Large Pies Prepped!

I got all of the "pies" prepped and the tarts are going much faster as they are much smaller-I think I have about 40 left to do and then the whole quilt will be prepped.

I also worked on the dreaded T-shirt quilt for a couple of hours.  I have about 12 more shirts to prep-but most of them  just have the greek logo on them so they will be small pieces.

Today-hoping to get most of the little tarts done-fingers crossed.  When Greg gets home Monday night-my sewing frenzy will have to step back a step or two.  Love having the uninterrupted work time but am starting to really miss that guy!  His dog REALLY misses him.  He plays frisbee by the hour with Miss Hyper.  She plays games like "let's put my ball under the couch where I can't reach it and then cry until mom gets down on her hands and knees and retrieves it for me".  We are playing that now:)

PS-this is what I came home with from RtC Thursday:

I added a few pieces to my fiber collection-I am thinking the leaves will find themselves in the Cow quilt

I am starting to collect neutrals and corals and sea  foams for Regans quilt (2015)

And you can never have enough purple and turquoise batiks-can you? I had printed off 50% off coupons for E. Burns booth for all of us.

The only other thing I bought was Misty Fuse-have never used it but liked the demo.

Prepping for Pies and Tarts

I am prepping my EPP pies and tarts pieces without sewing.  I am using starch and a hot iron just like the applique process without freezer paper.  I am using and reusing the paper wedges I was sent.  I have to say it is working wonderfully.  The edges that fold over the paper are crisp and everything stays nicely together without sewing until you start whipstitching the pie pieces together.   However, it takes a while and I needed a place to safely keep the hot iron  to complete the process.  I  had been prepping as I went and decided since this UFO has to be done by April-I would get all the prepping done in one fell swoop.

Much to my husband's chagrin, I pulled a 4 foot table into the living room and made a workstation near the outlets.  This way I am not locked away for long hours by myself doing TV watching work.  I will finish cutting the fabric pieces tonight (only 25 large and 25 small sets to go).  Then I can start starching and ironing those and the approximately 25-30 sets cut but not ready to stitch.   That way everything will be ready to grab and stitch and I may get this done on time! Greg leaves Sunday for Medford to oversee the destruction that has become our house-pipes burst, water flowed, walls need to be removed and replaced-but, since the wiring needed to be redone anyway-thought it would be good for Greg to be there to oversee and coordinate the starting of the process.  God is good-we have rental insurance that will even pay the lost revenue-amazing that a seeming disaster could end up as a good thing:)-so, i can leave my table up for another week-I'll get lots done!

Temporary work station-Finally got a sleeping aid-am waiting to take it 15 min. before bed-and yes!  I slept a whole night!

 On a personal note.  My allergist has done all she could-she is stepping me off the prednisone-Thank-you, Jesus!, and referring me to an ENT. The effects of the prednisone were horrific-couldn't think, couldn't stop talking, couldn't put a reasonable statement in front of another, couldn't stop scratching, irritable and edgy-worried about what I would say-so I have kept myself more or less confined for everyone's sanity So, we'll see where this route leads me.  Still can't hear because my ears are blocked and my breathing is better but isn't where it should be.  She is a good doctor and really has tried everything to help.

Pieces ready for cutting, small tarts done and counted, large pies done and counted, pieces on bottom row all cut 2 sizes and finished but not yet joined squares on far right

Three rows out of 10 have been appliqued and joined-probably will complete it in 2, 3row and 1, 4 row piece.  I would actually like to quilt this on my home machine but I will take it to the longarm while I live in So. Cali.  Will have plenty of time to get into the home machine quilting when I move.

I still love this quilt-it will be my first Batik fabric quilt that I am keeping.  It is bright and random and now I can check EPP of my list-never need to do that again:)

If anyone is reading this-know that I appreciate it and am praying you will have a blessed day know ing that the God who created the universe cares about every minute detail of your life!

Bits and Pieces

We are getting ready to go to the Big 3 swapmeet (a 1x per year event that my husband looks forward to and I enjoy as well) Greg restores vintage British motorcycles and sells them at this event as well as through the year.  I have been focusing on making handwork as we camp in the motorhome in the parking lot of Qualcom with no electricity.  The size of the baggy of tarts ready to be sewn for the pies and tarts quilt does not seem to relate to the work put in to making said baggy of parts.

Instead of sewing the material to the template I iron down with starch-works beautifully!

A bag-o-tarts ready to be sewed into little tart circles (enough for 18 so far)

I also redid part of this paper pieced block for Dear Jane and appliqued the center on to it as well as finishing the Le Moyne Star block (one star point needs to be restitched-I was off two threads which makes a difference in these little blocks.  These are untrimmed so it looks like I may lose a point or two.  I am actually going to be fine with that:)

Dear Jane-One block from the Turquoise and dark row and one from the turquoise and light row

I need to go to Seattle next Tuesday for two weeks.  My Beloved DIL is sleep deprived and under doctor's care for postpartum blues.  I asked if they needed me to come and she said yes-2 weeks please.  I am thrilled to be able to help them but so sorry she is having such a hard time.  I love my DIL-she is such a blessing to us. So, I need to take handwork as I won't have the time to machine piece and don't want to lug a machine anyway. Hopefully I'll get some more tarts done today but it is a really busy day. The pies and tarts are just so easy to transport.

I am signed up for another class on my return and since I am the caretaker of the teacher, I think I will do that and sew quietly in the back of the room on one of the projects I have already started.  I will take notes and pictures-but I can't start one more project or my brain will explode.

Current projects

At this moment in time I am working on several large quilts in progress.  "Home Sweet Home" is about 2/3 done.  All but one block is appliqued and I need to do the appliqued borders which will have the addresses of all my husband and my residences in San Diego, both singularly and collectively.  I bought San Diego Fabric for the backing and this will be our "San Diego Living" quilt.

I am also working on a batik quilt that has a  pattern called "Pies and Tarts".  It is an English paper piecing pattern that I am doing with an applique process using starch and a hot iron instead of sewing the material onto the pieces.  Then the pieces are stitched together in the traditional way. The border will either be appliqued vine with small English pieced tarts or piano tiles.  Just want to finish the 100 large and 100 small circles-42 finished as of today.  My goal is to have this done by June.  I have 2 circles that are off but I am leaving them!

"Dear Jane" is the third quilt that I work on regularly.  I do not expect to be done with that one until 2014.  I have approx. 20 out of 200+ blocks done-oh, my.  However, I am learning a lot and my piecing is improving tremendously working on 4.5 in. finished blocks. No current pics.