Snow Is Fine but the rest...

Sorry for the big nothing over the last few days.  We had 3 to 6" of snow in the Poconos.  And, Tuesday at about 6 am we lost our electricity.  And, we still don't have it back.  I'm using Panera's in a local city. (About 45 minutes away -- I was desperate!) But, wasn't it pretty?  But, no shopping for me on Tuesday.  The four wheel drive went to work with Pat.  

Wednesday I was primed to go to my sewing group.  But, we didn't have phone or electricity.  The roads were nice and dry for the most part so I decided to load up the car and drive on down -- just in case they had electricity.  Wow, there were trees down and on electrical lines all the way down.  Here's one.  It's hard to see the line but it is there, under that tree and this one wasn't even marked for cutting.  I had a couple of big plops of snow land on the window which was quite surprising. They didn't have electricity either. No sewing.  

Ok, plan b went into action.  I decided I would go get the fabrics I needed for several projects.  Did I have fun!  I got two backings, a go with and two others that were on sale and were very usable.  But, I can't wash them, I can't sew, I can't ____. Fill in the blank.  It seems everything depends on heat and electricity.  

We thought we would be getting electricity back last night but, no, not yet. Now, it is getting really cold in the house.  We are thankful we have a gas fireplace that pours out heat.  Unfortunately we also have cathedral ceilings in the great room and the hot air is heating the upstairs.  Did I mention our bedroom is on the main floor?? Here's the outside temperature and the house temp.  Believe me 54 isn't warm enough! 

Hope springs eternal regarding electricity. I can't wait to shower and wash my hair.  No way am I getting wet until the electricity is restored!  And, having just had another hair cut I guess I need to plan to wear my hair a bit longer in the winter.  My neck gets cold!  

The good news is I have finished a couple of books and I'm making good progress on one of the socks.  We've run through a lot of candles.  And, I'm laying in a supply of various size batteries for future problems. I usually use rechargables and they have held up pretty well but it would be nice to have some extras hanging around.  

For those of you who are sewing... enjoy it.  I am looking forward to it next week.

Happy Quilting from the Poconos.  Bonnie

A Top Ready for Quilting

I put the borders on this quilt yesterday.  It was a mystery quilt on Fabricholics Annonymous on YahooGroups.   I am pretty diligent about mystery quilt tops but the borders and quilting always takes me a while!  The cool part of this one is I have the quilting design already planned out.  So maybe Wednesday I will pin baste it and quilt it next week. 

Tomorrow I'm going on a shopping expedition -- I need backing fabrics for several pieces.  I've gotten several tops ready to quilt but just don't have any backings that will go with them.  And, I'm buying one or two pieces for an upcoming mystery quilt.  I've had good luck pulling mystery quilts from my stash. (Yep, the blue and green is completely from my stash.)  But I have two different fabric collections but I need one or two fabrics for each set. I'll see if I can fill one of the sets out for the mystery quilt. 

But the joke is on me tomorrow.  The weather people are calling for 1 to 3" of SNOW.  Wait, it isn't even November.  I'm going out anyway cause I have 4 wheel drive and it isn't cold enough to pile up. (hopefully!)  

Here's a little Halloween quilt.  I bought it at Faithful Circle Quilter's annual silent auction. I'm just sorry the maker didn't sign it!  This would be easy to make yourself. Each block is one square inch.  

Happy Quilting All. Bonnie

At Home Quilt Retreat Day 2

Here's Sharon's la crosse quilt for her son, Rob.  The black print is la crosse sticks.  She has done a super job on the quilt from color choices to getting those nasty corners done correctly. We had to think about them a bit after she got the first one on as it was off by about 3/8ths of an inch, if I remember correctly.  

I got the borders on a mystery quilt I did this summer.  I forgot to take a picture of it today when there was enough light in the room so watch for it soon.  And, I can get the borders on that wall hanging when I sew again next.  

Sharon stayed until nearly 2 and we sewed most of the time.  We work well together and have for years.  We used to make donation quilts together for our church but haven't been able to for the last couple of years.  She was so tickled to get the borders on her quilt and I was tickled to get mine on too, even if she had to talk me into it! The other thing we do is quilt consultations for each other.  I don't enjoy the quilting part of making a quilt so I try to do the least amount of quilting.  Sharon always thinks I should do more involved quilting.  And, she usually is right.  So, we consulted on the former mystery quilt, and two or three other quilts.  Two are ready for quilting, one still needs some sashing and another border.  I've got my work cut out for me. 

I will have to find backing fabric for most of these quilts.  I will be visiting a couple of local quilt stores this week to get the backings and a piece or two for my next quilt. 

We will be planning another quilt retreat here in the Poconos next spring if all goes well.  And, I'll be down in Maryland in February to take classes with Sharon Schambers.  One thing we both noticed is we were exhausted after the all day session.  And, after sewing half the day today I was totally worn out and my arms and shoulder hurt.  It didn't help that I read email in the afternoon.  So, probably won't quilt tomorrow.  

Hope everyone has had a happy quilting day.  Bonnie

At Home Quilt Retreat

Sharon and I are exhausted! We sewed nearly the whole day. From 9:30 to 6:30 with about an hour out for lunch.  It was a great day to sew -- it rained all day long -- steady and heavy. Pat did some touch up painting and patching.  No one had to cook -- we all went out to dinner.  

Now we're watching USC vs. Arizona.  Go Trojans -- Pat and I both graduated from Southern Cal! We'll see how long we can stay awake.  

Watch this site tomorrow for a picture of Sharon's la crosse quilt.  And I hope to have the borders on a mystery quilt I did during the summer. If I succeed I'll post a picture of it too.  And, I've done more on my darn pillow shams.  (I'm bored by them but I'll get back on them soon.) The main blocks of the matching wall hanging are done and sewn together.  I can put the borders on that too.  So I may end up sewing most of the day tomorrow too.  Monday I need to find a backing fabric and some go with fabrics for a pattern I am testing. 

Happy quilting!    A worn out Bonnie and Sharon too. 

How's Your Thread?

When I started quilting I moved my polyester threads farther and farther away from the cotton threads I used on a daily basis.  Recently I've been pulling some of the polyester out to use for basting and a couple of projects that it didn't bother me to be using poly instead of 100% cotton. (I know poly thread shouldn't bother me but it does!) 

I don't use any thread on a wooden spool. (Why put any work and effort into a project and then have the thread give up.) I am acquainted with a gal who tests each section of thread she pulls off her wooden spools.  Thread isn't that expensive, why not invest in thread that will hold up for another 20 (50?) years rather than thread that might last another 2 years?  

It was fun to check the prices on these spools.   From left to right: Talon, 25¢ for 125 yards; Molnlycke 120 yards but no price listed; Belding Corticelli, 30¢ for 125 yards; Coats and Clarks, 29¢ for 325 yards; Belding Corticelli for 19¢ for 125 yards; another Belding Corticelli, 25¢ for 125 yards; and last Talon, 19¢ for 125 yards.  Two of the Belding Corticelli thread  said fast to boiling and they were mercerized cotton. The other was poly.  Boy, you can't buy thread at that price today!  I also have some half size thread spools that I use with a display of bears and other small things.  These spools are so pretty I should display them somewhere too but they will probably go back into my box. 

I did notice that the poly thread I used shredded before I was finished sewing the seam I was hand stitching.  Don't know if it was the thread, the needle or too long a strand of thread.  

I am waiting my friend Sharon as I type.  We're having our own quilting retreat this weekend. Dinner is in the crock pot, the machines are oiled, bobbins are wound.  I'm ready to go. (Heck, the house is even cleaned! Well, most of it is!) Hope every one has a great quilty weekend. I plan to!  

Happy quilting! Bonnie

A Halloween Treat

Yesterday was a quilting day -- but today is a cleaning day. (No, no, I don't want to clean!) Ok... so it is mostly done and I'm tired but feel virtuous!  I've done bathrooms, I've done bathroom floors, I vacuumed. I'm doing laundry. I've vacuumed the hardwood floor.  My halo is going to slip down and choke me as my mom would have said! All this hard work is in honor of Sharon who is coming up for our own private quilt retreat.  We've been quilting buddies for years.  So, I will be sewing most of the weekend! YEAH!  

Today I want to share a great Halloween Quilt.  In 1999 I was in an online group, probably on Prodigy at that point.  Anyway  a group of us did a row robin.  I chose a row of jack o latterns as the starting point.  It took the half the year to get to everybody but it came back with some wonderful rows.  The little sign with the witch says Wanted: Lizard Tails and Frog Toes.  I thought the Sunbonnet Sue trick or treating was really funny.  It took me until January 2003 to finish it off.  But now it comes out every Halloween to grace one of the walls in the house.  

Here is a close up of Sue: 

Unfortunately this hangs in a stairwell so I couldn't get quite straight on.  I have one little tiny pumpkin quilt to show next time.  

I'm hoping to sit down and do some hand work while I watch "Emma."  I've recently joined Netfliks and I am having a great time watching movies that I never saw. We hardly ever go to movies so this is a real treat.  

Happy Quilting All.  

The best made plans...

My plan today was to quilt the pillow shams.  But, first the electrician was coming at 8 am.  (I don't really do 8 am all that much any more!) But up and dressed -- I was ready.  He was late. Oh well.  I had cleaned 1 and a half bathrooms and started a load of laundry before he arrived. He got started, I got breakfast.  And then I thought I'd get a head start on dinner so I could just slide it in the oven and out would come lasagna.  Well, no, no sauce.  I have a great sauce recipe so I made sauce.  And, then it was too hot to put into the lasagna.  Make a long story short it was probably 1 before I made it to the studio.  I finished the borders on the sham that still needed it.  I found some plain fabric to back one sham.  Sewed a few other seams and then it was time to come downstairs and put the lasagna together.  Now I am worn out!  Maybe I'll try again after dinner. I'm going to read for a while after this is done. 

The wind is blowing like crazy outside -- leaves are falling everywhere.  The weather forecaster mentioned the "S" word -- as in snow flurries.  WAIT it's only mid-October.  No "s" word yet. What a difference when you don't teach! We loved the "S" word in January up through February.  The good news is it is too warm to do the snow thing and it really isn't even raining here.  OOOO -- the power just flashed.  Now, that isn't a good thing at all!  (Love my laptop!) I'm off to lay on the couch and read for a bit.  I need to gather my strength to quilt at least one sham front this evening!  Happy quilting (or reading) all!  Bonnie