What's on the Design Wall in February?

My scrappy American flag tops, on my flannel design wall.

It already came and went!  Back in 2011, I made a spumoni quilt and had some strips left over.  I decided to use them and make another strip quilt, but a little wider, so I added a crazy border around it.  I put the strips on the design wall the evening of Feb. 20. The next day they were all sewed together and on Sunday, Feb. 22, I sewed on the border.  The was done in three days.  I waited until Wednesday night to go get backing fabric. Wednesday night at the Craft Warehouse they have happy hour and 40% off one cut of fabric, so I got 5 yards a 40% off.  In the mean-time, I used some scraps to make scrappy American Flag wall hangings.  I got the tops of two done.  Those are now on the design wall, just to inspire me to make more. They are so much fun!!

quikie quilt top

It's A New Day!

I Skype with my daughter on Sunday mornings. We sometimes talk serious, but we really like laughing so we, many times, keep it light.  We both say some silly things.  I seem to be doing and saying many silly things lately.  One thing about me is: I tend to do more than one thing at once, and that is where trouble begins.  For example, last weekend at the mini-quilting retreat, I was so happy to have people over, that I was having a wonderful time chatting with everyone. I was doing this while starting my  project for the day.  I had turned on the iron, and I had turned on my sewing machine.  I did not set the settings on my machine, but was blathering instead. I pinned my two strips of fabric together and sewed them. I sewed another strip of fabric on. Then I noticed my needle was not in the correct place to be sewing a quarter inch seam.  I ripped out my first two seems, then proceed to sew the first one again, but I had not reset the needle position.  I had to rip it out yet again.  At that point, I quit talking, focused, and finally set my needle to the right place.  That was an excellent waste of the first thirty minutes of the mini-quilting retreat.
     Two weekends ago, I was with a friend at Ceramica.  I was talking and not focusing on my actions.  I drank all but 1/2 inch of the water in which we had been cleaning our brushes, before I realized I was not drinking from my water bottle.  The gal who works there said, "Well, you got all your minerals for the day!"
    I must stop this chattering, when I am supposed to be focused on something else!  Today, I am taking a plastic ruler to put in the rinse water tumbler at Ceramica, so I do not repeat my former nutrient taking  behavior.  I had thought about not sharing this on my blog. My husband told me that I should not share just the good smooth operating things. So, it is a new day and I have come clean. 



I glazed this bowl on Feb 7. I love it.

Happy President's Day!

A lot has happened in the a last couple weeks. T helped me sell my dining room set and the new one looks simply lovely in there.  I also got a lot of stuff cleared out of my quilting room in time for my mini-quilting retreat on Feb. 15.  T helped me bring in the extra six-foot table from my workshop. I had purchased some PVC pipe to make risers for the legs, so we could have a cutting table with the right height.  T pointed out that my table had adjustable legs. It was self-rising!  Who knew?!  How convenient!   I returned the PVC pipe to HD for a refund.  It turned out to be a pretty good set up.  It was mini.  There were three of us and we had a great time and more food than realistic.  T and I worked on mini-American flag quilts.  Ph worked on a lovely regular quilt until late in the day, then she started a mini flag quilt.  She will be showing us later how it turned out.  Meanwhile, T and I finished our mini quilts and did a swap. I give the one I made to her and she gave the one she made to me.  Yeah!  I made another small one, with zig-zag fabric, that quilter's call chevron fabric.  I don't get it. They are zig-zags.  I know what chevrons are; I was in the Air Force!  Anyway, I used the red and white zig-zag fabric for the stripes on the flag. I sewed yellow ric-rak in the seam and turned it right-side-out for a fun, quick, and without binding American Flag mini-quilt. 

L to R:  C made, C made, T made. 

Merlinda is deciding if she likes the new set.  The table-runner
is a quickie project that T taught us a couple years ago. Goes
perfectly with the 1970's flooring.

Busy Bee in January and February!

It has been a very busy couple of weeks. I have managed to clean some items off my quilt table, so I could put my dining room chairs up there and give them the Murphy's Oil Soap treatment.  I am putting the whole set on consignment. After I get it all loaded into the pick-up, I can mop the dining room floor and put our new downsized dining room set in there.  Just removing that table extension board, that was in the broom closet, has allowed me to put the broom away and the folding step ladder!  Man! Space is finally finding it's way into our house!  But later today, my buddy and I are going to the Quilt Crossing to sign-up for a class in March and see what they have going on for "Souper Bowl Sunday"  -big sales!  I may have to break down and buy a yard of fabric!  I have a gift card!
     Also, this cleaning out/downsizing business is getting me more organized.  The Knotty Quilters have scheduled the last weekend in February for the Cindy Retreat in Eagle, so I decide to have a mini-retreat at our house for three of my quilting buddies.  Therefore, I have to get this dining set out of here by next weekend! So, on the 15th we will be clutter free in the quilting room!  The new dining set is in there with other dislodged household items!  Here is the old set, ready to go, with Merlinda's approval.

Don't you just love the 70's linoleum?!