December 31, 2013

I am a bad blogger. I am not the worst blogger so I still have something to aim for! 
I don't really have a New Years resolution thing going on. In my younger years, it was not to go out with any blondes. Now they would all have gray hair.
  I do intend to change a few things this year. I intend to get rid of Time Warner Cable. Worst crap in the universe. 
 QUILTING:
 I am working, slowly, on a quilted bag that is from Missouri Quilt company. I am altering it to make it laptop friendly.  I am procrastinating on everything else.
 BRUNO is doing good and I have made it thru a month without any vet bills. I think that is the first time in almost a year.
 

FLickr site

I signed up for Flickr in 2011. I never used it. I am hoping to add some photos to it and begin using it. I am enjoying seeing other quilters work there and I want to add mine to it.
After about 2 days using Flickr, I am having issues with it not responding. I googled for info on that and found it may be an issue from them. Since I recently updated Internet explorer, I can't be certain. I have the most trouble while looking at Flickr though. Kinda disappointing. I love it as a sharing and showing of quilts and related areas. I feel it is set up better than using pinterest and and the pinned/repinned and  tons of pins.

patriotic chevrons

I have 2 patriotic chevrons quilted. They are 50x50. I tried hard to do a fancy job on the one and changed thread colors a bunch...trying to get the colors to look nice on the fabrics. I had issues with tension on the "fancy" one from nasty batting thick/thin areas. I did simple scrolls in a dark gold color on the second one. I think I will be the only one who feels the scrolls aren't as nice or even notices it.
A lot of work went into the "fancy" one. I went thru at least 6 bobbins of thread. I only went thru 2 bobbins on the other quilts same size with scrolls. I am whining here. That is kinda hard to realize after doing the work and spending the time...it didn't really make an earth shattering difference. It did to me. I felt I was doing a "better" job. It isn't better to other people. It is just what is in my head.
  The chevron is a GIANT chevron. It is based on a large block and the zigzags are large. That is part of the problem and the design being offset. The colors run in a v shape almost from the top to the bottom. It is much harder to quilt it in a fancy stitch and be continuous. I would have feathered it to death if it were for women. I want to add a photo or 2 here and maybe a side by side comparison. Been up all night. I'll do it later.

encoder replacement and bull going on

I got the new encoder today. I was hopeful it would fix it. That lasted about 3 seconds. The new one sort of didn't fit. I took the  big thick rubber rings off the wheel part and put the o-rings from my old one on it and it seems to fit and roll properly. It didn't fix the problem. I saw a wire hanging out of the plug then. The wire must have been partly broken and finally went completely. Or, the encoder was bad and I took it on/off enough and messed with it, that I broke the wire. Pretty disgusted. I am going to try to find an end that will fit from an electronics supplier. I can stitch a while in non regulated. I just don't want to. I could order a cable for it but then the whole machine needs lifted up and the cables changed.  It was a terrible let down.
   I had been piecing a bunch of patriotic quilts. I have a carpenter star that I need to put borders on. I have a 2nd Carpenter star blocks almost all made. My sewing machine is showing an extreme sign that it is almost dead. I can't do much without having a sewing machine. It is just pretty crappy having both machines messed up.
   Personal stuff in my life is sucking right now too. I am disgusted about the house. I would want anybody not to buy a house from their family's estate. I am feeling pretty burned and down about it. I spent part of the night pretty furious.

new chevron size 60x72

I am working out the details of doing a chevron with large blocks and finishing the quilt top as 62x73. I always see that the quilting has drawn it up a bit and I want to keep the size over instead of under. I cheated in a way by adding 1/2 inch to each square to get a bit bigger block and add 2 or 3 inches to the length and width. That works out well since the yard of fabric allows for the cuts to be 11.5".
I have am using almost a yard each of 2 blue, 2 reds and 2 whites. I think this makes it much easier to plan. I have planned to actually just cut some of these and use the pieces as triangles instead of sewing them together as a block and cutting one diagonal. I just have too many extra pieces and large amounts left over.
  My reds continue to be a problem with color bleeding and soaking them forever. I used boiling water on the worst one tonight.

Chevron's in the works

I have 4 chevrons in the works. I have 2 tops ready. I have ordered and should have the part for my longarm by Monday if it didn't arrive today. I sort of dread trying the part. If it doesn't work, the repairs will just be more money. That is the way it has been going. Anything going right means something else goes wrong. My sewing machine shutdown and went blank yesterday but then worked again. I suppose that is next to break down.
   I have been trying hard to use the fabrics to get the most out of them. I am back to the chevrons. I still have a hard time getting the amounts right. I don't feel like I am making much progress.  My first set of notes and charts have been redone more than once. I wanted to keep it to 2 reds, 2 blues and one white. I still ended up with mine planned with 3 blues, 2 reds, and 2 whites. I may have to add more reds to make the amounts I need. I have a bit more stash to search.

Side tracked by Carpenter Star

I have been side tracked by making a Carpenter Star. I think it is nice. I think it will look good. It took me forever... It is suppose to be a 4 hour job. I admit being distracted by family stuff. I admit being upset over family "stuff". I have a second Carpenter Star in the making. I have the borders cut for both. I stopped to figure yardage and stash to make at least one of these patriotic quilts for ME. I don't mean to make it right now. I just want to be careful about the large amount it will take and size of the squares. I have almost 5 yards of a nice denim color with stars. I have other patriotic blues and fabrics. I want a 70x90 chevron. It was going to take 77" of a dark blue. I have some seriously old stash that is really 45" wide! I will be able to cut the blue from it using 55". It is sad and irritating that the fabric today is 38 to 40 inches and has up to 1" selvages...and costs an arm and a leg.
  So making a Carpenter star was on my list. It isn't any more. I have admired all that I have seen. I was frustrated after sewing stuff together on the wrong end of the row and sewing one 3 times to get it right. I should have quit for the day. I still need to do the second one. Most of the blocks are done. I was tempted to make them into a pinwheel quilt. Doesn't really look as nice though.

chevron 8" blocks offset

I am starting the post for the next size offset chevron. I will add a bit more as I look at it. It is the same idea as the giant size but has a lot more piecing. It is 7 rows across and 7 down. The drawing has a piece separated at the bottom that will add 2 more rows to it for a larger quilt. Gotta double check my math.  The same quilt can be made using 8.5" squares for a 56x56" quilt OR a larger quilt
can be made with 11" squares for at least a 70x70" quilt. I also have a diagram to add 2 rows to the bottom of either size. This is a photo of my actual fabric blocks laid out on a bed from the 8.5" squares.

Tutorial GIANT chevron offset quilt

I am attempting to make a tutorial for a giant block large quilt. I have been side tracked by my dogs health several times now. I have several versions and charts that seem to be there own explaination in my opinion. I struggled to cut the right amount and put the colors together EXACTLY the way I wanted. So, I have the work done and 2 staring at me along with a second version. Color charts for right now are only in RED, WHITE BLUE and flag material. That should still allow anybody who can use paint to change the colors around and play with it to suit them.
FABRICS AND YARDAGE for largest size cut from 11" squares
   This is all dependent on the the number of fabrics you desire and the width of the fabric. The JoAnn fabrics with their name on them are very narrow and have the huge selvages taking even more of the fabric. The instructions are written for a 50x50 inch quilt but I have one chart with an extended length to be 70x90. The 50x50 is for a local nursing home.
   I have drawings that are colored. I have a blank chart with a letter system for using 2 shades of each of the colors. This chart should help with making any other one using 2 shades per color. example: 2 red fabrics, 2 blue fabrics and 2white if desired. This is the simplest set of directions so that it is even faster for a patriotic.
  The 11" pieces will make 4 per strip WOF only if the fabric is a full width. The others will only give you 3 squares and a left over that you can use in the next size that is made with 8.5" cuts. Of the 3 squares you get 6 blocks using the 2 colors RST and cutting on a diagonal. These end up 10.5 before assembly and finish at 10" blocks.
This is the 11" chart. NOTE: this is in progress
                                SQUARES ARE CUT AT 11" .....and finished block is 10.5

                     

patriotic chevrons

I am sewing the 2nd giant RWB chevron together. I really think they are turning out nice. I want one. I would feather mine to death. I would add some pizzazz from my new Cindy Needham class too. I want a bigger quilt than these though. I like the 50x50 inch size but I like longer quilts than that. I have the sizes and designs worked out in the computer using Paint. I just keep counting what I need and missing some of the blocks. I've been too tired lately. I am going to be making some charts for these. I tried to find a tutorial on this. I couldn't find any that are for the offset types. I thought the blocks went together in about an hour but now I am ironing the rows, checking and trimming. I had one cockeyed. Amazing how that happens. I want to simplify the work a bit and just use the one color of white or 2 shades but I will have to make a chart so that the red is sewn to one and the blue to the 2nd white fabric.
   I would love to do these in some prissy fabrics.

BAD piecer and quilter

I have cut fabric and washed it and ironed it and planned it and stitched it and seriously did it WRONG each time now. I know I am tired and upset. I am not getting enough sleep and I am still hurt a bit from the fall. Bad blogger didn't mention that on the blogger part.
  I am trying to make a few NICE....patriot quilts to donate to veterans thru a local church group of quilters. I am pretty certain my braid quilt will turn out ok. Part of the problem is doing nice quilting since it needs to be manly.
  The MAJOR problem is trying to do an offset chevron. I did the math wrong on the first whole set of fabric and I can make a quilt out of it but NOT what I wanted. I went out and got more fabric. I figured out what I did wrong and cut fabric for what seems like ALL NIGHT LONG (2nd night of it). Pressing, cutting and making fabric choices. I was happy and stitched the squares almost all into my good size HST's. Really happy at this point. That ended when I tried to lay it out on the bed. A little alarm went off in my head. I need 50 by 50 inches. I had carefully figured the sizes and made my squares 11 inches. Turned out perfect. I have 10.5 inch blocks and that takes care of my seam allowances. The problem is that my design is 6 x 8 blocks....so, yeah, that's great, it would be 60x80. I am disgusted and still somewhat happy. My mistakes gave me several sizes and options. I like it enough to want a BIG one for myself. I love how it looks on the bed. I immediately played musical blocks though and got a nice look for a 50x50 using 25 of the blocks. That is kinda nice too. Course, I have about 20 more blocks and could make a 2nd one. I think the HST's are big enough to be fast and still small enough to quilt in a manner I can do.
   I am still making drawings and doing the math on this. I want 2 or 3 sizes and a slight variation. I know what I need to do now. (my mistakes...how stupid...where was my brain) Shouldn't take the 3rd time to get it right. I have photos, I have crayon colored drawings now.  I am sure that if I just use the 8.5 blocks that I cut all night the first night. It will make theblocks a bit smaller and go ahead and at least make the quilt 6x6 blocks so I can have the design I wanted. That would save me a ton of time and I might use all the big ones for a quilt for ME! I have serious patriotic stash. I just ordered a wee bit more from Hancocks of Paducah too. It is a slight addiction along with the batiks. I am just hoping they won't start sending notices that it is out of stock.
This is what I can get from using half the blocks and making it 50x50:

bad blogger and bad quilter

I am passed the stage of being a bad blogger. I read a tutorial of how I should run my blog if I am going to have one. Really? I am retired and will do it as lazy, sloppy and careless as I see fit. With all the health issues my dog had, my issues, and life getting in the way, quilting almost halted. The nasty machine punished me for all my unkind words and thoughts about it. In the middle of furiously piecing Paris Flea Market for babies, the stitch regulator broke down. Just another "if I use it something else goes wrong" fact.
   My toe got infected. That sucked. The dog is better and acting like a child again. He is RUNNING! This is awesome after his toe was removed. Won't bother with more details but I was close to losing him. It made it scare me about my toe after seeing what happened with his. Podiatrist was nice. This is my bad blogger excuse. Next is my bad quilting.

new hst quilt

I have most of the top finished on a new batik HST quilt. We had a power outage last night and I stopped working on it for a while. I have to put the top and bottom borders on yet.
  Since, I was stopped, I took a project out and drew a design to use on it. It is not what I want but it is what I can do and not obsess about it. I don't really want to mark it. I don't really want to take forever to do it either. I lost too much time with over a month from the shoulder and pretty much the last 6 weeks from heart problems. I am bitter about the treatment too. I don't have anything WRONG... but I am on medicines and having side affects and my left arm and hand is screwed up. This is probably a repeat of my other bitching about it. Can't help it. My left hand is not quite useless but it hurts to use it and swells and turns RED!  they ruined it. I need it....and certainly for quilting.
   Hopefully I can post something finished soon. I have too many projects started.
Got most of my flowers planted. Weather had been showing nice enough to not worry. Now, it is not. Funny, it was all nice and now it is going to drop low just for one night. I am not diggin the stuff up. I am not going to plant the rest though untill that day is past.

chevron variations

I sort of fell in love with HST's and all the things that can be done with them. I made ridiculous mistakes trying to do what I wanted though. I should be embarrassed to even tell anybody. I didn't think it thru. I wanted rows of solid colors and rows of multi colors. These are batiks. I made the rows like I was using white as a background for the whole quilt. That was thoughtless and clueless of me. It looks dumb and it formed stupid looking rows that don't have the solid color as a zig or zag. I had to replace every other row with a top half of the blocks using the solid color that was the bottom of the row above it to make all piecing be a zigzag or chevron. Such an embarrassment! Shame on me. I have been totally distracted by all the odd medical issues that the doctors totally IGNORED. That is my excuse and I am sticking with it! My legs are swelling....I have a rash and swelling on my face...blood clots in my left hand...and a bad attitude from it. The stress from anything to do with doctors is over the top. They treat you, they help you, they screw you up and then.....they pretend NOTHING is wrong. You wait 6 weeks to speak to anybody and the underlying symptoms are the heart problem and you go to bed wondering if you will be alive in the morning. So much for the whining.
  I had enough fabric to replace pieces and make the blocks. That would have been nice in a different version of the same colors as HST's too. This is just a baby quilt or it would have been a disaster. I was told what the colors are for a new baby and I really was happy about the odd colors. I am talking peach, aqua, plum and from dark to light. I just happened to have those. My stash does have a green but I think it is great looking. I am slightly unhappy about the one peach fabric solid that I put with the peach spotted batik. It makes it appear to be 2 zigzag row together of the same color. My planning was pretty bad. So I stand or sit there and watch my legs swell.   It caused me to go ahead and use my excercise bike today. That was a good thing and had a good benefit but the ankles are still bad.
   I drew the colors out on a piece of paper and laid fabric out and I am slowly putting putting blocks together. I was upset with myself over it last night and even cut and made some pieces I DIDN'T need. TOTALLY frustrated and stayed up to about 7am. Not a good idea but just mental disgust and wanted it fixed. I will be able to use the other blocks. It isn't a total loss... I did LEARN from it. I should have done in on the computer and painted in the colors. I usually do.

more 10 minute block tips

I am currently working on the quilt and have tips to add. I made a small drawing to help with the seams. The center seam in the middle of the block needs to be cut out to make it lay flat and quilt into the diamond shape. I also have arrows for pressing the seams. If all block seams are press in a clockwise OR all block seams are pressed counterclockwise, they will nest together when you make the rows and sew the rows together. I put in red lines to accent the seam stitching. I would not cut it out bigger than the small area. It may make it seem like a sunken or empty space. The clipped out piece is only about 1/2" x 1/4" . It is just enough to remove the thick piece.

stripe fabrics in 10 minute blocks

I have used stripes in a couple 10 minute block quilts and it causes me a bit of trouble each time. I turned one of the corner stripe pieces the wrong way. I moved stuff around to put it so the colors and the stripe were still pleasing to me. Yeah, totally anal. I used a stripe fabric as the diamond piece and it just turned out the wrong way too. I have a stripe piece on the corner of the same block and can't turn this one to fix it. I will just put the other one that is a diamond so it at least goes the same way...

So, if you make one of these and use any stripes or directional fabrics, you do have to be careful. The first one I turned wrong on this was my mistake as I must have turned the square wrong at the last second when stitching it.

The diamonds: to make the stripe END UP vertical (up and down), you need it going horizontal  Seems wrong but I drew it out on paper vertical before doing it and then it ended up being side to side instead of up and down.  I am not anal enough to take that back out. It is only 2 of the diamonds. Nobody is gonna care.

Bruno diabetic

Bruno turned back into a diabetic state. I couln't take care of him and watch him right with the hospital trips/stays. His sugar was over 400 and he lost about 10 pounds. It sounds like he probably has damage from it this time. I don't know what else I could have done. He is back on insulin as of Friday. I didn't want to stay  in the hospital but I had no choice.

trying to load a bmp photo of a blank color chart

well it worked but not smoothly. It is from the first one I did with 5" squares (charm packs and stash). I used 5" pieces and created a border. This quilt is the one that had the toothy feathered wreath on it.

cut chart for 5" squares from fat quarters

Purple 10 minute quilt from 5" squares cut from stash and fat quarters

This is info for the smaller size quilts I made and obviously they can be made with sashing and more blocks for a larger size. I don't really think they look good as a larger size unless the blocks start to be enlarged too. I have done several and it starts to look too busy/messy, mixed or something for me. I have a black and white set of blocks and took photos of it laid out....I don't like it. Might try to salvage it by adding sashings.
   I have a purple one with a heavy polar fleece as the back that turned out nice if I do say so myself!!
I used a bit of curved crosshatching in 3 places on it and was pleased with the effect and the overall look on the back. I also did the same with a chocolate/pink and pink polar fleece  as the back. I have a mixed batik color one too. No sashing on any of my smaller ones so far. I gotta try that.
   I love the baby one that Valerie made from Paris Flea Market. It also is in a current for sale as a re-release...it had been an out of print for a couple years and Moda brought it back. Valeries is post on the MQR forum.  

2nd cutting chart for 10" squares from fat quarters

I guess I am a lousy blogger. I don't use it much and I still have quirks with where stuff gets placed. So this is the cutting chart for using fat quarters...and more or less for using yardage. I like to possibly cut some half yards into fat quarters and make a matched set of quilts by making the 10 minute block quilt and using the other half as a Yellow Brick Road quilt. My favorite new one is the chevron/zigzag though. I think it is a great baby quilt that can have a modern look from the quilting.

               Cutting chart to use 10" squares from fat quarters. Make 21.5" after adding sashing
                                     cut as 2.5" strips.

     

10 minute block quilts made from 10" squares

This is info about the 10 minute block quilts I have made. I am going to put it in 2 posts to try and make the 10" blocks and 5" blocks as a separate set of info. I have photos, a cutting chart for fat quarters, and some notes. I have several of the smaller size (baby 45x60) made from 5" squares. =I have one larger size finished 60x80 made from 10" squares also cut from fat quarters. The fat quarters will only make 2 of the 10" squares each but the strips for sashing can be cut from the rest.
     This is a set of 12 blocks  that covers the top of a queen bed. The sashing is 2.5 before sewing. the blocks are  21.5" after sashes are added and seams.
That should be 80x60 with 4x3 blocks. Could  do a sashing around the outer edge too and be a bit nicer.  NOTE: I did not make cornerstones on mine as Suzanne McNeil did on her batik.

this is my large size from batik fat quarters.

 

 

 

Heart problems

April 7th, 2013
  This is a catch up of info. I have been in the hospital 3 times for my heart. It has been a rough month. I am on strong medicines for it and seem to be doing ok. I am disgusted with the local care. That is an enourmous deep understatement. I firmly believe they almost killed me at least twice. I don't have any doubt of that. I have damage to the veins in my left arm too now from the inept ability of the half trained nurses.  Since I have to leave the 4 letter words out here and what true hell I went thru, there isn't much point in venting. Suffice it to say that I am not stupid. I can READ, I am not senile, and I did look at the drug info online. It clearly is supposed to be given in a hospital setting and MONITORED  for 3 to 5 days. I was given the strongest (most side effects) drug as a quickie 10 minute RUSH that damn drug into my arm and shoved out the door of the emergency room at the local hospital. It did put me in a "sudden death" situation. That is a fact showing on the stress test that was done to me. That is the most careless bull that "heart specialists" could have ever done. I had NOT had chest pain till they were thru with me. I had originally gone to the hospital for vomiting from my gall bladder but arrived there and went into AFib. I still believe that the heart issue was caused by the illness....and that they did turn it into a bigger threat to my life and do possible damage.
   After the bull at Mansfield, I was taken to Columbus by my sister. She probably saved my life by doing that. The a$$holes in Manfield had left me 2 messages NOT telling me anything was wrong at all and NOT telling me to stop the medication. They had called and scared her half to death with statements indicating she needed to go get me...and that I had been given a stroke by them...and to STOP the medication....this was more than 6 hours later after they had put me in the life threatening condition....

March 15th time flies when things are bad

It's March, the dog is better and actually off the insulin for a while to see how he adjusts. I have some hope he will be able to be off it for good.
  So, on to me. I am recovering from a bad shoulder problem. I have lost at least a month. I can do a lot of stuff now but not normal yet. It was horrible. I thought I would have to quit quilting completely.
  BUTTERFLIES.... I was scrounging to find something I could still do. I have cut out and am working on a ton of butterflies for applique quilt tops. I have 2 tops laying on the rails of the longarm frame. I have used a bunch of SCRAPS! I am really into it but hope that doesn't fade with the other bad junk in my life. I am gonna leave it at that. I got the pattern and ideas off the favequilts and will post some more about it.
  adhsive STUFF. I thought I would use Heat n Bond lite. I found that Joanns doesn't carry it anymore and I got some at Walmart. I sort of got talked into the Wonder Under 805 and I LOVE IT! Only got a little of it and I want more. The paper on it is translucent and easy to trace the design. The glue is a thin layer (not the clumpy lumpy stuff on the other brand) Drastic difference!  I have a 5 yard roll of the yucky stuff though.
  I did the first top without the adhesive products and only glued it down. That was a bad idea and went lousy. I will go into that later. The glue stick didn't hold. The Elmer's school glue had to be applied thick. The batiks didn't want to suck in the glue even though they were washed. The top is a nice Legacy white muslin and feels like Egyptian cotton.

All Quilting stalled

Feb. 1, 2013 is here and I have accomplished nothing in about 2 weeks. I have been dealing with my dog newly diagnosed with diabetes. I am still getting adjusted. The shock is past but the problem I deal with each day is that he objects to his shots. I swear I am not that bad at it. He acts like he doesn't feel it part of the time....and others he immediately squirms and pulls away from me.
  I have pieced the rest of the large 10 minutes batik blocks but I don't have them pressed, trimmed, turned back etc. I am saying that I really didn't do much. I think it is leading to my state of funk. My sleep is screwed up. I spent the first few days just trying to watch Bruno for signs of low sugar. I am more relaxed about that and his levels were low according to his blood tests but there wasn't a time that he was in trouble from it.

January 17th Catch up

I'm not sure where the time went. I am playing catch up. I am trying to accomplish something. I had signed up months ago for a class on Amazon Star quilts. I bought the pattern package. I was looking forward to it. I ended up not attending the class. I didn't have enough of the fabrics I wanted. I didn't feel I was prepared to take the class. I am going to be gathering up a few more fabrics and will attempt to do it on my own. I am disappointed about the whole thing. I might end up making a Glacier Star too. I have looked online for photos and have seen some awesome quilts.