continued progress in August

I have trying to sew in the evenings and have done a good job of working on something.  I went as far as I can on the deer Xmas wall hanging while waiting for more fabric. Yes it was a kit and did not have enough background fabric to cut all the pieces. I lacked a 2" strip.   This is why I don't buy very many kits  due to running into shortage of fabric before .then having a hard time finding more.
Neither the shop I bought the kit from had anymore fabric and other local shop did not either, so online I and couple friends went to find it.  Luckily I found it without too much trouble.  It arrived today, I also order 3 of the other three fabrics just in case need them and I like them. I want to make some place mats from the same panel and fabrics.  I will not get back to working on it until Maybe Sunday.
Also took all the paper off the table runner I finished. This is not my favorite part of paper piecing but I so love the perfect points.  Now it is read to be quilted.
The last two evenings I wanted to sew but did not want to think about anything so I have been making crumb blocks.  I have 43 blocks done just using up scraps.   I will put them into a quilt for charity.

also cut up some scraps into usable strip sizes (1.5, 2 and 2.5 inch) plus some more strings.

Last week retreat was great and I got quite a few things to the flimsy stage.  I will take some pictures and post in next message.  Great time, friends and  food.

keep on stitching
Sharon J

August progress so far

well it has been a busy beginning of August here.
 I got some sewing/quilting/embroidery done this last week and half.
on the 1st I went to daughters to watch the grandsons and came home on the 5th. we had a good time. I took my sewing machine to work on couple projects while they were busy with video games and YouTube videos.  Since had my sewing machne there were some repairs need by SIL  needed to resew a belt loop on his work pants  and he brought his pillowcase I made him that he has at work to repair a seam had come out. He is a Paramedic and works 24 hrs at a stretch so sleeps at ambulance barn. I put his Medic number on it instead of his name.  He has had many inquiries about where he got it..  No he is not taking orders wants to be special and he is.
Here is what I worked on while I was there.  I took a class in Nov. I think on crumb stars each block being a color.  I had 1 block made and some parts made.
I finished 8 blocks and I think I am done and it will become a table runner instead of a quilt.

 this is the crumb blocks made to make the stars

 here I am making the star points  and yes they are wonky  just put on and sew and trim great easy fun

Here is a completed block.

I finished the spool of thread that was on the machine and used another one too  yes there were small spools but that is a lot of thread.

On Saturday while there younger grandson and I went shopping. We went to Joann's since I wanted to get shape flex for an embroidery project I was starting and some Xmas fabric for it.  He found Harry Potter fabric to make a pillowcase  and some other goodies from clearance bins. 

We went home and made it.  He was very happy with it.

While we were shopping SIL and older grandson went fishing to catch supper and they DID!  very tasty  has it with sweet potato fries and fresh corn on the cob.

Last Tuesday some of us went to a friends house to work on an embroidery project  4 of us worked on cutting out and organizing all the pieces and 2 worked on other projects.  We got almost all of it done and labeled.  We will meet again to work on it. It is fun to work on projects together.
I could not wait to start it and had Friday to myself so I had fun making some of the blocks.

On Weds. while hubby was gone all day I decided it was a good day to shampoo two rooms of carpet that was over due to be cleaned.  They look so much better.
The sun room has new chairs now. brought them from my mother in laws house.


The yesterday my guild sponsored a Judy Neimeyer paper piecing class by 2 certified instructors. It was a fun day sewing and learning with friend.  Here is what I got done.  4 more to go.  It will be a table runner when it is finished.

Well not sure what I will work on today.   I need to get stuff organized for a retreat starting on the 19th.  Get the little project for everyone to make kitted up and get all my projects ready to go.   I have a sew day with a group on Monday so I will get to sew then  most of the rest of the week will be getting ready and one day of doctor appointments.

Happy stitching
Sharon J

cleaning and sewing continue

Well the cleaning continued yesterday, I can almost see the cutting/pool table downstairs.  What is left is mostly my hubby's bow equipment. He has been not feeling well so hope this weekend he will feel like putting it away. I have left him 2 shelves on the shelf units we bought to clean up my mess. Hopefully when I finish going thru all the stuff I just shoved on the shelves to get it off the floor there may be another shelf for him.  So nice to see the floor in the back room downstairs.
I have 2 piles downstairs that will go out Monday and Tuesday, 1 to my daughter and granddaughter of their stuff I found and the other pile to charity on Tuesday since they are not open on Monday.  This pile sis quite large.  Also have another pile of scrap batting  hopeful will call lady this goes to and she can meet me Thursday night and get it .
I also went thru a box and bag of fabric a quilting customer brought me. Sorted into what I want to keep and have a pile for sewing group to go though on Weds. I cut up a small box and bag of scraps and put them away in my scrap user system. here is the empty  box and bag

 here is the scraps ready to be put away  from 1 1/2 inch to 3 1/2 inch strips excluding 3 inch  and 2, 2 1/2, 5, and 6 inch squares.

after supper I watch a move and made  10 pineapple blocks 4 were already started.   not sure how many more I can make with the fabric I have we will see.
these were started in a class I took at spring Paducah.   Easy way to make pineapple blocks without paper piecing.

Well off to do some more cleaning and some laundry.
Happy Stitching
Sharon J

back from vacation

well we are back home from taking the grandsons for a week to St Louis to see the sites. It was a great week with no rain.  Most days were not too hot.  Met their Dad yesterday in Morton IL to return them to their parents.  House is quiet.
Now it is time to get the house back together and get sewing.
Last evening I just had to sew so I got the rest of the  blue blocks sewn together for Bonnie Hunter's Good fortune mystery,  I had about 10 blocks done  and now there are 25 blocks.   11 of the stars  go one way and the rest go the other way oh well that is what happens when you don't do them all at once or pay attention to what you are doing, but it will be just fine  new design element in the quilt.
Note: the green unit is what got sewn both ways.

Now it will be time to put up on design wall and sew together.

this will be a top before the next one starts 

well off to get cleaning would rather be sewing but it needs to be done first.

Happy stitching
Sharon J

This week so Far

Well I got one customer quilt quilted between Monday and Tuesday. It was a custom quilting job so I made the quilting pattern from the cross stitch blocks in the quilt and rest from a picture customer brought me.  Now it needs to have the paper taken off and threads trimmed then it is getting a prairie point edge on it instead of a binding.   The second one goes in the machine today to do similar quilting on it and edge.  I will post a picture of they have been delivered.

Both evenings I have been working on making 6 inch finished log cabin blocks from 1 1/4 inch strips for a project that I took from Kaye England in Paducah this year.  I have gotten the 24 blocks done that were in neutral and pinks. I have 8 blocks to make of all neutrals.   Getting all the parts done so that I can put it together.
here is the pile of strips that I \ used.  I had to cut a few more strips to get the variety I wanted.

here is the blocks that I made. 

well I am off to mark and put the other quilt in the machine for quilting today..

Happy stitching
Sharon J

Storm at sea table runner

well at my daughter's since Thursday. She had surgery so staying with her so son-in-law could work and go camping today and tomorrow with my husband and grandsons..
I brought sewing projects to work on while she was resting.  I got the storm at sea table runner done. It is paper pieced  for  class in July.  Took awhile to take all the paper out this morning. 

 now onto the next project.  I have many parts and pieces to make a storm  at sea quilt

Or I can work on a diamond painting project  or stitch on my needlepoint bell pull projec . That is me oldest UFO of about 30 years. Just wish it was done but do not like to work on it. But it is getting close to being done. My mom bought it for  me  so feel like I need to finish it. 

Well off to work on something

Happy stitching 

Sharon j

Kevin the quilter classes

On Thursday a friend Mary Ann and I traveled to the Naperville, Il area to attend a lecture and 2 quilt classes by Kevin Huffman (Kevin the quilter). His quilts were amazing at the trunk show  did not think to take any pictures. His class on Friday was sponsored by the Pride of the Prairie quilt guild in Naperville  it was crumb stars. We took small pieces of fabric called crumbs and made fabric for our start blocks.
  here is picture of the fabric being made

 here is picture of our blocks made with instructor Kevin

 here is the class picture   so much fun.

The guild provided lunch for the first day class in price of class.  Thanks lunch was great.

Then we went to Cheryl Parker's house  for the evening and dinner. Kevin was staying with her so we got to spend some downtime with him.  Great meal lasagna, Italian green beans, and salad.   Cheryl's son made brownies for dessert  can not beat brownies. 

Then on Sat the class was hosted by Wego Quilting quilt guild in Oswego, Il.

Kevin taught his string star class. 

He started the class with a picture of the Huffman Hotties in the class. Cheryl brought tiaras for those that did not bring their own.   Someone started this group but not sure when and why  so google it and find out for your self.

This is Kevin's string star quilt.

Kevin is a hands on show me kind of instructor.  He showed each step then we went and did and then he proceeded to show us the next step and emphasized to us that this is how he works  so if doesn't work for us  do it our way.    But always great to try the teachers way to see if works better for you. 

There were many different color ways the everyone was doing.  Most of us used a single piece of fabric for the background but Kevin's was pieced in similar fabrics.  Then we used steam a seam on the back of our star to attach it to our background (not on the whole star just some strips in the middle and on star pont.   Then Kevin just layered it and quilted it with straight lines close together on the whole quilt. This made the star raw edge applique with out the applique..  

  One of the only classes that we got the project ready to quilt. Can you believe it we didn't. 

  So here is the pictures of the class projects.

Here is a close up picture of mine. With Mary Ann, Kevin, me, and Cheryl.

This class had a potluck lunch.  Wow what great food and variety.  Thanks so much    And donuts for breakfast snack plus other things...

Kevin thanks for such a wonderful time and Cheryl thanks for inviting us to join your guilds for these classes.   The most important thing I learned from these classes is sort your scraps into color families.   This is going to make so much difference. Yes is will take some time to get my scraps this way  but it will be worth it.  I guess could be TV watching time project.