What a Joy to Ship Out

There are other quilting projects to ship out and a few to finish up for the season, yet, today, the last finish of the FB14 went out. It was small enough to fit into one of the larger plastic shipping bags so went at half the price it takes to box it.

I was pleased with this one. That Log Cabin pattern is quite versatile. And again, it is a scrappy quilt made by shopping from my closet. The picture shows another pattern of a shadowy light part that is not seen by the eye.

The backside was also done in 2.5" scrappy strips. It makes the quilt reversible for a brighter view. Again, this is a pattern for the scraps but they lay out however they work. It made me smile to see fabrics that had no purpose and some I really didn't even like work out so well. I heard somewhere that the more colors and fabrics in a piece, the less any of them had to coordinate. This is true with this piece. Two very different looks!

The last of the FB14

I am working on binding for the last of the FB14. Its a lovely quilt for a friend I met only a few times when I lived in Los Angeles. Most of us are care-worn walking our paths and often our encounters show us how to release illusions or expectations. I am not sure any more what happened in the brief encounters we had back then. Now we are Facebook friends and I don't even know what that means.

What I do know is that I put out a vague question if anyone was open to receive some quilting project of mine. She responded that she was open to receive. In truth I was surprised at how many folks replied (14 in all), and after swallowing hard and wondering how I would make them something, I got at it. This is the last one, even though there are several finished projects that are yet to mail. 

Its hard for people to say what they really want even when given the option. I might have made quilts for folks who got wallhangings if they said that they wanted a quilt. It wasn't that I thought the wallhangings were less than the quilt, but know that you cannot wrap up in one. Ah well, on with it.

Back in Gear Again

When I laid out the MN WILD quilt, somehow, in spite of my calculations, I put the directional print for the borders on the wrong way. It was devastating. AND the quilt was so much larger than I have ever worked on that I was getting more and more upset with myself.

This morning, however, when it got laid out only half its width across my Queen size bed, the solution was there. Each side border is 6" wide, so it could get cut 3" and the center, which is shown closer here without a border could be ripped, both cut borders sewn to each the top and bottom. WHICH, BY THE WAY, makes the top & bottom to the quilt. That means ripping the quilt down the center, cutting the side borders to 3" each and adding those two borders to the center seams. BOOM!

All that stress. As is shown in the pic, there are two swirls across and three swirls down. Its really quilt lovely. I haven't measured it yet, nor have I made an appointment to baste it. I feel so very happy with this 'soulution'. 

I don't think there is enough of the border fabric left to make the binding, however, it will be measured, so maybe.

 

Insert Explitve Here

Two quilts got basted this morning. Then I came home and put the borders on the MN WILD quilt, except that I didn't do them the way I wanted. Guess there is always tomorrow to figure it out. Someone once said that you can always rip before it gets basted!

The first one basted was the Log Cabin. Yes, that is my Flat Partner for a Swapbot exchange. The quilt is in fall colors, all from my closet, as the last of the FB14 projects I took on this year. Interestingly, two of them were received today.

The second quilt basted is a smaller baby quilt with a fleece batting. Both quilts were batted using leftovers. The one above needed to be joined, but this one was the perfect size with less than an inch around. It made it.


I might have taken on too much today because I got out into the gardens too and laid stepping stones. I raked the trough first, and then raked in front of the shed for the pavers that were ordered. I really had the MN WILD quilt planned so I am not sure what the heck happened, but sure as anything the directional print is on it in a way that I didn't want. Dang.

Threads

One needs white thread for white fabrics. Seems that the projects at hand need much more white thread than usual. The MN WILD quilt will be quilted in white so I need to purchase enough to get started.

Also the Grinch Advent Calendars need white. This is the backside showing white muslin. It is an echo stitch around the various images on the panel. Both panels were completed with the echo stitching and they are not done. One spool of white got used up.

Then the day pockets, the Grinch marker and the Wreath with the number 25 on it were done for both panels. All with white. I plan to use a red thread to top stitch the pocket sides and bottoms. The panel kit turned out to be well worth the investment and will make great gifts for two families for the holidays. 

Advent calendars are meant to help kids know how many days are left before the big gift-opening holiday comes. Some families let their kids open to ease their whining. Some kids grow up not having any sense of waiting or anticipation. Personally I love Advent Calendars and have an old one that I forget to check every day. Kids.

Advent Calendars

Today was spent making the calendar form for the Grinch Advent Calendar. Its the part that has batting and is quilted. The day slots come next. I got one form done and prefer not to photograph the steps of it today. I will do that tomorrow. The hesitation comes from dealing with this new computer set up. Its so laborious compared to the Mac. Yes, this is a whine. I also measured for borders on the MN WILD quilt,and need to cut and piece them. 

A day of doing little things. 

I measured for borders on the MN WILD quilt, and need to cut and piece them. I watched NFL games. The Vikings lost; the Raiders won. I KNOW that it is vital to do these little things, and if the camera/computer setup was easier, I would post progressive photos. It is not. It feels like progress to keep moving on them even if there are not photographs to mark the experiences. 

I must say that I fight the side effects of some of the meds I am taking right now. They make me groggy and its hard to push through when I should be resting. Yes, the need for them is realized, but dang, I still fight resting.

What Day is it Anyway?

The homemade gift I am planning for the 12 Days of Christmas Swap is a set of 6 stacking boxes. My partner says she likes pastel fabric that reads solid, or otherwise known as tone-on-tone. So I spent a LONG time going through my stash to find 12 pieces that coordinate as pairs to make these fabric boxes. I don't do pastel and don't have a lot of tone-on-tones. Then there was the size of the squares. I have five pairs and suddenly realized that I should start over and have the boxes fit inside each other and coordinate with fabrics I do have. I have already pleased her with the few things I bought the other day. Long ago, I learned that I do not enjoy making things that I do not enjoy working on.

I also pulled out a costume box for the Disneyland Halloween Night. I stitched together a bag that I will carry as a gypsy pouch or purse. Random from the fabric in the box. Last year, I was over dressed so this year my costume is one layer only. Its further south and so even the nights there are hot and steamy.

These two issues have a lot in common because they are me trying to please someone else. I am the giver of this box, and will do the best I can in many ways to please my partner. I am the participant at the Halloween party and while I want to wear a costume, I also want to be comfortable and enjoy the time spent there.

I got outside and worked in the gardens. I planted a fern in a wooden planter, adding the proper container soil. I added soil to two other planters, one for the turtle to walk around in and eat whatever she wants and the other was for strawberries. I placed the plants but didn't put them in the soil. Just that had me so tired for the rest of the day. And that is ok to stop and watch videos.