Goals reached and things to aim for

How did my goals go for January. All in all, pretty well.

• I finished the feathered star block (actually finished two. Can I claim one as February?)
• Finished on Prayer and Square quilt
• Continued working on Autumn Blossom quilt and quilting one block a day
• Made blocks for the word quilt. I'm not sure my goal was one block a day or a month or a week or what. Anyway I've completed 8.
• Got a start on the kindergarten bazaar quilt

As for February's goals... They are going to be about the same as January's. That's not too interesting!

• Make one Prayer and Square flimsy
• Make one block a week (that's four total) for the word quilt
• Get the kindergarten bazaar quilt blocks all made (24?)
• Finish the Autumn Blossom quilt
• Make another feathered star block when the Autumn Blossom is finished

I'm also going to check out Judy's Hour a Day quilt (I keep checking it out and never do it!)

OK. Take a deep breath and dive into February!

Some History

I've decided to give some history and show how I came to fall in love with patchwork to begin with.


When I was in college, probably in my jr. year, there must have been a school bazaar or something (I don't even remember what it was) and when I walked into the main room there was this lovely quilt hanging there. I admired it even though I had never done any quilting or patchwork or even had an interest before. While I stood there looking at the quilt some lady came over and asked if I wanted to buy a raffle ticket since the quilt was being raffled over a year long period as a fund raising event for the college. Ok, why not. It was only one dollar for a ticket so I paid and filled out the little ticket. I remember asking when the raffle ticket would be drawn and on hearing that it would be sometime in December (I don't remember what the date of this bazaar was) I said I wouldn't be around on that date, that I would be on Christmas break and back home in California. The lady assured me that if I put my home phone number on my ticket, that they would call me if I won.

I completely forgot about the whole thing until one night back in California when I got a phone call telling me I'd won the quilt! I know I was very excited but I don't remember if they sent the quilt to California or if I just picked it up when I returned to school in January. At any rate I fell in love with my quilt! It is quite large and probably could fit on a double bed since it drags on the floor when I've had it on a single bed. (Remember, I live in Japan and haven't slept in a bed for years). The colors are basically red, white and blue because the year was 1976, the Bicentennial year. That means I've had this quilt for 30 years! Though it isn't particularly finely quilted, the pattern is very nice and stands out in a lovely blue. It was made by the college Mothers club (that's what the "label" says) and I honestly don't remember if I ever thanked anyone for this treasure. Probably not. I was a self-centered college girl and I'm ashamed to say I wasn't big on thank you notes. I probably just took my quilt, bragged to my friends, showed it off in my dorm and never said a word of gratitude to the women who put long hours into making it. I'm sure those ladies have no idea what a difference their quilt made in my life!

For the next year and a half the quilt graced my dorm rooms and without a care in the world I spilled coffee on it, let it get stained by ink pens, must have dropped pizza and ketchup on it. It is stained here and there. I really did love it though and of course it came with me when I came to Japan and was either folded in a corner or in a closet. No bed remember.

After I got married and was no longer working, I looked at my quilt and decided I wanted to try to make something similar and with book in hand (Japanese book so I really had no idea what it said) I bought cheap fabric at a mom and pop store and put together a couple baby quilts for friends. What horrors they were! Amongst other things, I had no idea there was such a thing as batting and instead bought cushion filling and tried pulling it apart evenly and then quilting it into place. A horrid lumpy thing (I bet I have a picture of that somewhere that I could scan...) with very odd colors.

When Takumi was born (he's 21 now) I took a real patchwork class for 6 months and made bags, baby quilts and even a large sampler quilt, but it wasn't until he started kindergarten that I suggested to a couple of friends that we make a bed sized quilt and raffle it at the kindergarten bazaar as a fund raiser. History comes back to us. The first effort was again horrid and we didn't do it again for another three years I think. Since then, we've made and raffled 11 quilts, 11 years of love and work and pride and friendship. My college quilt has influenced my life more than anyone ever would have thought! Thank you so much Lewis and Clark Mothers Club!

Muffins

Yesterday I spent the afternoon making chocolate chip muffins from the recipe on the Be*Mused blog. The reason it took me all afternoon to make them is because my trusty oven (which I've had about 25 years) only bakes 6 muffins at a time! (I made 21 muffins) Let Tetsu sample one and then took the rest with me to the evening Praise and Worship hour at church. I'm always a big hit with my baking no matter how things turn out since most Japanese women don't have an oven to begin with so they are unfamiliar with homemade cookies, cakes and pies. The ones who do have an oven are nearly professional and those women will even package up cookies in individual cellophane bags with stickers etc to make them look store bought. Well my slightly burned, multi-shaped cookies and muffins will never win any prizes but they are better than nothing!

I made another word for my word quilt. I sort of have to figure out how many letters I can get from one fat quarter of fabric so since my last word was long, this one had to be short. Also got a lot of quilting done yesterday so it was a profitable day.

Can somebody tell me how to input pictures in the middle of my post? They always come out on the top no matter where I think I am putting them. Ah well. I may always be a novice blogger....

My first comment!

Oooohhhh!!!!

My first comment on the blog! Thanks Anne!

I made a comment on her blog about the Star and Heart quilt and wondered if I needed permission to copy it. I decided if I was looking into other people's blogs it was hardly fair to post a question and leave the person in the dark about who I am. Sooo... I switched to full permission to see this blog. Up until now it has only been Leiya, Takumi, Noriko-san and Ochiai-san.

Now I wonder how much I need to get permission to post pictures of people. Most of the blogs that I look at don't have too many pictures of people, maybe a few family members. I guess I just ask...

And now I really feel the incentive to get more handwork done and show that I really am a quilter! Well, today I have nothing more than a picture of the bazaar quilt from two years ago. (Last year's I already posted). I hope this year's will go as well. Looking forward to Thursday quilting day and telling people I've made contact with the original creator!

Falling behind

Tetsu and I had a nice breakfast at Denny's this morning. We do that every couple of weeks or so and we get a lot of talking done that we couldn't do with the TV going . (Not to say that we couldn't turn off the TV but we don't). Told Tetsu about MacDonalds yesterday and he just shook his head at the crazy foreign wife he has.

Got one more word done on the word quilt. I wonder how many I'm going to do? I still have fabric... I guess until I'm tired of it. Well, Leiya is viewing this blog so I suppose it will be no secret. Any suggestions Leiya? Do you want me to add the word "stubborn". (That's your word for yourself. Not mine! You are always sweet and loving!)

No quilting done yesterday. I'm falling behind~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

An experiment

Why do I have a picture of empty Mac containers? Well, today I tried an experiment. I found an interesting newspaper article on Flylady that I've been reading with some of my English classes. I decided I ought to try it out myself. Well, I'm amazed that it took me over a week to work up my courage but today I went to MacDonald's in Imaichi and went through the drive through lane.

At first I considered Kentucky Fried Chicken and Mos Burger (the only other places I could think of with drive through lanes) but finially opted on Mac, not because I wanted to eat one of their burgers so much but because it probably has more business then KFC and Mos Burger is too messy to eat in the car. But the reason I was going wasn't to eat a burger. The reason was to buy the car in back of me lunch!

I pulled up to the microphone at Mac and ordered a value meal. ￥550 yen. I noticed a car had pulled in behind me but I decided not to check out who was in the car because then I'd start getting judgemental and think, "oh no. I don't want to buy lunch for him." I drove up to the window and by now my heart was pounding. I paid for my meal and the girl gave me my drink. My palms were sweating. I told her that I wanted to pay for the order of the car behind me and she looked at me like I was nuts. That's what I was afraid of. She said she hadn't taken their order yet and I said if she would take their order, then I would pay but please not to mention it to them. She got a strange expression on her face. She sort of disappeared into the kitchen area and I'm pretty sure she was asking her manager what she should do about this strange lady. The manager came and glanced at me and must have given the ok, because the girl came back and said the order behind me was ￥1750. That was ok by me. I had decided that the sky was the limit this first time around. She gave me my order, and I paid the next cars' order and the girl asked me if I knew the people in the next car. "No". I said. "Just wish them a nice day". In Japanese "yoi ichinichi wo." Then I left before the next car got up to the window.

Hmmm... My hands were shaking by this time. Why? Why was I feeling like I had done something bad? I didn't feel particularly like I'd done a good deed. Rather, maybe I'd caused problems for the girl, the manager, the person in the car behind me. Did the girl really tell the driver behind me that someone had paid for his order? Did the person feel that someone was playing a trick or out to get him some other way? Did they all think I was part of some strange cult? I could have used my money for a purpose I was sure about but I chose not to. Why?

Hopefully the driver behind me will have been pleasantly surprised that he didn't have to pay for his order. He might feel like he could someday do the same for someone else but I sort of doubt that. Maybe it brightened his day. Maybe it made a good story to tell people for the next couple of days and then a few people could get a laugh out of it and wonder about the strange experience. That at least might brighten up a few people's day. The absurdity of it all! The girl and the manager at Mac at least can ponder what it all meant and why anyone would be so crazy as to buy someone a meal when they didn't know them. Anyway, it was an interesting experiment.

Cute Baby!

As I had thought, yesterday I made very little progress with my handwork although I did get one block quilted. Today is not going to be much better since I have to leave in about 45 minutes and I'll be teaching again as soon as I get home.

On my walk with Choco just awhile ago, Kyoko-san called me over to show me the kimonos that she had brought back from her parents' house. She had mentioned that there were so many, and I suggested that I could make them into some patchworky thing. (Why can't I keep my mouth shut?) I was smart enough not to offer to make a quilt, but suggested a handbag, though in the back of my mind I'm thinking of a lap quilt. Anyway, she has 5 or 6 kimonos that could be made into a nice quilt if I'm willing to put the work into it. I'll have to think this through a bit more. I've never worked with kimono material though I know a lot of people do...

Here is a picture of Noro-san and Noa-chan. Noro-san came for English this morning and brought Yoshiko-san and Noa-chan, a first. They were going into Utsunomiya after English so that's why Yoshiko and Noa came too. Cute baby!

Cats

Wednesday, remember, is not my day for handwork. And today is Wednesday and I need to be off in 30 minutes and I haven't taken a shower yet, so this will be short.

Did not get upstairs yesterday but did do my quota of quilting. I'm falling behind on the border but that can't be helped. It is longer and more complicated anyway. I'll probably fall behind today too.

Here are Velvet and Cleo. They sit on the heater and warm their rear ends. Let's see, I think I have now posted pictures of all the animals we own. Choco, Lemi, Velvet, Cleo and Patora.

Well, off I go!

Day with Furui-san

I had a great time yesterday with Furui-san when I went over to pick up some templates she was making for out next bazaar quilt. I had suggested a stars and hearts quilt (found on Anne Bebbington's website Jan. 16) and we talked about other possibilities like the pinwheel quilt etc. We tentatively decided on the star and heart (what is it really called?) but I had found machine piecing instructions on Quilter's Cache so I made that suggestion. Did we really want to make 30 blocks by hand (maybe 4 or 5 of us) and then do all the heart applique and then do an applique border too? OR... We could make bigger blocks by machine and only have to make 20 or 24 and devote any more time to the applique.

Let's try a block. Ok.
Get out your stash of fabric (Furui-san has more fabric than even I do!) Get out the roller cutter, the mat, the pencils, the sewing machine the scissors. I cut and she sewed (it's her machine). And "voila!" in a short amount of time we had a block and I had cut out enough background fabric for the rest of the quilt! Ok. This is the way to go. Sooo... We'll cut dark fabric from our stash this week and on Feb. 1st when the others come, we will have a conveyer belt system with someone sewing, someone marking, someone ironing, someone cutting (not in that order). I also explained the way Bonnie can make use of the triangles that we cut off (which I learned when making the Autumn Blossom quilt, she calls it her Pineapple Blossom quilt) and that was a great incentive to do this machine-wise. Also explained the leader-ender system of Bonnie's and Furui-san was thrilled with the result of the major block being made plus lots of leader-enders plus lots of triangle blocks. I saved all the garbage from my cuttings and brought them home. What a pack rat!

I stayed much longer than I had expected but we got a sewing day in that we hadn't really planned. Boy! Do I love patchwork!

Sewing on Sunday

Let's see... Even though yesterday was Sunday, I got a bit of sewing done while Tetsu was sleeping on the sofa. I brought Choco in in in the late afternoon and wouldn't you know, she climbs on the sofa (on Tetsu!) and there they slept! I don't usually let her get up on the sofa but if Tetsu doesn't mind.....

While sewing, major disaster seemed to strike! I broke a machine needle in the machine. (Who knows why). I tried putting a new needle in but the machine locked up again. I jiggled the bobbin holder. The machine is locked. I figured out how to take the foot cover off and look down into the machine workings and saw an awful lot of junk in there so got out the little brush that came with the machine (and which I've never used in the maybe 10 years I've had this machine!). I started brushing and cleaning and look what I came out with! All that from the depths of my trusty sewing machine. It made me feel bad that I haven't taken better care of it. Anyway, I cleaned and prodded and heard something click and when I put the machine back together again, it purred nicely as I sewed. SO.... I think I fixed the sewing machine! I promise to clean it more often!

I spent the rest of the afternoon/evening sewing more words, this time with some batik fabric. I think I can make one word out of one fat quarter and maybe two if the words are short.

It is interesting thinking about this word quilt. What words would I use for Leiya. Happy, caring, imaginative, etc. Then my mind tries Japanese words. "ganbariya" "doryokuka" "sunao". But these words don't translate that well into English. I mean, how flattering is it to be called "hardworking", or "stickler" or "obedient". Very BLAH words in English but quite praiseworthy in Japanese. I'll stick with straight English.

Sewing Saturday

Not too much time here so this may be short.

I spent the morning making soup as I reported. It was delicious and I had a great lunch all by myself. Unfortunately, Tetsu didn't make it home for dinner (he went out with other staff) so I ate soup alone by myself again, and finally we've had it again for breakfast. I guess I'm getting souped out.

After the soup making, I started sewing upstairs again and got two more words done. "happy" and "joyful". Both were short words (as compared to "imaginative") so they were done easily. I think I'd like to try working in some other fabric next. I hope I have enough of one batik to make a word. I only bought fat quarters last year.

In the afternoon I spent the rest of the day quilting and I'm plugging away on that project. Here is a corner of the quilt with my feather pattern going over fabric. This is the first time for me to try this and I'm not sure I like it or not. It might be easier to just put it in the one border and stitch in the ditch in the other. Well, we live and learn.

Also got an e-mail written to Leiya. Dare I show a picture of her here? Maybe a small one?

Chicken Soup

A lazy Saturday with nothing planned. So what do I do? I start cooking a pot of Judy's chicken soup.
Looks pretty good so far. Didn't have enough carrots so made due with what I had. Also skimped on the cream cheese a bit since I'm not sure how Tetsu's going to react to having cream cheese in his soup. The cream cheese doesn't melt down completely, so he is definitely going to see the cheese chunks in his soup and ask me what they are. I made a double recipe so I sure hope it's good!

Yesterday I went upstairs and sewed! Yeah! I made one word block that says "imaginative". Why? I don't know. I still have this idea that I'm going to copy Tonya's idea and pick out words. This sort of looks like it's evolving into a quilt for Leiya since I try to think up words that suit her. Hmm. I wonder if Takumi is going to feel I'm playing favorites. What do mothers do who have four or five children?!

I talked with Furui-san yesterday and we may go ahead with the Star and Heart quilt that I like which I found on Quilting Bebbs website (January 16). Furui-san is going to try and make some templates for that and we will start with the idea that we'll piece by hand. If there aren't enough people to help us out, we may go for machine piecing so I'll have to figure out how to do that. We're a bit leery about the applique, especially the hearts since I hear hearts are a real bear. Of course we've done applique but the points and inverted points may be a headache to the inexperienced who may want to help. I'll try to see Furui-san next week and get the templates she's making.

And Ochiai-san, I'm happy to report, has finished all the stems on her lily blocks. Way to go! That was sure fast!

Gotta go quilt and sew!

Valentine

I need to get some sewing done so that I can show something. No matter how much I quilt, I don't see any major progress. I need to get up to my sewing room and make something!

I did get my Christmas cards down and put up an old heart quilt that I made years and years ago. I didn't put a label on the back (I know! I tell everyone I teach to put labels on!) so I have no idea how long ago I made it. Anyway, we're a little ahead of Valentines' Day and it is a bit small for the area I've put it but it is up.

Chatted with Furui-san yesterday about the Bazaar quilt. Hmmm. We really don't manage to get together that much so our time is limited (even though the bazaar is 10 months away). I sent pictures of things I've found on the blog so we'll see if we can come up with a plan before Feb. 1st when we hope to meet. I don't know how many times I've said that we just don't have the man power for the bazaar quilt anymore but we keep stitching away. This year I offered to make the major decisions so I'm not about to give up at this bazaar. Sometimes I think it would just be easier to machine piece a top all by myself and ask others to help me quilt it....

Christmas wall

I'm going to have to give in to the idea that I can't get any handwork done on Wednesdays. I wanted to put in at least an hour a day, but no go yesterday. So, I'm behind on my quilting and I haven't been in the sewing room since the weekend. That's not to say the day wasn't nice. Kindergarten in the morning, and English with Shibahata-san, Komatsu-san and Kamiyama-san. Then a little shopping, a walk with Choco, start dinner, a bit of time on the computer, then teaching again until 8:30 and dinner at 9:00. A busy day, but a good day.

Today I was off for Bible study after early morning English. No pictures to show so I decided to take one of the entrance wall before I take down all the Christmas cards. I'll do that after this posting. Christmas cards are colorful and some have pictures. I should do the same with New Year's cards but there are many more of those and that might be taking things a little far. Anyway, this is last year's Christmas wall.

A morning walk

Not much to write about. What a boring person! I did some quilting in the evening and got two blocks done and a little of the border but I'm not going to be able to keep up with all that.

Saw an old friend who used to do patchwork and was even a patchwork teacher but she seems burned out now and has stopped teaching, has stopped her little store she used to have, has put away her patchwork and even dreads doing the quilting on a major bed cover she was doing. Not that she doesn't have time! She just doesn't want to do it anymore. That's a little hard for me to understand. I have so many things I want to make and not enough time. I can't see me just sitting and watching TV all day and worrying about my health. But my friend is at least 10 years older than I am so who knows. I may get that way too someday....

Anyway, no handwork pictures but I was foresighted enough to take my camera on my walk this morning. The sunrise wasn't as nice as some I've seen so I'm settling for a nice picture of Choco looking out over the stream and the rice fields. Probably thinking about all the birds she might be chasing if I'd let her off her leash. Never!

Yeah Ochiai-san!

Today is a busy day so no time to spend on the computer. Sorry.

Yesterday I spent the early afternoon with Ochiai-san. I get so enthusiastic about the different blogs I read and the projects I see that I drag her along on the internet to look at everything forgetting that she doesn't really read English or at least not at a speed that would keep up with me. I already spend at least an hour reading blogs and that's in my native language! Anyway I gave her a challenge to get those pretty Carolina Lily blocks done (she has 12 to do) and this morning she reports that she's finished 6! (She was already to the finishing stem part.) Here I was challenging her to do one block a month or maybe one a week and she finished 6 in three or four hours! Good for you Ochiai-san!

Nope. I didn't meet my norm of quilting one block a day yesterday so I hope I can put some time in this evening and get one done if not two. I've started quilting the border too, so that is what is pulling me down. (Excuses, excuses).

New Fabric!

I didn't get much done today since it was Sunday. Went to church. Then went to Obaachan's house but she was depressed and had lots to complain about. That put Tetsu in a bad mood too so for the rest of the day he was grumpy. I decided not to waste my time tiptoeing around him and instead went to the library. Late in the evening when he had a meeting I got a minute amount of quilting done.

BUT, I did get my package from Thousands of Bolts with my 6 yards of fabric. Yeah! The light pink will be used for backing. The dark, flowered pink maybe for the word quilt (if I ever figure out what I'm going to do) and the orangish fabric of which there is 3 yards will be for a bigger quilt. I had Judy's gratitude quilt in mind but I might change my mind again.

And last, here is as far as I've gone on my word quilt. It is just laying on the background as of yet. Not sewn together as a phrase. Don't you think the black words are too striking? Especially if I want to put it together with pastel flower panels. Hmm... More thought needed.

Saturday

As you can see, I played around with the blogger yesterday. I'm not sure what that got me but anyway, I played.

Tetsu took off for the day so that left me time to quilt and piece. I'm making a word quilt that says "Bloom where you're planted". and I finised the words but don't know what to do next. The colors are bright/black and they are too strong for anything else! Why do I do this all the time! Maybe I should stay away from black. Anyway, I have some lovely panels of flowers that would be good to use but they are in soft pastels. Do it again in softer colors? Then what do I do with the words I've already made?

I'll take a pictue of that when I make a decision.

Also quilted quite a bit and am going around the last rows of blocks and trying my hand at the border too. The lines have faded away so it is giving me a headache but I'm supposed to be enjoying myself so I won't complain! As I said before, you don't want to see the same pictures of the Autumn quilt over and over so nothing to show you there either.

Today, we're off and about so no quilting?!

Shadow play

I got very little quilting done yesterday since it was a full day teaching, but I did take Choco on a long walk near the river. Mrs. Marukawa stopped and visited us on her way back to work. Her old dog Goemon died over New Year's and Choco and I had stopped by to pay our condolences which she was happy about. She's a nice lady and Goemon had a good life. I hope they get another dog someday.

This morning when Tetsu was putting in kerosene for our heater he called me out to show me the shadows playing on our porch. Kind of cute so here is a picture.

Plugging away

Sadly, since the vacation is over I find it hard to make time for any sewing. I forced myself to get the two blocks done yesterday but at last count I still have 25 left and the border. The border is fading away! By the time I get to it, it will be gone and I'll have to do something else! This happened once before and I don't know why. The pencil was the wrong weight? The fabric was treated with something? I can't remember if I washed the fabric or not... Ah well, just keep plugging away and do what I can.

A paraphrase that I found today.. "If life gets too busy for God it is time to cancel some activities." A reminder not to get so caught up in my sewing!

FAT CAT

I did absolutely nothing in the handwork department yesterday. I hurried off to the kindergarten to teach and took Cleo and Patora (meowing the whole way) with me and dropped them off at the vet for their yearly vaccinations. Picked them up a little before noon and was told that Patora is overweight. Probably Cleo too but Patora weighs one kilo more than Cleo. What to do? She doesn't really move much and rarely climbs up on anything preferring to sleep on the futon all day and everyday. I don't ever recall seeing her run. Obviously she isn't getting exercise but how do you give a cat exercise? She doesn't really play and chase things and she isn't going to go for a walk. The only solution is diet. Ok. I feed all cats twice a day, they don't get endless amounts of food, but though the other cats will leave a little when they are full, Patora just eats until it is gone and then eats anything left over from the other cats. I will try to put away all bowls as soon as a cat is finished eating so that Patora can't get at it.

Once back in Nikko sent money to Takumi and Leiya and then taught English until 8:00. Cooked dinner and finally sat down to 15 minutes of quilting just so I can say I did something creative. I'm off now to quilt two blocks since I didn't meet my norm yesterday.

Hi Takumi! Welcome to my blog!

Another block

Finished another feathered star block so I think I've eight all together now. Actually they are all rather dark and solid color looking though they all have a nice desigh and a dark variation of colors in them. My next may have to be in a light blue just so that they begin to look a little different. I don't think I have any more of the very dark/black fabric for the centers nor any more of the same color for the points. I wonder if Furui-san has anything I could use or should I just make a trip to the fabric store...

The only other quilty think to report is that I quilted a block. Oh! I know. I ordered fabric from Thousands of Bolts!
I wasn't going to order fabric for awhile but on the last Prayer and Square quilt I didn't have any backing for a pinkish quilt and of course I don't want that to happen again (of course!) so I broke down and ordered two yards and of course (of course!) had to order 4 more yards to justify the shipping charge. I found some pretty flowered pink that I've looked at numerous times and a multi-colored orange for any future project (gratitude quilt?).

But teaching has started so my handwork output may be low for awhile.. It was fun while it lasted!

Last day of vacation

Well, I don't think I have much to tell anyone today. What did I do yesterday? I cleaned and did a couple errands in the neighborhood in the morning. I finally sat down to some piecing in the afternoon but decided that it wasn't a priority so went back and did a block of quilting. I thought I'd take advantage of the last day of vacation so I started the word quilt, at least one word to see if it would go anywhere, but I guess I started too small or too narrow or something because my first word doesn't look like a word and I may tear it apart or start over or give up the idea completely. In the early evening went back to the feathered star block piecing but that is still in parts so nothing to show for the day. I guess I did get a letter written to Leiya though so that should have made her happy.

Here's a picture of my lovely dog who will only be good when she wants to be. Doesn't she look sweet and innocent. You'd never believe she has me yelling and yanking at her to "stay" or "sit" or "be quiet" or "come back" etc. etc.

Kimono Beauty

Something unquilty, but I had a nice visit from one of my former students when she came all dressed up in kimono to celebrate Coming of Age Day in Japan. Very lovely girl, very lovely kimono.

I got very little done in the way of quilting yesterday. Quilted one block, worked a little on the feathered star block. For some reason I dreamed last night of Bonnie and Tonya, both of whom I've never met or talked to or written to but I read their blogs a lot and my head swims with ideas from them so I guess they are in my subconscious. Kind of interesting, kind of scary how one's mind works...

Nothing to do?!

Yesterday I hurridly put in the ties for the quilt for Ai-san and even made a quicky label, then took it over to the church since I was to be there for my cleaning duties anyway. We will tie it and pray over it today at church.

That left me with NOTHING to do! Heaven forbid! I checked my goals. Yep, finished the Prayer and Square quilt for January. Yep, finished the feathered star block for January. Yep, did a quantity of quilting and that isn't really a goal that is reached each month but I figure if a do a little each month then the goal has been met. Yep, finished the Star of David quilt but as yet has to be quilted. I'm pretty sure I should do that by machine but don't know how to go about that yet so the rest of that project is on hold. Those were my January goals so I'm ahead.

I spent about an hour ironing an folding fabric to make more room in my drawers and it got cold upstairs so I came down and started tracing and cutting out more fabric for another Feathered Star block. So I guess I'm already working on my February block. (The reason I couldn't quilt was because two cats were sitting on the Autunm Blossom quilt.)

Another try at posting a picture of the latest Prayer and Square Quilt.

Another prayer and square quilt

I spent most of the day yesterday up in the sewing room (it is a mess again) and sewed up the tubes I had made the day before for the prayer quilt. I thought about leaving it in the flimsy stage but what the heck, I got it into a three layer sandwich. I had barely enough backing for it and I even started cutting up a long dress to use but there wasn't enough of that fabric. The batting too, barely was enough. For the Prayer and Square quilts, the batting I have is exactly the right size which means that it gives absolutely no leeway for warping or pulling. I struggled with it and went ahead and put on the binding too so now if I just put the ties on this morning then it will be ready if needed at church tomorrow. Hmm, the blogger won't let me upload the picture. I've heard of this happening to other bloggers but it's the first time for me. Try again tomorrow.

Often when I am on the sewing machine, I like to listen to gospel music but recently I just like to sew with my thoughts and think about the person I'm making it for and praying a little. As my mind wanders then I start praying for other people that pop into my mind. I wonder if I should stick a prayer list up on the wall so I can glance at it as I sew. I'll have to give that some thought. My sewing room could become my praying room...

Another prayer quilt

I changed my direction again yesterday and ended up sewing strips for a Prayer quilt. This one may be for Ai-san at church. (She hasn't asked for prayers yet but if she does I need the quilt by Sunday). So I went through my drawers and found pink fabric. Even though I had made a green spare to use in emergencies, that seemed to masculine so I started a pinkish one. I'll try to get that into the flimsy stage today.

Besides that, I did a bit of quilting, oh and I did clean up the sewing room. The quilting will be a long project. I figure I can quilt at least one block a day so with 48 blocks, that is already a month and a half long project. Of course that isn't even counting the extensive feathers in the borders and this is a big quilt so I guess I'll be looking at it until summer. And even that's hopeful thinking. Heaven forbid that I'm quilting it all year! I guess the goal is to be finished by summer. No sense showing pictures for awhile since it looks the same no matter how many blocks I quilt.

Two goals done

Well, I had a profitable day yesterday. I spent the morning working on making the triangles for the Star of David quilt and then spent the afternoon putting all the pieces together. Ta-Da!!! Star of David Flimsy done! Now what to do about quilting it. As I mentioned yesterday, I'm not so sure about the placement of colors but it's too late now. It looks nice. Why I made it I don't know. Just to say I did I guess.

Once the flimsy was done I went back to the Feathered Star block and spent till nearly 9:00 doing that too. Ta-Da!! January's block is finished! Wow, I'm really ahead of myself.

I guess my next project is going to be another Prayer and Square quilt or maybe a word quilt. Recently I'm thinking about putting the batiks on hold and doing a word quilt in scraps. It's amazing how I change my course of thought every day. I guess first off is cleaning up the sewing room! Tetsu's bound to complain that it looks worse than when Leiya lived there!

Yesterday's piecing

With Tetsu working all day and even staying overnight, I had lots of time yesterday. I cleaned first off (yeah me!). I don't know why I can not get myself to clean when Tetsu is around. Laundry? Pooh! Wash dishes? He can do it! Vacumn? Not on your life! But yesterday I was in a good mode and the house looked good by noon.

On New Year's Day, I noticed my wrist was sore but I couldn't imagine from what. Too much quilting? Maybe. Anyway, I don't want to get tendonitis so yesterday I stayed away from the quilting hoop and worked upstairs on the Star of David. Finished all the log cabin blocks and just have 6 triangle blocks to make and then I can start putting it all together. Going well. I suppose I could have given the color placement more thought but I was determined to use what I had in my drawers. No new fabric!

In the afternoon, I lazed all day and did the cutting and piecing for another feathered star block. This time in a great purple and dark blue paisly. I spent a lot of time watching old videos and by 9:00 at night I had gotten all the little pieces into larger pieces so if I have any time today I might even get that block finished. One block turns out to be a one day project and I wonder why I'm doing this piecing by hand, but this is not a race, it is supposed to be a relaxing, enjoyable time so I won't worry about what I might be doing if I pieced everything by machine.

Noticed on Tazzie Quilts some of her nice machine quilted feathered wreaths and I'd like to try my hand at that and practice some machine quilting if and when I find time. Always something new to do!

Yesterday's piecing

With Tetsu working all day and even staying overnight, I had lots of time yesterday. I cleaned first off (yeah me!). I don't know why I can not get myself to clean when Tetsu is around. Laundry? Pooh! Wash dishes? He can do it! Vacumn? Not on your life! But yesterday I was in a good mode and the house looked good by noon.

On New Year's Day, I noticed my wrist was sore but I couldn't imagine from what. Too much quilting? Maybe. Anyway, I don't want to get tendonitis so yesterday I stayed away from the quilting hoop and worked upstairs on the Star of David. Finished all the log cabin blocks and just have 6 triangle blocks to make and then I can start putting it all together. Going well. I suppose I could have given the color placement more thought but I was determined to use what I had in my drawers. No new fabric!

In the afternoon, I lazed all day and did the cutting and piecing for another feathered star block. This time in a great purple and dark blue paisly. I spent a lot of time watching old videos and by 9:00 at night I had gotten all the little pieces into larger pieces so if I have any time today I might even get that block finished. One block turns out to be a one day project and I wonder why I'm doing this piecing by hand, but this is not a race, it is supposed to be a relaxing, enjoyable time so I won't worry about what I might be doing if I pieced everything by machine.

Noticed on Tazzie Quilts some of her nice machine quilted feathered wreaths and I'd like to try my hand at that and practice some machine quilting if and when I find time. Always something new to do!

2006 finished quilts

I seem to have got things backwards but I decided I needed to see how much I got done last year (quiltingwise).

I finished the year with the five name quilts I made, one for Takumi and Leiya and one for each of the Dennis kids. That was a fun project and I may do another word quilt in 2007.

I joined the Prayers and Squares group in September, I think, and I made four quilts all using the Round the World pattern.

It wasn't my quilt but I helped quite alot on the kindergarten bazaar quilt so I'll take the liberty of posting that as one of my finished goals.

I'm not sure when I finished it but after four years of looking at it I finally finished the Hawaiian Quilt!

Sometime in June I finished a machine pieced quilt for Marlene. I really loved the hand quilting I did on it.

There were two baby quilts I made but I can't find the picture of one of them.

I guess I also got a Celtic quilt completed though it has been hanging around in the cupboard for a couple of years.

I did a mini-replica of the bazaar quilt from last year and that has been a wall hanging that gets a lot of comments.

At the first of the year I machine quilted a Block of the Month quilt from Ulas website and I was happy to have another paper pieced quilt under my belt.

Of course there are a couple of flimsys that are put away for someday quilting and of course blocks that have to be completed not to mention the Autumn Blossom quilt that is being quilted and the Star of David quilt that is upstairs on the sewing table. I'm sure I can think of more things. There were a few knitting projects, a few quick patchwork coaster projects and for awhile last year I was doing Chinese knotting too. Altogether a very good year!

2006 finished quilts

I seem to have got things backwards but I decided I needed to see how much I got done last year (quiltingwise).

I finished the year with the five name quilts I made, one for Takumi and Leiya and one for each of the Dennis kids. That was a fun project and I may do another word quilt in 2007.

I joined the Prayers and Squares group in September, I think, and I made four quilts all using the Round the World pattern.

It wasn't my quilt but I helped quite alot on the kindergarten bazaar quilt so I'll take the liberty of posting that as one of my finished goals.

I'm not sure when I finished it but after four years of looking at it I finally finished the Hawaiian Quilt!

Sometime in June I finished a machine pieced quilt for Marlene. I really loved the hand quilting I did on it.

There were two baby quilts I made but I can't find the picture of one of them.

I guess I also got a Celtic quilt completed though it has been hanging around in the cupboard for a couple of years.

I did a mini-replica of the bazaar quilt from last year and that has been a wall hanging that gets a lot of comments.

At the first of the year I machine quilted a Block of the Month quilt from Ulas website and I was happy to have another paper pieced quilt under my belt.

Of course there are a couple of flimsys that are put away for someday quilting and of course blocks that have to be completed not to mention the Autumn Blossom quilt that is being quilted and the Star of David quilt that is upstairs on the sewing table. I'm sure I can think of more things. There were a few knitting projects, a few quick patchwork coaster projects and for awhile last year I was doing Chinese knotting too. Altogether a very good year!