Bricks and Steppingstones, DONE

YEAH - DONE! It still needs to be blocked -- Blocking/dampening it should enhance the texture I was aiming at with all that "Innies and Outies" Someone also called the quilting pattern, "Puddles" -- I like that name. It certainly turned out "graphic"!



Oh great - the quilting on the 4th border had to be removed and redone, along with the binding as the tension was crummy - apparently I was so much "on a roll" I also wasn't looking closely. Dang it - and my binding? I try hard to make it snug, but snugged it too much -- by half an inch, causing pucker/pleat when I sewed it down so had to insert another piece of binding, and trim it more carefully this time.

Quilting the Border

I keep copies of dozens of free samples from PatsyThompsonDesigns.com in a notebook. Most of them I've tried, and saved my samples in that notebook. It is amazing, how often I cannot think of a quilting pattern until I open my sample work. On the left of the notebook is the paper printout and on the right is my practice piece, in a plastic page protector. Geeky, yes, but it works for me! For this quilt (Bricks and Steppingstones, from Quiltville.com) I wanted something earthy, guy-type, NOT feathers, but also wanted something where I could start at one corner and quilt one entire side without stopping. This is my viney/weedy pattern. I LOVE thinking of those wild growing vines one sees in wild spaces.

I drew an implied guideline with chalk to keep me near target -- not worried that my 'spine' is not solid. My design has leaves, swirls, curlycues, narrow leaves and wide leaves - whatever filled the space. Additionally, every variety of leaf gives me more experience. I started at the bottom of the implied vine, and machine quilted to the top, finishing it off at the top with one large leaf. My fabric is almost black so I chose a grey thread, for some visibility.

YOU can do this!

Finally, Quilting!

Finally - I got to my basting and quilting!
I quilt on a domestic sewing machine (DSM), no stitch regulator. Yes, not all my stitches are exact - that's OK with me. I really like the flexibility I have doing things myself, my way, not paying someone else. Stubborn me!

This pattern (Bricks and Steppingstones) needs a little blending with a pale gold thread. This quilt is masculine in nature and I'm quilting squarish innies and outies, a pattern I like that adds a lot of texture. It looks alot like mapping, and one of the easiest I do. And yes, I learned this from one of my DVDs from PatsyThompsonDesigns.com.

Fess up time, and trying to upgrade a room

Despite my recent posts on leaks, ceilings, roofs, squirrels, storm warnings, I really AM sewing! Tonight I'm working on the backing of Bricks and Steppingstones and was planning on basting it in the garage. However, our weather alert system has gone off again, with tornado warnings, strong storms, hail, etc, so I'm in the basement/downstairs trying to use my time wisely. Ugh - I had energy to DO that basting job -- ya can't just do it in a few minutes, and I didn't want my car outside with hail heading this way.

When quilters discuss, "What is the best way to store your fabric?", my response to myself is, "Best way is NOT to store it -- best way is to USE it!"

OK, so here is my rough estimate/best calculation of Fabric IN, OUT, and dollars spent. I am spending slower than last year. You might consider tracking your costs - it helped me zero in on using my stash. I KNOW there will always be MORE fabric, MORE sales, MORE donations, etc.

2010 Fabric in (yards) 73.50
2010 Fabric used (yards) -63.50
2010 $ spent for sewing supplies $882.00


Tonight I painted a downstairs room - the plan is to have a construction guy install/update it with a new ceiling, demolition of an ugly closet, and adding additional electrical outlets BEFORE paint, so I've done the painting anyway, and will probably have to paint more later. I'll put in something decent on the floor, and bring back the furniture, one of these days!

Vendetta!

Those little bugger squirrels can drive ya nuts!!!
It worked for several months anyway.

Just LOOK at that! All the little green spat-out crumbles are on the hump of ground under the feeder - the hump made up of pounds of discarded seeds, looking very unkempt.

Pa Kettle to the rescue, using the finest of materials (lol). We had an unused vinyl newel post (hopefully slippery) in the garage. He drilled a hole in the pointy end so we could slip the top of the feeder post down, and match up with the piece in the ground. First effort to leave the pointy end up did not work -- couldn't see. Next, we turned in upside down, oh right - pointy end down - SMART, right?? -- and threaded it on the metal post that was already in the ground, then put the vinyl post over the metal post, then carefully slipped the upright metal post on that peg. Not easy, especially as we are laughing all the while, hoping no neighbor sees us struggle!

OK, now the vinyl post tilts. OK, wedge a short 2 x 4 between the metal post and the vinyl post to wedge it straight -- oops, it slipped down into the botton. (I had already given my dutiful wifely advice "don't let it drop"!) This is one of these projects that the more stupid and ugly it becomes, the more stupid and ugly it gets. I think this kind of thing happens when a man retires!
It will be interesting to see what the next plan of attack is by Mr. Squirrel.

Wake up !!! the Roofers are here!

At 7:00 am, roofers showed up - this truck and 3 other pickups, full of stuff and men. We were both in our jammies, although we DID expect them, just not so early. We never had a new roof before and didn't know what to expect. In no time at all, 8-10 men were on our house and garage roof, skittering here and there, climbing, flinging tools to one another, ladders everywhere, shingles flying, although a lot flew directly into 2 large dumpsters. And what a racket from inside the house - this will drive me bonkers! They were all moving around here and there, we never DID get an accurate count of how many guys there were! Holy smokes, did they ever work! And it wat HOT today -- poor things!

I was lucky to avoid some of the mayhem and go to work, then went directly for a haircut, only to learn from my hairdresser, who lives across the street, what the latest progress was on my house! Neighbors stopped, drove slowly by, two requested an estimate also. There has been a lot of hail damage so many need new roofs.
Here is just one pile of shingles.
and here is another pile.

By noon, all the shingles were off and they were putting on that black paper. These guys did not even stop for lunch.

The landfill fee for shingles is $31.00/ton. Just something I liearned today. I don't know how many tons = 3 layers of shingles from a house and garage.

It's starting to look pretty good!

... and shingles are going on the garage - we think the house is done already!


The job was completed by 7:00 pm. Lawn and gardens had been swept with a magnet to pick up nails, the walks had been swept and blown clean, the debris was picked up and the place looked good! I'm sure we'll be finding nails - don't know if that can be avoided but they did an excellent job. One minor issue is that in the process our auto fan on the roof was damaged in the process so that will need to be ordered. I don't have much of a flower garden but they avoided damaging my hostas just fine.

BTW, the sky looks stormy and we hear thunder - Whew - new roof just in time. Next we have some interior repairs - not sure when we'll start that but for now, one huge job DONE!

Tomorrow, I'm sewing!