Almost back in the UFO pile

Worked on two of my UFO's today. It's amazing how much sewing you can get done if you ignore housework (and the computer).

Today I pulled out the block I didn't like from Frank and just put a simple string pieced block in it's place. The colors work much better. I also buttonholed around the cat, stars, bat, etc. Frank is ready to add a border to and quilt. Won't take a new pic until he's quilted. Woo hoo. He will get done, he will get done, he will.... You must have been reading my mind Melissa. :)

Not only that but I actually finished putting the bias on the last E and stitched all the bias down on the letters. A twin needle made quick work of it. Found one more mistake on the P. In the picture of it (in my last post) if you look you will see that the colors don't line up across. I added an extra turquoise piece below the red.

What's funny is that was probably the first letter I did and I screwed it up right at the beginning. That thing would have been in the UFO pile before I even did the other letters. Good thing I didn't catch it. I was feeling totally disgusted thinking a new P would have to be made then really looked at it and figured it out. I quickly removed the red and first turquoise piece and fixed it before I walked away from the machine. Only took about 10 minutes. Now the PEACE letters are ready for a backing and to be quilted. Double woo hoo!

What a good feeling today. Maybe I should clean something in celebration - not! Maybe I'll go watch "House" (he's such an obnoxious hunk) and eat pizza.

Today's UFO Quilt plan

Subject to change at whim, of course.

I had a funny conversation with my sister-in-law earlier this week. She asked me if I had ever gotten the quilting machine I'd wanted yet. "Nope, talk to your brother" I said.

Then we got to talking about UFO's and I told her I'd been sorting through mine and probably had a good 50 projects. She tsk'd, tsk'd me, and said she only had about 5. Wow! And she mostly hand pieces and hand quilts and seems to get a lot done. Then she said if I got the machine she had lots of tops to send to me to quilt for her. Huh? Wait a minute, I thought you only had 5 UFOs??? “I do” she says “but I have a lot of pieced tops ready to quilt“. hahaha So, her idea of a finished quilt is the top being done.

Yay! Great theory. I have fewer UFO's than I thought! And, my plans should be to finish piecing the tops so there would be more “finished" quilts which equals less guilt when buying new fabrics and starting new projects.

This led me adjust my lists in my side bar from UFO's to read Ready to Quilt (finished technically - right?) and Ready to Piece (basically kits or not a whole lot done). I think I should add a third category - the “there is so little done that this is really just fabric and not a UFO).

Adjusting my lists led me to today’s plan. After going through all UFO’s I decided to pull four items out to finish before the end of October. This sounds like a lot but they are so close to done that it could happen. Here is what I chose and why they were never finished to begin with.

1. Christmas quilt - Pieced this about 15 years ago from a 9 patch block swap. Had it quilted about 5 or 6 years ago. Only needs binding but instead of just doing it I chose to do creative folding to display at Christmas. Reason for not finishing? Basically, laziness.
After all, it is only a display for a month or 6 weeks quilt.


2. Frankenstein. He’s about 10 years old - looks older doesn’t he. Why not finished? The blue block with the lightning bolt on the right. Don’t like it. Off to the drawer with him for “later”. It’s such a quicky fix too. The plan: fix it, finish it, display this Halloween.


3. Your Special Day birthday banner/pillow topper. This was for dd’s special day 5 years ago. Hey, at least it’s less than 10. Problem? I zig-zagged around all those little pieces when I should have buttonholed. You’d think that I would have realized I didn’t like it after a couple pieces, but, no, almost the whole thing is done this way. Solution: get over it. Finish zig-zagging and hang the darn thing up on everyone’s special days.


4. “Stained glass” Peace banners. These letters are so much prettier in real life. Put so much time into this one too making all that bias. Big icky here. Not thinking it through I put the back on the P before stitching the bias down. Icky, yuck, nasty looking on the back. Used a twin needle to stitch the bias and it shows as a big black zig-zag on the back. Where did it go? In the projects to be finished pile. But, hey, I’ve almost got it apart today. Didn’t worry about saving the back since it wasn’t my favorite anyway and I want them all to match.

Should have done this before I added the back:

Instead I did this:


The finish-by-the-end-of-October does not include the two new project tops that I just pieced because they will get quilted no matter what.

Hmmm, just making these lists makes me have that “accomplished something feeling”. Makes me want to start something new.

I am going to cry

I have typed, typed and retyped a long post 3 times and put in pics too and it has disappeared every time. Now watch this *(&*! one will go through.

Grrrrrr!

Why I picked my blog name - why did you pick yours?

After starting this blog I was kind of worried that my blog name would seem, hmmm, well, raunchy? I hope not though.

It really started because I'm a doll collector. Mostly vinyl play dolls. And those kids are always wanting new stuff - accessories, clothes, shoes, furniture. It's like having a couple hundred kids to support. I'm currently thinning my collection and let me tell you, it's hard to let them go. But unless I want to move to a bigger house (that sounds good - can it be where it's cooler?) I have to pick and choose and let go.

Then my thinking evolved and it seemed to just fit my life. First, I have a couple young drama queens in my life - dd (10), and dgd (20) and no, I don't have those ages backwards. After these two my son and dgs are pieces of cake.

Also, I grew up with 4 sisters. Talk about a hormonal nightmare growing up! Nothing more need be said.


Now, I'm helping my mom out a lot. There is 70 years difference between her and my daughter and my arms have stretched out a couple feet from the tug of war between dh, dd, and dmom of who gets my time. Yup, very demanding.

Finally, this is the ugly middle-age menopausal part. I said "enough!" Between dh, dd, mom, I was going nuts and started stomping, screaming, ranting and raving that I needed time to do what I loved too and pick up after yourself, I'm not a short order cook, no I won't take you to the mall, etc. They kind of went in shock and I got my way (somewhat, kind of - because they keep trying to take over again). But, sigh, it's been better and I have absolutely no problem with throwing a temper tantrum again if that's what it takes.

So, now, I'm "the demanding doll" and plan on staying that way for my own sanity's sake!

To all those nice quiet little kids that sit on my shelf - thank you.

Where did you get your blog name from? I'd like to know.

Effanbee baby and My Twinn Cookie


Kish - Mowgli and Hallmark pedal car - he wants (needs) new clothes. See his cute toes on the pedal. Awwww.


More Kish kids - I just love these little ones. They have too many toys. (Ignore bad photography and scrapbook paper background).

Patchwork Puzzle game

This link was given on the Yahoo Cyberquilters group. For those times you just want to veg out in front of the computer. Here's the link.

Later...hmmm, I see the link isn't working correctly. The game is patchworkz though. I'll try to fix it soon.

Hurricane Ike

We are waiting for news from my sister, her kids and grandkids. They are in Houston. Yesterday she said rain had not fallen yet but there was already flooding in areas from the ocean surge. They are prepared, on the N. side of Houston, but it's hard to wait for word.

More family will be feeling the storm as it's headed straight for the St. Louis area after going through TX.

In My Hallway

The colors in this quilt are just right for Fall. It was paper-pieced which is a wonderful way to get crisp points for miniature quilts. I believe the pattern is the Flat Iron so with that in mind this was named "Pressed Leaves".



Minis are one of my favorite quilt items to make. They are a great way to practice a new pattern or technique, get something quick done (compared to a large quilt), use up little bits of much-loved-kept-for-10-years fabric pieces, and to give that sense of satisfaction in completing a project.

Even though this mini stays out year round I had decided to rotate a mini or wallhanging out each Friday in my hallway. Then, on Wednesday, a member of the quilt group I recently joined shared a display tip. She stitches the soft side of velcro to the back of her small quilts and mounts the hard, scratchy side to a permanent rod. She can easily change out her quilts for display. Great idea! I could see having several of these bars to fit areas for minis and larger wallhangings. A constant revolving gallery to show off your art without using push pins. Her idea clinched my rotation plans.

Now off to get ready for a scrapbook convention today. Gotta oooh and ahhh over all the pretty paper fabric.

Enjoy your day.

Nothing in particular...

but still exciting. We had weather! Rain! The real stuff on Tuesday! Yeah, I know, big deal, but I love the rain and the way it makes the leaves greener and that bit of fresh smell and the thunder and lightning. Just love it! And, we had bonuses with it. It hailed first! Lots of nice, hard, rocky, little balls that melted the instant they hit the ground. You might see a few in the pic - maybe not. It stopped almost as fast as it started and I went running for the camera so kind of missed the few minutes of hail. We almost always go outside and just watch any weather that isn't just hot sun and more likely than not walk around a bit in it. Oh, to have REAL seasons!


Now, tilt your head to the right, maybe to the left a bit, rock your monitor forward just so. Do you see it? A rainbow. Who doesn't love a rainbow after a rain?


In celebration, I took a shot of this cute little quilt I made years ago. It says "I bring fresh showers for thirsting flowers".

Quilty Morning - That a Q not a G - :)

Getting a move and groove on this morning. Besides doing some of the necessary evils (a load of laundry, picking up, etc.) I've gotten a few quilty things done.

So far I've prepared a backing, cut some Warm N' Natural, and pinned the runner I made from Happy Zombie's pattern!


Then I started a list (embarrassingly long) of UFO's. Gave up on that because, ugh, I got tired of going through the project drawers.


Decided time would be better spent working on one of those UFO's so I pulled these

from this

and here is the back of a paper pieced log cabin mini ready to have a border put on and be quilted.


Not only that but I organized a bit more of my fabrics (it will get done eventually), paid a few bills (very depressing), read blogs, had my coffee, put up last night's dishes and it's only 7 a.m. Can you tell I'm a morning person?

Yeehah, I love it when a day starts out this smoothly and tomorrow is quilt group meeting. Double yeehah. I'm hoping to have the table runner quilted so I can work on the binding during the meeting. We'll see.

Til next time...have a happy and productive day.

Figuring out blog layout

Whew! I'm starting to figure out this page layout thing. Look. I got 3 columns! Will I keep it? Who knows. I figured out how to put an image in the title section too but can't get my title to sit anywhere at the very top edge. So, if it bounces from this to that to the other don't be surprised. Eventually, I'll figure it out and choose one...maybe.

Did it take you all a while to figure out your layouts and to finally stick to it?

ETA: haha - look at the little tiny title with a cutesy background to the left. Getting closer.