Photo Finish

These are the sweet little-girl fabrics I used on a baby quilt for friends of my son, whose daughter is due in November. Their baby shower is at 4 PM today! The yellow background (super-soft flannel) is the backing fabric. I got up before dawn this morning to finish attaching the binding by hand to the back, before I got ready for church. I had the bright (maybe not) idea to put flannel binding on and it wasn't exactly my favorite thing to do, live and learn! I didn't like the way it handled at all in the corners, it was thick and uncooperative. But, it's done and my son has taken it to present it to the new parents. Hopefully baby Taylor will enjoy rubbing that soft binding between her fingers, as little ones like to do, and all the bulky trouble will have been worth it in the long run. I snapped two photos before wrapping the gift (oh, yes... I'm a full-service Mom!) in the early-morning darkness; due to that fact the color is dim in these last two pictures. I used the Disappearing 9-patch pattern, the design effect here is subtle as there isn't that much contrast with these fabrics, I still thought it turned out soft and pretty and interesting, though! I hope Taylor agrees..."Sweet Baby Taylor"

42" X 56"

Life is Good!

Troubleshooting

I had the weirdest thing occur the other day while machine quilting, it might be more accurate to say while "attempting" to machine quilt. I couldn't quilt farther than 6" before my upper thread would snap and break. This became completely frustrating fast! I had constructed a small quilt sandwich and "warmed up" there with my BSR engaged before stitching on the baby quilt I was free-motion machine quilting. As soon as I switched to the actual quilt, of course, the trouble began! I had paired a 30 weight sulky Blendable thread on top with a 60 weight Superior "Bottom Line" in the bobbin. I was using a Schmetz quilting needle, a new one. The batting was Quilter's Dream Blend, I had flannel on the back. I started trouble shooting each item, one by one. Removing each "variable" like we did food items when my son was being tested for allergies 27 years ago. I changed the needle. That wasn't it. I adjusted the tension. Nope. I rethreaded the machine, twice. No change. I moved my top thread from a vertical spool pin to the horizontal one. No change. Finally, deciding it was the Bottom Line thread, I switched to a 6o weight cotton thread, Mettler, in the bobbin; I've used this thread combination successfully many times. If possible, it snapped and broke even faster! I turned off the machine and walked away. I later took the machine apart and cleaned out each bit of fluff and lint I could find, I oiled above the bobbin case and rethreaded, I couldn't even take ten stitches on the practice sandwich now! I returned the top thread to the vertical spool pin. Worse. By this time hours had been wasted and I was becoming unglued. My husband suggested checking the troubleshooting check list in the owner's manual. Since my machine had been retro-fit upgraded to the BSR feature there's nothing in my book about that but I did find a list for general thread breakage. I ticked through the list... I checked the placement of the spool pin holder and decided to turn the spool around, end over end. Instead of the thread spooling off under it was now spooling off over the spool, placed horizontally. That was it! I was a little skeptical at first, I quilted for a short time now expecting an all too familiar tug, snap and break... it didn't happen; at all! I finished the central portion of the quilt in record time, making up for the hours lost. I hope to post a picture of the quilt soon, the baby shower is at 4 PM on Sunday. When all else fails for you, when you're having one of "those" days with your machine, try turning the spool over! It's the very first thing I'll check next time. In the meantime, I have binding to apply...

Life is Good!

The Judging Conundrum

It's an uncomfortable subject among people I know; and yet, when asked, everyone has a strong opinion. The subject is judging, specifically quilt judging. To enter a quilt into competition takes courage. The quilt is categorized and then judged by comparison to those 'like' quilts within it's division. People will tell you that judging is unfair and subjective, people who feel this way shouldn't enter judged competitions without keeping a few things in mind:
1. Judges try their hardest to be fair, it's often next to impossible due to the fact that there's very rarely a level playing field, even within like categories.
2. As long as you have human beings judging quilts its going to be subjective, there's no way around that. Just as you have your favorites, and may be drawn to a certain quilt's design or color, so will a judge. They will most assuredly attempt to check personal feelings, likes and dislikes, at the door. But remember, they are human and they are being as objective as possible. The judges can only judge what's in front of them, they don't know the story behind the quilt, they can't, and yet they know that indeed, every quilt has a story.
Strolling around a judged show you'll see ribbons attached to some quilts that won't appeal to you and then happen upon a stunner without one. You may wonder why, you may even question this seemingly glaring omission out loud. Keep in mind again the categories: baby quilts against baby quilts, wallhangings against wallhangings and the possible divisions, too, within categories... hand against hand, machine against machine, and now the ever-increasing gray area of: "constructed by one and quilted by another" and you'll begin to understand the task that the judges face.
If you are courageous enough to enter judged competition please enter your quilt in the appropriate category, follow the show's rules for deadlines and size requirements and submit a clean quilt. Remember that the judges are quilters too, they understand the anxiety associated with leaving your prized possession for scrutiny, they do it too. If a course in quilt judging is offered in your area consider signing up, or attend a judge's lecture, even if you never plan to judge any quilts other than your own. Do keep an open mind to the entire process and be ready to reap the rewards, you'll learn and grow as a quiltmaker, guaranteed.

Life is Good!

Training The Brain

I'm in training, or at least my brain is! My daughter and son-in-law gave me this game for my birthday with a small hand held Nintendo DS on which to play it. This was not something I had wished for; to be honest, I only learned about it after I opened it... but I can assure you that I will use it every day. In order to keep your brain age young and your gray matter active there are a series of exercises to perform daily, there's a calendar which records your commitment and gives you a stamp each day, and there's a graph to chart your progress. So far, so good. (2 days in!)

I remember years ago I had a quilt student (she was an attorney) telling me how happy she was to be taking a quilting course because it was one activity where she wasn't required to use her brain! Can you imagine? Suffice it to say she wasn't the teacher's 'pet' after that comment!

Well, certainly quilters DO use their brains and this training game activates parts of my brain that have been a little, well, maybe... sluggish? The exercises put to work the pre-frontal cortex. Gee, I didn't even know that's where I needed extra help until I started trying to zip through math problems against a clock and remember sequences of numbers. I'm feeling sharper already.

Yes, I'm in training, brain-training. Now, as for the running shoes and athletic socks I also received yesterday... I may need to break those in a little more gradually! One thing at a time.

Life is Good!

Time Flies

Guess who's 54 years old today?

(I can actually remember my grandmother getting me all
dressed up and taking this picture in her living room!)

We received a solicitation in the mail from an insurance company the other day, there was an urgent "dated material" response warning on the outer envelope. I opened it up to read that the offer was for the addressee only, she who was about to turn 54! I was caught off-guard, I couldn't believe it was intended for me, but there was my name next to that number! When did this happen?
Time flies so fast sometimes that I can scarcely catch my breath...

Life is Good!

Our Closet Overfloweth

On Thursday mornings I hang out at church with The Quilters. We've been blessed with a constant stream of resources to this Quilting Ministry ever since it began almost seven years ago. We never want for fabric and the small financial reserve has grown and multiplied, we use that for supplies that must be purchased, like batting. We have a small, 'working' closet to use for our quilts-in-progress and a designated storage closet for finished, tagged quilts. The quilts go everywhere imaginable: group homes, battered womens shelters, nursing homes and extended care facilities, hospice homes and to those who are homebound, the cancer center, as well as to every baby baptized in our congregation. The quilts are needed and appreciated. Just this week one was delivered to a mother who has been sleeping on a chair in her daughter's hospital room every night as the young girl awaits a bone marrow transplant. Every quilt could tell a story of its own! The Quilting Ministry takes a break over the summer. During these past few months boxes upon boxes of flat folded fabric appeared like orphan babies dropped off on the church's doorstep! So much fabric came in that our closet was in danger of exploding, the sheer amount was daunting! Our blessings abound, I was overwhelmed, in every sense. While exceedingly grateful, I worried that we would never manage to return this closet space to any sense of organization or order. The Quilters didn't bat an eye, they jumped right in and started sorting the fabrics and tying the quilts like they have done every week since January of 2001. There's still much organizing to do, but I noticed yesterday that we can once again close the closet door without fear of damage to the hinges. That's progress!Life is Good!

The Last Tomato

"It was, quite literally, the last tomato of summer. For weeks my husband's uncle had provided us with delicious tomatoes from his garden. No fertilizers, no pesticides, just tomatoes he had grown from seeds saved from his plants last year. Tomatoes that were huge and firm and wonderfully sweet. And this was the last one.

It sat in a bowl on the kitchen counter. I thought of chopping it into my spaghetti sauce but was afraid the flavor might get lost. A tossed salad perhaps? That seemed to ordinary for this prize. An omelet? Topping a turkey sandwich? Everything seemed too everyday for this last tomato. And then one morning the summer's last tomato was no more. Its top was wrinkled, and its sides puckered and speckled with dark spots. When I tried to pick it up, it was squishy and gave off a slightly acrid smell. I tossed it into the trash. A very ignominious end for the last tomato of summer.

I think of that tomato when I'm tempted to put off lunch with a friend, when I wait for a special occasion to wear my grandmother's cameo, when I promise myself a walk in the woods but never seem to find the time. Now-- the time is now to act on dreams, to nurture relationships. And, if you have one, to eat the last tomato of summer.

Great Giver of every good gift, let me be a wise-- and eager-- steward of all Your blessings."
-Mary Lou Carney

I needed to share this, it was the installment from August 31st this year in Daily Guideposts. It has meant a lot to me, and I thought it could possibly mean something to you, too. Thanks for reading.

Life is Good!

Will Work For Fabric

Five of the gals at my LQS have left on an adventure, traveling to Steckborn, Switzerland to visit the very place where our Bernina "babies" are born! Naturally, this leaves the LQS a bit short-staffed; so much so that they've called in moi to fill in some of the time while they're away. This would be a dream job except for a "few" things... namely, bolts upon bolts of fabric! (Remember this is my self-proclaimed "no buy" year!) I'm reminded of a friend who, years ago, told me that she was so tempted off of her diet by donuts that she decided to work in a donut shop as therapy for her donut "addiction"; she claimed it worked! I don't know how long I'd have to work in and around fabric for this to have a similar, curing effect, on me! Decades? The fabric buying pheromones are hard at work to un-do my resolve! I'm even bargaining with my own conscience... "do fat quarters count"? They don't... do they?

"...and lead me not into temptation..."
Life is Good!

Triathaletes

Our children competed in a triathalon today, all of them; we are so proud of their commitment! Our son and daughter (first two photos) combined on a relay team, our son-in-law (3rd photo) did the entire triathalon solo! This was the first annual event to raise money for children's causes locally, held in memory of a little boy whose smile was pure sunshine to everyone he met. His parents decided to turn the tragedy of his death into something positive; to celebrate his short life through generosity to others who desperately need it. With the loving support of their family and friends they did just that, and will continue to build on what they've begun each year from now on. A memorial playground will be built at our local chapter Ronald McDonald House with money raised from this event. Everyone pulled from deep inside to do their very best, I know that our children set their own goals and honored their personal commitments. I dare say that these three first-time triathaletes will be back to compete again in the years to come, it meant the world to them.

Go, Team AJ!
Life is Good!

Quilting Christmas Lights...

I've been quilting Christmas lights, strings of them! I've had this smallish-sized quilt hanging around for awhile, too long; it's finally time to get it finished. I marked the design with a water soluble pen and used red/green/white variegated thread. This particular thread would be much more effective on a medium to dark fabric as the white portion will "fade away" when the ink is washed out. Oh, well... the learning curve increases! This is all part of living up to my new motto: "finished is better than perfect" and so it goes.

From the basement workshop: my husband participated in community "Days of Caring" last week through his company and the United Way. His team worked at a group home doing exterior improvements to the facility and grounds, as well as providing a picnic table. I snapped this photo before the table that he built was loaded into the truck and taken away for installation.

Pretty neat, huh?
Life is Good!

The Ultimate Gift

We watched this movie last weekend, it's fantastic. It's been a long time since I can remember wanting to watch a movie all over again the minute it ended, it was that good!

"When his wealthy grandfather (James Garner) finally dies, Jason Stevens (Drew Fuller) fully expects to benefit when it comes to the reading of the will. But instead of a sizable inheritance, Jason receives a test, a series of tasks he must complete before he can get any money."

Predictable? You betcha.
Worth watching? Absolutely! For the whole family.

It's available on DVD now. You won't be sorry you took the time, believe me.

Life is Good!

Preemie Quilts

Our Guild supplies the neonatal intensive care unit at a local hospital with preemie quilts. The quilts are small, 36" to 40" square. Initially the quilts are draped over the isolette, "insulating" these, the tiniest of babies, from the bright lights and electronic sounds around them. Eventually, when they're big enough, the babies are wrapped in these quilts for cuddle sessions. The parents pick out the quilts for their babies; the nurses from the NICU report that this is such a fun thing to do for all involved, there's always an assortment of happy colors and cheerful motifs from which to choose. To put things into perspective think of the size of this baby in relation to the quilt dimensions. In such a tenuous, day-to-day environment such as this NICU isn't it heart-warming to think of the comfort that can be provided by a small quilt?

Life is Good!

Never Forget

It's hard to tell in this photo, (click to enlarge!) I had to pull my car over and hurry to snap this shot on my way home from church today, each and every telephone pole along this rural road... mile after mile... has an American flag attached and waving! In front of every home, along rolling pasture land, even in front of this little country church were flags. We all remember where we were six years ago today when we learned the horrific news that we were under attack.

Let's never forget what we hold most precious.

Life is Good!

Les Échantillons, Finished (With Friend...)

It's done, here's the photo as promised... with friend! It's BIG, a full sized quilt for the guest bed.

Les Échantillons, 76" X 86" in all it's glory:
... now, moving on...
more quilts to finish, I could get used to this feeling!

Life is Good!

Consider This...

"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle".

This was at the bottom of an e-mail, a forward, the type I ordinarily delete. For some reason I didn't delete this one; but rather, read it through. The sentence above concluded the text. It's worth consideration, think about it. I know I will this week.

Life is Good!

What A Wonderful World

I saw this video linked in Ami Simm's September newsletter, it was way too good not to share!

Les Échantillons

The French language makes even the most mundane sound fancy and exotic. "Les Échantillons", the title given to this one-patch quilt, simply means "samples" in English! Yep, that's what this quilt is made from entirely, collected fabric samples! I belonged for years to the Cotton Club's fabric samples by mail plan. Every few months I received a fat envelope of four inch squares of the newest fabrics along with a newsletter; this was heaven when I lived overseas. I had both fabric to touch and felt current and abreast of the quiltmaking trends that were happening stateside. These squares accumulated! At one point I began sewing them together, no rhyme or reason; random rows. After spending the appropriate amount of time "curing" as a top-only (years!) I began quilting it this past weekend. (This may have been what prompted the long-arm query)! It's big, 76" X 86". I settled on a simple idea, very simple-- straight lines 1/4" from the seams that required no marking. I chose a 30 wt. Sulky Blendable in variegated parchment tones and an Aurifil (50 wt.) in the bobbin. I used a walking foot; it was a perfect set-up, the stitching looks great and even. I found the stiletto valuable, too. I used it as almost an extension of my finger for holding and sometimes encouraging the fabric to proceed when it didn't want to or when there was a pucker that needed smoothing before it went under the foot. Ideal!The quilting is done and I'm very pleased, binding is on the docket for today. I'll post a finished quilt 'portrait' this weekend. I heard Marianne Fons say "you can't ever finish the quilts you're not working on", or something to that effect. How true! I'm going to go and quilt up something else now...

I'm on a roll.
Life is Good!

New Toy

No, not for me! My husband got a new toy in plenty of time for fall and mounds of leaves. Since he and our son care for two yards, the raking can get out of control in the blink of an eye... and let's just say that raking is NOT the favorite task of either of these men! This is a 'Cyclone Rake', kind of a rake-vacuum! It mounts behind the lawn tractor, sucks up the leaves and passes them through a shredder before depositing them, as compost, into the giant box on the back. My husband saw one that my Dad uses for cemetery maintenance (Dad's a cemetery caretaker in our hometown) when we were home this past July. We ordered the video from the company and after watching that, and hearing my Dad's testimonial, he was sold! We're now proud owners. He couldn't resist starting it up and trying it out, even though there was only one leaf on the grass! Hey, it was 'Labor Day' after all! Plus, it wasn't all work, either... someone got a ride back into the garage!

Life is Good!

Calling All Machine Quilters

Are you a long-armer? Mid-armer? Domestic machine quilter? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions would you mind telling me why you are, and what machine you use? I have great free motion results using my domestic machine, especially with the BSR and I love my walking foot, but there's still much maneuvering, repositioning and all of that becomes very time consuming whenever I quilt anything much larger than a table runner! As a result, my flimsies continue to pile up. I know that I could farm my tops out for someone to finish, and yet I like to see the entire process through, start to finish. Naturally, space and price are big considerations with some of the HUGE longarm machines, like the one pictured here, and yet I'm fascinated by them. I've seen an ad recently for a "Lenni", a scaled down version of the APQS Millenium.

Anyone out there wanna weigh in?
Life is Good!
... and even better when the tops become QUILTS!