Fresh Air–Friends-Setting Up & Reading

To all my friends in the DC, Maryland and Virginia area can you do me a small favor?  Would you take a look at a machine that cleans and freshens the air?  You don’t have to buy anything, this will help me earn a free machine.  You will get a 3 day/2 night hotel accommodations for helping me.  It’s a simple show, a representative from Airworks will come to your home a do a demonstration of this machine.  If you are willing to help a sister out please let me know and I will get back to you and thank you in advance for your help.

Now after that public address, let me tell you about my friends.  I got a e-mail at work today for my girlfriend Charlene telling me to check out Linda’s blog (Eat, Sleep, Quilt) with a sorry Felicia attached.  See most of my friends that I quilt with are retired, so they get to have a hang out day during the week, while I a slaving out work, and tease me about it.  Well I am glad they had a good time at the movies, and went out to lunch, and stayed out of JoAnn’s fabric when they were right there at it.  Well I will be off all next week so I hope they don’t forget about me we they decide to take another girls day out.

While I will be off next week, I am starting set up my projects to do list.  I have already found two bag patterns I had in my stash one from Simplicity – Sweet Pea Totes and San Clemente 6-Pack Bag Collection from A Quilter’s Dream.

 

Do I spot some fabric already for one of the bags?That colorful one at the end of the bed.  Bags are not the only thing I will be make next week.  I will be catching up on my BOM blocks and try to re-organize my fabric and look for back fabric for the quilt tops that I have.  No if only I can stick to this plan I will be o.k.  But like all good plans, something always comes up to block them.  We can only wait and see.

So in the last two weeks between sewing, I have read several books that I want to tell my paranormal romance readers about (I will have to update my profile on my favorite books I read soon).  Susannah Sandlin is an author of paranormal romance set in the Deep South,  and her book Redemption was an enjoyable read and a change, check out the review and her web sit - http://katlatham.com/2012/06/not-your-mamas-alpha-male-guest-post-giveaway-by-susannah-sandlin/; http://www.susannahsandlin.com/.  Also any Anita Blake vampire slayer fans out there the new book Kiss The Dead, by Laurel K. Hamilton o.k.  It always starts and ends with action, but the middle does too many explanation of her love life.  I did enjoy the book, but there was not enough of something in there.  I also read two books by author Mimi Jean Pamfloff – “Accidentally In Love With a God” and “Accidentally Married To A Vampire? Both books were really fun to read and will make you laugh out loud.  They were short reads and cheap so check them out on your Kindle.  I am also taken a stab at reading “A Game of Thrones': A Song of Ice and Fire” by George R.R. Martin.  I  have been catching the HBO show “Game of Thrones'” series and thought since it is off for the season I would catch up on the book to understand the series better.  I really want to know what is happing out there with the Night Watch those monsters on the other side of the wall.

So that is all for now and don’t forget about the fresh air machine.

The Slow Quilter

Another Bag for Me

This was my day off from work and I just had to make me a Bow Tuck Bag, so here it is.

This is the second bag I have made the other one went to a cousin, this one is for me.  It is black and lime green canvas fabric.  The one thing different I did with this one was to attach the ties on before attaching the lining.  I was harder trying to sew the ties on with all the bulk.  I only have to sew on a button and this baby will be going to work with me in the morning with my black and lime green outfit.
Now I am not going bag crazy, but I have pulled out other bag patterns that I have been planning to make, so this is a great way to use up my stash.  I have some other lime green/black canvas fabric different design that I plan to make a bag with.  I always seem to have to make at lest two bags, because I am always given one away and I like it for myself. 
Lord, I am just having sewing fun these days.  Hope I do not burn out before winter.  I have also been looking for a block to do for the Red/White/Blue blog hop in July.  My block will be present I think July 8th (I will have to check schedule).


  This Blog Hop is being sponsor my Jane,s Fabric and Quilt and Sew We Quilt, so please stop on by and see all the RWB blocks.


Well I must go down stairs and clean up my sewing mess, so I will be looking at more fabric to see what I will be using next and what bag I will be doing this week.
Bag with you latter
The Slow Quilter

Another Bag Completed

Being home alone I have time to sew and catch up on the things I want to make.  I really should start a bucket list or something, because I have so much stuff I want to do.  I have looked and all the fabric, rulers, patterns and templates that I have brought over the years and with the economy the way it is, I can not afford to just let this stuff just sit here and not be used.  I might have to sell some of this stuff.  In my quest to use up more of my fabric and am doing some bags.  The one I finished last night (Saturday), I have to a cousin at church this morning, she really loves it.

Again this is the Mini Bow Tuck Bag by Penny Sturges. The fabric I got about two year ago from Jo Ann’s Fabric.  The fabric has cats on it and the designer is Debbie Mumm (I looked at the salvage before coming up stairs).  I have already cut out fabric to make another one for me with some canvas fabric that I have, but I will be using a Michel Miller black cotton fabric for the lining since the outer fabric will be heaver then the cotton.  Here is the fabric I will be using:  It is lime green on black background.

Here is the other bag I finished last night, the Two Hour Tulip Purse, designed by Janice Pope.

Here is the template I used for this bag, and a better picture of the bag.

My bag does look like this picture, I do not know who the fabric designer is, again I do not plan to run down stairs to see if the name is on the salvage.
Now I do not plan to try and use up my fabric just on bags, I plan to use some for piece backing for 5 or six quilt tops that I have.  I will be working through my fabric until October.
So I hope you like my bags and stay tune for more creations.
The Slow Quilter

Bag Completed–Things Going On

Today (Saturday)  my son Darnell and I went to have our picture taken for the church directory (an if a may say so myself, they came out good), as we were getting dressed, he came into my room and told me that he did not have any feeling on the left side of his face and that this happen yesterday (Friday).  Looking at him you can not tell that anything was wrong, but I told him that after we take the pictures that he should go to the emergency room and have it checked out, that it could be a mini stroke or something.  He did not want to go, because he had choir rehearsal and did not want to be sitting in the waiting room all day. 
When we got around to the church around 10:00, and he was talking to a couple of church sisters (Lynn and Robin) and they convinced him that he should have it check out.  We were out of there by 10:30 and since I could not wait for him at the hospital (my daughter had the my father’s van and I had his car), his father (Tom) went up to sit with him.  The diagnoses is that he has Bell’s Palsy.  It is either weakness or paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face due to malfunction of the facial nerve. It usually starts suddenly - somebody can wake up in the morning and find that one side of the face does not move. Sometimes one eyelid may be affected, meaning that the patient is unable to blink properly from one eye They gave him a couple of prescription and suggest that he see a never doctor, do some facial exercises.  There is nothing that can really be done, and they not really sure what caused it.  He is doing fine and he can still sing.  We will be keeping a close eye on him.
After I got home, and cooked a early dinner, I went back into the sewing room to finish the bag I start yesterday.  I had these ties that I need to sew on, I made them put could not find them, I could not remember were I put them.  They had to be somewhere in all that stuff when I put it up.  Dame I really did not want to make them again.  So I delayed, and asked Tom to take me to JoAnn's’ because I was look for a stiff bottom for the bag, and need some more fusible flees.  After running out there, I took another look around and still could not fine the ties, so ended up making two more.  So here is the finish bag:

This is the Mini Bow Tuck Bag by Penny Sturges.   The fabric I got about two year ago from Jo Ann’s Fabric during a Christmas sale, it is a pale blue, pink and brown fabric, I do not have the fabric line name, I am sure it is on the salvage, but I am too lazy to run down stairs to find out, so I will let you know tomorrow.  I like this bag and it was not hard to do, put I think I will do something differently, like putting the ties on before the lining and using a walking foot because of the fusible flees (it does not fuse very well, or could it be I was not doing it right).

The above picture is some left over strips I had, I needed a stiff board for the bottom of the bag, so I use a board I had from some fabric I had brought from Wal-Mart.  After sewing it like a pillow case, I put it at the bottom of the bag.

The bag also has pockets all the way around it, nice place for your pens and pads (whoa, I could make a small pad holder to match the bag), and place for your cell phone, keys, what ever.  It also has a small pocket in the front of the bag.  I plan to give the bag to a cousin at church for her birthday, which is already pass, put she always asking me when I am going to maker her a bag.  I hope she likes it.  I do plan to make me one maybe tomorrow?
This was a great bag to make, and I plan to make a couple of more.  I’m trying to use up some of the fabric that I have before I go on my fabric shopping bus trip in October.  FABRIC, FABRIC YAH!!!!!
As you can see I am on a roll since I do not have the grand kids around.  I can get much sewing/quilting done, that is if I can keep my head out of the books.  I think it is time for a book review, put not tonight latter this week.  Tomorrow I have another bag that I finished tonight.  This bag I did in a class last year and it has been hanging on my bedroom door since I got home from the trip.  It only need to be top stitched around the top and add a button.  Whoa, I am really hitting some unfinished works.
So I will Bag you latter
The Slow Quilter – or should that be The Bag Lady?????

Quick Post - Using up fabric

I  did not go to work this morning, I slept until 9:00 did a little tele-working from home and hit the sewing room.  I have this pattern since last year and wanted to try it out.  The Mini Bow Tuck Bag.  I am just about finished, put had to stop to get ready for bowling.  It is already 7:00 and my ride will be here by 7:30, so I will have pictures and comments on the bag tomorrow.  I have no meetings and only have to run out for church pictures, so I have all of Saturday to work on the bag and something else.

Sew until tomorrow
The Slow Quilter

Waken Up-Home A Lone-BOM

Hello my blogging friends, I am now up from sleeping the week away.  I have been going to work, but when I come home I just been hitting the bed.  Now that I have hade enough sleep I can get back to catching up on my BOM blocks and get ready for the RW&B link party and other things.

I must tell you that my grandchildren have finally moved out.  I am home-a-lone, well not totally.  I still have Darnell, Daon and Tom, put they are so seldom home that I am pretty much here alone.  God it feels so good not to have to come home and plan dinner or even cook it.  During last week Tom had been cleaning the house from top to bottom.  I came home from work and I thought he had brought a new refrigerator it was so cleaned out.  I mean there was nothing in there, he even throughout the leftovers.  Fine with me.  Just this week I noticed that we have less trash, I am hopping that my water bill and electricity bill will be lower, I know the leaving room and kitchen is stay cleaner.

Well I did get two of my Craftsy BOM June blocks completed before I went to the grocery store.

This is the Octagon Block and the Greek Cross Block.  Both blocks used half square triangles and scant 1/4” seams.  These are the modern 9 patch blocks. I still have the April and May blocks to complete, I am hoping to complete them tomorrow before I go bowling.

Well I need to clean my room, so I blog with you later.

The Slow Quilter

Quilts In The Trees–Secret Quilt Reveled

I have been getting calls and e-mails about were is my blog.  Well, I have been soooo tired that all I have been doing is hitting the bed.  After the Family Day celebration on Saturday, all I could do is hit the shower, wash my hair and get ready for church.  I was so sleepy at church I cannot even remember what the sermon was about only John maybe the hold chapter something to do with Father’s Day.

Anyway, the Family Day celebration at North Michigan Park Recreation Center (NMP) was very nice along with the weather.  Here are some pictures of the Quilts in the trees the Wee Bee Quilters of NMP.

You know all the secret behind my quilt for this showing was not a big deal.  All the stress I was going on about getting it done.  After hanging up some of the quilts that I brought, I realized that I had two quilts with traditional blocks already.  I did not have to worry about really doing one, but is was an opportunity to try I block I never did before.  So here is the block.

As you can see this is the Card Trick block, using two fabric colors, as I can see from these pictures you cannot see it, but both fabrics are poker-dots.  I really enjoyed doing it.

 

 

This is a four colored Card Trick done by Loretta Tatum.  All the quilts were lovely.  The first place winner was my friend and riding buddy Pat King with her colorful Spider Web Quilt.

Now that this challenge is over it is time for me to get back to finishing up the quilt tops that I have, practice my quilting skills, and catch up on my 2 BOM blocks.  I am thinking that with my BOM blocks that I will try my hand with quilt as you go with each block.  I will be killing two bird in one by doing this technique.  I also will be making some bags.  I have a fabric buying trip coming up in October, so I have to hit my old stash before I bring in the new.

So, I will be blog a little be more, and quilting a lot, but right now, I going to bed.

The Slow Quilter

Secret Quilt–Mug Rug-Where is that Fabric?

 

I am happy to say that I am almost finished the challenge quilt.  I have been sewing all day and have sandwich the quilt.  Not sure how I plan to quilt it yet, but after putting it together most of the day, I did not want to do anything wrong to it so I am just waiting to quilt it.  The binding and sleeve are already ready for the quilt.

I don’t think the binding will give the quilt away.  I just love this wrapping the binding on a tub and sitting it on a thread pole, keeping it off the floor.

After finishing the quilt top, I had to find a backing which I knew what I wanted to use.  I brought this fabric in Boston about 2 or 3 years ago when I went up to visit my son.  Now you know that being quilters we all know what we have in our stash, no matter how long we have it.  We remember the fabric.  I know I saw it somewhere.  I had to look through everything.

I looked up stairs, down stairs, sewing room, and boxes.  Yah, it is a mess.  I did not find it, put did find something else to use.  Does it really look like I need to be going on a fabric shopping trip in October?  Always can use new fabric.

Family Day is next Saturday, so I still have time to work on it next week.  Why next week?  I have a very busy weekend.  Tomorrow (Friday) I bowl and will not get home until after 12:00 and Saturday morning I have to run to the church for a New Members Breakfast that I am in charge of, but will have to leave by 10:00 to get the bus over to me girlfriend’s mother house by 10:30, we are going to Atlantic City, and we all know that Sunday is the day for the Lord.  So I guess I will get back to the quilt on Monday.

I made my first mug rug today.  I needed a break from the quilt.  I plan to give it to my supervisor.  I even quilted it, a first.  Good way to use up all those semi-small fabrics you not sure what you want to do with.

So you might not hear from me until Monday, that is, if I have something to blog about.

The Slow Quilter