Just one of my kits I was sewing up for someone.  I didn’t learn any new techniques on this one but I did work out some ideas on color placement.   I am not overly fond of pastel fabrics as I like bold, stark colors.  Piecing this is was just so pastel that I added the black to the center pinwheels as it had the same blue roses.  I did NOT like the final piece once it was done.  I hoped by adding the same black to the outer edge it would pull that color into line with the others so I used it for the binding.  It did pull it together some what but I learned that pastel all by itself is ok sometimes as well.   Once in a while someone sees a quilt they just love or sparks a memory and they immediately love it.   Well one of Shannon’s friends immediately loved it so it will go live with Ms. Allison.

I don’t get a lot of time to do the actual quilting of my tops since I got the pups.  It requires I pay attention and trying to stop every 5 minutes and see what the mongrels are doing is tedious and ends up looking like bad quilting.   The cubes came out terrible.  I tried to do a stitch in the ditch and not only was it my first time trying that, you really can’t stitch a straight line on a long arm without doing ruler work or using a regular machine with a walking foot.   But it’s ok as this is one of the quilts I was doing to learn new techniques. It’s going to stay at my house so I can live with the fact it’s not perfect.   I learned a lot quilting it also.   It’s just stitched down the vertical rows then thru the top of every other set of cubes horizontally.   Simple but I learned about straight stitching on a long arm.

I hosted an adult coloring party for Shannon and her friends last week.  It’s great to see her socialize with the ladies outside of work.  I think they all had a good time.    There was certainly enough food.

It’s one of those weeks.  After dealing with the furniture people since June over ink the pups got on my sofa, they were to send me new cushions or come recover the whole piece since I have a stain warranty.  Today they decided to just give me credit for the purchase price for a replacement sofa.   But. . . .. they no longer sell that one and don’t have any other style in the same sage green.  Hello I just bought it in April.   It took me over a year to decide on that sofa and I have the matching oversized chair.  I can’t have a beige or brown sofa and a sage green chair.  I hate looking like I have flea market unmatched furniture after spending so much money.

Then comes the tablet saga.  My Surface Pro 2 table quit while under warranty so I shipped back and they sent a refurbished one.  Got it yesterday and power cord is defective.  Called back and they have no more so I’d have to pay another $110 to upgrade to the Pro 3.  Instead he gave me the new Dell convertible touchscreen tablet for the same price.  Problem is I have the cover and virtual keyboard for the Surface Pro so now my virtual keyboard is unnecessary and my cover and case don’t fit.

Getting something replaced is not always better than what you already have.

 

If you do not ask my permission and receive it, DO NOT repost my pictures to other blogs, social media, etc.  They are not for public use.

Ok we all have a fabric stash or a stash pertaining to whatever your hobby is but one day you realize how much you really have.  While I was in Ohio visiting my amazing sister Jill, she gifted me a bag full of plastic storage boxes she wan no longer using.   Once I got home I realized they would hold my pre-planned quilt kits so much nicer than the plastic bags there were in.  I had no idea till I started pulling them from the closet how many I have.   Not to mention the couple I got while in Ohio.  Here are the 25 I have stored so far and labeled in boxes.  I still have half a closet of fabrics on shelves and in decorative storage boxes.   Luckily you can’t see the top shelf.

I know I wanted to try new things but I’m finding my quilt skills aren’t nearly what I thought they were.   Sewing these half hexagons was tedious but ok.  Now that I am starting to sew the hexies together to form rows I am learning I need a lot more practice in sewing those weird shapes.   Initially I thought I’d never make another one but realize then I’ll never get better.    Here’s what she’s going to look like before the rows are sewn and added together.  I changed how she was laid out numerous times before i settled on this one.  I’ll repost when I get this and the five others quilted and finished.

I did add one last mod to the jeep this past weekend.  If you’re in our group of gamers you will instantly know what this is.  I was surprised when I posted it on facebook that most of those that commented were the 30+ age group rather than young kids.    I think this came out awesome and looks good on the hood.

Last Saturday I picked up the jeep and her new front drive shaft is installed and it seems like everything is working for a change.   I added some new grab handles and door grips along with a cargo restraint.  I want to take the pups riding but I get nervous one would get out of seat belt and be killed.   This way it should hold them long enough for me to pull over and belt them back in.  Taking them for a ride this weekend.  I wish they would get more used to being around people so they didn’t bark so much but it’s too hot to take them to the park and such.

Seems like all I post about is family, my pups, quilting and my jeep but here I go again.  Those are the things important in my life, so I post about them.  Maybe most would think my life boring but I’ve had a lot of excitement in the first 50 years so maybe the last 10 or 15 will be quiet.   Here’s a new picture of my little “emo” dog Merlin.  He needs so much love and attention.  Unlike the other 2 he’d be content to sit on your lap and love you all day.  When he gets his feelings hurt he hides in the closet.  Sometimes I feel like I should give him to a little old man who would sit and love on him all day.