On the go

Have I been busy? No. And yes. Just not busy doing something that you'd want to see a picture of - you know, the domestic goddess thing and all. I straighten, launder, clean. DD comes home and dumps, plops, messes, dresses and redresses. Kids! But gosh I love her so much.

I've been thinking about doing a BOM at a local quilt shop. I really like it but not sure if it is enough to make the commitment. The only other BOM I've done (or should say purchased) has one block half done and has sat for years - many, many years.


I'm off tomorrow to meet my little Max. It's amazing how much he has changed in just the past month. He gets to stay with me Friday and get squeezed and hugged all day. I did get his doggie quilt quilted. Still stitching down the binding though. Can you take a sewing needle on the airplane? I know you can't scissors but I can have threads pre-cut.

I will be so happy to see my son - it's been too long. And, of course, my d-i-l too. :) First stop tomorrow will be a quilt shop that is 5 or so miles from his house. The name is Cool Cottons and it looks very interesting on their website - www.coolcottonsinc.com. I'll take d-i-l there on Saturday to get a better idea of what kind and color of quilt to make for them.

Do you know of any can't miss shops in the Portland area? Should have asked a week ago.

Guess I'd better go finish packing. :)

4 Patch Frenzy

Yesterday and today I spent a good amount of time completing or working on turning UFOs into "kits". These 3 are 4 patch variations. Must have been on a roll with the 4 patches in the 90's.

Kit 1: Diagonal 4 Patch - Cut out and stitched 15 4 patches, cut the last 12 side triangles and it was a complete kit. I'd even started piecing the top. Shouldn't take but a couple good sewing sessions to put it together.


Kit 2: Village Square - The magazine is from 1997 and I probably started it around that time. Had to cut out squares to make 5 4-patch blocks and finished cutting rectangles to make the half square triangles. It will take some doing to make all them but it's ready to go when the mood strikes.


Kit 3: Triple 4 Patch - This magazine is from 1996 so it was probably started within the year following. The blocks are only 6" so it will take 256 to fit my king size bed. I had 83 complete, another 86 cut out and ready to assemble, and need to cut out the pieces for another 87 blocks. I was stuck in thirds. I'll finish this kit up in the next couple days.


I'm going to continue to "kit" my UFO's so they are ready to work on and get them done THIS year. It's kind of a wake up call seeing how much time was put into these quilts only to be dumped in the drawer.

I heard a story that every quilter should package up their UFO's and put a family member or friends name on the kit. Should the quilter kick the bucket then the person named on the kit would be so moved that you were going to make them something so special that they will have it completed to honor your memory. HA We could have the last laugh getting all our projects done after all.

Hasta manana.

Melody

2009 - A new year

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I wish for you a fabric cabinet that magically replenishes, always full of just the perfect fabric needed, and that all your project goals are reached. If you can't make it happen then I wish some sweet little elves to visit and finish them for you before years end.

I'm in the midst of setting quilt goals - pulling out old projects, planning new ones, dreaming of all the beautiful items I'll have finished by the end of this nice, fresh, not-yet-used new year.

One thing I decided to do was document my quilt endeavors this year. Nothing fancy. Just a way to organize projects and quilty stuff. I took a sitting-around-on-the-shelf-wasting scrapbook and made it my new Quilt Journal. Put a little ufo block in the picture slot on the front. I'll embellish the cover with fabric pens down the road just because I feel it needs it (or maybe not if I don't get around to it.)


Put a couple projects in already. The first is for a tree skirt I want to make to match the table runner I made for this year. Now the pattern is handy along with fabric swatches.


The second is a project I'm working on to use up scraps. I have a little piece of one of the rows along with my calculations.


Next is a purse I'd like to make. The pattern, fabric, receipt, and a quilt shop tag is in the pocket.


Quilting and crafting is an important part of my life. I decided I want a physical "blog" of my fabric choices, designs, who I'm thinking of, what I'm willing to spend or not spend, and more. Maybe I will print out my blog as the year goes on to put with the journal, add pictures of finished and unfinished projects. Use the white sheet in the page pockets for notes, measurements, doodles, how I'm feeling about it. Or whatever I feel like doing. Use a pocket for blog ideas, a pocket for coupons (which I always lose track of until after they expire).

Wouldn't it be great to leave this for a future family member to read. It would be a genealogists dream to find something like this in the attic 100 years from now. Or could you imagine a future relative wrapped in a quilt you made then finding a book that documents your feelings, fabrics, cost? Wow!

You know, our quilts and our time are precious and worth remembering. I only wish I had done this years ago so I could look back on the journey and share it with the future.

Melody