I really look forward to JudyL’s Design-Wall Mondays.  It’s good to have a regularly scheduled time to take stock of what you’re doing (or sometimes not doing).

Quilting:  Nothing too exciting.  Well, I think the colors are kind of exciting, by it’s only strip sets, and the rest is a *shhhh* secret.

Knitting:  Got the heel done on my Zauberball Crazy socks.  This is the crazy yarn that has no repeat, so no two socks will be alike.  Kinda takes the pressure off!

This yarn is very soft and nice to work with.  My problem has been I’ve been taking them downstairs to “coffee”, and I end up taking out as many stitches as I put in.  New Rule:  Only work on socks alone.  Conversation is too distracting.  Movies are okay.  Yesterday I watched a very old Miss Marple movie and a couple of episodes from Season 3 of Monk.  What a great afternoon!  Another afternoon like that and this pair should be pretty close to done!

Waiting in Bags Somewhere:  Appliqued Tree of Life (due in May).  Knitted Fish Hat (due in July).  Circle Socks (due in July), Embellishing & Quilting Skinny Beach Table Runner (due in April, I THINK!).  How’s that for a “Too Due” list?

A look at what I’ve done this past week, and what I’m working on.  Here is a close-up of one of the 28 Valentine’s Day cards I stitched up on Saturday.  Nothing fancy, to be sure, but I thought the fabric was adorable for an at-the-beach card.

Our “crafting group” (such a catchy name, don’t you think???) made these easy coasters from this tutorial.  They were a huge hit, and a fun easy way to use up some stash and have some gifts ready to give in the process!

I’m working on this Patricia B. Campbell Tree of Life 1 applique’d wall hanging.  Not much progress, I know.  I had a comment last week about perhaps not having enough contrast between the rocks and the background (although not many of the rocks are in place yet this week).  For better or for worse, this is intentional.  I am hoping the rocks look like they are coming forth from the “ground”.  We’ll see how it goes…I may end up changing fabrics out…I’ve been wrong before! 

Socks:  I’m STILL working on the same sock as I’ve been working on for quite a few days now…ready to do the heel flap, so that’s always exciting!  It will start to really look like a sock.  No photo this week, toooooo boring!

Other News: I have a give-away starting today, so click here for the give-away posting. Your comment(s) MUST be on the give-away posting(s) to be included in the drawing, although I would love it if you commented here also — it just won’t be your entry in the drawing.

–Sue

Oh, how I love Mondays when I have something to show!  I finished my apron.  Don’t love it, but don’t hate it either.  I’m going to make it again in a small print and a near-solid, and I think I will be much happier.  As Mary-Kay said, spots won’t show on this apron, so it will make a good “working apron”.

I’m at a waiting point on my at-the-beach skinny wall hanging.  I do love how this one is coming out.  It needs more embellishment and quilting, but I don’t have access to all my “stuff” right now.  Most of the “sky” is hidden because I had to wrap it around the railing and pin it.

I’m still working on my Crazy Zauberball socks.  This is the crazy yarn where there is no repeat in the striping pattern in the yarn, so your two socks are going to be different no matter what you do.  And mine are.  The yarn is wonderfully soft, and I’m guessing these socks are going to be favorites.  They will look great with denim.

And I started a new project.  This is an applique’d Patricia Campbell pattern, Tree of Life 1.  I started by doing a flower, but I need to work on the rocks and the tree trunk and branches.  What is most exciting to me is I’m using one of Vicki Welsh’s hand-dyed fabrics for my background (and also some FQs of hers for the tree itself).  I LOVE this piece of fabric.  To me it looks like a fiery sunset.  So you don’t think I’m getting myself in too deep for my second applique’ project?  Of course I am, but that seems to be what I do when I learn something new.  Okay, I can paint a stick man; now I think I will try to replicate the Cistene Chapel. 

I just eye-balled laying out some of the pieces, so it isn’t quite right; just wanted to give you an idea of what I’m doing. 

And I’m missing some of the rocks on the left-hand side, but I’m still debating on those fabrics.

And, guess what?  I passed 100,000 visits sometime in the night last night, so I’m going to have a give-away later this week!  The theme of the give-away is “At the Beach”, so be sure to check back. 

Wondering what other quilters are working on?  Pop on over to  Judy Laquidara’s blog.  And thank you, Judy, for hosting Design Mondays.  It’s a lot of fun, and a it encourages us to take stock once a week of our progress. 

And a thank you to Vicki for her wonderful hand-dyed fabrics.  To visit her shop, click here.

–Sue

Wow, it’s February 1st and this is my first Design Wall report of the YEAR!!!  Thanks to Judy Laquidara for hosting these Design Wall reports.  If you have extra time, swing by her site and check out what other people are working on.  It’s always interesting!

I’ve been working on a wall hanging from the Skinny Quilts & Table Runners book, edited by Eleanor Levie.  The wall hanging I’m making is by Karen Eckmeier (page 61, if you have the book).  This is for a skinny quilt challenge issued by Pam of my sewing group in Minnesota.  Since we all make resolutions to lose weight in the new year, and few actually succeed, let’s make a skinny quilt!  The odds of success are soooo much better…

The pattern called for lights, mediums and darks of both blues and turquoises.  I had no trouble sorting my (mostly) batiks by color.  It was the color value that was getting tricky.  I was just reminded a week or two ago by Vicki W. to use your camera as a tool.  (See if your photo-editing software  has an option to change the picture to black and white.  Another way to do it is to look at your camera’s options and you can possibly select taking a black and white photo (remember to change it back!).)  It is so much easier to see what fabrics are out of place in grays.

I wasn’t planning on using the fabrics absolutely from darkest to lightest, but I did want to sort them that way initially.  It was also a good test to try when I did have them organized how I thought I wanted them.  I changed them around several times before I had an arrangement I was pleased with.

Now I’ve started embellishing with some beads, trim, lace and yarn.  There’s quite a bit more to do on it, but it is really a fun piece and will be a wonderful memento of our time at the beach.

No, it isn’t quite straight, but the designer allows an each on each side to be trimmed off when everything is done to ensure it squares up.  Also, I have the top inch of sky tucked into the armoir, so there is a little more sky than shows here. 

I have a throw-sized top finished (can’t show it yet), and a queen-sized top started as well.  And I’m working on the same pair of Zauberball Crazy socks I’ve been working on for a l-o-n-g time, but I am on the second sock!  That’s a good thing for me.  It’s always so tempting to switch to something new, and I have a knit stocking cap that I want to get done this month.

I will share a crafting report later in the week.  Two weeks ago we embellished dishtowels, and this Wednesday we are making those cute criss-cross coasters.  Two weeks from now we are making Vicki W’s pot holders.  (The alternate weeks are strictly “social” get-togethers.)  If you’re wishing you were in Texas at the beach, you can do the crafts with us electronically!  Fun, fun, fun.

Notice I’m not talking about the weather.  For beach weather, this week leaves a lot to be desired.  However, for getting-away-from-the-snow-and-cold weather, it’s pretty darned wonderful!

–Sue

First of all, I’m not a big resolution maker, because after 60 years on this earth, I find I am still making the same resolutions:  get organized, stay focused on one project, lose weight, be taller…..so my resolutions this year are a little different.

I am going to continue participating in Judy Laquidara’s Design Wall Monday.  I find that helps me take stock of what I’ve accomplished in the past week and think about what I hope to accomplish in the next week.  (If you’re interested in participating, nothing to sign up for — just prepare a post on your site on Monday, go to Judy’s site and add a link.)  PLUS it’s fun to just check in and see what other quilters are working on.

Something new is Vicki Welsh’s involvement in a new site:  3 Creative Studios.  They are starting something new in January, Creative Cue, every Sunday, where they will throw out a word as astarting point for a creative exercise (drawing or sketching), and it’s up to you to interpret it however you would like.  You can participate even if you don’t draw!  Yea!!!  I plan to use this to be more creative in my photography, but I’m sure it will overlap into other areas of my life as well.  Same deal — prepare a post on your site, go to the 3 Creative Studios site and post a link.  Sounds like fun!  Even if you don’t have a blog or photo site or don’t care to participate for whatever reason, check out this site.  Click on all the tabs and buttons and see all the wonderfulness they are offering up!

Work on completing my mountain of UFOs, a project at a time.  (Tab at the top of my page, if you’re interested in tracking my progress.)  By the middle of January, I will be back to having UFO Thursdays.

Work on developing some of my designs into actual patterns.

Keep knitting socks.  I have a lot of sock yarn in the basket waiting for the *magic* to happen and turn them into socks.

AND be better organized, stay focused on one project, lose weight, get taller…wish me luck!

–Sue

Last stash report of the year!  Used in last three weeks:  4.5 yards.  Bought in last three weeks:  Nada.

2010 will be a different kind of quilting year for me.  I’m not going to take customer quilts any more, and I’m going to focus on finishing my many, many UFOs.  I also want to spend some time sewing quilts from my designs I’ve made using Electric Quilt.  It will be a fun and challenging year for me, and I think I’m ready! 

Design Wall Monday Report:  Quilting is definitely on the back burner this week.  Waaay back burner.  DS#3’s recently purchased duplex is in the midst of renovation, and DH and I are the paint “crew”.  Saturday was spent scraping off wall paper and washing one bedroom; Sunday was spent painting Kilz primer in the same bedroom.  So out of 14 rooms, we have one room half done!!!  Yikes!!!!!!!!!  Things will start to go a little faster, hopefully.  We can only work when the regular subcontractors aren’t there, so that limits our time during the week.  That’s good, because our bodies couldn’t survive doing this  all day, every day! 

This is what happens when small children have access to magic markers (and picture this on most of the walls in one of the units):

Kitchen of one side with new cabinets, new flooring, old icky paint (imagine nice neutral walls, a light neutral countertop, and a real light fixture) — and here is where my old dishwasher came to live:

When I do get back to quilting, I have some projects waiting for me:

• Quilt my 9-patch new antique quilt for DS#3 (Rob) for his new place (amandajean’s design)
• Finish my purple placemats
• Finish my Shine On Bayou Cane UFO (Judy L’s design)
• Finish my Freeze Frame UFO (JudyL’s design)
• And many more projects than I care to think about right now!!!

Christmas was wonderful, although we did miss DS#1 Dave who was home in Virginia.  A picture of DS#3 & DS#2 (Rob & Tony), in their matchy-matchy sweaters from (of course) their matchy-matchy mommy (they are so very tolerant):

And a photo of lovely DIL Lynn with her sampler quilt (ALMOST done — need to finish the binding Wednesday at DayStitchers — you didn’t think I would let painting get in the way of ALL my fun, did you???):

We are taking tonight off from painting so I can rest my sore muscles and so DH can cheer on the Vikings.  This afternoon we are off to do a little shopping and an early dinner out.  Sounds fabulous to me!  Tuesday night through next weekend will be pretty much painting filled, so if my blog is a little sparce in the next few days, you will know why!  Think of me with my bottle of Motrin and BioFreeze for those sore muscles!  It’s really amazing what a person can do when you know it’s short term, and when it’s for one of your offspring!

–Sue

Last week I had a big finish of a UFO from 2003 — Afternoon Tea. 

On my actual design wall is still Judy L’s Freeze Frame, patiently waiting.

Quilting plans for today are my last customer quilt of the year, and it’s a fairly small one.  Woo-hoo!

On my size 2 circular knitting needles is a pair of socks with the most wonderful yarn, Crazy Zauberball.  It is really lovely to work with.

I have two doll quilts to make for Toys for Tots.  This will be our Wednesday group’s third year to go down to the local NBC affiliate, Kare-11, and appear on the broadcast.  We will be on the Wednesday, 12/9, 5:00 pm news (probably about the time of the weather), bringing baby dolls with handmade doll quilts to go with them.  We’ve had a lot of fun in the past, and I’m sure this year will be equally fun!

– Sue

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

Well, sort of.  Same quilt on my design wall for probably the last month, so I won’t bore you with that picture.  Off the longarm and ready to deliver is a little baby quilt:

I used one of my newer pantographs called Cascade by Keryn Emmerson.  It reminds me of a Linda V. Taylor one that’s feathers but more densely quilted.  This one allows a little more loftiness.  I also used a puffier poly batting for this quilt.

Now on the Gammill (are you ready, Bert??) is my aunt’s Freeze Frame quilt (Judy Laquidara’s design).  As I mentioned before, this is Bert’s first quilt, and she did a wonderful job.  Her borders lie FLAT!!!  Great job!  She chose Popcorn by Jodi Beamish for the panto (one that I like a lot and use a lot), and she allowed me to choose the thread.  I chose a muted mustard color, and used Hobbs 80/20.  Here’s a peek:

Click here to see a previous picture of the whole quilt top.

I’ve also been working on a UFO, one you haven’t seen before called Afternoon Tea, started in 2003 *gasp*, and I have a due date of December 2nd to have it completely finished for our DayStitcher’s group PhD project (Projects half Done).  That is graduation day *double gasp*.  The pressure is on!  Photos on UFO Thursday.

–Sue

Sunday’s Stash Report:  Two Michael Miller Fairies Panels bought = 1.35 yards in.  One baby I Spy quilt kit given away = approximately 2 yards out. 

Monday’s Design Wall report:  Same quilt as last week (JudyL’s Frames quilt), patiently waiting for attention.  I am putting my Aunt Bert’s quilt on the longarm today, so finally some action in the sewing room!  Woo-hoo!!!  And those Fairies panels I bought?  They are going into a small decorative throw for my mom.  They are just adorable, and would make a super-easy, super-fun baby quilt with some bordering, as long as the baby’s a girl! 

Weather Report:  I know, you didn’t ask, but I just want to tell you all how fabulous it is in Minnesota today, November 9th.  58 degrees and sunny.  It’s more like May.

Places-to-Visit-on-the-Web Alert:  Remember the Minnesota Blog Hop earlier this year?  There’s a new one that started today with 12 quilt artists from across the country, each taking a turn sharing a project with us, the lucky readers.  Today Gudrun of GE Designs is featured.  Be sure to check out her cute quilt-as-you-go tutorial for the holidays, and leave her a comment (be sure to read and fulfill the requirements in your comment) to be entered in a drawing.  I’ll be listing each day’s featured artist on my blog, so feel free to stop by for the link.  Good luck!

Family News:  DS#3’s big old van had a close encounter of the deer kind this weekend in Wisconsin, and he’s now a full-time pedestrian.  No injuries to the people involved.  Don’t ask about the venison deer…

– Sue