Cleaning Out!

Hi...it's me....long lost Bonnie!

I've even had emails from several of you asking if I needed help coming up for air!

And just a few weeks ago I was on such a roll with my blue quilt, but life got in the way. You know, I have 1/2 sq triangles all cut and ready to feed through the machine, but I haven't been able to even SIT at the machine unless it was for finishing someone else's binding. I've been quilting, but it is on other people's quilts, not on my own. Deadlines abound, and they seem to be taking up all my time.

I spent a couple hours this morning culling through my charity quilt stash. I'm resigning from being the charity quilt chairperson at the end of this year, there is a new gal stepping up to take my place, and along with the guild stuff I need to pass on to her, I thought it would be a good time to go through what I really didn't love anymore and see if it would broaden the charity quilt stash for the guild a bit better. The guild stuff is AWFUL UGLY. While I was chairperson I tried to make kits with it to use up what had been donated, and it is just not EASY to make all this stuff go together. So...I've added to it stuff I am happy to say farewell to in hopes that it spices up the mix a bit and the new person can find ways to use all this stuff.

Because I cleaned out...I now have a whole pile of my own stuff..and when I mean pile, I mean pile!

This pile includes pieces that are FQ size, some larger, some a bit smaller...small stuff I had tossed over to the charity quilt side of things, and now I'm pulling them back. I'm going to strip them down and feed them into my scraps. I need to find a way to make these chunks useable so that I will USE THEM.

I know it doesn't look like a very attractive mix of fabrics..but I am always amazed that when making scrap quilts, if you mix it all in....somehow it just seems to work for me. When will I get around to cutting this up? I'm not sure!

I've got a customer quilt on the machine I need to finish this morning, I need to go to the massage clinic this afternoon, tomorrow I have the "walk for life" breast cancer walk downtown, and I have to drive to Aiken to deliver several quilts to the quilt shop there!

I was supposed to take them to guild meeting monday night, but instead...I'm going to DC!! I'm meeting up with my Dad and spending several days with him doing the tourist thing in DC. I'm also planning on meeting up with TONYA! YAY! So...looks like Bonnie won't get in any sewing next week either!

Bonnie

Two Very Cool Things!

I have made reservations for the Paducah show...and Lucy is coming!! We are staying at Big Bear Resort..it's a little bit out of Paducah, but we have rented a little 1 bedroom cottage, it has a living area and a little kitchen...FUN FUN FUN! So that fun is for April, 2007....

The second very cool thing...there is a BIG quilter's retreat here that goes all out. It's kind of spendy and I haven't gone before. I was contacted and asked if I would like to be the official massage therapist for the retreat..a personal invitation! I said I would, if I could be guaranteed enough clients to cover the cost of my lodgings.

I just heard back that several people have paid their registration, and my fee for the massage on the form, and so I get to go to the retreat EXPENSES PAID! A little massage work on the side, and the rest of the time I get to spend quilting with everyone else. How cool is that?! The massages I have reserved so far will cover the cost of a little cottage room all to myself. It is Feb 22nd to 25th. So I have that in the works.

The third cool thing, okay so I didn't mention that in the title...this past weekend was the MS-150 ride for Multiple Sclerosis. With your help we raised over $2060.00 to fight MS. I had a great time working on the cyclists saturday and sunday. I was SO BEAT by the time I was done, but it was so worth while. I mean, what's better than guys in spandex bike shorts? :cÞ No really, it was wonderful, uplifting, and most of all FUN.

I haven't had time to work on my blue/neutral quilt....and it's driving me crazy. I have so many customers to finish quilts for and the pressure is ON. So...That pile of 1/2 sq triangles are going to have to sit there at the machine table for just a while longer while I get caught up on stuff. Life gets in the way, you know?!

Bonnie

Thursday.....it's cool and the windows are open!

Oh, I am SO enjoying this cooler weather. You are probably tired of hearing it...but when you have been without it so long, you just embrace it like a lost friend!

Yesterday it poured and poured...that was NOT fun to drive in, but today, it is overcast, very green....nice gentle breeze..and I have the windows open letting some fresh air in here. It's nice when the a/c stops running 24/7 and I don't have to breathe processed air! This real stuff with lower humidity is great!

It's been a crazy week so far so I haven't gotten as far as I would have liked to with my power sewing. I spent some time this morning, and I have gone as far as I can. Now I have the job of 180 1/2 sq triangle squares ahead of me, so that needs some concetrated time before I see any more 'real' progress on this thing.

I have to laugh...you guys! I didn't show you my ironing board so you could say how much you like it, or don't like it! It's an IRONING BOARD! :cD Is it supposed to match every quilt I press on it? It was cheap, I needed a new one, and walmart had this one. I kind of liked the barn red plaid with the chickens :c) However, my ironing board is NOT part of my interior decorating and I don't think it has to match anything, and it is okay with me if it clashes with some things that I sew ;c)

Are you getting the idea of these blocks yet? Do they look like the beginnings of a star to you? :c)

And I couldn't resist taking a picture of Oscar as he auditioned the pile of blue strips. I think he approved!

Bonnie

Tuesday, feeling almost like fall!

You can't believe what a break it is when it starts to be a bit cool and less humid in the mornings in South Carolina! It's been GORGEOUS the past few days...yes! Come on FALL!

With fall brings the desire to pull out the crockpot for some wonderful soups that simmer all day long, whole wheat bread dough rising in the bowl, and hot cereal for breakfast with brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins and milk...comfort food!

I just can't cook like this in the summer...it's usually too hot to even want to drink hot tea in the mornings. Once school starts and things settle in, I hanker for my tea pot and the smell of tea steeping as well.

I have another little picture for you! Let's see..what have I done so far? 90 hour glass units....turning 1/2 of them into puss in the corner type blocks....and now..180 flying geese units! Some quilts just require building one block at a time so you can match colors and get things just so. Other quilts...like this one...just call for what I refer to as POWER SEWING! Figure out how many units you need, and just chain them through the machine in mile long strings of pieces. THIS is that kind of quilt!

Now that I've finished the fying geese units, I need to make 180 1/2 square triangle squares, blue and neutral. It's a daunting task, but with power sewing, books on CD, or music from XM radio 70's channel blaring, I can get it done in no time!

I finished the binding/hanging sleeve on Weed Whacker last night at guild meeting and showed it for show and tell. It was a hit :c)

Bonnie

Lazy Sunday

I worked Saturday (yesterday) doing massage, and after I got home I was just beat...I did finish a customer's quilt that has to be delivered to guild meeting in Aiken tomorrow, but no time to play with my own fabric!

Today I treated myself to a LONG Sunday nap. Sundays were meant for napping I think. I just need it to catch up and recharge myself for the next week coming, and if I don't get my Sunday afternoon nap, I'm just not a happy girl!

I've been playing a bit this afternoon with my pieces. Want another sneak preview? Here you go! Remember those two piles of 2.5" strips? (See below) The idea is that you can make this whole quilt from 2.5" strips. If you have also been cutting scraps down into bricks (2.5" X 4.5") and squares (2.5") you can use those too......but with the use of the companion angle ruler, and the easy angle ruler, both by EZ, and a regular rotory ruler, you can cut all the pieces for this quilt from 2.5" strips :c)

Some of the steps could be simplified if you were to speed piece with long strips and rotory cut across panels, but sometimes I like to just chain feed individual pieces and pairs through and get more variety in my piecing instead of having sections that all look the same because you used long strips to create them, you know what I mean?

Anyway....stay tuned...keep guessing...I'm back to sewing!

Bonnie

WHATTHEHECK!???

Did you ever have a moment like this? Ive been chainpiecing scrappy blue hourglass blocks.....took my long chain to the ironing board....and lo, and behold..this block's seam had THREE layers instead of 2! I guess this is what happens when I'm still chain piecing past midnight :c)

As for what I'm making? I'm not tellin! :c) You'll have to wait and see! I pulled out all the blue and neutral 2.5" strips into two piles and I've got PLANS!!

Bonnie