Quiltville’s Carolina Christmas Mystery Quilt – Darn IT!!!!

So I spent a good 2 days basting and re-basting my quilt.  I first tried hand basting, then I used safety pins and pin basted.  Took all that out and re-tried the pin basting again.  Then when I thought I just about had it I turned over the quilt and what a mess.

I went to the store to find some spray basting but decided against buying it because I thought maybe I had a can of some kind of spray adhesive at home.  Sure enough I did and I spent another half day spraying and spreading.  Finally!!!!  Everything was looking good.  I rolled up the edges, re-arranged my sewing area to accomodate my EZ Quilter frame and gave my best shot.

My first try stunk.  Picked out all the stitches.

Second try.  Too much give in the quilt…not enough tension.  Picked out all the stitches.

This morning I gave it my third try.  Even Chloe thought she could help (see photos above!   The cat won’t let us out of her sight…ever since MTD has been gone…I think she is lonely).

Darn IT!!!!!  This just isn’t working for me and I’m getting really upset.

I take everything off the frame and bring it downstairs to the dining room table to spread it out.  I don’t know how I’m going to get these last stitches out!  Expletive, Expletive!

Ugggh!

So I break out the hoop, the thread and some needles and try to figure out how to do a Baptist Fan by hand.  I’m not even going to mark it.  Just do it freehand and wonky.

Looks better.

Although I know it is going to take me a really long time to do this by hand, I think this is now my only option.  I’ve already ruled out trying to do a stitch in the ditch.

Well…it will give me some time to watch a few shows in the evenings.

Jim had a flash this morning that he could re-engineer the EZ Quilter.  I’m just not going to wait.  Maybe next quilt.

Quiltville’s Carolina Christmas Mystery Quilt – Finding a Backing

On Sunday I drove out to Hampshire, Illinois to visit Judy’s Quilt & Sew.  This is about 35 miles away from me and it was the first time for me to go to this shop.

Why???  Well…

Reason 1:
Open Sundays 12 – 3pm

It is a really cute shop, in an old house but is very bright and inviting.  I didn’t have my camera with me so I didn’t take any pictures but I did meet the new owners, Elaine and Mike Thomas.  I guess the word is that Judy, with husband Jim went off and retired.  Lucky Elaine and Mike!  They get to own this really cute shop and live sorta out in the country…yet close enough to civilization.

Reason 2:
I needed to get a backing and the batting for my quilt.

I was in luck.  The shop carried a beautiful cotton 108″ wide red print…perfect!  No piecing involved.  At first I thought of using any leftover fabric I had…but it turned out I really didn’t have hardly enough to cover half of this quilt!  I figure I spent so much time on it I may as well spend a little extra and get something nice.

I have had a dickens of a time though getting this layed out and smooth.  My first attempt using the dining room table did not work.  The backing and batting bunched up and I had a big mess.

I slept on it and browsed the internet for ideas.  Should I try spray basting?  I don’t know.  Never done that.  Should I lay and tape the backing to the floor?  That is out.  No place big enough around here to do that.  I’d have to remove my bed from the bedroom but that is not going to happen.  I am really in a pickle!

So this morning I decided to try my backdrop holder.  The quilt is really heavy and it appeared to work in theory.  Just not so great vertical.  I about lost my balance trying to get it up 9 feet in the air.  This has potential.

What if I bought some more pvc and made a frame raised up from the floor that I could stretch out the backing and then layer on the batting and quilt top?  It is an idea.  Stay tuned.  I’m headed to Menard’s or Home Depot then after work!

Quiltville’s Carolina Christmas Mystery Quilt – The Piecing is Finished!

Wow.  I had a marathon session yesterday to get this done.  I worked on and off throughout the day and finished this morning at 9:00am.

All I need to do now is finish the pressing, figure out a backing and start basting the quilt sandwich together.

The border went together perfectly with Bonnie’s directions, including the spacer border.  I was a little worried about that but it was fine.

It’s going to take a few days to clear out enough space and work out a table area to start basting.  This quilt is REALLY BIG!  But I love it.  It is perfect for the bed.

The photo above and below was taken in my hallway so I can’t quite get the whole quilt into the photo.  I really like how it turned out.

Finding Money I didn’t know I had!

About a year and a half ago (around August 2008) during the big gas price craziness.  Remember that time?  Remember paying over $4.25 per gallon?  Well I do.  It was nuts.  Anyway, about that time I switched my credit card to one that was offering .05c off per gallon when used to purchase gas.

After a year the gas price discount offer was over but I didn’t realize it.  Not until the other day when we were out getting gas that I asked Jim to use my card because of the discount when he told me the program wasn’t current, that it was over.  Huh?  Over?  Really?

Yup. Over.

“But you have a whole lotta points you should use” Jim added.

Points?  Points?  “What do you mean by points?” I asked.

So sure enough, I’ve logged onto the card site and I have over $200 worth of ‘points’ value to use on items ranging from gift cards to exercise equipment, travel to CAMERAS!!!!

Wow.  This is great!  I can get that camera I need to replace the one that I dropped last year.  I can’t believe it!  This is very very exciting.  Grant it.  It is a fairly inexpensive camera, only about $90 but it appears to have everything I might need.

So cool.  One of my goals is going to be accomplished (hopefully…crossing fingers and toes) and I didn’t have to do anything!  Whoo Hoo!

Have you found money you didn’t know you had?  Tell me your story!

Quiltville’s Carolina Christmas Mystery Quilt – working the border

I began cutting out the border fabrics last night.  I had to get my mind off thinking about MTD.  It’s going to be some time before I stop hearing the sound of his collar jingling.  That was always the noise I’d hear when I woke up or entered a room.  He would get up, stretch and shake…ready to go wherever we were going.

So here we are at the border.

I am completely out of neutrals now and had to go to the quilt shop to pick up more.  I’ve had to shop 5 times  over the course of this quilt believe it or not!  I know, so much for it being totally about scraps you have on hand.  Here in the above photo I’m trying to plan out the mix of reds and greens so I don’t have duplicates in the borders.  Notice there are no neutrals?

I ended up picking up about 7 additional neutral prints.  The last group from last night are in the wash but below is one that I’m going to use for the spacing border.

I think it looks good and will blend in well.

I think this border will go very quickly and I’m hoping to be sandwiching it all together this weekend.

I can’t wait to use my Eazy Quilter II to machine quilt it!  That is something I’ve had for 2 years and haven’t used yet!

Goodbye Dear Friend

No sewing words today.  There are other words that have to be written.

We said goodbye to our dear friend yesterday.

He went peacefully.  He gave it up so quick, with no fight.  A part of him must have been ready.  There was no pain anymore and his head rested in my hands.  His eyes fixed into mine.  I kissed his forehead and he was gone.  Just that quick.

I’m sure it will take me some time to get over the death of my very first dog.  He was trouble, he was sweet, he was a mess, he cost us more money then we ever anticipated but we loved him.

Goodbye dear friend.

September 1997 (estimated entry into the world)
July 1998 (found emaciated on the streets of Chicago, chained for days near St. Michael’s Church)
September 1998 – January 2010, learned how to be a dog again and live.

Quiltville’s Carolina Christmas Mystery Quilt — Ready for Borders!

I’ve been trying to keep my mind off what is happening around here with our dog.  So much so that I’ve spent a marathon session getting this topper to the final stage of piecing…the border.

I’ve made the final arrangements for my dear dog today and through tears I’ve just been sewing…and sewing…and sewing.  I’m not even thinking, just doing it.

I layed the topper on top of the bed (no place big enough around here to hang it up for a photo) and just as I spread it out here comes Miss Chloe to put her approval on it.  Cats.  They just have their way about them.  Now I can’t get her off!

Oh well.  It will give me time to look through my fabrics again to try and figure out what I can use for the border.

It’s a happy day and a sad day here.  I’ll post more later.

Quiltville’s Carolina Christmas Mystery Quilt – Almost to Borders!!!

I’ve been making some great progress today.  All but two of these Poinsettia blocks are finished.  I ran into a problem with some of the blocks on a couple of them so I’m going to have to re-cut some half square triangle pieces.  Figures I’d have some problem, but it’s not bad and I should be able to put a serious dent in the layout on this tomorrow if not completely finish the layout and ready for borders.

I definately am going to put borders on this quilt.  As it hangs now, it would need to get the border just to cover the sides of the bed (Queen size).

I can almost see the light.  I’m looking forward to getting this done!  Whoo Hoo!

You bet I’m going to be watching this newest season…just as soon as I can get out from under this quilt!

Yes.  You betcha I’m going to be watching this new Project Runway Season.  Seriously.  I have been working so much on this quilt that I completely missed the first 2 episodes!

Don’t spoil it for me though.  I still want to sit down and watch them beginning to end and totally give my predictions for the show.

It’s understandable isn’t it?  I mean…quilting is pretty well all consuming, no?

I did get a tv for my sewing space last year but it is not hooked up to cable, only digital reception…which is spotty.  I’m lucky if I can get “Mayberry and Opie” re-runs.

I’m going to try and catch up with this show this week.  It will be a good diversion during my anticipated marathon session to get this topper finished.

Quiltville’s Carolina Christmas Mystery Quilt – Just 17 more of these!

I was able to complete 5 more blocks today.  The dog has been sleeping now for 8 straight hours.  I hate to get him up…know what I mean?

The remaining 17 blocks all have the first few steps completed so it will just be a matter of running them through the machine.  I’m still hopeful that tomorrow will be completion day and ready for setting the topper.

I’m debating on the border.  Part of me just wants to finish this and the other part really thinks the border is necessary.  I’ll do some playing around with it this weekend and see what comes of it.