Proud!

I'm so proud of my daughter! She decided to teach herself to crochet and knit. I gave her some Learn to Knit and Learn to Crochet kits for Christmas, and she has gone at it. For my birthday she gifted me with a delightful scarf and hat. I'm just bursting at the seams with pride!

My mother taught me to embroider, crochet and knit when I was a kid. Neither of my daughters wanted to learn when they were kids. Now to think that my daughter wants to do something that I enjoy, just makes me delirious. Both my mother and my mother-in-law would be so proud of her too. My mil was crafty too.

So here's a picture of the scarf:

I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now here's my first selfie:

I remembered at the last second to smile, so that's the beginning of a smile. Great looking hat tho, isn't it?
(I didn't know my nose looked like that.)

Thanks,
Lin

A New Finish!

I finished the Triangle Quilt Along! TaaDaa! I'm going to call it Purple Mountain Majesties, for pretty obvious reason.

I simply quilted it in the ditch, and signed it with free motion quilting. Here's a shot of my signature.

Parts of it are hard to see, but that's OK. I will still put a label on  it, but this way, if the label is gone, someone would still know who made it. Here's a picture of the back:

I had some extra triangles so I decorated the backing too. I had just enough left of one of the purples for the binding. Whew! It ran really close. I have a piece left that's about 4" x 6". That'll go into my scrap bin and get cut up for a scrap quilt someday. I've been following Bonnie Hunter and trying to get things cut up into usable scraps.

Thanks,
Lin

Catch Up

I promised a better picture of the dogwoods, so here's that:

They are the prettiest things, aren't they? Or maybe I'm just so anxious for flowers.

When we got home, I found out my daffodils waited for me! I always think they're one of the happiest flowers. Daffodils and forsythia. Maybe I like yellow flowers?
So here's my daffs:

I have daffs all around my house! Some of them are silly. They grow up thru leaves, instead of pushing them aside.

I rescued those daffs from the constrictions of the leaves. I am Super Lin. I need a cape!

Now that we're home, I have so much to do. I scrubbed out the camper, it is sparkling inside, waiting for a new season of camping. We'll take it out a number of times this summer.

I have tons of flimsies waiting for me too. There are three hanging on my second story railing, maybe nasty comments to me about how I'm NOT quilting them. You should hear the things they say! I didn't know they even knew words like that. Well, tomorrow I'm planning on spray basting several. At least it's a step, right?

Thanks,
Lin

Fat Quarter Slide

I got most of the top for Fat Quarter Slide done last night. Have to add borders, then the top will be done. I'll be having lots of flimsies ready for backing, and quilting. Quite the lineup waiting for me. A little depressing.

Here are a couple pictures of Fat Quarter Slilde:

OK, they spent the day in a plastic tub, and got a little wrinkled. Hmmm. Mr LQ gave me this fat quarter bundle for Christmas. The first pic was taken on our bed in the camper, the second hanging at a cabin in the campground we're at tonight, in Corbin, KY. I just love the colors. It was a bundle of all shades of brownish-ness. From several shades of cream to very dark brown. I like all these varieties of brown. This pattern was in Quilter's World magazine, Spring 2014.

Corbin is near the Cumberland Gap, where the pioneers crossed the Cumberland Mountains of Appalachia to get to the west. It must have been daunting! Can you imagine leaving civilization behind--all your family, friends, house, things--to go begin anew in the west? I have moved six times to follow Mr LQ's jobs, but I could still go home again, could call people, letters. I don't know if I would have had enough guts to make a go of it.

The weather here is quite nice. In the 70s. Dogwood in bloom, redbud, dandelions are already in fuzz.

I guess tomorrow I'll have to get a better picture, sorry.

I also worked on my Under the Sea quilt. This one is a pattern from Quilts from Sweet Jane, by Sue Pfau. This one is done with a Jelly Roll of luscious bright batiks. I bought the group to think of Florida. They look like Florida colors to me.

I have the different size cuts in baggies, but I hope you can see the colors!

You can read about my trials and tribulations with the Fat Quarter Slide here. I also posted that day about Under the Sea and the blue jean quilt. You can see that I'm getting to the projects I planned on doing when we left in January. Read about that fiasco here.

74th Post

I'm quite amazed that  this is my 74th Posting! I started on January 20 this year. OK, so it's not an epic number, it's still amazingly large, I think.

We are in a campground in Chattanooga TN today. I'm surprised on Easter Sunday there are a lot of people coming and going. Some heading back to the cold north, some to the not-so-cold middle states. Actually, today at home the high was 68. Here 76.

This campground is on a civil war battleground! It seems wrong to be enjoying myself on ground where so many died. But what else will they do with the land? They can't sanctify every battlefield like they did Gettysburg.

We're near Lookout Mountain and Ruby Falls. I think that might be on the sight seeing list for tomorrow.

None of these people are us.

Thanks,
Lin

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to all of you, my peeps! hee hee Are you little yellow peeps, or pink ones, or purple ones or...    It used to be there were only yellow peeps. I don't especially like peeps, Except for you guys, of course.

I got working on my blue jean quilt last night. My daughter gave me a ton of jeans,I tore them apart, now I get to make the quilt. I thought I had cut the jeans into 5" squares, but I wasn't so inclined, I guess. So I was cutting squares last night. This would've been easier at home where I have a better height cutting table. Oh well. I can also see I will need more flannel.

So here's how much I got done

 Can you see all those delicious flannels? So soft.

And this is how much I got done. I will to be able to work much longer on this project. I'll cut more squares from jeans, and I have 36 more flannel squares I can use.

Oh, well, I have more projects I can work on!

Thanks,
Lin

The Quilt Mobile

We are back in the Quilt Mobile, in Florida. We'll be bringing it back home now, so we can use it this summer nearer to home. I'm pretty happy with the Quilt Mobile. I think it's the right size for us.

On the way down to Florida, we stayed one night in a motel. While he was checking in, the clerk told Mr. LQ that our room should be nice and quiet because there was "another elderly couple" right next door. I've never thought of us as "elderly," and I don't think I ever will! We've been laughing about it ever since. The nerve. I know when you're young, 60s seems old, but HEY!

The campground we're in is pretty empty. Most people have already headed home. It's Good Friday too, I don't know if that makes any difference. But I've seen few humans when I walk Trixie around. We do see lots of squirrels tho. She doesn't like the squirrels.

There are ducks here at the campground, and turtles.

Pretty cool, eh? I haven't introduced Trixie to any of these guys.

I'll sew tonight. YAY!

Thanks,

Lin

Crown!

I finally got my permanent crown. I got my temporary crown 3 weeks ago, and it popped out twice. Went to get the permanent 1 week ago, and it wouldn't fit. I now have a permanent crown that fits!!!! Now you may call me Your Highness, and bow please. Or I'll yell "Off with their heads!"


Well, I didn't actually get this kind of crown, but I wanted it! They didn't give me a choice if I wanted diamonds or rubies in it. Big meanies.

Thanks,
Lin

Triangles and Snow

Here's my Triangle Quilt Along all together:

It's about 27" x 49". I think it might be a table topper when it's grown up.

Here's sorta what the back will look like:

Random hexagons dispersed about the back. They didn't know they were gonna be hexagons. They thought they were always gonna be triangles.

I'll be curious how people end up quilting theirs. I don't have any bright ideas right now.

___

I plan on going to AQS Quilt Week when it comes to Grand Rapids, MI in August. I was looking tonight at AQS's site for classes in Charlotte NC today to see what classes they might maybe offer in MI. Sharon Schamber is doing lots of classes for Free Motion Quilting in NC. I'm very hopeful she'll come to MI as well. I hear she's a great teacher?

___

I posted yesterday that we were getting snow. This is what we woke up to:

A little artsy-fartsy, perhaps?

This is the same bird feeder I pictured yesterday. My daffodils are covered!

But by dinner time, they were uncovered again. Yay, sunshine.

Thanks,

Lin

Lights Out

Our power was out for a few days. We had to play Pioneer Days, Little House on the Prairie maybe. We had the candles, kerosene lamps, flashlights. Could only work in the daytime. Once it got dark, we jsut sat and read by the flashlights, or I have a light on my Kindle. I'm sure they didn't have Kindles back then.

I really wanted to sew, but couldn't. I got a few things cut, but couldn't do anything with them. So frustrating.

But the power is BACK!!! Came back this morning at 4 AM. Lights go on, the water pump trying to catch up. Nice way to be awakened--to Power!

We've had some days in the 60s with lovely sun. Not today tho. Back to the 40s, and we had this stuff:

Can you see that is snow!!!!!??? This is mid-April. We're not supposed to have snow.

But, on the brighter side...see all my daffodils poking thru the dirt? I love daffs. That area will be just ablaze with daffs soon.

I've started working on my purple triangles for the Triangle Quilt Along today when I could use the sewing machine again. Got the triangles together. I was quite surprised how much it shrunk when sewn together.
There are 12 seams, so that means I lost 6". I understand it logically, but it was different to see it.

I have the pieces together now. Next is to put the rows together. I figure it'll end up being about 36" x 36". A table topper I think.

In this picture, you can see the colors better, and the prints.

---

You all know I have the HandiQuilter Sweet 16 sit-down long-arm quilter, right? Well, last week I watched the videos by Debby Brown about using the Sweet 16. Very good videos, I recommend them highly.

Thanks,
Lin

Mug Rug Swap

I got my partner for the Mug Rug Swap! She's Dianna, from Nevada. We've exchanged emails, and it sounds as if we like the same colors, and seasons. I think that should make it easier to please the other. Of course, that's a big responsibility--making something the other person will like. But she sounds charming, so I'm good.

I better get busy on the mug rugs, since we're going back to Florida soon. We'll get the trailer, and enjoy a leisurely drive back home. Maybe even hit some quilt shops?? I have my projects ready to go, so I can keep busy in the evenings.

I'm using a new (to me) technique to fuse the appliques to the backing. I am enrolled in Superior University (I wonder if I have to get a cap and gown someday?). Every month they send a package with a different thread and technique to use it. It's fun, because I would never buy these threads. So this month's package was fusible thread and monopoly thread. That always makes me think of the game "Monopoly."

So you stitch around your applique tracing, without having cut it our yet. With the fusible thread in the bobbin, and monopoly in the top. Then snip close to the stitching line, carefully. Then place the applique on the design, and fuse. The Superior directions say, "As the fusible thread melts, the upper thread is released. Because MonoPoly is very smooth, you should be able to grab the end and pull it right out." It worked like a charm for me today!

Sorry the Superior University one is sideways. Anyone know how to turn a picture in Blogger?

The fusible thread is called Charlotte's Fusible Web by Charlotte Warr Andersen. Cute name, I think.

Superior University is on the Superior Thread site. I like it.

Thanks,
Lin

Opinions, please

I have my triangles for the Triangle Quilt Along on the design board now. Two settings.

Oh, dear. I had decided on the diagonal look setting. Now I kinda like the random one. The lights pop more. I guess this one has to wait a while. Opinions, anyone?

Thanks,
Lin

Finish!

I can finally post pictures of my finish!

My darling daughter asked me to make her a tee shirt quilt. Of course I told her yes. That was before I knew how difficult they are to design. The books say that "most" tee shirt designs can be cut to 12" squares. Well, not hers/ Some of these designs were really big! I couldn't design it with even rows and columns, so had to redo my design many times. I think if (big if) I were to do one again, I would consider appliqueing the tee shirts on a solid top. I did applique one of these, and that worked out pretty well.

Well, she's very happy with it, and that's all that counts.

The 6th was my birthday. I'm old. Now I'm even older.

We still have some snow!!!!

Thanks, Lin

Finish!

I have my first finish of the month! Maybe of the year?? I didn't so any quilting while we were gone, so I think it is my first finish of the year. Not much of a record, is it?

The quilt is dancing in the dryer right now. It's got a happy beat.

But I can't show it to you, it's a gift. I will take pictures of it when it comes out of the dryer, and post them soon.

I can show you this quilt that I have also been working on:

I'm quilting it, but I'm having fun with the quilting. I'm making ad lib squares on the top, and filling each square with a different filler stitch. So far, I've done feathers, matchsticks, swirls, meander, meander with leaves. The matchsticks were the painiest! This is good to find out what ones I like doing. I would never want to do a whole lot of matchsticks! The others are freer-flowing, and I can relax more.

Thanks,
Lin

Small Blog Meet

I'm linking up to Lily's Quilts and her Small Blog Meet. I for sure have a small blog, and that's really OK with me. I started this for myself, and I DO read it. Please see Lily's button at the bottom of my blog.

I spent the day cutting the rest of my triangles for the Triangle Quilt Along at Sassy Quilter. My colors are all purples, after all it is Pantone's color of the year! lol. I worried about if I would like it being monotone. Well, it doesn't look monotone to me. I got help picking out my purples, and they shade almost to black and way up to light lilac.

Look, my rotary cutter decided to get in the picture too. Sneaky little thing. What do they call that? Photo bombing or something? 

Thanks,

Lin

McTavishing---Yet Again!

I promise--this is the last time. I think.

I played with McTavishing again. I'm happier. I could see some of what I was doing wrong in the last one. It is so much fun, just swirling around. It's a practice sandwich, so I don't have to worry about anyone judging the quality of my McTavishing. Except you, dear reader.


So here are some pictures of my latest attempts:

These two (above) I did on March 28. Nice and swirly, spacing better.

The three below, I did on March 31. What looks like a bright chartreuse in my computer screen is really a soft yellow. 

So I'll link this up to Amy's Free Motion Adventure's McTavishing Mondays for my final time. So sad to say adieu to this activity to increase our McTavishing skills. It doesn't mean that I will not continue on my own.

Thanks,

Lin

Spray Basting

I spray basted a couple quilts over the weekend. I had been using the ping pong table to do this, but it was awkward. Table's so wide, had to get help getting it set up, and back into storage. We bought two 6' tables to use instead. We found some that even fold up to be 3' long! This will make them even easier to store. Mr LQ cut PVC pipe to raise the height of the table. We fussed a bit to get them the right height. Perfect!
I can lean over and not get my back sore.

One cool thing about having folding tables is that there is an indentation for the centers, so I can line up the centers of my backing, batting and top easily! Thank you, Mr LQ

What kind of spray do you use? I finished off two cans, and ended up with 505. It seemed toperform better than the Dritz I tried.

Thanks,

Lin