I just couldn't wait

I just had to make a block. I just couldn't wait until I got all those strips cut! LOL!!! I have been cutting two 3" wide strips of the solids and I will be doing the same of the prints. Here is my first block. It's a simple block and not challenging, but I think they will make a pretty quilt.

This is the picture that was in the book of the quilt.

Still digging for solids

I went thru the bin of solids and found some pieces that were colors I could use. I still was short on purples and I needed to find some pale colors so I went digging again in the fabric storage room. I thought for a second I may have to buy some fabric, but then I decided I am not going to do that! I am going to use what I have! After pulling solids out of every pile and bin I had, I headed to my hand dyed shelf and started digging. I did find some fabric that did not have a big variation of color meaning almost solid. I found some purples, a pale pink, and some greens. Here is the pile I have now waiting for me to press and cut.

After I get these cut into strips I will then be matching each strip up with a print. I saw this quilt in the book "Use Scraps, Sew Blocks, Make 100 Quilts" by Stuart Hillard on Glen's blog Quilts and Dogs. It is a simple 16 patch block quilt, but I loved all the colors that were used. So my next adventure will be digging thru my stash for lively prints! I have a bunch of African Dutch Wax prints and I think some of them will end up in this quilt.

Digging for more solids

I went digging in the fabric storage room for more solid fabrics. I have been not buying much fabric the last couple of years unless I need something for a project. My storage room still seems so full so it took some digging around to see if I could find more solids. I did find these. The blues, lavender, and that dark green are all vintage fabrics.

Them I had to search around for my scrap box of solids. I finally found it. I need to come up with some orange and purple fabrics. We will see!

Several finishes

I got the flannel table topper finished. It is 19" x 28"

I crocheted the edge of that baby blanket I had finished knitting a few weeks ago. The yarn was bought by the same friend as the table topper is for. The blanket was suppose to be for a baby, but that baby has long grown into an elementary aged girl. I still finished it and she can give it to someone if she wants.

For this same friend, she had asked me to dye some placemats that had stains on them.

The stains didn't go away; they absorbed the dye differently. Oh well, I tried.

I spent some time cutting fabric for my next project. This will be a quilt for my nephew and his wife. They just got married a few months ago. They didn't want a wedding, but they still need a quilt! I got started on cutting 3" wide strips of solids which I will pair with a print. I need to go digging for more solids! I need some light blue, orange, purple, and green.

All quilted

I got the mini flannel quilt/table topper quilted last evening. I was surprised it took three bobbins to quilt this 28.5 x 19.5" piece. I also have the binding cut.

I will get this finished this weekend and I would like to get the second coat of paint on the cabinet doors so I can hang them. I already had door knobs so I will screw those on. Next I can take down the shelving and get started on painting the next wall in the utility/laundry/dye studio/dressing room.

Have a great weekend!

Top finished

I got the top finished and the size is good. It needs to finish 19" x 28" to fit the top of the night stand for my friend.

I will quilt it tonight which shouldn't take too long. I might even get the binding on it.

Piecing progress

I made some progress on the little flannel table topper. I have one half pieced and a couple of blocks for the other half sewn. Every pie piece will be different as I am cut free cutting them.

Wanda, yes I do hate driving in the dark to work for many reasons, but the biggest one is not being able to see the chuckholes/potholes! Every day I have to concentrate and remember where the worst ones are on my path. Some were a bit easier to see this morning with the snow covering the streets. We got 2 - 3 inches which started about 6 this morning. Then by 10 it turned to rain. Here is what it looks like outside my window at work.

Next project

It was suggested in my comments to yesterday's post to work on a couple of small projects and that is exactly what I need to do. I have several I need to do. The first one is a table cover for a friend who I gave the flannel quilt to for Xmas. I got the pieces roughly cut out. They don't need to be exact because I am improv piecing them and will trim them when I sew the blocks together.

Next I laid out the pieces. They are now ready for me to cut and sew tonight. The block will be a improv drunkards path block.

I made two loaves of banana nut bread - I had already cut them up before I remembered to take a picture. I took some of it to work for the IT guys who truly appreciate my baking. The bread is dark because there is cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove in them. The house smelled so good!

Did you see that big moon last night? It was bright! I took this when I pulled into the parking lot at work this morning.

1st finish for 2019 - Finally!

Yeah I got Sammy's quilt done and yes, I even got the label sewn on! I don't have my hanging pole back up on the wall since I painted the living room so all I have is a picture of the quilt on my bed. I will try and get the pole back up before I give Sammy the quilt so I can take a decent picture of it. Once I do, I will post it.

Here are a couple pictures of the back.

And in this one you can see the binding I used. Sammy can play several instruments so I thought this music fabric would be a good choice.

I didn't get the doors for the cabinet sanded and painted with the second coat this weekend. I will have to get that done this week.

90%

Slowly but surely I am getting the quilting done on Sammy's quilt. I got the shirt outlined in this picture quilted last night

Here is what I have left to quilt. The machine is all threaded up ready for quilting the teal shirt tonight.

I am going to have to dig in my stash and find something to use for the binding. Right now I have no idea what I will be looking for.

88%

I managed to get this t-shirt quilted last evening

That puts me at 88% done with the quilting. I still have the area circled in lavender to quilt

I also got the first coat of paint on the other side of the cabinet doors and the edges

and speed watched the Grammy's. Between the music with no depth, rap, country, and commercials I was fast forwarding a lot. I sure miss seeing rock bands with fire and explosions, performances by artists like Prince and Neil Young, and R&B artists that made you want to get up and dance. Music today is just sad. Bring back rock bands! Where have they all gone?

Making progress

I only got one more t-shirt quilted this weekend. I am now 84% done. The small Robin Hood shirt is done. The blue outlined area is what I have left to quilt.

Between running errands I worked on the cabinet. I got the second coat on the case and hung it on Saturday. You need a lot of tools - well, at least I do - to hang a cabinet - a level, tape measure, blue tape, shims, caulk, a drill, a multimaster, a stud finder

I had to shim the cabinet so it was plum so I got out my multimaster to trim off the shims sticking out

I installed a few of the shelves.

I have the backside of the doors painted. I need to flip them over and paint the other side and edges.

Saturday I had to go to the site at the hospital to take apart some lockers. My DIL wanted four of them so my son and his friend came up to help me take them apart and they hauled them to Joe's truck. The lockers that are left will be trashed today so I had to get them out.

It was sunny on Saturday and I noticed that the daffodils next to the house are coming up. I bet they regret that since it snowed late yesterday. We only got about an inch.

I did the repairs on that bag of clothes. I had to sew on a snap, a couple buttons, hem a pair of pants, fix a seam that had popped open and a seam that was coming apart. Most of the items still had the tags on them. I think they came from a store that sells name brand clothes, but there are repairs that need done. They are all neatly folded and ready to go.

It's Friday finally!

It has been a long week so I am glad for the weekend. My goals are to get more quilted on Sammy's quilt. I don't think I can get the machine quilting done this weekend because I have other things going on.

What else do I have going on? Well, last night I spent my evening sanding and painting the new cabinet. I put the first coat on the case and the second coat - after sanding the first - on the shelves. I want to get the case sanded and the second coat of paint on it tonight so I can hang it this weekend.

I will have to flip the shelves over and apply two coats of paint. I still have the doors to paint too.

When my brother stopped over the other evening and dropped off the cabinet, he handed me a bag of clothes that need some repairs. He does handyman work for the lady. He had asked me if I would fix her stuff and I said yes so this wasn't a surprise. I want to get those done this weekend. It is not as bad as it looks. Most of the repairs are minor.

I have to go and get those lockers out of the hospital sometime this weekend too so it is going to be a busy one.

On my way home from work there is one major intersection that I have to go thru. It is where you get on the interstate. Well, last night someone made a bad decision and there was a accident. It must have just happened shortly before I got to the intersection because the police were just showing up. Traffic was all snarled up. I had to sit thru the light three times before I was able to get thru and a traffic cop had arrived to deal with the mess. Here was my view to the right. The arrow is pointed at a white car. I have no idea how they ended up there

And here was my view to the left when the ambulance arrived. That black car was mashed pretty good and there was debris all over the intersection. It didn't look like anyone got hurt. I think the ambulance was precautionary to check on the victims to make sure they were ok.

My guess was that someone ran a light to try and get where they were going quicker. Well that didn't work!

Have a wonderful, productive and safe weekend!

Keeping my hands busy

I laid out the shelves for my new cabinet

wiped them down to get any sawdust off of them, and put on the first coat of paint on one side and the front edge. I will have to give them a light sand then I will do a second coat. Once that is dry I can flip them over and paint the other side.

When I was at my meetings I knitted during the presentations to keep my hands busy. I had this baby blanket that needed about 56 more rows knitted. See the at the left where I tied on a new skein? That is where I started on Monday and by Tuesday before lunch I had casted off. It was hard Tuesday afternoon not having anything to do but sit. I still need to crochet around the perimeter - I should have had my crochet hook with me!

At work we are getting ready to demo more of the hospital and one of the rooms is a staff locker room. The hospital doesn't want the lockers - they are getting new ones - so I asked if I could have four. They are not for me; my DIL wants them. I have to get them out of there before Monday because the demo guys are coming then. I am resisting the urge to drag any to my house.

Where I have been

I have been in meetings Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday a half day. It has just been too much. I did get more quilting done on Sammy's quilt this past weekend. I am now 82% done. The blue outlined area is what I have left to quilt.

Early Saturday morning there was at least 11 deer in my backyard.

I got the second coat of paint on the wall at this end of the laundry/utility room and got the trim painted.

The next wall will be this one so I spend some serious time cleaning, sorting, and tossing items. I have to find a place to put the stuff I want to keep. I plan on taking down these shelves including the uprights and the bar they hang from. Of course I will leave the holes and it will be easy to rehang the shelves after the painting is done. Here is a before and in-process

My brother brought over my new cabinet. I want to paint it before I hang it. Here is the case, the doors, and shelves.

Sunday it was like spring here! The temperature was in the low 50's so I had to go out and wash my car. Here is the before (oh the salt!) and the after - much better!

I got my pipes all thawed out. I am bound and determined to find a plumber and get all my plumbing issues sorted out. I want them to pull the vanities in the lower bathroom, cut the drywall and put more insulation around those pipes. I need some shutoffs added too amongst other things.