Grrr!!!

When all else fails, read the directions!  Well, I should have re-read the directions before making more string blocks!

I made some string blocks for a block exchange back in February.  It was time to make more of the blocks so that I could finish these blocks.  The pattern is a freebie on Quilt in a Day. 

Well, I read the pattern and cut out paper backings for the rest of the string blocks back in February.  I started stitching string blocks on Sunday, and by Tuesday night I'd made 24 string blocks.  The blocks are supposed to be 7.5" x 6.5".  Dummy me made them 6.5" x 7.5".  I just had it in my head that spools of thread are taller than they are wide.

the directions

Here are my blocks, next to the four I'd made back in February.

NOT ONE OF THE BLOCKS WILL WORK FOR THIS PATTERN!!!!!  Nope, I can't turn them, since the strings have to run sideways, not top to bottom.  GRRR!!!!!

I used up lots of the strings that I had in yellow, orange and teals.  I'm not sure I can get many blocks out of those colors now (Grrr!)
I really didn't want to cut into yardage to make these blocks.

I'm sure none of you have ever made such a stupid mistake before.

Now to go see about making more (correct) string blocks.

Slow Stitching and Some Finishes

I've been slow stitching today.  I finished stitching down the binding on a baby quilt.

hand stitching the binding

Since the back is Minkee, I stitch the binding to the back of the quilt then hand stitch it to the front.  It's much easier that way (at least for me).  Here is the full quilt.

baby quilt

straight line quilting

quilting from the back (color isn't true, sorry)

I've also finished one of the 'We're On a Roll' toilet paper quilts.  I hand quilted it.  It was mailed off to my inlaws earlier this week.  My father in law had a hard time finding toilet paper when this whole pandemic thing started.  I thought they might get a laugh from the quilt. 

1st TP quilt

Remember my ukulele from the last blog post?  Well, I was asked to make one for someone who actually plays ukulele.  I made this yesterday.

2nd ukulele

Our neighbors brought us some cookies.  They've done this a couple of times before.  They are yummy!

 It's so nice of them to bring us cookies. 

I'm linking up with Kathy's Slow Stitching Sunday.

Squirrel Stitching

I got distracted this morning with a 'squirrel' project.  Sew4Home offered the cutest pillow this morning in their newsletter.  They have some of the cutest projects.  This one is a Ukulele pillow.  I knew my grandkids would like a Ukulele pillow to play with.

I did do things just slightly different than their pattern called for.  Instead of cutting the interfacing, then ironing it on, I decided to iron interfacing to the material, then cut it.  I figured it might make the seam a bit stronger.  Also, I sewed the buttons on before I sewed the front and back pieces together.  It was just easier for me that way.

1927 Singer 15 hand crank

 I stitched this on one of my hand cranks.  Instead of using a zig zag stitch by machine on the brown felt parts, I hand stitched the blanket stitch on those two pieces.  I did use my Janome to stitch the strings.  I had never used the stitch that they recommended.  It worked great!

ironed, before stuffing it

finished Ukulele pillow

This was a fun project.  I was supposed to be hand quilting one of the Toilet Paper quilts today.  Oh well, I'll work on that quilt tomorrow.

Last week I did finish more of the striped circle blocks.  I now have 52 of these blocks.  Until last week, I hadn't stitched on those since March.  I only stitch on these blocks at work, and I only got to work 5 days in April (and I stitched on the TP quilts those days).

striped circles

I did make more of the black circles this week.  I ran out of them.  I still have lots more to make. 

I get to work 3 days this week, so, after the TP quilt is quilted, I'll work on the striped circle blocks.

A Finish and lots of progress!

I finished the Wego Quiltin' challenge quilt for 'All About Me.'  It was finished Sunday night, but I couldn't get a photo until yesterday because of clouds and rain. 

63" x 87"

This is 'All About Me' for many reasons.  I love the color RED.  I adopted someone else's quilty blocks (I can't pass up someone else's  discarded 'stuff').  It has a vintage (red with polka dots) sewing machine from a project way back in 2012 (I'm the queen of UFO's)(I did finish the first project back in 2012 for this same guild)(and I love polka dots!).  The large blocks are 'found' items from a thrift store (yes, I love thrift stores and antique shops).  And I love anything with a sewing/quilting theme.  I've even taught several different ways to make Flying Geese (at both guilds, a TOGA and a quilt show). 

I love the blocks I adopted from Erin at My Patchwork Life.  (Sorry for the photos, but I took them while hubby was holding the quilt).

This was made for the guild challenge, and was due for the May meeting.  Well, with Covid, we couldn't have a normal meeting, but 9 of us met in the Hobby Lobby parking lot (every other parking space) and sat in chairs and chatted and showed our 'All About Me' quilts.  Not everyone could participate, so we'll show them again when we can meet normally again.  We enjoyed getting to actually 'see' each other.  We were safe and following rules.  We know, since the Oswego Community Police SUV drove by (about 15 yards from us) and didn't even slow down.  We'll meet this way again, I'm sure.

I have been working on other things, too.  Over the weekend I got 2 baby quilts basted and also the two Toilet Paper quilts basted. 

Tuesday and Wednesday I completed two more baby quilts (one of those babies is already born).  These would have been done long ago, but I chose to buy some jelly rolls to speed things up.  Well, those jelly rolls didn't speed anything up, since EVERY strip was LARGER than 2 1/2 inches.  I had to trim EVERY piece that I had already cut.  Grrr!!!!

trimmings cut off from one of the baby quilt strips

I did get both quilt tops stitched up. 

Alphabet (42" x 36")

Monsters and stripes (42" x 36")

Now to get these spray basted and quilted.  Speaking of spray baste, I bought a different brand than I normally use, since it was on sale at Quilt in a Day.  I usually use Spray-n-Bond, which I LOVE!  It doesn't smell and I can use it inside. I used to buy Spray-n-Bond at Meijer and Walmart, but it's hard to find now (and Walmart has doubled the price online). What I bought from Quilt in a Day is Dritz Basting Spray.  UGH!  It STINKS!!!  I won't be able to use this inside.  Basting outside is hard to do, what with wind, etc. (and no, I can't do it in the garage since hubby has all his woodworking stuff in the garage).  Unfortunately I bought 12 cans, knowing that I had baby quilts and other projects coming up.

I've been busy, what with outdoor meetings and online meetings.  Our church had an online Bingo get together Tuesday evening.  FUN!  Hubby won a gift card to a local restaurant.  We had about 45 people participate, and we all stayed on to chat for quite a while.  I'd love to do it again, even without prizes.  Everyone is coming up with very creative ways to get together.  I'm meeting up with a friend for lunch again.  So far we've done Chick-fil-a and Panera.  We haven't decided where we're going today.  We'll grab our food, and then drive over to the grocery store parking lot and chat and eat in our cars. 

Wego Challenge Quilt (in progress)

My little quilt guild is having a challenge.  We are supposed to make a quilt 'All About Me'.  We can make anything 'quilted', any size, that says something about ourselves.  Well, I think that anything that speaks about quilting or vintage sewing machines (or red, my favorite color) speaks about me.

Way back in September 2018, Erin at My Patchwork Life, gave away some of her UFO blocks.  I won a set of blocks with quilty sayings that were in red/white/black (set #F on the post link above). 

I've been planning to use these blocks, along with a sewing machine cut out (red and white polka dots) that I've had since 2012, to make a quilt for this challenge.  I just needed to sit down and figure out how to put them all together. 

Well, since I also love to find things at the thrift stores, I included some quilty panels that I found at Goodwill a couple of  years ago. 

I actually bought this one at a quilt show, along with the matching T-Shirt

I drew up a plan (graph paper is great), then started making Flying Geese, Half Square Triangles and 4 patch blocks.

Stitched on my Featherweight

I'm behind on all of this due to making face masks.  I finally got started stitching everything together last week.  Below is my design wall.  I finished the hand applique on the toilet paper quilts on Thursday.

And the quilt progresses...

bottom row is on the floor

The blank spot is waiting for me to stitch the blanket stitch with my Janome on this block.

Hopefully I'll get this block stitched on Sunday.  This quilt top is supposed to be finished on Monday.  Not sure it will happen, we'll see. 



I made more kids masks for my neighborhood.

46 kid sized masks

Hubby has been advertising them on our neighborhood website (for free).  I only have a couple of them left.  I'm making more masks as my 'leader/ender's' while working on the challenge quilt.

I looked out the window of my sewing room today and saw this.

bird nesting in the gutter

Hubby isn't happy about where the bird is nesting, but he'll leave it alone. 

This week I got to work 3 days (I've only gotten to work 5 days the whole month of April), and had lunch with a friend (sitting in the grocery store parking lot in separate cars).  Today was a drive by baby shower.  Oops! the baby quilt isn't quilted yet, but I still participated.  I'm behind on baby quilts (one baby born in April, and 3 due sometime in May).