SAL Block 1 Finished

Reading the information, I should be making about two blocks a month... so block 1 is now complete, and I wait for block 2 to post. I guess I could go back to quilting on the kaleidoscope quilt now.

What I'm Working On

I actually have a few projects underway, but now that summer has hit, I tend to like to have some sort of hand project in the works.  I suppose I could have pulled out my grandmother's flower garden blocks, but where's the fun in that? I need another UFO, right?  Primitive Gatherings has its 10 Anniversary Stitch Along (SAL) open, and I decided to jump in.  I'm not quite sure how the SAL works, how many blocks will be in this quilt and when the new blocks will post, but I am now mostly done with the first block:


I still have the leaves to attach and stitch the last 6 flower centers. Link to Lisa Bongean's blog, the SAL link with pattern is in a button on the top right side of the page.

I had a little confusion about another quilt that she recently also posted about.  I thought the one I'm working on above was it, but when she posted a picture of the final quilt, I found that this block was not in it.  So guess who decided to purchase that Sunflower Block of the Week (SBOW) project too?  Here is a link to that post: http://lisabongean.com/2014/06/19/the-wool-sbow-finishedsummer-gatherings/  I dare you not to fall in love with that one!

I wasn't sure if I would purchase any other wool projects because of having the dye leave many of the wools in my Folk Art Album quilt, but I decided to go ahead and do both projects knowing full well that washing won't be in either quilts futures--plus I will add that to the labels.

Unwashed top:


So that's my update.  I still need to quilt on the kaleidoscope quilt, I am about a third of the way done.  My plan of doing a row a day hasn't been working out so well.  This is typical of summer for me.  It gets very warm in my quilt room, and sitting at the machine doesn't sound very inviting.  However, I found a small table top fan that I've seen others use at various quilt retreats, and in using it, quilting is much more enjoyable in that warm room.

A Father's Day Quilt

A few months ago, Kevin and I did a major cleanout and donation run with all the clothing neither of us wear anymore.  Kevin literally has hundreds of t-shirts... many freebie's from work or trade shows he attended.  Some were actually purchased.  From the ones that he culled, I pulled aside the Mariners or sports-related tee's that he was ready to get rid of to make into a quilt.  I have made one other t-shirt quilt using my college sweatshirts, t-shirts, my high school grad t-shirt, and when I needed some more material I printed off my diploma and my picture from graduation.

College quilt, not a great presentation but it's from the "archives":


That was a learning experience.  I used pieces of material as filler, and then framed it with some Robyn Pandolph fabrics that worked with the crimson.  Finished in 2006.  I used a fleece backing (a Washington State University fabric) and it has a batting.  Along with the sweatshirt material, this is a heavy quilt.  AND the preferred quilt by all the guys in the house.

So with that learning experience under my belt, I went for a more planned version for Kevin's Father's Day quilt:


Though most of the shirts were from the Mariners (we had season tickets for a couple of years, so there is a freebie or two along with purchases), I included a shirt from our honeymoon in 1996 (we went to a Giants game, they lost), a shirt from when he was a coach for Daniel's little league team, and then the Texas shirt? I am not sure where that came from, but we'll say that represents Daniel's birth state :)


I'm not really sure how the shadow effect worked, I'm wondering if I should have used half square triangles in the corner where the white squares are, or maybe framed the blocks first.  The best looking one, imo, is the red with the shadow.  The white shirts don't look as good.


The quilt ended up being literally a "(almost) quilt in a day" quilt.  I worked on it for the day when Kevin and the boys were at cub scout family camp (yeah, I am feeling guilty about not going, but boarding the dog was not something I wanted to do.  I need to see if any neighbor's might want to check in on him next time).  My binding got a bit stretched when I was sewing it on, so it has a slight wave to it.  I am attributing that to the fleece mainly, that takes some getting used to.  At least with the t-shirt material, it had a stabilizer ironed down so the stretch and curl did not happen.

Two issues I had:
1) rubbery screen printed shirts are hard to quilt with, using a foot that isn't metal may help with the "glide" factor.
2) I used a very lightweight interfacing that I also used in my first quilt--well, I think it was a bit too lightweight compared to the other lightweight interfacing I just bought.  The shirts that had the newer interfacing quilted much better and they hardly stretched at all during the quilting process.

And our happy customer:

Happy Father's Day!

My dad passed away in 2002.  It doesn't seem like it was that long ago--and then it seems like it has been forever.  Father's Day and Mother's Day seem kind of like just another day of the week, but it is nice to remember our parents if there are fond memories to recall.  My childhood was pretty good, I was blessed with loving parents and really I couldn't ask for anything more.

My brother, sister and I with Dad.  I love looking back at old pictures and seeing how much things have changed.  That dirt road (that used to just lead to someone's driveway) is now a through street, and paved.


My dad was a lineman with Seattle City Light and Snohomish County PUD, back in the days when linemen still actually climbed poles.




My maternal grandpa.  I loved him, he was a funny, funny character.  The stories he would tell are very missed.  He had a great sense of humor.  Grandpa Olson passed away in 1985 when I was 15, during heart surgery.  I had a first date with someone who would become my first real boyfriend that evening.  We were on the Space Needle observation deck when he passed away.  My dad's own dad was someone who really wasn't a kind person, so my Grandpa Olson became someone he really looked up to.  I wouldn't say he was a replacement dad, but I'm sure it was along those lines.


At the cabin on Lake Roesiger in Snohomish.  I remember those swim trunks like yesterday, I don't think he ever bought a new, updated pair.  At least until the 90's hit. This pic was taken in the early 70's.



Putting up the lights.  I miss that house in Edmonds.  I drive by occasionally, and it has changed a lot.  It is now on its 2nd owner since Mom sold it in 2003 before she passed away.


Happy Father's Day to the man that could fix anything and was a superhero in my eyes. Picture from a year or so before Dad passed away:


I realize I never posted anything on Mother's Day, which was unintentional.  Maybe next year I will post my walk down memory lane with the woman I love and miss so much.  Dad was my superhero, Mom was my best friend.

Kaleidoscope Quilting

I finally figured out how I was going to quilt the kaleidoscope quilt, and it is going to take some time.  Four blocks partially done with straight line quilting, 59 to go.  I have a plan for free motion quilting in the other part of the triangles, but I figured I would get the part I like least finished first.  I like the effect, just not the time it takes.

Unnamed Project and Life

I am now finished making 28 of one set of blocks, and I plan to put together rows as I finish up the stars.  I had some fun with an iphone filter:

I have to admit that I do like how it is coming along and I think it will be well received.

Close up of the fabrics, this is actually very close to reality.

---This next part is about lifestyle/diet and exercise.  If that isn't an interest, you can stop reading here. just know this is mainly for me to remember at this moment why I am not giving up on myself.

So my life update.  When I started up this blog at blogspot, it was a private one for just me to keep track of my diet and exercise, mixed in with journaling.  When my main blog got taken over by a spaming virus (one that we couldn't get rid of as it had embedded itself into just about every post), I gave up blogging and dropped that blog (we hosted it, so we were the tech support on that issue).  Once I really started to get back into quilting again earlier this year, I decided to open up this blog publicly and hide or delete what I had written in regards to lifestyle.  Let's face it, I had about given up on myself in that regard as it was.

I've had enough.  I just looked back at my CalorieKing calorie/exercise program and found that the only time I input anything there is when my period hits.  Even that is starting to phase out (hello peri-menopause!).  After doing a lot of work in the yard this past weekend and being worn out, I told Kevin that I need to start walking again, and I did.  I am also journaling meals again.  I hate doing that, but I need to do that to stay accountable.  It's very easy to snack all day if I don't.

So another little "feature" is that CalorieKing has a section for measurements.  Uffda.  I am officially back to my highest weight, and I am officially back to my measurements from 12/12/2011.  That's 2.5 years lost in the progress I made.  It's approx 20" altogether regained.  That is not acceptable.  I believe my problem snowballed when I viewed the enormity of the weight I need to lose, mix that in with self-doubt, daily life, emotional sadness, etc, I use food to fill up those areas.  I know so many other people do too so this isn't a huge revelation.

But it's time for me to stop and to break down these goals.  So it's back on the treadmill, it's back to journaling meals, it's back to new responses to all that self-doubt and other daily issues that spring up.  I want to get back to feeling good again physically and I don't want to be chained to junk food in response to depression.  

So what will I do when I am on the downside of this hill (right now I am feeling good about changing direction)?  Drink some water for one, remember small goals, and respond more appropriately (the kids may be acting out, but eating a brownie won't fix that).

I've noticed a few of the diet/exercise bloggers that I enjoy reading have also hit snags in their progress.  It's a part of life, I'm not really sure if there is a person who is able to stay the same ideal (or in my case, ideal-ish) weight all their lives.  So many people struggle with it.  I just wish it didn't take up 90% of the thoughts I have through the day.

Time for some water :)

New Project

First, let me say that it is a pain in the rear to have two different gmail accounts (my normal email is run through gmail even though the domain is different).  I am so tired of gmail being connected with everything that google acquires!!  I am frustrated with automatically being signed out of my email when I want to simply create a blog post.  And don't even get me started on youtube and the connection with g+.  I am wondering if I can just deactivate my g+ account and not even have to deal with it.  ARGH!  Google is VERY FRUSTRATING right now.

On to a new quilt that will be a gift.
Trying to decide if I am going to be happy with the outcome of this quilt--or if I am being too critical.  What I had to go on was teal and light browns/earth tones.  I found the Stonehenge fabrics by Northcott to have some great earthy browns.  I ended up buying fq packs and yardage (ton of...) of teal.  Overall the fq packs (I bought "Sandstone", "Tree Bark", and "Copper Penny" packs from The Fat Quarter Shop) were good for variety, but unfortunately I made some wrong cuts and had to buy more... For the amount invested, I am feeling a bit disappointed.

Picture with a flash and no other lights on, a little washed out.


So for the amount of mediums and darks vs lights, I had to change around the fabric placement.  I originally had a different plan in my first test block (top left corner), but I am pretty much done with buying fabrics for a while.  For the light parts, I had a variety of cream batiks.

I'll keep plugging away, but with Kevin not seeming too excited about it, I'm not sure how I feel.