Last week of February

This week is already flying by so quickly. We've had 2 late start mornings and I feel like we may have another one tomorrow. Monday was President's Day and I had big plans for a quilting day at my dad's house after the kid's dentist appointments. The weather was supposed to be bad (6" of snow and below 0 temps), so I changed the plan. I decided Friday that I would go out on Saturday afternoon, after morning haircuts. I worked on the side borders for this quilt until 10:30 Friday night (after my birthday supper at Fuji Steakhouse). I couldn't get them on right, so I went to bed. While Paul took the kids to haircuts, I finished the borders, mopped the floors, cleaned up the kitchen, and sorted laundry. 
Saturday after lunch the kids and I went to Dad's house to quilt. I quilted this little boy quilt for Jace, the son of our work-study student Megan. Then I quilted my pillow swap (which I'll show after it's received) and the HST Valentine L'Amour table runner. 

It was going so well and it was only 2:30, so I loaded my Hey June quilt which is 73"x97". It is a big one, but I knew I had time to quilt it. The machine would not work! I messed with it for 30 minutes before giving up! I set up mom's sewing machine and fixed my dad's shirts and a couple things for his wife. I put everything away and decided I'd come back another day. I moved the quilting machine and it worked! It literally was like God said, "fix your dad's mending". I would have otherwise put him off. 

Thursday I had a foot doctor appointment and had enough time to finish sewing this quadrant of my EPP quilt. 

So I quilted Hey June horizontally (as I had 1" of backing and batting on each side). It was meant to be quilted this way. It quilted up beautifully after the break! I couldn't find anything else that could or would have caused the issue. I don't know who this will go to, but it's quilted and that's what matters. I used wide back red and 124" wide white warm & white batting from the Sewing Center. After it was done, I quilted a 40" square of purple Homemade fabric to make some more by Annie bags/patterns. I didn't have a plan, but I just quilted up the fabric and will cut it out later when I decide what to make with it. 

Last night I sewed the binding on my pillow swap pillow, my valentine's table runner (but was short, darn it!) and then I had put these by my table to finish as needed. I ended up sewing the binding I had cut on these 2 table toppers. I just gave them to a student for an adoption fundraiser he is helping with this weekend. I didn't have any other thing planned for them and it just felt like they would help that cause. 

Monday night I finished the binding on Jace's quilt. I think it turned out pretty cute for a "scrap quilt". I was kind of kicking myself for spending $40 on backing and more background for a scrap quilt (which I think of as a free quilt), but I know it was the right decision to spring for the minkee backing. I did frankenbatt the batting together from scraps, so that was free too. 
 
Sunday night Mathew and I played his new Monopoly game. Friday was the 2 year anniversary of my cancer sister's DMX. I wore my Heidi shirt to work as I celebrated what being a survivor means for me. Harmony is the background quilt. 

February weeks 2 & 3

February has been quite the month. I finished my Meadowland quilt and threw it on the bed. It's been cold in SD and I was using it quilted, but not bound on the bed, so I decided it needed to become a priority and get it done. I love how light this quilt is and it's the perfect coverlet for our bed. 

I made my friend Gaila this Piecekeeper bag. It's a free byAnnie pattern and it goes together super quickly (I may have just put it off for weeks and it took less than an hour to make.) She loves the new Tilda fabric line, so I went and got a fat quarter pack, so now I can make her something else too. 

I've slowly been working on the Rhododendron trail mystery. I try to finish them in order, but if I do that I'll never finish, so I have this one beside my machine and try to make a few blocks a week. When I get serious about it, I could easily have it done as I have all the pieces made and everything cut out (unlike Grassy Creek). 

I also finished up the t-shirt quilt top I've been making for a friend of a friend. It turned out better than I expected. 

My godmother (who is the most amazing one ) sent me these two books for my birthday. While children's books, the are both so "me" that I love them. If you love purple, you need to read the Purple People book. If you're a quilter, read the Quiltmakers Gift. The premise is if you give, you'll receive. I try to remember that in my quilt gifting. 

 

My friend Gaila made me this postcard for my birthday. I love it! It's made with Tula fabrics, which I absolutely love!

I've been working on this little boys quilt for a work study student's son. I put borders on, then I decided they are wrong, so I am currently fixing the borders. It turned out super cute for a scrap quilt. These fabrics were from mom, so they are old!

Also in my "old" pile is this table runner I made from scraps. I love how it turned out, but for the life of me I can't find the backing/binding fabric. I know I was using it for another project too, but it's escaping me right now. I may just quilt it with a cream background and wait to bind it when I find the fabric. I've cleaned my office, high and low looking for it and my sewing studio and bedroom too. It's essentially disappeared. 

My friend Pat sent me this quilt precious moments statue for my birthday. I just love that she keeps me in mind when she sees things I would like. I love it!

 

First Week of February

The first week of February is already behind us. This month goes entirely too fast for my liking. My birthday is next Monday and the 5th grader has asked me to go bowling with her class. I finished one table runner for an auction for a family adopting. One of my students asked me to make something and since the auction is being held at a bar, I decided to make these blocks into a table runner. I quilted it with Glide thread, which is becoming one of my favorites. It's not available locally, but I was able to get it online and I have a dark gray and a light gray (which looks white). 

I haven't gotten much sewing done this week as I started a new chemo drug and it's made me very tired. There are several side effects, but in order to combat nausea, I take an anti-nausea drug prior to taking the chemo pills, both morning and night. They have to be 12 hours apart.  I went through chemo education and listened to all the side effects and all the things I can do to combat the side effects if I should get them. It was a lot to hear and I feel like I'm back in active treatment, although these are really just for maintenance. I have to have bloodwork every 2 weeks to make sure they are not affecting other areas. I'll get back to sewing soon, but I needed the extra sleep this week. 

 

January Finishes

 January was a fairly productive month. I was able to get quite a few bags finished, quilt a whole day, and finish a quilt. 

Harmony, the quilt along from GE Designs I finished up on the last day of January. I'm not sure where this one will go, but it's done. 

My dad wanted mini rosary pouches, so I made him a couple different sets. 

I used up some quilted Chiefs fabric and made a little bag. 

I made my co-worker Katie a Call Me phone pouch, from a free byAnnie pattern. 

I made a mini planner cover for my notebook. 

A new planner cover for my bigger planner. 

A Just in Case bag for my travel projects. 

My friends retreat gifts. 

My daughter and I made pillowcases and PJ pants for her friend and her during our sewing weekend. 

More pouches for dad. 

I also made the Ultimate Travel bag. I love how it turned out. This one is for me. I used Tula Homemade fabric for it. 

January Stats
Jan Yardage In: 9.5 yards
Yardage Out: 27.25 yards
I'm Ahead 17.75 yards
Total Sewing Time: 76 hours

Harmony

I think it was 2 years ago, GE Designs did a quilt along for Harmony. I cut everything out, but wasn't able to sew along that day. I started piecing it last year and finally got it together. I quilted it back in December, but it wasn't a priority to get it finished, so it sat. 

Monday I decided I wanted 1 more finish for January, so I put the binding on by machine. This fabric is Nova and a cream Grunge for background. I really love how it turned out and I'm looking forward to gifting it. I'm not sure who will receive it, but it's done. 

My SIL says it looks like barb wire and has asked for a King Size quilt with blue, green, and browns. I'm going to start collecting fabrics and see what I can come up with for them. 

My friend Emilee bought me this shirt for Christmas. It is so me! I absolutely love it. 
 

Quilting Day at Dad's House

I like to have marathon quilting days at my dad's house, which allows me the opportunity to get a bunch of quilts done at once. I plan a day about once a month. Saturday was my January quilting day. I quilted this red/white/blue quilt called Jelly Belly Bars with a navy minkee and a flannel for the batting. 

I played thread chicken the entire day. 

I added some stars to the quilting in RWB thread. 

I lost at thread chicken and ran out of thread with 2 rows left. I had a new spool as I thought I would run out the last time I quilted. 

I did freehand loops with stars. 

I quilted 3 baby quilts with one massive backing fabric. I ran out of bobbin with less than 1/2 row left. Luckily I had enough thread to re-wind the bobbin and finish. 

All three baby quilts were the same ABC panel with a border. I like to have them on hand for when I need to gift baby quilts. 

I made a table runner for a student to donate to a fundraiser. The fundraiser is at the local pub, so I think the CR will be appropriate. 

My final quilt of the day was Swoon 16 and I used a red minkee on the back. I quilted it with a light gray Glide thread with white Warm & White. 

 It was a good quilting day and I feel like I accomplished so much. I have three more to quilt, but ran out of time and energy.