LA Quilter

I'll post pictures later when I get it all sorted out ...

But I pulled a "Vicky" and bought a gigantic box of miscellaneous blocks and scraps on eBay. These kinds of treasures are just so appealing to me.

There are over 150 blocks and partial blocks, and lots of scraps. They look to be from the '30s and '40s era.

This quilter had labeled everything so carefully. There were little scraps of paper pinned to some of the sets of blocks that said things like, "Need 3 more pink blocks," or "First row, top right."

I have purchased other lots like this before, and I love and treasure all of them. I will carefully iron out all the scrap pieces. There is a plastic bag in there with all the fabric scraps from one of the block projects that was in the box. I had to chuckle because the printing on the bag says, "100% Virgin Acrylic, Hand Loomed."

There are pieces hand basted to newspaper. I haven't looked at all of them, but I found an advertisement on one from Sulphur Springs, Texas.

Some of them are hand pieced with a very heavy thread - almost like floss. There are some blocks with machine piecing, but very few. I prefer to think she was a purist; she liked the process of hand piecing.

There are two sugar bags in there. The faint printing on one -- and I'll have to go back and look at it again -- says the Hershey Company in Cuba. My brother might be able to fill me in on some of that history.

Also, a couple of cardboard templates, hexies, with handwriting on them of how many she needed in certain colors. There are also paper templates that had obviously been used because there were pin marks in them.

I don't know. It's kind of sad, isn't it? I think she planned on finishing these projects but couldn't for one reason or another. She surely wouldn't have willingly abandoned projects that she had so carefully labeled.

Will our UFOs end up like this?

Will someone, years from now, lovingly buy them and take care of them, maybe try to finish some of the projects? Or are our quilting patterns now so mass produced that no one will care?

I'll add these to the others that I have collected, and make a promise to myself that when I retire I'm going to try to get a few completed.

I think she would smile down at that point knowing that maybe her work hadn't gone to waste. That some quilter cares.

The first six months are done! Yippee! Unfortunately, Month 7 just arrived ...

I like this month's blocks. Of course, there was only one of each size, but it went together very easily.

I'm debating whether to hop right into Month 7, which has a lot of fabric so there must be multiple blocks - or just take a breather and sew on other things for a couple of weeks.

Did you see the new Civil War Chronicles BOM that starts in January? Oh, yeah! I signed up for it because I read on the designer's blog that this one would be more quilter-friendly. And, of course, Kimberly will test and bless each block before they go out to her customers. I can't wait. It's a gorgeous quilt!

Gotta go! Penny says it's time to play!!

To say this BOM has been challenging for me is an understatement. I consider myself a very good piecer, but this quilt has, frankly, kicked my butt!

I almost had the blocks pieced when I realized I didn't have squares needed for the corners. What? I had cut out everything at once! Yep, I did. But I also miscut those blocks -- I proceeded to saw them in half thinking they were for more HSTs. The Fat Quarter Shop is very generous with their fabrics on BOMs, and I was able to get eight more 5" squares for the big blocks. But try as I might, I couldn't get the eight 3.5" blocks I needed for the small blocks out of the leftover fabric.



I had to order another small piece. Okay, so I forgot to put that on my stash report. Sue me!! :)

Anyway, I finally sat down this morning after cutting those squares and got these blocks together.



I lost points all over the place. I guess you won't be able to tell that when this busy quilt is put together. But I'm starting to rethink my piecing abilities after doing these blocks!

Penny took one look at them and said, "Uh uh, I ain't even going to go lay on THOSE blocks!"

I have conquered!! I went to the Long Beach quilt show yesterday, and I came home with one bag and leftover money! Whodathunkit?

Picked up these patterns - all of them were way too cute!





I did get a kit, but I can't show it here now. It's for my expected great niece or nephew (don't know which yet), so it's gender neutral but real cute. I read through the cutting directions last night and was a little puzzled about "why" on a couple of parts of it. But I always follow the directions exactly, so we'll see when we get to those parts! Anyway, it was six yards, and I get to stash dive for the backing.

The show was nice but not spectacular like it was the first year. It was pleasant to walk around because it wasn't really crowded. Well, I guess that's pleasant for me but maybe not so much for the vendors. Jane and I both saw folks we knew. Ginger's booth looked to be very busy. They had Christmas and Halloween fabrics only in there and the booth looked great!

I got to meet Sandy Klop of American Jane. What a delightful lady! Love her Moda fabrics! Her sweet husband gave me an American Jane tote bag, which several folks asked me about while I was walking around the show. I was happy to direct them to her booth! I fell in love with the Dove in the Window quilt but just picked up the pattern. I'm already regretting not getting the kit. (sigh)

I also got to hug on Julie from Jaybird Quilts. She was working up a storm giving tutorials in the Beyond the Reef booth, but we were able to chat for a couple of minutes. She swore she hadn't shopped much -- we'll see when she posts her stash report! And, yes, Julie, you are doing stash reports again next year!

I looked for Jere'e but she wasn't in the booth when I was there. Darn it! Penny gave me a special hug to pass along for Miss Gidget! Penny and I will have to plan it better next time!

After we kidnapped Jane's sweet DH to take us to dinner, I drove home and crashed. I'm not used to doing that much walking! The weather was so wonderful in Long Beach. Note to self: Must move closer to water!

Busted: 232.625 yards
Purchased: 313.955 yards
Net YTD: (81.33) yards busted :(

I hope I never have to go a week without a computer again!

Seems my internet modem is broken, and I can't get them out when I'm home to fix/replace it.

Guess I'll be back when I'm back.

Lately I'm kind of like the line from that old Henry VIII song by Herman's Hermits - "Second verse same as the first."

Nothing in; nothing out.

No sewing projects planned, but I am slowly working on those Civil War Tribute blocks when I just need to sit at the sewing machine for a few minutes. It takes me two or three weeks to make a month of blocks, but that's okay. Slow forward motion is better than none at all, I guess.

My work person is not doing well at all. This sadness has zapped all my energy. I'm hoping that walking the Long Beach quilt show next weekend will restore some of the joy I seem to have lost this year. Also, I must get more applique prepped to keep my hands and mind busy. I hate cancer.

On a more cheery note - Penny is still doing what she does best .......



ROFLOL. Well, I guess that's not really very cheery after all!

Busted: 232.625 yards
Purchased: 307.955 yards
Net YTD: (75.53) yards busted :(

This month's winner of the drawing for the $25 gift certificate so generously donated by the Fat Quarter Shop is:

Suzanne!

Your new blog looks great, your block looks great! Congrats, Suzanne! I'll email you in a few minutes!

Three more blocks to go! There *might* be a special prize the last month! :)

Kimberly, THANK YOU for these monthly prizes! You are truly totally awesome!

Civil War Tribute BOM - Month 5. I've been skipping around on them. Not on purpose, but I'm behind, so I'm just grabbing a package out of the tub when I'm ready to sew. I started this one last weekend but just sat down to sew the rows together.

I think I still need to do Months 3 and 4. I don't know any more. I'm lost....

So this morning was a waste. I got up real early to be at the DMV office near my house to renew my driver's license. I was told over the phone that they were going to be open today. Well, they weren't. Whatever. Nothing is easy for me any more. I've sort of gotten used to the fact that nothing works, no one does what they say they are going to do, I have to do everything twice, yadayada.

It was 102 when I left the office yesterday at 5:30. The heat wave is supposed to break this weekend and we'll get back to normal temperatures. What? 98? I need a vacation - somewhere cool - for about six months. Well, a gal can dream, can't she?

Today Penny is alternating between sleeping on the patio and sleeping on the sofa. She stays out there until she gets real toasty, and then comes inside to cool off. But "sleep" is the operative word here. Totally useless dog! I think she's just practicing sunbathing in case she gets to visit Miss Helen next year at the beach!

Next weekend is the Long Beach quilt show!! Hooray!! Don't want anything. Surely don't need anything. But it will be fun to walk around and look at all the booth samples. Can't wait!

Pennsylvania Dutch BOM Block #9 is done! For once I didn't wait until the last minute. Gosh, this was the easiest block so far!

For those of you who are signed up for this BOM from the Fat Quarter Shop, Kimberly has once again generously donated a $25 gift certificate for this month's drawing.

To be entered, post a picture of your finished block on your blog and leave a comment here with a link back to your blog. If you don't have a blog, just email me a picture of your finished block to be entered in the drawing.

The drawing will be held Sat. 7/17/10 at about 7:00ish California time. As usual, if I'm late for some reason with the drawing, it probably means that I'm having fun, but the drawing will be held that night.

I'm really anxious to finish this BOM because I can't wait to put it together! I have an annual goal of making one patriotic quilt and one Christmas quilt each year. This quilt will meet one-half of my goal!

Good luck in the drawing!

And don't forget to head over to Not Quite June Cleaver to get entered in that drawing, and to read the wonderful interview with our Kimberly! And look for the coupon Kimberly is offering there as well!

Okay. So Penny was talking to me this morning:

Pen - So you busted NOTHING this week?
Me - Nope.
Pen - Nothing even put in the charity box?
Me - Nope.
Pen - So exactly what did you do all week?
Me - That work stuff. You know, w-o-r-k? The thing that buys your dog food?
Pen - (yawn)
Me - So what did YOU do all week?
Pen - You're looking at it, toots.
Me - You didn't poke any buttons on my behalf?
Pen - Nope. You took away my debit card!
Me - Tee-hee-hee.
Pen - You're so boring. Man, I coulda been at the beach with Miss Helen.
Me - Watch it, smarty-mouth! You just might end up at the pound!
Pen - (yawn)

Year to Date:

Busted: 232.625 yards
Purchased: 307.955 yards
Net YTD: (75.53) yards busted :(

Penny and I are at loose ends today. There's some serious vacuuming that needs to be done, but she's having way too much fun bringing stuff in for me to inspect. I think it can wait until tomorrow. Might as well let her play today.

Speaking of Penny, it seems she's spending a LOT of time on the internet while I'm at work! She has a new cyber friend, Helen! Helen and Carol are off to the beach for vacation, and Penny was all pouty when I got home last night because she couldn't tag along with them! Silly dog! Doxies can't swim very well! But Penny has a message for her new bud ... I think she's getting things lined up for next year's vacation! :)



There's a great give-away over at Not Quite June Cleaver. And in conjunction with that, there's a fabulous interview of Kimberly at the Fat Quarter Shop! And then Kimberly is offering a coupon to tie it altogether! You gotta go check it out! You might even see the blog mentioned of *someone* we know! I guess I need to go browsing around the Fat Quarter Shop today to see if I can make use of that coupon! Thanks, Kimberly!

I had a haircut this morning. I'm trying to let all the gazillion layers grow out, and, man, this is hard! Patience is not a virtue I possess - at all! I told Kathy, my hair guru, to just say NO when I suggest we snip more layers. She just rolls her eyes at me!

I'm procrastinating over getting in the sewing room. LOL. Too many projects need my immediate attention!

Being so far behind on the Civil War Tribute BOM blocks, I decided yesterday to grab the top package in the tub and just do it. Well, what I have to say about these blocks -- well, let me put it this way. Penny didn't even want to come over and sniff them while I was trying to take a picture!

I'm glad this one is out of the way and I can move on. Everyone who knows me knows I can't stand purple. Too bad the folks in that era used it a lot!

On to something else. Don't know what, but I'm not going to let a paid day off from work go to waste!

I don't know what happened this week. I didn't poke any buttons except for a pattern, but three packages landed. I forgot I had an order last week on one item, another was an automatic shipment from the Fat Quarter Shop, and the third was from a blogger friend. All total = 28.25 yards!

The first box contained this quarter's Scrap Basket Surprises Club quilt and backing. (Well, the link shows the September quilt, not the Summer Breeze quilt out of Fig Tree's Fresh Cotton.) The kit is already residing with its Fig Tree cousins, but it's the one with the darker polka dots there on the botton shelf. Don't say it. I know I have enough of Joanna's fabric to open my own Fig Tree shop! Love that stuff.



The second box was what I forgot I ordered last week -- a bolt of Aster Manor by 3 Sisters. I figure this 15 yards can be backgrounds and/or backings for two quilts. It goes with the Fig Tree lines, too, so no harm/no foul. I absolutely adore floral tone-on-tones. Perfect applique backgrounds. When I get time to applique, that is.

The third package was a gift from Kathie at Inspired by Antique Quilts - some shirtings. She recently had a contest on her blog for some shirtings, and although I didn't win, she was kind enough to send some along to me, too! These will all be used on my little basket blocks! BTW, I am working on those again. I made seven or eight last week, and plan to prep a bunch more this weekend. The next couple of weeks are going to be stressful at work, so it will be nice to have them ready to stitch on and relax when I get home each night. Thank you, Kathie! You make the most beautiful appliqued quilts, and are such an inspiration to me!!!



Penny had a rough day yesterday. We went to the vet early in the day to get her annual shots. Well, she had an adverse reaction to one of them, or maybe the combination. I don't know. Almost immediately she began projectile vomiting. Poor baby. They kept her there a couple of hours and gave her a steriod shot, Benadryl shot, and some hydration. We were toast when we got home. She mostly slept the rest of the day. They told me to keep a close eye on her, so I took them literally and basically just sat and watched her all afternoon. She's okay today, thank goodness. That was scary and awful.

I'm heading into my sewing room to start sewing on the Civil War Tribute BOM that I'm so far behind on. Each month is a bit labor intensive, but I love these blocks and love making them!

That's it for me. I'm deeper in the hole and I was trying SO hard to be good!

Year to Date:

Busted: 232.625 yards
Purchased: 307.955 yards
Net YTD: (75.53) yards busted :(

A bit of history: This week in 2009 I was 304.25 yards in the hole. In 2008 I was 267.75 yards down. I guess I'm not doing so badly after all!

Oh oh, one more IMPORTANT thing! Kimberly is having a sale on gift certificates until July 9th! What a deal! Now would be a great time to get those birthday gift certificates for your quilting buddies! Or for yourself, which is what I did!!