Progress, progress, progress! Yeah!

First on my list after work was to get the tools and workbench out of the bedroom so I could get to the windows. Done!
Here is another shot of the back of the Buffet quilt. I have worked my way around to the other side of the quilt where I used this cool shark fabic to make the backing wide enough. Since the satellite kept going out last evening with the thunderstorms we had I spent more time quilting than watching TV so I went thru 3 bobbins last evening. I am almost 50% done quilting this piece.
Here is the way I machine quilt an overall design like I am doing on the Buffet inspired quilt. I start at the side and work my way back and forth.

I do all my machine quilting on my faithfull Pfaff 1475.

Cindi asked how I keep my stitches so even. I think it is all a matter of foot pedal speed and how fast you move the quilt. Yes, it is all free motion. I wish I could go faster and sometimes I have the foot pedal all the way to the floor so I can move the quilt fast, but mostly I work at what I would call a medium fast speed. I also have had a lot of practice which helps with getting consistent stitches. I find I do have to concentrate not to move my hands too fast. I have gone thru 75,000 yards of quilting thread in the last 2 1/2 years so that is a lot of practice!
Here you can see my set up. I have tables my dad made surrounding the sewing cabinet that my dad also made. I put my quilting station in the corner so the quilt would not fall off the table because of the walls. This works great even for big quilts. Sometime I do put another table beside me on the left when I quilt a big quilt to support the quilt from falling on the floor.


Remember these sad diaffodils that were all yellow from being under the black plastic?

Well, look at them now! Two weeks later and some sunshine and they are beautiful!

The papers have been signed!

My appointment to sign the papers for the refy was suppose to be at 1 p.m. yesterday, but the paperwork was slow getting to the title people and the appointment was delayed until 5. The problem with this was that they were suppose to met me at my office, but instead we switched it to my house since we were not meeting until 5 and the house was a wreck! I left work a few minutes early so I could attacked the kitchen. I had to clean off the kitchen table and the countertops. Let's just say I haven't done the dishes in a few days. Now where do I put the stuff? I know the oven! I packed as much as I could into the oven, then stuffed some stuff in the cupboards. If I had run out of room the fridge would have been next! I just got the countertops wiped off when the fellow showed up. The signing went quick and smooth. The notary was a very nice fellow and very professional. This long drug out process is now over! YEAH! I feel free and like I have my life back except now I need to find all those dirty dishes I have squirrled everywhere!

I ran thru two more bobbins last evening working on the Buffet inspired baby quilt. It is coming along quickly! I think I will have this done this weekend. I think that shark fabric is so cool!

I picked up a couple more Holloween fabrics for the quilt that I am making my brother. I need to get the top made so I can quilt it during the June Quilting throw down Glen of Quilts and Dogs is having. I love the dancing skeletons!

Tonight one of my goals is to get this workbench and all these tools moved so I can get to the window in the bedroom. I had set up this area while Mike and I were working on the bathroom. Last night it was very warm and I opened the other window that faces the neighbor's house, but my neighbor was outside talking on his cell phone several times between 1 and 3 in the morning and woke me up. The window in the picture faces the backyard so if I open it and close the other window which faces the neighbor's house maybe he will not wake me up.

Update on the Buffet inspired quilt

Yesterday I decided I am going to go walking down at the towpath as much as I can. The weather has finally warmed up. Here is one of the two Canada goose that were chillin' out.

Here is the one window treatment hung up. I lined these with room darkening lining to keep the sun at bay. Stupid me I forgot that the windows in this room are not the same size so I will have to take the other curtain partially apart and make it smaller for the other window.

Here are a couple more pieces of African cottons I bough from Becky at St. Theresa's Textile Trove in Cincinnati, Oh. She emailed me and told me about these pieces so I just went ahead and bought them. You never know ......

Here is what the back of the Buffet inspired baby quilt looks like with some quilting. I like the look of the pale green thread. I ran thru two bobbins before I called it quit and went to bed.

Quilting the Buffet inspired quilt

Saturday I had to get my taxes done and I decided to check before I left that I had everything I needed. Last year I forgot something and what a pain. When I checked I didn't have my W2. Crap, where could it be? For a half hour I tore the house apart. I finally found it and took off for my appointment. Guess what I had to do when I got home? Yes, clean up the mess I made looking for the W2. I was tired so I worked on cleaning up between resting. I took a bag and bucket of papers out to recycle and had a pile for shreding.
Here is the quilting on the Buffet inspired quilt. I am using Connecting Thread Essentials in Meadow. It feels good to sit down at the machine and do some quilting! I haven't quilted since December! This will be my first finish for the year. I am not counting the polyester quilt since I did not construct the top. Oh, by the way, I met up with the lady on Saturday morning and she loved it!

I managed to get one of the pink and gray quilts layed out and ready for pin basting.

I finished the window treatments for the office, but I needed to touch up the paint on the window frames so I couldn't hang them. I will post a picture tomorrow.

Yeah it is Friday!

I finished sewing on the binding on the polyester baby quilt and sewed one more row of quilting for good measure. I am so glad this is done. I will meet up with the lady tomorrow and hand it off.


I think I will work on the Buffet baby quilt this weekend. If I get ambitious this weekend I will pin baste the gray and pink quilts too and maybe finish grouting the bathroom. The weather is suppose to be in the 50's this weekend so I may change my mind and get some yard work done instead.

Have a great weekend!

Almost done with this polyester project

I can't wsit to get this quilt done. This polyester is driving me crazy! I had a conversation with the lady I am doing this for and she was very receptive to all the information I was giving her especially - no more polyester! I have one side of the binding hand sewed on, so I am close to being done


The appraiser finally turned in their report so closing should happen soon.

Ready for the binding

I am now to the point on this baby quilt that I need to attach the binding. The blue gingham border is very cheap fabric and it wants to go all over the place. I figure the binding will help stabilize it so I can add more quilting.