So many hobbies!

New design

 

This is what I've been up to the past few days.  A design of my own that I'm rather excited about.  It's a little washed out because I had to use the flash.   The top is done except for a border of the green batik around the edges.  Now that I'm looking at it, I'm thinking the white borders should be a little smaller.  What do you think?  It looks even better in person but I stink at photography so you'll have to make do with this.

I entered my blue quilt in the Project Modern quilt challenge today.  I hope they take into account I'm a better quilter than I am a photographer.  I don't really think I'll win but stranger things have happened and entering is exciting.

Somehow, I'm managing to work on three quilts at the same time.  The green/copper quilt has it's binding stitched on and it waiting for me to blind stitch the back.  The green/purple quilt top above is almost done.  I had to order more of the green batik so I have a few days to wait until I can finish it.  And finally, a quilt top I finished last summer, I finally got the back finished.  Now I just have to find my Joann flyer so I can use a coupon to buy some batting (I refuse to pay full price if I don't have to).  It'll be good to finally get it done.  This one will have just straight line quilting so I can do it myself.  If I ever manage to get these things done, I'm probably going to list them in my Etsy store.  It's not like I have a use for all of them and maybe someone will love them more than I do.

 

 

The Big Declutter 2011

Four days of cleaning and decluttering resulted in two huge carloads to Salvation Army, three full bins of recycling, six bags of trash and two garbage bags full of clothes.  We got rid of two bookcases and a bench.  My place hasn't been this clean and open since I'm moved in ten years ago.  I have the best sister ever!  There's no way I could have done this without her organizing everything and cracking the whip when I got distracted.  Nicely, of course.  I actually feel lighter now that we're done.  Hopefully, she'll be back this summer to do the next stage which is rearranging what's here and buying the Expedite bookcases from IKEA that I've been coveting.  They'll give me extra storage and the nice, clean lines fit my personality.  She might even talk me into painting the place. 

I managed to get some quilting done in the evenings.  The green/copper quilt is now quilted and waiting for me to sew the binding.  Here's a detail shot:

 

I took a picture of the whole thing but the flash flattened everything.  I'm not really known for my photography but you already know that.

My sis did a little rearranging and created this new favorite perch:

 

In the morning, it's in full sun so needless to say, the cats love it.

Spun bunny

 

Spinning this was pure pleasure.  This is 100% angora yarn.  Oooo!  Aahhh!  Oh, yeah, this baby's soft!  And spun from stash fiber, I might add, so the stash is diminished.  This is a 2-ply, sport-weight yarn and I have no idea what I'm going to do with it, aside from entering it in the angora skein contest at the Michigan Fiber Festival in August. 

That's all I have to show for tonight.  I created my quilt sandwich for the green/copper quilt tonight but I'm still deciding if I'll be quilting it myself or have someone else quilt it.  The easiest way would be to quilt it free-motion but I really stink up the joint when I try it.  I could use my walking foot but it would be a pain in the rear with all the turning and adjusting.  So, free but frustrating or send it out and pay.  I'll likely quilt it myself because the free factor is hard to ignore.

I'll be away from the blog until Monday.  My sister is coming to help me declutter my condo so there won't be anything to show you anyway.  Maybe before and after pictures.  So, have a good weekend.  See you next week.

I was exhausted last night

Which is why last night's post is being written tonight.  Stress had me down for the count Sunday which meant I slept off and on all day yesterday and went to bed at 9:00.  I even slept through the thunderstorm we had around midnight (or so they tell me).

Most of Saturday was spent putting together my lastest quilt and most of the work on the back.  I'm still not wild about the colors but I'm sure someone will love it.  I do love the quirky nature of the pattern.  I got the idea for the quilt from one of the blogs I follow so I don't know if I'll be allowed to sell it in my Etsy store.  That's assuming, of course, that I don't screw up the quilting.  Here's the top:

 

And here's the currently-too-long back:

 

I'm kind of liking the back more than the front.  Figures.

The contest quilt is also done and photographed.  I need to write a couple of paragraphs on my inspiration for the quilt and then I'll be ready to submit it to the contest.  Who knows?  I might win.

 
 

And the back:

 

Tyr was keeping me company while I sewed:
 

And wrinkling my nicely ironed fabric.  *sigh*

Quilty

 

Couldn't wait until the weekend to start piecing this together.  I need to hold judgement until it's completed but the colors aren't wowing me.  It looked so much better in my head.  I toying with the idea of putting some of these quilts (that I really don't need) up for sale in my Etsy store.  I have no idea what else to do with them.  Speaking of quilts, I also worked tonight on the squares for a design of my own.  You know, I always thought blue was my favorite color but the more I work with color, whether quilting, dyeing, spinning or knitting, the less that seems to be true.  Lately, with quilting anyway, I seem to be into greens, oranges and purples (not in the same quilt).  My next in-process quilt, is going to be purple and green.  Purple?  I never thought of myself as a purple person but I saw the gorgeous green batik with flowers in different shades of purple.  I loved it and immediately started designing a quilt around that fabric.  Now I'm thinking most colors are my favorite colors.  Who knew!

I DO have startitis!

Just not with knitting.  Having a dozen knitting projects going at one time doesn't make sense to me.  It would take forever to finish anything.  But I found myself, tonight, starting yet another quilt.  The fabric is washed and ironed, waiting for me to finalize my design and start cutting.  This will be my own design.  ((I've just finished a glass of milk and Tyr, discovering her mouth won't reach the milk at the bottom of the glass, is dipping her paw in and licking the milk off it.  Who says cats are dumb.))  I think I'm more interested in finishing my own designs than I am in finishing quilts based on someone else's idea, which might explain why I have so many in-progress quilts.  Well, that and I could really use a design wall but can't figure out where to put it.  The upstairs hallway might work...

 

I have a Dr. Seuss pillowcase!  Isn't it awesome!  The Grinch, Horton, the Lorax, Sam I Am... what could be better?  I may have to make pillowcases for everyone in my family.  Oh, hey, that's what I need, more projects.  I wish there was some way I could chuck my job.  Then I'd have more time for the really important and fun things.  Alas, I still haven't found a way to be independently wealthy. 

Progress

 

I started cutting each square into quarters Friday night and with my very first cut, cut in the wronge place, ruining two squares.  It takes much less time if you cut a stack of two or three rather than one at a time.  After uttering words that would make my mom say, "Rebecca!" I decided that maybe I should wait until Saturday after a good night's sleep.  So after remaking the two squares I screwed up, I started stacking and cutting, which gave me this:

 

Arranging and piecing will have to wait until next weekend.  The rest of the weekend I spent stitching down the binding on my contest quilt.  Honestly, I'm really tired of blind stitching edges.  I've got about a side and a quarter to go so I'm getting close to finished.  Of course, then I'll have to use one of those sticky rollers on both front and back to get off the cat hair and the fuzzies from the batting.  While I was quilting and manhandling the quilt, little bits of batting came off and got all over the quilt. 

And now a bit of random:

1. I really hate the time change!
2. I'm Team: Jacob all the way.
3. There are bulbs coming up in my front garden!
4. I bought fabric to make myself a Dr. Seuss pillowcase.
5. My dad's birthday was yesterday.  He's 82!  Happy Birthday, Dad!
6. And a kitten shot:

 

Quilty stuff

Sorry I missed Tuesday's post.  I had computer issues:  there was a pop-up and being brain dead, I hit "yes" and then starting yelling "Noooooo!" when I realized what I'd done.  I then kept getting pop-ups that wouldn't go away.  I had to get my girlfriend to help me fix it.  Thanks, Al!

 

A pile of orange/copper squares and a pile of green squares sewn, ironed and trimmed and ready to be cut into quarters.  I've been working on these most of the last 2 days.  I really want to put this together but I need to finish sewing the binding on my contest quilt.   And then there's the orange quilt that just needs the back pieced and the easy triangle quilt that's cut but needs to be pieced.  And of course, I've got the fabric for two more quilts just waiting to be started.  I need a bigger place.  With more beds.

 

Sleeping Galen.

More fabric

Yeah, I bought more:

 

For my next quilt:  greens...

 

and the coppery oranges.

In addition to increasing my fabric stash, I also quilted my contest quilt.  I did some free-motion stitching practicing and frankly, I stink at it.  So, I brought out the walking foot and got busy.  Here's a sneak peek:

 

 

New fiber, new toy

 

BFL/silk from Woolgatherings.  I started spinning it at a spin-in last Saturday and the plan is for more 2-ply sock yarn.  It's looking good so far.

And, yesterday I got a new toy in the mail:

 

It's an amazing spindle from the Spanish Peacock purchased on Etsy.  All the weight is on the outside rim so this baby spins forever.