Random 8-14-13

I basted the black and white quilt over the weekend, but have been taking my time (read: procrastinating) on getting around to actually starting on the quilting.  It's the way I roll, folks.  I know this and deal. 

That means I do any number of other things instead, like become engrossed in a new-to-me TV series now available on Netflix—Ripper Street.  Matthew Macfadyen, anyone?  Yes, please!

I seriously heart this show.  Wish our cable lineup included BBC America so I don't have to wait a whole year for the second season to get to Netflix.

Last night, I pin-crastinated on Pinterest, beefing up my Hot in Here board rather nicely, I think.

Douglas Booth

I cannot wait until Romeo and Juliet hits theaters in October.  This fellow is worth the ticket price in eye candy.  And Hailee Steinfeld?  Well, I loved her in True Grit.


I should reread Romeo and Juliet before the movie, though, because when it comes to Shakespeare, I always wish there were subtitles.  I like to spend a little time with the language, you know?  Although it's not like I don't remember how the story ends.

Speaking of which, I turn on the subtitles to watch Ripper Street because I don't want to miss any of the dialog.  The writing for that show is topnotch.

So I finally started quilting the black and white quilt today, doing some ditch quilting around the black frames.  Straight-line ditch quilting in black thread on black fabric means there is really nothing to show at this point.  I have an idea to quilt the centers of the frames in spirals, which is different than the original plan, but I think it will be cool, if I can get the hang of it.  I did one on a practice pad, but when I went to quilt the first one on the quilt, it was a spectacular disappointment.  That has been unpicked and I've stepped away from the quilt to allow my frustration to dissipate.  I'll be back for another go at it tomorrow.

Finally, the gardens are producing and I've been blessed this week with tomatoes, kohlrabi, cucumbers, green peppers, and zucchini.   I did the healthy, responsible eating thing with most of the big yellow zucchini I was given, but what I really craved was my old favorite, chocolate chip zucchini cake.  Went Googling for a gluten-free version and found this recipe, which I made immediately, adding one egg and decreasing the sugar by half (it was still plenty sweet).

(Source: mygluten-freekitchen.com)

In a word:  Awesome!! 

Digging this new song by Amos Lee.

Heartbreaker with Happy Ending

Lessons learned quilting this wall hanging:

• Things happen that are a mystery.
• Sometimes I am not in the mood for a mystery.
• Keep those big girl panties close, you might need them.

I stared at my quilt sandwich and drew imaginary lines with my fingertips, this way and that, trying to decide how I might go about quilting this piece. 

Every time I quilt something, I feel like a beginner.  Maybe once I get 10,000 hours under my belt, that feeling will have dissipated.  Guess I better get crackin' then.

I decided on loops and hearts within the hearts.  I made up a practice pad with a fused heart on it because I suspected those fused areas might cause my machine to cough up a hairball or something (I could not remember the specific experience I'd had that made me suspect this, but I suspect there was one). 

The test swatch went fine.  Cleared for takeoff, all systems go.

On the real piece, all seemed to be going well.  As I finished quilting the last (wouldn't you know) of all the hearts, I flipped it over again to check the back.  That's when my real heart sank.  Eyelashes everywhere!  Everywhere I had gone after that first heart, that is; except, oddly enough, a few of the other quilted heart shapes remained intact.  In my dismay, I neglected to take a photo.  It wasn't pretty.

Thus began a disheartening hour or two of ripping out stitches, Googling for answers, inspecting my machine (everything seemed okay, threaded okay, tension good), and trying another test (again, fine). 

I decided to forge ahead and quilt all the non-fused areas, which went well.  Then I went back and attempted to quilt the fused hearts once more.  Again with the eyelashes.  If I went super slow, a stitch at a time, and did nothing fancy, just get in and get out, it was doable (albeit not much fun).  

But at least it's done.  And points for perseverance, because I considered shelving this until February 2014; then I found my big girl panties.

All in all, I'm happy with the finished wall hanging. Happy I got through it, happy it's presentable.

Make A Candy Heart

It's a bummer the fusible parts were so dicey, and a buzz-kill for any fusible applique in my future.  Has this sort of thing ever happened to you?  I used Heat 'N Bond Lite, which is supposed to be sewable.  My machine is a Juki TL98Q, and the thread (which I am admittedly not in love with but I used it anyway) was Isacord both on top and in the bobbin.  I did not change my needle, but it had been recently changed.

So that's the breakdown.  Time to enjoy it on the wall!

Sunday Sundry - Vol. 48

I finished quilting the kaleidoscope quilt yesterday (woo-hoo!).  It went pretty well, despite the size.  The center was a little tricky to maneuver in, and that is where I started.  I did a few meanders and—I'm not going to lie—for a brief moment I considered stopping, ripping out my stitches, and calling my local longarm quilter.  But no, I had it basted and we had come this far together, just persevere (so went the self pep talk).  Keep going, keep going, keep going.  And I did.  And it's done.  And I'm glad!  

I am sort of embarrassed to admit I wanted to wimp out, but there it is.  I didn't.  I took courage from friends who told me they or someone they knew had quilted a king size quilt on a regular machine, and this wasn't even that big.  Perhaps it will be an encouragement to someone in a similar situation who doesn't know if they have it in them (you do).

Okay, so here is the latest dilemma.  What kind of binding should I do?  I mean, the backing is a soft custard yellow with multicolored strips from some of the fabrics on the front.  I quilted it in matching yellow thread, which blended well overall.  I was thinking a yellow binding, as I have enough yardage in the custard yellow.  I also have enough of a light pink print (see bottom left block of first picture above).  Otherwise, I'd have to buy fabric (which I'm okay with, if that's what works best), or do a scrappy binding.  But I think there is enough color going on in the quilt that something solid along the edge would be more restful.  Any thoughts?

It's Genetic
My cousin Peggy in Louisiana discovered my blog and was inspired to start her own Pyrex collection.  I am so happy for her!  She recently bought a little hutch at an antique shop for her Pyrex display and sent me a photo.  Isn't it the cutest?

Back in October, I bought a pretty casserole dish and stand, but as it turned out, I already had it.  In fact, there's a picture of it up there in my blog header.  Doh!

This, friends, is when you know your collection might be getting out of hand (and/or your memory faltering).  At any rate, I figured there might be just the right spot for it—on Peggy's shelves.  So I packed it up, along with one of my minis that seemed meant to be together with it, and sent it to my cousin.  She loved it!  I'm so glad!

At the risk of embarrassing both of us further, here is a favorite photo of my cousins, Peggy (on the left), Patsy, and David, along with my sister and I in the pink dresses (I'm on the right).  This photo is from the era that particular Pyrex casserole would have been in circulation.  

Who'da thunk we'd reconnect all these years later swapping Pyrex stories?

Holiday Shopping
I started my Christmas shopping on Friday night.  I even bought myself a little something for the tree, he-he.

How about you, have you started your Christmas list yet?

One Way Road

I have been preoccupied this week, which is a good thing—otherwise I would be thinking too much about what happens next week, which I'll get to in a minute.

I've been sewing, still on my little things, and even doing a bit of organizing in the sewing room.  But what I have been preoccupied with is listening to this.

Now I know I'm late to the party on this one, but oh, it was a good story!

"I just don't get the whole vampire thing."  How many people have I said that to in the past few years?  (Don't answer that.)  Well, I still don't get it, but like I said, it was a good story.  A love story.

A friend offered to send these to me to listen to.  As it happened, I was getting tired of listening to public radio and pretty much my entire music collection while I sewed.  So, why not?

Now I have lined up the other books in the series.  I'd be listening right now, but the ding-dang digital audiobook I got from the library yesterday is broken, so I'm waiting on the CDs to come in from a different library.

I'm trying to finish up my mug rugs and minis so I can get to the auction quilt I'll be quilting.  

These are some I've worked on this week.  I tend to like the bright ones, but I've had requests from friends for the softer-hued earth tones.

On Monday, I had a consultation with the specialist for something I've been putting off for a while.

Ugh.  Next week Tuesday is D-day.  Or C-day, as it were.  I am so looking forward to Wednesday and having it all...er...behind me. 

I can't help but hear the Imperial March in my head when I think about it.  The business end of that endoscope looks somewhat menacing.

Dark Invader.*  What was his first name again, Anuskin?

Wrong way going down the one-way road

Wrong way going down the one-way road

Wrong way going down the one-way road

Gonna turn it all around gonna back it on up

That is not what John Butler is talking about in this song.  Catchy tune though.  You can find all the lyrics here, if you're interested. 




*Yes, I know it's Darth Vader/Anakin...it's a joke, friends.