Trumped

It's been a while since I sat down to put pen to paper.  My last quilt was the graduation quilt for my niece Caroline.  Since that time she has gone to college, graduated, gotten engaged to a young man who owns a cattle ranch and is basically living her dream.  Her little sister graduated and I put together a colorful quilt for her.  This quilt I secretly named, "Trumped".  You see it was during the time before the election, and the Donald was campaigning.  I was busy putting together this lovely lap quilt.  My son stopped by and I proudly held up the completed quilt top for him to look at.  He said, "is that a swastika?".   I looked down and my quilt and back at my son and uttered a 4-letter word.  Several times.  I don't know that it was a true swastika but it certainly resembled one.   My son snapped a photo and texted it to his wife and she responded with, "is that a swastika?"   He responded with, "my mom is saying a lot of really bad words" to which she replied, "it's a very nice swastika".
Again, my most used tool, the seam ripper, came out of the drawer and we went to work.  The quilt was finished in record time and presented to a very happy graduate. 

If I would just slow down and pay attention.

2013 - the year to finish big

I've decided there are several things that keep me from finishing my projects. The computer (Facebook is evil) and TV (TV is evil). I first of all must say I am not a prolific FB poster, but I am a stalker. One of those quiet people who just views what other people post, and then makes my silent judgements. I do not like FB. I don't like the drama (those people get blocked), the games (those apps get blocked), the political fear mongering posts (deleted), and the bad grammar and spelling are enough to make me cry. I find that I get easily annoyed when I am on FB and yet I can't turn it off. I have excuses for not quitting. "but I have my relatives and how will I ever find them again (whinny sounding voice)" And TV - I turn on the TV and sit and stare at the screen. I watch the same movies over and over. I love to watch Jurassic Park, Anaconda, Arachnophobia,.....those kinds of movies that I can really not pay attention to because I have seen them so many times. Or Monk marathons. Those days are the best. So this year I thought it was time to finish some of those projects I have piled up around. First of all I have decided my little craft area is just too small. When I need to sew I have to go to the kitchen. Yesterday I pulled out the sewing machine and the strip quilt that I cut out several years ago. I decided it was time to put together a quilt top. I managed to sew it all together and lay it across my bed and I did not like it. So off to the kitchen counter I went where I cut the strips into completed square strips. After assembly I had a queen sized quilt top that is 8" squares and very pretty, although I wish I had used Hydrangea and bird fabric instead of the green and butterflies. But it will do. Now I measured it and my next stop will be for backing and batting. BTW I used a pattern out of a magazine for the strip quilt when I started the project (it's long gone - probably one I passed on to someone else) and as usual it called for a lot more fabric than I actually needed. Do I hoard the left overs or pass them on? I think I am going to give them to the senior center for their little craft store. Someone else might want the larger pieces I have left over. With the quilt top finished and being the largest quilt I have ever assembled, I can't imagine how I am going to quilt the piece. I will have to do some research. I have a regular sewing machine. It's going to be a chore, unless I were to pay someone else to do it. But I won't do that, I will figure a way to do it myself. My son just moved out and my daughter is planning to leave. This will leave us with two bedrooms! One will be a guest room, which I will set up for guests. The other will be a work area for my husband and I. We shall share this room. He can have his arrow making gear and whatever else he needs in there, and I can have a sewing area. I have big plans for this year, lets see if I can get them done. So for all of you out there ready to finish a project let's get busy! 2013 will be a productive year!

August!

Well since my last post I have been working on those Halloween projects that I started last year. It's just so much work. Maybe if I were more organized and had more space it would be easier, but most likely not.
I spent most of my day yesterday working on these Halloween wall hangings/table throws. I must mention again - quilting may not be my thing!
I made another trip to the fabric store where I bought more fabric than needed to finish these projects.
If I were just doing one of them, it would be fine, but no, I chose to do 6. Of course my goal is to sell them in my space at the Antique Mall - but who knows if they will sell. So many of my projects sit unpurchased. I still have cake slice pin cushions, and tea cup candles.....sitting unwanted and unloved.

And on my trip to the fabric store I bought a quilting magazine (because I am a magazine junky) and in it was a hat I want to make. So I stopped at Goodwill and bought a bag of men's ties. But now I don't have a hat pattern. Last night I went through my hats and found one that I like - and from it I am going to create a pattern. (ha ha ha - this should be interesting).

Tea Cup Candles

Project of the moment - tea cup candles. I made a few of these for craft fairs, and have sold some in our space at the mall. Now I get requests. So I got out all the supplies and spent Friday evening pouring candles. As usual nothing goes without a hitch. I didn't like the appearance of 5 of the candles, so I popped them in the freezer and then popped the wax block out of the cup, and spent a good portion of the morning remelting and remoulding. Then I attached the saucer to the cup, and tied a ribbon around each one. the very first time I made these and tied a ribbon around them my daughter said to me that I should make sure customers know to remove the ribbon from the cup before they lite the candle. She was right. That will be the finishing touch on this batch of candles. I also had a couple of cups without saucers and was thinking perhaps I would go to the goodwill store to see if I could find a couple of saucers. Then it occured to me - I have an entire booth full of bowls, saucers, glasswhere, jewelry cards (you get the picture). A quick trip to the store and I had a few of my individual saucers to help finish up the project.
Maybe tomorrow I will finish the quilt blocks and work on the baby quilt I am making. Maybe.