Messing around with oilcloth

My mother's volunteer has the small things in her purse in a Ziploc bag.  Hmmm.  I am always looking for an excuse to make her little presents.  I took out my oilcloth scraps tonight, got one of my new zippers and experimented.  If it were not for the oilcloth and zipper thing, it would be a no-brainer.  Even though I used my teflon foot, it was a bit slippery.  I am no whiz on zippers either, since I have not put one in in awhile..need to practice some.  But, I did it.  Don't  you love the little clear window??  The purse may be a bit big for what she wanted and she will say..no no no presents.  I am delighted with it anyway.  It took under an hour to make.

Grandchildren...and a little sewing:)

First of all we have to show off a new hair cut and a missing tooth!!  Most important priority!!

 Now we are on to coloring on fabric with Marvvy markers to make a potholder for his teacher.

 Lynsey does not have a teacher, but she will not be left out..hers is for Mommy.

 Proud of his potholder, he chose the heart motif and sat on my lap with his hand on mine to sew it.  Actually, he chose everything about it.  He insisted that his teacher loves the colors blue and green.

 A little field trip today to the farmer's market...Don't you know we all want to be "green".

 Showing off the recycled animal food bags.

 Making a house for his stuffed dinosaur with Grandma's scraps.

 Once the scrap basket is out...it is fair game..

Nine patch scrap buster--finished!

I am so excited about this quilt.  It is truly a scrap buster...if there is such a thing.  It was fun and easy.  I think I might try one now in solids.  Trying here to get a good picture of it in this sunny/not sunny day.

 I was looking at the generous Leah Day blog as she shares her free motion quilting secrets for free.  One lesson showed an angled stippling.  I decided to try my beginner's version of it.  It was so easy and fun.  Of course my new free motion foot was a huge help.  It was pricey for Janome standards but I bought it anyway.  Then I couldn't figure it out so it sat in my drawer for 2 years while I used my old one.  Finally Sherry helped me do it and I just love it!!!  Last night I went to a meeting of the Modern Quilting Guild of Charlotte and then dropped by to see my mother.  At 9:30 I decided to start this.  Before I knew it it was midnight and the whole thing was quilted.  I am proud of myself!!!

Scrap nine-patch triangle quilt top finished

A big thanks to Jera for this tutorial.  I think it is one of the easiest scrap quilts with the least work for the biggest bang..or is it the biggest bang for the buck...Anyway, I had a lot of fun doing it.  I was hoping to have it done for basting at my quilting group tonight, but work got in the way.  The inner one inch border is Kaffe's shot cotton and the last border is a batik. Mix and no match:)  Good thing I have a 40 year stash because I auditioned 10 fabrics for this border before I found the one I wanted.

 Also, I am always looking for a quilt that would suit a man if I need a gift for one.  I think that this quilt would...

Scrap process progress..

I was so humming along with this project when work called.  I mean really, work and my business instead of sewing??  And, then I had to do the paperwork.  At least while I was making a sandwich for my dinner,  my brain made a decision.  There is so much clutter in this quilt that this subdued lattice gives the eye a place to rest.  The turquoise one was fighting for attention from the blocks and the green was just the wrong shade of green.  All my blocks are pieced now and I hope to put the lattice on tonight.  The border and binding, whatever they may be,  should pull it all together nicely.  I just love it when things work out so well with no sweat, even without chocolate.

Himself is off playing tennis.  He loves to exercise.  I have to admit that I agree.  I mean my right leg feels just wonderful when it is pushing the foot peddle of my dearly beloved Janome 6600.

Scrap process..re: previous post

Looking at the scrap tutorial from the previous post..I see here many layout choices.  I love process so here it is.  Now, the blocks are all still triangles from the 5inch square nine patch. No blocks are sewn together yet.  Auditioning layouts on the design wall before the blocks are sewn helps my mind decide.  Because the ideas ferment in my mind somewhere...way back in an empty space.  My mind likes time, so when the time does comes the ideas will have grown.  Also, seeing things online gives a much better view than anywhere else, MHO.

This is how a scrap quilt makes more scraps while using them up!!!

Because this block is easy to turn around, I transport it to the machine on a portable design wall mini.

There is no way to have a seam allowance at all on this block, cut this way, so you have to be flexible on the matching.  The way I look at it, it is easy and it is fun and no possibility of matching makes it even better.

Monday morning focus

My "clean" sewing room has been reorganized...I was reminded by my Milito about....who really counts around here and who did NOT appreciate our getting a new dog.  So I have moved some scrap containers and made a bed for himself.  Zoey cannot reach it...eat your heart out Zoey.

 I tried to make it comfy for Milo with his own little wall hanging.  I think he appreciates it:)  Milo is my favorite cat.  He is soo smart.  He can open any door in the house and he comes when he is called.  When the last client of the day comes, Milo knows how to end the session by shaking open the door...ha ha !! He used to cuddle up under my covers, head on the pillow until stupid me made the mistake of telling my husband that even though I am not allergic to cats, the asthma doctor said...blah, blah, blah and now no cats are allowed in the bedroom...when someone is home that is.

 And since this is a quilting blog..mostly..to show you my newest easy no-think project..A big thank you to Quilting in the Rain for this very very fun tutorial.  I have had several charm packs just sitting around..gifts or things I bought when I didn't want to buy yardage and still could have some of it...you know what I mean....I put some of two together and some of my own to test my use of colorways that I do not usually use.  Relaxing...

It is freezing in Charlotte today.  And tonight a frost??  Tomatoes are in..I mean really, the Farmer's Almanac says April 15th is safe..not that I am a farmer or anything like that.  

The last of the $5 flannels from Springs..done

I guess I would call this finishing up Sunday...or I could call it crabby Sunday....It is a difficult thing to work with a wiggly, pre-done top because even though it is spray basted, flannel slips and slides and this piece was very wildly uneven to begin with.  I wanted to do these cuddle quilts as they are a great way to practice my free-motion quilting.  After this one, I might just quit it...In the last quadrant, the thread kept breaking.  The thread would fray above the needle and then just break off.  I re-threaded the needle, I re-inserted the needle, I changed the needle...5 times, I fiddled with the tension, I changed out the thread and I cleaned the machine...nothing worked.  So what would have taken me 2 hours to do, took me 4 hours, lots of mouthing off and numerous swipes at the M&M bag.  I still do not know what was wrong because the minute I changed out the foot to regular quilting..it all stopped.  Anyway, it is done and washed and not looking too bad.

I have not seen my mother all weekend.  I really needed a break.  My sister visited and so did my husband.  Today Mom went to a volunteer function at her facility.  She got an award for facilitating her poetry group there.  But, things have changed for my mother.  Christmas was the last poem she wrote and she had to dictate it to my husband as she couldn't remember how to work the computer.  She really really wanted to find her old "Volunteer" poem that she had written last year.  No one would help her because they feel that it is too much for her.  She is a different person now in April than she was in December.  So she was despondent.  She said that everyone believes that she can no longer walk and everyone believes that she can no longer work the computer without falling out of the wheelchair or getting overtired...Yup, Mom..that is true.  I know it is hard to accept, but no one wants you to fall out of bed or the wheelchair trying to write a poem or trying to walk.  We are just hoping you will make it to Cinco de Mayo to celebrate your 91...How about some balloons and cake in 13 days!

Mesh produce bags finished and ready to go

Thanks to My Happy Crazy Life blog, I have now finished my produce bags. The only thing different silly me would do is to fold the casing over the front instead of the back so the string would pull easier.  They are color coded just like she suggested..green small, orange medium and turquoise large.

                                          Here are my previously made recycled feed bags.

Bags all stuffed inside one another.  Now they are  in my van trunk already...for Farmers Market and Aldi..now, to remember to bring them in!  Is there a tutorial for that???

Zipit Zippers

When I realized that I too was old..not almost 91, but surely not a spring chicken, I decided to just get what I wanted.  That is where the Kitchenaide and the ruler of a previous post came from.  I have had this link Zipit on my radar for months..I "just did" it the other day...exciting and much better than waiting for a local deal..35 zippers so bright and pretty...all for $14 plus $3 postage.  They arrived today to make me happy.

 It is ALL about color!!

A little of this and a little of that....

Before throwing scraps into the scrap bin, I decided to play.

 Then there is Zoey.  I have never had a black dog before.  She is difficult to see in the dark...so at JoAnn's 50% off notion sale today...

 I bought this.  I put both flash and no flash pix up because there is such a difference.  It is iron on.  It all worked perfectly on the collar until I realized that one of the buckles was plastic.  It melted right on my pressing cloth...oh, well...

 And then there is this from My Happy Crazy Life.  She decided that there were so many plastic bags inside of her "green" bags, that is was not a good thing.  So her tutorial here shows how to make mesh re-usable produce bags.  Right up my alley of no brainer projects for tonight.

 I hope I got the right scruffy mesh because at JoAnn's fabric sale today, I got carried away:)

Soothing the stress....really??

Yesterday at noon I visited my mother.  She was in the bed, mouth open in a deep agitated sleep doing the Parkinson's twitch..ugh...I could not wake her, got all the nurses...had to let it go..double ugh.  My husband went by after work because I was so upset and he found her very clear minded chatting away in bed and eating her dinner. Once again...Parkinson's stop and go... So I bought this KitchenAid for myself.

And then I bought this!!!!

from Sew Kind of Wonderful

A daughter just has to do what a daughter just has to do!  Being rational has nothing to do with it.

My sewing room..

Just in case you thought I couldn't do it!!!  A clean sewing room:) 

 What is there about a clean quilt or two that makes a perfect resting spot??

 With all the other animals in this house, Pumpkin...I thought I could count on you?