Working on a project that is tedious

I took on a commissioned job last April and right now, I am sorry I did.  It is a little bit of a nightmare and I almost would rather do anything else but it.    That being said it needs to get done!  So, today, with clean studio, I hauled out the wedding tree.  I completed satin stitching the trunk a month ago.  The leaves have been an issue because they were frayed and flimsey.  I ironed on a thin stabilizer then wonder under.  Then I cut them all out again rounding the ends as I went.  that removed all the fraying and gave them body.  The 2 bluebirds and the embroidery of the 2 names and date of wedding come next then I need to machine applique the 75 leaves onto the tree.  Yikes!  What the heck was I thinking?

wEDDING TREE QUILT. A great idea-all the guests signed a leaf and they will be stitched onto the tree

Bluebirds will be machine appliqued on as well as embroidered with names of bride and groom

Approximately 75 leaves now ready for attachment to tree

Lastly a few Dear Janes completed this week

I used a pampered chef scraper to clean the teflon sheet-worked beautifully!

Clean (or close to it) Studio

We are having company in and I should have cleaned the living room, kitchen, and dining room-however, I chose to clean my studio, guest room (cleaning curtains and under the bed), master bedroom and guest bath.  So today I will do what I probably should have done yesterday:)

However, in cleaning the studio, I organized bins according to what I think I can get done before we move, packed up 2 large plastic bins of things I KNOW I won't touch and another bin of kits, fabric etc to go to the quilt show's boutique to sell-hopefully.  I took all fabric hiding in drawers in the guest room and moved it back to the studio.  I had sold a 4 foot high by 12x12 inches of scapbooking paper etc.  to Greg's cousin which freed up some space.   Anyway-it felt good.  It also gave my asthma fits so had to take a 2 hour break to breathe.

This space used to be filled but now, the 2 singers (Miss 1925, and Miss 1953) who sat on the floor now have a place on the shelves.  And the top shelf is entirely empty!

I don't think I will have time to start on this until Medford but love seeing it when I walk in the room.  Bella likes it too:) It was my pattern from the Grace Errea workshop

Taking a break from some housework-needed to wash curtains and windows in the guest room as we are having an Evergreen couple and a friend stay with us next week (one after the other).  The dust did not help my asthma-so I am sitting and breathing.  Today is my 44th anniversary.  That is an amazing concept.  Doesn't seem possible.  WE were going to do something today but Greg had a funeral to go to so, we went out for a very nice breakfast, hit some garage sales and I took the car to be washed and he left in it for the funeral.  Hence, I had time to clean the guestroom, pack 2 boxes for moving and move all the fabric from the guest room into my studio where it belongs.

Finished the top half of Aiming for Accuracy Thursday.  Totally caught up and it really is close to done. Going in the guest room in Medford along with Home Sweet Home.

All material was left over from Home Sweet Home except 2 yards black fabric-a first for me

These were the pink pinwheels that I really quite dispised-so glad I redid them.  In HSH that pink was only 1 small door to a house, so it was a nice little pop-this was a pink liquid explosion:) A real pain to take apart a redo but so worth it.

PS  I went to a sewin at the Crazy 9 Patch yesterday and got 8 circles done for my Pies and Tarts quilt that I put away for awhile but now need handwork and finished prep work for 5 Dear Jane blocks that I can work on at night.  That is why I am liking the A4A quilt - it is not a 2 year project.  I seem to like complicated things:)

Moving Forward

So excited to be caught up with the Aiming 4 Accuracy quilt.  Silly I know but I don't want another UFO.  I  am teacher's helper for our guild so I get to go to the classes that are held each month-that had developed a few UFO's until I got wise.  Now I go to the classes, do my duties and bring something I need to finish.  I take notes, pictures and buy the pattern and then I can do it when it suits me. With Christmas coming and a niece's wedding, before I move does not suit me.  However-I really like how this quilt is developing and It is close to done!

Bottom piece

The next lesson comes out today.  I took all the pink out of the pinwheels and the substitution is better. Not quite done with them.

Aiming for Accuracy progress

Ahead one, back two.  I don't have to rip too often thankfully because I hate it, however, ever since I made the big 21 inch pinwheel block, I have not liked the bright pink I used.  I am using all my left overs from HSH and that came out great so I thought I was safe.  AMOUNT of bright pink is the key. A4A has way too much and I am not a fan of pink anyway.  SOOOO-I am RIPPPING the squares apart-did I mention I hate to rip?

I did finish the top section completely and I like it a lot

Section A complete

On a personal note, I have had a deep cough since March.  It has wiped me out physically. I finally got to a doctor who actually listened to me yesterday and after 2 hours of tests went home with an Asthma diagnosis.  I was breathing 21 percent better when I left than when I walked in and feel significantly better.  Didn't have to sleep propped up on pillows for the first time in many months.  However, I have never taken prednisone and have to take it for 6 days.  Don't care for the side effects already but I will keep an open mind until I see her in 2 weeks.  Today I couldn't concentrate and didn't get much done.

Grape Jelly, 2014 opportunity quilt and Aiming for Accuracy

I haven't canned anything in 20 years  but I just felt the urge to use the beautiful ripe grapes on the vines that give our chain link fence, privacy.  Usually, I pretend not to notice them rotting on the vines and make myself feel better by telling myself that the birds are benefiting by me leaving the fruit alone.

4 different varieties-the only one I know is the Concord.  the small red ones are seedless and wonderful.

everything is boiling, jelly, jars and lids

The actual color is like the front jars-it is beautiful and really quite good

I finished putting the borders on the Back Country Quilters opportunity quilt for next year-now it goes to the quilter!  I love this quilt.  I have the pattern and a lot of the templates so I hope to start on it when I move to Medford .  It is called Enchanted Autumn by Vera Mosquera.

Enchanted Autumn

Close-up

Then today I got one section of Aiming for Accuracy done so I am only behind 1 week.

 The 5 nine-patches go on the very bottom where the piles of fabric are.

I really don't like the pink in the square in the bottom left corner or in the large windmill square near the top nor do I like the bright turquoise in the bottom large square but I can live with the blue-can't live with the pink-have to change it out before I put the sections together. Drat!

Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home (pattern in a book called Home Sweet Home by Barb Adams and Alma Allen)  is sooo close to totally done!  Just need a binding and a few more buttons!  So glad to be over this hurdle.  I love it.  It has quite a few imperfections but It is lovely none the less.  I learned quite a bit on my first applique quilt.  I am using buttons that my grandmother cut off her old house dresses and saved "just because".  I have saved them for almost 40 years-nice to have a place to put them.

Top-it says 2012 because that is when I thought I would have it done.

yes, I know how to spell "willl"

Button detail-some blocks will only have 1 or 2

More buttons!

And a few more buttons!

Some of the San Diego fabric backing-quilt christened "San Diego Memories". 

I bought 4 yards of the beige San Diego Fabric which wasn't enough once I enlarged the quilt so, used the colored piece of SD fabric given to me 2 years ago by a precious friend and the middle panel of San Diego scenes was in the "goodie bag" I got for taking a class at the SD Quilt Show. Not showing is a row of 7.5 in squares top and bottom using fabric from top.

close-up of back

This will look a whole lot better in the Medford house with a black print skirt, matching Pillow Shams and no packing boxes in the background!  The addresses on the left are homes I lived in before I met Greg-ones on far side (hidden) are Greg's addresses growing up.  The ones on the foot of the bed are the 3 homes we have lived in in San Diego since we were married.  This will be our San Diego Quilt as we were both born here. A historical document in fabric!

I am taking a 2 day class with Cynthia England.  She is a great presenter with LOTS of energy but at the end of the day-my brain wanted to explode.  My sewing machine was not working -my faithful featherweight.  Then I remember that Greg was looking at it to see how it worked so he could see if he could fix the one I bought at a garage sale. Hmmm. Anyway, the shop had one so I was able to catch up. I am going back today so will post what I get done next week. 

Went to a Grace Errea workshop last Saturday at the San Diego Quilt Show.  I learned how to take a picture and draft a pattern from it.  I will post my days work next week as well.  I came up with something I can't wait to start on.  Today will be the last of my process workshops.  I think I can stop taking classes (except for the ones I get to go to for free this year because of being program chair) and start using the techniques I have learned.

My focal point for the last 3 weeks has been to get Home Sweet Home completed.  I have 4 swags to stitch and a back to finish piecing before tomorrow when I quilt it at Quilter's Paradise. I will leave my class a little early today so I can get it done.  That will be a huge load off my shoulder's.  I didn't want all that work to turn into a UFO.  I will post pics of that too next week:)

Feeling Better About Not Being Fully Caught Up

I made lists for every day last week and ALMOST got everything done.  I filled out contracts and got them in the mail and contacted another guild about sharing speakers and contacted Sue Spargo and David Taylor to see if they had an interest in coming to San Diego in April or May of 2015.  After Christmas, I can work on their goodie bags-thought a sewn insulated lunch sack with mints, nuts, seam ripper water etc would be kind of cute and i can do those ahead of time and hand them off to my replacement.

Got caught up on the quilt along Aiming for Accuracy (link on right side of this blog).  We are a little over 1/2 way through and I am liking the quilt:

Block 9 (9.5x29.5)

For those who have not done much sweat shop stitching Here is a short tutorial without words:)