What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

…but let me catch my breath. 

So…a lot has been happening. Others may not think so much, but this old gal just retired last week after working full time for the last 49 years and I am exhausted. 

Tattoo Quilt: All blocks and center panel are pieced, and I’m almost done ripping off the paper! And yes, it is the ONLY project I have worked on this year. 

Studio: I had been researching electronic or digital cutters. After going down the YouTube rabbit hole, I borrowed Cindy’s ScanNCut. End result was going to the Brother dealer to ...

Today’s project is specifically designed for those who have embroidery machines, but it can also be done with fussy cuts and fall fabrics. Who could use a new pretty kitchen towel? Just about everyone, I think. So, even if you do not have an embroidery machine, read on anyway for a great giveaway today and some ideas on how to make a fall inspired towel with fabric.

For the towel, you can start with a towel blank, or make your own from toweling fabric. Mine is 18×24 inches. If you are making your own, cut your fabric to ...

I am still a slug! Every day is better, but that energy level is still missing. All that travel and carting stuff around took a toll on me. A few more days, I suspect, and I'll be as good as new. I'm much better than earlier in the week, so progress is going forward, which is a good sign. 

As for DH -- let's just say that he has a new appreciation for what surgery means. I swear he thought he would be incapacitated for the remainder of the day he had his surgery, and then he could ...

I must start going to bed earlier (at my usual time) instead of later because my body wants 8 hours of sleep. So I'm losing my two productive morning hours because I'm going to bed later and getting up after 8 hours! I will say that when I go to sleep, I'm out like a light, and I have never slept so well! 

I had two big adventures yesterday, which didn't allow me to touch much in Studio B. I had to move stuff off a table so we could work, but it still looks like ...

Did I accomplish three things yesterday? I did, but I would really have liked to have done one more. That didn't happen, but I went to bed exhausted and happy! 

What amazes me is that even with the "downtime," my days are filled. Well, I'll never be done with all the stuff I have to do. But since I'm enjoying what I do, I can't complain. 

Here's some stuff I finished up for our machine embroidery session yesterday. These items are made from clothesline rope. I think it was the day before leaving for Quilt ...

We had a great time at Monday Sewing, and I'm improving at accomplishing something while we visit! 

How am I doing on completing the samples that I need to have in my suitcase by 1 p.m.? The binding was put on the small machine-embroidered (quilted) quilt. 

The binding is done!

I can't believe it's the start of another week! I'm not worrying about that to-do list since I will be away for the entire week. However, one more item is off the list, and I need to do some follow-up this morning. 

I still have three samples to finish making before I leave, so those will be my focus. And I've got a fourth to work on if I can! The bottom line is that I could take all of them and finish them at the show, but I prefer to work on my samples at ...

Oh my goodness --- I guess I'm not alone in getting mail for the previous owners of our houses. What surprises me is how much of this stuff there is around and what that is costing the world in general. In terms of postage, paper, and resources, it's insane. There must be a way for these companies to write a small program and run it annually to find mailings to the same address with different names. A quick follow-up would eliminate the duplication. I may never get it resolved. And YES - years ago, I sent the letters back, with ...

Here's a prime example of why that list of ten things I set out to do two days ago is still incomplete. Three items remain on the list. 

We've lived in this house for almost 21 years. Several times a year, we get letters addressed to the previous owners from a utility company. We have an up-to-date account with the utility company. 

For 21 years, I've tossed those letters addressed to the previous owner. When I recently received two, I decided to open them. As I suspected, there was nothing significant in them. But this seems like ...

Oh, so help me now! I took a wee detour yesterday, and it was fun! I was supposed to be quilting a quilt and continuing to work on putting Studio B back in order. But this happened instead. 

Today, we have two sessions: Machine Embroidery and our Many Blocks projects. As of yesterday morning, I had nothing to share with either group. And while I get it that we're all busy, I like to have some to share (it sets an excellent example for the group!) So, I was off!!! It was a total tangent, but it needed to ...

OMG --- For real, I'm back! So much to say today!

I have to tell you about this strange phone call I got. I was about to call someone in a different area code when I received a call from that area code. It wasn't the store I was about to call—it was neither of the two stores in that same area code that I needed to contact. There was no name, and although it said "verified number," I didn't answer. 

Funny enough, I received a voicemail, so I listened to it. "Hey Muhammed, I was hoping ...

I think I'm almost back to normal time, but I'm still tired in the morning, so always a little bit behind; I should be good tomorrow. 

OK—so what's with all the dreaming? The sleep I'm getting is deep because I'm dreaming, which I probably do every night, but I just don't remember the dreams. 

I remember the dreams, and it's weird how it takes events in a day and mixes them up. The last two nights have both been dreams about quilting. A friend mentioned a quilt she was making the other ...

Is it me, or do the days seem to run into each other quickly? It's not like I don't enjoy the days, but they are going quickly! The good news is that I went to bed last night and slept like a log. I woke up when my alarm went off. And seconds later, Murphy was beyond herself with excitement. I ran to the window to see what caused such a panic, and I spotted THREE raccoons chasing each other. 

That's a new one for me. I've seen them running up trees and waddling across the ...

What???  I can't get enough Vitamin D just by being outside? Oh boy --- I guess I have a lot to learn. One day, I'll get it all figured out! What I need now is a good formula for sleep. For the most part, I'm a good sleeper, but the last two nights have been horrible. I feel like something the cat dragged in. 

While I have loads to do this week, there is loads of time to get it done, so there's no pressure. I only have a few problems that need to be resolved and ...

 Not only did I Quilt and cross stitch this past year, but I attempted some other crafts.  Some of the things I'm going to show will be some items that I didn't make but that I helped or taught others to make.  I also belong to a craft group that meets once a month and there are a few fun things for that.  And others items are just things I thought I'd try.

Craft Group - it's a group of about 14 ladies from my sisters neighborhood (mostly) and we meet once a month and have a ...

I have been bitten by the machine embroidery bug, and February is National Embroidery Month. It is a good time to explore more ideas and projects to use this machine capability. Now that I have a good combination of stabilizers, the designs are coming out well. I still have the problem of some thread breakage, and seems to be worse on darker colors. Amazingly, my older Sulky rayon threads do not have as much of a problem with this as the newer Floriani threads. Quality products are hard to find these days. Anyway, on a recent newsletter from one of ...

This project may prove my undoing or the welcome of epiphany moments—time will tell.

I have sort of a like-hate relationship with foundation paper piecing, and I’m hopeful this will be the gateway to a love of it.  I consider the technique a necessary evil in some situations, and have tried to avoid those situations.  But I learned of this particular quilt pattern when Tula Pink showed hers in her Tula Talk Tuesday videos on Facebook and Instagram in mid-2020 and was immediately smitten. This was during the Click Buy Now period; I bought the pattern and a ...

Oh my --- I had a busy day, but I don't have much to show! But I tried, and what doesn't get completely finished, at least, is a sample. The finishing will come later! I trust the people looking at the samples aren't going for finesse -- we're going for the inspiration and the ideas! Plus, I have some finished samples. 

But the day started with the two Zoom classes, which went great! I am passionate about teaching, and well, I'm just darn good at it! No one toots their own horn often enough, but I'll ...

I have to say that I'm super PROUD of my kid! While we don't always agree, she has a head on her shoulders and didn't panic! 

She's been in Turkey for the last couple of weeks. She met up with a couple of friends, and they've been having a blast by the look of the pictures. They were initially going to Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt, but thankfully, they changed their plans. I did not say anything. It's not my vacation and not my life! 

Now, it was time for her to return, and she ...

For our last project post of Autumn Jubilee, we are going to play with Mason jars in the sewing room, and then preview a few new releases from our giveaway sponsor.

Using Mason jars to separate buttons by color is a fun way to display your button collection. I put bits of Harvest Festival fabrics on the lids. The one on the left has a plastic ring from a cross stitch kit.

Making a sewing gift from a Mason jar is fun for the fall season. Using a pumpkin print, cut a square roughly twice the size of the ring ...