, after the reveal.  One quilt was already presented to a Veteran.  But 4 are being quilted as we speak!!  And I'm coming up with a design for the leftover "beige-ings" blocks this weekend. It will be so EXCITING for me to be done with this and see it come to life!

Holiday Weekend - covid style!

As I was walking to my parking place this week.  Yep, walking the gauntlet on my way to the pool.  I took this quick picture with my phone.  I don't know why it appeals to me ... but something about the angles, and the juxtaposition of the buildings just interests me.  I see an art project in my future!?!

                 

We're supposed to be winding down on our re-roofing project, yet 4 of the 6 buildings had ladders up and guys on the roofs!

I talked to our manager today and he estimates (hopefully) an August finishing date!  ARRRG!  The roofers are very nice, polite but apparently slow! And everyone here is worn to the nubs!  My car has been covered in sawdust since the beginning of March! During the two weeks I was presenting QOVs ... I had to park a block away, to be sure of being able to get out as needed.  Stomping over to my car, hands full, twice or three times a day. It got really really old!  But so am I!?!

Wishing everyone a Happy Stay-at-home(!) 4th.  

Remember it's patriotic to wear a mask and social distance!  

Stay safe!

Quilts of Valor - Covid-19 style

I was doing so-o well at surviving and maybe even thriving in the self - isolation ... but then, Phase 2 got busier!  Not really better, just busier. And the time seems to be going faster!

 I looked around my sewing room at the beginning of Phase 2 and actually thought, "I should just stay home awhile and get this mess cleaned up!!"  The irony hit me a split second later!!

While Phase 2 was new (and still working) we set up the appointments with our Veterans to be presented with their Quilt of Valor.  We held them outside, with limited attendance, we wore masks and were gone in 10-15 minutes.

In 2 weeks, I presented 16 quilts!  One or two presentations a day.  Three of our Veterans were from out of town.  They were nice enough to come back to Brookings to receive their quilts.  We met at the Capella; the pocket park on 101 downtown; (loud!) and a family member's house.  But have no fear - there was plenty of driving up into the hills involved.  One house was especially remote.  A friend that was along said, "If we hear banjos, we're out of here!"  But all addresses were found and Veterans given a quilt in the end.

This was our 'group block project' last year.  I got the idea out of StashLab's String Method Book.  Since we are basically making Half Square Triangles; so any Log Cabin setting works!  Our first finished quilt from that design - and they loved it!

It was fun to work directly with each Veteran. I felt I got to know them and will remember them easier.  It was more personal, less crowded and we had better photo opportunities with family members.  I took pictures with my ipad and emailed them to the Veteran each evening.

I was very careful during that time, no matter where I was.  I wore my face mask everywhere - I was determined not to be the downfall of anyone!  A friend even teased me about social distancing in my car!  Yes, I was driving (3 blocks) from one place to another, and I kept on my mask!  Wouldn't you??

Remember, I was working with a population that is at risk, yet most of them did NOT wear a mask.  I heard many times when I offered a mask to anyone needing one, "We have them, we just don't wear them."  Really???

I couldn't always talk them into wearing one.  But I kept mine on, even during photos.  One family asked if we could step back 20 feet and take off our masks so they could see who was presenting!  And at the last presentation I had a new problem.  My mask keep slipping off my ear, usually when my hands were full.  Did I sleep on my ear wrong???  Good thing it's only a 10 minute ceremony.  I fully expected the Veteran to offer some duct tape!!

I still have to complete the QOV paperwork and there are 2 or 3 more presentations to be arranged when family is all here.  But, the rush is officially over!!  I admit, our print shop owner and I are both thrilled to be done with it.  I was at the copy shop every day!

I made the certificates with a blank line to write in the date and place of the presentation. (FYI, Nobody likes their own writing!) and the signature line was for the presenter.  So those holding their own presentation, filled it in and signed the certificate too.  In total, 32 will be presented. Thank you for service.

We are the Home of The Free because of The Brave!

Thanks to a good friend who posted this on Instagram - makes me laugh while still wearing a mask!

Did you guys know the FDA just approved a medical device that reduces your chance of getting COVID-19 by 5X? Its trade name is called Wearamaskidiot. 😷👍⁣

⁣
Side effects include mild inconvenience, possible victim complex, fear of people thinking you are a sheep  (people compared to sheep in being docile, foolish, or easily led), being ostracized by your anti-vax pandemic bros, 

and the power to stop your own asymptomatic transmission 

as this country stubbornly dives right on into that second wave. 😷👍⁣
⁣
Check with your doctor, or really anyone, to see if 

Wearamaskidiot is right for you. 😷👍 

#justwearthedamnmask⁣

Quilt of Valor Labels - Brookings Style

Our labels are silk-screened.  DO NOT IRON!  They finger press very easily.

The first thing I do is to trim the white edges to 1/2”.

Second - finger press a 1/4” inch along the blue edge; pin the folded edge to itself.

You can sew your binding onto the front side of the quilt, as usual.  You are ready to add the label.  

But if you have finished binding the quilt, you can simply fold back all the label sides and hand appliqué it to the quilt corner.

Line up the label on the back of the quilt with a bottom corner.  Pin closely into place (3x the amount of pins in the picture!!)  Keep the pin heads on the outside edge as shown.

Turn the quilt over.  You can see the seam line you sewed the binding on with.  You want to start securing the label by sewing between the seam line and the edge.  Begin and back stitch just above the first pin, Sew to 1/2” from the corner removing the pins as you go, knot.  

Be careful not to sew through the corner, it will catch the folded binding, that’s no good, trust me!   

Start again 1/2” from the corner and sew between stitching and the edge to the last pin.

You’ve added another layer of fabric to the quilt sandwich, so it helps to clamp the binding in place.

You can now sew the binding by hand or machine as if the label is simply part of the quilt.  After the binding is sewn past the label, you can hand sew the blue edge of the label to the quilt.  Keep it as taut as you can.

When the Veteran for the quilt has been announced (usually a month before the presentation) we finish the label.

We label the quilt by hand with a Pigma Pen.  (Found at Wright’s Custom Framing and Art). I use 05 or 08 size.  Any smaller point catches on the fabric.  Do NOT write with a Sharpie, it will bleed.

I also practice my label on paper so I can determine where to start and stop before putting pen to fabric.  I also check my spelling.

Although the quilt is soft, if it's on a hard surface when you add the information to it, it works well. 

With a light touch, we usually write the Veteran’s full name but just the first names of the quilters.  In the bottom triangle in the corner we add the year when the quilt is presented.

Thanks for supporting Quilt of Valor!