Another week of progress

little boy quilt top

 Two weeks in a row and I have made it here again. Yea me!! I have gotten a couple tops done and one of them is basted and hopefully will get quilted today. I was working on the pieces last week, you can read about it here. The second one I had fun designing for a little boy and it will be quilted later this week. I would get more done if I stayed at home more!

The weather is changing and there is a skiff of snow on the ground. Makes one start thinking of Christmas shopping. I am trying to figure how I can only shop in my sewing room, that isn't going too well!

scraps from last weeks post

Yesterday I was going to use one of my old machines to sew some batting together but it was almost seized. So I spent the afternoon working on it, a little oil and she was purring again. Which got me to thinking maybe I should give my machines a spa day. I have an older Singer knock off and it should be in a cabinet so I don't sew with it but I did play with it as well. She has such pretty scroll work on the end.  I oiled my 301A and as I oiled it you could literally hear the difference as the oil got into the right spots. The machine ran smoother and more quiet.

knock off Singer machine

seized machine that sews nicely now

Do you care for your machines or always send them out to be serviced? Someone asked this on facebook the other day and it got me to wondering too. The older machines are so easy to clean add a bit of oil and they are good to go. The newer electronic ones are a different thing. Although you can do regular cleaning of lint on them and then maybe once every other year take it to a technician. Whatever you chose to do at least change your needle and clear out the dust bunnies. Just my personal thoughts on the matter.

Slow stitching will come later after I quilt a quilt and add the binding. But I will take a few moments and a coffee and check in with my buddy Kathy and see what her crew is working on this week.

Enjoy your day and the week ahead!

Happiness is.....

5year old UFO...done!

 My week didn't start out so well but it sure ended happily! This week happiness is having a friend with a longarm who will quilt a quilt for you and you get to spend the day together. Now it almost didn't happen as we had snow overnight and in the morning I was not sure the roads would be good. I did end up going after some cajoling from Natalie(the longarm friend). The next day I trimmed the quilt and found the perfect label for it. It was like it was made just for this quilt.

not great pic but label is good colour for quilt

I also got to spend some time with my sister, her daughter in law, her son and their new puppy! Now tell me playing with a toddler and a puppy won't put a smile on your face or lift your spirits. I also got to see them again yesterday as my sister's in-laws celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary!(no typo- 70th). It was so good to see so many come out to celebrate and visit.

I have been encouraging myself to get other projects done. I do the ones I have been putting off and then treat myself with getting to sew on something I really want to do. I have a few more of the "want to do" then the other which is a good thing. I also found out this week, as I was looking for a UFO to longarm, that I have a few quilts that I want to hand quilt. I guess it is that time of year when I should load up the frame and get busy. If I load it now it will probably be my winter "go to" project.

today sewing up these blocks

Today I am in the sewing room working on a "want to" project with a cafe mocha and Baileys and than later I will be slow stitching the binding on the quilt from this week.  I am joining Kathy and friends with slow stitching today and getting things done!! Kathy asked what was your favorite way to slow stitch...mine is binding or working on my hexies! I don't know what I will do when the hexie quilt gets completed!!

Wishing you all a happy week ahead and hope you find something that makes you smile.

Quilting Season

piranhas working away

 The Fall has arrived and now there is white stuff on my lawn so I guess I can safely say winter isn't far away!

I have had a busy Fall with two retreats on back to back weekends. First I travelled south to spend some time with my three piranha friends. If you haven't been on my blog before, we call ourselves the "fabric piranhas"! I actually worked on two or three projects that weekend including hand quilting on my top from a Libbs Elliott workshop I did in September. You can read about that here.

shores of Lake Huron

blustery and cold

The Fabric Piranhas

my patience quilt

I arrived home with just a couple days to set up and get my house ready for 4 other quilty friends. Unfortunately one injured herself and was unable to join us. Now this weekend was not as productive for me. I was piecing a quilt and I will just politely say that I probably did more ripping out than I did sewing. It was all my own fault which made it worse too! I did persevere and the top got finished but now it is in time out till I decide if I want to keep it or donate it as a charity quilt. I might name it Patience! I slipped on taking pictures at my house, maybe I was just ripping and swearing too much!!

Now I am back into my usual routine and trying to get some projects checked off my list. But unfortunately that is not going too well. SQUIRRELING is happening. Make a block here and there for guild, pizza box challenge for guild and then I am sidetracked with a mound of scraps and next thing you know I am working on a scrap quilt. I should be working on a baby quilt but I am also waiting on fabric for that project so all is good. I might have some blocks together by sunday to show.

While I was away I visited two quilt stores and gifted myself a wool pressing mat. If you have never tried one, they are amazing. I was skeptical about them but have tried them at several workshops and decided I needed one. I bought the 13" one which is great for units and pressing blocks. Just my own opinion on this product.

Enjoy the rest of your week, snow is lightly falling here so good day to be indoors with a good audiobook and some sewing!