I love to share my Quilting projects with other Quilters. My goal is to share my progress on projects that I am working on. I would love for you to follow along with me during my endeavors. I hope you enjoy watching me tackle new techniques and projects. Hopefully you can learn from my "hiccups" and mistakes and make your journey easier.
Greetings from now rain soaked South Texas and on 2 August 2021! I do believe the drought is over with. Now to just have a wonderful Fall and a cold Winter and a vote to do away with Daylight Savings Time for Texas! That would be a Big Whoopie!
I have been busy catching up on quilting 33 quilt tops that have been “hanging” around for quite a few years. I have now been blessed to find Sarabeth who is a local long arm quilter.
On the quilting backlog, I have scheduled 8 quilts for Sarabeth. It will be a few months before she will start on my quilts, which is fine with me. I have moved the 8 quilts to the back of the rack! I started with 34 quilts to quilt and now the remaining 28 will be done as follows:
8 quilts to Sarabeth
10 quilts that will be hand quilted (applique or embroidered)
2 quilts that will be done by hand with the Long Stitch
8 quilts for me to quilt on my HQ Sixteen
Bottom line I have 20 quilts to complete! Finding Sarabeth has really relieved a lot pressure off me by agreeing to quilt them. I am having her quilt the quilts that are complex quilts and Quilt Show prospects and my free motion meandering would absolutely ruin them. So another Happy 🕺 Dance going on here.
Now you may ask where are the other 6 quilts? Glad you asked – I have completed them and here they are! I finished 4 this month and 2 in June.
Autumn Jubilee (June) Red White and Blue Log CabinsAutumn LeavesAspen Gold Pattern in GreensIndian SummerThru Grandmothers WindowSashiko Wall Hanging
Click here to see the background on these quilt tops.
For August, I will be working on the 8 remaining quilts that I will quilt on my HQ16. Domestic sewing machine is not my bag as you an see on the Sashiko and the border on Indian summer, but they are finished and that is the goal.
So for 2021, I have completed 9 UFO quilt tops! I am hoping to complete the remaining 8 in August. I will be loading A Quilter’s Dream quilt on my Z44 for hand quilting and Raggity Ann and Andy on the HQ16. This quilt measures 72 x 92! We shall see if my month goes as well as I intend it to.
A Quilter’s Dream Raggity Ann and Andy – 2001
Have a blessed month and enjoy quilting those PHD 2021 in August!
Life is interesting isn’t it? Well, nothing really new here other than I am trying to really get things finished. Still missing my outside walk, but am enjoying the ‘bike to nowhere’ in the house for 30 minutes. Today was a day to go to lovely San Antonio and that took up the morning. The weather was pleasant due to a mild cool front and light rain in the area during the night. But that won’t last long – because the high heat and high humidity will return tomorrow. The happy thing is that we probably will only have MAYBE 3 more months of the hot stuff and MAYBE have a Fall this year!
If you have time – check out one of my latest posts here! It is an interesting take on how the quilting world has changed since 2000, Quilt Shows, and a new friend’s antique quilts made by her Grandmother! She is a newbie to quilting and I am teaching her all of my bad habits! LOL!
It appears that I missed last week reporting, so I am going to pick up from my 8 June 2021 post and there and go forward. I will be out of commission for 2 days as I will be going to the Gastrointerologist for a quick nap in the early morning tomorrow. It is called an Endoscopy Nap! Then it usually takes the rest of the day to get over the Twilight sleep and then sit in the Sun (working on D and Tan) on Thursday to wake me up!
These were my goals for the last two weeks:
Continuing working on Dresden Plates √. Completed 9 more
Load RWB Log Cabin quilt on long arm and quilt it. √. Quilted and binding is on
Work on binding for Autumn Jubilee.√. Finished Binding
Work on A Bountiful Life Blocks.√. Worked on Leaves
Continue with improving my Vitamin D levels and staying on the Cluck Cluck Diet.√. Done
Look through the windshield of life and not in the rearview mirror – Yesterday is gone.√ Done
Progress Report on Projects!
Dresden Plates – Only 70 more mini Dresdens left to applique to the background grid! YEA! Maybe this will incentivize me to get with the program! I wonder if I could work on them while napping in the morning! LOL
Dresden Heaven Plates
A Bountiful Life. I kept looking at the leaf fabric and wondered why I chose that fabric. I toyed with the idea of just throwing that one out and starting over until I laid the flowers over the area where they will be and realized that I chose that color (probably in 2018) because the yellow flowers will tone down the wild leaves! Whew! Beginning to get excited about finishing this block. The next block is a fun block and will go faster!
A Bountiful Life Block
Autumn Jubilee. Completed, just needs a label!
Autumn Jubilee
Red, White, and Blue Log Cabin is quilted and the binding finished yesterday! It also needs a label!
Log Cabin Quilt Front Back of the quilt
Cluck Cluck Diet, Vitamin D, Sleep pattern, and attitude are all under stable control. Another group of personal goals DONE! Clay said I could hang around another 25 years! Whew!
Drag out Stonefields Pattern Sections 7-10 need to be prepared. *
Quilt my Autumn Leaf Quilt Top that was one of the first quilts I had made in 2000.
*Stonefields Pattern has 121 blocks but there are some of the blocks that I do not plan to make 121. I will need to review the remaining blocks and select the ones that appeal to me. Then I will need to figure where I am as far as a setting would go and begin preparing the blocks and finish this quilt top. After all the blocks are complete, there will be more work on the borders. I visualize a completion date of possibly October 2021. We shall see, but at least Stonefields has made it back on the goal list!
**Autumn Leaves – Made in 2000-2001 timeframe – one of my first quilts! I would love to hand quilt it, but I have others that will be hand quilted – This one will be done on my Long Arm.
And a Happy Tuesday to all! It is summer hot here in South Texas now – reaching into heat index’s of over 100! I will be sitting in the sun about 15 minutes each day to supplement my Vitamin D with a fan on me, but it is worth it as each day I have more energy, no depression, sleeping well, and motivation to quilt on my projects! YEA! Life is getting better.
These were my goals last week.
Be happy for all that we have and forget about the bad! √
Sew the binding for Autumn Jubilee √
Load and quilt another quilt (May be my Red, White and Blue Log Cabin) ↓
Work on Dresden Plates (Applique) √
Work on A Bountiful Life (Applique) ↓
Stay on my special diet! √
Happiness has found me again thanks to time in the Sun and more Sun Lamp time! ☀
I have the binding sewn and ready to hand stitch for Autumn Jubilee
I did not get my RWB Log Cabin load, but it will be done this week. It is a smaller quilt and will not take long to complete it.
Patriotic Log Cabin – Moda Stars – Flimsy
AND finally I am beginning to make progress on Dresden Heaven! Amazing when one has energy, creativity, and drive to work on hobbies! I have a total of 26 completed (without the circles) and only 79 small ones to finish! I believe there are about 10 larger Dresdens to applique when those are completed, but the end is getting closer to completion. The push is on as I am working on this project during the day to get it finished!
26 of 109 Dresden Heaven Plates!
I am sticking to my Cluck Cluck Diet and not straying anymore! It just is not worth it.
Goals for 7 – 14 June 2021
Continuing working on Dresden Plates
Load RWB Log Cabin quilt on long arm and quilt it.
Work on binding for Autumn Jubilee.
Work on A Bountiful Life Blocks.
Continue with improving my Vitamin D levels and staying on the Cluck Cluck Diet.
Look through the windshield of life and not in the rearview mirror – Yesterday is gone.
Have a great week stitching and enjoy what you are doing! Take time to sit in the sun for 10 minutes if possible each day! Vitamin D – The Sunshine Vitamin!
Well, Happy Tuesday (Wednesday for me) everyone! A new month! Just think, in 8 months it will 2 January 2022! Maybe the next 7 months will be full of rain and a cool Fall for 2021! I have changed my exercise program to the indoor exercise bike – just too humid and warm for this 76 year old! I do miss the walk, but not the hot and humid weather of which we have more earlier this year with the rain! Absolutely no complaints on the rain. We have had close to 11.5 inches in the last month, so we are very pleased with having some beautiful green grass again!
It has been a year today that Clay had his Aorta Valve replaced. It is a great day in the neighborhood here and much to be thankful for! Although, Clay and I wish our country was not in such a downward spiral!
I have not felt well in May (my fault for trying new foods and problems with Polyethylene Glycol and low Potassium). So I am back on track and beginning to feel better by not losing potassium sweating my posterior off each morning! My glucose is also much lower so still not going to have to take medication for Pre-Diabetics. June is looking good for us.
New and Old Goals for 31 May through 7 June 2021:
Be happy for all that we have and forget about the bad!
Sew the binding for Autumn Jubilee
Load and quilt another quilt (May be my Red, White and Blue Log Cabin)
Work on Dresden Plates (Applique)
Work on A Bountiful Life (Applique)
Stay on my special diet!
I did get Autumn Jubilee quilt quilted but mistakes were made in the cutting of the backing and I had to load the quilt different and will never do that again! You can see the mess on the lower left corner! Grrr! It still is a pretty quilt and no one will know the difference when keeping warm under it!
Autumn Jubilee – Mistakes and all!
I have finished a few more of the Dresden Plates, but not going fast enough so am leaning toward spending the next couple of days doing only had work. If I really work hard at it I could get this project done a lot quicker! I am going to start cutting out the circles for this group and the first group that are completed and sew them on. Then it won’t be so overwhelming doing 105 at one time.
I was planning on getting this post out yesterday as I only had an appointment in the morning in Seguin to drop off my hearing aids for cleaning. Clay hurt his knee on Friday and I was able to get him in with the knee doctor in the afternoon in San Antonio. Dr Heckman gave him a steroid shot in the knee and on the 16th of June Radiology will take care of the Baker’s Cyst.
It was a good day as we checked off 2 appointments and 2 errands that required our attention and a no cooking supper topped it off! Clay had sausage from Bill Miller with Potato Salad and I fixed tuna and had some of his Potato Salad! But at 9PM we were headed for the bed! I mentioned to Clay that we could have gone to the coast for the day with the mileage I drove! LOL
I am not going to add anything new to my weekly goal as I want to get something finished instead of staying overwhelmed with the things that I want to do and what I call “need” to finish! We shall see – our calendar is empty until the 14th of June. I will enjoy the free time.
Please keep Susan in your prayers while she goes through her changes now in her journey of life. Thank you!
Have a wonderful week and enjoy stitching and life!
I guess everyone will absolutely faint on this post! I finally quilted Autumn Jubilee! YES! Even with the crummy month I had, I succeeded in getting this puppy quilted yesterday and very pleased with the outcome inspire of me.
I have not quilted a lot of quilts in the last year or so and it shows! I am not one to load a practice quilt – no patience for that and boy have I paid for that laziness on this quilt! I should remember that when I am not feeling well, or if it has been awhile since the last quilt, the last thing to do is to prepare and load a quilt on the long arm without a practice piece!
Additionally, I always load my quilts with the top of the quilt pinned first – well this time I screwed up the cutting of the back fabric by cutting it 71 inches long instead of 80 inches. After realizing my lovely error, I decided to load the quilt lengthwise, and will never do that one again as you can see that the left corner is not right, but thankfully it is a utility quilt so it won’t matter. I am just happy that it is finished!
Autumn JubileeBack for Autumn JubileeCloser look at my quilting
I will now work on the binding and a label and it will become a nice warm blanket for this Fall!
Here are all 3 blocks together on the Design Board – waiting for Block 4!
I finished straightening up one of my fabric stash shelves! Yea for me!
Fabrics!
Next – I have Autumn Jubilee loaded and ready to quilt!
AND I just could not go on without showing you a picture of Jaydee’s Civil War Bride quilt that is already in the frame and she has started the process! She is so excited about quilting it. She does such beautiful work. She started with the bunny rabbit in the border – love that bunny!
Well, not sure what I will be doing this next week as there are a few things going on now. But I will get Autumn Jubilee quilted and maybe a few other things!
What can I say! Time just flies by when we are having fun and getting older! We have now been blessed with almost 10 inches of rain during the last 3 weeks! YIPEE! Green grass again – and we are hoping for more during the summer! I have been busy trying to stay as positive as I can about life in general and we shut the world out as long as we are on our 5 acre patch of land! Speaking of land – Texas is booming from all the people moving into our state From all over to get away from their control freaks. Clay and I are now sitting on a gold mine of sand based on the new tax appraisal we received advising us how much our land is valued at. It is amusing and absolutely ridiculous that sand would be so valuable! LOL.
I have my stupid health issues under control now and feeling much better – if only I did not get sick and tired of chicken, potatoes, eggs, and lightly salted potato chips! My problem is when I have had enough of that diet that I tend to want to eat an entire chocolate cake – which of course I cannot do and end of eating something with gluten in it and we know that is a killer for a Celiac. But all in all, I am 100% better! YEA!
Yesterday Clay and I cleaned out the portion of our 3 car garage that was a mess, and now it really looks so neat and in order and to see things that we did not need GONE. He had a big burn pile going and the company who picks up our garbage really earned their money today. I really enjoyed doing the de-cluttering at this time because it was something different to do because it broke the “Groundhog Day” effect. In fact, I do believe it will now be the catalyst that moves me back to my quilting.
Here were my goals from last week: (Looks like I did nothing, but I did a lot, it just took time)
Continue with preparing A Bountiful Life Blocks (7) √
Work on Stonefields (decision time) – Next time — maybe. ✘
Increase time spent in the evenings on ABL and Dresdens √
Select Fabrics for A Bountiful Life – Increasing hand work time. √
As I worked on preparing the 6 additional blocks for A Bountiful Life, I found 2 of the blocks that I did not like and decided to redraw them. Here is what I came up with.
Original Block
I did not like the birds and butterflies and the fruit looked awful (my opinion). My block is not as busy and I prefer my birds just hanging around! LOL
My Version – A bowl with 2 oranges on the bottom of nice red apples!
This block did nothing for me – I did not like the fruit in their beaks and the topknots and the thing on the upper left that is supposed to be a bird, or the moth!
Original Version
I chose to do the birds a different way and let the leaves be on the tree trunk.
Now I want to share with you a picture of Jaydee’s quilt top. She started this project in or around 2015. I think I started mine around that time or maybe 2016 – who knows. Her quilt is a stunner and I hope that mine will be as striking. She did her quilt in Reproduction fabrics and I am doing mine in darker shades with batiks (which are my favorites).
Hand Appliqued by Jaydee Price ready for Hand quilting!
This is the backing she will be using for her Civil War Bride quilt.
Interesting backing! Blends with the Civil War Era
Last night I was in the mood to do something DIFFERENT!!!! I started working on the little Minnie Mouse Cross Stitch! YEA again for me. I think I understand it much better! Have a spot lite hovering over your head and very strong peep overs to see what in the heck you are doing! LOL ! Here is Minnie Mouse picture!
Minnie Mouse Cross Stitch Pattern
AND here is what I have done so far (her face and lips)(Took awhile to get it right)
Doesn’t look like much, but I know understand how to Cross Stitch!
Today my original plan was to put a new zipper in a pair of pants for my neighbor (good luck on the outcome of that for her), do some grocery shopping at HEB, write this post, make the 3rd block for Melva’s SAL, load Autumn Jubilee, and of course walk my 1.5 miles. Yesterday I did over 11,000 steps! No wonder I was lazy in getting up this morning! I only accomplished the walk, HEB, this post, and had to spend about an hour and a half on getting Clay an appointment with his Cardiologist in July (required me to download some medical reports for the new doctor). So out went the zipper and the block and poor ole’ Autumn Jubilee, BUT alas, it has made it to the long arm, so I am getting there!
Since I am late in my goals, here is where I would love to be by next Tuesday!
Continue working on Cross Stitch, Dresdens, and A Bountiful Life blocks (2)
Decide on a Squirrel project (like I need another quilt to make) Check out the backlog:
If I can finish these goals by Tuesday I will be a happy person! I feel like I am producing nothing while everyone else has completed so much already this year, but life is different for everyone, so sometimes I cannot meet my desired goals with my quilting.
Now it is 4:10 and I have meat to vacuum pack for the freezer. Here are fingers crossed that tomorrow is a quiet day with no other things to do but catch up on my goals.
Have a wonderful week-end. We are going to plan a trip to Rockport Texas for sometime in July so I need to start looking for a place to stay where I can cook and we are not limited to just eating out (where I cannot partake).
Chopin - A Passionate Quilter From Texas 