Update!!

Not much for quilting, sewing or knitting news to share but a bit of a "life" update...

I have been working in a small town about 1.5 hours drive to the west of my home for the past three months or so. Because of the distance, I have been staying with my sister (who lives nearby) through the week and then going home just on weekends. During the week in the evenings, I have been also working on books for my daughter's pizza business. The books had gotten months behind so catching that up takes up most of my evenings. The weekends have become the time to catch up on laundry, mail, bills, yardwork and any shopping to be done. As you can imagine, that has not left me much "fun" time for crafts of any kind. Hopefully, I'll get those books done soon!!

I had every intention of selling my home and moving there so I'd be closer to work. The fact is, I need to move into a less expensive home or condo. It could be located anywhere as I am not tied to living in any particular place. Since I was working in a small town, homes are much lower priced so it would work out well.

Last week, I was told I had finished my probation and was hired permanently. I had already been pricing out homes here both in newspapers and online. I've been driving around town too just taking a look at what has "for sale" signs out front.

On Monday, the woman who told me last week I was hired permanently called me into the office and said that they were letting me go at the end of August...  The reason? I haven't put my house up for sale or bought anything here yet and she is "afraid" that I may not sell and that I'll decide to quit once winter comes...  HUH???  I tried to assure her that I had plans in place and that I could stay with my sister for as long as needed until I was able to move. She would hear none of it... so, I am once again out of work as of the end of the month.

Crappy, huh?? Now, I have to start looking all over again and hope to find something I like as much as this.

Here an Ort, There an Ort

Everywhere an Ort Ort! I've been seeing this word being used around the net and thought I'd find out more. It turns out that I have a lot of these and didn't even know it! You probably do too. Do I hear you saying, What on earth IS an ORT??

First, I found an explanation by Sweet Pea Stitches saying that 'ort' was an acronym formed from the words 'Old Ragged Thread'. Then, I Googled its definition and found several listings for the word 'ort' all of which were some form of the following (taken from TheFreeDictionary):

ort (ôrt) n.

1. A small scrap or leaving of food after a meal is completed. Often used in the plural.

2. A scrap; a bit.

Most definitions alluded to the term having to do with food. I believe that, as quilters, sewers and embroiderers, thread IS like food to us. Without thread giving life to our craft, it would not exist. That makes it exactly right to use 'ort' in our 'scrap of thread' context.

Back when I used to demonstrate machine embroidery at sewing fairs, trade shows or in my shop, my Ort Collector was a brandy snifter into which I dropped all my Rayon embroidery thread tails. Besides looking pretty, it kept all the orts off the carpet making for easier clean-up at the end of the day. The brandy snifter was emptied and retired when I closed my shop as I'm not doing very much machine embroidery these days. I am, however, doing lots of hand stitching making Klosjes, doing English paper piecing for my Diamond Stars and appliquéing on my Joseph's Coat blocks.

This little fabric Ort Catcher sits beside my chair in the livingroom and also travels in my on-the-go project box. Because of the shape, it sits nicely on any flat surface or even on the dash of the car!

It folds up nice and flat even when there is a fair amount of thread in it. It has solved the problem of having threads or even 'dog ears' all over the car and my clothes when I stitch on the road.

Ort Catchers for Quilt Canada 2008

I learned how to make these several years ago when I spent the winter in the lower mainland of BC. I joined the Chilliwack Piecemakers Guild and they took on the task of making these little Ort Catchers (although nobody called them that at the time) to be given to people attending the 2008 Quilt Canada event. Maybe you received one?

The link to make this is on my Project Tutorials Page



An old UFO finally done!

It's hard to believe that this little project has been a UFO since December of 2008...

It only took me about 3 hours to finish it while watching TV. The yarn I used is called Tweedle Dee by Moda-Dea and has a slightly shaded effect. While I like the hat, it is a bit on the small side. The Cabled Hat pattern (Patons) says it is one-size women's. I'd say it is more like a child's medium.

Glad I can move one more thing to the 'finished' list!

OPAM Finishes

I finally have something to show you that I have finished!! Woot woot!!

I saw this cute little wristlet pattern on the Pink Penguin blog way back in August and decided then that I wanted to make one. I went through my scraps looking for squares that were already cut and found enough to make the project. The only thing is, they were only 2" squares rather than the 2 1/4" squares called for in the pattern. I played with the colors and found an arrangement I like the look of.

Then, it all sat there on the cutting table for a few weeks until the pieces were put carefully into the front and back of a quilting book to keep them in order for sewing. The book was put next to the sewing machine and somehow, the sewing never happened.



Inside of Wristlet



I moved the book the other day and a square fell out. When I opened the book, I remembered the project but not where I'd found it. A few google searches later and I had the directions. Just 3 hours later, I had myself a cute little wristlet to use! Mine is just a bit smaller since I used smaller squares but the size is fine with me. I made only two pockets inside and my cards fit well in one and my cell phone in the other. Isn't that all anyone needs?

I have FOF

It's a horrible desease that seems to afflict quilters and some knitters as well as all other types of crafts-people. Yup, I have FEAR OF FINISHING.

My fear comes at the part AFTER the pretty top is all put together.  I don't want to mess up those tops I've spent a lot of time creating by doing "bad" quilting when I finish them. The fears run on the lines of... Will it look ok? Will I get done and wish I'd have done something else? Will I hate it after? Will people that I show it to say "I thought you have been quilting for a long time"?? If I machine quilt it, will I wish I had hand quilted it? Will I ever be able to finish hand quilting a big quilt or would I get bored with it and put it aside somewhere for another generation to do?

There are so many quilters out there who just GO FOR IT and do squiggles or parallel lines and those quilts look wonderful to me. Why can't I do that? Small projects don't scare me for some reason. Perhaps its because there is not so much time and effort invested. But, to start on a big quilt... YIKES! I look at the quilt and can't even start to decide where I would stitch.

Paying someone to machine quilt for me would be wonderful BUT, there are no funds for me to do that, so that is out until I win the lottery. Not too many years ago, I would have just jumped in and done it. That was before I knew all about matching seams and precision cutting and quilt shows and yada yada yada. I suppose that maybe I've come to expect a certain standard for my work that, back then, I didn't even know existed.

So, in an effort to garner support, encouragement and accountability, I decided to find an online group to join,. I found one and mananged to squeek in just under the wire which, unfortunately, is not something unusual for me. However, I am now a member of the OPAM 2011 group!! I'm looking forward to seeing what all the members are doing and also, to fulfilling my committment!

Hellooo...... I even spent an hour in the sewing room today!! Woo hoo!! It may not seem like much but its the first time I've been in there since October. I'm hoping now that I will be able stay home and start spending more time in there every day. Now, if I can just get one of those tops sandwiched....

Where does it go?

TIME. It is one of those things that, once it's gone, you can't ever get it back. It seems that the past year has slipped away from me. The project list on here has not changed very much at all in a whole year. All those hours are gone forever and I have little to show for it.

I have good intentions... I set goals for doing things and write them down or record them here on this blog. I've joined in with groups online to hopefully inspire me to do things. Somehow, I'm not finding the drive that I need in order to follow through with anything. I start out well and then fizzle out. It is like that in all areas of my life right now, not just my quilting.

My kitchen doors have been off of the cupboards now for over two years waiting to be painted. The trim in the living room and hallway still needs painting from the same time.  The baseboards need to be painted and then cut and installed. Every winter for the past 10 years I have been saying I need to clean out the garage of all the yarn left over from the store I closed out in 1997 as soon as the weather warms up... and its still not done.

And, time just keeps on ticking, one second, one minute, one hour, one day, one month, one year, one decade...
 

It's Another Sunday Update!!

I know, I know... Its been a LONG time! No excuses, just life! At present, I am playing nurse, chauffeur, cook and house keeper to family members who needed help after surgery. All of that doesn't leave too much extra time. I did manage to take a walk the other night and capture the photo above.

I have been mostly working on my hand projects. For the Joseph's Coat applique quilt, I cut out the remainder of the background squares then made up groups of 'melons' for each so that I don't end up with duplicates in one block. I have completed 26 blocks to date and continue to work on them whenever I get a chance in the evenings.

I have also done a few more pieces for my 'Many Stars' EPP project using 60 degree diamonds. That one continues to be a slow work in progress.

STASH REPORT for Week 43 
Used fabric for a few more melons needed for the Joseph's Coat and I cut 20 more background pieces.

Used this week: 1.9 M
Used Year to Date: 37.06 M
Added this week: 0 M
Added Year to Date: 26.72 M
Net used for 2010: 10.34 M

Be sure to check Judy's blog to see all the other stash reports this week!

Catching up

I have not been in the sewing room now for almost a month and has been well over a month since my last post! I had such great plans for quilts that I was starting...  I started sewing the "Between Charming Friends" quilt. I know - everyone else who was doing them are long finished but I like the quilt and had a charm pack to use. It's still in the same state on the wall as it was a month ago.

Start of Between Charming Friends quilt

Instead, I have been working on bookkeeping for my daughter's business. They had a major fire in their building and need everything caught up for insurance. The end is getting close now so hopefully, I'll be able to get back to doing some "FUN" stuff soon!

Update on my Stash Report....

Used this week: .65 M
Used Year to Date: 35.16 M
Added this week: .25 M
Added Year to Date: 23.47 M
Net used for 2010: 8.44 M

New Quilter

It's Sunday again! I've been busy this week helping my Grand-daughter Leah (16) make a quilt. She is doing great and I'm so proud of her! Because of her quilt, I haven't had much opportunity to work on any of my projects but that's ok. I'll have lots of time after she goes home next weekend to do any sewing I want. I'm sure going to miss having her around. I'm planning to do a post with pictures and daily progress of her first quilt.

This week, the purchases I made were for her quilt. Most everything came from my stash until she decided she wanted purple setting blocks and I just didn't have enough of any one on hand. She also found a neat black & white print to use in her quilt. I'm hoping that we can find something in my stash to use to piece the back yet too.

STASH REPORT for Week #32

Used this week: 5.6 M
Used Year to Date: 34.51 M
Added this week: 3.0 M
Added Year to Date: 26.47 M
Net used for 2010: 8.04 M

Check Judy's blog for all the stash reports this week.

Quilt Two-step

This past week I decided to use up a charm pack that I have had around here for a long time. I had been admiring all the "Between Charming Friends" quilts that were done and decided that one of those would be great for using up the charm pack of 'Midas Touch' by Ro Gregg for Northcott that I had. When I looked at the instructions, I realized I needed two charm packs... I figured I would never be able to find another charm pack the same as it is a few years old already.  Scrap plan #1 for now and move on to plan #2.

Plan #2 was to join in on the "Charm Quilt-along" on Freckled Whimsey. I have 3 charm packs of L'Amour by Sandy Gervais for Moda that I'd "won" on ebay and had no idea what I was going to make with them. This quilt-along is perfect! All I needed was some background fabric so, off I went to the quilt store.
When I walked in and started looking around, I spyed some charm packs and... GUESS WHAT? There was a single charm pack sitting there of Midas Touch! Of course I bought it and decided to go back to plan #1, the Between Charming Friends quilt. I couldn't remember how much background I needed exactly but picked up 2.5 meters. I rushed home and began cutting.

I cut a whole bunch of 5" squares for the first step, or so I thought. When I checked the instructions on Charming Chatter to find out how many I needed, I discovered that I was cutting for the plan #2 quilt on Freckled Whimsey and NOT for the plan #1 Between Charming Friends quilt. OK then... rather than waste all of that cut background, it looks like I'm going to be doing both. Thankfully, the antique white background I bought works well with both sets of charm squares. I ran back to the store and picked up some more of the same fabric so I'd have enough to do both quilts.

I cut up all the Midas Touch squares and realized I was 2 squares short. I found some black with a gold metallic swirl pattern and cut 2 charms from that. Phew! Thank goodness for stash!  I've sewed the 12 four-patch blocks required and got the strips joined for the 16 patch blocks.

Thats when I decided I needed the design wall to lay these blocks out so I can get good balance. Problem is... my double four-patch is still not all put together and is still on the wall.

 

OK, so I stop everything in order to sew the double four-patch quilt top together to free up the design wall. I had sewn all the vertical rows together when I had to stop for the night.

Does anyone else work like this?? or is it just me? Always seems to be three steps forward and two back.


STASH REPORT for Week #31
Somehow I've confused things and missed week #30 altogether but, there were no changes to report anyways.

Used this week: 9.05 M
Used Year to Date: 28.91 M
Added this week: 6.4 M
Added Year to Date: 23.47 M
Net used for 2010: 5.44 M

Check Judy's blog for all the stash reports this week.