Where Did October Go

Hi Everyone,
I have been extremely busy this month and it seems like I have been living in the car.
I went down to deer camp last Sunday and we stayed until Tuesday afternoon. We drove home and got cleaned up to go to a funeral for a very dear friend.
On Wednesday we drove back down to deer camp and I spent the night and then drove back Thursday morning. I had to be back for a meeting on Thursday night and I needed to clean my house before the meeting.
I also had two telephone interviews this morning and I just got back from taking my Mom to the grocery store. So I have been running around like crazy this whole week.

I took my feather weight down to deer camp and was able to do a bunch of string piecing while I was there.

I brought the string stuff home and I now have it set up on my kitchen table because I just want to do some fun string piecing for a day or two and I don't feel like taking it all down to the quilt studio right now.

I have seventeen completed right now. They are in matched sets so I have them going in both directions.

I also ordered Wonder Clips to try out with my binding work. I think they are going to be great so I don't get stuck with all the pins holding the binding in place.

At the same time I ordered straw needles size nine to do my applique on the new wall hanging kit I bought in Reno, NV a couple of weeks ago.

Now I just need to find some time to work on the kit. I also have a number of UFO's that need some attention. I think November will be a much slower month than October has been so I should be able to do some things I want to do.

Well, this is all for this week. Talk again next week.

Runner Turned Out Fine Not Great

We got back from Reno, NV and was very tired. That is a long drive and it felt great to be home in our own bed.

I have pressed the Shadow Box quilt top and now I need inspiration for how I want to quilt it.

I am not in a hurry to get it quilted because I still haven't got the backing together for it yet.

I finished quilting the table runner this morning. Some parts I am happy with but the outside border I am not happy with. Mostly, that is because I used white thread on the bobbin and dark purple on the top.

 I know better than to do that but I was thinking it would be fine. It wasn't. But I am not going to unpick it.

Even with this mistake I like the runner so mcuh better than it was before.

So here it is. Done!

These are the pieced outer border units for the Smith Mountain Morning quilt. I have pressed them all and nipped off the dog ears. All I have left to do is to trim the outside edges and then sew them together to attach to the quilt top. I haven't put the inner border on yet because I haven't looked through my stash to see what will work for that very small border.

I guess it will get done in a few weeks. So for now see you next week.

Here We are in Reno

It took us 8 1/2 hours to drive to Reno from home. We checked into the Peppermill. It is a very fancy place and it takes allot to walk out to the car and get back in. I don't like having to use the Bell service but we had to get all of our stuff up to the sixteenth floor.

I quickly set up my sewing stuff and have been very happy sewing along.

 I completed the blocks the first night here.

 I had decided to put this top together by webbing the top as Bonnie Hunter does.

So I cut the sashings and corner stones so I could do that.

 It didn't take long to put it all together.

Next I started working on the pieced border for the Smith Mountain Quilt. I am making good progress.

Yesterday my husband and I went out to a fabric store. I was just looking, thinking I might get some fat quarters or some fabric to bind this new quilt. He saw something he liked so I ended up buying a wall hanging kit. It has applique and I am not very good at applique so it will be interesting to see how this turns out. I am thinking it would look real good in my quilt studio.

Well, I need to get working on my piecing again and then get some make up on so I am ready for lunch time.
See you next week.

Ready to Go

I have my quilting stuff packed for our trip to Reno, NV next week. I have prepared a new quilt to go so I can put it all together while I am there.

The quilt name is Shadow Box from MaDan's Quilting online. She made a very easy to follow tutorial at madanquilting.blogspot.com. I think I will be able to really spotlight my batik fabrics with this quilt.

I think I have everything I need to sew to my hearts content while my husband goes to his conference lectures.

I was cleaning out a cupboard in the kitchen over the desk and pulled out some table cloths and runners. In 1999 I embroidered a table runner and napkins with pansies. I loved them so much that I took the pattern and made curtains for our new house in 2001. This table runner had a cotton lace I had sewn onto it and it never has laid flat. I got this great idea to cut the lace off, add borders and then quilt.

Here it is with the borders.

Here it is loaded on my HQ. I have started quilting on the white around the outside edge with half feathers. I will start on the inside part of the white next. I think this runner is going to turn out just perfect and will lay flat the way it should.

I have purchased 2 boxes of Granny Smith apples and I will go to Walmart today and pick up more bottles. I want to make apple pie filling to bottle this week and then some applesauce. The applesauce will not be done until week after next.

Well, this all for now but I plan to take pictures in Reno of my progress and will post from there next week.