Blast of winter!

It was rainy and 42 degrees yesterday. Today is in the teens, snowy and windy. I wish I had a big quilt to work on today, it would be so much warmer having a quilt over my lap while I work on it, than sitting here at the computer with a heater on my feet. I have other work to finish and I'm planning my next auction quilt.

I feel like sewing but it's too ugly to go out and shop for some fabric. Hmmmmmmmm.........maybe I have something around here to sew a few neck pillows or purses or something.

A perfect sewing day.

Thinsulate not so thin

A relative of mine works at 3M-where they make Thinsulate. They can't sell any of the bolt after testing it so they give it to employees. She gave me this huge roll-I think it's about 105" long and many yards wide-it should last quite a while. Here's the roll as I tried to pull some off for the man-quilt.


Right now it is in the 2nd bathroom. It is wet ouside, I can't carry it, I have to drag it, so I needed to store it somewhere where the cats can't get to it. Since I'm here alone no one uses that bathroom. I will have to drag it out when I want to take a soak!

Not sure why they call it THINsulate.


I just googled Thinsulate to make sure that was the name of it (can't find the label) and found some really awful reveiws! "They" claim it shifts too much and is hard to quilt and is made for clothing more than for quilts. I haven't had any problems and I think I've used it for 3 full sized quilts. All I know is that it has sure saved me a LOT of money! And will continue for many quilts to come.

Done & Shipped!

I finished the man-quilt! I finished hand sewing the binding this morning, took a couple pictures and put it in a box and had it to the PO before 1:00. He should have it early next week. I hope it stays cold!

Quilts are much thicker when you tie them.

Here's the front:


And the back.



I really like it. I was surprised how long it took to tie. I don't think I'll do that again, although you never know. It was nice to be able to tie while snuggled with my Minnie Moo and watching tv-can't do that when machine quilting.

A Day Late and a Binding Short!

Well, I'm a day late for the Challenge, and not finished! I realized Sunday night that I had used the fabric I was going to use for my binding on the back of the quilt. It was too late to run out and get some fabric and I didn't have anything on hand that I liked. So I had to put it away.

I stopped and picked up some fabric for the binding after work on Monday, came home and cut it, pieced it, ironed it and sat down to pin it to the quilt. I got 2 pins in and the phone rang. It was my sister. I haven't talked to her since Christmas so a 2.5 hour conversation ensued! ACK! Although I didn't get the binding sewn on, I did get it pinned on and clipped all my ties while talking to her.

I was determined to finish tonight, but alas another phone call! This time my niece called, and an hour and a half conversation ensued. Then DH called, and another 45 min. on the phone! My ear is numb!

Anyhow, with all that talking the quilt isn't finished, but it's real close.



I don't normally spend so much time on the phone, but January has been over the top busy at work so I haven't spoken to any family-missing a quilt deadline is certainly worth catching up with those I love! Hmmmmmm.........maybe I need to do the calling next month.

Dang! The link is closed. Oh well, maybe next time. I'm not too embarrassed, it looks like 40 other people were late too!

Congratulations to all those who met their goal-AND got the results posted!

Man Quilt

My DH is off to school. He took our old quilt that is literally threadbare, with him. I decided he needed a quilt of his own. It is cold there so I needed to get it done quick! I decided on this pattern-I love this pattern. It is so easy and quick. I pieced the top and the back over the weekend. Thanks AmandaJean!




The focus fabric is from The Last Frontier line at robertkaufman.com

I'm not quite done. I am actually going to TIE it, not machine quilt. I'm not sure why, it just seems that it should be tied. My challange this week (check out Amy's Creative Side) is to get this tied, bound and MAILED.

Here is Josie helping me lay it out.

Here is Minnie and Jazzy checking it out-the only one that hasn't tried this out yet is Colt.

As I was pinning I looked over and there was Minnie sucking away! ACK! She has "issues" and sucking blankets is how she seems to sooth herself.

Minnie loves this quilt too!


Changes I made to this pattern-my stips for the pieced border are made from fat quarters and the stips measured about 11 to 12 inches. I didn't worry about them being the same length. I also made the inside and outside borders wider than the pattern called for. I wanted this to fit a queen bed. My finished quilt will be about 81"x91".

Wild Weekend!

My cousin and I took a rode trip this past weekend. Here are just a few of the highlights:


We had to share the road with this guy.

And with this guy.

Finished!

I forgot to post a picture of the actual finished product. It's a bit dark. There are actually 4 quilts in this picture that I've made.

Here's the back. It kind of looks like an H, hmmmmmm......not sure I'm crazy about that. But I really do love this quilt.

It measures 92"X80". Fits a queen size. This was a real bugger to quilt! I started in the summer and I had to quit and finish in September -it was too hot in July to have this big thing in my lap. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!