Temperature Quilt

Whoo! So excited to start the second row and see the tumbling blocks develop.

This is one of those projects where I will never be caught up. At least until year’s end.

But I’m happy if I can stay within a week of where I should be. Currently, I have daily blocks made through January 23 and about a week’s worth of parts prepped.

I won’t get much done tonight, since it’s Jackie-sleep-over time, but after that I’m ready for a weekend of tv watching and stitching. 

With ‘help’ from Lily, of course.

So Much Fun

“So much fun, too little time” was our motto for this past weekend. Teena was scheduled to leave early Monday morning, and we had lists of things we wanted to accomplish. 

On Friday, Teena cut fabric for a second bag- Noodlehead’s Super Tote, one of my favorites- 

before showing the girls how to make monkey bread 

and whipping up pizza dough 

so the little girls  -

and their parents - 

could make their own pizzas*.

Saturday we quilted with friends and on Sunday, Teena choose sewing her bag over a trip to Solvang (I think she is well and truly hooked on this sewing thing. 😁)

It literally took all day, but by evening she had a gorgeous new bag and some new skills, including how to install a recessed zipper. 

When she visited last year, Teena didn’t even own a sewing machine. Since then, she’s made at least six beautiful quilts and started her bag-making career. Can’t wait to see what she accomplishes before next year’s trip. 

* We forgot to put something under the baking monkey-bread, so when we turned up the temperature for the pizzas, we set off every smoke alarm in the house. To the point that hubby had to remove the batteries and leave them out overnight. Not a good thing, but it’s going to be a great “remember when” story.

Road Trip

Road To California was wonderful, as always.

From the Guild quilts hanging in the hallways, 

to judged quilts in the newly remodeled ballroom (the lighting is so.much.better!)

and shopping, shopping, shopping, everything seemed bigger and better. 

 My haul 

Round trip drive time was 4 hours - not as good as I’d hoped, but also not bad for Thursday almost-rush-hour in LA - and we spent 5 hours trying to visit all the vendors.

 Teena’s treasures

We came home exhausted but happy, and already making plans for next year.

 I 💕 this pattern

Sistering

We had grand plans for today, but Leanne got a stomach bug so Pop stayed home with her while Teena and I shopped for fabric at SuperBuzzy,

 I bought fabrics 1 and 3 for next Monday’s bag class 

and had a fantastic lunch that included New Orleans-style beignets. Yummmmmm.

I *may* have talked Teena into upgrading her iPhone 5 to an 11 Pro Max . . . (It’s so pretty! Plus, she’s going to Europe in May and needs the Pro’s great camera.) 

And tonight I taught her Sashiko. Tomorrow is Road to California- including a 3 hour round-trip drive (if we’re lucky and the traffic gods cooperate) - so we’re off to bed early. Gotta have energy for all those vendors! 

10-Hour Bags

My sister is visiting from Oregon* with a couple of fairly specific goals. One: A trip to Road To California (the biggest quilt show in my area); Two: make her first zippered bag.

So while we wait for our Road-trip (ha!) on Thursday, we pulled fabric and zippers from my stash, grabbed ByAnnie’s Clam Up pattern, and got to work. 

This is Teena’s first bag, first quilted fabric and first zipper. Trifecta! And it looks even better in person.

I’m so proud of my fussy-cut unicorn - still amazed I cut it just right and got the entire horn in there.  I’ve made a smaller version of this pattern before so you’d think we’d be able to whip through this in a couple of hours. But, no. We clocked in at almost 10 hours, with short breaks for lunch and dinner. 

I’m planning a third bag, in the largest size, to complete a set in Tula Pink fabrics. Maybe I should get on that before I forget how to do this again?

Teena’s last goal, the one she didn’t know she wanted? Making fast friends with my skittish kitty, who usually lets no one touch her but me. Lily *looooves* Teena. 

* After last year’s visit, my non-sewing sister bought a sewing machine, then a bigger, better machine, and completed a half-dozen gorgeous quilts. I’m so proud. 

Courage

I finally worked up the courage for the next step with my Tula Nova -

taking a perfectly fine (if a bit thick) quilt top

 Lily kitty “helped”

and cutting the back off. 

Just a small snip at first, 

using the Tula Pink duckbill shears purchased just for this project (they are fabulous!)

I was afraid I’d cut too deep and go through the top layer too - disaster! - but the “bill” kept the blade well away from the danger zone. 

And voilá!

 All hand-stitched

I pulled the remaining papers from the outer edge, pressed a couple of wayward seams and this baby is ready for long-arm quilting. Sew exciting!

Kid Bed Update

It took a couple of afternoons to get it fully installed, 

but the steps Pop made 

are now attached to Leanne and Jac’s modified bunk bed, 

 From 2011, when Naia and Leia got their new bed

the one we’ve been storing since Naia and Leia outgrew it.

I think it’s going to have a happy second life with very happy girls. 

Ballerina

Ballerina Jackie, in the house.

I’m not sure where she’s getting her moves - she’s never had ballet classes - but she *loves* walking and moving “like a ballerina.”

And she seems to know how to position her feet and hands, not just twirl around. 

Three-year olds are so much fun. (Pictures by Papa.)

Quilty Update

Saturday was a grand-free day, so while hubby worked on the stairs for the bunk bed he’s building Leanne and Jaclyn,  

I made progress on various quilty projects. 

Tula Nova is hand-appliquéd down and ready for the next step,

which is c.a.r.e.f.u.l.l.y. cutting out the inner circle of fabric so I can remove the remaining papers and get this ready for long-arm quilting. Hoping to have it completed by April, which will be a year from the workshop. Pretty fast for a hand-stitched project.

The Challenge quilt is coming along.

Lily “helped” by guarding my needs-to-be-cut pile.

She’s lucky to still have a tail after swishing it repeatedly over my in-motion rotary cutter. Good thing she’s cute.

And as long as I was cutting half-square triangles, why not sneak in this Valentine’s Day mini I just bought (I had a coupon! I couldn’t say ‘no’.) Just needs sewing together, and borders and quilting and binding. Piece of cake. 

Lastly, the first set of papers for my temperature quilt was too big (1 3/4” didn’t sound that large when I ordered them), so I made a few 1” papers to get going while I wait for the second order to arrive. This represents the first three days of January; each tumbling block finishes at 2” tall by 1 3/4” wide and I only need 363 more. This is going to be fun! Seriously.