Welcome

Hello, welcome to my blog. I'm still not sure what I will be featuring in this blog. I know it will be about quilting, but I might throw in the latest book I'm reading on my Kindle. So come along a follow me through my world of quilting and other stuff.

Monday, April 30, 2012

What Every Happen To That UFO

You know, I have been doing so much, (not really), but it does seem like I have been doing a lot of something.  When I first started my blogging I was to be working on UFOs that I have sitting around here, but I started joining everything on the blog, and working on BOM projects, and trying to finish requests, and the all consuming blogging.

Do you know that I have been off for a week and all I have accomplished was get my picture quilt just about finished.  Today is the first time I stayed home long enough to pull out that UFO and start working back on it.  At first I could not find two of the block, and had to go back to the sewing room to find it.  Yah people I am sewing in the bed room, I like it up here.  I had to look at one of my old Feb. 15th post to find out which ones I was missing.  You know if you have not looked at any of my old posts, you should there are some interesting stuff there, funny and informative, if I may say so myself.

Well you know I was having problems getting the paper off of one of the blocks, I finally got it off, and just forgot to finish the dame quilt.  Well it is finish.

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I have finished the quilt, now I will have to look through my stash and find a sashing for it.  Not sure what color I want to use, dark or light brown,  or maybe a dark blue, then I have to find a backing.  I think I will have to hit the fabric store.  Yah, I have a lot of fabric, but I just do not have anything I want to use for a backing.

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Does that second block on the second row from the bottom look kind of off?  I will have to take a closer look at it before I but the sashing on so I want have to take it apart to fix it.

 

 

Well Craftsy BOM is back with two Modern Log Cabin blocks, I guess I will get started on that this week.

I have made new blogging friends, Carol from “Just let me quilt” and Tonya from Hillbilly Handiworks, who is also one of the sponsors for the BINGO coming up next week or is that tomorrow.  I have to look and see.  Well, if you have not been over to their blogs, please go and visit.  Check out my sidebar for other blogs that I visit and check out the buttons too.

Again, check out some of my old posts, they will make you laugh and I think you will enjoy the stories too.

The Slow Quilter

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Linking Up on Blog Giveaways

Woo, Hoo, the blogs are jumping with giveaways and blog hopping, why don’t you link up to some of these great bloggers.

Kelie at Craft Nurse Quilt is giving away these 6 fat quarters, they are great.  Just click on the link (that is the name of her blog) above it will take you right to her blog.  She is have little problem with her binding, so any suggestion would be appreciated.

Madame Samm of Sew We Quilt is going on holiday to think up something new and exciting for all of us to do.  She is have an April giveaway of a list of things we would all love to have. 

She is also overseeing a “Red, White and Blue blog hop starting July 1, and hosted by Jane of Jane,s Fabric and Quilt. You can click on the button to the right to link up.  If you want to join in on the fun you will have to get over there by this Friday  (May 4th) to sign up and grab a button.  You can also read the details of the blog hop.

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Spring giveaway!

Mary Jane's Tearoom is hosting a spring giveaway and you can win these lovely items.  Hop on over to comment on Her blog and have a chance to win these:

I know that there are more giveaways out there but I have not hit them yet.  I am looking for one that I can win a trip out of town or a cruise or even a new sewing machine.  If you here about one about a sewing machine please let me know.

Out to win it all

The Slow Quilter

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Back Down in the Sewing Room

Yes, I have come out of the bedroom and gone back to my sewing room, since the weather is semi warmer (I had to turn on the heat to take out the chill).   I am still keep the other sewing machine in the bedroom, so when I just need to get away from things I can still sew in my room. 

I worked on my picture quilt.  Did I have problems, well yah.  They were miner, could not get the paper backing off the photos and the seam line raveled.  Put all was workable, and since I had some miss-print photos I made them into a envelope pillow to go with the quilt.

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When I printed out the photos for this quilt, I left a 1/4” seam allowance around the picture, tip to you all:  You should leave at lest 1” seam allowance around you photos, since when pulling off the paper backing, the edges of the fabric will ravel.

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When printing out the pictures I had the decision to make about the size of the pictures since I wanted to put the pictures on the side of the quilt, I had over 30 pictures, which I collaged into groups of 3 which gave me 10 photo printouts.  Dame I hate math.  In order for the pictures to fit on the side of the tree I printed them at 3 x 4 (at first I printed them 4 x 5, those are the one on the pillows).  Then I thought to put 1” strips between the pictures using the same background fabric.  The measurement came out great the fit perfect on the side of the quilt.  I plan to add another red strip on both sides between the tree.  I do not know the size (am I a bad quilter since I do not measure to get at least an estimate?).  Before I can add the sides, I need to discuss with my co-worker whether she wants her mom at the bottom of the quilt (the root of the family) and the poem at the top or revers.  Also I could embroider (yes, to those of you who did not know I have an embroidery machine) some words around the tree (Mother, Grand-Ma, Grate-Grand Ma, Root) just my thoughts.  So here is a preview of the quilt so far.  Hope to have it all quilted by next Tuesday.SAM_0876

Who ever Tom called final came and cut the grass in the back and front yard.  I thought I was going to have to get a sling blade just to get out the back door.  The grass was hip high.  Now I just need to get someone with a pick ax to dig up the ground and re-soil so that grass can grow instead of crab-grass and weeds.

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I Still have to have the tree in from of the front pouch trimmed.  I hope that next year I will plant some flowers, put like I said, since I trying to get the front pouch redone, I will have to wait.

 

I have a Bee Meeting tomorrow, with a workshop on a Modern Baby quilt, hope to have pictures for you of the quilts and food.  You know how we love to eat.  I have already made my dish for tomorrow which can be eaten cold or warmed up.  It is a Black Beans and Rice dish with a smoky southwestern taste, just a little spicy.

Sew until tomorrow

The Slow Quilter

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Faithfull Circle Quilt Show

I have been very busy this week, my mom is not felling well, and since I live down the street from my father and mom (stepmother) and I am off this week I have been trying to help out.  I went down this morning to fix her and my father breakfast (since my father had to go to work).  When I got back to the house Linda called me to see if I wanted to ride out to the Faithful Circle Quilt Show in Columbia, MD.

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This is just one of the quilts that they had on display.  This one is by Shelia Rises and quilted by her.  I wish I had her talent.  There were other traditional and non-traditional quilts but this one had my mouth open.

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This was just a little something under one of the quilts, it is my most favorite saying. (“The More I Know About Men, The More I like My CAT”).

You would proud of me, I did not buy any fabric at all.  I only brought a ruler, which I might not use for sometime.  I did not take a picture of it for this post, put I might have a picture and a demo tomorrow.

 

And look who was a vender at the show, but our own Nadine Mills (The Fabric Peddler), with Linda (check out her blog I sure she will have more pictures then I have of some of the quilts at the show.

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Now I have been working on that picture quilt, I really need to take a Photo Shop classes.  You know how expensive photo fabric cost, and I do not have the time to treat fabric with that bubble jet fabric stuff.  The problem I was having was trying to print at lest two photos on one sheet and all it would do was print only one picture, I had figure out what I was doing wrong.  It seems that the photos had to be saved in the Photo Element Organizer (which I thought it was) in order for me to print multiple pictures (so instead of using 10 sheets of photo fabric I only had to use 5).

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Here is the layout that I am thinking of 5 on one side and 5 on the other with her mother on top and a pome at the bottom. Hopefully I will have this together by tomorrow since everything if ready to sew.

 

You know yesterday, I took a little time for myself and went to the hairdresser.  I have not been in like a year, put I just got tired of doing my own hair and I needed my ends clipped.  Well I got a cut, what is it about a beautician when you tell them to clip the dead ends you end up with a full cut.  Those dead ends or is it split ends are really close to the scalp.  I like the cut, and she did say I would be able to keep it up, yah right.  I will most likely end up back to the hairdresser in two weeks.  I did have a pair of narrow flat irons, put I gave them to my girlfriend Diane when she had all her hair cut off.  I e-mailed her to ask for them back and she e-mailed me back with “that I better check out Wal-Mart”.  I guess I will be spending $24 for a new pair.  And what is it that they put in your hair that makes it feel so soft and manageable that it make you come back to them to do it again.  I did not take a picture you will have to see it, or when I feel that I am picture worthy, I will take a picture of myself.  Right now I just do not look photogenic.

Well it is 11:00 and time for bed, so until tomorrow.  Let us see how far I have gotten on this quilt.

Quilting Slowly

The Slow Quilter

Monday, April 23, 2012

The Best Laid Plans

As you know this is my week off and I plan to work on several projects. I still had to get my application in for the job that I am applying for, I had the resume looked at by a girlfriend of mine so I only had to log into the system and attach it and check to make sure I have answered all the questions. Well I must say that Murphy’s Law (“Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”) and the Devil was riding me hard this morning. For some odd reason my computer was not working, it kept kicking me out of the system, after 4 tries, I decided that this was not going to work for me, so I jumped into my clothes and went to the job. Yah, I only have to catch on bus and only takes no more the 45 minutes to get there, I need a cup of coffee anyway. Also I was on tele-work for 4 hours today, so this worked out fine.

Well, I got the application in on time, and worked on travel and got my 4 hours of work in. I left work after 2:00 and since I was out, I thought I would get my father’s car and run to the store to pick up some things so that I would not have to run out tomorrow (yah cannot wait to see what tomorrow will bring). Since this is a very early post for me, I will have time to work on the pictures and get them printed out. I still have not decided if I will be using TAP (Transfer Artist Paper) or one of the regular photo sheets.

Now, I promised you a look at a new ripping tool. This may not be all that new to most of you, but it was new to me. As I was watching a video by Peggy Martin on Quick-Strip Paper Piecing, she show this ripping tool that I use all the time. Can you believe it, it was in my make-up kit? You can pick up this little ripping tool from any dollar store or beauty supply store. Have you guessed what it is yet?

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Yes, you guest it, a eyebrow shaper.  You can pick this up for less then a dollar.  I tried it and it cuts right through the seams.  I can not show you how it works, but I am sure you can figure that out.  I do not have anyone to take the picture of me ripping through a seam.  Put I assure you that it works like a dream.  So go out and pick you up one and try it.




Well it is almost 6:00 and I have already gotten a call from my oldest grandson, who is picking up the youngest.  I must get down stairs and warm up last night food so I can get back to those pictures.
So have fun ripping away at your seams and I will blog with you tomorrow.

Also I would like to thank all of you who comment on my blog “A Blogger’s Life”.  I really enjoy writing that and may have some other things to add to it in the future.  I do so love to blog and read other bloggers.

The Slow Quilter

Sunday, April 22, 2012

A Blogger's Life


I must apologise to my readers, I promised to show you a new ripping tool yesterday, but I had a long Saturday and had to finish my resume and hit the bed.  After getting home from church, I cooked dinner and started to get my things together for my week of quilting and by the time I got ready to post my blog, my camera batteries were dead, so you will have to wait until tomorrow (Monday) and I will make sure the camera is charged up.  So I hope you will like my little writing on a Blogger's Life.
A Blogger's Life - By Felicia Few - The Slow Quilter

As you know I am a blogger and have been for the last 6 months.  I enjoy meeting new people even if it is on-line.  There are so many quilt blogger's out there with interesting quilting techniques to share.  I find that it helps me to get out of that sometime quilters block that we all seem to get into at one time or another.  There are so many motivational activities with all the BOMs (Block of the Month), quilting challenges and give a ways.
Blogging is a way to share not only your love of quilting, but to share your experience or to let other people see the type of work you are doing.  Most blogger will blog every day, some every other day or maybe just monthly.  You never know who you might already know that is blogging.  When I first started this blogging thing it was because I love to write or maybe just that I like to share the funny things that were happening to me in my quilting or life in general.  I have entered contests and won, started new projects and met new friends with the same interest that I have of movies and reading and even the grandchildren.

Even if you are not the blogging type, you can always fellow a blog on-line and see what they are doing, but I must warn you, that once you see all the exciting things happening around the blogging world, you might just end up starting one yourself.
So get on your computer and visit some of the blogger's out there.  You can check out my blog and see who I’ve been following or check out other blogger's and see who they are following.  It is great to know that someone is following you.

The Slow Quilter

Friday, April 20, 2012

Marathon Quilt Week

TGIF, it has been a long week and everyone is asking why I have not been blogging.   Well after the BINGO card and the Dancing Tree, I just have not had time to blog.  You remember I have my grandson in the evening ( I have two one is 2 yrs. and the other 15 yrs.), so after cooking, feeding and washing dishes all I have the strength to do in fall in the bed.  I did have time to finish the last book in the Hunger Games series Mocking jay, and I watched Part 1 of Breaking Dawn in the Twilight series.  After watching the movie I could not wait for Part 2, so I got the book from a friend and started reading were the movie ended.   I only read it at night to put me to sleep.

I did sew last night.  Tom does all occasion gift baskets for people and usually ask me to make pillows with initials or a special theme.  Someone requested a Cancer basket for a friend walking in the Susan G Komen walk for the Cure.  Since I had some cancer fabric, I came home and made a pillow and writing pad cover with the fabric.

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This morning I had my grandson hold the items so I could take pictures.  He is such a ham, that when I was taken the picture he said “cheese”.

 

 

Here is also the pad holder and pen

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Now about my Marathon Quilt Week, I will be on vacation all next week and I plan to take that week and eat, sleep and quilt (oh my! That is Linda’s blog name).  I have from the time I wake up in the morning and until my grandson comes home.  (You know I am going to have to add a gadget on the side of my blog to count down the day that my daughter moves completely out of my house and take her kids with her).  So I have really on two quilts to complete fully and that is the picture quilt for the Dancing Tree that is do before Mother’s Day and the Family Day quilt for June.  This should not take long to do, put you know all the planning in the world something could go wrong.

I have also linked up with Marcia’s  Blog party.  Grab the button on her sight and find new blogger to follow http://marciascraftysewing.blogspot.com/.  I have not even gotten through all of the bloggers who have signed upped, but I am trying, I know my following is picking up speed.

New Quilt Blog Link Party

I still have to finish my BOM NYB I am behind and I will try to work on them after I finish the two quilts.  Tonight I have to finish and newsletter for my quilting Bee and I am applying for a new job at work and have to finish my resume and send to my proofreading to work on it, and if I have time check out other blogs and maybe follow them.

As you know this is a very busy weekend for me and I know will not have time to do any sewing, but I will be blogging.  I have a 10:00 – 2:00 music ministry workshop at church tomorrow gearing up for the Pastor and Church Anniversary, so I know when I get home I will just fall in the bed.  The grandkids will be back to the house late Sunday evening so I will have time to get set up for Monday’s quilt in.

Also tomorrow I would like to introduce you new a new seam ripping device that most of you might not know about.  Got you wondering?  Well the hint is that it is a object that a women uses.  So you will have to check back with me tomorrow to see what it is.

Until Tomorrow my quilting friends

The Slow Quilter

Friday, April 13, 2012

BINGO FINISH

Well I finished my BINGO card tonight.  I took all the scrap fabric that I got from my quilting friends and took them to work with me today.  During my lunch hour, I sat in my cube and started cutting out my colored blocks.   When I got home I still had a couple of purple blocks to find and cut.  This is for the May 4 Me BINGO  Game see the button  on the side of my block for the link.

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     B                    I               N                       G                    O

ELEPHANT      DOG      AIRPLAIN      ALIEN            SWAIN

CUPCAKE       BEES      HEARTS        SEA HORSE    FISH

MOKEYS        STAR      FREE              TREES             FLOWERS

BUBBLES      MUSIC     LIZARD         FROG              BUTTERFLIES

CLOWD          TIGER      LADYBUG    JESTER           CHECKERS

I embroider the words BINGO in the color of the rows.  I made one mistake, in row N and G 4th row down I have two frogs one red and one green.  Since I did not notice until after I put it together I just left it and I call the red frog a Lizard.  I bind the quilt with 3” wide double folded brown binding tape (hand some laying around so I did not have to cut fabric for a binding).  I enjoy hand sewing binding when doing a quilt.   It is only around 12:00 at night and I finished this around 11:00 (I did have to eat something, TV dinner).  I did not have my grandson today so I did not have to fix dinner.  I can not wait until the link up this Sunday. 

Now on to the next project.  I still have to work on those pictures for the Dancing Tree so I can put them together and get this quilt finished before Mother’s Day.  I know I have time, but with Murphy’s Law, you never know what is going to come up.

Have A BINGO Good Time

The Slow Quilter

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Falling Behind–But Catching Up

I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Easter, now it is time to get back to work.  I feel like I am falling behind in getting anything completed, I am 3 blocks behind in my NYB, I still have not worked on  my BINGO card and I do have the picture quilt for a Mother’s Day gift for a friend.

Now the picture quilt I have been working on off an on trying to pick out the pictures that were given to me in my photo shop.  The tree I had traced it last month and tried to cut it with scissors, put that was not going to work.  I have been looking through everything I had for this cutting knife I know I have but could not find it.  I ended up leaving working early today to go to JoAnn to get another one, and yes I picked up 2 yards of Kona white fabric which was on sell.  See I was a good girl.

As usual I had to go to go to the grocery store, got home cooked dinner for today and tomorrow.  Been washing clothes since yesterday, my dryer is not drying my clothes, so I guess that is another think I will have to get fixed or buy another dryer.

So I did get started on cutting out the tree.  How do you like it?

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As you can see that scissors would not do for this, too many small pieces to get into.  This is call the Dancing Tree, by Bryerpatch Studio. This is a 18” tree silhouette.  One thing they do not say  is how to cut this thing out. it was more easier using this cutting knife which cut through the paper and fabric.  I used and old warped cutting mat so I would not cut up the table. 

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Tomorrow I will go through the pictures again to see what I will use and put that on the outside boarder.  I will take the tree into work tomorrow to see if she likes it before I start put the pictures to it.

At least I will not have to fix dinner tomorrow, they can just come in a eat.  I am still watching my grandson, but by 8:00 I through him in the bed.  I must likely will still be trying to dry the rest of my clothes, or I might have to run them down the street to my mama’s house.  Do not have time for the laundry mate.

So I will blog you soon.

The Slow Quilter.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

HAPPY EASTER

Oh yes, people Easter is here and so am I.  Sorry it has been a busy week and my computer was being held hostage by Tom to do the family taxies.
When  I last posted, I told you I was going on a bus trip to see Jonah at the Sight & Sound Theater in Lancaster County, PA.  If you have never gone to this theater, you should, it was a great live show and it does make the Bible come to life.  See the trailer below.  After the show we went to a smorgasbord restaurant to eat.  The food was very good.
Jonah Trailer
During the ride up there, I worked on my BOM from Craftsy, English Paper Piecing which I did not think I would like to do, put it was relaxing and I enjoyed doing it.  When I got home I laid it out and sewed the pieces I did on the bus together.  I still have the other ones to do.
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I have been a bit tired this week, so I did not do any sewing just went to bed and it has been a most restless one.  I have been falling to sleep at my computer at work.  Craftsy was having a sale on their on-line classes and since I had a few dollars I signed up for two of them.  One on quilting large quilts and another on paper piecing.  I just ran through them while I was at work, put since I can watch them at anytime it is good to have.

Last night (Friday) after I got off from work, I went to a program at church on the Last Seven Words.  It was most healing of the sprit.  I did have to leave after the six word since it was like after 9:00 and my mother needed to get home to get my fathers dinner ready since he gets home around 10:00.  I was falling a sleep anyway during the 5th word.

This morning (Saturday) I went to church for choir rehearsal for the Easter Cantata “The Christ, The Cross, The Crown”.  I will have to be at church by 6:15 in the morning the program starts at 7:00.  After that they will feed us breakfast and then I will also sing in the choir for the 11:00 service.  I know I will most likely fall to sleep during the sermon, put hopefully I will not snore.  I might have to call into work on Monday and work from home.

My all time favorite movie is on tonight The Ten Commandments.  Boy oh boy, I just love to see Yul Brynner’s legs,  I love his legs even in the King and I he has great legs not a bad chest either.  I must not forget Charlton Heston – Moses!  Moses!  Ah Easter, how I love thee my Lord.
And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them in the way.  And the multitudes that went before, and that followed cried saying Hosanna to the son of David:  Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest”.  (Mathew 21:8-9)

Well Moses has gone up to the mounting to see the burning bush and so he will go into Egypt to set his people free.  So shell I set you free from this blog.

So let it be written,  So let it be done
The Slow Quilter

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

I’m Back and Ready to Sew

Yes, my friends I am back and feeling great, what can I say about the miracle of medicine.  The drugs worked and I am feeling as good as new.  Now is the time to get back in the sewing room, or should I say bed room and get to sewing.

Well it is a new month, and the BOM at Craftsy is English Paper Piecing, like I really need to be doing that when I am like 3 NYB foundation piecing behind.  while I was at work today, I cut out my hexagons (yah, it was a slow day) so I only had to look through my scraps for fabrics.  I picked out some of my African fabrics I have a lot of charm squares so I used that along with some other scraps I had.

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SAM_0782I am going on a bus trip tomorrow to PA to the Sight & Sound Theater to see Jonah.  I think this will be a great project to take with me to work on.   I am not a fan of this English Paper Piecing, put it is a good thing to learn.  I have already started to do some.

 

April will be very buzzy for me, since we are into to the Easter Holiday.  I must say Palm Sunday was great at church, and we have a lot of programs coming up this week.  On Friday my Scholarship Minister will be having a program the Last Seven Words, then Saturday, the Music Ministry will be practicing for the Easter Cantata, and Sunday I will have to be at church by 6:30.  No time to sew then, most likely I will be falling to sleep in the pulpit while trying to sing.

I also went to see the Hunger Games today.  I must say if I had not read the book, I would not have know what the hell was going on in the movie.  I mean really any of you who have read the book and gone to see the movie, don’t you think if you did not know the charters there personalities and what all the in between the lines that was cut out of the movie know anything about it.  They highlighted the good parts of the book, but I do think they need something else to it.  I please the close ups was a little to much.  I will have to give it 2-1/2 stars.

So until tomorrow

The Slow Quilter