Keeping Busy

Loading my quilt frame is not an easy task and putting two different quilts on at the same time was a challenge.  I think it will work out well and in the long run save me some time and effort.  Once the quilts were ready to go I then wound 27 bobbins (that was the number I had with no thread on them).  It takes around 15 bobbins for each quilt - give or take.  I like to get bobbins wound before I start quilting so I don't have to do it in the middle of quilting.  Changing bobbins is a pain and at least I have them ready.  One would think someone would come up with a large capacity bobbin for quilting machines!

Later . . .

Embroidery

So this is what had me distracted. I wanted to see what the flowers would look like and the Lady is a new design I got. It was in black and I decided to see what it would look like in red. I actually think it would look good in any solid color. I had a chambray shirt laying around and thus the distraction. I ramble about from craft to craft. I suppose that is the curse of having so many crafts and projects to choose from and work on. Added to the distraction I started reading a Dean Koontz book; which I just finished. I love to read, but when I am reading the book seems to just call to me. I try to get my reading done before I fall asleep, but sometimes I just have to read during the day.

Ahhhhhh well such is my life.

Oh BTW we have borrowed Debby's dog Chloe to see how she and Darci will interact while Debby is in Iraq. They seem to be getting along pretty well - Chloe is adjusting to the new environment and we are hoping that Debby will just let us keep her; considering Debby will be leaving the end of August anyway. Last night they did the bed switch - so I think they are getting comfortable with each other. Max gave them both a bath (shower) today and they are shiny, sweet smelling girls.

Later . . .

Catching up . . .

I finally finished the borders for the dog quilts. I have the batting and backing cut out and ready to load everything on my quilt frame, but I somehow keep getting side tracked. I guess it will get done when it gets done.

Later . . .

Birthday presents for Max

Max made out her wish list for her birthday and I went ahead and ordered the stuff from B&H. She got that mondo macro lens and we were looking at Paul's eyelashes through it - what a trip. OMG it gets close up. Then she also got the extender for her other lens and we were reading the print on a piece of paper attached to one of the trellises in the backyard. She also got a set of glass lens filters. Needless to say she was and is a happy camper. I am also taking her to Reno for her birthday. We are running up there for a couple of days before we get the grandkids for a week.

Later . . .

Making Progress

I finished the other dog quilt top and have the borders and binding cut out and ready to sew together. I am hoping to get both the quilts on my frame next week. It has been so darn hot around here working in the garage during the day is not an option. Early morning hours is not so bad, but a couple of days it did not even cool down at night. I am getting out of bed a bit earlier these days so I think it will be workable. I did not take any pictures, but will post when the borders are on and perhaps when I get them both on the frame (I am hoping that is a doable thing).

We are off to Max's mom's today to do some chores (fixing and painting her bathroom) and will be back Saturday afternoon/evening. Darci has been having a bit of a bad week (missing her brother I am guessing) and I hate to leave her home alone, but she needs to get used to it. I had to do a bunch of running around the other day and I think that is what kicked off her loneliness. Kathy and Debby will probably visit, but essentially we will only be gone overnight (which we have done many times in the past, but she always had Kodi for company).

Later . . .

Finished Bags

Joy is a much faster sewer than I am (that would be because she has made MANY of the bags that she was teaching me how to make) so she finished both bags when she got home and emailed me the following pictures. She wanted to have the bags done to take to her sewing group on Thursday. I knew the they would both turn out great and they certainly did.I have not done any more sewing on the dog quilts, but I did try to make the labels and ended up with a design that just did not work. I hate that when it happens, but I usually do not want to do an entire design just to check to see if it will work. If I was putting something on an expensive article of clothing or something like that I would do a test, but when I am working on material I don't see the point. So I guess I did a test design that sucked and I am back to the drawing board. I have all the squares sewn together in rows and just need to attach them. I hope to get the borders and binding cut out tomorrow and hopefully by next week I can have them on the quilting frame.

It is HOT HOT HOT here and is going to be hotter tomorrow. Good day to stay in the house in my sewing room and work on quilts or embroidery.

Later . . .

Catching up . . .

First piece of good news - Darci did not dig in the yard while she was left home alone. I think maybe she has grown up and does not have all that excess energy that she used to have. She has taken to going around the house and sleeping in the spot that Kodi used to sleep in all the time. I guess she is trying to take over for him - she is still a bit on the skiddish side, but is improving.

Joy did come back with me and she was teaching me how to make tote bags. When we were at the sewing machine shop we saw embroidery on pet mesh and decided we needed to give that a try. We started one at her house and brought it with us, but she did not cut enough material so she had to take it back with her to finish. It was on the black pet mesh and the embroidery was white dragon flies - it was really pretty, but I forgot to take a picture of it. I made the above bag (with her direction) and it turned out really pretty. I wrote down the instructions as I went and then made another bag "all by myself". The below bag is made with material instead of the pet mesh. I like the pet mesh, but I am not sure I want to buy the mesh - it only comes it rolls and I don't know that I would use it all - unless I try to sell some, but there is a lot of time that goes into doing the embroidery and sewing the bag. I really love the one below (pretty girlie bag).

Then we were cruising through some of my designs and she found a design that she wanted on a bag for herself. We prepared the material and I did the embroidery, but there was just not enough time to complete the bag. She had to take it home and will finish it there. Both the above bags have the same design on both sides, but the one I did for Joy (below) will only be on one side cause I just did not have the time to get it on both sides before she had to leave. She went home on Amtrak Friday morning.

We had a good time sewing, but the trip to her house was short and her stay here was kind of short.

Max and I went to Debby's for an early afternoon 4th celebration , but were home early and just hung out around the house. I managed to get some little chores accomplished and we "heard" the fireworks, but we did not see anything.

We are off to Stockton to a birthday party for Jesse's son this afternoon and hopefully we will spend a relaxed quiet day around the house tomorrow. Seems like we have been really busy and pressed for time the last couple of weeks.

Later . . .