New Fabric Baskets - Just the Right Size!

I think I've found the size of fabric baskets that will work for me (right now). I cut each of the sides 19" x 11" and boxed in the corners so the baskets end up being 6" wide.

The finished baskets measure 12" x 6" x 7" tall. They are perfect for all my scraps. I put my leftover little scraps in one, medium size scraps in another, and everything else that is too small to fold up in the third one.

For me, I never really know how something will work until I actually use it so I'm not 100% sure that my scraps will stay in these.

I do love the fabric. It's a twill-weight, just a bit lighter than canvas that I bought a few years back at Ikea. I used Pellon 809 Decor Bond interfacing fused to the lining. They stand up nicely and look great with the gray/black/white color scheme of my sewing room.

A New Tool for me (well, sort of)!

This was one of two items that showed up on my doorstep Friday afternoon. My husband has been dreaming of buying one of these for a very long time. Like more than a year. So last week he finally pulled the trigger and ordered it from Makita.

I honestly don't know what it is. I guess it's some sort of saw. All I do know is that he says it will make it much easier for him to build me things. In fact, today he is starting on the coffee station I've been wanting since last summer when I painted my kitchen.

So even though I don't really know what makes it different than the table saw and the band saw and the scroll saw and the chop saw and the radial arm saw he has in the basement, I am very happy that he is happy.

Winter Quilt Show 2017

I have 4 quilts entered in the Winter Quilt Show in West Bend, WI. I've never entered quilts in a show before. I was very surprised to see all 4 of my entries on display. My husband was so proud of me that he had to snap photos of me in front of each and every one of the quilts. I'm posting the photo (of me) that I like the best.

Besides my 4 quilts, my modern quilt club entered our group project called "The Quilt that Made Milwaukee Famous". We all decided to make a quilt block that represents a Milwaukee landmark. We had a few rules. We had to all use the same color palette and our blocks had to measure at a finished size in increments of 8 inches. My block is 8" by 16". After the block were completed we spent a Saturday morning laying the blocks out. It was a great group project. We had one of our members sew the sashing around the blocks right on the spot. There was going to be no guessing after the layout was agreed upon, we were completing the top that same Saturday morning...well early afternoon by the time we were done. The quilt was sent out to be quilted and then completed by another member of the group. It sure turned out great.

Of course, the day would not be complete without a little shopping. Me and my friend Sue enjoyed stopping at every vendor booth and perusing all the wonderful fabric selections. We were both on a mission to find specific things and Sue found what she was looking for but I did not. That did not stop me from shopping anyway! I love fat quarters so I added many to my stash at great prices. I can't wait to start another project.

182 Day Solstice Quilt Challenge - Week 10

I just finished block #10 in the 182-day winter solstice mystery quilt challenge.

I purposely skipped blocks 8 and 9. Block 8 is a heart-in-a-heart-in-a-heart applique thing that I just do not like. I thought I would make it anyway, but I just cannot bring myself to do it.

Block 9 is this huge thing that has lots of half-square triangles. I tried to make it. I cut the pieces and made the half-square triangles and put the pieces on the design board. Just did not like that one either. At least I tried to make it.

It was a reminder as to how much I really hate mystery quilt projects. Maybe I will revisit these blocks after my disappointment fades. I am using a pretty fabric bundle where all the fabrics are well coordinated, but this is still not tickling my fancy. I have to stop with the mystery thing - that's all that's to it. I usually need to plan things out from beginning to end before committing to a quilt top - it's just who I am. I knew better from past experience but I talked myself into trying again.

I hate to sound so negative, but I'm not afraid to admit when something doesn't turn out as I wish. I see a charity quilt - so all is not lost.

Farm Girl Vintage - WIP

I'm moving right along with my Farm Girl Vintage quilt. I've finished all the blocks and started on the sashing. I'm trying to make sure I get lots of variety in my little cornerstones however there are so many, I'm certain I will have to repeat some.

The quilt is large enough that I had to put the blocks on the design board sideways in order to fit all the rows on the board. It's actually a nice way to trick my eye into looking at the color placement over the design on the blocks.

Today my girlfriend came over and we did some sewing together. It was fun to have a quilting partner to share ideas and just chat and sew. We've decided that we are going to do this on a regular basis. I am really excited to have the company.

I've had a lot fun making these blocks and feel very accomplished just for making every block in the collection. I still want to make the silo and the barn. I'm not that thrilled about the tractor block but I might change my mind about making that one once I get that far. Sometimes it's all about the challenge.

My Elna in Mode #2

My newest sewing machine comes with many stitches. So many that they are grouped into modes. Six modes, in fact. There are little images next to each stitch setting that gives a nice visual of how the stitch will look. Somehow that's not enough for me. There's just not enough in that little picture to help me see what the stitch will look like when I use it.

Today I decided to take a scrap quilt sandwich to test out some of the stitches in mode #2. By stitching an entire row I got a better idea of what the stitch setting looks like. I did not adjust any of the default stitch widths or lengths so that I had the baseline view of the stitches. I chose my favorite stitches and sewed a long row then wrote the stitch number next to the row. It was a lot of fun and I think this will be a handy little thing to have the next time I want to add a little embellishment to a project.

My Little Helper

My kitty loves the vibration of my machine and he spends lots of time sitting on my sewing table.

Today he is especially needy. He just had to sit between me and my machine. He really didn't get in the way, he just stayed still and watched my hands move while he purred.

He is such a delight.

Happiness is . . .

Happiness is a Valentine's Day cupcake to share with my honey.