Have been busy de-cluttering the house, organizing, re-cycling, donating or tossing stuff.  I've gotten rid of lots and lots of stuff, I enjoyed over the years but now it's time to repurpose and move on with a neater, organized and comfortable home.  I also have uncovered several pretty kits that will be fun to work on.   I also found some cute tops all done  that will make nice fall table toppers so will find some backing and binding material and get them done, aiming for finishing this month.  I work so much better under a deadline.  

My nice organized fabric closet where I can see it all when I need it.  Precuts stacked on the white shelves. 

Well I hope to be more attentive to my blog.  I'm back in the sewing/craft room and making some small Christmas gifts.  It's been a while since I've been in here, Robin helped me get it cleaned up and organized so I can find stuff again so I will be busy doing what I love.  I made a nice pouch for my I phone that is real handy when I take Mr. Bo for his walks and now I've started on Christmas gifts.  Will post a photo when I've got more to show.  Simple decorated  dish towels.  Want to do microwave potato bags, hot pads, etc.  Just small things I think everyone can use and enjoy.  Well time to get off the computer and get to sewing.  I feel so good and adapting to my new normal without George.

New project for 2019

Starting a new project today and doing a design I've never done before so we'll see how we progress.  I'm excited to start it and see if I can do it.  So one block at a time and before you know it I'll have another quilt.

Above are the fabrics I'm using, yup some assembly required.

Mackinsie's baby shower gifts.

Had such a lovely day yesterday and the baby shower for Dan and Emily's little bundle to be here in Dec.  Got to visit with family and friends and boy did they get a lot of beautiful baby things.  She is going to be the best dressed baby in Grundy Co., have a lovely chariot for her rides and bouncy chairs for the dogs to keep here rockin. 

I gave them hand made bibs and burp cloths plus a string quilt I made in 2015, I made to baby quilts then one for a girl and one for a boy.  Will have to wait on the boy one at a later date.

The pink one is for Missy Mack.

mess up of finished bib

So here is the messed up baby bib, all done and ready to press but my iron was way too hot and burned a hole in the middle.  Don't know if I'll be able to recover it with an applique or just move on to another one.  I need to get to Walmart to buy a new iron, I just buy the $10 or $15 irons then throw them away when they start acting up.  Never had one over heat before so guess I had better pay closer attention before I burn the house down.  These are quick and easy to make so will get more put together for our great grand daughter due in Dec.  I'll post photos of them when all done with the bibs and burp cloths.  Going to have a good day in the sewing room.

It's time for me to quit playing with bits and pieces and odds and ends and get started on baby shower gifts for Oct.21.  I will finish the odds and ends 4 patches and set them aside for another time.  I've got Christmas gifts to start too if they are going to be done for this year.  George's job at Terri and Lou's is done so he'll be here to help so everything is going to take twice as long.  Well I'm off to get this done and organize my space, can't function in chaos..  Ok trying to upload my 9 patch on point and messed it up, will try again.

I see me doing another one, it was fun and easy but not till I finish baby shower and Christmas stuff.  Need to stay focused and quit procrastinating.

The finished on point 9 patch blocks, still have a stack to do but thought I would report the progress.  They are time consuming but the method I'm using (Jenny Doan from Missouri Star Quilt Co.tutorial) is really turning out nice and pretty accurate.  Now to get off the computer and start stitching..

Have a few minutes before we start shampooing the sun room carpet and boy does it need it.  I have all the nine patch blocks squared up to 6.5" so as soon as the white fabric arrives I'll start to cut the triangles to assemble the top on point.  I love the way these blocks turned out, going to be a bright, cheerful quilt.

Projects since March 2018

I am working on a fun project using a jelly roll and it is turning out really pretty, I have 100 6 1/2" nine patch blocks ready to add the triangles to assemble the blocks on point.  Fun stuff and they are turning out bright and pretty.  I am waiting for the white to come in from Missouri Star Quilting. Co.
This is going to end up a Queen/King size quilt, handling this size quilt is so hard for me but I'll conquer it.   These were my last project in March, they will be ready to use next year.

The string block top from hell is done and ready to be quilted.
Pictures of our furry little house guest, she went home yesterday and boy do I miss her.  She supervised the finishing of the top, was a real trooper.

I had to take most of the top appart as some of the strings were going the wrong direction and of course they were in the middle not the edges.  So rip it, rip it, rip it, in other words practiced the Frog stitch.

This is about as organized as it gets when I'm trying to "get er done".  Doing string blocks to use up a bin of strings next to the sewing machine.  Then need to tackle ufos, trying to use it up and get er done in 2018.  If I ever get the room organized and cleaned up again, I'll post photos before I tear it up again.  LOL  Having fun on a snowy, cold Mon. in No. Il.

I am really stumbling around without a project.  I have to get rid of scraps, either toss em or use them up.  Bins are overflowing and I need to at least get them so I can close them.  I just need to cut some 12.5" muslin foundation sqs. and get going and quit   I have to focus, focus, focus.  Christmas over, New Years over and wedding over.  Time to quit whining and start doing.

Finished Wedding Quilt

The wedding quilt is done, down to the label and ready to be wrapped up for the big day Sat.  Now to find my next project which I think is going to be a simple blue jean rag quilt, a quilt as you go.  I also need to finish Katie's Christmas quilt, it is sandwiched and ready for quilting.  I'm feeling really good about the finish, now to get it ready to give away.  It feels like I'm giving away one of my kids.  LOL

I'm in between projects right now so busy cleaning and organizing the sewing/craft room.  What a messy place right now.  I also have to de-clutter the guest bedroom and get some room in there for the bridal party to  get ready for the wedding Sept. 9th.  The wedding and reception are to take place in our back yard.  George has been busy with lawn care and planning the parking.  The wedding quilt is under the long arm and should be done in a week or 2.  Will post picture when finished.  Just need to plan, make and attach the label.  It is all so much fun and exciting.

Today Emily is 22, browsed my photos and we sure had a lot of fun in my little sewing area and it looks like she has the crafting bug so some of me rubbed off.

Emily's first quilt all finished and ready to give to her for Christmas, it will be a surprise.    So many happy hours we spent crafting.  Loved every minute of it.

This top was done  by me in 2008, Sue Rahlston helped with the appliqued trees, thanks Sue and miss our escapades, it was done as a display in the Laurie Kames quilt shop aka My Sister's Quilt Shop.  Spent lots of dun and happy hours there.

William did the top when he was 8 or 9 yrs. old, grandma made the happy feet backings for it.  He downloaded the embroidery patterns and uploaded to the sewing machine and ran the embroidery module.  Good job little buddy, not so little any more though.  Lots of happy memories for grandma.

Emily's quilt

Emily sewed the jelly roll top in 2012 and she drew and colored the wreath in 2005, I'm going to make a label out of another copied wreath to sew on the back.  The other insert is the front of her graduation book.  She will be 22 in Aug. and I'm giving her the quilt for Christmas if I can wait that long.

I have 4 tops with backings and bindings ready to complete.  They are tops the grand kids made when they were younger.  Two are William's when he learned to chain piece charms and download embroidery designs to the sewing machine.  I finished them and incorporated his blocks with the embroidery designs.  There ended up being 2 quilts, because he really got into the chain piecing.  The other quilt is Emily's, she did the jelly roll quilt and it turned out very pretty.  I made the backing and incorporated a floral wreath she drew when she was about 9 or 10 and I copied the front of her graduation booklet, which she helped design,  to fabric.  She's going to be so surprised.  The 4th and last top is one I made for a quilt shop display and just never got around to the backing and binding.  I ordered the backing and binding for the wq today.  I have finished the decorative stitches on the kitchen towel, a hanging towel and have the blocks done for a table runner and fabrics for a hot pad for the shower gift.  I may actually get everything done by the end of July.  I'll post photos when everything is done.

I have all of the blocks done for the wq, log cabin and friendship stars.  Now to get the layout duplicated from my eq program and start to assemble the top.  Got a little distracted when I started making backings for 3 tops the grand-kids finished.  I have 2 done and working on the third.  I'm using stash but for some reason it doesn't seem to dwindle very much.  I'm procrastinating on assembling the wedding quilt, can you tell. LOL  The rest of this week I'll be cooking and prepping the house for company on Sun. for Katie's graduation party.  Ordered veggie and fruit trays and buns.  Bought a pork shoulder to make crock pot pulled pork on Sat., hard boiled eggs for deviled eggs and got the makings for 3 bean salad.  There should  be enough to feed the hungry throngs.