I now have 3 sides of the binding sewed down on “Insanity.” I hope to finish the binding within the next two days and then I will start to do the final quilting that I decided to do on the scallops. I’m not sure how long the quilting will take but it shouldn’t take a real long time. I still believe that I will be done by Thanksgiving.
I got a little quilting done on the Christmas quilt this morning but I have not done much on that quilt. I need to get out my box of patterns that I have printed out for the Baltimore Bliss quilt and pick out the next block. I had been moving a long really well on those blocks until I took the Dear Jane off of the frame – boy did that slow everything down!
This weekend I started digging up one flower bed – didn’t get a lot accomplished due to the neck issues but it is getting better so I got a little bit of yard work done. I have one area that has gotten so thick with black-eyed Susan’s that I want to dig them up, divide them and start planting in numerous areas of the yard. I got some dug up and they are so thick, I have no idea how many I transplanted. Hopefully a lot of them will make it through the winter and flower in the summer. I usually have good luck with this type of plant.
We have had a really nice November so far – temperatures are above normal in the low 70′s mainly, sun and clouds – but so nice compared to October which was so wet and drab. Oh well, better get back to this sewing on the binding!
I really do not think I will get my Christmas quilt quilted for this season – it is November already! I’m not even going to try because I do not sit at my quilting frame for hours and hours a day. Especially with my neck issues. This quilt will most likely take close to 75 to 100 hours to quilt – I am not fast – but steady! It will decorate the room while I am working on it this year and it will be out next holiday!
Batting and backing ready to go last night.
The quilting lines are in place and I got the top on the frame earlier today. Don't look at the mess under my frame 
A close up
The supplies. The thread is King Tut variegated. I plan on using the red thread for most of it and possibly the yellow thread on the red sashing just because. I will try it out on a short piece, stand back and see if I like it and if I don't I will pick it out and use just the red. These are all the supplies I will need. I use Roxanne Between Needles size 11, my little scissors, thread, a needle threader if needed, a little rubber needle grabber and my paddle thimble.
Last night and this morning I continued to work on the Dear Jane “Insanity” binding and it is coming along nicely, I have about 1 1/3 sides stitched (the back still needs to be hand stitched of course – first to the top).
It was so nice outside that I had to put the quilting aside after lunch and go outside for a bit to accomplish cleaning off the porch – I had tossed all of the painting supplies on the porch after I got done with the kitchen and was slow to put things back in the workshop! Just about all has been put away. I will have to wait until after Thanksgiving to paint the bathroom and wait for my neck to heal before I tackle more painting. All week we have continued to have sunshine and mild temperatures – it looks like – if the beginning of November is an example anyhow – that we will have a nice month!! We need it.
I will take photo’s now and then of the Christmas Quilt and what it looks like as I get busy with it and post now and then. I do want to start one more of the Baltimore Bliss blocks but I want to get the binding done on Dear Jane first so it will sit for a week or so before I decide what pattern to do next. Whichever one I choose it will be the last to go into this first quilt using these blocks. It will be little girl sized! I have no idea how I will put it together, but I think the blocks will be set on point and sashing in between – but I do not know what fabric to use I will need to look through things.
I have been working on so many things once again – a little here a little there. Clearing some things up and coming to an end on some projects.
Now I know a lot of you will think I am totally nuts but I decided to do the binding on my Dear Jane “Insanity” by hand. That’s right by hand. The whole quilt was done by hand so why not the binding also and truth to be told I do not get along with my sewing machine all that well and I have already taken out the stitch work of the binding for about a 12 inch section 3 times as I was not satisfied with the way I was doing it. My neck and shoulder muscles were tensing up and I thought to heck with this – much more comfy to sit on the couch – feet up – tv on and start stitching. ( I use to do binding by hand all the time as for awhile I didn’t have a sewing machine that was working and it all got done by hand). Just working a little bit on it last night and again this morning and I have about 20 inches of the binding sewed done on the top side already, this photo was taken last night after I had just started it. I’ll be done before you know it! After all why rush I’ve already been working on it for almost 5 years – it’s kind of hard to stop working on it. I guess I don’t want to say good-bye to it and I’m stretching out the work as long as possible.
Hand sewing the binding - I have decided to add a little more quilting also and will put an outline stitch on the scallops
Last night I got the backing for the Christmas quilt sewed together (with the sewing machine ) and also got some batting basted together (by machine also). I didn't have a big enough piece so put together some large bits and pieces and came up with a size big enough. Do any of you baste pieces of your batting together to use up as much of the left overs as possible?
Drawing the quilting design on the Christmas Baltimore Album quilt. I now have the backing and the batting loaded on to the 3 roller so that is out of the way - now I hope to get all the design drawn on the quilt top tonight and tomorrow and get it on the frame as well.
In between other projects I pick up the knitting and do a row here and there and it continues to grow. I'm not sure now much longer it will be but I think I will use up the second ball of yarn that I have and I'm about half way done with that one.
The 5th Baltimore Bliss block finished. I think I started this one about 2 weeks ago or so. I have been working on this in between other things as well. A stitch here and there and before you know it you have another block complete.
Row 8 of "Insanity Revisited" Block # 8 in that row. A little out of focus.
I’m not sure – maybe I have Attention Deficit Disorder — LOL, I can’t seem to work on just one thing – at least I always finish my projects, but if I get bored with one I pick up something else. Idle hands and all that – I just have to stay busy – if I’m not working on my projects I am reading or keeping my house straight. I just can’t seem to sit and do nothing and I have always picked up something to work on when I have nothing else to do.
Now it is time to relax – I just got back from the fitness center and got in my cardio I can’t do weights right now because of my neck issues. I am going to heat up the moist heat packs that I have and lay down with the heat on my neck and upper back for about 30 minutes or so. I took a muscle relaxer about 30 minutes ago and it is making me sleepy. Back to work on the projects this evening — see this is what happens when I’m by myself so much in the evening!
I have the binding for the “Insanity” quilt cut, pressed in half and rolled up but have not started to put it on the quilt. With my neck the way it was this weekend still a bit stiff I didn’t want to deal with trying to get it all pushed and pulled through the sewing machine. I might work on it off and on over the next couple days though and try to make headway on it.
I had been looking at my Baltimore Bliss blocks and I wasn’t pleased with the 4th one that I did –
this one! I don't like the inner wreath - when I laid all of the blocks out that I have done so far it just stood out as "not the same" if you know what I mean. I did not like it.
So last night after having thought about it last week and discussing it with another person who loves applique (Crispy) I agreed that the inner wreath is what was wrong with it. So I picked out the stitches, made some plaid hearts and here is what it looks like now.
Better I think and it goes with the other blocks much better.
I am working on the 5th Baltimore Bliss block and will be done with it today or tomorrow most likely. As you can see I am trying to finish up a few things while I am waiting for my neck to feel better.
Another project to get ready is the Christmas Baltimore Album quilt. I have the backing fabric washed and pressed, now it needs to be sewed together as it wasn’t the extra wide fabric.
The backing fabric
I will be glad to get this quilt on the frame so it is out of the way – right now without a quilt on the quilting frame I have things draped over the top of it while it is waiting for me to work on it.
Busy day today with both Physical Therapy and a dental cleaning appointment back to back. Really need to clean the house a little too and then back to some sewing. The sun is out again today – how nice – 3rd day in a row!
Is coming along nicely. Thank goodness – I’m getting tired of working on it. I still have all of my bottom cabinets to go through and organize and clean out. I made good progress though this morning before I quit for the day to run into town and go get some other kind of exercise – i.e. treadmill, stair stepper ect
I didn't have any good before photos but this is what it looks like now in the kitchen. The paint still doesn't show up quite in the right color - it is more of a medium beige than the white it appears. I use to have a lot of small appliances on the counter top and I rearranged that so that I have lot's of space for cooking. It was just too crowded with the appliances on it. I like having this space available now.
the other side of the room. I have a wide galley kitchen I guess you could say - it is very long but only about 8 feet wide, with cabinets and appliances on both walls so that leaves about 50 inches of space for a walkway. The items on this wall - the wood rack holding the spoons ect was made by my father for their house years ago and I inherited it. He also carved and painted the plaque above it.
this is on the far end of the kitchen and is a pantry/laundry room with stack-able washer/dryer. I have never gotten around to staining the bottom cabinet to match - and totally forgot about it until I saw this picture - I guess that is one more thing I should fix!
I don’t know if it is my camera or the lightening in the kitchen that makes it so the paint job doesn’t show up to the true color – but that is ok – the main thing is that it is clean!! I still might sometime in the future paint at least one wall a darker color – but not before the holidays for sure. I will put another photo of our dining area on when it arrives. They did say it might be two weeks.
"Insanity Revisited" block 7 row 8 this quilt is starting to show some progress once again.
More triangles on "Insanity" almost done! just a few more to do and then the corner.
My plaid fabric arrived today that I had ordered for my “Baltimore Bliss” quilt – I must say it was totally different than the photo was on the site I ordered it from! That has not happened to me before for ordering fabric on line. Even though it is different than what I wanted I am still pleased with it. It is very nice fabric and a nice color. I had already been thinking of making two quilts with the 12 blocks that go with the BOM and that is what I will do. I have enough of the old plaid to do the first 6 blocks and then I will use the new plaid in the other 6 blocks. This will give me two good size little girl quilts as I plan to put the blocks on point with plain blocks in between for some good areas for hand quilting. I believe it was the last Baltimore Bliss block I am not pleased with. After laying the blocks all out it just really stands out as different – not different good – I am going to pick out a little of the applique and see if I have enough of the old plaid or other colors to stick in it and still have some plaid left for one more block. I used a lighter blue green in it and I’m not pleased with that color. Live and learn!
Pumpkin Patch Primitives Quilt Shoppe is having a give away of quilt fabric. I’m not sure where I heard about it but I have put that site on my google reader to see what all they have for awhile. Go on over and see what they have to give away – you will be pleased.
I finished the Baltimore Bliss 4th block. I need to look at the patterns and see which one I’m doing next. I don’t actually have them in order any more from when I printed them out. I think there are 2 or 3 more patterns to come out still. I intend to make all 12 blocks but right now I’m not sure if they will all go in one quilt top or two. I’m thinking of maybe using 6 and put on point with sashing between for 2 different quilts.
Baltimore Bliss block #4 out of the 12 that with the quilt pattern.
Would anyone happen to have this plaid fabric I have been using in these blocks or know where I can purchase it on line? I have a little left and wanted to use it in most of the 12 blocks but might not be able to at this rate. I only have a little left. If anyone has some they are willing to part with we can make a trade of some sort? I believe I got it when I purchased some “Timeless Treasure” fabric by 3 Sisters several years ago, I don’t know if it was the same designer that did this one. I looked on line and can’t find it anywhere.
I will leave the next block though for a day or two and get back to work on “Insanity” my Dear Jane quilt tonight. Only a little more than half a row left to quilt! I should have a photo tomorrow of the progress.
I have taken the day off from painting like I said I was going to. I will continue that tomorrow or the next I’m taking a wait and see approach! I was outside today off and on – it was so nice outside. I dug up more bulbs that needed separating. There was of course more than I thought there was and now need to figure out where to put them! I will probably try to do that this weekend.
The knitting on the scarf is coming along nicely – I have had to unravel a couple rows now and then and then reload onto the knitting needles as I will occasionally find I have dropped a stitch. Over all though it is is growing!!
The blue wool scarf
Thanks to all about your nice comments on my health. Overall I do great most of the time, I tend to overdo at times with physical activity and then pay for it!! I think a lot of us with health issues (and increasing age ) do that – we like to think we are superwoman and then we get a reminder from aches and pains that we aren’t LOL
It did not rain today – so far that is, maybe tonight from the way I hear it. The sun struggled so hard to come out today and it managed to break through the cloudy sky for a minute or two – just long enough for me to get the sun glasses out of my purse – and then it disappeared! It did get up to 63 today though and without it raining I decided to take a much needed walk outside – not inside a building going round in circles. The forecast does say that starting by the weekend we will have about 5 sunny days in a row – I will believe it when I see it – but we are due. We need to some sun to dry up all this water that is sitting around. I have no idea if we will be able to do any work outside again this weekend unless some of this water dries up! I haven’t even ventured to certain parts of the yard where I can still see standing water!! I’m afraid I would sink to the top of my shoes at least!
Last night I got done quilting row 13 on my Dear Jane “Insanity“ that leaves only one border left to quilt. I am about to wear a hole in one of my fingers though so I think I will not quilt tonight and take a break and start fresh on it Thursday evening perhaps.
Row 13 blocks 13 & 12
row 13 border triangles
my scarf is growing! It really is coming along nicely. I think I have this knit stitch down really well.
I got one more Dear Jane block pieced for my "Insanity Revisited" quilt. Now that I am getting back into it I am making progress. I will get another block prepped tonight. This is block 4 on row 8 (H)
Mike has been working a lot of evenings lately so I have the entire evenings to myself – that is one reason for moving along pretty well on all of these projects. Tonight I need to look over the fabric left over from the Christmas Baltimore Album and see what I have for the backing fabric. I might have to order something for it and if that is the case I want to do that soon. The Dear Jane quilt should not be on the frame for much more than a week to 10 days and it will be done! I can hardly imagine being done with it. It has been a part of my life for almost 5 years!!
This morning before working on anything else I got the 4th Baltimore Bliss block prepped and ready to go other than making 8 circles – 4 of two different sizes. Once that is done and glue basted in place I can start stitching it.
The weather just won’t give us a break – I haven’t seen the sun in days and it is raining almost every day. The ground is saturated! I can see I wouldn’t do well in states that have a lot of rain – I want my sun back! The temperatures for Arkansas are below normal for this time of the year and has been pretty much steady in the 50′s most days instead of the normal high 60′s for this time of year.
Rainy weather is good for sewing though and I have been busy in the house working on that. I actually dragged out my storage box with all the “Insanity Revisited” blocks and fabric and got back to work on those yesterday. I had only done one block when I was traveling and had concentrated on the project of hand piecing the So Charming quilt – which of course is done but waiting in line to be quilted. I got two more of the Insanity Revisited blocks done between last night and today.
"Insanity Revisited" Row 8 (H) the first 3 blocks
I also got more of the “Insanity” blocks quilted last night and this morning. I have two more blocks of the final row to quilt then on to the last border.
Row 13 (M) blocks 9 & 8
Row 13 (M) blocks 11 & 10
I finished this 3rd Baltimore Bliss block the other day but neglected to get a photo of it until today.
Tonight I will get to work cutting out the pieces for the 4th Baltimore Bliss block and maybe get the block prepped to work on. Also I want to quilt the last two blocks of Row 13 on “Insanity” I doubt I will have time to work on the “Insanity Revisited” quilt tonight. That one I hope to work more on than I have been doing, but I will try to fit it in here and there.
Of course now I am trying to come up with ideas for a jelly roll that I have and the Moda Bake Shop just keeps giving me ideas!! Too many of them of course. You can click on the “jelly roll” words to see which one I have. Right now I think my ideas all go to pairing the jelly roll strips with an off white or white fabric and do something easy like the “Sweet Menagerie” quilt that they posted today.
Then again maybe I just need to hold on to that jelly roll for awhile and concentrate on all the on-going projects!!
Today is a little warmer and that is the only good thing about the weather!! I’m getting very tired of rain – it seems like that is all it does lately – rain and cool temperatures in the low to mid 50′s. This is early October here in Arkansas a little too early for it to be this cool. I want to be able to work in my flower gardens and get them ready for the winter. I have not been able to touch them since I got home other than to dig up the bulbs that I wanted to replant in a new location. Of course I shouldn’t complain – Crispy up in North Dakota posted a photo of what she woke up to — that’s right SNOW! Oh I feel for you Crispy but I’m so glad that it wasn’t me that woke up to that – I’m not ready for it to be that cold!
I have been waiting half the day for my eyes to improve so that I could do some sewing – I had an eye check up earlier today and had my eyes dilated. Don’t you just hate that – especially when it seems that they put more drops in than normal and you can barely see to drive home! Here it was a light rain and dark outside and I’m driving home with sunglasses one bet that looked strange.
Don’t forget that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month – get your yearly mammogram if you haven’t already done so. I got mine yesterday – normally a letter is sent to me the following week saying all is well. Today when I got out of the eye doctors office and put my phone back on ring I had a voice message to call my GYN — of course just having had my mammogram I thought something hadn’t come back right – instead she says “oh I just wanted to let you know all was well”!! Well I’m very glad of that of course but they have never called with the news before. I told her I had thought she was going to tell me I had to do it over again that they might have seen something. I will have to remember this phone call next year so the alarm bells won’t be going off.
I quilted 3 blocks last night on “Insanity” - the 11th row is moving right along. I plan to do more work on it this evening and while my eyes weren’t the greatest for quilting earlier today (I use a nice bright light close by) I did get another Baltimore Bliss block prepped. What do you all call this style of block (for the Baltimore Bliss) – primitive – folk art? It isn’t the usual style that I used to like but lately I have seen a lot of applique blocks that I like. I use to do mainly pieced blocks with a little (or a lot) applique on the borders or more of picture scene style – lighthouses, Japanese scenes ect.
Blocks 7 & 8 on Row K
Block 9 Row K
My friend Regina is looking for a place to order the 2010 calendar called “Piecemakers 2010″ most of the internet sites that she has looked at says it is sold out. If anyone knows where she can purchase it where it is still being sold will you let me know please and I will pass the information on to her.
I am so pleased that I am making progress on this quilt. I sure will be glad to get this quilt done after working on it so long! Here are more photos:
Row K # 4 & 5
Row K # 5 & 6
On the first photo the burgundy color block was featured on the last blog post, I forgot when I took the photo. I did 3 blocks between yesterday evening and today.
Last night I also got finished with the 2nd of the “Baltimore Bliss” blocks and got it pressed and trimmed today. I don’t have another one of those blocks prepped so I think I will work on that this evening before I do a block or two of the “Insanity” quilting. I don’t see anything on tv this evening that I feel like watching – maybe I will find an old show to put on.
2nd block for the "Baltimore Bliss" quilt
We are starting to get some fall weather here – it has only been in the 50′s for the last couple of days. It came so quickly it seems. Very rainy the last couple of days also. Not hard rain, just off and on all day with no sun coming through. At least it does sound like we will have sunny weather at the end of the week for the weekend. Fall weather always wants me to start baking more – making bread and other baked goods. I really need to try to control myself! Something about baking makes me eat more – and hubby too. LOL could it be those great smells coming out of the kitchen gets you drooling and making you think you are hungrier than you think and then you over stuff!
I need to start picking out colors of paint for my kitchen and bathroom. I told myself when I got done with the sewing room and back from travel I would do that painting and it is time to follow through with it. I would like to have both rooms done by time the holidays come around. My kitchen hasn’t been done in I really do not know how long — years and years!
