Five Shadows

It’s September! I’m looking forward to cooler breezes and temperatures.

I’ve got some sewing sad (and happy) news –  my sewing machine decided to do a slow death. The computer screen has been flickering and slowly getting dimmer each time I turn on the machine. I called the LQS to make sure this was something they could fix, and of course it will be pricey. $$$. AND of course the shop tries to talk me into upgrading. Ha ha!  I new that would happen. AND husband and I talked before I left with my dying machine with him saying I should upgrade. I’m not going to turn that down! So that happened. Didn’t take much talking on the LQShop’s part!

I bought the upgrade and I’ve done a little sewing on the new machine while figuring out some of the features I’ll be using most.

While I was waiting for my new machine, I pulled out a 25 year old machine to patch a pair of work pants for my hubby.  It’s an old Bernina that is a workhorse! It can just fly over the thick seams.

Here’s how my TDT week went -

To-Do Tuesday, August 29, 2023

1. I’ve got to get cracking on the next set of twin baby quilts! – Kind of!
2. Stitch next set of Twilight Stars QAL blocks. – Done!
3. I’ll fill in the blank for this as the week moves along. – Two projects!

1. I scratched my first twin quilts idea and moved on to a new idea!  I bought all new fabric for the next set of twin baby quilts. I went to the LQS for backs for what I intended to give the twins, and found the cutest Minky! It doesn’t go with the original tops, so I planned all new quilt tops.

The nursery theme is outdoor/nature/hiking/mountains. So I thought this animal print will be perfect. I’ll be using the vine prints for the backs.

2. Twilight Stars QAL

Week 12 of Primitive Gathering Twilight Stars. I have one more block to make in this size, 6 ” finished, using the 3/4″ Triangle Papers. Then I can piece together the blocks for a small quilt. I’m going to switch to a larger paper size for the next set of blocks.

3. My fill in the blank – I sewed up two items.

Project 1 – I made another set of blocks from the Aurifil Thread Lab August lesson.

This is a pattern by Amy Friend who taught Foundation Paper Piecing FPP. I had the floral fabric left over from the first set of twin baby quilts, that will now be charity quilts.  I like the fabric combo in these blocks.

Project two -

I finished this quilt top as a gift for a friend’s birthday.

She lives in a nursing home, so whenever I gift her something, I make sure her name is large and prominent! These are 3″ tall letters that I filled in with thread painting. The top has been finished for a while, so I just sandwiched it and did the serpentine quilting with a walking foot. This is the last project I finished on my dying machine. I was so glad that the screen held out while I completed this project.

What to work on this coming week? Here we go -

To-Do Tuesday, September 5, 2023

1. Baby Twin Quilts!
2. Stitch Week 13 Twilight Star QAL
3. Piece the 4 FPP blocks together. Quilt if there is time.
4. Friday, quilting with friends.

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmidt.

Is it really nearing the end of August!? How did that happen so quickly?!

Here’s a bit of what happened in my world this past week.

To-Do Tuesday, August 22, 2023

1. Gah! Elephant quilts! ✔️
2. Keep up with Twilight Stars QAL.  ✔️
3. Baby shower for my daughter expecting twins! I’ve got food to prepare!  ✔️

1. Elephant quilts completed and gifted!

My daughter and her husband are expecting twins! A boy and a girl! We are all so excited!

I used a Tula Pink fabric with elephants for the baby quilts. One in the pink color way and one in the blue. Top photo is accurate for color.

I put a soft Minky on the backs. Sorry for the blurry photo.

Funny thing, I asked my daughter before deciding on the Tula Pink elephants if she still liked elephants. She said she did. And on the day of the shower, she was wearing an elephant bracelet!

And guess what!? Our family has more surprises!

My DIL is also expecting twins! Two baby girls! She is 10 weeks behind my daughter! This is the first pregnancy for both of them. Can we say super excited! Four grands added to our family by the end of the year!

2.Twilight Stars QAL

Week eleven. The center of the star blocks are from Triangle Gatherings Book by Primitive Gatherings.

3. Baby shower was a fun outdoor party with plenty of good food, sunshine, gentle breeze, friends and family!

My daughter and SIL!

Hubs and me with the happy couple.

To-Do Tuesday, August 29, 2023

1. I’ve got to get cracking on the next set of twin baby quilts!
2. Stitch next set of Twilight Stars QAL blocks.
3. I’ll fill in the blank for this as the week moves along.

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmidt.

The weather is heating up this week here in NE Indiana. I’m glad I have inside things to do to keep me busy.

Here’s my list from last week and how I faired.

To-Do Tuesday, August 15, 2023

1. Tomorrow, Wednesday, is quilting/sewing day at my church. Stripe quilt. ✔️
2. Finish up two stripe quilt tops.  ✗
3. Sandwich elephant circle quilts.  ✗
4. Piece the FPP from today’s class.  ✔️

Here’s how my sewing went this past week -

1. Stripe quilt top

I’m calling this the calm stripe  quilt. While at my church Wednesday with my sewing group, I found the yellow in the fabric bin. I think it will work nicely for a border and the back.

Here’s a close-up of the fabric where you can see the fun stripes made from crescents, stars, hearts, etc.

2. Finishing two stripe quilt tops didn’t happen. But as you saw above, I did make progress on one stripe quilt! And finding free fabric is a plus.

3.  Looks like sandwiching is on hold for a while due to outside obligations and a fun family event coming soon.

4.  Aurifil Thread Lab class two!

We had a video lesson on Foundation Paper Piecing by Amy Friend. Plus the owner of Clothesline Creations had some extra tips new to me and very helpful!

This finished little quilt is 18″ square.

I used strips left over from a JayBird quilt I made a few years ago for the back. I think this will be displayed on my sewing room wall in the near future.

Last week I forgot to post the blocks from week 9 of Twilight Stars QAL with Primitive Gathering.

Week nine, Blocks 21 & 23 from Triangle Gatherings book.

Week 10, Blocks 11 & 26. Note that I’m using 3/4″ triangle paper, which are the tiniest pieces I’ve ever sewn on my machine. The star blocks are 6 1/2″ unfinished. Aren’t they cute!?

To-Do Tuesday, August 22, 2023

1. Gah! Elephant quilts!
2. Keep up with Twilight Stars QAL.
3. Baby shower for my daughter expecting twins! I’ve got food to prepare!

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmidt.

I’m so thankful that the dizziness I experienced the beginning of last week has passed! I was able to move along a bit on some projects, and also did shop at the LQS on Saturday of last week. Here’s a look at what I hoped to do -

To-Do Tuesday, August 8, 2023

1. Stripe quilts. ✔️ Some progress.
2. Shopping LQS appreciation sale.  ✔️
3. Work on circle quilts.  ✔️4 tops completed.

1. Stripe quilts

I sewed up a few blocks from a much calmer stripe fabric than the bold top I shared last week.

2. Shop LQS customer appreciation sale.

I didn’t find everything I wanted, but I did find a yellow flannel for the back of this I Love You to the Moon And Back Panel. The gold and tan will be for a border of stars to enlarge the panel to baby size.

I found a print I think will work with the bold stripe quilt top. I’ll photo it once it is all together.

3. Circle quilts

Four tops completed. I hoped to find Minky or Shannon fabric for a soft backing for the circle quilts at the LQS sale. No luck. I looked in the flannel section and no luck there either.

This is a Tula Pink fabric cut to a 24″ circle. Excuse the poor lighting, let’s just call it a rainy day photo. This will be a quilt for my daughter’s baby boy.

Here’s a close up of the blue elephant.

And baby girl will get pink elephants. That’s right two babies! Twins due in October! I bought two pieces of pale Minky for the back, blue for baby boy, and pink for baby girl to make the quilts soft and cuddly.

No photos yet of the other two circle quilts.

Today was the second class of the Aurifil Thread Lab. Today’s lesson was FPP foundation paper piecing with Amy Friend. We received a free pattern which we started in class. I didn’t get very far. I hope to finish the small 18″ quilt this week and share it next Tuesday.

Here are the goodies we got in the Lab.

Ten spools of 50 weight thread!

Tula’s Neon set of three large spools, a large spool of green, and 6 smaller spools selected by Amy Friend.

I picked up a few more goodies while at Clothesline Creations in Middlebury, IN for the class.

Seashore Drive Honey Bun by Moda, two half yard Grunge pieces, a Lori Holt 14″ design board. And The Crochet was gifted to me from a fellow student.

To-Do Tuesday, August 15, 2023

1. Tomorrow, Wednesday, is quilting/sewing day at my church. I will work on the stripe quilt shown above.
2. Finish up two stripe quilt tops.
3. Sandwich elephant circle quilts
4. Piece the FPP from today’s class.

That’s it for me folks in my quilting world!

Or, I forgot an update on my daughter’s house – electric sockets, and switches are in! We are so close to having the final electrical inspection. But daughter has not bought the ceiling fans and lights she wants, so that is a hold up. She has almost completed painting the bedrooms that were started last week! Dining room ceiling is next. No movement on the bathroom, another hold up. But it is looking good you all!

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmidt.

Ok, friends. What is up with the weather and allergies this season? I’ve been fighting dizziness off and on for over a week. Last Wednesday it was so bad, I spent the day in bed sleeping. Now I’m having a rather rough day – dizziness building – as the day moves along. I hope whatever I share today makes some sense. I’m going to head to bed as soon as I post this.

To-Do Tuesday, August 1, 2023

1. Play with stripe fabrics. ✔️
2. Back to working on our daughter’s house. ✔️
3. Pull out a PUP? ✔️ Or two!

1. Stripes!

I sewed the stripe blocks together I shared last week, and added a border with blocks in the corners. The local quilt shop is having a customer appreciation sale Thursday – Saturday. I’d like to go and buy fabric to finish this quilt top. 37″ square, I think I’ll add another border. It’s a bold one!

These stripes are much calmer. I have a ways to go on piecing this one.

2. Things are really moving along at our daughter’s house!

Paint!

Primed and starting to paint. (That’s cardboard on the floor, so don’t worry about seeing paint there!) She might have mentioned painting one wall with an accent color.

Outlets and switches installed through out bedrooms and hall!

Daughter spent sometime cleaning out castoffs that had accumulated in dining room. She still has a ways to go cleaning there & back porch too.  No photo. Not worth showing the clutter!

Bathroom floor slowly progressing. Daughter wanted to tackle installing the tile floor. It’s a bit more difficult than she expected.

3. My grand daughter pulled out a PUP! We shopped together for this quilt back in November 2022. We have worked on it a little here and there. I thought we would get it finished over summer vacation. When I mentioned it this summer, she didn’t want to work on it. Now this being the last week of vacation, she asked to work on it. We made progress but still a ways to go.

Piecing houses. Adding roofs previously sewn, to house squares. The quarter inch quilting foot with the metal flange and tape strip are really helping her sew accurate seams. Oh and slowing down the speed of the machine!

Her Layout. After about 4 different tries! Just like a real quilter! Next up white tone on tone sashing.

Here’s my PUP! Previous Unfinished Project for those wondering.

While looking for something else, I came across this wool kit I started years ago used for teaching a class at a retreat. This should be good for evening stitching!

To-Do Tuesday, August 8, 2023

1. Stripe quilts.
2. Shopping LQS appreciation sale.
3. Work on circle quilts.

Happy August 1st everyone! Is it just me, or is this year flying by?

So much happened this past week at my house, but much of it I’m keeping as a secret for now.

Here’s what I did in my sewing world this past week -

To-Do Tuesday, July 25, 2023

1. Finish pin cushion for the July Aurifil Thread Lab class. ✔️
2. Get back to one of my PUPs, Previously Unfinished Projects! ✗
3. ??? Mystery project ??? ✔️

1. The Aurifil Thread Lab is turning out to be a fun adventure. But it’s Aurifil, so would I expect less!?

We received a sample box of all the weights of thread Aurifil offers. Karen L. Miller of Redbird Quilt Company demoed by video how to use all the different 7 weights of thread by making a pin cushion. And our homework was to make the pin cushion. I made all the same elements as hers, but changed up the placement ending up with a square cushion instead of a round one.

There are some oopses, but I’m pleased with the overall outcome.  This was my first time doing some of the hand work – like the two Fishbone Stitch leaves, stitching over the wool berry, and cross stitch patch. The pin cushion measures 6″ square and filled with ground nut shells, and little bit of flax seed and lavender buds.

2. I didn’t pull out an old PUP to work on, but started a new project. I’m crazy!

I’m playing with some bold stripes! At the One Stop Shop Hop last week, I bought two stripe fabrics to play with – this is the bold one. I’m really liking the design, kind of surprised me! This will be a charity quilt.

3. And the mystery project? I’m keeping it a secret for now. Hint – it involves a room remodel in our house.

That’s all I have this week!

To-Do Tuesday, August 1, 2023

1. Play with stripe fabrics.
2. Back to working on our daughter’s house.
3. Pull out a PUP?

Hope you all have a productive week!

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmidt.

Good Morning quilting friends! July is flying by and August will be here in a minute it seems. Return to school ads are popping up everywhere. Today I have my grandson visiting while his sister is at choir camp. And his mom is busy with yard work.

Take a look at what happened in my quilting and sewing world this past week.

To-Do Tuesday, July 18, 2023

1. Turbans! Hope to get to a few tonight. ✔️
2. Meeting with Church sewing group tomorrow, Wednesday. ✗
3. Friday some friends and I are going to the One Stop Shop Hop in Wabash, IN. I’ve got a shopping list! ✔️
4. Friday is also the day Primitive Gathering announces the next two blocks to be made for Twilight Stars QAL. Looks like busy weekend sewing ahead for me! ✔️
5. Aurifil thread project. ✔️ In progress!

Here’s my progress for the week -

1. I stitched up five turbans.

Here is my DIL modeling one of the turbans. Cute how it coordinated her top the day I asked her if she would mind trying it on.

2. I missed my Wednesday church sewing group because I woke up with a terrible headache in the middle of the night.  Not a migraine, thankfully, but did put me out for the day. My DIL took the turbans to the meeting for me.

3. We had One Stop Shop Hop fun! But it was so crowded! Maybe we should have gone in the afternoon instead of when they opened on the first day. We noticed it thinned out a bit as it neared lunch time.

I did make a few purchases. Top left – kit pattern and fabric. Top right – puzzle for when Christmas guests visit! Planning ahead! The rest are one yard cuts and two panels.

4. Blocks 3 & 8 are the blocks for Twilight Stars QAL using Primitive Gatherings Triangle Gatherings book.

6″ finished blocks, flowers from my daughter’s garden.

5. Aurifil thread project

The Aurifil Thread Exemplar box for our first month to Thread Lab came with seven spools of different weights and types of Aurifil threads. Karen L. Miller of Redbird Quilt Co. designed a pin cushion using the threads provided. Our homework is to make the pin cushion this month. Here is my work so far. I’m rearranging the elements to my own design.  I’m learning some new hand stitches while using Aurifil threads I’ve not used before in this Aurifil Lab. Fun! The fabrics I’m using are hand dyed by Vicki Welsh of Colorways.

To-Do Tuesday, July 25, 2023

1. Finish pin cushion for the July Aurifil Thread Lab class.
2. Get back to one of my PUPs, Previously Unfinished Projects!
3. ??? Mystery project ???

That’s it for me this week. How is your week going?

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmidt.

Hello Quilting friends! I had a short week of sewing, only a few star blocks made. We worked at our daughter’s house, and I started a reno project at my own house. I’ll keep that one under my hat for a while, but it might involve getting a Gammill longarm! Wink Wink !!!

Here’s what happened this week -

To-Do Tuesday, July 11, 2023

1. Twilight Stars – will I catch up before the new blocks are shared this Friday? ✔️
2. I have an idea for a Christmas Countdown I’d like to get started on to gift to my grands by the end of November. That means starting two new projects. Hmmm.  ✗

1 Twilight Stars QAL!

I caught up on the first five weeks of the Twilight Stars QAL hosted by Primitive Gatherings. I’m stitching up 6″ finished blocks using Primitive Gatherings 3/4″ Triangle Papers. Each week we make two blocks from the Triangle Gatherings Book and then set the blocks in the star points. I’m using Dapple Dot by Riley Blake for the block & star point design and Joy in the Journey by Dani Mogstad for Riley Blake for the background. I just love the tiny floral print with the Dapple Dot. It’s such a happy combination.

2. Christmas countdown. The Accuquilt die for numbers won’t work for what I have planned, the numbers are just too big. Maybe I’ll think on embroidering the numbers? Hmmm.

I didn’t do any other sewing, but tonight I do hope to sew up some turbans for cancer patients. I said I’d make up a few by my church quilt meeting tomorrow! I better get to it!

I did do one other sewing related thing though. I sign up for the Aurifil Thread Lab at Clothesline Creations in Middlebury, IN which meets once a month for the next six months. We had our first Lab today!

We received a box full of goodies including Aurifil’s Swatch Book. Aren’t those colors gorgeous!? We have a little project to make with the spools of threads pictured. I’ll be showing that maybe by next week if I get it completed. Each month a different instructor will present a project in her specialty. It’s going to be fun! It’s not too late to join in if you are interested in learning about all Aurifil has to offer in threads.

On to my daughter’s house -

Here’s where we left off last week – framing in a closet.

Here it is with drywall installed.

And mudded! It looks splotchy because mud is drying. What a difference! Priming soon! Then after painting, shelving will be added.

That’s it for this week. How was your week for quilting and crafting?

To-Do Tuesday, July 18, 2023

1. Turbans! Hope to get to a few tonight.
2. Meeting with Church sewing group tomorrow, Wednesday.
3. Friday some friends and I are going to the One Stop Shop Hop in Wabash, IN. I’ve got a shopping list!
4. Friday is also the day Primitive Gathering announces the next two blocks to be made for Twilight Starts QAL. Looks like busy weekend sewing ahead for me!
5. Aurifil thread project.

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmidt.

The Dog Days of Summer are here in NE Indiana. So humid! Not complaining, it’s to be expected!

I did things this past week! Take a look, and then go link up to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmidt to share what you are working on quilt or craft wise.

To-Do Tuesday, July 4, 2023

1. Continue with T-Shirt Quilts! ✔️✔️✔️
2. Wednesday sewing group at church – not sure what I’ll be working on. ✔️
3. ??? Maybe I’ll sew up & quilt more blocks from my PUP. ✗  But I did work on another project.

1. T-shirt Tops are all completed!

I used a simple 3 x 4 layout for all three. I cut 2 1/2″ strips for sashing, and 2 1/2″ squares for corner stones. T-shirts cut at 16 1/2″ square with one block pieced from sleeves and bits for a total of 12 blocks. Tops measure 56 1/2 x 74 1/2 inches.

Each top has different sashing fabric provided by customer.

I’m delivering tops to longarm quilter today.

2. At Wednesday sewing group I cut out knit fabric to make turbans for cancer patients. No photo.

3. ???  Mystery sewing! I didn’t get back to the Sew Steady class PUP.

I placed an order June 18th and it arrived from Primitive Gatherings Friday. I’m starting a new QAL, Twilight Stars. Yes I’m that crazy! But it’s star blocks! I love stars blocks! The package sat in a WI PO for several days and I was afraid it had been lost! Then the tracking finally showed movement. I ordered the supplies the first week of the QAL which is now in the fourth week. I hope to catch up! Two blocks are to be made each week.

Book used for the QAL, triangle papers, and possible fabrics I’ll be using.

That’s it for my sewing this week.

Here’s the latest at my daughter’s house -

Priming bedrooms continue. Once painted, daughter will have to decide on design for closet area.

Closet in eves in main bedroom is moving forward. Insulation between floor joists and new boards going in. Hub is smiling! This will be the last area to frame in.

There is the kitchen, but let’s not talk about that! Daughter wants to move in once the bedrooms and bath are completed. She says she can live with the kitchen as is for a while.

I’ve a short To-Do list for this week -

To-Do Tuesday, July 11, 2023

1. Twilight Stars – will I catch up before the new blocks are shared this Friday?
2. I have an idea for a Christmas Countdown I’d like to get started on to gift to my grands by the end of November. That means starting two new project. Hmmm.

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmidt.

Happy Independence Day to my USA quilting friends!

Here’s how my week went and also photo updates of my daughter’s house.

To-Do Tuesday, June 27, 2023

1. I received a box of 36 t-shirts just before we left on our trip. I’ll start making three t-shirt quilts from them for a customer.  ✔️
2. Quilt Block 13 of my PUP quilt.  ✔️
3. Thursday I meet with my quilting group. I plan on taking along the EPP Owl. ✔️

1. T-Shirt quilts

33 t-shirts have been trimmed to 16 1/2″ square. And then sleeves were cut and pieced together to make the 12th block for each of the three quilts. Above is the layout for one of the quilt tops and the sashing for this quilt. The three quilts will all have different sashing. These shirts are showing a big Chicago Bears and Cubs fan!

2. Quilt Blocks from my Previous Unfinished Project – PUP! I not only quilted Block 13 but moved on to a few more blocks.

Block 13 – 12 1/2″ square, quilted using Sew Steady/Westalee Design templates Spin-E-Fex and Spiral templates.

Block 14 – 6 1/4 x 12 1/5″ as a whole cloth, no piecing. Here is a close up of the design as it doesn’t show up well on this print I selected for the filler blocks. This used the Spinning Wheels template for the flower petals.

Block 15- 8 1/2″ square, I messed up this design and decided to just stop at this point. It’s not supposed to be oblong, and I’m not ripping out. Templates used are the Arc and Spin-E-Fex.

Block 16 – 8″ x 8 1/2″ – this is what is called a TempLee block. The top fabric has fusible like Heat N Bond Lite attached and then is layered with a ‘peeker’ fabric. The design is quilted and then the top fabric cut away to reveal the peeker fabric. I like it! Spin-E-Fex template was used for the quilting design.

3. EPP Owl

I didn’t get far, third row is started. And my owl will be facing the opposite direction. Hmm. That seems to happen to me a lot. It still works though!

On to my daughter’s house!

She’s got her bathroom tiles in place. Next up, grout.

The beginning of the priming paint!

In the smallest bedroom, a closet in the eves is being remodeled.

Drywall now in place. One more coat, sanding, and then ready for primer.

This dead space in the eves was opened in main bedroom to create a closet like the one above.

That’s a lot of progress!

This coming week’s list -

To-Do Tuesday, July 4, 2023

1. Continue with T-Shirt Quilts!
2. Wednesday sewing group at church – not sure what I’ll be working on.
3. ??? Maybe I’ll sew up & quilt more blocks from my PUP.

Happy quilting all! That’s it for me this week. Time to get cracking on the t-shirt quilts!

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmidt.