Garden 2009 - the Next Steps

So this is the area I started on last weekend, pulling weeds with the dandelion digger. My chiropractor rolled his eyes at me when I said "Well, it HAD to be done!"

My husband rototilled for me this weekend, and even took out another couple of feet of grass so I can expand. Next year, another couple of feet!

Hubby also rototilled one of the sprinker heads! Oops! Not a problem, that just encouraged me to implement a soaker hose option for the area that I've been talking about for 3 years. Can't believe I didn't do it sooner, as the head was only about $6 and 50' of soaker hose was another $6.50.

Check out our new compost bin, too! We sort of made it up as we went, didn't follow any instructions, but made it out of a black garbage can, cut a hole in the bottom and put a side opening on it, with a handle. I can't wait to get some black gold out of it!


I took out the corner rose bush and transplanted it to another area in the front yard. It was almost on top of the underground sprinkler head, so it was rather ineffective anyway, and I was always worried about mildew, even though it got plenty of sun. That's probably what saved it!

So, yesterday I was a bit sore overall, raking and pulling weeds was very good for me, but I kept it to a minimum and my hands didn't get overworked.

So, I sewed!

Getting the garden ready

I worked in the garden this weekend, pulling weeds for an hour.  Will I ever learn??

I was using the weed pulling tool to get out the overgrown weeds that were covering my garden plot, and I over-used my hand.  I can feel it in my wrist, arm, and even something in my shoulder.  I need to go to the chiropractor and get an adjustment.  Oh, will I ever learn?  At least it looks pretty good now!

I only was able to work for an hour in my studio this weekend.  Probably best, with the hand being sore.  I got the back of a baby quilt for the guild loaded on the machine, need to get the rest of it going and figure out what I'm going to do.

Guild meeting on Thursday, so want to have at least 2 to turn in.  I already know what I want to put on the third quilt, I just don't have enough backing material.  Not only just not big enough for the long arm, with the extra 4 inches all around needed, but it doesn't even cover the back of the quilt!  Arrggh!!  I know what I want to do with that quilt, but I have to work on the quilt I don't know what to do with.  That's life, eh?

Auction Block

I finished one of my auction blocks for the Boise Basin Quilters upcoming Boise Basin Quilter's 2009 quilt show on June 27th and 28th.

It is a Chinese Lantern pattern from Australian Patchwork & Quilting, although the coordinator doesn't know which issue it came from.  She had a quilt done with this block and it was gorgeous, and the pattern is amazingly easy to do!  I know I've seen the issue that contains the entire set of instructions, and I can't wait to get my hands on it so I can make one of these for myself!

I'm having a hard time deciding if I should use the same fabric to make the second one, which I've already cut out, or if I should use another oriental fabric.  Hmmm....I think a different one.  It will make for a more interesting quilt.

Knitting New Mittens & Gloves

Well, yes, I am a quilt fiend, obsessed beyond belief.  But I also like knitting, and I have cold hands quite often.  I seem never to find fingerless gloves, much less anything I could use while quilting.

Since I am a computer support technician by day, I need to be able to type freely, which most gloves will not accommodate, and forget about mittens, which are really on my mind!

So, I recently picked up this book:  Knitting New Mittens & Gloves: Warm and Adorn Your Hands in 28 Innovative Ways  (ISBN 978-1-58479-666-4)

It has some very pretty fingerless gloves, and I just love the looks of them!  Especially page 102, Rusalka.  Did I mention that I don't start with the easy stuff??

Now, if I can only convince myself that I can do knitting in the round with 4 or 5 needles.....or figure out how to do that with circular needles, I would be in business.

Heck, I learned quilting, I can do this!...why am I so intimated when they say I have to use a 5 needle set?

OK, time to ask my BFF how to do this.  She knows everything.... :-)

Another Panel

I was so intrigued by the results of Thomas the Train panel that I just HAD to try another one.

On Sunday I got another panel and flannel backing, so I will be ready for the weekend to get that one quilted also.

This one is a soft yellow, blue and brown panel of baby jungle animals, a baby lion and tiger and elephant, and it's perfect for a shower gift where the gender of the child is unknown. I love it! This will be one of my portfolio pieces, so I can show off a simple, large meandering pattern. This time, I will use Warm and Natural cotton batting, so I can also show the texture and density.

Darn, I should have gotten 2 of them, and done one in polyester so I can show off the difference. Hope there's another sale soon!

Pass the Bag - Star blocks

My sub group did a Pass The Bag project last year, and I was too busy to participate.  Every month I felt left out because I really liked what I saw developing.

This year, we decided on a star block.  It only requires 2 contrasting fat quarters to get 2 large and 2 small blocks.  The pattern was drawn onto freezer paper, then ironed onto the top piece of fabric, then cut apart...no seam allowances.

I decided that I was definitely going to participate this year.  I chose batiks for my own project, and put a note in the bag asking that I get the left over fabric from the fat quarters.  I always want a larger quilt, so not only will the leftovers help with increasing the size, they will provide a place of rest for the eye and/or a really great border.

It's only the first round so far, so yesterday I worked on the next blocks, blue and gold.  I am also making more batik blocks for my own project so that I will get the larger quilt I want.

Here are the finished small blocks:

And here are the larger blocks, ready to sew:

We are not supposed to trim the blocks, so that the recipient can decide how to place them and what size to trim them down to.

I think it's going to be great fun to see what everyone comes up with.  Now, how am I going to quilt this....??

New Quilter's perspective

I've been asked to write an article for our local guild's newsletter about my perspective as a new long arm quilter.  What an honor!  And, what pressure!

What is the voice?  What about grammar?  Will it be interesting to anyone?  I haven't written a "paper" for quite awhile, will it be any good??

Guess it's sorta like quilting...you just gotta go for it. ;-)