Sunday, March 1, 2009
Tesselating Stars Triplets
The 3 Tesselating Stars quilts are now quilted. Bindings are in progress. I am sick and tired of these quilts! I am tired of that dern machine I've been trying to quilt with! There's nothing like being 2 months late with gifts!
Singer needles only!!!!
I have a DSM with a table frame my husband fabricated for me in his spare time. The machine I have on it is worn out and useless for garment sewing. (It lost reverse.) I have a new Singer I use for garment and quilt sewing.
BACK to the machine I now use for machine quilting. It stitches well. I broke a needle in February. I replaced the needle in FEBRUARY, of course. As I have many times. . . . The machine would not sew. I checked every thing possible. Another new needle. . . . rethreaded . . . . new needle again. . . . new thread. . . . new bobbin. . . . on and on and on AND onnnnnn.
Before throwing the dern thing down the stairs, I bought new needles, again. This time I bought Singer needles. The DERN machine sews perfectly. PERFECTLY!!!! This machine demands Singer needles, and SINGER needles only. IT IS NOT A SINGER SEWING MACHINE! IT IS A KENMORE.
BACK to the machine I now use for machine quilting. It stitches well. I broke a needle in February. I replaced the needle in FEBRUARY, of course. As I have many times. . . . The machine would not sew. I checked every thing possible. Another new needle. . . . rethreaded . . . . new needle again. . . . new thread. . . . new bobbin. . . . on and on and on AND onnnnnn.
Before throwing the dern thing down the stairs, I bought new needles, again. This time I bought Singer needles. The DERN machine sews perfectly. PERFECTLY!!!! This machine demands Singer needles, and SINGER needles only. IT IS NOT A SINGER SEWING MACHINE! IT IS A KENMORE.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Tessellating Stars triplets
I have the backings sewn for the 3 tessellating star quilts I am making for my mother-in-law, and DH's sisters. I like pieced backs better than plain ones. I am ready (FINALLY) to start quilting these 3. It has become a family joke about who is getting their quilt first. ALL three ladies will be on hand before any quilt is handed over. LOL!!
Buck and I have done some minor changes to my DSM quilting frame. I have high hopes that these changes will be the answers to some minor problems.
I have been bitten by the knitting bug.
Lilli, a lunch buddy at school, is knitting socks at lunch. She is very kind and knowledgeable about knitting. She learned to knit in elementary school. She grew up in Germany. Knitting was part of the Home Ec curriculum in her elementary school.
I have knitted the grandbaby a bunny. Now I am working on 2 projects. I am making Breana a bunny. Bunnies are very simple. A 6 inch square is knitted in stockingette stitch (knit 1 row, purl 1 row). 2 ears are knitted (knit all rows). The square is sewn tegether in such a way to make a head, and 4 legs. I stuffed Brayden's bunny with quilt batting. I wanted stuffing that wouldn't come out of the body. I want to have a few bunnies on hand for Breana's visits to the doctors. I will call them Bobo Bunnies. I think she can keep one with her during all of the procedures she will have to endure.
I am also trying to knit socks. Sock knitting is definitely a WISP! (Work In Slow Progress). I have double pointed needles and sock yarn, and lots of TV time. I can cast on quite well due to the extra practice I've had due to maistakes in the sock knitting process!
Buck and I have done some minor changes to my DSM quilting frame. I have high hopes that these changes will be the answers to some minor problems.
I have been bitten by the knitting bug.
Lilli, a lunch buddy at school, is knitting socks at lunch. She is very kind and knowledgeable about knitting. She learned to knit in elementary school. She grew up in Germany. Knitting was part of the Home Ec curriculum in her elementary school.
I have knitted the grandbaby a bunny. Now I am working on 2 projects. I am making Breana a bunny. Bunnies are very simple. A 6 inch square is knitted in stockingette stitch (knit 1 row, purl 1 row). 2 ears are knitted (knit all rows). The square is sewn tegether in such a way to make a head, and 4 legs. I stuffed Brayden's bunny with quilt batting. I wanted stuffing that wouldn't come out of the body. I want to have a few bunnies on hand for Breana's visits to the doctors. I will call them Bobo Bunnies. I think she can keep one with her during all of the procedures she will have to endure.
I am also trying to knit socks. Sock knitting is definitely a WISP! (Work In Slow Progress). I have double pointed needles and sock yarn, and lots of TV time. I can cast on quite well due to the extra practice I've had due to maistakes in the sock knitting process!
Breana and Jimmy
Please pray for our family.
We are still waiting for a diagnosis for Breana.
However, Jimmy, Breana's daddy, is scheduled for surgery Wednesday on his skull. He is going to get a plate put in where he had a brain tumor removed in July 2007. This is his 4th surgery. His tumor was removed in July 07, with his skull bone replaced during that surgery. Late 2007, he had the bone replaced with a plate because the bone wouldn't fuse back to the rest of the skull. In Sept 2008, the plate had to be removed because of infection that would not clear up. He has been without a skull bone or plate since. It has been really scary to think of a 23 year old male living without a large part of his skull. The place is as big as my palm just above his right ear.
Breana usually stays with me when her parents are away in the hospital. It is always interesting to have a 3 year old in the house.
Breana is scheduled to have an evaluation for placement in the special education system of our parish. The eval is basically a formality because of her condition. She will qualify.
My computer is destined for the TRASH HEAP!!!! It has decided not to allow me to email commenters. It will be replaced within the month. It is a dinosaur. I am barely computer literate. I don't know how to fix the problems the computer creates for me.
I apologize for appearing to be rude. I'm thankful for all comments.
We are still waiting for a diagnosis for Breana.
However, Jimmy, Breana's daddy, is scheduled for surgery Wednesday on his skull. He is going to get a plate put in where he had a brain tumor removed in July 2007. This is his 4th surgery. His tumor was removed in July 07, with his skull bone replaced during that surgery. Late 2007, he had the bone replaced with a plate because the bone wouldn't fuse back to the rest of the skull. In Sept 2008, the plate had to be removed because of infection that would not clear up. He has been without a skull bone or plate since. It has been really scary to think of a 23 year old male living without a large part of his skull. The place is as big as my palm just above his right ear.
Breana usually stays with me when her parents are away in the hospital. It is always interesting to have a 3 year old in the house.
Breana is scheduled to have an evaluation for placement in the special education system of our parish. The eval is basically a formality because of her condition. She will qualify.
My computer is destined for the TRASH HEAP!!!! It has decided not to allow me to email commenters. It will be replaced within the month. It is a dinosaur. I am barely computer literate. I don't know how to fix the problems the computer creates for me.
I apologize for appearing to be rude. I'm thankful for all comments.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Quilts to the flimsy stage
I have the last 3 Christmas quilts ready to be sandwiched and then quilted. They are Tessellating Stars for Buck's mom and 2 sisters.
The blocks are 9" square. Each quilt is 5 blocks by 5 blocks.
I used scraps of the fabrics to make top and bottom borders for each quilt. I wanted to make the quilts rectangles instead of squares.
Friday, January 9, 2009
It's a new year, ya'll!
It is wonderful having a baby to enjoy this new year. I can't believe how fast he is growing. He is 3 months old already. I won't get much quilting done tomorrow, as Brayden and David will be here. 
This is the quilt I made for Brayden for Christmas. It is different textures and shades of blue and white. It is really very pretty. Jenn says it is her favorite of all of the quilts I have made for him to date.
I used large squares of different textured fabric for this quilt. The squares were about 9". The fabrics included flannel, fleece ( the bubbly ducks), velour (with raised dots), satin, terry towelling, and a 'shiny curly lamb's wool-looking' fabric that is very soft to the touch. I really don't know any of the fabric by name. I think all of them came from Hobby Lobby. Every fabric is washable on delicate and in cold water, and can be tossed in the dryer. I serged this one to make sure none of the fabrics frayed. The backing is a 24" square of blue flannel printed with clouds with a border of 6 1/2" squares of all of the quilt fabrics.
I learned the evening that the term for the 'binding' method I used on this quilt is called the Birthing Method. I just layered the quilt top wrong side down on the batting, and topped it off with the backing right sides together with the top. Sewed around the edges with about a 1/2" seam leaving an opening large enough to turn the thing right side out. I then topstitched around the edge to keep everything together and also to stitch the opening closed.
David and Buck are planning on digging a ditch from the house to the shop to bury the electrical line tomorrow. I will be watching the baby, not using a shovel. The ground is very wet and softer than normal, so digging will be easier now than later.
This is the quilt I made for Brayden for Christmas. It is different textures and shades of blue and white. It is really very pretty. Jenn says it is her favorite of all of the quilts I have made for him to date.
I used large squares of different textured fabric for this quilt. The squares were about 9". The fabrics included flannel, fleece ( the bubbly ducks), velour (with raised dots), satin, terry towelling, and a 'shiny curly lamb's wool-looking' fabric that is very soft to the touch. I really don't know any of the fabric by name. I think all of them came from Hobby Lobby. Every fabric is washable on delicate and in cold water, and can be tossed in the dryer. I serged this one to make sure none of the fabrics frayed. The backing is a 24" square of blue flannel printed with clouds with a border of 6 1/2" squares of all of the quilt fabrics.
I learned the evening that the term for the 'binding' method I used on this quilt is called the Birthing Method. I just layered the quilt top wrong side down on the batting, and topped it off with the backing right sides together with the top. Sewed around the edges with about a 1/2" seam leaving an opening large enough to turn the thing right side out. I then topstitched around the edge to keep everything together and also to stitch the opening closed.
David and Buck are planning on digging a ditch from the house to the shop to bury the electrical line tomorrow. I will be watching the baby, not using a shovel. The ground is very wet and softer than normal, so digging will be easier now than later.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Pray for Breana
My heart is heavy as I write this post. I've not posted much in the last couple of weeks in part due to Breana's circumstances. I've not been able to put the words down to discuss the terrible plight of our family. My grandneice, Breana, is ill with a mitachondrial disease. Mitachondrial diseases vary in their severity, and she is not yet diagnosed with a specific one. Her doctor is expecting test results for diagnosis within the month. These diseases are very dire.Breana, only 3 years and 4 months old, is the only child of my sister's only child. Being an Early Interventionist, I know her future is very grim.
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