The Pink Panther Strikes again, and again and again..

Quilts #1, #2, #3 with Pink Panther Fabric.

#4 is still in Progress. Like the new cutting matt? Greg gave my other one to his sister this weekend so had to get me a new one.

Last year Greg and I often bought whatever was left on the end of the roll as our local Wal-mart marked down fabrics. This year I'm trying REALLY hard to use up fabrics in the stash rather than start projects that require new purchases. Our Quilt Group has decided to do pillowcases and quilts for DoVES (local Domestic Violence Shelter) and quilts for Project Linus. Greg and I have already done quilts for Quilts for Kids and expect to do more this year. So I dug in the stash to start this Charity Quilt project. I figure I'll get a couple made. I've got 4 and if I'm diligent I might even squeak out #5. I also put back fabric to make 2 pillowcases! I must have really liked this pink panther fabric! It seems endless.

HA!

Disaster Averted. Those too tiny stitches - I found I was able to pick out and break with the tip of a pin. It took the length of a movie but I got it done!! I couldn't trash the quilt as someone suggested as the blue/pink hearts were from my grandma's stash that I rescued. A couple of the hearts she'd hand appliqued around and there was a heart 1/2 finished that I did the other 1/2. Fixing the issue was the only way. I think I'm going to put this quilt back in storage for my brother's first child - whenever he gets around to having one. He's the last of her grandchildren (15 yrs younger than me) and this I think is the last of the items that were usable from her stash.

Friday Night Sew-in Update

Well I worked on stitching the ditch of my small applique quilt. I started out attempting to use my brand spanking new stitch the ditch walking foot. Now I was told that this little contraption would just make it SO EASY to do that guide was to keep me right in the seam and it would just zoom.... yeah, not so much. Maybe the foot is the wong one for my machine? It felt like it was pressing to hard into the quilt and would rip the fabric. The feeddogs wouldn't advance the fabric. I got about 4 inches in and cut the thread and changed to my walking foot. My lines are wiggly and only about a 1/4th actually makes it into the ditch - I don't have the hang of this technique yet or I move around too much or the fabric is too heavy - I've got lots of excuses. So finished and decided I'd really like to stitch around those hearts and make them POP. Leah at Day Style Designs always makes it look like drawing with a marker. So on goes the darning foot and my kid size gloves with peace signs that I use as quilting gloves and I make a royal mess of the thing. Stitches are so tight and small I'm not able to get the seam ripper in there. Mr. Greg who'd no idea what I was doing turned around, saw the mess and says "Oooh, I'd have not gone around the hearts." Nah, really? Just help me fix it!

Friday Night Sew-IN

I stayed home from work today - went home mid day yesterday. I've done little but sleep fitfully and complaign. It started as sinus issues, progressed to migraine and then an overwhelming soreness and pain in my arm (right side) followed up by a very upset tummy. Not sure if it all is sinus related or I've got some wicked virus. But I've slept 18 of the past 24 hours and I'm feeling pretty darn awake right now. So I decided to join the Sew-in tonight. I've got two appliqued quilts to finish quilting and I've been working on the blocks for a sampler quilt from the Benni Harper Mystery Book series. I'm still looking for a 16 inch block pattern for the Irish Chain and the Goose in the Pond. The Fools Puzzle wasn't so hard once I got the templates - but it was for a 4inch pattern and so my blocks now all need to be 16inches - I'm finding that a little difficult. I've got 12" to 22" but no 16" where I'm looking and when dear Greg tried to help me mathmatically it resulted in "cut them about 2" and a thick eighth." WHAT?

DRUNKEN SEWING RETREAT

So we had this great idea to invite Greg's sister over for the weekend, stay up late, sew and well, do a little creative partaking of beverages. It was a fantasitic success! I learned a couple of interesting facts about myself.

#1. I can accomplish a whole lot in one sitting.

#2. I sew a whole lot better when I've had a few.

Got the cats applique project all but quilted:

I didn't like the design of the bows so added in the center "knot". Some of the cats were given pink noses and others black. Some I didn't add a nose at all. I decided against naming them. Most of the cats that we've had have been black and white tigers. When I purchased this fabric I literally walked the quilt shopping grabbing FQ's that made me think of cat fur. Kind of a "oooh I want to pet that fabric". So I have a little of every kind of cat in here.

Mobi HELPED - - - - - - a lot.

Remember all that stuff I'd picked up before my Dad trashed all my Grandma's quilting supplies?? There were these blocks with hand appliqued (turned edge) pieced hearts. 2.5 blocks were completed with several more cut. So now that I'd gotten a taste of applique I decided to finish up this project in honor of Grandma.

I TRIED - I swear - to do these by hand as Grandma did. Let me just say I can not hand blanket stitch even after being shown how, practicing and re-watching another youtube how-to video. I also was unsuccessful at trying to do the turned edge applique - how did Granny do this without the aid of all the fancy gadgetry we have today? I raw edge appliqued and machine stitched. Ended up with an odd number of blocks and did the whole process again with a slightly smaller heart in contrasting colors. I ran out of my green stripe in the boarder. I'd envisioned a mitered corner but this works too. I'm going to quilt it myself with a little outline around the hearts and some stitching the ditch. Got a brand new ditch stitching foot to try too!

1/2 Grandma's way ; 1/2 my way on this one heart.

# 3 Fact learned: My sister-in-law can SEW and DRINK me under the Table!!

The Swap.

Greg and I swapped sewing machines tonight so that he can complete his applique project before our March deadline. I'm already hating that OSCAR is sitting in Felix's spot. We've tried switching sewing stations - but his is SOOO messy and about 6 inches higher than mine. I SWEAR if he breaks mine though.... I'm getting a really good replacement!!

Following Pat's Theme

This is my 5th folder, 5th Picture as suggested to post by Pat of "A little of this and a little of Pat." See her BLOG for more info of this fun Winter Weather Pick Me UP.

This is Bobb-O about to attack me through the sewing table. I used to keep my tomato pin cushion in that spot and couldn't figure out why it was always missing. She's really good at grabbing thread, scissors, invisible to me flotsam and fingers.

HEY! This is my 50th POST! about 5ths - how cool is that?