This blooming 9-patch was actually started at least 2 years ago while I still lived in Miami. I wanted to work towards "finishing" something on the Thanksgiving holiday while I waited for Bonnie's mystery to start this weekend so the B9P was the ticket. I just have a few more middle rows to complete and the side rows are already sewn together. I'm not sure that I have anough of the final orange/black to do the binding and a border so it might just be bound as is. Mom thinks it needs a dark green border but that sooo blows the blooming part that I am not sure that I will...we'll worry about that when the center is done, right?
Monday, November 30, 2009
Design Wall Monday - 11/30/09
This blooming 9-patch was actually started at least 2 years ago while I still lived in Miami. I wanted to work towards "finishing" something on the Thanksgiving holiday while I waited for Bonnie's mystery to start this weekend so the B9P was the ticket. I just have a few more middle rows to complete and the side rows are already sewn together. I'm not sure that I have anough of the final orange/black to do the binding and a border so it might just be bound as is. Mom thinks it needs a dark green border but that sooo blows the blooming part that I am not sure that I will...we'll worry about that when the center is done, right?
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Pillowcases
I'm pretty sure my cousins don't read this blog so it's probably a safe bet to post their Christmas presents. The girls are obviously into horses so I'm sure they will enjoy these pillow cases. They are pressed and ready to be wrapped.
In the background - I finally found the directions online for Carolina Crossroads, Bonnie's first mystery quilt. It will be quite some time before I'm crazy enough to start it and I think the directions were taken off her website because they will be in her next book but it's nice to have them "just in case."
In the background - I finally found the directions online for Carolina Crossroads, Bonnie's first mystery quilt. It will be quite some time before I'm crazy enough to start it and I think the directions were taken off her website because they will be in her next book but it's nice to have them "just in case."
Monday, November 16, 2009
Turkeys
So...what do a bunch of rednecks do on a Saturday night 2 weeks before Thanksgiving? Well, of course, they go to a turkey raffle. What? You've never been to a Turkey Raffle? Oh the fun, the disappointment and, for some, the food and libations.
This particular Turkey Raffle is sponsored each year by SSFD. There is no entrance fee and you can come and go during the 3+ hour raffle. Food, pop and beer are available at reasonable prices but I also saw a table decked with a feast. I told you this was an EVENT, right?
I think about 60 tickets are sold (at a whopping 25 cents each) per bird to be raffled and the wheel is spun to find the winning number. There were also a few 50 cent raffles on bigger birds and hams as well as 50/50 raffles and another special raffle on a "box of booze." Yup we can live it up in the sticks :)
Dad and I each came home with a 10 lb turkey. Between food and raffles, my bird cost $11. Yeh, I know it's more than the current supermarket price but it benefitted the fire department that works closest with mine and it was fun. The sad part was our little lucky charm was home sick. He loves this raffle so you know he didn't feel good when he said he "better not go." Now if I just don't get sick all will be well. They all have different illnesses but my mother, brother and both nephews are all sick. Where's my hand cleanser???
This particular Turkey Raffle is sponsored each year by SSFD. There is no entrance fee and you can come and go during the 3+ hour raffle. Food, pop and beer are available at reasonable prices but I also saw a table decked with a feast. I told you this was an EVENT, right?
I think about 60 tickets are sold (at a whopping 25 cents each) per bird to be raffled and the wheel is spun to find the winning number. There were also a few 50 cent raffles on bigger birds and hams as well as 50/50 raffles and another special raffle on a "box of booze." Yup we can live it up in the sticks :)
Dad and I each came home with a 10 lb turkey. Between food and raffles, my bird cost $11. Yeh, I know it's more than the current supermarket price but it benefitted the fire department that works closest with mine and it was fun. The sad part was our little lucky charm was home sick. He loves this raffle so you know he didn't feel good when he said he "better not go." Now if I just don't get sick all will be well. They all have different illnesses but my mother, brother and both nephews are all sick. Where's my hand cleanser???
Friday, November 13, 2009
Crazy
Yup, that's me and it has nothing to do with today being Friday the 13th. I'm actually in the process of "starting" THREE new quilts.
The first is going to take me a lifetime and I actually started cutting the fabrics some time ago. The Pattern is Omigosh! by Quakertown Quilts, Inc and after seeing one of the quilts in person at the LQS, the name fits. Most of the blocks are one inch strips made into 9 and 4 patches plus half-square triangles of slightly larger stips. Told you I was crazy, right!? My plan of attack is that whenever I trim scraps into strips, I have a box labled OMG and all the 1" stips go there. I've just started sewing 2 and 3 strips together and then subcutting them into 1 inch pieces. Someday when I have a better mix, I'll sew the subcuts into 9 and 4 patches.
The other quilt I started needs to be done in 429 days. I've decided to copy Tazzie and make a Turning 4-T quilt. It uses the Temperance T block - these were generally done in blue and white but with green one of my fav colors, my blocks will be green with a mix of neutral backgrounds. Not sure how many of these 9" blocks I will make because 10 blocks of 4Ts will be small but 40 blocks would be huge. This picture proves that this isn't my best work - the block isn't square. Uh, I'll have to find something to blame that on but in the meantime I promise the other blocks will come out better once I start assembly line stitching them with the various feet and gadgets that I think will help with this block. The geese are much easier thanks to a quickie method that makes 4 geese at once.
The first is going to take me a lifetime and I actually started cutting the fabrics some time ago. The Pattern is Omigosh! by Quakertown Quilts, Inc and after seeing one of the quilts in person at the LQS, the name fits. Most of the blocks are one inch strips made into 9 and 4 patches plus half-square triangles of slightly larger stips. Told you I was crazy, right!? My plan of attack is that whenever I trim scraps into strips, I have a box labled OMG and all the 1" stips go there. I've just started sewing 2 and 3 strips together and then subcutting them into 1 inch pieces. Someday when I have a better mix, I'll sew the subcuts into 9 and 4 patches.The other quilt I started needs to be done in 429 days. I've decided to copy Tazzie and make a Turning 4-T quilt. It uses the Temperance T block - these were generally done in blue and white but with green one of my fav colors, my blocks will be green with a mix of neutral backgrounds. Not sure how many of these 9" blocks I will make because 10 blocks of 4Ts will be small but 40 blocks would be huge. This picture proves that this isn't my best work - the block isn't square. Uh, I'll have to find something to blame that on but in the meantime I promise the other blocks will come out better once I start assembly line stitching them with the various feet and gadgets that I think will help with this block. The geese are much easier thanks to a quickie method that makes 4 geese at once. The third quilt about to be started is Carolina Christmas by Bonnie as noted below. I'm still leaning towards patriotic colors since I already have lots of blue and cream 2.5" strips cut.
I have so many UFO's already but sometimes you just have to be crazy enough to "just do it"!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Carolina Christmas
Do you hear the angels singing? I'm in heaven...
Bonnie of quiltville.com has announced that the next mystery quilt will be starting on Black Friday (commonly known as the day after Thanksgiving). Given the title, you can guess that Bonnie is using Christmas colors but I am thinking of using red, white/cream, blue and gold. Then again, who knows - I'll have to think about it.
Only 16 more days until we start...
Bonnie of quiltville.com has announced that the next mystery quilt will be starting on Black Friday (commonly known as the day after Thanksgiving). Given the title, you can guess that Bonnie is using Christmas colors but I am thinking of using red, white/cream, blue and gold. Then again, who knows - I'll have to think about it.
Only 16 more days until we start...
Monday, November 09, 2009
Indian Summer...
...has finally arrived in Western NY. You're right, it has snowed twice already and the roads had to be sanded last week but Saturday and Sunday it was in the 60s and today's high is 69. Made good use of the weather yesterday - raked leaves (again), trimmed the shrubs, bedded the garden for the winter, pulled the brussel sprouts that didn't really do anything and trimmed the day lillies (again). Dad helped me with that so I helped him with his leaves. After 7 hours of labor (in a shortsleeve tshirt !!! ) I was done and went to bed at 9pm.
Next project...1 month until the Wyoming County Clerk's Association has their first ever Christmas party at my house. I'm sure it will be fun but "we" need to construct/upolster an ottoman, finish remodel of foyer, create Xmas decorations and the dreaded "cleaning." How does one wash the new laminate floor? Can't use a mop and bucket...
The Christmas Bazaar was Saturday. I did ok, thanks to a large purchase by a friend. Now I just need some place to sell my left overs. The two other Bazaars I had thought of have been replaced with other fundraisers. There is always the internet, Mary never got anything to the Cider Mill - maybe I could sell something there, Wendy has a family relative that could sell things...
Next project...1 month until the Wyoming County Clerk's Association has their first ever Christmas party at my house. I'm sure it will be fun but "we" need to construct/upolster an ottoman, finish remodel of foyer, create Xmas decorations and the dreaded "cleaning." How does one wash the new laminate floor? Can't use a mop and bucket...