Back on the Blog!

Yep, FINALLY!  I'm back on the blog!  It's been over a year but here I am.  You're probably wondering where I went...or maybe not but I'll tell you anyway :-P

 

There I was, minding my own business when all of a sudden I was overtaken with this crazy idea to get a JOB!  Yes, a JOB!  I don't know what I was thinking...well actually, I was thinking, "Imagine all the fun quilty stuff I can buy if I have a job!" So, I started the hunt and THAT was the beginning of the end.

 

I was hired in February 2012 by a local contract manufacturer as an Account Coordinator.  It was a good job in that the days went by VERY fast.  It was like being in a time warp.  I no sooner arrived in the morning and BAM!  It was time to go home.  That was the good part...well, that and payday.  The bad part was that by the time I got home at the end of the day I was EXHAUSTED and having spent the entire day on a computer the LAST thing I wanted to do when I got home was more computer stuff.  I didn't even want to SHOP online! 

 

On top of that, I had no quilting time.  I worked a 45+ hour work week and used the weekend to do laundry, housecleaning, pay bills and that kind of icky household stuff so even if I had time I wouldn't have much to blog about....I mean, who cares about how a dropped I brand-new, giant-size bottle of laundry detergent which broke open creating a mess that took HOURS to clean up?  And while now I had some extra cash, I had no time to spend it!  How awful is THAT?

 

Well, my salvation came in the form of my husband's retirement from the US Air Force after 26 years of service and his entrance into the civillian workforce.  His new position requires him to go to several different places for training over the course of several months and we decided that I should travel with him rather than be apart for 9 months which of course meant that I had to quit my job.  The funny part is that shortly after I quit my job my husband's new employer changed his training to just two months! God works in mysterious ways!  My last day of work was in March and since then I have been crazy busy putting together my husbands retirement dinner/party, entertaining visiting family and friends, and getting ready for our travels.  Now we are on the road which means I'll be able to go to a ton of new quilt shops and blog about them all. I'm so EXCITED! 

 

To be completely truthful, I can't say I haven't quilted at all...I have managed to work on a few things and when I get back home I'll show you what I've gotten done.  I'll have to update all my lists, too. Sadly, my New Projects and Piecing lists have grown at a much faster rate than my Finished list but I just get so excited when I buy and start new projects.  Of course, I've brought several projects to work on while "on the road" and so I'll be able to share those experiences with you.

 

I had some very specific criteria when choosing the projects to bring along with me.  First of all, it had to be something that I could work on using my 1952 Singer Featherweight. 

 

 

Now, if you ever get a chance to buy one of these babies in good working condition, DO IT!  It is the greatest machine and so easy to travel with and great for taking to classes. 

 

Secondly, it had to be a project that was already started AND either hand-work, or a paper-pieced project. Why paper-pieced?  Basically, I don't like to switch machines in the middle of my projects because they all sew a little differently.  With paper-piecing it doesn't matter because you are sewing 'on the lines'. 

 

Now I did have one exception to rule two, and that is my Wedding Star quilt.  This is a pattern by Judy Niemeyer and uses Bali Pops.  I took this photo of the sample hanging in the quilt shop where I bought the pattern. 
 

 

Here's a detail shot...

 

 

Isn't it wonderful?!

 

I haven't started it yet and am a little intimidated because this is a big quilt. 

But it is, for the most part, paper-pieced!

 

Well, this has gotten a bit long-winded but it has been awhile since we last visited. 

Check back in a couple of days and I'll show you all the projects that I brought along

 and the progress I've made on each of them :-)

 

Until then,

Keep Quilting!

 

Irene

 

 

And SEW it begins...

Well, I've done it!  I have the list- or should I say "lists"- all ready.  As I was putting everything together for this post I decided that I really needed FOUR lists:

• NEW PROJECTS:  These are the projects that I have bought all the fabric and other materials needed to make the quilt but have yet to start.
• PIECING. These are projects where I have started to piece, but have not yet finished the top.
• LONGARM. Projects that are ready for the longarm but haven't yet made it there.
• BINDING. Pieced, quilted and ready for binding.  (Did I mention I really hate binding?)

So if you want to feel better about your UFO list, just check mine out by clicking on the links to the right.


Now, I thought I should share a few pics.


 First up is my work space. 

This was taken from the door of the room.

See my rulers hanging on the wall? 

 I painted and put that peg board up myself :)

So, the quilt on the design wall... well that's the first UFO I'm tackling.

I started this quilt in Altus, Oklahoma in October 2003.  Yes...2003!

It's called "Home for the Holidays" and was published in the

Holiday 2003 issue of Quilting for Christmas.

When I took this one out of it's storage bin I had three of these blocks done.

I picked it up again in early December and got this far...

Then, Last night I stayed up 'til 4 am and FINSIHED!

WOO HOO!!

So, this leaves the PIECING list and is now on the LONGARM list.

But why stop there? 
I decided to keep up my momentum and start another project.

The Civil War Tribute Quilt is next up.  This was a Block of the Month (BOM) by Homestead Hearth.  I've had all 12 blocks for about 6 months (maybe more)and not a single one started! So....

Month One:  Shots at Fort Sumter

 Month 1 has two blocks that are the same but different sizes...

one is an 18" finished block

while the other is a 12" finished block. 

This is the 18" block...Still have the 12" block to do.

I was really excited about how great the block went together.

 Managed to keep all my points and joints!

Well, that's all I've gotten done since the last time we chatted.  Hope you'll stop by again!

Irene