This week is half over. I have been very busy. The cooler weather we have experienced appears to have moved on. The temperature is more normal today. I like the warm sun!

I decided to make myself another bag. One that is not to large, but one that will hold everything I need to carry.  I finished it and then decided I should have taken step by step photos, so decided to do another. I decided to use black fabric on both the top and bottom of the quilt sandwich.  I marked off  different sections of the bag, marked a few guide lines for quilting and then went to it. Once I had the sections quilted I removed the fabric, trimming but leaving the front, sides, bottom and back intact. I decided to try making this bag a light as possible and am not lining it. After adding the pocket and dividers I wanted, I sewed the bottom to the sides and then the front to the back. I added the flap  and straps. The flap and inside back panel of the bag is lined. Around the top edge of the bag I put a casing so a piece of ribbon or draw string could be added. I by not adding a lot of making zippered pockets and lining this went together pretty quickly. I have used up all my strapping and will be adding quilted straps on the next bag.  You can add as many pockets, zippered or not as you would like. I usually sew the pockets to the lining. On this bag I just pinned the pockets and topstitched them down. That stitching really did not interfere with the finished look because I have quilted it so closely. 

I finished a wall hanging for a client. It was a buffalo head. I can't find the photo, so I won't be posting it on this blog.

Currently I am working on a large double irish change quilt for a client. It is coming right along. I should be working on it right now. But just can't motive myself. I also have been working on piecing a quilt that will be given to a friend's daughter for her wedding in September. I have all the blocks finished and now need to sew them together and decide how I will finish it. 

This pattern is in the current American Quilter magazine. It is called Slow Dance by Tracey Jacobsen.  The pieces are 4 1/2 inches so it goes together pretty quickly. Having the proper template tools. I could not find one at the shops I went to and just used the paper patterns in the magazine. I made a photo copy, pasted them to cardboard and then added sand paper to the back. It worked, but having the Tri-Rec tool set would have made it much, much easier. I will purchase them. Scrap Apple has them on order.
It is dinner time, I guess I should decide what I am going to fix (or run and pick up).

Sunday May 17, 2015

My how time flies....... I was awaken by a restless grand dog this morning and was unable to close my eyes and go back to sleep. After laying for another 45 min or so, with my mind working like crazy, I decided to just get up and get ready for the day. I am going to try to write on my blog each Sunday.

A couple of years ago I came up with a tool that aids long arm quilters in successfully marking their quilting designs onto the quilt while the quilt is loaded on the machine. I came up with a pattern and produced some. The pattern did not sell well at all, so I moved on to other things. I have decided to re-visit my invention. A rigid surface makes marking a quilting design on the surface of your quilt, while the quilt is loaded on the machine, much easier.  With out a rigid surface to mark on the design is often distorted. The extended base on my Innova is not large enough to provide such a surface. My board has evolved over time to what I and my dear friend, fellow professional long arm business owner, supporter Dazie (from onewildstitch@q.com),  is really a helpful tool. It requires fabric, velcro, a light weight rigid board and a long magnet. I have had a pattern out for a while, but the pattern has not sold well. I need to get the board priced out with packaging and all the parts to see what I can sell them for. I have not located wholesale source for the magnet. The magnet can be purchased at Harbor Freight, however after a discussion about the product my with  friend Dazie,  I feel the product should be sold complete.  In addition to other stuff on my plate I need to get this done, or at least started.  It is a wonderful tool and I have not seen anything like it any where. It will work on any long arm machine that has a front roller for the board to rest on (underneath the quilt sandwich). I will try to get some photos posted soon.

Also while trying to go back to sleep this morning, my mind started working on another idea for a tool that all quilters can use. I like to have a wrist pincushion, but need something that will allow me to clip the close pin like clips that most quilters use to hold the binding in place while they hand stitch. My clips fall on the floor or I clip them to my shirt or pocket and they get washed. I plan on working on a sample, making a few and writing a pattern for it.  As my mind continues to grind, I realize I need to get set up to take credit cards over the internet and at shows and classes. That is something I need to get on this week. I sure wish I could make a couple of clones that would work for free.  I also have another wall hanging pattern in my head. Just to much going on in between my ears this morning.

I have client work to get done. I finished quilting the cutest baby quilts I have seen in a while this past week. I have only taken photos of one of the quilts. They are both the same pattern, just a variation in fabric colors. My client wanted them both quilted the same. These were fun quilts to quilt. I loved her choice of fabric. I used Superior Threads clear mono poly thread in the top and their gray Bottom Line in the bobbin. I love the way this thread combination works. www.superiorthreads.com


I have a lot to get done this week. Three client quilts in hand and two more in line.  I am pretty much extended through August work wise. I do plan on taking a bit of time to just set and paint too. So far Dave and I have not taken the RV out. It is has been to cold or to rainy on his days off. Hopefully we will get out before to long in it, so he can do some star gazing and astro-photography and I can get some painting done.

Thanks for taking time to read this blog and I wish you happy quilting.  The week will be over before we know it!

Charlotte

May 10th

The quilt show went well. I was pleased that the quilt I did with Wanda B won a 1st. place ribbon in large pieced and also won the viewers choice.  There were four quilts I quilted that won ribbons. Nothing very exciting has been going on for me over the past couple of weeks. I have been very busy with my quilting. I finished this one for Candace Miller. She was extremely happy with it. I had issues with the thread we had chosen. It kept shredding and then breaking. I finally went to Superior Thread to get a new cone of the thread and it was suggested I look for another type of thread. We found the exact color in a different type. I had very little problems after that. I was happy to get this one finished though.

 Just finished this fun quilt for Beverly Nelson. Beverly has been blessed with twin grandchildren. She is getting quilts done for them. This is the first. I love the minky on the back. I though Bev's color was so great on this one. I seem to have a lot easier time quilting quilts that I like the color on.

It has been cooler here over the past week. Today the temperature was more normal for this time of year. It is breezy this afternoon though and the wind seems to make my allergies worse.
I need to decide what I am going to fix for dinner and get it going.