On my Design Floor is my PhD project:  Afternoon Tea by Judy Flanagan, Quilter’s Coop, which I started in 2003/2004 in a class with Celine Perkins (Perkins Dry Goods).  I had most of the 28 8-inch blocks done, and then it went into the closet.  That’s never good.  Things tend to not come back out of the closet.

However, back in June, Pam B and I thought it would be fun to have a PhD program in our Wednesday day group of quilters.  The requirement was to find something “significant” (after all, this is for a PhD) that was approximately half done that you had abandoned.  We had very good participation numbers, as it seems nearly all of us have lots of PhDs in bags or boxes in our closets.  Well, then there was Luanne…who starts one project and finishes it…who had to quickly get something half done so she could play along!  We like her anyway.

Wednesday is graduation day, and true to form, I’m not ready.  Also true to form, I will be done by 1:00 Wednesday!  So here’s a photo of my PhD quilt before going on the longarm:

It’s big, 91 x 94 and I really like the vertical setting on this quilt (picture it rotated 90 degrees — or turn your head sideways!). 

I started this quilt, as I said before, in 2003.  At that time, I really didn’t have any Civil War reproduction fabrics in my stash.  I wayyyyy overbought fat quarters for this quilt.  (The class was two block patterns per month, two different colorways of each, for a total of 4 blocks produced at home per month.)  I never seemed to have enough lights, and every time I went back to the shop for another class, more fat quarters came home with me. 

Because this quilt wasn’t finished, I’ve kept all the fabric I bought for this quilt in a large container, “off limits” for any other project.  I have enough fabric left in that tub for at least two more quilts!  This is how stashes get out of control.  But on the plus side (and there’s ALWAYS a plus side when you’re talking about fabrics), these are beautiful fabrics that I still love.

Check out JudyL’s blog to see who else is answering the question, What’s on your design wall???

Well, gotta get back to work.  The clock is ticking!

–Sue

Our Wednesday group, Day Stitchers, is a pretty casual group.  No mission statement, no meetings, no officers, no dues.  Just a group of women who enjoy quilting, as well as other kinds of needlework.  We gather once a week at a local library in a conference room.  Nobody has to play hostess, and nobody is required to bring treats (except often somebody does).  It’s perfect.  It’s a place you can go and spend four hours working on some handwork and enjoy the company of others.

Then somebody decided we should have a show!  (Doesn’t that sound like the old Our Gang movies?  I can just hear Darla saying, “Let’s have a show!”)  With limited space for display, we decided to do a quilt show of miniature quilts.  So our humble little group spent several months in 2007 working their hardest to produce over 100 miniature quilts.

Since this was before I began life as a blogger, I thought I would share some pictures. 

 Here are Joan, Betty, and Arlis hard at work doing set-up.

 Since the quilts were miniature, we decided the ribbons should be gi-normous.  Here is Pat’s Carolina Lily (I think that’s the name) sporting a ribbon.

I know I missed getting a picture of one bank of quilts, but this is a pretty good representation of what we accomplished in 2007.  It was a lot of work, a lot of fun, and looking at these pictures makes me think, “We should have a show!”

–Sue

Considering we live in the city, I consider us pretty fortunate to be able to look out at a pond, trees, birds, squirrels, rabbits, hedgehogs, and other years we’ve seen deer and a fox.  You just never know what you’re going to see. 

I know our pond isn’t very deep, because in dry summers I’ve seen ducks stand up in the middle of it.  However, it may be a lot deeper than I thought, as here’s what I saw this afternoon:

Does he remind you of anybody famous?

The other birds weren’t cooperating at all today, and so here are a couple of pictures of the tree the birds are SUPPOSED to be in!  They must not have gotten the memo that they are a main source of my entertainment.

This tree is prettiest right now.  Another day or two, the blossoms will be totally open and appear all white.  I love this pretty rose color that they have now.  I just don’t understand why all the birds don’t want to hang out in this particular tree!  I know I would.

Can’t show any quilting pictures right now.  In the works is a customer quilt, our guild’s challenge for this month, our Wednesday group (DayStitchers) started doing our box exchange again this month, and another challenge quilt for a June quilt show.  So much secrecy!

Sue

Sue

I made three blocks for our quilt guild’s block-a-month project for 2009:  January’s, February’s, and December’s blocks.  We got December’s pattern early so we can hopefully have our tops completed by the December meeting (each member is doing their own quilt).  These blocks were fun and super easy to do.  I’m using my collection of Asian cottons.  Many of the fabrics have a metallic gold element to them, and I haven’t been sure what I wanted to do with these fabrics.  I think this is going to be lovely.  I have a luscious chocolate brown that’s going to be my sashing & border fabric.  These fabrics were all purchased last year for another project (right before I broke my wrist), so I will be taking fabric out of stash for this quilt!!!

Tuesday’s Little Victory:  6 minutes on the elliptical trainer.  Woo-hoo!   You guys promise to warn me when I’m losing weight too fast, and I start making Nicole Ritchie look like a Sumo wrestler, okay?

I’m also stitching 13 blocks together with setting triangles, which will comprise the center section of my challenge quilt for Minnesota Quilter’s 2009 Challenge Quilt for the quilt show in June.   These quilts are usually wall-hanging size, but this year they increased the dimensions allowed, and so mine is going to be roughly twin size.  I can’t show you the design or my progress (but I am making progress!);  here are some of the fabrics we are required to work with (in one of three different colorways – mine is the Brights; it’s Ricky Tims fabric):

All the fabrics are fun-fun-fun, except for the green.  It doesn’t want to play nicely with the group.  I guess that’s the “challenge” part.  We are required to use a recognizable amount of each fabric on the front (rats!!!) of the quilt.  So I’m just going to work in a little of this too-light green, and hope it’s not too distracting.

Wednesday is my favorite day of the week, ‘cuz it’s DayStitchers day!!!  We meet at a local library from 1 to 5 in a conference room, and bring our hand sewing to work on (or knitting or crocheting or hardanger or …)  Our numbers range from 10 or so, to 20 or 22 on the high end.  We are a little low right now because of the gals that are still enjoying their winter in warmer climes.  It’s such a fun and friendly group, and it’s always interesting to see what everyone is working on.  I feel very fortunate to have found this friendly bunch.

DH’s doctor appointment went well Tuesday, and he should be done doctoring for a while.  I think we’ll start going to a local mall in the mornings for him to get some gentle walking in.  It’s raining out tonight, and we have below-freezing temperatures forecast for tomorrow.  Bad combination.  Maybe we’ll just do some laps around the living room until I know the roads are good!

I got a new camera for Valentines Day/Birthday combined, and these are my first photos.  I have a big Panasonic I just love, but it’s a little cumbersome, and sometimes I miss photos because I don’t carry the Big Guy everywhere I go.  Later this week I’ll tell you about Baby.  She’s  just adorable, and I’ll be able to carry her in my purse.

– Those of you who wondered if there was a picture of me, regarding the previous post?  Think about it.  Do you think my husband would have noticed anything different about me?  I reference this post. 

– Seven of us from our Wednesday stitchin’ group went to the local NBC affiliate last night and presented our baby dolls with hand-made quilts to Toys for Tots, and made a brief appearance on the 6:00 news.  We all had a lot of fun.  We donated 15 dolls with quilts.

– I am in Full Apron-Assembly-Line Mode.  After completing the first Church Ladies Apron, I decided I would cut out the next nine, and do all the pockets at the same time, ties, facings, etc., and it should be a more efficient use of time.  More boring, but more efficient.  I am really excited about some of the fabrics I’m using (photos on a future day).  And I wish it was after the 1st of January so I could count these 20 yards as part of Stash Busting (two yards per apron, and 18 of the 20 yards out of stash)!!!  They are for gifts, so I will keep plugging away.

– Friday is our Christmas outing for the four of us “buds” that used to work together, and we keep in touch by meeting for breakfast most Saturdays.  We are doing an overnight at a local casino (free rooms), and will have fun opening our gifts, enjoying a fun dinner, and perhaps doing some donating  at the machines – at least until the smoke gets too bad.  I always bring knitting along…

– I got a new Keurig coffee brewer.  What a fun toy!  A toy that makes coffee/hot cocoa/tea, how good is that?

– Had my annual mammo today, and since I was close to the Mall of America, thought I would spend some time shopping.  I AM EXHAUSTED.  I guess it’s a sign of the times, but the mall was pretty low key for being two weeks before Christmas.

Well,  that’s all for now.  Pictures next time!

Sue

Broken Wrist Update:  I can hardly believe it’s been so long since I posted.  But you will notice I am using capital letters again!  Very exciting to me, because I can type with two hands again.  Last week the doc put a removable brace on my broken wrist/forearm.  What a treat!  I can shower without being “bagged up” like yesterday’s turkey carcass.  The pain is very minor for the most part, although sleeping all night is still a challenge.  Forgive me if you are stopping by to see quilty stuff.  I’m going to show a couple of photos of my arm for my family members that are being referred to my blog from our family web page.  (There are quilty items coming up though, so just skip past…)

And on a related note, my best buds Carol, Pat & Marcia sent me a nice cheerful flower arrangement two weeks ago after the surgery, and it still looks good!  It just shows that it pays to go with daisies and mums.  There are a couple of huge roses in it too, which are somehow drying in place.  I don’t think I’ve ever had fresh flowers last this long.  Actually, I rarely get a potted plant to last this long!  (ps:  the smiling mug is HUGE…)

Gift In The Mail Update:  I received the most wonderful Pay-It-Forward gift from Julie at JulieKQuilts.blogspot.com. 

She sent me one of these cute baskets, hand-made, of course.  And what a doll!  She also tucked in Dove chocolates (see empty bag above) and the sweetest card.  Thank you, Julie!  And I will be contacting my PIF’s soon, getting their gifts on their way to them.  (Be sure to check out the Pink Penguin site.  There you will find the tutorial for this bag as well as a lot of other neat-o stuff.  THANK YOU to “Ayumills” for a great pattern!!!) 

I have to tell you something interesting about this little basket.  Monday the 10th, Barb B. in our Weds. quilting group shared with us the info on making these same baskets.  I made one, and it turned out to be very cute also!  Monday the 10th at 6:30 pm I broke my wrist, so that appeared to be the last real sewing I would be doing for a while.  Last week I was visiting my mom, and although I planned to keep the basket for myself, I decided to give it to my mom.  I knew she would appreciate something hand-made from me.  (And how often have we all done that???  Given away something we really intended for ourselves.)  And then Julie sends me one in the mail!!!  I will treasure it, Julie.  Thank you so much.  And it shows you how popular this little project has become!

Limited-Mobility Sewing Project Update:  So, what can I make with this wrist that is oh-so-much better, but still a broken wrist with a plate holding things together?  How about … pincushions!  I printed the pattern for these pincushions ages ago from the allpeoplequilt.com site.

I thought they turned out really nice.  They are about 3 1/2″ square, and I weighted the bottom with a little bag of rice inside.  A fun way to use up some interesting or vintage buttons, but I purchased these.

Weather Update:  It’s hard to believe we’re at the end of November.  Over 40 degrees today, and no snow on the ground.  Our little pond has a thin layer of ice on it.  This is very unMinnesota-like weather, but it’s really nice while it lasts.

Knitting Update:  I had so much fun knitting my first pair of socks earlier this month, I promptly ordered a bunch of sock yarn from three different places.  It started arriving right after I broke my wrist.  Of course.  But I love all the yarn, so I decided to keep all of it, certain that I would be able to knit again.  I had started a sock in this lovely green/orange/purple yarn before I fell (doesn’t it look like spring?).  I have been testing my ability to knit, just one or two rounds at a time.  Fortunately I knit the old-fashioned way, and my right hand does most of the work.  I am relieved that I will be able to knit again, although casting on is a problem right now. 

Family Update:  We had a wonderful time last week with our #1 son home from Virginia, and #2 son and DIL, plus #3 son spending more time around the house.  It’s truly like old times when the three boys get together.  I couldn’t do as much baking and cooking as I would have liked, but on the other hand, there were extra people to adjust my blanket for naps and help me put my socks on!  Things are pretty much back to normal, just at a slower pace.

Holiday Update:  Since last week was the only time this year our little family will all be together, we celebrated both Thanksgiving and Christmas last Saturday.  To keep things simple, we drew names for gifts.  I didn’t put the tree up, but I did plan to add in some of the holiday decorations.  Then this wrist thing happened, and I really didn’t care if we were decorated or not.  So we went with “not”.  It was really nice to be together, but it seems very strange to think:  We’re Done!  All the hustle and bustle today of the Black Friday sales was irrelevant. 

Thanks for stopping by, and an especially BIG thank you if you hung in there and read this whole thing!

 Sue

(edited  – 11/20/08)

last december our wednesday daystitchers group purchased baby dolls and made a quilt for each one.  then we brought them down to kare-11’s 6 pm broadcast and donated them during the Toys for Tots drive.  here is a wonderfully blurry picture of me and a couple from our group with Sven, our weatherman.

We are set up with channel 11 to repeat our dolls with quilts donation again this year.  i had already purchased my baby doll, who’s an adorable cabbage patch preemie.  a little doll quilt is no big deal under normal circumstances — however, with a broken wrist???  i thought i better start now, especially since i asked friends who don’t sew to purchase a baby doll and i would make quilts for as many dolls as i get,  so last night i set out to quilt…

okay, 1st problem.  i can’t stabilize the ruler to rotary cut.  hmmm.  ds1 is home.  would he be game to learn how?  sure he would.  what a guy!

 (i promise to post a better picture of dave in the future.)  so we did a variation of Mary’s heartstrings pattern, so dave could cut the “strings” whatever width he wanted.  okay, a disclaimer.  i am working one handed.  everything is awkward and different.  so with that said, here is the unquilted top on the “baby”.

Doesn’t she look cute?  i think our next “doll” will be a teddy bear suitable for either a boy or girl. 

Sue

sue

We woke up this morning to wet, heavy snow in the trees and on the ground (and everything else).  Usually our first snow doesn’t “stick” or last very long because the ground is still too warm.  I don’t know if this snow is here for the winter or not, but it sure is pretty out this morning.

This is a branch of the crab tree right out our kitchen window.  I have to be the laziest photographer in the world.  When I say Out My Window, that’s exactly what I mean.  I’ve removed the screens from key windows so when I want to take a picture, I can just crank the window open and have an unobstructed view.  If it’s a bird up close, however, I just shoot through the window.  Here is our view out the back window:

Not a particularly interesting picture, except it looks like black and white, and this is actually in color.  Makes me want to stay in and make soup today.  In the lower part of the picture you can see the walking path that goes around our “lake”.  It’s called a lake, but when we’ve had a dry spell, I’ve seen ducks standing up in the middle. 

Yesterday was DayStitchers, and it was our last box exchange of the year.  (We each have a box of chosen fabrics, designated theme, etc. and once a month from May to October we exchange boxes, and make a block for someone else’s box.)  I’m posting a collage of each collection of blocks here, but I will also be posting individual pictures on my Box tab at the top of this page.

(You should be able to click once or twice on the photo to make it a little larger.)

Clockwise from the upper left we have:  Jan’s Batiks, Jane’s Stars & Pinwheels, Joan’s Chickens, Jean’s Civil War, Betty’s Florals, Sue’s Cowboy Boots, Cathy’s Hearts, Kate’s Chickens, Pam’s Blue Baskets (she appliques the pink flowers when she gets the baskets back), LaVonne’s Minnesota Twins, and in the center is Arlis’ Birdhouses.

Some people have more than six blocks because they continued their same theme from last year.  I plan to continue my cowboy boot blocks.  I asked the ones who get my box to make a cowboy boot that reflects their personality, so I would like to end up with a boot from everyone in the group.  We’ve had a lot of fun with these boxes.  It’s a small task to make a block during a month, and it’s sooooo much fun on exchange day to see what everyone has made. 

Sue

PS:  I just had to add another photo.  The above gray-looking photo at the beginning of this post was taken Friday morning about 9:30.  It’s less than four hours later, and the view is dramatically different.  The photo below shows the 9:30 am photo on top, the 1:00 pm photo on the bottom:

So I guess, even though the thermometer says 37 degrees, it isn’t REALLY winter yet!  And maybe a reminder that we shouldn’t judge our day by the way it starts out.  It could end up being really lovely!

Sue

I really wanted to do some kind of retreat or quilt show outing this fall.  I nearly went to the ND quilt show in Fargo, but things just didn’t work out.  I finally decided to have a “sort of” retreat at my house, and invite all the women in our Wednesday DayStitchers group.  So we start tomorrow, all day; of course, on Wednesday we go back to our regular afternoon quilting group; then about a dozen or so of us back at my house Thursday, all day.  How fun will that be?  Well, I’ll know tomorrow.

The “price” of admission is one fat quarter per day, and they will go to one of the day’s participants (by a drawing at the end of the day).  I seeded the bowl with a few starter FQ’s:

I’ve been busy removing some furniture, moving the rest around, borrowing tables (thanks, Betty!) and an iron, and probably something else I haven’t even thought of yet.  I am expecting about 14 quilters tomorrow, and so I’m getting stations set up for the ones that are bringing their sewing machines — 14 of them!  Part of us will be upstairs, part downstairs, but we will be meeting up midday in the dining room (after we clear the sewing stuff off the table) for some lunch.  I’m going to make my mother-in-law’s Cheesy Potato Soup, a tossed salad, and some nice crusty bread.  I’ll also have my sister-in-law Jeanne’s Dump Cake (MUCH better than it sounds) for dessert.

My husband is out of town for a funeral, and he may be a little disoriented when he comes back to the new furniture configuration:

There are several sewing stations that don’t appear in the pictures.  I also need to get the pressing stations set up, and the exercise room place we store our exercise equipment will be set up with table and chairs for a little magazine and book viewing.  I still have lots to do.  You will notice I’m not posting a photo of my sewing room yet!  So back to work I go.  We will have a great two days sewing up a storm!  Wish you could all be here, but I definitely don’t have enough chairs!

Sue

On the first Wednesday of the month, we DayStitchers exchange boxes.  I’ve added a button at the top of my Web page where I can post photos of our blocks:  Box Quilts.

This month I took home Cathy’s box.  Cathy’s request is to make a heart block, but use no heart fabric.  The colors are turquoise/purple/olive and white (which she has supplied).  Any suggestions for a fun heart block?  She hasn’t requested a specific size.

Sue