Thursday Catch Up

I figured that since I haven't posted in a few days that I should give an update.

As you know, I have been working at my local quilt shop, Best Friends, for a few months now. I generally just work on the weekends and I have been cutting back a little for my sanity. I worked all weekend last weekend and we were so busy - I was exhausted! Monday, I came home from my real job and slept from 7:30 PM until 6 AM.

The shop has also been getting into some shows in the area so we have been kicking things into high gear making up kits and samples and jelly rolls. And everyone has a job. Some make kits. Some cut fat quarters. I am the Jelly Roll Princess. I think that they are going to make up a t-shirt for me. giggle Unfortunately, I have not thought to take any pictures of the rolls that I have made. Tonight, it was 9 batik jelly rolls in a rainbow of colors.

I also have a back pack to finish. Here are some pictures.




Last night, I cut the pieces and started assembling the body of the bag when I broke a needle and my walking foot. Luckily, I can use one of the walking feet that is sold at Joann's. I will have to go to the new one in Mason this weekend to pick one up. And I also have a spare foot so I have been able to continue.

This pattern is one that was written and published by the shop. I have made their purse and the courier bag patterns and they are good patterns, but I always took the class while making the pattern. I hope that I can wrap this one up quickly though and move on to something else. Oh, and it would be nice to turn it in and get paid! :)

Look for my weekend goals tomorrow!

September Accomplishments

In spite of a week long vacation with an ancient machine, I still got quite a bit accomplished. Not as much as I had hoped, but enough to keep me happy!

Quilty accomplishments

1. Finished piecing a disappearing 9 patch top for the Alaska quilts
2. Finished the St Jude and Lucky Charm pants
3. Finished August block for BOM
4. Quilted 2 charity quilts on Lenny and Squiggy – still in the process of ripping out the quilting on one.
5. Almost missed a class at Best Friends, but was able to show up a little late and catch up quickly!
6. Did the Tri-State 2008 Shop Hop with buddies. Had a great time! Spent lots of money and got loads of great stuff!
7. Posted a contest and then wigged out on picking winners! I will do that this weekend! Promise!
8. Won the Lazy Days of Summer contest with my Sunny Lanes top over at the Quilting Gallery blog
9. Finished the 4th of July table runner for Judy’s housewarming
10. Finished 4 placemat tops for Judy’s housewarming
11. Quilted and finished the Ugly Quilt for mother. She loves it!
12. Had to piece on an antiquated Kenmore while on vacation
13. Finished my Courier bag
14. Finished my HSTs for my Thangles class that I almost missed.

Non-Quilty Accomplishments

1. Read/Listened to K, L, M and N in Sue Grafton’s alphabet series
2. Got a cat bed from Linda for the dogs. They adore it!
3. Got a GREAT CMG’s wife story! See here for that. ADD LINK!!
4. Went to Florida for a vaca
5. Got lots of turtle pics while on vacation
6. Returned from vacation to my little dogs who missed me a lot!
7. Had lots of fun and laughs feeding the dogs an ice cream cone

I spy....

Califon!!! Best Friends has gotten in Mark Lipinski's Califon line. It's gorgeous!!



I think that they would be awesome for a Courier bag!

Now what's this.... It's a quilt sample made up from Califon!



I turned again to see the wall of bag kits and the store's Brand X patterns....



They made up kits with Califon and only have a couple left.



Man, I am really going to have to buy the fabric to make another bag soon!!!

Worth it?

I think so. I haven't been home for more than 18 consecutive hours since I have been home from Florida. And 9.5 of those hours were spent sleeping.

I haven't been to the grocery store yet. I have nothing in my fridge or freezer except for butter, condiments and ice. I had to throw everything out due to the power outage last week.

I took my aunt to the airport this afternoon and then had to get to a class at Best Friends Quilt Shop by 6. It was the final class for the Courier bag.

I got it done!







I think that I am going to drag it with me to work tomorrow. I just have to throw my bills and mail in it and I can be ready to go!

Weekend update

Last night, I was able to get myself organized and then I headed to bed. It was an early morning this morning, but I was ready to go when Linda stopped by with Patrice to pick me up. We headed over to IHOP to meet Cathy for breakfast. We had a good time and laughed a lot! After breakfast, we went to the Open House at Best Friends and signed up for classes. We actually found a class that all 4 of us wanted to take so we all signed up!

We parted ways with Cathy at Best Friends and then Linda, Patrice and I went to Joann's. Can't pass up a good sale! We just got some books and notions. Nothing too exciting. Patrice and I ran over to the other Joann's a couple of hours later to get some of the batting that was on sale so that we could use it for charity quilts on our frames. We got a really great deal!!

Once I got home from that, I started washing the fabric that I need to work on some secret projects, took a nap and then had dinner. After that, I got to work.

I was able to finish the majority of the homework for the Courier bag class. I have to hand stitch the binding down on the flap piece and I plan on doing that on Monday night at Patrice's. We talked to our class teacher today about missing class on Tuesday and she said not to worry and that she will make sure that we learn how to put the rest of the bag together. Here are my pieces so far:



After I was done with that, I started working on my secret projects and I got 2 of the 4 complete. The other 2 are cut and ready to go and shouldn't take my too long to finish in the morning.



Once those are done, I will be able to move on to some more exciting things. Hmmm... I think that I should throw a quilt on the frame...

Things to do

To keep myself in line, I am making a list of things that HAVE to be done this weekend. I know that I tried this a couple of weekends ago and I barely got anything done, but that was when I had a lot of homework for my Courier bag class and that took up A LOT of time. With this being a 3 day weekend, I think that I have a better shot of accomplishing more. Especially since I have most of my bag homework done for the next class.

There is only one problem with the next class. It is on Tuesday night and I have been invited to go to the Reds baseball game for a work function. And due to information that was learned last weekend, I *really* think that I should go to this work function. It would be BENEFICIAL for me to go to this work function. ;)

Anyway...

So far tonight, I have already cleaned up the house and am ready to start laundry. I just have to gather the laundry from the bedroom and take it to the basement and sort it and get started. I also spent a little time earlier in the week just straightening up my sewing table and all of the projects that are in the works.

All right, here is my list of things that I absolutely have to get done. Or at least work on! These are in no particular order.

1. Quilt an Alaska charity quilt
2. Quilt a Kid Komforts charity quilt
3. Piece an Alaska charity quilt
4. Piece a Kid Komforts charity quilt
5. Finish the 4 secret projects
6. Work on the other set of secret projects
7. Finish one more pair of pants
8. Finish my Courier bag homework
9. Piece my August block for the BOM

I have quite a few more charity quilts to get pieced and a few more than that to get quilted. Lenny and Squiggy could be getting quite a work out!

OK, I'm off to get started!

A Finish... Finally!

I had this quilt quilted since July 24th and I have been slowly but surely working on hand sewing the binding down. It was a thicker fabric for the binding and flannel for the backing and it seemed to take forever to sew the binding down.



Well, I FINALLY finished the binding tonight at a different Guild small group meeting! I was so exciting I think that I jumped up and down! Well, maybe not that excited, but I was still happy to be able to move on to another quilt with thinner binding and not flannel backing. In fact, I was able to get an entire side done of the second quilt in about 40 minutes and it took me 2 hours to get the last side done on the first quilt. Isn't that awful? Oh well, it's a finish for the FIUM.

Well, tomorrow is Friday and I am very excited! Saturday, I am going to Patrice's house in the morning so that we can work on our pieces and homework for the Courier bag class. I also have a couple of secret projects that I want to get to work on this weekend, too. Here is the fabric for those. I forgot to post them and Patrice wanted to see the them.

So what do you think?

So, How did I do?

Well, I was not as productive as I had hoped this weekend. But at least I have my sewing all laid out for the next week or 2.

1. Finish the last 5 pairs of pants - 1 pair is completely done, 4 are ready for the waist and hem (I need to get some matching thread for at least 1 of these pairs.)
2. Quilt the Courier bag pieces for class on Tuesday
3. Piece the August BOM block
4. Piece at least 2 charity quilts
5. Quilt at least 1 quilt
6. Work on 4 secret projects
7. Start on 1 secret project

And here are pictures. The witches underwear pants.

A closer view of the fabric:



And here are my pieces that have been quilted for the Courier bag class. The pink is the lining. I am working ahead some - we only had to have these pieces quilted and working on the pockets was optional. I figured that I can get the pockets done tonight for class that is tomorrow.

And here is a picture of the quilting. Looks cool, huh? This did not take as much time as purses that I have made. I will have to take some pictures and show you why tonight!

At last!

It's the weekend! Woo hoo!

I did get to leave work at 5 yesterday and I ran to Joann's to pick up some supplies since they are having a pretty good sale. Then, I hit the grocery store. I started feeling a little bad when I left the grocery so I came home, put the cold things away and laid down for a nap. The pups and I ended up sleeping for a few hours, got up to go outside and I checked my email and then we went back to bed. I think that I basically slept from right after 8 PM last night until around 8 this morning. I am feeling very refreshed!

I have cleaned up my sewing area and I have a few things that are in progress. I also have a couple of other things that need to be started and finished within the next few weeks.

This is what I hope to get accomplished this weekend:

1. Finish the last 5 pairs of pants
2. Quilt the Courier bag pieces for class on Tuesday
3. Piece the August BOM block
4. Piece at least 2 charty quilts
5. Quilt at least 1 quilt
6. Work on 4 secret projects
7. Start on 1 secret project

Oh, and laundry, cleaning the kitchen, general straightening up around the house and watching some DVD's that are due back at the library. And reading some blogs - I have 300 posts to catch up on. I guess that I need to get off of blogger an get started! :)

Tuesday class

Tuesday, Patrice and I took our first class for the Best Friends' Courier Bag. We ended up spending the entire class cutting out our pieces. Cheryl brought out the table lifters so that we could have the tables at a good height for cutting so that it would not be bad on our backs.

When Cheryl and I got the lifters under my table and I sat back down at the table, I got some flashbacks. It was like I was back in kindergarten sitting at a table that was way to big for me.





After we got done cutting, Patrice and I packed up and headed to Meijer's to see about getting some table lifters for ourselves. We were successful! They were $13! What a deal!



**Edited to add - the stands are on sale at Joann's this week, but unfortunately, they are not available at all Joann's and Patrice had alrady checked our area Joann's and they are not carried in our area.