Star Quilt Along - Week Five

Well here they are. The last three blocks for the star quilt along, along with the blocks for the first quilt along. I'm doing this as a reversable quilt, one on each side, back and front whatever you want to call it. I've been leader/endering the pink squares for the borders on the pink quilt and I am almost done putting them together. I think I will just do a two row border around the quilt and a fabric border around that. I'll see what happens when I finally put them together. Now I have to go and put together a teeny tiny quilt for a swap with another group that I'm with. Keep the piece. Renée

No New Job, Yeah!!!

Okay, here's the deal. I didn't have any idea what this job was about. My Mom's friends' daughter works there and she mentioned that they were looking for people, but she never did say what they did. It seems that this company "sells" enrollments into a program for diabetics and people who have respiratory problems. There is no money involved, insurance, Medicaid/Medicare would take care of it. But you have to get people to trust you enough to give you their Social Security numbers. I know I would NEVER give out my SS # over the phone, not EVER. So this is a really hard job. And to tell you the truth, I am not good on the phone. As a matter of fact, I HATE it. It's one thing to call someone who is expecting you to call and its a whole other thing to call someone cold. Not my cup of tea.

Now to get back to quilty things. Thanks so much for the comments about my blocks. I sometimes wonder about my color combo's, but then I try to "hear" Bonnie talking about how it doesn't matter, its my quilt and I can do what I want. I was tempted to use a different, brighter green, but then I decided that those oranges are so bright that I would just overload the quilt with brightness, so I stayed with my first choice. I also have started a Blue Ridge Beauty, and am now using it as a leader/ender. All the pieces are cut, now it is just how long it will take for me to sew them all up and then together. I do have the pattern from the magazine, but I really don't want to make it as big as it is there, and they do have directions for smaller ones, but all they tell you is how much fabric you need and how many blocks, not how many pieces. So I will sew up what the directions say, and then when I go to put it together, I'll only do it for a smaller one. Maybe I can get two out of it instead of only one.

For all of you guys on the other side of the pond who were curious about our election process, all the pundits are saying that this primary process is going to be over by the middle of June and then the Democratic Party candidate will be decided at the Convention to be held in August in Denver. But with all that, I am pretty confident that I can say that Barack Obama will be the Democratic Presidential Candidate and he will start the main campaign before August, as he needs to do as Mr. McBush, oh, sorry, McCain, has been campaigning for a long while.

Now I am going to get back to my piecing, which is a whole lot more fun than working. Keep the piece. Renée

New Job, UGH!

Tomorrow I start a new job. It is up in Boca Raton, which is north of where I live. Now that gas is up to $4 a gallon, I don't know if I am going to be able to afford to take the job. If all the money is going into the gas tank, and not into my fabric stash, then why should I take it? I guess I'll find out more tomorrow.

I finished clue #5 of Bonnie's Orange Crush (Pink Grapefruit Crush for me). I was furiously piecing all day today and finally finished the last of the 4 corners a little while ago. I've posted pictures, they are probably up on top. The album blocks are 5 different oranges, but the rest of the triangle blocks all have the same orange fabric in them. I have some of the step 2 blocks left over. Some of the ladies in the group were saying that they did too. We are wondering if Bonnie is going to use them in something else. I guess we will have to wait for the next clue.

I've also cut up some blue and cream fabric to make the Blue Ridge Beauty that everyone has been talking about. I've been doing it as a leader/ender and I have quite a ways to go. But I do find that the leader/ender method sure does keep the waste of thread down to a minimum. I love it.

Going to bed now. If I don't post in a while, it's because it did pay for me to take the job and I'm too tired to type. Have a wonderful week and keep the piece. Renée

Rally in Sunrise

Yes, I was one of 16,000 who showed up on a very rainy Friday afternoon to see and hear a Presidential candidate. Very exciting, but I think Mr. Obama was very tired. Actually, now I can't wait for January for all of this to be over. And we were sitting so far away, that in order to see him, we had to look at the Jumbotron. Going to bed now. Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone. Keep the piece. Renée

T-Shirt Quilt

This is the class example of the T-shirt quilt that I am going to be making for Ally at the end of June. She hasn't sent me her shirts yet, but there is still time. Another black and white quilt for her. Been busy going to quilt classes, have another one tomorrow and then a rally on Friday. My first rally. Exciting. Hopefully I'll have some pictures to post Friday night. Take care and keep the piece. Good night. Renée

Four New Finished Quilts

I really can't stand the fact that I cannot figure out how to get my pictures where I want them. So I will try to let you know what all these pictures are. The Winnie the Pooh up there is the back of a baby quilt for Ally's friends Louise and Matt who are expecting their first child in June.

This is a quilt for the great grandson of the couple who clean our house. Believe it or not, it is the same pattern as the Pooh quilt, only this one has the name of the child on the left side, Dylan, and then the rest of the quilt.
This is the back of the Dylan quilt. It is white letters on green fabric.

This is a quilt that I made with the Moda fabric called Cornucopia. It is for my cousins who have just moved down here to Florida.
This is the back of my cousins quilt. I just love this fabric and I am so glad that I have some left over to use in a quilt that I will eventually make for myself.
This is a Baby Genius quilt for my nephew Ben. He was born in January.
This is the back of the Baby Genius quilt. I had four fat quarters left and all these squares left over, so because I didn't have anything else, I just sewed them all together and created the back.
This is the front of the Pooh quilt for Louise and Matt. I think they are having a boy and his name is going to be Gavin, but don't quote me. Trying to remember all the things that Ally tells me is quite hard.

I signed up to take a T-Shirt quilt class and I am waiting for Ally to send me the t-shirts that she wants me to use for the quilt. Yes, I am making this one for her. I was over at the LQS that is giving the class and I was going to get some of the stuff that I needed for the class, but they told me to wait, so I'm waiting. I also found out that the class is at the end of June not the beginning, so if Ally didn't send me the shirts yet, she has time. I also signed up for two other classes, a machine quilting class and a machine applique class, and I am going to use my Bernina for these classes. So, instead of taking those Mastery classes, I'll just take all these kind of classes. I really just want to learn how to use the Bernina to do quilting stuff, I don't really want to learn how to put in a zipper, cause I don't make clothes, I want to learn how to use the Bernina to make and finish quilts. I guess I will now. Can't wait. Keep the piece. Renée

Quilting Class Question

I'm going to post two different postings. This one will not have any pictures. Most of you will remember my excitment of buying a new Bernina Aurora 430. Most of the LQS who sell the Bernina machines also include a Mastery class. This class instructs you on how to use your new machine. Now, because there are so many things that this machine can do, these classes last about a month and meet once a week. Besides teaching you how to use your machine, they are hoping that you will also buy all the feet, thread and other classes that you might need from their store. I understand that. I have no problem whatsoever with this. But when I sign up for classes and I am charged $200 and I pay the $200, when I don't show up for the first class, for whatever the reason, I would expect a phone call to gently remind me that I have a class, I might have forgotten. I especially would like a phone call when everyone there at the store, especially the woman who is teaching the class and who signed me up, knew how excited I was to finally get this sewing machine. Even though I did not expend the big money for the sewing machine from their shop, I am expending big money to take these classes from their shop. Am I asking too much for the instructor to ask someone else who is working in the store to please call the people who have not showed up to remind them about the class? Is this too much to expect? I would like to know. As a consumer, I would think that in this cottage industry, you would like to hold on to the customers you have in hope that they bring in new customers or keep on buying from your store. Am I wrong? I took another class yesterday and the instructor called me Thursday to remind me. And it was a really good thing that she did because when I signed up, they didn't know when they were going to give the class. So I didn't know that the class was going to be on Friday the 16th. When the instructor called to tell me about the class, I was able to ask her what I needed to bring, etc. I was very happy to receive that call and I was very happy to take that class and I did buy other stuff from the store while I was there. Including another foot for the sewing machine that I needed to take the class. Anyway, I went in today and since the next set of classes aren't going to start until August, I asked for my money back. And then the instructor tried to guilt me that she could have sold me the machine and not told me about the other woman selling her machine. And yes, she could have done that. And she could have called me to remind me about the class. So, I do not feel guilty and now I have my money back. Keep the piece. Renée

Mother's Day Fruit Bouquet

My darling daughter and her husband sent my Mom and I a very beautiful edible bouquet basket of fruit. Stupid me did not take a photo of it. It was pineapple flowers with a canteloupe center, grapes on a stick and chocolate covered strawberries. We were so excited about eating the fruit that I just took the whole thing apart and then said, shoot, I should have taken a picture. Anyway, I didn't and it was really lovely and I sent her an e mail and I thanked her profusely and then told her that for my birthday I would really prefer to have a gift certificate to one of the local quilt shops, lol. She was a good sport about it and thanked me for telling her so far in advance (4 months). So, hopefully, for my b-day, I will have a gift certificate to one of the LQS. So I'm doing Amandajean's star quilt along and today or was it yesterday (?) she put up the directions for the filler blocks. Today I cut them up and now I am sewing them together. Scrappy, can't get away from scrappy. Bonnie influence. Did you see her (Bonnie's) studio? She took pictures and its up on her blog. Quite a room. Lovely, beautiful and I wish I had that space to do that. Oh, well. Going to bed now, for some reason I am very tired today. Yankees won. Keep the piece. Renée

Unbelieveable

Okay, this is going to sound really crazy. My aunt gave me a gift certificate to Macy's. Because I really don't like going to the mall, I've been putting off going for a really long time. Today I went. I walked around and around and around and believe it or not, could not find anything to buy. First I looked at bras, I could use some new ones. Didn't think $30 was reasonable for a bra, should be less, so did not buy. Then I went over to the shoes. Now, this should be a cinch, I love shoes. Nope, not a one that I felt like buying. From the shoes I moved over to the handbags. Okay, now we're cooking with gas. Around and around I went, nope, nada, nothing. Then I went over to the clothes. This shouldn't be too hard. Again, nothing. So, since I was having such wonderful luck finding something to buy, I left and went home. Now, if it was a fabric shop that I was in instead, I wouldn't have had a problem in finding something to buy. I would probably be putting stuff back because it would be too much. So that's it. Now I have a headache and I'm going to lie (lay, whichever) down for a while. Maybe I should eat something. Keep the piece.

Photo experiment

I love looking at other people's blogs. Gives me ideas for mine. I saw that someone was taking pictures with their block on a skirt hanger. Someone else had their block on a tile floor. Lovely. But the hanger gave me an idea. Maybe it would be easier to take a picture if the block was hanging instead of laying down on a table. So this is my experiment with hanging the block up. I think it looks better this way. Please, leave your comments. This blogging stuff is very new to me and I really haven't gotten the hang of it yet. I still would like to figure out how to move the photos around so they aren't always on top. BTW, that's week three of the first quilt along with Amandajean. That's it for now. Keep the piece.

Week 2 of Quilt Along

Week Two of the Quilt Along and I finished my star block. These are the week two blocks for both quilts. I think I might do a reversable quilt, seeing these are my colors. We'll see how the star quilt comes along. That's it for now. Keep the piece.

New Projects

Week One of the Quilt Along with Amandajean. Of course, I am doing it backwards. Amandajean is doing her stars in pink and I am doing them in purple and I did my first quilt along in pink and white. I have all my first quilt along blocks finished, but I will post them along with the star blocks. I had some blocks in pink and white already finished, so I'm going to use those blocks instead of the ones that Amandajean picked out to do.

The Everglades are burning again. What a horrible smell outside. Seems there was a thunder storm last night and there must have been lightening and that sparked a fire. They are saying that if you have breathing problems, you should not go out, that's how bad it is. I was out for less than a minute and my eyes are still stinging.

Going to do the second star block now. Have a wonderful day and keep the piece.

Stuff I found in the boxes

So, I spent part of the weekend looking through the stuff in the boxes from the POD. Found some needlepoint canvas' that I thought I would do, but now I can't. Offered them to some friends and waiting to hear back on what they want. I also found this sign. Don't remember where I got it, but there it was in one of the boxes in amongst a pile of some stuff. Since you really can't see what it says I'll tell ya. "SYMPTOMS - Continual complaint as to need for snuggling under a handmade quilt. Patient has bland expression, sometimes deaf to spouse and kids. Has no taste for bedspreads or electric blankets. Hangs out at Quilting Bees. Mumbles to self "Log Cabin", "Double Wedding Ring", "Ohio Rose". NO KNOWN CURE. TREATMENT - Medication is useless, Disease is Not Fatal. Victim should attend as many Quilt Shows and Quilt Shops as possible." Now that I've read the bottom of the sign, it is from Calico Square, Inc. in Sea Cliff, NY. Not too sure if that store is still there or not.

I also have two full legal sized boxes of fabric. Lots and lots of florals. And there was one box that still had fabric medleys (fat quarters)in the plastic bags from Keepsake Quilting. Here is a list of those:

Dogwood Blossom; Happy Hanukkah; Tone on Tone; The Jinny Beyer Anniversary Collection; Cozy Cottons; Vintage and Vogue; April Showers; The Calico Collection; Radiant Red (ugh); Victorian Charm; Circus Clowns; Country Store Colors; Country Estate Elegance; Floral Scrap Bag; Novelty Nostalgia; Verandah Medley; Summer Refresher and Fall Reflections.

I was able to put some into my QOV stash; my ugly swap stash; and the rest are still in two boxes for me to go thru and separate into where I want to put them. I've used some of the more pink florals to make the 2.5" squares that I need for the border on Amandajean's first quilt along quilt. I've cut them all out and now I've been sewing them together. If I had looked at this part of the quilt first, I could have been doing leaders/enders all the while, oh well.

Guess I'll just mosey on over to those boxes now and do some sorting. But I'll tell you, the fabric now is so much better. In terms of the fabric itself and the patterns and the colors. This should be quite a chore. I'm going in. Keep the piece.

Quilt Along

Spent all day yesterday and all day today doing the first quilt along quilt on Amandjean's site. What fun. After going to get boxes of fabric out of the POD yesterday, I came home and it was like a really special birthday. I have eight boxes of fabric stored, but I could only get to two, so I'm not that inundated with fabric. I'm not going to be able to get to those other boxes until I move the POD to the other storage facility and empty the POD. The boxes are in the back and I can't get to them. I'm feeling it today, my shoulders and arms are killing me. Anyway, I've completed the 12 blocks and now I am getting ready to do the borders. I'm using some of the "new" fabric and there sure are lots of florals. And some really fuglies. I've cut up lots of 2.5" squares and now I'm sorting them into light and dark so I can put them in a bag and then pull. I love doing it that way. Maybe I'll leave that for tomorrow and go take a pain pill and go to bed. Yeah, that sounds good. So, good night and keep the piece.

Quilt Along

Okay, call me crazy. I have started two, yes, two new quilts. I found a new blog and Amandajean has a quilt along. I guess it goes on for 12 weeks. She already did one and I have started that one, using pink and white and the new one is a star quilt and I am going to use purple and parchment. I ordered the fabric from Joann's. Yes, I know. But it was recommended and I read the description and it doesn't seem to be thin, so it will work. I will post some photos as soon as I finish some of the blocks. Keep the piece.

QOV Mystery #13 - Radiant

This is what I have been doing in between clues from the Pink Grapefruit Crush quilt. Lots of fun making the letters. Doing it in black and white. Haven't decided yet what other colors to add to this. Maybe the star points will be in all different colors, haven't decided yet.

So, I finally finished Radiant. What a really beautiful quilt design. Now I need to find out how to get this to one of our hero's. I will go back to the group and look at the files and find out what I need to do to get this to a Long Arm Quilter. Maybe I'll just keep it and do it myself with my new Bernina with BSR. OOOOO, that feels so wonderful. MY NEW BERNINA w/BSR. Mine, mine, mine. LOL.

Going back to making the rest of the letters and then deciding what else to do with the rest of the alphabet quilt. Keep the piece.