Yarg....

The Soda Pop quilt is done.
It went from being a quilt I was uberexcited about to a quilting nightmare in one fell swoop.

I knew it was going to be hard because I was using the tinier Janome to quilt it.
I have to take Foxy in to get checked for the grease issue.

I started quilting it....and the petals that I had spent HOURS ironing on started coming off.
I don't know if it was the humidity or the pulling on the quilt top, but it was ridiculous.

And maddening.  I wasn't going for an unfinished edge applique, but I'm not confident it's not going to fray like mad.  I am going to try to steam it again before I wash it, but BLARG.

I don't think I'm ever going to use Pellon Wonderunder again.  It was odd.  I've used Pellon products before and never had trouble before, but this was redonkulous.

Anyway, here it is, prewash:




Please ignore any threads.

I also caught up on some bee blocks:

Neutral and Not


Running with Scissors





I still have to do Nubees, catch up on the Sew Intertwined QAL and How Far will you go QAL, and sew the binding on the Across the Sea boy's quilt....and start handquilting the Medallion.

Yarg.  I spent hours today organizing kid folders.  I don't know if I have to go into work tomorrow or not.  Right now, the dog is all fretty from a thunderstorm.

Semi-regrouped.

Well...it mostly came out.
Per y'all's advice, I'm going to call the dealer and ask about the foot...but not until next week when the trip is over...certainly before I touch the Soda Pop with it.

I got some stuff photographed while I was waiting on the washer.

I finished (earlier) the first two blocks of the How Far Will You Go? QAL:



I finished the center piece of the Sew Intertwined QAL block:



Yes, I have a bunch of Hope Valley and Denyse stashed...and I won some, so I'm breaking it out. I'm curious to see how alike/different the two quilts come out.

Anyway, the quilt is for The Pirate.  It was my first real FMQ'd quilt.  I guess the fact that it was for him, that I was using a boatload of bee blocks from multiple swaps just raised the commitment level a bit higher than I needed it to be....
add to that PMS...(I've been crying watching the Olympics and talking about the Olympics with a former student/current Zumba partner)...and add stress about flying.  I hate flying now...and my parents meeting his parents...blarg.  Too much stress.

Here's the quilt:



The spots aren't visible because they're on the left side.
I'm not sure FMQ will ever be my calling.
Gah.

I finished a Final week project from Camp Thimble.  I haven't started handquilting the Medallion quilt, but today just didn't feel like a good day to do it.


There are six (as opposed to 8) because I ran out of ric rac.  These would totally be awesome baby burp clothes if they were backed in terry cloth.


Also, I need to put a major shout out to Rachael from Imaginegnats.  She sent me an amazing bundle of "scraps" (in reality BIG pieces) from my Improv throwdown with Allegory.  She sent more foxed from Outfoxed...which totally made my day because I had used up my bits.
I may not be able to take pics til I get back from the trip.  But, thank you, Rachael!

Seriously trying not to cry...

as the new machine's FMQ foot got grease on my first (and possibly only) FMQ'd quilt.  It's the biggest quilt I've ever quilted.  It's for The Pirate.
It's now on it's fourth trip through the wash.

I'm afraid to FMQ again....is this grease a common problem?

Anyway, I'm linking up with Lily's Quilts

Still in progress:
Hexy MF
binding needs to be sewn on boy Across the Sea
basted, but now too scared to quilt....Soda Pop
basted, will be hand sewing...Medallion

I'm supposed to be packing for a trip.  Inlaws.  My brother.  My parents.
But I really just want to cry.

Sooo.......

No new pics to speak of.
But I busted my butt this weekend.
My usual space wasn't big enough to pin baste two of my quilts.
So, I had to move all my furniture around in the living room.  (The Pirate helped.)
I pin basted until I ran out of pins.

Ready to be quilted:
Across the Sea boy quilt
Green and Blue monster (twin sized...that's big for me) for Fiance
Soda Pop quilt
Medallions quilt

I finished my baby quilt top I was pattern testing for Julie of Distant Pickles.  It is a super cool design.  Even if you aren't fantabulous at curves, this one is rad!  I'll try to post a pic tomorrow of that one, too.   I would have pin basted that one, but, alas, no more pins.

I'm trying to get the first three basted done by Wed eve.
I also am handquilting my Swoon mini.

If I can pull this off, I'll have four more down by Thursday.  We'll see.
In the meantime, I have blocks from two QALs to do.

Pics of the progress tomorrow?

I just keep on sewing!

Lots of updates.

I have the do.good.stitches Heal circle quilt done.  It will be mailed out to be delivered to hospice by Friday.  There are some amazing ladies who contributed to this quilt.
It's a really happy looking quilt.  I hope it brings some peace to a family.




I made a green skirt.  It still needs to be hemmed.  Is it wrong that the reason I made it was so I had something to decorate for this two week installment of the Handstitched class?

It's not the best made piece, but I learned a lot, and I will be making more in the future!  Plus, I'll wear it to school anyway.

I'm still sewing hexy flowers.  Almost halfway there.

The Fiance's quilt is HUGE.  Twin sized.  I will be practicing my FMQ on it (with his permission since he knows it won't be perfection).  I have to baste it.  I have to figure where I can get enough floor space to do it.

(Edit:  The damn cat ate?/shredded the batting I bought for the fiance's quilt.  I'll have to get more tomorrow.  ARgh.  Cross your fingers that she doesn't get sick.)

I ironed on a TON of petals (and had 34 left over extra...um, apparently I can't count for crap) on the Soda Pop quilt.  I'm waiting on the backing fabric.  I had to reapply many of the petals after they started peeling off after my first 2 hours round of ironing.  I have no idea why.  I've never used Pellon Wonder Under before.  I ended up having to double the time and up the heat of the iron to its hottest setting.  I will be doing orange peel quilting on this because I'm semi terrified the petals will unstick again.  I love love love this quilt.


I quilted the Stained quilt.  Not my best work, but it has a home on the couch now.  And I love that I can use it instead of it languishing folded in a chair.



Oh, the camera ate the pics of the tree quilt.  I'll try to redo those later.

I lose track of time...

and I forget to post.
I'll add pictures in another post today.
But!  I can cross two more items off my FAL list.  (Well, I kind of did already.)
I finished the Stained quilt.  My quilting isn't stellar, but it's grey, so you can't really see it.
I'm planning on snuggling the dog in it later.  He is a mega quilt snuggler.  (Almost as much as a cat.)
I had to make a dr's run yesterday because my top lip swelled on Thursday night.
Allergic reaction is most likely culprit.  But, we're not sure to what.  Possibly mold on the pint of blueberries I ate on Thursday.  It could be anything.
That's the part that is so suck-o about allergies.  It could be something I touched...or ate...or breathed.  Blarg.

Anywhoo, I've got my do.good quilt top and back assembled.  Today's agenda includes basting and quilting in some manner.  I may just go for "organic" straight lines.  I'm trying to get this one done by the end of the weekend.

Also on tap, finishing my Sew Bee Blissful blocks for July and the rogue Nubee block I haven't finished.  I'm also eagerly awaiting the arrival of some 3x6 blocks so I can work on the fiance's quilt top.  I am in need of three blocks.  I had one that turned out to not be usable from an old swap.  I'm expecting a few more but 3 folks in other swaps are AWOL, so I know 2 are coming, but I don't know about the other 3.  I may just be impatient and MAKE the last missing block.

I've only got about 2 more weeks before work kicks in....so here are my unreasonable goals:

1.  Finish the Soda Pop QAL quilt.
2.  Finish the fiance's quilt.
3.  Finish at least the quilt top for B's quilt.
4.  Handquilt the Medallion quilt.

Add to that finishing a crap load of hexie flowers.  I'm not sure I can make it.  But I sure am going to try.  Another post featuring pics will come later!

A mixed kind of day...

I've had to open a case file with the USPS to find out where the hell my package is.  I have no idea what will happen to the moolah I shelled on fabric if they can't figure it out.  Not super happy with the response given to me by the store.  It was kind of an "it happens...maybe it will come tomorrow" message.  I'm pretty sure the fault is the post office's, but still.
So much for spreading the love locally.

Anyway, bellydance was awesome tonight.  Got to see 2 more old dancer friends!
I finished the next installment of the Medallion quilt.  One more layer and then hand quilting!
I'm interested to see how the wonky as hell element plays out.  There is a seam or 2 I will stitch wizard just to make sure it doesn't fray.




I finished the Tree quilt, but I apparently forgot to take pictures.  I'll try it tomorrow.
I got 4 out of 5 Nubee blocks, a Neutral and Not bee block, and a Running with Scissors block done, as well as 2 mystery round robin installments.  (No pics of the last ones because they're a secret.)

Edit:  Tree quilt pics added