tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310481872024-03-12T22:50:58.322-04:00living, quilting and stuffjust one more place to muse the minutiae of lifesewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.comBlogger386125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-19801205955252643082018-11-19T23:39:00.002-05:002018-11-20T01:05:16.773-05:00Mickey Mouse Quilt - much later and a friend lost....<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Funky old washing machine - surprisingly there are newer models of this</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Another gap - my last blog post was <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 14px;">Wednesday, 28 June 2017. I was looking forward to finishing a special quilt - all about Mickey Mouse for my friend Paula. We have been friends since we were about 4 years old. You will have to read the other post to see how this quilt actually came together. This post is about Paula. </span></b></span><br />
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<b style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">She always loved Mickey Mouse - just Mickey, not "that slut Minnie". Mickey was everywhere in her world. </b><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><b>Paula and I grew up together in Coney Isand, West 29th Street- she lived near Mermaid Ave, I lived closer to Surf Ave. She attended OLPH, I attended PS 288. Back in those days, in that place the only differences we noticed, and then after ignored, were religion. It was common to ask if you were Protestant or Catholic - we did not care at all about anything more than whether or not we would be in the same school group. So our friendship was outside of school, but at home, on the streets and on the boardwalk. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><b>We shared Barbie dolls, music, secrets, smoking, meeting boys, kissing boys, walking everywhere to find those boys. We had to finish washing the dishes at her house before she could come out and hang with me. We had to do her family laundry before we could have the Saturday free. The laundry was done - in one of the Hoover mini double tub agitator machines- like this (image is from Pinterest clicking on the picture should take you there but I only mention this as an image credit, not to send you to Pinterest). So it was mostly hard work, by hand, and then we hung things out to dry on the line. All this so that we could hang out and try not to find too much trouble in our world. Trouble did find us though, fairly often in those streets. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><b>The fun stuff was music and boys, the not fun stuff was having to run for our lives when things became a bit rough. This was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coney_Island" target="_blank">Coney Island</a> in the 70's. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>One day, life was beating me hard and I had to "get out of Dodge". I simply packed a suitcase and headed to Canada (I was 14) in search of safety and sanity at my Grammy's place. I found this... but that is not the story I am sharing now. Paula stayed behind and did not really understand why I left - she had some idea, but not exactly right. She was mad at me for leaving her there to fend for herself. We stayed in touch over the years, by phone, by letter, with an occasional visit to Brooklyn... and our lives each took the other fork in the road. </b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><b>Life was not that kind to her... and she really was deeply hurt that I had left her. I had been in so much pain of my own that I could only think about getting away myself - and I had no concept that my leaving would impact anyone. We lost each other for a dozen years or so. I could not find her. I was pretty sure that she was dead- because I knew well what we left behind us was not that rosy.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>And one summer day, as I was sitting and quilting on my quiet back porch, the phone rang. She found me again and I was so happy. So happy that she was not forever lost... and we started to work and try to heal our very wounded hearts and souls. </b></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>My sewing partner</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>She "not so patiently" endures my late night sewing</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>But she does feel comfy on a quilt</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>My life went on a tough but good path - loving husband, kids, house and time to do stuff that made me feel good. Hers was pretty rough - she had a loving husband too - but life was a far greater struggle and she had many more painful challenges and losses than I, and this did weigh on her. She only had two people left in her life - her husband, and now that she found me, her sister. </b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Paula is the person I swear with, drank with, shared the deepest wounds and secrets, laughed with and cried with. And she nagged me to no end to make her a Mickey Mouse quilt. </b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>I spent a few years collecting the fabric - this was tough because Disney controls those licences very carefully. The fabric had to have ONLY Mickey on it (not even a hint of that slut Minnie). Baby Mickey was also a non-starter. the challenge was on, and my friends helped. Eventually I had enough fabric. And I was able to start this quilt. I never told her though that I finally was making it for her. Now you can read the in process blog posts: <a href="http://sewnut-barda.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-mickey-mouse-quilt-is-happening.html" target="_blank">The Mickey Mouse quilt is happening</a> and <a href="http://sewnut-barda.blogspot.com/2017/06/mickey-mouse-quilt-still-wip.html" target="_blank">Mickey Mouse is still a WIP</a>. I kept telling her "one day".<i> </i></b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>This was a secret project, I hoped to get it quilted before the end of June (2017) but that did not happen. I had some travel to do, and I headed off to India for a few weeks. It took a few weeks to catch up to life again so it was the end of August before I could pull the quilt out again. It made me giddy to think of how surprised she would soon be. </b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Exciting, ready to quilt this amazing Mickey Mouse quilt that would make my friend (of over 55 years) feel loved - and it would be something that was hers! (Remember - lots of rough times happened and she had lost everything so many times over on her life journey). </b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Then that call came. Joey called to tell me she was in ICU, no brain activity, she had a haemorrhage and now she was on life support. Over the next three weeks of this, every day Joey and I talked, what should we do, what would she want. I know she did not ever want to be kept alive by machines or medical intervention - she wanted to not hurt anymore. But... how could we make a choice like this? How could we make a choice to let her go - we loved her - we were her family, her life, her world. She was slipping away - organs failing, body shutting down, doctors telling us there was nothing, not even hope left in her. it was nearly a month before her heart stopped beating. </b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>And this whole time - there was her quilt. She would never smile and snuggle under it. She would never be so happy, so pleased, feel so specially loved because she finally had something that was only and especially hers. I did finish it. I sent it to Joey because it belonged to her. </b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b style="color: #444444; font-size: 14px;">I really was not able to open this blog after that and update it because that last post was about making that quilt. </b><span style="color: red;"><b>And the very, very painful life lesson that it now was - sometimes it is too late. </b></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Front (80" x 80)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Back</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Paula (I was only person allowed to call her by this name, she was "Candy" to everyone else), I miss our long talks, and the crazy-crazy that was our story. </b></span></div>
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sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-43007027886389596412017-06-28T23:31:00.001-04:002017-06-28T23:40:10.669-04:00Mickey Mouse Quilt - still a WIP<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mickey Mouse is back in the box, for a few weeks anyway. I have the top completed except for the borders. I will add a 4" black border with a narrow red flange. Some Mickey panels and leftover Mickey prints should fill the back. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sZSR1T8K2mM/WVRzM0tSKmI/AAAAAAAAMLY/gS9P9pwqXhcjCB3Zeb3JJLYoK4ZDvFlbgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170628_225826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sZSR1T8K2mM/WVRzM0tSKmI/AAAAAAAAMLY/gS9P9pwqXhcjCB3Zeb3JJLYoK4ZDvFlbgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20170628_225826.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This will be a gift for a friend who has been asking for it for 10 years... "Mickey, but not that slut Minnie"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The delay is only because other commitments are taking me away from my sewing studio for a month. (panic!!)</span></div>
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<a href="http://sewnut-barda.blogspot.ca/2017/06/the-mickey-mouse-quilt-is-happening.html" target="_blank">Previous Post</a></div>
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<br />sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-7617857919126690522017-06-16T00:47:00.000-04:002017-06-28T23:35:32.143-04:00The Mickey Mouse quilt is happening!Fabric is cut, blocks are stitched and on the design wall. I ended up creating a different pattern than I thought I would - two reasons:<br />
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<li>The overall image was boring so I did some more playing in EQ6. I have spent over 20 hours working on the design of this Mickey Mouse Quilt</li>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I_VSdw4yaIA/WUNgXFjjhRI/AAAAAAAALw0/hdE-hqWEMzALk8V6T8ja6HF_ZzD0rCqqQCLcBGAs/s1600/Medallion%2BMickey.BMP" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I_VSdw4yaIA/WUNgXFjjhRI/AAAAAAAALw0/hdE-hqWEMzALk8V6T8ja6HF_ZzD0rCqqQCLcBGAs/s320/Medallion%2BMickey.BMP" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Rwusu1BiJs/WUNgT1KJNII/AAAAAAAALww/VyVHGO-EWEoQ5GWrhMS2dBmmOvVXIVyegCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170610_005659_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="868" data-original-width="1600" height="173" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Rwusu1BiJs/WUNgT1KJNII/AAAAAAAALww/VyVHGO-EWEoQ5GWrhMS2dBmmOvVXIVyegCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20170610_005659_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I played a bit with the the order of the diagonal squares (blue, plaid, and red). Now I am sewing the rows together... should be pretty quick ... hopefully I will get the top done this weekend. I have some great Mickey Mouse fabric and a few panels to make the back, and perhaps a couple of pillow cases... we shall see.<br />
Once this is assembled it will be the first piece to be quilted on the HQ Simply Sixteen that I bought last summer. ( I have still been quilting on my Brother 1500S)..<br />
Watch this space... I should have an update next week!<br />
<a href="http://finished%20the%20red%20%26%20white%2C%20moving%20on/" target="_blank">Prior Post </a><br />
<br />sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-15348223408388430592017-05-27T00:47:00.001-04:002017-06-28T23:45:08.926-04:00Finished the Red & White, moving on<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Red & White Canada 150 Quilt is done!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I named it "This land is your land, this land is my land"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thanks to Mark Lipinski for the pattern, "Curvy".</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4F9mdI1Pyq0/WSj5TdYBvWI/AAAAAAAALZQ/uWXIP94-FrwwcSJhncfNROf6K7Ur8Sw4wCEw/s1600/IMG_20170507_191738_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1545" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4F9mdI1Pyq0/WSj5TdYBvWI/AAAAAAAALZQ/uWXIP94-FrwwcSJhncfNROf6K7Ur8Sw4wCEw/s320/IMG_20170507_191738_01.jpg" width="309" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=31048187#editor/target=post;postID=7182712161288021989;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=6;src=postname" target="_blank">Prior post </a></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=31048187#editor/target=post;postID=6800102840366982533;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=8;src=postname" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Guild Challenge</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Next on my list is "the Micky Mouse quilt. My friend (since we were 4) has been asking for a Mickey Mouse quilt for 10 years now... I have been secretly stashing any Mickey Mouse print in a nice cotton fabric that |I can find. My friends have also been searching this out.. I have 11 different prints now plus 2 panels. I just keep telling her that I will make it when I find the right fabric.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The hard part is that it has to be "Mickey", "just Mickey"and not "that slut Minnie". I have enough now I think to work with, to plan with. There is enough for a full size double bed quilt. I do not want to lose the actual print so I need to work with pieces at least 4" and larger.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am thinking of something like this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is what I have to work with:</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5EHW_aLgcVU/WSj--jIIkgI/AAAAAAAALZ0/5CSoKuIsPikxG7kO8zp826pdCT9m_mF3ACLcB/s1600/black%2Bmickey%2Bfull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="623" height="196" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5EHW_aLgcVU/WSj--jIIkgI/AAAAAAAALZ0/5CSoKuIsPikxG7kO8zp826pdCT9m_mF3ACLcB/s200/black%2Bmickey%2Bfull.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SYRm2FZCe3Y/WSj-_HUFkhI/AAAAAAAALaA/Uf3Uj6cmBhE-lvAvGS6Vd-Is8lwTtU_TwCLcB/s1600/blue%2Bplaid%2Bmickey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="339" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SYRm2FZCe3Y/WSj-_HUFkhI/AAAAAAAALaA/Uf3Uj6cmBhE-lvAvGS6Vd-Is8lwTtU_TwCLcB/s200/blue%2Bplaid%2Bmickey.jpg" width="192" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J9k8gP9d2M0/WSj_AvIOdiI/AAAAAAAALaQ/6fdjOwwlKSE80dk96wJAxzewudQJRpjYwCLcB/s1600/micky%2Bwhite%2Bprint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="830" height="195" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J9k8gP9d2M0/WSj_AvIOdiI/AAAAAAAALaQ/6fdjOwwlKSE80dk96wJAxzewudQJRpjYwCLcB/s200/micky%2Bwhite%2Bprint.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cCJj4G2GSb0/WSj_R0-4V7I/AAAAAAAALaY/rif-VgTehd0gfWKY1ta1iMO_X9z_PucrQCLcB/s1600/red%2Bheads%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="189" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cCJj4G2GSb0/WSj_R0-4V7I/AAAAAAAALaY/rif-VgTehd0gfWKY1ta1iMO_X9z_PucrQCLcB/s200/red%2Bheads%2Bcopy.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><br />
<br />sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-15588461345214748082017-03-13T22:36:00.001-04:002017-06-28T23:32:53.734-04:00Red and White!!! Celebrating Canada's 150th with a Quilt<span style="font-size: large;">The curved blocks (most of them) are laid out. I could not lay the full set at 9 blocks wide and 10 high because my design wall is only 72" wide.. and it is really hard to reach that high. I used a yard stick to place these up but there is set of pins in the blank space up top that I cannot reach to pull (unless I use a ladder).</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I am really excited.....it is looking just the way I was hoping it would. It has to be D O N E by mid April.... time to sew...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f2faPx2xmFI/WMdWuqY34fI/AAAAAAAAJx0/XTu2QvAmSd8V0DgnZKkL7Lz88cbUAxJxgCLcB/s1600/Red%2Band%2BWhite%2Bblocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f2faPx2xmFI/WMdWuqY34fI/AAAAAAAAJx0/XTu2QvAmSd8V0DgnZKkL7Lz88cbUAxJxgCLcB/s640/Red%2Band%2BWhite%2Bblocks.jpg" width="531" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">These were laid out randomly. I wonder if I should move a few around?... thoughts???</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=31048187#editor/target=post;postID=1558846134521474808;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=3;src=postname" target="_blank">Prior Post</a>sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-23352325756378479232017-03-05T23:47:00.002-05:002017-03-05T23:47:30.600-05:00 A Heavy Purse Challenge - a new diet challenge - Part 2, and a Red and White Quilt update<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I added a few things that I missed, like a few sets of keys, my chequebook (when you need it,.. you still need it- though I may opt for a single cheque in my wallet instead of the whole booklet), a charging cord and battery power pack for my phone (did not help me that they were at home), business card holders (okay, yes I do need three sets of business cards), a small cosmetics bag, .. it feels heavy again... Weigh in tomorrow...</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Counting up, 45 of each!</span> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let's Square these up!!!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ta da!!! 90 (8 -1/2") squares, ready to match A/B, A/B... and sew together.</span></td></tr>
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sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-58879789155295969892017-02-05T02:00:00.000-05:002017-02-05T02:00:02.686-05:00A Heavy Purse Challenge - a new diet challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UbIewTAMEQM/WJVvlU6SHDI/AAAAAAAAIyo/cunFgPrsN8IqHoSYwiAv1652VX99jZHIACKgB/s1600/IMG_20170128_182214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UbIewTAMEQM/WJVvlU6SHDI/AAAAAAAAIyo/cunFgPrsN8IqHoSYwiAv1652VX99jZHIACKgB/s320/IMG_20170128_182214.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<b>My purse is too heavy.</b><br />
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I keep what I need in it... wallet, change purse, keys for work, phone, lip balm, hand cream, spare eyeliner, mini mirror, emergency tweezers, spare bandaids, pain killers in case of a headache, sanitizing gel for unsanitary places, tissues, nail file, notebook, cheque book, business card case, phone charging cable, back up phone battery, six pens, a hair clip, a mini flashlight, shopping cards, keys for my aunt's house, keys for my daughter's house, my purse keep (a file folder with receipts, stamps, coupons, an old lottery ticket), just important things that I need to have whenever I need need them.<br />
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<b>Every day... 6.5 pounds.</b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">So now this purse is on a D I E T !!!!</span></b><br />
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I have taken out everything except my wallet, change purse, my house keys, phone. purse keep. THAT IS IT,<br />
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I am going to see what I miss, what I need, then add only what I really miss. Will this diet work?<br />
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sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-71827121612880219892017-02-04T00:49:00.001-05:002017-02-04T02:39:36.724-05:00Still Sewing Red and White Subsets for Canada's 150th Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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All the curved pieces are cut, with fabric to spare. I need to step up the sewing pace... NETFLIX makes for a slow sewing partner.<br />
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The mix of many Red prints and the Kona K001 White makes me happy. I think it will look great together. If I get all these 900 pieces together.<br />
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I tried to see how many pins I needed to use to set these curved pieces together - five pins. Three pins arse not quite enough though it goes fast if I can sew through with 1 pin anchoring the work and my fingers pinching the edges but this does make it far more likely that i sew through my finger.<br />
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Assembling these curved pieces was much easier than I expected. This was the one aspect of this quilt that caused me hesitation. I was afraid it would be hard to do and that the pieces would not lay flat. They work well. I stretched the inside curves to match the outside curve and amazingly.. they are beautifully flat after they are pressed!<br />
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sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-10014097135450324502016-12-28T22:40:00.001-05:002017-06-28T23:36:20.950-04:00Red & White Quilts - next step<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutting and counting</td></tr>
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I had to set this project aside for a while. Life, family, friends, work, all that stuff took priority. <br />
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"<b>living, quilting and stuff...</b>" is the truth for me.<br />
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Living happens first, then quilting, then other stuff. Living though means family, friends, work, responsibilities. We all have that and if we are lucky we can have that and more. I am lucky. This also means though that there is a lot of time that I am not quilting.<br />
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I had a math problem that took some time and a fresh look at the numbers to solve. I needed to make the quilt larger than the actual pattern. Should be easy... The quilt has to be 72" x 80"and the pattern is 56" x 74". Instead of 7 x 8 blocks... I am making it 9 x 10 blocks. The first time that I did the math I thought I needed 2,250 individual units - is that total? or each set? I was daunted by all the cutting and subsets. It did not make sense so I had to wait until I could be sure. That would be a lot more work than I really wanted to do. I counted up all my stitching and cutting so far... 255 #1 sets, 259 # 2 sets. I can see that there are 140 of each in the pattern in the magazine so the 2,250 number has to be a bit crazy.<br />
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The mistake that I was making was figuring out that each blocks is 5 sets width ways and 1 row and not 5 x 5. Yay. I only need 225 of each set. I have enough.<br />
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Sorting the mix of prints. I can see that I am missing some of the prints in my available pieces. I need to make a few more. I plan to use only one white, a Kona white. I need a bit more so if I can pick some up tomorrow I can make another few pieces. If not then I will work with what I have since I do have enough actual pieces right now. I am trying to have each print in both pieces sets if I can.<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=31048187#editor/target=post;postID=6800102840366982533;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=8;src=postname" target="_blank">Prior Post </a>sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-68001028403669825332016-09-17T11:59:00.000-04:002016-12-28T23:09:12.535-05:00Our Guild Challenge... RED & WHITE BED QUILTS - "CURVY"<a href="http://sewnut-barda.blogspot.ca/2016/03/quilt-planning-challenge-have-fabrics.html" target="_blank">The Oxford Quilt Guild </a> wants to celebrate Canada's Sesquicentenial 2017 by hanging rows of RED & WHITE bed quilts at our Quilt show in May.<br />
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The challenge is to only use reds and/or whites in a full size quilt... any pattern. Possibilities are endless.. right.. so how to decide what to do...<br />
My first inclination is to collect reds... (I probably don't have enough in my stash - really!) and then to use just ONE white - Kona Ultra White.. and now.. what to do with this...<br />
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When I buy magazines I will place a sticky note on any pattern I would like to eventually make... so I dug out an older issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting May/June 2013 to find this pattern <a href="http://www.fonsandporter.com/articles/curvy_fat_quarter_friendly_curved_piece_quilt" target="_blank">"Curvy"</a><br />
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I will use the multiple reds in place of all these colours and the pure white to unify them. </div>
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In process: I did need more reds... so I bought them. So many reds look orange when they are laying together so I have to pull them out of the mix. </div>
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Then cutting... strips... more strips... then sewing the strips..then cutting the curves.. and then sewing the curves.... I have a pile already stitched up, but still many more to do and then... use my new <a href="https://www.phillipsfiberart.com/shop/Simple-Curves-Tool--Patterns/p/Simple-Curves-Tool-x12926466.htm" target="_blank">"Simple Curves"</a> Ruler. The Curved Ruler that I already owned was far to tight of a curve. </div>
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Before I move on in this project I have a couple other to complete this weekend... 8 PURPLE ties for the groom and groomsmen in a wedding party. </div>
sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-45252565985705984232016-09-16T21:14:00.002-04:002017-06-28T23:37:49.474-04:00The quilt for my nephew is done... <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ip77-MPJVZc/V9yX5Az6THI/AAAAAAAAGck/rqe0uauHwN8zWToVyOeS9fUIT4A_-T1nACLcB/s1600/DSC00720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ip77-MPJVZc/V9yX5Az6THI/AAAAAAAAGck/rqe0uauHwN8zWToVyOeS9fUIT4A_-T1nACLcB/s400/DSC00720.JPG" width="310" /></a></div>
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I had to wait until he received it before I could share the progress.. The<a href="http://sewnut-barda.blogspot.ca/2016/03/quilt-planning-challenge-have-fabrics.html" target="_blank"> previous blog post</a> reflects the planning challenges.. I played with the pattern on graph paper and in EQ6 but I was not happy with the math... I could not commit to many specific size so that I could start cutting...<br />
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My design concept was inspired by a computer motherboard.<br />
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The I saw this pattern online, "<a href="http://vintagemodernquilts.bigcartel.com/product/1302-midcentury-digital-download" target="_blank">Midcentury</a>" by Vintage Modern quilts Pattern Co. and yay..<br />
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I could work with it.. and the math was done<br />
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So the Green and Yellow quilt... to celebrate Tyler at University of Delaware .. is complete..<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=31048187#editor/target=post;postID=2764801434945875737;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=10;src=postname" target="_blank">Prior Post</a><br />
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sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-27648014349458757372016-03-17T00:18:00.000-04:002016-03-17T00:19:37.533-04:00Quilt Planning Challenge - have the fabrics, now to decide on the design so I can cut them up and sew them back together again!<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This quilt is destined for my nephew... he is smart, funny, sweet and deserves something special. This one has been in the PIM (Project in my Mind) stage since last summer. I did the <a href="http://www.sewnut-barda.blogspot.ca/2016/01/waves-and-flips-quilt-for-beach.html" target="_blank">"Waves and Flips"</a> quilt first. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wanted to capture his area of study at University - which is related to Network Security and whatever else is related to computer networking - as well as his school. We went to a local quilt shop together and he selected the first 2 fabrics, I picked out the others. So now we have 2 sets of green and gold, and a few novelty prints related to the internet. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SyLtycNNdvs/VuouDAhWYwI/AAAAAAAAFh4/Rl3xeL3n6f8K6kM4uN73jpUQ8CfCmVgWA/s1600/IMG_20160315_003437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SyLtycNNdvs/VuouDAhWYwI/AAAAAAAAFh4/Rl3xeL3n6f8K6kM4uN73jpUQ8CfCmVgWA/s320/IMG_20160315_003437.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have been particularly taken by modern geometric designs, interwoven pathways. I am being inspired by "mother boards", computer chips, workflow diagrams. Now I have to make the math work. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It would be simpler to pick a pattern on offer but somehow, for this guy, I want to do it all. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the design planning flow so far...</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DJuWpZ1DXp8/VuoujPkqX1I/AAAAAAAAFiI/7IacdSziQB0CDEyKQywiTUYvXeYr2GhzQ/s1600/IMG_20160317_000351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DJuWpZ1DXp8/VuoujPkqX1I/AAAAAAAAFiI/7IacdSziQB0CDEyKQywiTUYvXeYr2GhzQ/s320/IMG_20160317_000351.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are a few interesting ways to play with these 2 colours.. I can view it as a monochromatic quilt and leverage the contrast seen through the shading... or I can plan it as a 2 colour quilt... how should I alternate the colours?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next question is size. The end result should be suitable for a double bed so around 66" to 72" wide by about 72" long.. or so</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The pathways should be 2 1/2 or 3" wide...</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Too bad for me that my version of EQ6 seems to max out at 24 blocks wide and long. I tried to colour this as 3" blocks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watch this space for my progress!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-70156597037201849172016-01-17T20:17:00.000-05:002016-01-17T22:04:41.749-05:00Waves and Flips - A quilt for the beach*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quilts are wonderful gifts to memorialize special occasions, like heading off to college. I have beautiful nieces (well- stunningly gorgeous, smart and sweet nieces) and I wanted to acknowledge Morgan's graduation (Valedictorian no less!) from high school with a quilt to take away to college - for anytime hugs, being warm and generally reminding her of how much she is loved. I had expected her to choose her school colours but she loves the beach, and beach colours. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Off to shop for fabric (what a hardship) in beach blues and whites... with some hot pink flamingo's thrown in for fun. DH even went to a quilt shop to pick a few FQ's for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had decided that a Turning Twenty (Tricia Gibbs </span><a href="http://www.turningtwenty.com/store-detail.php?cat=2&ID=13" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turning Twenty - "Twisting Turning Twenty"</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> would be an easy way to play with multiple fabrics and the light/dark angled rows could resemble rolling waves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am very happy with the results.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Machine quilted on my Brother 1500s - swirls (click for a closer look)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I wanted to simulate the essence of the waves as they roll, fall and crash to shore as well as the flips and swirls of Morgan's amazing talent in flips and somersaults in Cheer. I can barely keep my eyes on her she moves so fast - up, down, over her head, under and over again. I found a variegated thread with the same colour feel.</span> <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turning Twenty: beach colours with a few Flamingos for fun</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was able to send it to her in October so it is happily covering her bed.</span> <br />
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Home away from home.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next project is a quilt for an equally amazing nephew! He has finished college and starting University at the end of January. I have to get a rush on it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">* Quilts should not be used on the beach....pretty well...never...</span></div>
<br />sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-86081469545939459022016-01-03T11:56:00.004-05:002016-01-03T11:58:35.631-05:00Living, quilting and best intentions....In 2015 I really intended to post regularly... and living stuff got in the way. I suppose that not posting because I am busy with the living, quilting and stuff is somewhat appropriate.<br />
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So 2016 is here, my annual motto has been refreshed. Every year I choose a new motto to guide my year. I gave up on New Year's Resolutions, keeping them is too complicated. I started selecting a motto instead about 12 years ago. It has been a better solution for me. ☺<br />
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Last year's motto was "calmly, peacefully, mindfully..."<br />
2016: "<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">When there is a choice, why not choose what I really want?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">I want to enjoy my family, read, listen to music I love, complete more projects and also to create blog posts more often.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"> Happy 2016!</span><br />
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Motto (according to Merriam Webster)<br />
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motto</h1>
<a class="play-pron" data-dir="m" data-file="motto001" data-lang="en_us" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-image: url("/img/definitions/icon.pron@2x.png"); background-size: 37px 37px; color: #ae0015; direction: ltr; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 37px; letter-spacing: 0.04em; line-height: 37px; margin: -26px 4px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: -9999px; vertical-align: middle; width: 37px;" title="Listen to the pronounciation of MOTTO">play</a><br />
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<a class="play-pron" data-dir="m" data-file="motto001" data-lang="en_us" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; background-image: url("/img/definitions/icon.pron@2x.png"); background-size: 37px 37px; color: #ae0015; direction: ltr; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 37px; letter-spacing: 0.04em; line-height: 37px; margin: -26px 4px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: -9999px; vertical-align: middle; width: 37px;" title="Listen to the pronounciation of MOTTO"><span class="play-box" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; display: block; height: 1px; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; width: 1px;"></span></a></div>
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<span class="main-attr" style="border: 0px !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">noun</em></span> <span class="word-syllables" style="border: 0px !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.625em; vertical-align: middle;"> mot·to </span> <span class="pr" style="border: 0px !important; display: inline-block !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.625em; vertical-align: middle;">\ˈmä-(ˌ)tō\</span></div>
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Simple Definition of <span style="font-size: 1.047em; font-variant: small-caps; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">motto</span></h2>
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<span style="display: block; margin: 0px 0px 0.125em; padding: 0px;"><span class="intro-colon" style="display: initial; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;">:</span> a short sentence or phrase that expresses a rule guiding the behavior of a particul!ar</span></div>
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sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-77316361018132170622015-05-20T00:59:00.001-04:002015-05-20T01:04:48.050-04:00The Lakeside Mini-Farm (or "I started as a kid in NYC and now I am planting garlic") Week 1I am not an amazing and experienced gardener, and I do not really have a farm. What I do have are a few plots of soil that I am learning how to grow vegetables in - some that will just be delicious because they are fresh and from my own garden - and some that are worth learning "how to preserve". I am ready to have dirty hands, blisters and learn what works and what I can do with it.<br />
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Welcome to a series of posts about learning how to grow food - while you are still busy being a quilter, going to work, enjoying time with your Mister, playing with your grandson and having fun with friends. There is not too much time left for gardening,... so it is sort of good that the gardening season only lasts half the year. <br />
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Based on the post title you may have some expectations - the size of my "mini farm"... which in reality is only about 600 sq.ft (two 16' x 16' plots, three apple trees and a small spot for blueberries. )<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">May 3, 2015</td></tr>
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I am not beside a lake either, but I was born in NYC and I do have some garlic growing now - Garden 2015 Edition.</div>
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The first thing that I learned about serious gardening (AKA: farming to a New Yorker) is that you have to <strong>plan ahead</strong> and <strong>prepare your soil</strong>. </div>
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We spent 5 years thinking about how we could start these gardens. The first summer here I was quite enthusiastic about this project. I headed out to the backyard with a shovel, rake and a hoe. After 8 hours I had cleared a swath 2' wide by 6' long. It was packed solid with rock and gravel. Beaten, I decided that the next year I would have raised beds and start above the packed gravel. </div>
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4 years later we built 2 - 16' x 16' raised beds. The Mister dug out all the grass/weeds and rocks. We learned that the particular spot that I had chosen to start the garden those few years earlier was the only spot packed with rocks and gravel. I had really forgotten that we built our home on a decommissioned rail line and it was just random that I had chosen the old rail bed as the ideal spot to try and start the vegetable garden. </div>
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Last summer we brought in multiple trailer loads of soil from a landscape supplier. We shoveled and raked and weeded and planted and weeded and mulched and watered and weeded. There was a blight - no tomatoes. There were bunnies - hollowed out carrots - and snakes for fun. </div>
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We did however enjoy countless amazing and delicious meals of freshly picked beets, carrots, green and yellow beans, cucumber and squash. Maybe there was too much squash, too many gourds and surprisingly few zucchini but there were lots of beautiful pumpkins, and fresh dill, fresh basil, fresh sage. But I was ready to do it again and so here we are now: Garden 2015 Edition.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half of the "West Garden" is turned and weeded (May 3); <br />
this past weekend though, the "East Garden" was finished up too (May 17)</td></tr>
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Buds on the Apple trees (May 3)</div>
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We need to bring in a few more loads of soil before I can plant these garden babies and my seeds. I kept copious notes last year on when I planted, what I planted, what grew and how much I harvested. I ambitiously purchased about 30+ packs of seeds for this year (not all vegetables though). I am looking for helpful tips to get me through season 2 so all comments will be welcome, thanks. </div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Learnings so far: Rent a tiller for Garden 2016 edition.</span> </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My garden babies want to move outside but tonight is another frost night so they will need to wait a few more days.</td></tr>
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sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-42203318236614937092015-01-19T00:53:00.000-05:002015-01-19T00:54:21.300-05:00Random past projects<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some of the past two year's projects include these:</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">These and another 20-odd similar looking friends were a fun way to use up stash and scraps. There are quite a few pattern variations on the internet. These cuties are a creative blend of a few other's little owls ideas with my own twist - not enough of any specific pattern for me to attribute the design though. Sorry.</span> <br />
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<a href="http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/products/patterns_display.php?id=22" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Amy Butler's Weekender Bag</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">: It took two weekends to finish though! My poor sewing machine had to go to the sewing machine hospital for TLC. I used an upholstery fabric. The bag was smaller than I expected but it holds more than I expected too! I added extra pockets inside to help keep me organized. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>A going away gift</strong> - one of our Tuesday Night Bag Ladies sewing group moved away. We sent her off with a group hug. We made these Friendship Star blocks in her favourite design colours. We do miss her and hope things are wonderful in Quebec, her new home. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">For Rejeanne - June 2013</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I am making good use of my embroidery machine. Towels, tea towels, bibs, bags are just a dew examples of personalized gifts that I am happy to give.</span></div>
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My January 2015 score so far: I showed up at Yoga class, posted some random projects to the blog, started a new quilt (special project - wait a few more weeks), slowly working on the hand quilting project (it is coming along), enjoyed a Jill Barber concert - a wonderful night of beautiful music. <br />
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And I baked this cake tonight:<br />
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See you soon. I am trying to be a better blogger by posting at least once a week. Happy 2015,<br />
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sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-38685005858563587622015-01-13T00:35:00.005-05:002015-01-13T00:35:39.339-05:00Exercise for the brain and body<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resolutions: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because the body is getting stiff - enroll in Yoga - starts on Thursday</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because the brain is getting soft - more sewing, writing, reading - started last week</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's see how we do, eh?</span>sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-73377553307482350212014-10-02T00:56:00.000-04:002014-10-02T01:02:41.034-04:00Surprising serendipity from my stash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My niece was married a year ago, quite far from home (Canada). She now lives in Peru so I may never actually be able to give her a hug. But she is such a gentle and sweet soul that I wanted to celebrate her wedding with a special quilt. I found a great geometric pattern in a magazine that would use a wide variety of prints - so I thought that would be fun and fresh. <em>The directions called for making 10" blocks - so I thought it would be a great size. The cutting instructions asked for cutting in strips of various widths</em> - so I thought it would be a quick project. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I started to pull some fabrics from the stash. It is exhilarating to be able to find what you need from what you already have. lots. of. No need to shop. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The colours are perfect for Peru (in my head at least). I found 7 prints that played well together and a great coordinating fabric (enough of it too)! I was ecstatic that I had such great prints in my stash. I probably would not have found such a great set had I headed out to the quilt shop (but I never need an excuse anyway). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>I started cutting my various strips Width of Fabric (WoF), the next instruction was to cut 10" lengths and assemble them.</em> Why couldn't I sew the strips together and save time? Oh well, back to the pattern. So I assemble 49 blocks individually. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wait a minute now I have to <em>assemble rows of six 8 1/2 blocks.</em> Where was that instruction? I reread the cutting instructions again, yep 10" pieces. I am still perturbed by cutting them apart instead of sewing the strips together but I a getting over it because I really love my colours and how they came together. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I reread the step that says to assemble the 8 1/2" blocks so they must be there somewhere but what happened to my 10" blocks... reread again.. oh yes <em>there is a step that says to cut each 10" block down to 8 1/2"</em> WTF! Yep, waste all that beautiful fabric was supposed to be cut into scrap bits... but I want all of my fabric and I do not want to cut any of it off. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a crazy idea! Make large blocks and then cut them into smaller blocks! I threw away the silly pattern and worked out my own, using the full 10" blocks. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The blocks laid out on my design wall.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WSi8GXmlInc/VCzP20BXGVI/AAAAAAAADaY/NLuGA5ZHPxE/s1600/IMG_20140330_225113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WSi8GXmlInc/VCzP20BXGVI/AAAAAAAADaY/NLuGA5ZHPxE/s1600/IMG_20140330_225113.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></span></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aIwRDp900RE/VCzPvyY80hI/AAAAAAAADaQ/kMIqcaPNE0A/s1600/IMG_20140330_225122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aIwRDp900RE/VCzPvyY80hI/AAAAAAAADaQ/kMIqcaPNE0A/s1600/IMG_20140330_225122.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really love it. I am hand quilting it in a Lily motif, similar to a flower in one of the prints. It is a slow go though because none of my fabric markers show against all the colours, except the chaco liner. It however wears off by the time I finish a flower. I am so slow - 90 minutes per flower if I am also watching TV. I won't have it done by Anniversary #1. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">PS. I know it has been a long time but a lot of living, quilting and stuff has been going on. </span><br />
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<br />sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-15641995502990949132013-08-26T23:47:00.002-04:002013-08-26T23:54:50.856-04:00The Chocolate Quilt, a retirement gift for a special friend, in neutrals (and some basting tips)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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A few years ago I joined a block swap of neutrals, to make Friendship Blocks (24 of them). I have a special friend that I wanted to make a quilt for, I knew her retirement would be in a few years... These would be perfect so I chose Chocolate Fabric as my focus fabric. Fast Forward to this spring and my friend gave the word that she would be retiring.. very shortly. </div>
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I was so very glad that I had these blocks all safely stashed away for her quilt. These and a few more were enough to make a quilt 70' by 80" for her. </div>
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Friendship Stars is a traditional pattern, and one of my favourite. Simple blocks let me play with colour values. Using these neutrals in various lights and darks was challenging for me as I love colour. I love to play with colour, bright, deep, dark, wild, fun.... </div>
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So this was not only made as a special project, it was "outside of my box", and since the theme colour was brown I quite easily thought of chocolate. </div>
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Thinking of chocolate makes me smile, and so does my special friend; this is why this quilt was made especially for her. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">assembly of sub sets</td></tr>
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Some work notes: I like to use painters tape to mark my sewing lines. I also used the <a href="http://www.connectingthreads.com/tools/the-angler-2-tool_TD81088.html" target="_blank">Angler 2</a> </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fatquartershop.com/store/stores_app/browse_item_details.asp?Store_Id=499&Page_Id=23&Item_Id=40846" target="_blank">The Angler 2 tool lays on the bed of your sewing machine to help you sew half square triangles very quickly (no need to draw sewing lines first)</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A finished block ( 1 of 28)</td></tr>
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I prefer to baste with thread and needle.</div>
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I find it much easier when quilting because catching the pins locked together annoys me.</div>
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Threads are also much quicker to pull out. </div>
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I like to use <strong>tools</strong>. Especially if I have invested in them. If they do not make my sewing life easier, faster, more fun then I do not keep them. </div>
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<strong>Basting</strong> - some people like to<strong> pin</strong> baste because it goes so fast. It is also easy for multiple people to baste at the same time.</div>
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I will do this if I have a small quilt that I will be finishing up on the machine very soon. </div>
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What I prefer however is <strong>thread basting</strong>. I use basting needles (which are long and flexible) and long lengths of thread. Usually I put a single knot in the end and take long stitches (about 3 to 4') either in a horizontal grid, or radiating lines from the center. For larger quilts the radiating lines from the center can be done with a long single length of thread. Smaller quilts work well with a grid, lines about 6" apart. I also run a line of stitching along the perimeter. I leave the trailing back end un-knotted. </div>
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It is so easy to pull the length or smaller sections of basting out while you are quilting. Sometimes good friends will be patient enough to help thread baste with you. It can take an hour or two to properly baste a full size quilt. Working with friends, six of us can baste it in 20 minutes; especially if one person is the designated needle threader!</div>
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Tip: Whether you are basting with thread or pins there are some details that need to be looked after.</div>
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<li>Press the backing fabric (and the top) so there are no puckers and it will stretch evenly</li>
<li>Lay the backing, good side down, flatten and tape (painters tape works well) to the floor or a table or clip (bulldog clip) to a table top edge. I like to use two six foot banquet tables butted together in a square (or if needed I can use blocks of wood to spread them evenly). Be aware however that whether you are using pins or a needle and thread that there WILL BE needle marks on your surface - so DO NOT USE A DINING TABLE OR YOUR HARDWOOD FLOOR</li>
<li>The backing should extend a few inches larger on all sides than your top</li>
<li>Layer the batting, evenly to the edges of the backing, then either tape or clip in place</li>
<li>Lay the top, right side up. Smooth evenly from the center outwards in all directions. I tug the bottom backing layer to make sure there are no folds in the fabric. </li>
<li>When these layers are all evenly stretched in each direction ( but not under tension) then tape or pin in place so that you can baste. </li>
<li>Basting is a very satisfying step, this signals that the sewing part of the project is done and now it is time to quilt!</li>
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sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-90740320623843017512013-07-27T01:57:00.000-04:002013-07-27T15:21:45.503-04:00A Birthday/Retirement gift "Gia'Normous Beach bag" (thanks to ReanaLily Designs)I enjoy making and giving handmade gifts to people that I care about but sometimes it is hard to find something that I have not made before. <br />
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Hand made gifts are not free gifts. They are not cheap gifts, nor are they the easy way to give a gift.<br />
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When you are a sewer or a crafter, most of your free time is spent making things, or at least as much free time as you are able to steal from the rest of your life obligations. Some people do not understand however that when you are busy making a gift you are not able to work on other projects<br />
Whether you are purchasing new fabric and notions or using fabric from your stash. The stash fabric needs replenishment. <br />
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When I make a gift I think of the recipient throughout the whole process: choosing a pattern, reading the pattern, auditioning fabrics, cutting, sewing, ironing... this is a lot of time dedicated to a single person. So when I make something for you it is special. AND I made it instead of doing other things that I love to do. <br />
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Not only does my friend receive a unique gift, personalized for her, but she also has, embedded into the gift, my time. The time that I cannot replace, but I do give it freely to the special people that I care about. <br />
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My very special friend's Birthday is the end of the month. She is celebrating 60 years of wonderfulness as well as retirement. I have made quite a few gifts for her over the years so this was a real challenge. Shopping for a ready made gift at a store would have been equally a challenge. <br />
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Procrasternetting led me to this great blog:<br />
<a href="http://sewingsummit.com/?p=1121">http://sewingsummit.com/?p=1121</a> Which has a great list of bags, patterns and tutorials. and from this list I chose:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J9tY-dWxUiI/UfNb2114PEI/AAAAAAAADVU/E56Icy2XzBc/s1600/Beachbag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="158" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J9tY-dWxUiI/UfNb2114PEI/AAAAAAAADVU/E56Icy2XzBc/s200/Beachbag.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bag on ReannaLily Designs website</td></tr>
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<a href="http://reannalilydesigns.com%20gia%22normous%20beach%20bag%22/" target="_blank">http://reannalilydesigns.com Gia"Normous Beach Bag"</a> Designed by Jen Eskridge (Thank you for sharing your pattern)<br />
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My friend is always trucking around lots of "stuff". So a big stash bag would be perfect and this looks pretty easy. Which it was! <br />
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I added a line of stitching to the outer pocket. This seems to be quite a flexible pattern, easy to up-size or down-size. My version has a self fabric handle instead of webbing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bag that I made for my friend.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I need one now too!<br />
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Watch for a post on the other special gift that I recently finished. I made a bed quilt for another special friend. <br />
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I don't think that I can die until I am done making something for the people who are special to me. Lucky me, I keep meeting new people who become special to me. So I will have to live a very long time....sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-29211426562211971952013-07-15T23:30:00.000-04:002013-07-15T23:33:29.291-04:00The Australia Quilt <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few years ago a friend asked if I could "make a wall hanging or something" with some fabrics that her daughter had purchased on a trip to Australia. I took on the challenge, provided she was fine with it being a few years for me to find the time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is however now complete, This is the final view, along with the pattern I based my quilt on. Each time that I looked at the prints I envisaged something labyrinthine. I knew the prints very well, and on a quilt shop stop I saw this pattern BQ by Maple Island Quilts I thought I found a winner. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the last couple of years I played with multiple designs but in the end, they were all so similar to variations of the BQ pattern. So I decided to use that , and adapt the sizing to fit the pieces of fabric in the kit (11" wide).</span> </div>
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<img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.mapleislandquilts.com/images/Product/large/MIQ705.jpg" width="206" /><a href="http://www.mapleislandquilts.com/quiltpatterns.asp" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ndUTAzcoJs/UeSzXuzJ8gI/AAAAAAAADOg/w7YHBQbKDKg/s320/P1020172.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.mapleislandquilts.com/quiltpatterns.asp" target="_blank">Maple Island Quilts</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For quilting, I repeated the geometric Quarter Square but randomly added 1 squiggly line of quilting in each block. No matter how carefully a journey is planned, there are curves along the way; and this is usually fortuitous.</span> </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-75WW_RI3Cz0/UeS0Yi5d5AI/AAAAAAAADPg/lOI5x7QH4Jc/s1600/P1020167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-75WW_RI3Cz0/UeS0Yi5d5AI/AAAAAAAADPg/lOI5x7QH4Jc/s320/P1020167.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> What did I start with:</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Six 11" (30 CM) wide strips of prints based on Aboriginal Art</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IOGtJ0-htRw/UeS0m34LmBI/AAAAAAAADPo/ga1xIsGNxAA/s1600/Mans+Ceremony13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IOGtJ0-htRw/UeS0m34LmBI/AAAAAAAADPo/ga1xIsGNxAA/s320/Mans+Ceremony13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MkAfMKEGxsI/UeS0I1l2dHI/AAAAAAAADPI/wy1RpjyhGTI/s1600/P1020057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MkAfMKEGxsI/UeS0I1l2dHI/AAAAAAAADPI/wy1RpjyhGTI/s200/P1020057.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F1uYaEK4KJM/UeS0VDiBUBI/AAAAAAAADPY/5y1XFttRqtE/s1600/P1020058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F1uYaEK4KJM/UeS0VDiBUBI/AAAAAAAADPY/5y1XFttRqtE/s200/P1020058.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2IoC-WQrw3w/UeS00Q-ECWI/AAAAAAAADP8/zHHfu-6w00Y/s1600/On+Walkabout13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2IoC-WQrw3w/UeS00Q-ECWI/AAAAAAAADP8/zHHfu-6w00Y/s320/On+Walkabout13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mu0KTJqOQyQ/UeSz8olvPZI/AAAAAAAADO4/lYtMBMwSEoY/s1600/P1020053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mu0KTJqOQyQ/UeSz8olvPZI/AAAAAAAADO4/lYtMBMwSEoY/s200/P1020053.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--iLuCiA8BIU/UeS00Dpb51I/AAAAAAAADQA/qegDdHRUj5s/s1600/Bush+Tucker13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--iLuCiA8BIU/UeS00Dpb51I/AAAAAAAADQA/qegDdHRUj5s/s320/Bush+Tucker13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iCWgYj2ka-w/UeS0HggLu7I/AAAAAAAADPA/Smnkum1goa0/s1600/P1020056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iCWgYj2ka-w/UeS0HggLu7I/AAAAAAAADPA/Smnkum1goa0/s200/P1020056.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QPE053si_Y0/UeSz7s2wWoI/AAAAAAAADOs/-8rfG0UgQp4/s1600/P1020055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QPE053si_Y0/UeSz7s2wWoI/AAAAAAAADOs/-8rfG0UgQp4/s200/P1020055.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hhQUKLwVXb8/UeS00I12fiI/AAAAAAAADP4/KpfOWUTDSyw/s1600/Australia+Fabrics+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hhQUKLwVXb8/UeS00I12fiI/AAAAAAAADP4/KpfOWUTDSyw/s320/Australia+Fabrics+13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have not been to Australia personally, but from those who have been there the outstanding memories that they share are Ayres Rock, the vastness and wanting to go "Walkabout". The adventures shared have been wonderful - somewhat mystical, self realization and serendipity. That is what I wanted to convey here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Best of all, it is a perfect quilt... why... because DONE is perfect!!!!</span></div>
<br />sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-43806296460900190862013-07-13T23:27:00.000-04:002013-07-13T23:28:12.147-04:00AWOL and Gifts for Special BabiesI have taken the last 10 months break from blogging but I have been quilting.... and doing life stuff.<br />
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A few of the projects completed are in the photos below. I will blog each story over the next while... just to get back at it. I have missed you all. There are quite a few special baby items here....<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3ToneKrlVys/UeIPn5jJqlI/AAAAAAAADMg/uWSQkFf9Yp0/s1600/P1010318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3ToneKrlVys/UeIPn5jJqlI/AAAAAAAADMg/uWSQkFf9Yp0/s320/P1010318.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Grab Ball</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-flfeiNdPWXA/UeIP4oxvp7I/AAAAAAAADMo/t_wkOea8Dfw/s1600/IMG_00000492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-flfeiNdPWXA/UeIP4oxvp7I/AAAAAAAADMo/t_wkOea8Dfw/s320/IMG_00000492.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diaper covers and inserts</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2A7R2GN3-CY/UeIQmi_sbOI/AAAAAAAADM8/37go9TRgLPM/s1600/IMG_00000367_edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2A7R2GN3-CY/UeIQmi_sbOI/AAAAAAAADM8/37go9TRgLPM/s320/IMG_00000367_edit.jpg" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bird Quilt for Baby</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oJMZv-ibfbE/UeIQ_mu3ccI/AAAAAAAADNE/T83awnBl4vs/s1600/IMG_00000294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oJMZv-ibfbE/UeIQ_mu3ccI/AAAAAAAADNE/T83awnBl4vs/s320/IMG_00000294.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small Wall Hanging</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NIEVTB2QwPA/UeIRUly1LBI/AAAAAAAADNM/K9i2uuEQFT4/s1600/IMG-20130127-00395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NIEVTB2QwPA/UeIRUly1LBI/AAAAAAAADNM/K9i2uuEQFT4/s320/IMG-20130127-00395.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool Quilt with glow in the dark Name</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yHaM7ejAEag/UeISG-8-eZI/AAAAAAAADNc/fSNHU3SCb30/s1600/Baby+Collins+Quilt+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yHaM7ejAEag/UeISG-8-eZI/AAAAAAAADNc/fSNHU3SCb30/s320/Baby+Collins+Quilt+1.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Quilt (Moda Little Apples Charms)</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cm_55ws8zXY/UeIST1Peu6I/AAAAAAAADNk/4haiptQeV64/s1600/P1010607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cm_55ws8zXY/UeIST1Peu6I/AAAAAAAADNk/4haiptQeV64/s320/P1010607.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Bibs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uFdRsCR1y24/UeIS_2vKXfI/AAAAAAAADNs/NjDWlxUJgV8/s1600/IMG_00000368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uFdRsCR1y24/UeIS_2vKXfI/AAAAAAAADNs/NjDWlxUJgV8/s320/IMG_00000368.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of Baby Birds and Mama Bird</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3wtGvegrFn4/UeIT3j7NPUI/AAAAAAAADN4/hidGx97IVRM/s1600/IMG-20120917-00167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3wtGvegrFn4/UeIT3j7NPUI/AAAAAAAADN4/hidGx97IVRM/s320/IMG-20120917-00167.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hunter's Star Sofa Quilt</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5zPDLC7ghXk/UeIUR3c6ivI/AAAAAAAADOA/TRvpyybe6BU/s1600/IMG-20121202-00262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5zPDLC7ghXk/UeIUR3c6ivI/AAAAAAAADOA/TRvpyybe6BU/s320/IMG-20121202-00262.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Receiving Blankets and Burp Cloths</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CiE9Zasur3w/UeIUx9uQC0I/AAAAAAAADOI/EQng_yV-tMU/s1600/IMG-20120419-00070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CiE9Zasur3w/UeIUx9uQC0I/AAAAAAAADOI/EQng_yV-tMU/s320/IMG-20120419-00070.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Receiving Blankets and Burp Cloths</td></tr>
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sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-41893555470354914552012-09-15T00:37:00.000-04:002012-09-15T00:38:39.560-04:00Basic and Very Quick Machine Quilting by an amateur<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
I am not an artistic machine quilting expert but I am feeling more confident than when I started machine quilting "way back in the olden days". There have been many lessons learned along the way, many stitches ripped, many wrinkles sewn down and even more "nests" and "eyebrows" on the back side of my quilts. </div>
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I thought that I could share a bit of this experience with some quilters who are just starting out and wanting to try a bit of machine quilting on their own. I am going to show the process that I used to machine quilt the "Berries and Cherries" quilt in June. <br />
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After the quilt top and back is neatly sandwiched and basted.....<br />
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<strong>Firstly,</strong> and most importantly, start with a fresh, sharp needle; preferably a "quilting" needle sized 12 or 14. The groove along the needle eye is specially designed to handle thread through multiple layers. </div>
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<strong>Secondly</strong>, I used a walking foot on my machine. It is well worth the investment because it helps to regulate even stitching, it feeds the layers evenly and helps keep a balanced tension as the fabric sandwich moves across the needle plate. </div>
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<strong>Thirdly,</strong> I used <a href="http://cottonmillthreadworks.danemcoweb.com/shop/category/threads/bottom-line-1/" target="_blank">"The Bottom Line"</a> bobbin thread, it is much lighter in weight (60-wt) than the machine quilting thread so it is less likely to peek through the top and leave dots. It works so smoothly when matched with a machine quilting thread of 30wt. It is nice if you can match the colour of the bobbin thread to the top thread or the quilt top in case there are any little "peak a boos". </div>
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I <u>always</u> do a test drive of the set up, using a scrap quilt sandwich - to check my stitch length and tension. Do I need to say that the machine will have been freshly cleaned and oiled before each project? I am quite obsessed with removing lint, stray threads and oiling my machine regularly (follow the instructions in your manual since most machines are different). I stop and clean the machine again at the first odd unbalanced sound. </div>
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A great tool is a locking tweezers (bought from a surplus store for $2) and a small swatch of cotton quilt batting. I swipe this everywhere inside the machine and it picks up an amazing amount of lint, thread bits, dust. Sometimes it is hard to believe that there can be so much lint!!!!</div>
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Good music and a glass of wine helps to keep a good rhythm going for the machine quilting. A good rhythm helps to avoid the "eyelashes" from turning faster the quilt than the machine is stitching it. </div>
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Pulling up on the bobbin thread to bring it through to the top before you start sewing should prevent the birds nests on the back. I always start with a very short (just past 0) stitch length for the first 5 or 6 stitches, then increase it to a comfortable length for the quilting (6-8 stitches per inch); then I lock the stitches as the end by reducing the stitch lenght to nearly 0 again. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--PSUk_oCmuc/UFP316y8fAI/AAAAAAAADGM/caBB2K8tDqE/s1600/IMG-20120624-00022+(800x600).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--PSUk_oCmuc/UFP316y8fAI/AAAAAAAADGM/caBB2K8tDqE/s320/IMG-20120624-00022+(800x600).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the quilt top before it was quilted.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HRytFRAEbDg/UFP33V1ohuI/AAAAAAAADGU/sSe2X_VT83o/s320/IMG-20120625-00028+(800x600).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am using a ruler with a line marked on painter's masking tape as a Poka-Yoke</td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HRytFRAEbDg/UFP33V1ohuI/AAAAAAAADGU/sSe2X_VT83o/s1600/IMG-20120625-00028+(800x600).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HRytFRAEbDg/UFP33V1ohuI/AAAAAAAADGU/sSe2X_VT83o/s1600/IMG-20120625-00028+(800x600).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>First I did the stitch "alongside the ditch" on all the inner squares and along the borders of the red pieces. Next, I created a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poka-yoke" target="_blank">Poka-Yoke</a> (or template) to follow. For my straight lines within the borders and sashing I simply marked a piece of tape on a ruler. <br />
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I held the ruler with one hand and followed the line with stitching. It was much easier than it appears and the line was quite straight. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9jSMn7LMbKg/UFP35FPi-oI/AAAAAAAADGc/0gWxgT2d948/s320/IMG-20120625-00027+(800x600).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the centres of the squares I traced a line (still following my Poka-Yoke). </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ppGenChz_ss/UFP3-vg2UaI/AAAAAAAADGs/2oK_czflh7c/s1600/IMG-20120625-00032+(800x600).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ppGenChz_ss/UFP3-vg2UaI/AAAAAAAADGs/2oK_czflh7c/s320/IMG-20120625-00032+(800x600).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The triangles were sewn using a paper template so that they would all be the same size. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qQhiM90oIQU/UFP39DUlLfI/AAAAAAAADGk/VFskvA6a0HI/s1600/IMG-20120625-00034+(800x600).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qQhiM90oIQU/UFP39DUlLfI/AAAAAAAADGk/VFskvA6a0HI/s320/IMG-20120625-00034+(800x600).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think they look fine!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b3dLJNALAGY/UFQAZBCQYxI/AAAAAAAADHM/HNG3jv5Tfp4/s1600/IMG-20120626-00042+(800x600).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b3dLJNALAGY/UFQAZBCQYxI/AAAAAAAADHM/HNG3jv5Tfp4/s320/IMG-20120626-00042+(800x600).jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The corners need to be trimmed to square, I use my largest square ruler for this. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QPygjZwRRwY/UFQAa0ZnMrI/AAAAAAAADHU/nWs3EhZiK4Q/s1600/IMG-20120626-00043+(800x600).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QPygjZwRRwY/UFQAa0ZnMrI/AAAAAAAADHU/nWs3EhZiK4Q/s320/IMG-20120626-00043+(800x600).jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It looks so neat and pretty when it is trimmed. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9n_2gX3twl4/UFQAcc0RhQI/AAAAAAAADHc/5r0QFcoMeLQ/s1600/IMG-20120626-00044+(800x600).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9n_2gX3twl4/UFQAcc0RhQI/AAAAAAAADHc/5r0QFcoMeLQ/s320/IMG-20120626-00044+(800x600).jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used the straight ruler to trim the sections between the corners.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mkf5pRmsG8Y/UFQAdp2QEMI/AAAAAAAADHk/99UDnjHALeM/s1600/IMG-20120626-00045+(800x597).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mkf5pRmsG8Y/UFQAdp2QEMI/AAAAAAAADHk/99UDnjHALeM/s320/IMG-20120626-00045+(800x597).jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a neat edge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D7qDGE8WseM/UFQAen19GJI/AAAAAAAADHs/n2WEUSpShRQ/s1600/IMG-20120626-00046+(800x600).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D7qDGE8WseM/UFQAen19GJI/AAAAAAAADHs/n2WEUSpShRQ/s320/IMG-20120626-00046+(800x600).jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some times it can be a good idea to attach the label before quilting, and then quilt right through it. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-af8wG4IMq0c/UFQBLSwlhJI/AAAAAAAADIM/o6tt7Xz01qU/s1600/IMG-20120626-00050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-af8wG4IMq0c/UFQBLSwlhJI/AAAAAAAADIM/o6tt7Xz01qU/s320/IMG-20120626-00050.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See how pretty this is, all quilted and bound.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_RlUkk8GnSE/UFQAiECtxaI/AAAAAAAADH8/969eTMs1CbI/s1600/IMG-20120626-00052+(800x600).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_RlUkk8GnSE/UFQAiECtxaI/AAAAAAAADH8/969eTMs1CbI/s320/IMG-20120626-00052+(800x600).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is easy to see an overall quilting pattern . I simply followed the lines of the blocks. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SJRqozRX8Q8/UFQAgiFML0I/AAAAAAAADH0/BWSrT0eDbvQ/s1600/IMG-20120626-00055+(800x600).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SJRqozRX8Q8/UFQAgiFML0I/AAAAAAAADH0/BWSrT0eDbvQ/s320/IMG-20120626-00055+(800x600).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is a closer view of the quilting pattern from the back. <br />
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The very first baby quilt that I made was machine quilted. It had wrinkles, polyester batting, and was made from a fabric panel (in 1980). I have come a long way. This method would not be suitable for an heirloom quilt or something that was being prepared for artistic value but, as I say often, "Done is perfect". <br />
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This technique suits baby quilts, cuddle quilts or any quilt that is made to be used, loved and washed.sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-61031805721456329682012-08-19T23:29:00.002-04:002015-05-20T01:41:30.331-04:00Sweet SummerI have just enjoyed the most wonderful summer weekend in years. The weather here in South Western Ontario was Goldilocks perfect (not too hot, not too cold; not too sunny, not too cloudy; just right).<br />
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The weekend started on Friday afternoon. The Honey and I went to Moxie's for lunch. Mmmm, patio al fresco, Steak Sandwich on a baguette and fries for me, luscious Mango Chicken for he. A lovely walk along the Thames River, up to the Black Friars Bridge and back. Time to enjoy tress. I am entranced by the texture of bark and the elegant arching of branches woven in the canopy. <br />
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Then a movie, "Hope Springs"', amusing for <em>married and over 40's</em>. I could think that it is sad but probably everyone could see something that brings on a smile, that rings true, somewhere in the film.<br />
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sewnuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007381015104001916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31048187.post-43188805299300380762012-07-25T01:05:00.000-04:002012-07-25T01:08:05.956-04:00Summer report #1 (Quilts, laptop cases and a purse)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time is speeding by in blog world, but it is even faster in real life. Sorry that it has been 7 weeks since my last post. I have been sewing, quilting, working, visiting much loved family and taking a couple classes at the local college.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know that the best way to build a huge blog following is to post often, but my blog is about how life fits into quilting and stuff, or is it how quilting and stuff fits into life. There are times that it just does not get moved to a higher spot on today's "to do" list; this is okay because that is really what this blog is all about. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a few finishes to share: Dr. Suess "The Lorax" quilt and the sweet baby that it belongs to:</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turning Twenty pattern, 'Dr Suess' and Kaffe Fasset prints<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I0j_3uQWyNk/UA94qN6mmvI/AAAAAAAADD4/R1llyXfD1Fs/s1600/IMG-20120624-00024(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I0j_3uQWyNk/UA94qN6mmvI/AAAAAAAADD4/R1llyXfD1Fs/s200/IMG-20120624-00024(1).jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="313" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V7MEn7NW68Q/UA94jiiyidI/AAAAAAAADDw/irZuO0zaH5I/s320/peu_20120624_2(1).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Mazey Daze quilt pattern by Dorothy Young" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Berries 'n Cherries"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Next on the agenda was a quilt that was donated as a Silent Auction item in support of </span><a href="http://www.salthaven.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">. I had been saving these great fabrics for a few years: the Strawberry Flower Fairies and the tiny print that looks like charries. This quilt was made using the </span><a href="http://sewnut-barda.blogspot.ca/2007/11/mazey-daze-and-i-guess-this-is-post-100.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">"Mazey Daze" </span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> pattern. It is a quick and easy pattern that highlights the prints</span>.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> During the process of making this quilt I took quite a few photos with the intention of creating a tutorial for easy machine quilting tips and "how to square a quilt". I will try to publish that early next week since I have a mid term test to write and curtains to hem. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">I also managed to make a few lap top slip cases and a new summer purse. The slip cases were a simple design of my own, using fun fabrics, a side opening and an extra wide elastic to hold the flap down. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.quiltsillustrated.com/shop/Quiltsillustrated-Patterns/p/ps025-Cabo-Bucket-Tote-Pattern.htm" target="_blank">The Cabo Bucket purse (designed by Penny Sturges)</a> was also made using happy summer fun prints. I like this purse pattern because the interior is lined with pockets. I need special places to put my stuff away, even in my purse. I usually add extra pockets to fit my wallet, bank cards, cell phone, keys... this pattern had it all covered. I did a slight variation by using some elastic along the sides instead of the requested tabs and magnetic closure. It is the same Ricky Tims "oodles of doodles" fabric that I used for the laptop slip case & cord/mouse bag. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2n5kI6H6Xkk/UA97FxZVTvI/AAAAAAAADEY/wfdIDpIEpl4/s1600/Cabo+Bucket+bag+Ricky+Tims.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2n5kI6H6Xkk/UA97FxZVTvI/AAAAAAAADEY/wfdIDpIEpl4/s320/Cabo+Bucket+bag+Ricky+Tims.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_lbEGjV0H2s/UA97CgS7yjI/AAAAAAAADEQ/gIpizu2NrQ4/s1600/P1000688%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_lbEGjV0H2s/UA97CgS7yjI/AAAAAAAADEQ/gIpizu2NrQ4/s200/P1000688%25281%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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