It's as Easy as A, B, and C...

Thank yous to those of you who left several creative ideas for making my hollow core door/tabletop smooth for free-motion machine quilting. (See the previous blog post.) I haven't done anything to fix that problem yet, but when I do, I will be sure to let you know. 

This past week I've been embroidering. I'm slowly working my way through the Snowmen A to Zzzz alphabet embroidery. After beginning the project by randomly stitching whatever alphabet letter I thought was the cutest, I decided to be more methodical.

I'm stitching with DMC floss, and the stem stitch.

Finishing the letter "C" is all I've managed to do while I've been here in Kansas helping our daughter who's pregnant and has a separated pelvis. While here, my sewing has been limited to making curtains for new French doors into our SIL's home office, and hemming fabric for a tablecloth. For at least several weeks, I expect handwork will be the extent of my personal sewing. Our grandson is still expected to arrive by a scheduled c-section on Monday, November 8, but today the doc says he has a 50/50 chance of arriving early.

For those of you who like Halloween - and I am admittedly one who does not - here's an appropriate knock-knock joke from Kady L. at "Take a Mom's Word for It." 

Knock, knock. 

Who's there?
Phillip.

Phillip who?

Phillip my bag with candy! 

It's a wrap!

A recent Stitchin' Mission series of five beginner quiltmaking lessons ended Tuesday night. This is the quilt I finished. It will either be sent to LaMesa, Mexico, or stay locally at Ruth Harbor, a group home for unwed mothers.

36" X 48" Stairs to Heaven quilt

When Stitchin' Mission lessons are attended predominately by women, sometimes it's quilts for boys that are in short supply. With two grandsons, and another on the way, I'm really good at making boy quilts.

Yes, I'm really that happy! It's always fun to attend the last Stitchin' Mission lesson and celebrate the completion of another successful series. You can see more pictures here.

Handy Hollow Core Doors

More than 30 years ago, when we bought our first house, we did a little remodeling that included turning a closet into a built-in sewing area with shelves. To create the space, we removed a pair of sliding hollow core doors that we have since kept through several moves. At occasional garage sales they worked as tables, mounted on sawhorses, displaying our treasures. Most recently, they've been used as handy basting tables with two of them pushed together to measure a generous 72" X 79".

This past week I used the doors as a basting table to sandwich several small quilts. Here is a pieced quilt back for the quilt belonging to our newest grandson who's due in the next couple weeks.

 

Pieced backing taped to hollow core doors mounted on sawhorses.

I wanted to use Hobbs Heirloom batting for the baby's quilt and found I didn't have a piece that measured 46" X 46". I did have two smaller pieces. To join them, I first overlapped the pieces by about 3". Then, I used my rotary cutter to slice a wavy line through the overlapped layers. I removed the small, trimmed waves. Butting together the larger, remaining wavy-edged pieces, I used a walking foot and the widest zig-zag on my sewing machine to splice them together.

 

Pieced Hobbs 80/20 Heirloom batting.

Though I've pieced battings together before, previously I spliced straight edges. I'd like to believe the wavy joining will hold up better. Also, I've previously joined two pieces with hand stitches. Again, I think the machine-joined pieces will hold up better.

After pin-basting the quilt, I began free-motion quilting. For me, that always starts with hand lotion. I know many quilters wear gloves - the garden variety, or some expensive brand designed for machine quilting - but Neutrogena hand cream works best.

Free-motion quilt by wearing hand lotion, not gloves!

I have Diane Gaudynski, machine quilter extraordinaire, to thank for that great suggestion. Of course the added benefit is that my hands stay smooth!

But let me return to those hollow core doors... Since purchasing a used Pfaff Grand Quilter in July, I've tried to figure out how to set up my quilting area with the maximum amount of table space, to support a quilt during quilting. I considered buying one of several recommended sewing machine tables, but in the end I managed to work out this set-up. It involves two sawhorses, an adjustable height table (beneath the Pfaff Grand Quilter), and an old, aqua and chrome kitchen table (beneath the left-hand hollow core door). Oh, and a piece of lumber beneath the left table legs. Yes, I've cobbled together something that gives me the large level surface I'm looking for. But here's my issue...

New quilting set-up.

Those hollow core doors are unfinished and have a rough texture. I noticed that my quilt didn't slide, except for when it came into contact with the Pfaff's plastic table extension. If you were me, what might you do to smooth the surface of the doors? Keep in mind, I'd like the opposite sides of the doors to remain as they are so I can flip them over for basting and not be concerned that I'm damaging the surface by poking safety pins into it.

But what about the free-motion quilting side? What would you suggest that would give me the "glide-ability" I'm looking for?

Sewin'

This week finds me, unexpectedly, with time for sewing, so there's been no grass growing under my feet! I've been in my basement sewing space during every free moment, and have a couple things to share. 

First, I made another Marie-Madeline Studio Route 66 skirt. I think this is the sixth one I've made. It's so satisfying to visit a quilt shop and have a reason to select some pretty cottons for a skirt. And yes, I've really gotten into wearing a skirt! That's also entailed shopping for tights and shoes - boots are next. Personally, I'm finding it very challenging to select the "right" combination of tights color and shoe style. After all, I'm far from being a teenager who can carry off an anything-goes look! 

Self-image, in the full-length bathroom mirror.

After considerable sketching and stewing, I cut out more bright fabric pieces and arranged the sawtooth star blocks into this 42" X 42" quilt top. It will be for our newest grandson who's due to arrive in less than three weeks.

Toothy Jungle Stars

I'm pleased with the bright colors and arrangement. Did you notice the tone-on-tone white print with the dots in it? It's a fabric I found at Sue's Fabric World, a vendor from New York who was at the recent AQS show here in Des Moines. Since I found the jungle print at the AQS show too, I'm pleased that my purchases have been put to quick use.

Today I'll be layering, basting and, hopefully, starting to quilt this one. There's still no time for watching that grass grow under my feet!

Books and Projects

In Saturday's mail I received this book from Linda. She had a blog giveaway, and I was a lucky winner! Thank you, Linda!

I've enjoyed looking through this book, though it's put me in a bit of a pickle. This is a book of patterns that use a jelly roll and a layer cake to make a quilt, and I've never bought any fabric "baked goods!" Guess I'll have to see what I can do about winning a jelly roll and layer cake giveaway. Yes, I could buy a jelly roll and layer cake, but I have a stash that wants using up.

That's why I recently bought this book: "String Quilts." It's a little out of the ordinary for me to buy any quilting book since I haven't for several years.

But after seeing Maylene's beautiful rendition of the "Picket Fence" quilt, I had to have it to make one for myself.

It's made with light, medium and dark 1" to 2-1/2" strips. I can't think of a better way to use up my strips that have been accumulating in a bin. Some of my older, I-don't-like-them-anymore fabrics will probably join the stripping bin too.

While at daughter Jill's house last week, the sum of my accomplishments was to piece sixteen 8" sawtooth star blocks for grandson #3's quilt.  

I referred to one of my favorite books to select the block that best-suited the bright jungle print, fussy cut for the center of each sawtooth star. I've had this book for many years. So long that I even had it spiral bound back in the days when you could have that done for about $3.

I pieced the sawtooth sections using my favorite no-waste method. Not only are there no bits of leftover fabrics, but I find that my triangles are much more accurate. If you haven't tried this method, I highly recommend it. My tutorial for it is here. Or, go here to print the instructional PDF that I use.

Below is one of two quilt tops I've recently pieced for Stitchin' Mission. I'm not fond of the colors, but I was limited in my choices to what Jo-Ann Fabrics had available for a boy's quilt. All the fabrics for this quilt came from there so I could enter Jo-Ann's Craft for a Cause.

I'm making and entering a quilt on behalf of Stitchin' Mission, my favorite charity, though I know it's impossible for Stitchin' Mission to win the $50,000 prize Jo-Ann's is giving away. The winner is determined by the number of items made and donated to that charity, and as far as I know, I'm the only one entering for Stitchin' Mission.  

The quilt top looks a little better up close.

The next few days will find me keeping busy at the machines. I hope you will get to do the same.

Today I'll leave you with this cute comment, made by the four year-old son of Kelly, the "Happy Homemaker and Momma" in Pennsylvania.

"Mommy, can I watch some TV? It is just some, not too much, because I don't want my brain to rot and my teeth to fall out."

The Next Generation

Please indulge my grandmotherly pride and allow me to share the latest photos of our three grandchildren.

Austin, age 5 months, in Florida

Tay, 12 months, in Kansas

Celina, age 11/sixth grade, with Tay.

You might notice the baby chain above Celina's head. She made it to represent the number of weeks remaining until her new little brother's arrival. You can see only a few weeks remain. The baby is expected by c-section on Monday, November 8. Everyone is doubtful that he'll wait that long to make his appearance. Jill, who is still coping with a separated pelvis, feels he has "dropped," and she's having occasional contractions. My husband and I continue to take turns spending four to six days with them each week, helping with Tay. Last week Tay made his first sick-baby visit to a doctor where we learned he had a virus as well as a double ear infection.

Tay and Jill

Jill's cautioned me to have my "go" bag ready for a "quick" three-and-a-half hour drive to their house, should the baby decide to make an early appearance. Because Jill's a high risk delivery, if contractions are seven minutes apart, she's to get to the hospital ASAP. All this has been much cause for prayers. My sincere thanks to those of you who have been praying for this family.

In spite of being sick, Tay's happy-go-lucky attitude comes through in this short video of baby babble. 

I still have quite a few jokes received as comments during my June giveaway. This cute one-liner comes from my dear friend, Di, in Darling Point (Sydney) Australia.

A peanut walks into a police station to make a complaint claiming he was a salted.