Preparation Is The Key...

 Well, at least for the class I'm taking at Asilomar! I actually managed to finish cutting all the pieces today, so I now have 8 bags filled with foundation papers and the fabrics to go with them.

I even found the directions for cutting the pieces for Bag #6 and Bag #7. Luckily (since I've cut up all of my background fabric, that turquoise over there) I was able to cut the pieces I'll need out of scraps.

Guess there is a reason I'm a scrap saver! Well, other than being a general packrat.

At least I'm an organized one...

My housekeeper got her first look at my garage today. "Oh my... you have a lot of boxes... a lot of fabric... it's like a store!"

Didn't have the heart to tell her there's lots more in storage. Some things just can't be faced all at once!

Since today was Cleaning Day--and I never, ever thought there would come a time when I would actually be able to pay someone to clean my house, but I'm very grateful that I can, what with my dodgy back and all--that meant clearing myself out of their way so they could do their thing. I had an invitation of sorts from Youngest Daughter, who works from home, to bring my cutting over and work at her place. We're quite comfortable with this arrangement--I used to babysit at her house while she worked in the other room.

At this point, I have one project all prepped, and a second one ready  to go--that's what those two little tubs up there are full of. Next comes packing up the machine, the tools, the car...oh yeah, maybe a few clothes too.

Since I got all my errands done this morning/early afternoon, and my house is clean and tidy (that famous picking up the place so the cleaners can clean), I decided to sew a few more sashings and cornerstones while the machine is still in place.

I now have something like 150 sashings with cornerstones attached to them. I think I need to do a lot more, though, because it seems that I cut the sashing strips in groups.

One of the fabrics has 49 pieces cut out of it.

 That will wind up with a very monotonous look if they all go on only 3 quilts, but if they are spread out on 6 it will allow for more variety.

I did think it would be fun to see if I could put a different fabric on each one. I'm sure you're not at all surprised that I had no trouble finding 49 different fabrics--actually there are a lot more. I realized that one of the things that's so appealing about these quilts is that the fabrics are colorful and cheery. I guess they needed all the cheer they could get back in the 30s!

 This pink fabric is the one that has 49 strips. At least it's cute and colorful!

I had to try a quick mockup to see how these are going to look.  Don't worry, I won't put a red sash that close to a big red point!

Well, at least not until/unless I run out of options. Which isn't going to happen.

I'm prepared. There are a LOT of extra sashings. I even know what I'm going to do with them once these 6 quilts are done.

Did I happen to mention that there's a small bin out in the garage that appears to be full of 30s fabrics?

I'm going to be sewing for a long time to use up all this fabric. It's really too bad I don't live in snow country--I could be snowed in quite happily. Also, my house would be very well insulated with all this fabric and yarn.

Onward, I think!

 On Monday I got started on cutting out the pieces using the templates I made last week. Yes, this part is tedious.

I am really looking forward to doing a newer pattern, where the templates are printed out on newsprint and all you have to do is clip them to the strips of fabric and cut on the lines.

Doesn't help that for a 12-block quilt there are insane numbers of pieces. This bag (#1) has 48 of each template.

Tuesday night was quilt class, so here's a couple of shares from there. Hey, it makes a change from itty bitty pieces...

Gail did this one. She started it last week and brought it, completely done, to class this week.

It's a kit she got at The Sew and Sew, which is  a local-to-me-now quilt shop. No, I haven't been in yet. I will, no worries. It's just that right now I am dealing with my own stash and don't need any more temptation!

This is why I haven't visited the local knit shop, either.

 
I was taught to "avoid the occasions of sin" which is just a fancy way of saying temptation. That's also why I am not going to Stitches West this year. Well, at least I don't plan to.

It's going to be bad enough being at Asilomar and in the vicinity of the Cotton Patch's conference store and Back Porch Fabrics. Besides, my heart belongs to New Moon!

Back to show n' tell. The Log Cabin is Anne's. She seems to think it's ugly, but we all liked it, and once she saw the picture, she agreed. This lap quilt will join her charity basket.

Another of Gail's completed projects, a wall quilt that came from a class with Jill Shumacher. It's done in a pale gold silk and you can really see the details if you clilck on the picture to make it bigger.

Today was a bit of a busy day--lots to do around here because it's the biweekly Invasion of the Cleaning Crew, which means I have to pick up and put away all the clutter that has accumulated since they were here two weeks ago. It's gotten pretty bad since I've been concentrating more on prepping my project than keeping the house tidy.  

However I did get it into a state where a quick round up tomorrow morning should be all I need to get it ready.

So back to the cutting and trimming and whttnot.

Help was freely offered. I guess someone didn't think I had pressed the strips well enough, because he offered to do it for me.

Really, cat? 

 Really.

I'm not one of those people (though I know a certain number of them) who feel as though The Cat Must Have His Autonomy Respected. These people will not move a cat that's in their way--seriously. I'm not talking about being cozy in bed or on the couch with a good book or a good TV show and a warm cat, and oh I can't get up because I don't want to disturb the cat, ha ha.

Too bad, cat, you didn't land in that kind of a house. You can move your fur!

 So he moved.
A little bit.

And a little bit more.

But I have to cut 96 pieces out of each of these 7 fabrics, and that's just for this second bag.

Ooh, too tired to move any further...

Well, let's just say, I am the person here, and as such I am in control of the pop-tops on the cat food.

 That means my needs take priority. So I cut.

And cut.

And cut.

And finished cutting and bagging up the 96 x 7 pieces for Bag #2. Yes, I can do that math. No, I don't want to. It what pictuill make my head hurt.

Logic would dictate that I would then move on to Bag #3, but oh no. Bag #8 is next on the list.

Bag #8 takes 160 of the lighter star fabric and 160 of the darker star fabric.

The strips I cut weren't enough to make that many pieces. Luckily I had some extra strips in colors that would work. Sort of.

I cut them anyway. I had planned that the two sets of stars on this quilt would have totally different fabrics, but unless I --shhh! shop!--for more there will just have to be duplication.

You can probably just make out the indignant cat in that picture--look way in the back at the dark blob.

That's a cat who's giving me his best camera angle. You could just read indignation in every bit of fur.

I had to go take a picture from the front view... This cat is sulking. Well, he was. Then he went to sleep.

He's now curled up on top of my phone, which is charging, and holding down the book I was planning to read. He likes to be near me when I'm on the computer.
I even had a visit tonight from the shy grey one, who came out for some petting and loving. I guess she's forgiven me for taking away her hiding place. Just because I need to put my sewing machine in it...how inconsiderate of me! Hmm, maybe I should just pack the machine in the car loose?

Nah. She'll adjust! And tomorrow, there will be lots more cutting. Lots and lots more!

Twirly Whirly

 Managed to get some quilting done this weekend. Got out the cutting board and mat and ruler and cut a whole lot of strips getting ready for my Asilomar project.

Next step is to cut the strips into the right size pieces, using the templates I made. I guess this is what I get for using an old pattern--the new ones now have newsprint layouts of all the templates, so all you have to do is lay them on top of the fabric, clip it in place, and cut on the marked cutting lines.
Oh well. Next project I'll have that!

 Even managed to get down to the Pinwheel Pile!

Now all 150 of the squares that are here (as in, here in my sewing room, not hidden in depths of the garage or the bowels of the storage unit) have their first sashing strips attached.

Voila!!

Then it was on to sewing cornerstones to more sashing strips. Once these are done, I will sew them to the pinwheel blocks and then they'll have two sides done.

I'm hoping that these will go together pretty easily. I think I can sew them into rows of the right number of blocks, but I won't be able to finish assembling the tops until I find the box with the white squares for the setting triangles.

Sigh.  Always something!

Probably won't have much time to work on these anyway, till I get back from the seminar. Maybe there will be time to do some rearranging and spelunking to find the rest of the pieces for the Pinwheel Project. Hey, a girl can hope!

Speaking of girls, look who's been coming out for more and more petting time! She gets a little assertive about wanting to be petted, too--no typing allowed when Miss Shyla is out and about!

This picture was taken with her on the desk, and HiHi less than 6 feet away, on the floor. I won't even call it a staring contest--it was as if they were actually acknowledging each other and making sure that I pet both of them.

Oh, I found Little Miss's latest hiding place. Yes, she has managed to make a nest in my sewing machine rolly-case. Won't she be surprised when I load up the Bernina and take the case away with me!

That can't be very comfortable--there's a handle in there and some velcro closures. She looked out of the top of it and was very cute, but by the time I got the camera fired up she had decided to ignore me.

But it looks as if I finally have another "pet" cat!

A Finish, and A Good Beginning

 Wow, I can't believe this is finally done! (Well, except for running in the ends. That's another day's work!)

I started this throw, the Absolutely Fabulous Throw using Colinette yarns, back around 2005. It's been in and out of rotation being worked on over the years. There are 9 different yarns in it, 3 colors of variegated mohair, a tape yarn, a chenille, a wool, a couple of boucles.

It was the project I brought with me when I did a Relay for Life event with a group called Stitchers for Life. The booth had a couple of rocking chairs and featured people sitting and knitting.
So, instead of walking laps overnight, another knitter and I rocked and knitted from 10 pm till 8 am.

Yes, that was a 10-hour stint of knitting. You can see why this was the perfect project--kept the lap warm, and there wasn't a chance I'd get even close to done overnight!

I did manage to give myself a good charley horse in my shoulder though.

And now, it's finally an FO, ready to be put to use, and one BIG project bag emptied. Yay!

Now on to the next project!

Shyla. I do too have a second cat!

 Still prepping for the Jumping Jax Flash quilt I'll be working on at Asilomar. The foundation papers are cut out and sorted into their bags, the templates have been glued to plastic and cut out and sorted into their bags as well.

I went through several boxes of fabric--there's been an influx of project boxes coming "home" from storage--and pulled some oranges and orangey yellows and golds and browns for the stars.

 Of course Mother's Fluffy had to help out in his own way. You never can tell if that pesky fabric might decide to fly off into the sunset if it wasn't weighted down.

Luckily he gets bored easily so I was able to finish cutting the strips for the different star sections,

There was a small error in the math department, but after a second (or was it third?) cup of coffee, I was able to resolve it.

There will not be six of this quilt. It wasn't that kind of math error.

Thankfully!

I had also pulled some dark blues for the first background pieces. These blues are the background to the central stars, and then become spiky rays around each star. The spikes are set against a second background, and there are secondary star patterns that show up when the 12 blocks are finally pieced together.

That's where I am now. The main background is a turquoisey blue with purple streaks--prettier than it sounds--but it's a 7 yard piece, so it's going to take a little more handling. I've got the ironing board set up (another storage run to retrieve it) and if all goes well tomorrow I'll be pressing that giant piece and cutting it into strips.

Then the strips have to be cut into the separate template shapes, tucked into their own little baggies that will go into the big bags. It can all be done with a rotary cutter, thank goodness, and it all has to be done before I settle into my class on the 16th. You can expect a few more posts featuring all this cutting! In spite of the tedium, it really is rather fun, especially if a fellow sufferer classmate can make it over to work on hers!

Inspirations

 Cooler weather and a little bit of rain seem to have worked some magic with my uninspired quilting mojo. Or maybe just the realization that I'm leaving for Asilomar in less than two weeks, and I'd better get that project prepped.

I'd already started on it--had all the foundation papers cut and distributed into their bags, and last week I printed off the templates and glued them to template plastic. I also had all of that, and the fabrics I wanted to use, set aside in a plastic tub.

Yes, that one over there. The one that's full of cat. As usual, my little furry friend had to be right there with me.

He did want to explore and check out what I was doing.

Kind of hard to cut out templates when they are being anchored down by a large cat.

Even though he has awfully cute feet.

He's sniffing at the napkin I used to hold my buttered toast while I sorted these pieces. Yeah, he loves butter. I had to get up to dispose of the paper before he ate it.

 Once the templates were all trimmed and put in the right bags, I had to figure out some fabric colors and assign them to the right places.

I had brought home a few more boxes of projects and fabrics, so I had a lot more batiks to go through, looking for the right colors for the stars on the quilt. Also, this quilt, Jumping Jax Flash from Quiltworx, has two different back grounds, and it wouldn't do to mix them up. Once that was done, I started choosing star colors.

Oh, there are two different sets of stars, too. So here's my semi-final array: the dark blues are the first background, and will go behind the 8 fabrics in the lower right of the picture; the ones on the left are the second stars which will mostly be against the second background, which is that turquoisey one in the upper left edge. I also found a lighter turquoise to throw in for some sparkle--the main fabric has some purple streaks in it as well. I think it will work nicely.

Now, visualize a break in creativity here, since I had to make a quick trip over to the storage unit to retrieve  my ironing board. I did a quick visual scan to see if I could locate the other project box, the one with the project I had really wanted to do. It was a quick trip, because it was chilly out there and the wind had come up. So much for spending the day inside and being unprepared for actual "weather conditions."

 I also managed to get the sewing machine set up, cleaned and oiled, and enough space cleared around it to jump in on the pinwheels again.

Yes, THOSE pinwheels!  I finally had one box of pinwheel blocks, and one box of sashing/cornerstones, all in one spot, so I gave in to the temptation and started sewing.

I figure each block needs to have a sashing strip attached to it. The sashing strips that are left will all have a cornerstone attached, and then I'll be ready to assemble the tops.

I have a sneaky feeling that there is another box of pinwheels somewhere.

 These are all spinning in the same direction, and looking at the stack of the first 50 blocks, I don't think there are a total of 300 here.

But I didn't want to take the time to count them all!

The sashings are clipped into sets of 25 each, so that will make counting pretty easy.

I can't tell you how good it felt to sit at the machine again and just sew. I have missed this so  much!

Today marks two months that this new place has been mine, although it hasn't been that long since I moved in. My two-month anniversary of moving in will coincide with Megi's birthday on the 6th. Meg (aka D4 for you long-time blog readers) is My Favorite Engaged Daughter right now, and has us all swept up in wedding plans. We even had our own Say Yes To The Dress event last weekend. Oh, and her fiance is totally awesome and I can't wait to get him officially added to the family!

But now it's time to go sit and knit for a little bit. I am just a few rows from finishing up one of my oldest UFOs--well, I guess it's a WIP again. Every night for the last week I've sat down thinking "this is it, I'll finish this tonight" and every night it gets set aside again.  Stay tuned for my hopefully finished-object post in the next day or two!

I Know It's Been a While...

Sewing station is beginning to take shape.

Swallowtail Shawl...see below!

Some of my excuses for not posting more often:  well, the major one is computer issues. Camera issues too--my trusty little red Nikon camera is acting up. You'll notice that the color on some of these photos is really bad--seems to be an ongoing issue.
I've been taking more pictures with my phone, too, and getting them up onto the blog is, well, I need to take the time to learn how to do that.
So really, I think a lot of it is just recovering from the move and the holidays and the segue into Birthday Season.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The yarn once known as a Swallowtail in progress.

 The sewing machines are out and the cabinet set up. Lots and lots of organizing left to do before I can just sit and sew, though.

Sparkly Kid Silk Haze scarf.

 I decided that I really need to get myself organized and fitted into the new place, and that really no one can do it but me. Thanks to some strenuous effort on the part of Energizer Daughter, I can now park in the garage. It's a start, but there really is still a long way to go! I did get over to the storage unit (another whole story there, a blog post for another day) and found my tub o' WIPs. Which turned out to be TWO tubs. Sigh.

Hauled them all out and dragged them home, then sat down the other night and took a good hard look at them all. Took pictures, too. Going to update the sidebars on the blog and maybe redo them a little. We'll see.

So here's the rundown, in order of the pictures that are posted here. First up is the Swallowtail Shawl. I love the design, love the yarn--it's a wonderful Alpha B in a pretty turquoise. Yes, it's blue, not limey green like the pictures. (Camera issues.) I went ahead and frogged it, even though I had already done a lot of work on it. The repeats were just not lining up right, and I decided that this is a color I'll love better in something else. Or it will make a nice gift. I'm thinking Magrathea.

The fuzzy scarf in the next picture is missing its pattern. I think I know what it's doing, though. It's a deep burgundy color, very pretty, with flecks of silver sparkle.

You'd never know from that picture though! I'm just going to knit to the end of the ball and call it done.

The Hanging Garden is minus its beads. It really is a very pretty design and the yarn has a much more lavender hue to it.

Hanging Ga'rden Scarf.

Obi Shawl in progress.

 This picture makes it look like baby pastels, which it isn't. It even has its own little project bag, also lavender. Hmmm. Maybe I need to tuck a sachet of lavender into the bag too?

Not too much to say about the next few projects. They are all pretty things that I still really want to make, so I'm going to go ahead and do them.

Then we get down to poor Jordan. Deep sigh.

I love the design.

I love the color of the yarn. The yarn itself, well, not so much. It's Euroflax, so kind of stiff and string-like. Also very tricky to knit with.

But I was doing well, was onto the third pattern and it was going to be nice. Even something I could see myself wearing. Then the needles slipped and about 10 or so stitches went rogue.

Dropped and slithered and, well, with yarn overs and K2Tog and SSKs it just wasn't getting back on track.

So off to the frog pond it went. Sigh. I'm not quite ready to give up on it, but the yarn may well be repurposed.

Jordan, in Euroflax. Needles slipped out.

Jordan has been frogged.

Ab Fab throw

Cedar Leaf Shawlette

Fall Acorn scarf

Falling Water scarf

See the color difference in these two pictures? Taken at the same distance and both with flash.

The lag time on the camera is worrying too.

Onward.

The Ab Fab throw is the 7th? one I've made. To say I'm a little "over" the project is an understatement. There are also some other hangups with this project.

It's what I was working on when Himself was in the hospital. Sitting quietly knitting in the corner was a good way to be allowed to stay in his room in ICU, even when the doctors were doing their rounds. I learned a lot that way, but it was also a tense unhappy time and sometimes those emotions get attached to a project.

However, I also worked on it when I did a Relay for Life event with a group of knitter friends. I sat up in a rocking chair and knitted all night.  So that was a good, positive thing.

Now I've got it out again and I'm determined to ge 'er done. It's already pretty long and my current motive is to finish up the yarn. I've got the balls set out on the ottoman in order and I've been chugging through them.

The rest of these are projects that I want to get done soon. Not going to write too much about them, because the laptop is overheating and some of the keys are sticking. I have to pound on the B and the T and my fingers aren't happy about it.

Anyway, I'm hoping to be able to update much more often now that I've broken the logjam again.

Tomorrow we're going wedding dress shopping! I'm looking forward to it--been a long time since we had a wedding in the family! Probably won't be able to post any pictures till the day of the wedding, but we'll see. And no, I'm not volunteering to make all the bridesmaids' dresses.

It's been so long I can't remember the name of this one.

F

Resurfacing

Wow, nothing like moving from a big house, where I'd lived for the last 40+ years, to a much smaller house, to really upend a life! I wouldn't say I'm the classic kind of hoarder--you really won't see me profiled on one of those Hoarders TV shows just yet. But I am a collector, and a sentimentalist, as well as a quilter (fabric stash) and knitter (yarn stash) so let's just say, I have a lot of stuff!

Make that a LOT of "stuff." Luckily in all my collecting, the best things I've collected have been my wonderful family. Not just the people I gave birth to, either--they've all done a great job of picking spouses who are pretty damn great too! Amazing how they pulled together to get Good Old Mom out of the old homestead and into the new, more streamlined easier-to-navigate (no stairs!) place.

Oh, you'd like to see what it's looking like? Okay, here's a bit of a virtual tour. Bear in mind that there are a whole lot of unpacked boxes in these pictures, and a whole garage full of more "stuff" that needs to be gone through. Books, for instance. Don't be deceived by pictures showing a little room on one shelf or two--there are still books double-stacked on other shelves.

Kitchen

 So far I've been able to fit most of the "necessities" into the kitchen. It does help that a lot of kitchen stuff is consumables--cleaning supplies, food, coffee fixings--so as I work my way through them it will ease up on the storage situation.

I do miss the big pantry at the old house. And the slide-out drawers for the lower cabinets. So far, the stove and microwave are performing well. The dishwasher is on sufferance. I'll give it a fair trial, though when I made soup last week it took two loads to do what I used to do in one.

View from the kitchen window

Wide hallway = library wall

Fireplace wall

Living room--knitting nook

 The kitchen window looks out on the street and beyond to the hills and the freeway. The trees in the yards across the street do a great job of visually shielding the freeway, and inside the house there's very little noise.

I was hoping to hang the stained-glass watermelon in the window, but it's one of those vinyl all in one units and there's nothing to hang from. For now it's propped up there.

Dining area.

Indoor laundry. No steps. Nirvana!

Bedroom, with wall o' mirror and cat

Nucleus of the sewing area.

Desk and bookcase.

These three bookcases were in the back room at the old house but here there's room to line them up along the wall in the hallway. I do need to go through them (again!) and see if I can cull the collection one more time.

But that's a project for another day, or maybe for next year.

The tall bookcases that held my knitting and quilting books are in the new "office." Oddly enough, they are overflowing, and yet there was space on them in the old place. Hmmm....

Shyla has found her nest.

Living room and fireplace. The "thing" with the metal shelves is the TV stand/entertainment center. It's working all right although the placement here means that the shelving on one side is inaccessible so no room for CDs.

Might be shopping for a replacement but that's way down the road. For now it functions the way it's supposed to: holds the TV, Dish box, and DVD player.



My furniture fits just fine--the smaller scale of these pieces works in the room.  My eucalyptus
lamp works well for knitting light.












Almost sold the dining room table and chairs with the house, but now I'm glad I didn't. They fit just fine here.

We wondered about the placement of the light fixture because there's no room to center a table under it. Aha--it's centered with the kitchen window. If you stand directly in front of the window from outside, the light is centered. Odd but I guess it works.



Thanks to Meg and Marcia, the washer and dryer look practically new! I love having them in the house. So much more pleasant to do laundry now that I don't have to go down those steps to the dark dank garage!

I know, I should have had this arrangement all along. It would have been wonderful back in the days of three-in-diapers  (when all we had to choose from was cloth or cloth).

Doesn't stop me from appreciating it now!



I chose the smaller of the two bedrooms for my sleeping room. It's got more room that I had thought at first, so now I have two dressers and my armoire in it along with my bed. It's on the darker side of the house so it doesn't get the full blast of the morning sun. That's a mixed blessing for someone like me who's a slug in the mornings.

You can't see all the boxes still in here. There's a huge "mountain" that I need to get over--most of them are filled with memorabilia and things of little intrinsic worth but tons of sentiment.tic


The larger bedroom will make a great workroom. For now it's been dubbed "The Office" but we'll see if that sticks. That's my sewing machine cabinet setup starting there--the serger unit is stuck under the main piece, probably because both of their wheels have sunk into the carpet. Until I can get it freed I can't really set up the machines.

To the left of the rocker but out of the picture are the two tall black and white bookcases. The wall is a little too short to hold the CD rack as well so it's in limbo right now.


Here's the other side of the room. The left corner shows the machines in their boxes/carry cases and some of the files that haven't found a home yet.

The bookcase is put together from the two lawyers' bookcases I was trying so hard to sell. Ferdi helped me pick the better of the two bases and top units, and then stacked up the bookshelf sections. Out in the garage for now are the two lateral file sections and the other top and base.

I may decide to use them as long term filing space, but that's in the future.

HiHi has adjusted pretty well to the move. He's a little, okay a lot, clingier and sticks closer to me than he used to, but that's to be expected when he spent so much time at the vet's being boarded.

Shyla on the other hand is not nearly so shy. She has found herself a corner of the closet where she feels safe but she's not spooky about it. I go in to visit and pet her several times a day and I know she's coming out and eating, so I think it's just going to be a matter of time before she's coming out as much as she did before. Doesn't help that there's only one bed here--she and HiHi don't share very well!

So there you have it, the preliminary view of the new place. I deliberately didn't take a picture of the garage yet, nor the storage unit, but they are definitely on the agenda to be done ASAP. Seems among the little things the seller omitted to tell me is that there's a requirement in the CC&Rs that I have to park in the garage. Yeah. I think I'll be able to do it, but it's going to take some work to get there.

I can hardly wait to get back to quilting! At least I've been able to pick up my knitting again.