Harder Than It Looks

Thanks so much for dropping by my quilt show. It was fun to do. Who knows if I'll ever finish three quilts in one weekend ever again! I've been feeling so yucky the past couple of days. By late yesterday afternoon, I was sick as a dog. Came so fast! I hate to be sick. I worked out every morning this week...told myself no more skipping...but that was it for me...worked out and went to bed. Arrrg. I thought a bit of sewing might make me feel better today.

I've made a commitment to make a star for a mom whose kids are doing a holocaust project. She's been asking folks all over blogland to contribute. I couldn't say no...it's kids...it's about learning! I thought it might be a good opportunity to try paper piecing. I found this free pattern from Carol Doack. It said it was for beginners. Then I read all I could about how to do it. This is from my third try. And it's only a fourth of the star. This single star might take as long as a whole quilt. How long does it take to do a whole quilt of these? I've heard from lots of folks that paper piecing is easy. Not so far. Maybe it's because I feel so lousy.

I missed on some of these pieces so there isn't a total 1/4 inch seam allowance around the block. My question is (if I get the other 3 made), do you leave the paper on when you sew the sections together? Take it off? I think I'm done for today. Maybe a nap!

It's Showtime!

Welcome to my online quilt show. Feel free to come in your jammies, without make-up, or put your feet up at work (on a lunch break, of course) and enjoy the show.

The first quilt is a bit of my quilting history. This is my first. It is a Trip Around the World pattern made sometime in the 90's. I don't know when because it doesn't have a label. I know better now. It's also terribly faded. It could have to do with the quality of the fabric or where it hung on the wall for so long. Even though those are no longer colors I love or decorate with, it's still my first so it deserves the first slot in the show. It is machine pieced and hand quilted with very large stitches, not purposely, just very beginner hand quilting stitches. This one gives you all an idea of how far I've come!





































The next quilt is my Disappearing Nine Patch. This one was started as an experiment to learn how to make this block during Sew Mama Sew's February quilting month. It is made from a bunch of 99 cent fat quarters and I machine quilted it on my mom's Bernina. It was my second time machine quilting. I chose to echo the figure-eight-like shapes in each of the blocks and I did a widely spaced grid across the entire quilt. Though I'm not a purple, lilac person I do love its quilty goodness. I have no idea what I'm going to do with this one. I'm sure it will be given to someone.













































































This is my Zig Zag quilt which was made using the tutorial on Purl Bee. As some of you remember this is the baby that I sewed 32 half square triangles incorrectly and had to rip them apart and start over. For a rocky start I love this quilt. It is my style and my colors. It is a bunch of different fabric lines, Olivia dots, Urban Chicks Swell, Amy Butler and Denyse Schmidt too. It was also machine quilted on my mom's Bernina. This one will have a permanent home on the bench at the foot of my bed. I'm planning to make either some shams or additional pillow for my bed that will complement this quilt.
























































OK, I admit it...I'm becoming Tea Cup obsessed. Here is my FIFTH Tea Cup Quilt. I'm calling it "Thanks to You" I drafted the pattern for this little quilt for my Pay It Forward friends and it makes such a nice little gift I decided to make another one for an online friend who has done so much to help me grow as a quilter as I'm sure she has helped many of you through her quilt-a-long. AmandaJean are you there? SURPRISE! This one's for you! It will be in the mail on its way tomorrow. Hope you don't mind the public thank you, but I'm not sure if any of these quilts I'm showing today would have been made if it weren't for your quilt-a-long. I learned so much and gained bunches of confidence. So thanks! You do like pink, right? This one has a bit of Denyse Schmidt, some Swell as well as some Joel Dewberry fabrics. The background isn't white, they are little pink polka dots just for fun. By the way I really wanted to have my red and white quilt-a-long quilt done, but no such luck. Still quilting!









































Here we are at the final quilt in the show. This one wasn't made by me, it was made by Lisa of Upstatelisa. She used my wonky log cabin tutorial to make this adorable doll quilt. I wanted to showcase it because it's such a great use of color and fabric and she used the tutorial but made it her own. Isn't it just beautiful?

Whew, how fun was that! I'm so happy I was able to move a few of my WIP's into the finished column. Feels so good even though I'm so sick of binding I could scream!

Thanks for coming and sharing this with me!

Can't Wait to Show You

I'm so thrilled about the STUMPY Whirlygiggles quilt, I couldn't wait to show it. After the mistake cutting the template, this is the final top. I used Peg's tutorial to add a little yellow peeper. Mine is a bit bigger than what she recommends. I thought a bit more width might make it easier for me. I like how much yellow peeps! This one is to be donated to KU Med Center Pediatric Unit. I have a fun flannel back. I hope this will be finished by the end of the weekend. No exclamations of joy until it is totally finished.

Also, some old business to take care of. I’ve been tagged three times (Kris at Quilted Simple, Dawn at Sew Ritsy Titsy, and Magik Quilter) and it is time to respond. Actually, it’s way past time, but it seems to take me a long time to do these kinds of things. I’m going to try and combine all of the tags into one scintillating post. I know you’re sitting on the edge of your seat leaning in to your computer screen. Here we go!

4 Jobs I’ve Had
1. Delivery “guy” on a beer truck during the hottest summer in Kansas City history (one of my summer jobs during my first years of teaching)
2. Teacher
3. Principal
4. MOM (best one by far!)

4 Shows I Watch
1. Project Runway – I love to watch folks create. These designers amaze me!
2. CBS Sunday Morning – My hubby and I enjoy this together every Sunday morning with a few cups of coffee. Love a show that highlights art, music and culture. It’s my only never miss!
3. Late Night With David Letterman – Better than Leno…
4. The Late Late Show – Mostly because I’m awake and Craig Ferguson makes me laugh!

4 Places I’ve Been
1. Maine – Hubby and I spent our 20th anniversary hiking in Acadia National Park and exploring the coast. Fabulous!
2. NYC – Whenever we can Steve and I try to get to New York. Last summer we took my mom. She hadn’t been back since she went to nursing school there when she was very young. I love NEW YORK CITY!
3. El Paso, Texas – My brother-in-law was stationed there. We went to welcome him home from his tour in Iraq.
4. Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Home to the Dean Dome, mecca of college basketball. Go Tarheels!

4 Foods I Like (love, would rather not live without!)
1. Dannon Coffee Yogurt – It’s getting hard to find. Love it because it’s coffee and it’s not too sweet like all other commercially produced yogurt.
2. Vereniky – This is a family favorite. Some folks call them perogi. We make them filled with dry curd cottage cheese. Served with fried farmer sausage and covered with cream gravy. They are the absolutely BEST food in the world.
3. Blueberries – I love them best right off the bush, but I’ll eat them in just about any form. Love them on my cereal in the morning.
4. Rhubarb – I love rhubarb right out of the garden dipped in a bit of sugar, but it makes a FINE pie too! Can’t grow it here…grows great in North Dakota where I grew up.
5. I have to put a fifth one…it’s food folks! I adore homemade bread. Love to make it, knead it, smell it and eat it when it’s fresh out of the oven…or any time for that matter. I’m not picky, if it has a little yeast and whatever kind of flour I’m all for it!

5 Things I Have In my Purse – I’m not sure. I hate to carry a purse. I’ve carried a brief case for so many years and carrying a purse in addition was always a hassle. So, let’s go have a look.
1. My cell phone should be in there, but it never seems to be. Nope, not there!
2. A tape measure – I learned this from my mom. You never know when you might need a measurement. Great for thrift store shopping!
3. A bag full of paint chips, formica and carpet samples. I love to have these with me in case I find some fab bargain. They are great to see if things will work in your house.
4. My wallet – I have a teeny tiny pink wallet. I learned this from traveling for so long. Carry only what you need.
5. Glasses (3 pairs) My eyes are great except for reading. I have so many pairs of reading glasses scattered everywhere. I try to keep them spread out, but they keep congregating in one place. They are never where I need them!

5 Things in This Room That Love (I’m in the living room in the country) Blogger won't let me upload the pictures of these. Just use your imagination!
1. My milk glass collection.
I’ve been collecting milk glass for many years. I have most of my collection displayed on shelves in the living room My favorite are two Christmas sets with large bowls and cups. We use them for egg nog every year.

2. Fudge - It doesn’t matter what time of day or what room, as long as I am in it, Fudge is there too. As she’s gotten older she’s much clingier. She’s my baby, and I don’t mind.
3. Star Quilt – My mom gave this to me. It’s my favorite quilt, first because it’s from my mom, second it has the most beautiful hand quilting, and lastly I love the fabrics. This quilt sings to me.


















4. Little Blue Horse - I collected horses as a kid. This is my very favorite one. I have always loved horses and have always wanted one.

















5. My ipod - I love that I can have my music with me 24/7 where ever I am.

And for the 7 things…
I have these 7 principles posted in my office. They are how I try to live my life and conduct myself in my profession. They are simple, yet challenging when applied to my day-to-day life. They serve me well.
1. Find, listen to and articulate my own voice.
2. Let go of my expertise.
3. Honor the expertise of others.
4. Believe in possibilities.
5. Keep my promises.
6. Do my best always.
7. Check my perceptions.

Be ready...this weekend I'm going to have my own little online quilt show. I hope to have 4, yes, count them 4 quilt finishes this weekend. Stay tuned!!!!

Quilt Giveaway!

Camille is giving away an absolutely beautiful quilt on her blog Simplify. Here's the link to the giveaway. If you head over, tell her Jacquie sent you. Good luck everyone!!!! Now, hurry on over there!

I had my own little giveaway here this month through the Pay It Forward Challenge. Everyone has received their gifts so I can finally show them to blogland. Kris, Deb, and Jenn were kind enough to sign up on my blog and take a chance on me! Thanks again ladies. It was my pleasure. Everyone received a pincushion (it's important to be practical) and they also received a Teacup mini quilt. I didn't make just one...I actually made FOUR. One for each of us. Each one is just a bit different, just like we are. It's kind of like having a virtual tea party. I'm glad they all arrived safely in their new homes!

Oops, I Did It Again!

For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while, you may remember when I sewed 32 half square triangles incorrectly for my Zig Zag quilt. I really didn’t think I could mess up that much again. Stay tuned….I did a doozy this time!

I brought a couple of charm packs with me to the country. I’ve had them for a long time. I never know what to do with charm packs once I get them. During Sew Mama Sew’s quilting month I saw this Whirlygiggles quilt. It’s a cute, quirky variation of a pinwheel. It is very much my style, and there was a tutorial by GreetingArts. I thought it might be a way to use up these charm squares. I read the tutorial, made the template and set to work. She did a good job in the tutorial…I just didn’t follow directions very well.

The template was easy to make. I even marked the top so I wouldn’t inadvertently flip it over. (She warned about this in the tutorial.) I traced and traced and traced and cut and cut and cut and pretty soon I had 160 pieces. I looked at my neat stacks and smiled, pretty darn pleased with myself. I laid out the pieces and made little stacks to sew and started merrily chain piecing. I ran out of bobbin thread and decided to stop and press and complete a few blocks. I wanted to see those whirlygiggles. I started by putting sets together and something definitely wasn’t right. These were not fitting together. I went back and read the tutorial again. It didn’t take me long to figure it out. I had forgotten to add the ¼ inch seam allowance to my template. What to do? I had already cut about 200 pieces incorrectly.

I’m not sure I had many options, so I pressed on. I sewed the first set together and then matched up the centers (even though the ends were way off) and made the block anyway. Then I trimmed off all the uneven ends so that I had an 8 inch block. And that is how the STUMPY Whirlygiggle block was born. I don’t think you can even tell that they weren’t meant to be this way. Sorry, no picture of the completed blocks. The internet is soooo slow out here, it takes forever to load pictures.

Remember how I was so proud that I had marked the template so as to not flip it over. Well, I made three blocks that are the result of a flipped template. They are my “humility blocks.” Though I really didn’t need to make ANOTHER mistake to keep me humble. I truly can’t remember flipping over that template. I find it so weird that I flipped it exactly enough times to make 3 complete blocks incorrectly. I think they will go on the orphan block pile, maybe someday they will be pillows.

After all that, I think this will make a cute donation quilt for the KU Med Center Pediatric Unit. I’m going to see if I can find some flannel for the back to make it cuddly. I have 24 blocks completed. I think I'll take them home to see what fabric I have in the stash for some borders. I want to do a peeper too! Peg, at Happy in Quilting has a great tutorial for how to add a peeper. I think it's such a great idea!

On the successful side, I finished the machine quilting on the Disappearing Nine Patch. The binding fabric is at home, so I can’t totally finish it until this weekend. I’ll wait to share a picture after it is bound and washed.

I'm a Country Girl

At least this week I am. This is what I see when I stand on the front porch. Soon, with the coming of the leaves, the view will close in a bit. The house is at the top of a hill surrounded on all sides by woods. The house has a protected, almost nestled feel. The Kansas winds aren't quite as harsh up here like they are in the valley where my parent's house is. It was very hazy today so I couldn't get very good pictures of the property. Maybe tomorrow we'll be able to take a tour.

My hubby and I spent the weekend in the country and spent some time with my folks. Steve was able to run in the woods, I worked around the yard mowing and weeding and getting things back in shape. I must have hauled 7 or 8 cartloads of debris. We cleaned out the garage and even had time to do some fishing in the pond. I caught three bass. Steve caught one. I do love to fish! There was a pair of Canadian geese on the pond guarding their nest. They kept a watchful eye on the dogs, but no confrontations. Fudge got in a swim and some good digging and sniffing. I had a small snake encounter...I do hate snakes. I know they were terrified of this giant enthusiastic gardener with the bright orange polka dot gloves. I do try to remember that!

Except for an overzealous whippoorwill, it is so quiet here. I actually have had three full nights of sleep. I'm hoping for even more!

Steve left on Sunday and went back to the city. I'm staying for the week to continue the work and help my mom. Fudge stayed with me, of course. I don't know how much sewing I'll get done, because there is so much work that needs to be done around here. The good thing is the weather so far has been perfect. Warm and sunny...I actually got a sunburn yesterday. Got to watch that! I only used sunscreen on my face. I burned my arms, neck and the back of my legs. Back to the sunscreen routine!!!
Spring is definitely here! The red buds are just ready to burst, everything is green and blooms are emerging everywhere. I think the bleeding hearts grew about six inches overnight! Look what's starting to bloom...

Last night I sat on the back porch with a cup of tea, listened to music and enjoyed the full moon. Not a bad way to spend an evening.
I brought a bit of sewing with me and I hope to get some machine quilting done this week since I have access to my mom's Bernina. Woohoo!!! There is so much to do outside, we'll see if that happens.

It's interesting to spend some time alone...without cable and my sewing room...oops don't want to get all philosophical on you. I think I'll go out and enjoy a beautiful Kansas spring evening. A storm is brewing...

Smushy Mommy Moment

I was relaxing tonight reading a few blogs and I read a post where the author described seeing her daughter ride a bike without training wheels (stabilizers) as her "smushy mummy moment." I tried to find the blog again and if I do I'll link to her. IT WAS AT INDIGO BLUE! (Thanks Purple and Paisley!) Her daughter was so cute and confident riding away from her mom. For those of us who are moms, don't you just love those times? I'm proud of my boys all the time, well, most of the time. Those moments come often, sometimes they are big things, but they don't have to be. The other night I was listening to my youngest on the phone with his new girlfriend. Couldn't hear the words, (I really wasn't eavesdropping; I was one floor above.) but every so often I would hear his voice "light up" and a giggle on this end of the phone. It was a smushy mommy moment.
Being 17 he would probably not like that I'm writing about him like this (except in that deep place that teenage boys don't like to reveal). Tonight he was asked by his uncle to come to California in June to attend an equestrian competition. He was asked to come to the competition to get an idea of the types of music that are used for the Freestyle Dressage event. One of the riders has asked Jon to consider writing an original composition to be used when he competes in the Olympic trials. Imagine that, writing music and choreographing to a horse and rider's freestyle dressage routine! When I told Jon about his uncle's idea, Jon's voice changed. Thrilled is an understatement. His exact words, "I can so do that!" Unbridled enthusiasm seemed to wash over him. What an opportunity! Don't know what will come of it, but watching his face at that moment was priceless. Hmmmm, maybe there is a career in music for him.

Rocking and Rolling

I woke up early today, about 4:30 a.m. Actually, I didn't wake up, the earthquake woke me. I didn't know it was an earthquake, but something odd made me wake up. Since I was up I made some coffee and turned on the early a.m. news and there it was...we'd had an earthquake. Its epicenter was in Illinois and we felt it here in Kansas City. FREAKY! We forget about that New Madrid fault that is here in the midwest. Sneaky little fault it is!!!! I'm feeling a bit Californian today...maybe a bit of sunscreen and some Beach Boys music to sew by!

On the rocking and rolling front...my oldest son's band headlined for the very first time. It's been a couple of weeks ago now. They've been together for a while and playing lots of shows, but locally it's a big deal to be the headliner. Status, and more importantly they get most of the cash! They played at Main Street Cafe, which is a really nice venue here in town.

They've played some not so nice places. I don't mean sleezy or anything, just places without good sound equipment, or much of a crowd. They had a great show with a packed house. Good for them! Just what they need, a plug on a quilting blog!










My guy is the drummer. Those hands are so quick you can't get anything but a blurry picture. I'm such a groupie! He's having a great time and making music. Doesn't get much better than that!


























Ok, my pay it forward blog friends. I've been saying for days that the gifts were coming. Well, now it's really true. They're in their mailing cartons and off to the post office in the morning. Thanks so much for participating with me. It was such fun and working on these helped me focus on others instead of myself and our current situation. That has been such a good thing. I would urge other bloggers who come upon that pay it forward invitation to join in. Have a great weekend everyone!

Thanks and On to Better Things

First of all, I'm not sure how to say thanks for all the supportive comments, positive thoughts and prayers. Kris and so many others reminded me that hard times help us relate to and understand the struggles of others and also make us stronger. You are truly my online friends. Thank you.

So instead of dwelling on myself..I'm so over that...let's get on to cheerier and better things. Someone in the local school district who is spearheading a project donating quilts to KU Med Center pediatric unit found out that I'm a quilter and she asked if I would like to help. How can you say no to that! So, I looked at the stash and pulled out some fabric to make some quilts to donate. I like these combos...cheery and fun.

Something kids might like. I think I'll use some of the patterns from the Atkinson's Happy Hour pattern book. They are easy and quick, but look cute too. By the way if anyone else might be interested in donating a quilt or two, it's a great cause and I'd be happy to be the delivery person. Just email me and we'll make arrangements. I'm going to try to get all the cutting done so I can sew the tops this weekend.
Oh, and here's a quick update to the piano saga. (You have to read this post to see where and how the piano adventure began!) As you may remember, the last place you saw the piano was laying on its side in the back of my car. Well, it remained in that position for 4 days. Yes, 4 days driving around town with a piano in the back of the car. I'm surprised some curious policeman didn't stop me for questioning. It took 5 of us to remove said item from the car. Thank goodness the direction was down and not up. Not only was it heavy, but terribly awkward. Picture two adults and 3 teenagers. Kind of like Laurel and Hardy meet the 3 Stooges. There it is hanging half way off of the back of the car and the 5 of us are debating the next move. You would think that conversation would have happened before we slid it out. No, not us. After what seemed like an endless debate, the piano ended up upright and sitting in the middle of the garage. Then of course, my overoptimistic husband said, "I think we can get it upstairs." One of my assistant movers chimed in that he and his brothers had moved a piano at their house and it almost slid back on them. I nixed any more thoughts, notions, or ideas of moving that piano one more inch. No one was was going to risk life and limb even for a piano.
The poor piano lingered in the garage for weeks. I finally bit the bullet and hired a piano mover. I had to call a different guy. The first guy I called was the one I told that I had a piano in the back of my car. I think he thought at first that I was a crank caller...based on the silence on the phone...and then he asked, "How did it get there." That conversation ended quickly.
Yesterday, two HUGE guys showed up with a big truck, a piano dolly, lots of ramps and some big thick straps. First they tried to move it up the basement steps. Oops, ceiling was too low. I asked the biggest guy (bigger seems to be higher seniority in piano mover guys) what was next. He said they'd bring it around the front and try the front entrance. It's amazing how big piano mover guys can fit into itty bitty spaces when they have to. Maybe they're expandable...kind of like that rubber man super hero. Well, these guys were definitely my heroes. They got that piano up the steps around a tiny corner and into my living room. I was totally in awe. The piano was safe and they looked no worse for the experience except a tiny bit of sweat!
So for now, my baby has a home. Someday she'll get some reconditioning and tuning and we'll be making sweet music together!

More Than a Snippet - Caution!

I started this blog as a quilting journal with some "snippets" of our life thrown in. I haven't written much about the difficult financial time we've been going through. I'm not sure why...no body's business but our own...many things had to be kept confidential...who wants to read depressing stuff, I know I don't. There were many reasons.
Today we took the final blow. I'm hoping it will all be made public tomorrow. It's so terrible when things happen that are literally no fault of your own. It's very much like being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I've been holding it all in for months now. I've avoided my friends because when they inevitably ask "How are things going?" I have to lie. I can't tell them what's really going on, or how I really feel. How sucky is that? I have this list on my bulletin board in my sewing room...reasons I hate (fill in the name of the company). I started it jokingly in my head, but one day I sat down and wrote out the reasons and posted it. Today I threw it away, because, you know, that's where it belongs. I feel for all the other families who have and will be affected by this. Who needs this kind of stress. I read Country Mouse's blog tonight. She wrote about some wonderful blessings in her life. She reminded me that I have all those things too. I want to thank her for that. Tomorrow is another day. I'm moving on.

Try It All

I finally got to my computer this morning and lo and behold I had loads of suggestions to try to fix this quilt. It was just like having my own quilting consulting firm. Fantastic. I'm going to give all of these a try later today. I want to say thanks for the ideas. It's so helpful when you're stuck to have someone else's eyes. Any one else want to weigh in...feel free. It needs help! Thanks again everyone!

Something Isn't Right...

Something isn't right with this. For the life of me I can't figure it out. I cut a few strips of black to see what it would look like as sashing and border. It's fine, but something still bothers me. Do you see it? I'm getting ready to rip these apart. Not a good day in the sewing room.

Quilt-a-thon Day Two

Check-in #4 Sunday 9:30 a.m.
Last night I actually FINISHED by mini teacup quilt. Made the binding, got it handsewn. DONE! Pictures to come later! Also did some more hand quilting on the Red and White quilt...it's slow, but I am making progress. Hopefully, I'll have more to report later!

Check-in #5 Noon
Finished 3 more blocks of the Radio Flyer baby quilt. I need to add one final round of cream logs to each of the 12 blocks to make them all 12" blocks. Then I can sew the top together.

Check-in #6 3:00 p.m.
Not much to report. First I got distracted answering emails...you know how that can suck you in. Then no dog food, so a trip to the store...can't let the Fudge starve to death and those eyes look at me and say, "how could you forget about me!" I do have the first 3 Radio Flyer blocks done. They look so much better with that last round of cream logs. One more check in later tonight with pictures.

Final Quilt-a-thon Report
I told myself I wasn't going to beat myself up for what I didn't finish. I accomplished lots and feel pretty good about what I did. The Pay It Forward gals will be getting their goods soon. A few little things to do and then those gifts are on their way. No hints...sorry...you all are too smart and I want it to be a surprise.

I finished adding the cream outer log to all of these blocks. 12 blocks done. I'm not sure about these yet. They seem too busy to me. I need to add either sashing or borders to make it as big as you all suggested. I'm thinking about black sashing??? Is that nutty? I'll lay it out tomorrow and take a look. The only problem with working from stash is that I run out of fabrics. I have some of the Oliva dots left and the cream and I have black in my stash. Any thoughts?



Lastly I totally finished...binding and all, the mini teacup quilt. I'm so proud of it. I wanted it to have a soft kind of kitcheny feel. I'm also pleased that I did the pattern. I know it's just a simple teacup, but I worked hard on it.
I think I'm done for the night. Hubby is out of town for most of the week so I need to get him ready. The sun came out, so maybe a quick walk before dinner. Hope you all had a great weekend!

Quilt-a-thon...Getting Things Done

Today is Judy's quilt-a-thon. I've gotten my son off to take the ACT the dishes done, laundry started, and hubby is in tucked in his office finishing taxes. It's time to start! This is what I'd like to get done this weekend:
1. More quilting on the Red and White quilt
2. Finish the gifts for my Pay It Forward friends.
3. Finish the top of the Radio Flyer baby quilt (maybe even get it basted and ready to quilt)
4. Finish the design for Hannah's graduation quilt and maybe get pieces cut for this.
5. Finish the teacup mini-quilt top.
It's an ambitious list...here I go!
I'll post updates every few hours with pics at the end of the weekend. Wish me luck!
Oh, by the way, thanks for the pincushion suggestions. I'm going to try to fix, finish those today too!

Check in #1 11:00 a.m.
Have two of the Pay it Forward gifts 2/3 of the way done. Working on getting the third one that far now. Going to take a break and make some skinny pancakes so that when Jon comes home from the ACT he can celebrate with his favorite breakfast, then back to it!

Check in #2 2:00 p.m.
Amazing how fast the day goes by. Worked on the third Pay it Forward gift and made good progress. No big snags on these yet, knock on wood!!! Made my two teacups into a mini quilt. Thought I'd make a sample before I go any farther with this idea. I think I like it! I'm going to machine quilt it next. It's small so I think my machine can handle it. It is fun to make something for myself! Had a nice brunch, time to do some more dishes, continue the laundry and on to some machine quilting.

Check in #3 5:00 p.m.
Finished the machine quilting of the mini tea cup quilt. Much harder than it should have been. Had to rip out several times. I think I'm satisfied now. Took a break to surf blogs for awhile. Machine quilting stresses me out. It's hard to relax. I'd like to start on the Radio Flyer blocks now. They don't take quite so much concentration!

Prickly Pincushion

Ok, I know a pincushion is not that hard to make, but I am struggling with this one. It's a free Heather Bailey pattern that is available on the Better Homes and Gardens website. Beautiful when Heather makes it. I was so pleased with the shape. It's a rectangular prism (how's that for some math knowledge.) I've never sewn a box before and it turned out so nicely. Then I tried to put in the decorative ribbon. This is what happened with my attempt. Can you see the big hole in the middle? I tried to put this grosgrain ribbon through the center and then you wrap in half way and back down the center, up again, wrap around...I had a big needle with a big eye. I had to use a PLIERS and every ounce of strength I had to pull that needle through. It ended up ripping this hole and I just pulled it all out in disgust. What am I doing wrong? The ribbon is the same size as the one in the pattern. Any ideas would be so much appreciated. I wanted to give this as a gift to a friend on Sunday. Help!
On a happier note I've had many more visitors than usual to my blog since my wonky log cabin block tutorial appeared on Sew Mama Sew. Welcome everyone! Thanks for stopping by and for your kind comments. I have tried to respond to each of you and visit your blogs if I can locate you. Many of you have that no reply email...so to you...it's great that you came by! If you make something from the tutorial I would love to see your work. Have a great weekend!

Cup of Tea Anyone?

I've been seeing pretty appliqued teacups all over blogland lately. Jan at the Calico Quilter is making some nice ones for a swap. She encouraged me to give applique a try. She even shared her technique. I tried, really I did. I even tried a couple of times. They ended up in the trash. I've never appliqued before, and what I learned is that I need a class. But, what's a few teacups in the trash? I think I looked at every teacup pattern I could find on the web, but they all had at least some applique in them...the handles. I just didn't want to attempt it, so I went with my strength and drafted my own little teacup pattern with a pieced handle. After a few false starts, here's what I've come up with so far. Isn't it "Swell". I do love that Swell fabric! It reminds me of the teacups that I received from my grandma after she died. Hopefully the next ones won't take quite so long, but I think I'm going to keep making them.

Not much time for sewing this week, just waiting for the weekend and the quilt-a-thon and some uninterrupted time to create! I do finally have my own one of these. I just couldn't resist spending a bit of cash on this. So many project swirling around in my head. I am working on the quilting of the Red and White Quilt-A-Long quilt a bit each night. I want to finish it before AmandaJean starts the star quilt-a-long on her blog, Crazy Mom Quilts. She gave a preview of some of the stars we'll be doing. It's going to be fabulous!

I want to get the sewing room cleaned so at least I can see the floor (those pesky threads just seem to pile up) before Saturday. I want to be organized and ready so I can get lots done on Saturday. Have a great rest of the week everyone!

Quiltathon Reminder

The Quilt-a-thon, sponsored by Judy at Patchwork Times, is this weekend. I've cleared Saturday. Taxes should be done. Sewing all day will be a good way to celebrate! I have so much to do!
Congratulations Jayhawk fans! What a GREAT game!

Rubbing It In...Tarheel Loss

OK, take a deep breath...you can do it...I'm not sure my computer has the letters to type this phrase...GO JAYHAWKS!
Done.

A Weighty Problem

There is no such thing as a "free" piano. I've written previously about our family's love of music, and it's not that we don't have enough instruments and musical equipment around the house, but it was a piano. We have a piano in the country. It's an antique player that my mom rescued from the floor of an antique shop. As much as I love that piano, it's not much of an instrument. Though we've had it worked on over and over it can't hold a tune and it's frustrating to play. Jon has a synthesizer and an electric piano...but again, they're not a REAL piano.

A friend of my mom's had an acquaintance who knew someone who had abandoned a piano. Then the question, do you want it? I would do just about anything to have a piano I could play everyday. Therin lies the problem! We went to look at it in the storage area. Jon gave it his seal of approval (he's about as musically picky as they come), so we said we'd rescue it. We had a week to get it out of the storage area. As some of you know, we're in a bit of a financial mess right now (job related) so we don't have disposable income. In other words, we can't afford a piano mover. My husband, ever the optimist, says it's small, not anywhere near as heavy as our other piano...what does he know? Not much apparently! He and Jon headed out on Saturday with our Honda Pilot to pick it up. You've seen Jon's picture, he's seventeen and maybe his arms are as big as a small twig. A piano in the back of a car..we are certifiably NUTS! I'll save you the details, but two "Monster Guys" as Jon described them, helped lift the piano into the car. And guess what...there it sits. When I took Jon to school this morning all I could think of was what if I have a flat tire. I was playing the conversation I would have to have with the AAA guy on the phone. Oh, by the way...you might want to be aware that there is a piano in the back. Hopefully, we can find enough monster guys to at least get it out of the car today. I have a piano in the back of my car in the garage. I'll let you know what happens...

Wonky Log Cabin Block Tutorial

I love to work improvisationally. I have been inspired and influenced by the work of the quilters in Gee’s Bend, Alabama. Much of their work is done improvisationally. The variations on the housetop block used in many of their quilts are beautiful in wonkiness and unpredictability. I also admire the work of Nancy Crow and Denyse Schmidt. Both of these women work improvisationally and one day I would love to take one of their classes. I’m sure there are others, but I recommend these books for quilters who want to work in an improvisational way: Mary Lee Bendolph, Gee’s Bend Quilts and Beyond, Denyse Schmidt, 30 Colorful Quilt and Patchwork Projects and Nancy Crow by Nancy Crow. It was reading about these quilters that gave me the confidence to strike out on my own and dip my toe into improvisational quilting. I started out knowing how to do a traditional log cabin block and I went from there. This tutorial demonstrates how I make a wonky log cabin block like this one.

Getting Started:
For this block you will need
fabric cut into 1.5 inch strips selvage to selvage (for this block I used 4 different fabrics, you will need at least two)
rotary cutter, ruler and self healing cutting mat
iron

These are the fabrics I chose. If you cut strips selvage to selvage you will have plenty of fabric to cut the logs. If I’m using scraps I trim so that the strips have straight edges so I get nice straight ¼ in. seams.


















Step 1
To start you will need a center for your log cabin block. I cut a rectangle approximately 2 x2.5 inches. You can start with a square or a rectangular shape. It can be a bit wonky if you choose. The shape of your center will influence the look of your block.


















Step 2
Line up the strip with your center and cut the strip a wee bit longer. With right sides together and using a ¼ inch seam, sew this strip to the top of the center. Press the seam away from the center.

















You’ll have a unit that looks like this.

















Step 3
Line up your ruler with the straight edge of the center piece and trim the excess from the first log. Trim the other side as well.


















Step 4
Notice that I have put in a pin. This pin marks the top of the block. I learned this technique in Denyse Schmidt’s book. She calls it a compass pin. The order for adding logs is top, right, bottom, and left. It is easy to confuse top and bottom or left and right and this pin helps keep you oriented so you don’t add logs in the wrong order.
Now you are ready to add your next log. Cut your next strip, again a smidge longer than the right side. Sew again right sides together. Press the seam away from the center.


















Step 5
Continue this process, cut, sew, press, trim until you have completed one round of logs.


















Step 6
I like to sew with the log on the bottom so that I can see and make sure seams lay properly.














Step 7
Your first round of logs should look like this. Here is where the fun and the wonkiness begins. It is also the time where you have the freedom to make design decisions that will impact the look of your block.


















Step 8
Use you ruler and your rotary cutter to trim a bit of wonkiness into your block. I decided to trim the left side. Notice that the angle of the trim is very slight. Just a slight angle will multiply as the block grows. I have found that severe angles make this process much more difficult and don’t give that subtle wonky feeling that I like a block to have. Don’t feel that you need to trim everywhere. A little goes a long way. I’m only trimming one side in this round.


















Step 9
Now you’re ready to add a new round of logs. It’s hard to see the wonkiness at this point. It will become apparent after the next logs are added. Be sure to orient you block so the pin is at the top. Cut and add your next round of logs, top, right, bottom, left. Be sure to press and trim after each addition.


















Step 10
Here is the block with the second round of logs. Do you see how the wonkiness of the left side is now more apparant. Also, notice I cut one of the logs a bit short, a disaster, of course not. I think I'll trim and add wonkiness to the top.


















Step 11
Time for another design decision. This time I chose to trim just a bit of wonkiness on the top and bottom of this round of logs. Sometimes I use a bit of paper to audition the wonkiness so I can decide which way or how much to trim. There is no right answer, just go with your instincts. I do make sure I always leave at least a ½ inch of the log so that it doesn’t disappear in the seam allowance. Again, notice it's a slight angle for the trim.


















Step 12
Check your compass pin to be sure it’s at the top and add a new round of logs, top, right, bottom left.


















Step 13
For this round of logs I decided to change it up a bit and piece one of the logs. Cut three pieces of your 1.5 in. strips. Make sure you make the total length longer than usual to account for the seam allowances.


















Step 14
Sew the pieces together, press, and you have a log with a little personality. Add this log, press and trim and you have completed another round of logs.


















Step 15
It’s time to make another design decision. I decided at this point not to add any wonkiness to this round of logs. You may want to trim one or more of the sides to add additional wonkiness. It’s up to you.
















Step 16
Continue to add rounds of logs and when the whole round is complete, trim for wonkiness if you desire. I chose to add this polka dot next. Again, I left this round of logs straight. At this point the block measures approximately 9 inches square. I want 12 inch blocks for this quilt. Are you up for a little math? To get a block large enough to trim to a 12 inch square I need to add at least 4 inches to the length and width of the block. Don’t forget to take into consideration the seam allowances. I decided to use the cream solid and add 2 inch logs to the top and right and 3 inch logs to the bottom and left. That gives me a bit extra to play with when I’m ready to square up the block.

















Step 17
The block is ready to be squared up. You can square up your block a couple of ways. A see through ruler works great, but I don’t have a 12 inch one. If you have one, place it over your block and trim making sure you have at least ½ inch of the outer row of logs.














Step 18
I use the lines on my cutting mat to square up my block. Position your block on the mat and use the lines on the mat to make a straight edge. Before you trim make sure you know where the block will trim on the opposite side. I have trimmed too much on one side and had to replace logs because I made the block too short. The woodworkers mantra “measure twice, cut once” is really good to remember when squaring up a block.














Step 19
Rotate the block 90 degrees and line up your straight edge to the line on the mat. Trim the opposite sides. Again, measure twice then cut!














Done!
This is the finished block.

















Something to Think About
This is another quilt I did using this method. What I love about making wonky log cabin blocks is that in addition to fabric choices you have the opportunity to make design decisions as you work. Notice in this quilt how the shape of the centers affects the look of the blocks. You can choose to use different strip widths. In this quilt I used as small as 1 inch strips to as large as 4 inch strips. You can choose to vary the size of the strips in a round of logs, small ones on the top and right and large on the bottom and left. You can skip a side in a round or blocks or add extra, or piece in an extra block of fabric here and there. All of these decisions will change the looks of your blocks. The possibilities are endless.

















Another Example
This is another quilt using the same method, but it looks very different. In this quilt I varied the number of rounds of logs I did in the blocks. Some have as few as one round. This method is very forgiving. If it’s too big, trim it, too small, add another log. Have fun making quilts with wonky log cabin blocks. I’d love to see your work.