HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! STAY FOCUSED MY FRIENDS!!

 It seems the older I get, the harder it is to stay focused.

Let me give you an example.

The other day:

 I decided to get busy and work on my Posh Penelope Quilt.  Haven't worked on it in months.

Above are the squares I have done.

I had most of the pieces cut out but not all.  I returned to it after Christmas and started cutting the remainder out.  To my displeasure, I had forgotten how and had to relearn.  At the risk of repeating myself, there is a ruler you use.

I am using the top one.  Sew kind of Wonderful ruler.

As I am cutting out my blocks.

My sister shows this Star of Bethlehem block (this is the block I did)

....as you have probably gathered, the Posh Penelope block was put to the side.

Jeanette modified the pattern and I took the pattern and used my Accuquilt Go 8" Cube to make this bock.

My block is 32  1/2 x  32 1/2", hers is smaller.  I was going to add two borders to it.  I wanted to do something fancy but I am running out of fabric.

Anyways, as I had one border cut out...a thought came to me ....

Yes, you get where this is going.   

The thought was, why not get my tub of scraps (should be tubs) and cut out a whole bunch of log cabin blocks.  I have the Log Cabin die, will make fast work of the scraps and will get rid of a lot of scraps.

Now this is where you are to laugh because we all know that cutting scraps create more scraps.

STAY FOCUSED!!!  

Hard concept for some of us.

Below is my Log Cabin die with the cutting blade out.  Pooey.....

I was finally was able to get the blade back in but other blades were coming out.  I didn't want to wait for a replacement (which I hope they will replace).  Waiting for the holidays to get over.

So I put them back in and now....after each cut I take this ceramic tile and place over the blades to push them back in.

I must admit, it is not the smartest idea to keep cutting and run the risk of getting cut myself but I am a gal on a mission.

My husband and I were out yesterday and I asked him to take me to Micheal's to see if I could get something to store my Log Cabin pieces in until I was ready to sew and this is what I found.

How awesome is this????  I already have it full to the brim.  I have two of these because there are 12 pieces.  The Accuquilt Go die sure makes short work of this.

I need two more of these compartments.....maybe tomorrow I will go back to Micheal's and pick up two more.

I know...some of you are asking how I went from doing a border to the Log Cabin die.  Too much thinking time?  Actually, I wanted to make a king size Log Cabin Quilt for my bed and have been thinking on it.  Thinking is over and cutting time has begun.

As you have probably guess, my sewing room is a pig sty but I will clean it up when I am done.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  

To all of you.

  Some of you have been my friend since I was in Samoa over 11 years ago, hard to believe isn't it.  Some of you I have personally met which makes it even more special.

I have just posted on Inchworm Fabrics blog if you are interested, showing a quilt project that we worked on.

CHRISTMAS LOG CABIN QUILT

                               

I have always loved the look of the Log Cabin Quilt but have never really wanted to make one.  For one, cutting all those strips was daunting to me.

Last year for the month of November the Island Batik Ambassadors were given the challenge of making a log cabin quilt.  You can find the post here

Sooooooooooo not looking forward to cutting out all those strips I purchased the Accuquilt Log Cabin Die.  Yeah me!!  or LAZY ME!!


                                               ACCUQUILT LOG CABIN DIE
                                     

Trust me, this made the process so much easier.

After I made the log cabin quilt for the November challenge of last year, I decided to make a King size log cabin quilt for my bed.  I had been carrying around with me for YEARS (I know that most of you never do that) some fabric I had purchased from Connecting Threads, two of the same kit and about four yards of the red fabric that was included in the kit.

Unfortunately, I didn't have enough to make a king size quilt but I did get a quilt 100" x 100".

                                       

I was not looking forward to quilting on my domestic machine but I am not able to get to my longarm.
Doesn't look so hard starting out???

                                   

                                                        Decided to do loops.

                                                Using Aurifil Thread #2870

                      Hobbs Batting Cotton 80/20, did I tell you how much I love this batting?

                                              

Getting closer to the middle and is getting kinda crowded under the neck of my machine.
I only had difficulty when I got to the middle width way and length ways, other than that all went well.

                                    

                                                   Here it is on my king size bed.

Doesn't look to bad at the end but on the sides it is a little short for my liking but I have a solution and when I finish what I have planned in my head, I will show you.


                                              
With the weather being so ugly outside I can not go and lay it out flat so you can see the whole quilt.
                                             

Here it is on a double bed and boy am I ever thrilled with it.  Drapes
 so nicely on the sides and back but my husband loves this quilt so much that it only going on our bed.

I can't believe we are already in November.  If I don't get another post up by Thanksgiving, do have a wonderful one!

If you are looking for a fun project, Kathleen McMusing is having a fun "Awesome Ocean" sew along.  Her first blocks came out today!

                               won't you join us?

THE PROBLEMS WITH UFO'S

I drug this top out of obscurity.  I started it in Virginia.

PROBLEM #1:  Memory Loss

WHAT WAS I THINKING?  Was there any rhyme or reason to this?  If I were to do it now I would place the squares differently.  I know, there is still time...but No way.....it is together and that is what it will be.

PROBLEM #2  Memory Loss

I have a few more squares to make in order to make it longer.  It took me forever, I know...some of you could just pick up where you left off and you are thinking...simple Log Cabin.  Well...for some of us it takes a little longer....(not the sharpest knife).  But it took me a few times of ripping out to get the square correct.  Now I just need to add them.  I kept thinking to myself, why didn't you just finish this when you were working on it.

 PROBLEM #3  Memory Loss

No name calling should be allowed when trying to pick up where you left off.

                                           Now this quilt was started in Samoa, I veered from the original pattern and had put borders on it and left off the horseshoes.  So I ripped off the borders and put the horseshoes on it and thought....What was I thinking????? in Samoa...I now want to follow the pattern.  HUMMMMM

3

PROBLEM #4  Memory Loss

Be sure to read all of the directions....or you just might cut the squares the wrong size.  YEP!!!!!  Not the sharpest knife.  I had machine stitched two blocks...went to cut to size.....  Once again...no name calling allowed!!!

PROBLEM #5  MEMORY LOSS

So...you take your unfinished project, bundle it up...it has been forgotten.  You need a piece of fabric and you spot it in the bundled project and think (because you have forgotten)...oh I will just use a little of this.  When it comes time to go back to said project, you are now missing or don't have enough fabric.   Remember...no name calling allowed.

As you can see, it is so much more worth it to finish the project right then...at least to the top stage....Yep....it is easier said than done and I applaud anyone who does this.

I think.....don't take my word for it because sometimes projects just appear but I only have about two tops besides the ones above that are in the unfinished stage....That is my goal...to get those to the top stage and possibly done.  

Yep...You heard it here...GET UR DONE!!!