Crazy As Ever

Well, on my last real post I was working on this quilt.  It has been finished for a long time.  This twin size double hour glass quilt made with moda Hunky Dory was a love gift for a VIP.  I used a jelly roll and some kona solids for the top.  I also ended up finding a good deal on one of my favorite prints in the line, so about three quarters of the backing is that.  The other backing piece is a print of a girl's name....so I can't show the back.  The simple straight line quilting makes for a drape-y, cuddle-y quilt!

I chose one of the brighter Hunky Dory prints for the binding.  

As for the social media silence...well, lets say when I think about all that has taken place in my life the last year...I feel like that quilt roll!!  It has been good to take a break and focus on simplifying life around me.

The flip side is that when I try to remember what I have sewn, I can't remember much.  In truth, I have sewn much less.  My family needed me.  For now, I am going to try to post more often.  Instagram is easier, so if you are curious about the craziness that goes on here...you'll be more likely to find me there.

I have thrown caution to the wind and tried my hand at a quilt for a teen age boy.  Yikes.  Florals and bright cheerful colors are my thing.  There is no purple to be seen.

All that fuzz is batting from quilt wrestling...honest!

This is to be quilted with drape-y, cuddle-y straight line quilting as well.  I have only about a quarter of the gray boxes done, and little sewing time in sight.  Most of that is my own fault...I have been sneaking in projects on the side.  I am trying to open up an Etsy shop for  some smallish quilts that I have made and some crafty items I want to de-stash.  Later I hope to add some hand crochet goodies.

I'll get that going just as soon as I wrap my noggin around how to predict postage!  (Thanks for the tips Amy!)  If you have an Etsy store and the time, I would love any practical advice you could share!!

Blessings,

KT

Works in Progress or How to Have too Much Going On!

What do you do when your husband books reservations for vacation?  Well, if you are me you make a purse!  I am using Quilt Smart's Midi bag pattern.  The fabric is Lucy's Crab Shack leftover from making my summer bag last year.  This one is just a smaller version of the Quilt Smart Mondo that I made last year.  Both bags go together zippy quick, and are fun.  I am not receiving anything from Quilt Smart, I just really like their stuff so far!

I have three more Midi bag interfacings, and fabric selected to make bags.  They will make great gifts!!

Love the print I chose for the liner!  I still have lots of leftovers.  Good, because I need some pouches!

My Hunky Dory progress to date; three rows together!!  The corners where the blocks come together are rather bulky, but coming together well for the most part. 

This is the point in quilt making that I start to feel claustrophobic in my sewing space.  Had to move all those rows just to get to my computer!  Yeah, and that dark shape hovering in the upper right side of the picture...dress pants to be hemmed for Treasure.  Yuk!!  Totally avoiding those, though I should probably just do them and get them out of my face.

These fabrics are the beginning of a pile for a teen boy quilt.  Not my kinda fabrics, but a labor of love.  

From top to bottom they are:

Kona Flame (Careful, it could put your eyes out!)

Sew Sporty by Dan Morris for RJR Fabrics

Karen Foster Design Inc. for Robert Kaufman Sports Life Screen Print D #11543

Karen Foster Design Inc. for Robert Kaufman Sports Life Screen Print D #11539

Connecting Threads Silver solid

Still to come:

Kona Black

Connecting Threads Gray solid

Linking up with WIP Wednesday, so you can enjoy a bunch of fun projects!

Blessings,

KT

Frazzled Friday

Finished this useful quilt yesterday. After recently painting my kitchen a cheerful yellow, I wanted new dish quilts. The old purple ones were just not working for me any longer. They no longer matched, were too small, and the binding was beginning to fray. Since I have killed two dishwashers in six years, I decided to try life without one. Now that I do more dishes, a bigger mat was in order.

I used a Moda Strawberry Fields jelly roll. Love it!

This quilted up quickly with a feather stitch on my machine.

I bought a new bath towel to use for the back-and batting. Before I used one that was too thick, and it never really dried out between uses. Hopefully I have remedied that with a lighter weight towel.

I did away with binding altogether, and just used my serving stitch for "binding".

My machine has this great stitch that I call the triple stitch. Each stitch is really three in one. Used it to reinforce the edge.

Before I had three, but two were always in use since they were too small. I figured two was enough if they were a bit bigger. Hope I am right!

Oh, and there is the basket liner I made earlier to match.

Here is a dose of reality. Yup, that is real life here. Well, at least dinner is ready!

Linking up at Sew & Tell. It has been way too long since I played along! Hope you will used the cute button to jet over to enjoy all the other finishes.

Blessings,

KT

Practical Sewing

I haven't been blogging much. I have been sewing instead! Actually, I am awaiting a battery for my camera. (That explains the iPad pictures.)

Anyhow, my sewing space was once our tiny dining room. Hence the decor. Soon however, we will be installing new flooring and I will try to ditch the wall paper.

It is starting to really get to me how cluttered it is becoming. While I work on a project, the fabric on the shelf calls to me to play with it instead. Though I enjoy seeing all the pretties, they are wrecking my focus. So, here is my solution.

I made a pretty yellow curtain with a calico print I bought over ten years ago. Stash busted. Anyhow, this room is going to go in a different direction. Just don't expect it to happen fast, nothing here ever does!

On another practical note, we are running low on cloth napkins. Some have become mildewed when wet washcloths were thrown in the laundry. (Not Me from Family Circus lives in my house!). Really, they had lived a long life, and I can't complain.  So I dove into stash and found some fabric that I love, but it was languishing with no future purpose. Last night I put it out of its misery.

;0)

The old stitch and flip with some decorative stitching, and I have four more napkins to add to the basket.

Love the mismatched reverse side. I really don't put out matching napkins anyway. They all just go into the napkin basket for a life of utility. It is fun though, because some of us have our favorites.

I have my Mondo Bag finished, and couldn't wait to use it, so I have been hauling it everywhere! Really hoping that my camera battery comes soon!

Linking up to WIP Wednesday, so you can use the button on the side bar to see some more lovelies.

Blessings,

KT

Work In Progress---Christmas edition

Making progress on Mother-in-Love's quilt.  Top is finished, back is pieced and ready.  This will be the first time to use flannel.  I wanted it to be warm.  Did you know that even if you sweep before working with navy flannel, it really doesn't matter.  Every piece of lint within a mile comes for a nice long visit.

This will also be my first time working with wool batting.  I will let you know how that goes.  Just wanted it to be warm, super warm!!

This is what polyester batting looks like after 10+ years.  Our picnic quilt was made some time ago, before I would have thought to call myself a quilter.  This was the last time I ever used poly batting.  Thought it would be good to share the lesson!!  ;0) 

After years of heavy use, it is just done.  I was trying to glean some of the denim for the next picnic quilt.  I don't know what I was thinking.  These were worn out jeans that got ten more years of heavy use out of them.  Not much worth using again!!

The little pile of denim scraps are all that was worth keeping of the original quilt.  The drooly pile are scraps that I am going to cut up and use.  Peeking out is the little container started blocks.

This is the little stack of blocks that are already done.  I had a pair of jeans bite the dust a couple of weeks ago.  These fabrics are left-over charm squares from other projects.

So WIP update:

1.  Treasure's Quilt---FINISHED!!

2.  Mother-in-Love's Quilt---Much progress.

3.  Peacock quilt---Haven't touched it.

4.  Picnic Quilt---Started, and collecting more denim.

Be sure to visit all the other WIPs by using the nifty button on my side bar.

Christmas Blessings,

KT

Bird Litter

Didn't notice the brand of this stuff until I got it home.  :0)

I have no bird, so why would I need litter?

It is all because of this pincushion I made several years ago.  It has had it in for me from the beginning.  I have wanted to love it,  but love shouldn't hurt.  Everytime I reached for it, it drew blood.  The pins reach all the way through.  After pinning and cutting out 55 pieces from my Amy Butler Field Bag pattern, I had enough!!

Let me introduce you to my bigger, badder, better pincushion.  There will be no more poking of fingers in this house!  I used an orphan bitty block that was too small, and some scraps, and well, bird litter.  Now don't freak out on me.  It is just crushed walnut shells!

A little Paganelli on the underside, because, well, I know it's there.

What do you think?  I love it.

My next post will be an update on that bag.

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday, use the button on the sidebar to check out the other contributions!

Blessings,

KT

(sounds like:  KAYTEE)

;0)

Just keeping busy.

I have been cutting.  This fabric is going to be a quilt for my Mother-in-Law for Christmas.

Look closely at my sewing desk.  Something is missing.  Joy.  Apparently I wore her out and she will be moving on to week three of her vacation as of tomorrow.  I miss the feel of fabric in my hands.  So I have been finding ways to accoplish SOMETHING in my little sewing area.

So, I also organized the unfinished projects.  Most of these will go on to other homes, so finishing them will get rid of some visual noise.

Secret Table quilt.  Just needs the binding.

Quilt for my end table to protect it from glass rings.  My family, apparently, is morally opposed to coasters.

This is what I was practicing FMQ on when Joy started skipping up to four stitches at a time.

Grocery/Tote bags using my own way of putting them together.  (Been toying with the idea of my own pattern.)  Joy continued to be able to piece, only coughing on batting, so these are half done.

Then Joy's pedal died.  So this wall quilt still needs hanging loops and binding.

This is what I was practicing FMQ to warm up to.  Dee drew the greatest design for me, so my skills need to live up to the importance of the piece.  (The embroidery was my grandma,s.)

Need to make two purses.  One for my Sister-In-Law (for Mother's Day...sigh) and one for a friend's birthday (March 15th...double sigh).

Oh, and since there have been several days in the eighties already, I should be getting these made into summer jammies.

 

Oh, and this is still in pins.  If I could just get these things done, my sewing area would be much neater.  Assuming, of course, that I don't think up more projects....oooopps!!!!  Too late!!!  ;0)

Blessings,

KT

Purple Peep Eater

Many of you know that I love purple.  What you probably don't know is that I love Peeps.  My favorite, of course, are the purple ones.  Since I prefer them stale (I know weird) you could say that I am passionate about my purple Peeps.

What I am not is a purple Peep creep.  I don't think that purple Peeps are the only REAL candy.  (Chocolate anyone?)  I don't think that everyone should HAVE to like them.  I realize that purple only adds to my experience, but not to the sweetness of the Peep.  I will eat the blue Bunnies in a pinch!  ;0)

I can, and do, love those who hate the Peep.  If you can't stand purple I can still love you.  (Some of my favorite people love red, I just don't get it, but I love them!)

 

If everyone were like me, the world would be flat and let's face it, very scary indeed.  There would be nothing unique, nothing to spark my interest, nothing to make me grow.

No Joy!

Insert shudders.

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  There is no law against these things!"

Galatians 5:22, 23

This year I have been focusing on "Joy", mostly because mine was a bit tarnished.  I cannot fail to produce the other fruit though.  If I do, I will never have joy.

What that means in my virtual world is this.  I like whatever it is you do.   Feel free to borrow what you like, but I don't ever expect you to be me.  I would rather delete this blog than to discourage you (or make you that crazy!).  I want you to have joy and a purple Peep, but only if you want them.

Blessings,

KT

Sew, any ideas?

First off, I am having technical difficulties with my sewing machine.  {pout}

For some reason, she doesn't like quilting.  Skipping 3-5 stitches if there is batting involved in the process.

-Needle, changed to new ones from several different packs.

- Vacuumed out bobbin area, several times.

- Changed thread.  Sigh.

-Slowly changed tension, from loopy to breaking thread, still skipping stitches.

If you have any ideas, I would love to hear them!

Left the dirt on the floor to match the wrinkles on the quilt top!

This is my WIP today.  Apparently Joy doesn't mind applique.  No skipped stitches, with only the top two left to stitch down.  Huh.

This is my Robert Kaufman Challenge.  Hopefully I will get my machine issues figured out in time to quilt it by the April 30th deadline.

I have also been interviewing fabric for my potholder pass swap...a bag.  No quilting here, so I should be able to whip it up quickly once I know what my partner likes.

The trouble is, she seems to like almost everything.

But I really want her to LOVE it.  Ya know?!

So, I am going to put up a little mosaic and see if she responds.

Of course, it might be fun if you all weigh in too!

My other WIPs:

Boy's quilt-basted and waiting for a cooperative machine :0)

Grandma's Peacock Wall Hanging-ditto!

Side table quilt-double ditto!!

Friend's Birthday Purse (late)-ya, the quilting thing

Sister-in-law's Mother's Day Purse-......sigh...

I am linking up with WIP Wednesday.  Be sure to use the nifty button on the side bar to visit all the other ladies to drool over what they are working on!!

Blessings,

KT