Monday Meanderings 10 - 9 - 2017

Karen Eckmeier showing us how to line up our log cabins when we sew them together. 

What a great weekend!  I write this sitting in Sharon's house after a great weekend of quilting classes. Karen Eckmeier came in to teach two classes: Scrappy Layered Log Cabin and Happy Villages.  They were great fun and very easy, mellow classes. You can see Karen's work at her website The Quilted Lizard.  Here are the scrappy log cabin blocks we made: 

My scrappy log cabin blocks. 

Sharon's scrappy log cabin blocks with the triangles added.  Hers turned out a bit smaller than mine and she added the little triangles. I wasn't going to add them but decide they really add to the whole block.  The whole technique was easy, no stress piecing. 

I'm looking forward to finishing these, especially the log cabin.  I'll share the Happy Village pictures later this week.  It was so much fun to just go with the flow -- no precision piecing, lots of chatting while working.  Most of us got 4 to 6 log cabins finished.  Some got way more.  But I'm always so happy to see friends I don't see on a regular basis that I spend a bit of time chatting when I could be focusing on the class.  It was all good.  

My goals for last week were pretty well accomplished.  

October 2, 2017

Cut out & piece star quilt nope     

Finish quilting TAW √

Prep fabrics for weekend class √

Enjoy classes in Maryland √

This week I'm hoping to get more done on specific projects. 

October 9, 2017

Cut out and piece star quilt

Make another log cabin block

Start 3 tiered skirt

Start the Halloween shirts

Finish binding the trip around the world quilt

I'm off to do a little piecing before I head home to Virginia.  Once I'm home I'll probably spend a little time surfing the web to see what folks are doing this week.  Check out these linky parties: Monday Making, Moving It Forward, Oh Scrap!, and Main Crush Monday.

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Rinse, Repeat OMG

Do you remember old shampoo that said wash, rinse and repeat?  That's what I feel like this is.  A rinse and a repeat of my September One Monthly Goal.  That goal just didn't get done because I didn't count the pieces correctly and ran out of them after 10 blocks while I was on retreat, at the end of the month.  Sigh.  Here's 9 of them that did get done. 

I must say I really like how it is turning out even if I didn't get the 20 blocks all made, bordered and a complete top during September.  My OMG for October is to get this quilt to top stage.  If I'm really lucky I'll get it quilted and bound during the month but I'm not offering up that as my goal.  I'm ready for another success! 

Happily, I can report that Ruthie, the long arm, is repaired and quilting like a champ.  I've finished another row of quilting with 3 more to go.  Darn this holly design is really dense as it is taking 25+ minutes to stitch each row.  But I must say it looks terrific on the Christmas trip around the world.  My preference is for looser quilting but I am thrilled with the results so far.  

I'm linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal October Link-Up and Mid-Week Makers.  Take some time to see what folks are working on around the Internet.  

That's it for me.  I've got to get downstairs to finish quilting my Trip Around the World today. 

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie 

Monday Meanderings 10 - 2 - 2017

Post Retreat! 

Retreat was -- fun, fabulous, well organized, tiring and yet also relaxing!  Just a few thoughts on Country Piecemaker's retreat near Harrisonburg, Va.  I've been going to this retreat for 7 years and they keep getting better and better.  Since I've moved an hour and a half away I don't make it to guild meetings often.  But I so enjoyed seeing everyone and sewing with friends.  Sharon has been coming to it for 6 years.  (They have always taken outside folks and when Sharon first started they had spaces to fill.) We have a couple of ladies from Ohio and one from Connecticut.  

I didn't take too many pictures but I will share what I have over the next few days.  Here are some of the things I worked on over the four days. 

A reindeer ornament. Some how seeing this as a picture I'm thinking, "a bell for a tongue???" Hum, looking at the pattern picture I may have sewn the bell on too tight.  When I first did the piecing I made a mistake which I didn't notice until after I turned him.  Oh well.  So, he looks more like a bull than a reindeer! You can see him made up the way he is suppose to look here.

My big project was an epic failure.  Here's a reminder of what the block looked like.  I had planned to make 19 more of these blocks, put them together, and put two borders on.  Well, er, um ... I didn't count correctly.  I needed 8 of the navy blue pieces for each block.  Somehow I only cut enough of the pieces to make 10 blocks all together.  No one has ever said I can do math.  Evidently, I can't count either.  I have half the blocks done.  It's an epic failure because it was suppose to be my One Monthly Goal.  Um, no, didn't get it finished.  I was wondering if something would go wrong when I planned to make this at retreat during the last 3 days of September.  Oh well, I'll be deciding my next monthly goal in the next few days. 

Below is my back-up project -- I evidently counted just fine with this project.  It went together fast and accurately. (Phew, glad something got totally done!) 

And a closeup:

I'll be sharing more about retreat and pictures this week.  I am fairly shocked to know I didn't take very many pictures at all.  I guess I was too busy chatting and sewing. 

Needless to say I have mostly failures this week when I look at the goals. I'm not stressing over any of it as I did have one big success and that was having fun at retreat! 

Sept 25, 2017

Finish quilting Trip Around the World not yet,

Make and add binding to TAW well, not yet

Piece 2 baby quilts um, 1 finished, 1 fail

Finish snowman mini quilt√ except for hand sewingthebinding down

Finish reindeer ornament√ except for hot gluing the lights on

Have a GREAT time at retreat! √√√√√ Victory!

October 2, 2017

Cut out & piece star quilt

Finish quilting TAW (assuming Ruthie is fixed!) 

Prep fabrics for weekend class

Enjoy classes in Maryland 

I have a busy week so some of these goals may not happen based on whether the long arm is fixed in time.  If not, I should be able to get the Ninja Star quilt top finished. (Assuming I don't goof off too much!) 

I'm connecting with my regular linky parties: Monday Making, Main Crush Monday, Oh Scrap, Moving It Forward.  I'm looking forward to cruising the blogs to see what other folks are doing.  

That's it for me today. 
Happy Quilting!  Bonnie

Oops -- There Goes One of My Goals!

Did you notice something missing from the picture above? 

Yep, the long arm sewing machine is off the frame and the electronics for the computerized sewing is separated from the machine. 

So, my goal of finishing the Christmas Trip Around the World quilt won't be done this month. Sigh!  A new piece (like the one on the right up above) is on its way to us.  Thank goodness Pat can handle this.  (Hey, we've taken the machine and frame apart quite a few times since we got it.) Next week it will come in and we'll get it set up and going.  Then my TAW will get quilted! 

To take my mind off of this, I'm heading out to retreat tomorrow! I've packed 2 baby quilts, and a bunch of little projects.  I'm hoping I'll get those 2 baby quilts to tops and the small projects totally finished.  Then I've added a couple of quilt blocks I want to get made. There are several demos offered which will also be made.  

I'm linking up with Mid Week Makers and Needle and Thread Thursday.  Check out what folks are working on across the Internet. 

I'll be leaving around 9 am on Thursday heading out to the retreat in Harrisonburg, Va.  I hope everyone has a great weekend quilting.  I know I'll be having lots of fun. 

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie 

Monday Meanderings 9 - 25 - 2017

Another finish! This baby quilt will go to the NICU at St. Francis Hospital in the Richmond area.  I'll give it to Janet at Country Piecemaker's retreat that starts Thursday.  Yea!  I love retreats.  

I used a new panto called Lava, designed by Hermione Agee. Thread was a light blue Omni by Superior Thread.  I like how it turned out. 

All of these pictures should enlarge if you click on them. 

This past week I was working away on my goals list with some good results. 

Sept 18, 2017

Make lotto blocks for retreat √

Mail pillowcases√

Wash, iron and put away new fabrics •almost done

Bind Streak of Lightening Quilt √

Load Christmas Trip Around the World quilt√ loaded and started quilting!

And here's what I'm working on this week. 

Sept 25, 2017

Finish quilting Trip Around the World

Make and add binding to TAW

Piece 2 baby quilts

Finish snowman mini quilt

Finish reindeer ornament

Have a GREAT time at retreat!

One last thought:  How many projects do you take on quilting retreats?  I'm trying to decide whether to add one or not.  This is a 3 1/2 day retreat.  I usually try to work steadily on my projects without too much goofing off and/or breaks.  One of the baby quilts is really easy the other is a little more involved.  But, honestly, they are small quilts.  I guess I'll prep one more UFO and take it with me just in case. (One retreat I forgot both the directions and a needed piece of fabric.)  Ruthie is having a computer issue so I'm not sure I'll be able to finish quilting the TAW.  If it's done I'll be taking it to bind.  

I'm linking up to the regular suspects parties: Monday Making, Moving It Forward, Oh Scrap and Main Crush Monday (when available.) Take a look to see what folks are working on.  And, wow! The inspiration will have you adding quilt ideas to your to do list right and left! 

That's it from me today.  I'm off to do a little internet surfing. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie