Mail Call Monday - {Quilt and} Knit Related

Welcome to another edition of Mail Call Monday!!  Today's edition is dedicated to knitting.  I am a member of Ravelry, an online community dedicated to knitting, crochet, weaving, and spinning. Some days I spend more time there than at home!

Anyway, there's a We Love to Barter group that I belong to and a member was asking for Longaberger baskets.  I happen to have been a consultant for five years, so I have a basket or two to spare.

I sent of the basket that TheKnitrix chose and several days later, I received a package in the mail (along with the latest issue of Quilters Newsletter):

THIS beautiful handspun is what was inside:

There MAY be enough of the merino/cashmere blend to make a Gap-tastic Cowl:

I think it would look AWESOME in all of this heathered goodness!!

Until next time...
Bartering is FUN!!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC15 - Week 37

Welcome to Week 37 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  This week is filled with enough work hours to make my head spin.  If I get much RSC sewing done, it will be a miracle!!

Would you care to follow me through the week?  Here goes:

YOU will absolutely NOT believe what I did on SUNDAY!!!  I don't know what came over me, really.  I actually...

WAIT!!  Can I trust you not to scold me??

OK...

Here goes.  I stayed in bed almost all day and read a book from cover to cover.  300-something pages!!  I'm not sure that I have EVER done that before (and certainly didn't have time for such extravagant behavior, in light of the custom tote bag orders hang over my head!)  I just wasn't feeling the love for sewing and have learned that it's best left for another day (no matter HOW busy the week promises to be!!) It's too easy to make mistakes when "my head's not in it" and when I'm sewing for others, I feel that I need to be in top form.

Once I came up for air (and to cook a LATE dinner), I climbed the stairs to the sewing room, but only managed to prep TWO Tiny Nines:

MONDAY was the Labor Day holiday in America.  I celebrated by... WORKING!!!  LOL

I did, however, manage to get off early and get home in time to go with DH to take DS1 back to college.  (We invited DS2 to come along, but he declined.)  DH and I offered to take our college student to dinner before dropping him "back dorm."  (Too bad he ate before leaving home... date night, here we come!!)  If you are ever in the Cary, NC area, we highly recommend Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe.  I've been there 3 times, had a different menu item each time, and have NEVER been disappointed.  YUM!!!

On TUESDAY, I worked half the day and then went to a chiropractic appointment, as the tendonitis in my shoulder is acting up again.  The result?  I was forced to rest for the remainder of the day and ice the area periodically.  :o((

I did have a few minutes between my small grocery run and my chiro-cruncher appointment.  :o))

Here is what I got done... ONE String Block in ORANGE:

WEDNESDAY was my LONG day.  I went to one job in the morning and the other in the evening.  That didn't leave any time for RSC sewing.  :o((

On THURSDAY... Surprise!!!  Joyful is off to work (when she should be off to Quilt Group.)  :o((

Work was followed by a quick grocery run and taking care of some household business.  And... I managed to complete ONE Slab Block in ORANGE (pictured here, on the ironing board):

FRIDAY is SUPPOSED to be Knit Group, but we opted for Girls' Night Out this week.  I couldn't have gone, anyway!  I was scheduled to work.  Again.  (Hooray for pay day!)  :o))

I didn't have too late of a day, but it turned out that I was WAY too tired to sew.  :o((

I did, however, take a few minutes to cut some background squares for my Tiny Nines.  From this odd shaped (6") piece...

I made some cuts to "square it up" ...

Took away the non-square bits...

And... Ended up with 10 usable 1" background squares:

SATURDAY is here and it's time to join Angela's LINK PARTY.  I hope you will venture over to the So Scrappy Blog to see what lovely ORANGE goodness the other RSC Quilters have been up to this week.  Look for me at link number 18.  I'm off to take a look around and be inspired...

AFTER my monthly Quilt Bee meeting!!  :o))

Until next time...
Get scrappy!!!

Design Floor Friday - Two Cents... In French

Welcome to another edition of Design Floor Friday!!  Today, we have the French Provincial Quilt that I have been working on... off and on... but it looks a little different this time around:

I chose border and binding fabric (by committee) last week.  You can read about that near the end of THIS POST on my Quilt Bee Blog.  The photo above shows the binding, border, and top... BEFORE they meet the rotary cutter.

WHAT are you talking about, Joyful?!?!?  (Look back at THIS July post to refresh your memory.)

Yes.  This is another quilt top that is destined for the chopping block (er... cutting mat.)  The Schoolhouse Twister Quilt uses the Twister Ruler to take a simply pieced quilt and transform it into a Pinwheel Quilt WITHOUT making half-square triangles!!

This is an interesting technique.  NOT for the faint of heart (or those who fret about wasting fabric!) The down side when using the Twister Ruler, you lose approximately one-third of your pieced top. (You will, however, be able to "rescue" a fair amount of the "off-cuts" to use in later projects.)  As I mentioned earlier, the up side is that you end up with a Pinwheel Quilt without making a single half-square triangle.  (If YOU don't like making them, this method is for you!!)

You may have seen the top before (if you've visited in the past couple of months.)  The border shows well in the photo, but you may like a better look at what I'll be using for the binding fabric:

It's a BOLD border print that incorporates the colors in the quilt top.  It was the best choice available and I think it will finish off the quilt nicely.

Oh!  If you were wondering about the title of this post... it's because that, plus $32 is the TOTAL PRICE of this quilt!!!  Thank you, again, Melissa!!

Until next time...
Explore options!!!

Mail Call Monday - Yes I Sew...

Welcome to the next edition of Mail Call Monday!!  I got a package last week.

It was something that I absolutely HAD to have because of the saying on it:

What a GREAT bag for a quilter...

Because, invariably, people WILL ask!!!

Until next time...
Just say NO (to mending)!!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC15 - Week 36

Welcome to Week 36 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  I'm not sure how much sewing will get done this week (due to a change in my work schedule.)  Only time will tell...

Here's the "blow by blow" report for your scrappy pleasure:

SUNDAY... the moment many RSC Quilters have been waiting for:
September Color Announcement

The Color of the Month for September is:

HOORAY!!!  I'm dancing around the sewing room gathering up one of my FAVORITE colors!!!  :o))

MONDAY brought work and more work, but look at THIS block that I made BEFORE seeing the announcement.  (I much be psychic!)  I was transitioning to the new color without knowing it:

However, that's ALL that got done because I had a surprise hair appointment (read I lost my appointment card from 5 weeks ago!) and then it was back to work tonight for the evening shift.

POSTUS INTERRUPTUS...

For the MONTHLY TOTALS (as today was the official end of INDIGO month.)  Here's how August's INDIGO block production tallied up:

ONE (1) Maverick Star Blocks:

 THREE (3) Slab Blocks:

FOUR (4) String Blocks:

THREE (3) Tiny Nines:

For a total of ELEVEN (11) INDIGO blocks during the month of AUGUST.  Perhaps, not a stellar performance and you might not be able to see a difference in the scrap bag, but I actually USED some scraps, so I'm happy:

THIS is the composite photo for the month of August:

And, HERE is what happens when you add in the "Rainbow of Crumbs" Blocks:

And...

Sadly, due to August's limited block production, there is no need for a "runway" shot.  :o((

Here is how the ELEVEN (11) RAINBOW Blocks made during the month of August (when stacked with INDIGO):

Therefore, adding up ALL of July's block production, totals:

11 blocks in INDIGO +  11 Rainbow Crumbs = August's adjusted total of 22 blocks

11 + 11 = 22

Note:  I believe that's the first time that I've matched RSC and Crumbs block for block.

TWENTY-TWO (22) quilt blocks sewn during the month of August.

That's IT, Joyful?!?!?!

In my defense, I was still sick for the first week of the month and was gone for the better part of a week near the end of the month.  I beg you to please take that into consideration before you call me a slacker.

Not to mention the fact that I finished FOUR quilts, in a variety of sizes, during August:

Giving Liberty ~10" x 10"
Strawberry Upside Down {short}Cake ~ 44" x 48"
NT 2015 Dye Frenzy Challenge 13" x 13"
Old Orange Commission 88 x 96

NOW BACK TO MY WEEK IN REVIEW...


On TUESDAY, I worked all morning at work and then had a nail appointment:

Afterwards, it was home to put together a side dish for the Band Welcome Pot Luck.  I made a BIG, beautiful salad (even if I do say so myself.)

Then I headed off to the school to set up.  This turned out to be a HUGE event... with NINE TABLES worth of food.  Fortunately, I had a TON of helpers!!  (Thanks, everyone!)


WEDNESDAY was FULL DAY of work and filled with playing (and a couple of diaper changes thrown in for good measure.)  Such is the work of a nanny... that's what I am.  Let's focus on the PLAY!!  :o))

No time for sewing, as the crew was ready for dinner by the time I finally got home.  :o((

I did do a TINY bit of blog hopping while waiting for the water to boil and THIS is what I found:

My friend, AlyciaQuilts, is hosting a Quilt of Valor Block Drive, complete with prizes and giveaways.  Head over to see what it's all about!  Plan on helping out, if you are able.  She AND the veterans will thank you.  Note: Alycia has even provided a VERY easy-to-follow tutorial.  Blocks are due by 11/11/15!!!  Please send blocks to the address listed at the link provided.

THURSDAY was my (quote) FREE day, followed by Marching Band Uniform Fitting Day and CRHS Open House at DS2's school.  Meet the teacher night is a totally different animal when your student is in high school.  MULTIPLE teachers to meet, instead of just ONE!!

Luckily, I didn't have to miss Quilt Group today (like I thought I might.)  When I got home from lunch I got to put in a few hours of sewing time.  I'm not sure what happened, but HERE is what I got done during those hours:

NOTHING!!!

Oh! I did take a picture of the ORANGE scraps that I have to work with this month:

On FRIDAY... Knit Group was followed by ???  Although, I didn't actually get much (read ANY!) knitting done.  Today's meeting was devoted to book edits.  Look for HAPPY HOUR on Ravelry. Knitting friends, place your pre-order NOW!!  The book is filled with 16 patterns and a bonus recipe section to help you set the mood.

And, then...

The Chicago/Earth, Wind, and Fire Concert!!!  DS2 and I have been looking forward to this for MONTHS!!!

Lots of lights, lots of LOUD music, and TONS of FUN!!!

After the concert we stopped by NCSU to pick up DS1 for the long weekend.  Hooray!!  It's good to have him home for a little while... even if it DOES mean extra loads of laundry.  LOL

SATURDAY, since I was out late, there was a delay in my joining the RSC LINK PARTY and there were chores to be done before completing my post.  Ultimately, I joined in at link number 19 this week.  Click over to see all of the ORANGE quilty goodness!

Until next time...
Get scrappy!!!

August = INDIGO = Productivity

Especially when you add in A Rainbow of Scraps!!!

Mail Call Monday - Tumbling Triangles

Bonnie Hunter is hosting a Leader/Ender Challenge.  This year's block???  It's the Tumbler.

I thought about joining in, but I've never really been a huge fan of Tumbler Quilts, so why bother, right?

I really, REALLY enjoy a good QAL,,,  so...  I thought and considered.  I considered and thought.

And, then...

Tumbling Triangles will be the name of my quilt.  :o))


WHAT, Joyful???  How does that even fit?!?!?


Well...


(In my mind) Triangles are similar to Tumblers, right?!

I absolutely LOVE a good Triangle Quilt(!), but I dread the thought of cutting a ton of them!!


What will you DO, Joyful???


I looked at an assortment of methods for cutting triangles and asked Needleb if she had a Triangle Template for her Sizzix Big Shot die cutter.  No.  She didn't.  So I dismissed the idea...

... For another few weeks.

And, then...

A package arrived in the mail:

WHAT have you done, Joyful???

I got on Scrapbook.com to order THIS triangle template for Needleb's cutter:

She won't mind letting me borrow her machine!!  (Joyful says hopefully.)

Until next time...
Cut faster!!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC15 - Week 35

Welcome to Week 35 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  Last week I was traveling and this week I have some work projects to do.  What that means is that (again!) I didn't have as much time for the RSC as I would have liked.  Here's the blow by blow...

SUNDAY was a slow and easy day.  I finished FOUR Rainbow Crumb Blocks and, if you look closely, you should be able to see some INDIGO:

I also worked on my Old Orange Commission.  The quilting is done and it has now been trimmed. All that remains is the binding, but that's a job for another day - tomorrow, in fact:

On MONDAY, I made ONE Rainbow Crumb Block, that happens to look very much like a Slab Block, but the colors are mixed up a bit:

The next project was cutting the binding strips for my Old Orange Commission:

Along with preparing it for application:

TUESDAY, I cut lengths of ribbon for Bowie:

From THESE spools that were destashed by a fellow Raveler (last year.)  I decided that there was PLENTY to share:

And...

I completed ONE String Block in INDIGO:

But...

I thought I should share a bit of the quilt that I finished yesterday afternoon.  Follow this LINK to read more and see what the front looks like:

On WEDNESDAY, I created ONE Slab Block in INDIGO amidst my various chores and errands:

And...

I got back to work on my Custom CK Tote Bags.  If YOU are in the "1st sewing", you probably see the outer bag parts of your bag all cut, along with your prepared bag handles:

"2nd Sewing" group... your shirts are in the dryer.  I'll start prepping them this evening (or tomorrow afternoon, if it turns out that I'm too tired to see straight later on!)  ETA... Oops!  Make that FRIDAY!!  I forgot that I had to work on Thursday evening.

THURSDAY is the day for my weekly Quilt Group meeting, but I still managed ONE more String Block in INDIGO when I got home from lunch with the quilters and writing up the "minutes" of the meeting to post on the GROUP BLOG:

Then it was off to work...  :o((


On FRIDAY, Knit Group was canceled, so I did something that I probably shouldn't have done...

I went back to bed!!  After a LONG first week of school, I was tired.  It felt wonderful to snooze for a bit!!  Until I woke up...

When I woke up (groggy - because napping and I don't get along very well) I got out the feature of this week's Design Floor Friday post (which you can read HERE) and then had a bit of lunch.  My plans shifted because I knew that I simply didn't have the mental acuity to give my bag project proper attention, yet.

So...  After lunch, I went straight up to work on my CK Bags.  I had to prep the NEW shirts:

TOO cute!!!

Before I could do that, the bolt of fusible stabilizer and I had and extended dance on the cutting table. All of the pieces that I need for the above mentioned task have been cut.  The iron will have to wait its turn for another day, as I have other PRESSING MATTERS to attend to.  (Ugh! Maybe that was Not as funny as it "SEAMED".)  :P

So...

Not much "FREE" time in the sewing room this afternoon, but I did manage to make (another) ONE Slab Block in what I am loosely referring to as INDIGO:

There's a ball game tonight, so I need to head over to the school to feed that hungry Marching Band.

Here's (part of) the Drum Line "warming up" after dinner...

And, one of the trombone players "warming down" after the game:

SATURDAY morning, I slept in a bit.  The first week of school is exhausting for EVERYONE!!! When I joined Angela's LINK PARTY, there were already 12 RSC Quilters linked up.  Be sure to follow the link to see what everyone else has been up to this week.  Look for me at lucky link number 13.

I'll have to wait to follow all the links because I'm on my way to work.  First, upstairs in the sewing room and then, at my J.O.B.  At least, that's not until this evening!  In the meantime...

I'm going to sew.

Until next time...
Get Scrappy!!!