Happy September!
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We’re crafting at Town Hall this weekend. We made some boxed zipper pouches. They take about 5-10 minutes and are made from dish drying mats 
I finished another “beads” (aka chandelier) quilt. This is a Quilt of Valor quilt for a friend.
And started another quilt. This is machine sewn - Missouri Star Quilt Co pattern called vintage blossom.
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Those chandelier quilts are absolutely lovely.
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Beautiful work.
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@Char I can’t remember if I have asked before but do you do all of your own quilting on your own machine? Or have a long arm? After quilting the two baby blankets i made, i can’t imagining trying to quilt a full sized blanket on a regular sewing machine.
Your quilts are always lovely!
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I have a sit down long arm I’m trying to master
When I want the quilt to look special I have a gal I bring it to that does meandering. If I want it REALLY special I take it to a studio with a computerized long arm.
Someday I’ll get comfortable enough to quilt my own quilts.
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Good morning all. I’ve been working on cleaning my crafting room. It is a cold morning here, and I’m in line to get blood drawn. A 45 minute wait it says, and I forgot my EPP.
How is everything going your way?
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I hope it didn’t really take that long. And I hope your results are good ones.
By now you are probably home working on a craft. (It is about 8am where I am)
Working on a winnie the pooh themed baby blanket for someone this week. When I looked up products to inspire a color theme I noticed a lot of dark colors. Greys etc… I had to go way back to the the 80s and 90s for color inspiration for a baby blanket.
Turns out Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain a few years ago and people have taken it to the dark side. Which just made me sad.
What are you all working on this week? It is still blazing hot over here. So, baby blanket made from small squares is my wip. Completed 60 squares so far. woo hoo.
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I’ve been so busy that I completely forgot to share that the new issue of Blocked came out last week! I am really enjoying working on the magazine and I hope you enjoy reading it!
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Oh boogers! Hate when that happens!
I’m working on the Blackcomb cowl from interweave. I’d have been done with it according to the pattern, but I want it longer so it can wrap around twice without choking me (and I still have more yarn, so may as well).
I still have two more baby blankets to sew. Hoping i can get work done during the week so I can get some of them done on the weekend.
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It’s been a slow couple of weeks for me, energy-wise. Prior to that I was feeling well enough to sew at the dining room table and cut fabric and stuff, but recently I feel like I just barely have a cold or something. Maybe it’s allergies. 
I bought a little 18x12 cutting mat for my desk, so I can cut quilt squares out of leftover mask precuts while still keeping my feet up. Maybe I should practice my hand-piecing skills while I wait for something to change…
I am trying to help change along – I’ve realized that using a sewing machine would be easier if I could keep my feet up and use a knee lever for speed control. The cabinet for my old Singer just happens to be set up for such a possibility – it has the internal hardware mounts for a knee lever, though the lever itself is missing. Fabricating a new one shouldn’t be a big issue (which is good, because originals are hard to find). I also have a replacement motor coming so I don’t have to worry about fixing the old one right now. The machine still needs cleanup but I should be able to manage that… worst case, I send it to the sewing machine shop up the way.
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@HeatherAthebyne I hope you feel bettter. Your plan sounds like a solid one. What shape are your precut pieces? Hope they can easily be put together.
Besides working on a baby blanket, I am de-cluttering this week. One small grocery store bag at a time. Monday, I tackled my bathroom. Well, really all the hygiene, make up and lotions and such. I had read somewhere that we have more products than we will ever use. In my case it was true. I tossed old, expired or just won’t use products.
Yesterday, I tackled my desk top and one drawer. This desk is small and used for absolutely everything. From crafting and studying to doing my nails. So, it had too much going on. Projects and supplies left out. Plus, family mementos I previously didn’t have the mental space to deal with.
The one bag at a time idea is helping me alot. I don’t have to find the time or energy to de-clutter or clean or organize the whole desk, or room. Just try to fill one bag a day.
I also have a give away bag sitting by the front door. But, most things are half used up, old or no one else is going to want them and so they go immediately into the one bag a day.
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I have a bunch of mask pieces leftover from late 2020 after demand dropped off. I’ve been cutting 3.5" squares out of the squarish part and keeping the inch-wide curvy offcuts to piece later. I’m just doing plain four patch blocks right now, with the pairings I already had put together. I figure I’ll work through the fabrics which look good together and see how far I can get before deciding how to assemble what I’ve got.
I have a separate small pile of offcuts from the fabrics I used throughout 2020, stacked in kind of reverse chronological order. I might piece those together too and combine them all in their own quilt.
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Thank you for the picture and the explanation was perfect. What a wonderful idea.
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I was able to de-clutter the rest of my desk. Got to throw out 2 grocery bags of stuff.
I have a habit of needing to write things down to remember them. Then, I think I need to keep the paper to help me remember later. I apparently thought my desk would be a great place to keep those papers. Lol…from like 20 years ago.
Also found 9. Yes, 9 old cell phones. Anyone have advice on how to get rid of them. They are not able to be used with current technology. Batteries have been removed. But, I don’t have a clue what to do now. ( hich is why they were thrown in a drawer to deal with later.) Ideas?
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I’m on my last block of row 3 of my EPP. I’m thinking I’ll be done with it today or tomorrow. Time to pick out colors for the next row! the top 3 and the right fabric of the second row are the “called for” fabrics. The others are just stash. I actually only bought the large dots specifically for the project - the others I had in fat quarter bundles. Yay for using stash!
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@char. Have I posted this b4. My hubby gma made this quilt top. It has ended up here in my home. I have zero idea how to use it without ruining it. It is large enough to cover my queen bed. It is stained…from who know what. (anyone know what I should do?) Is it ruined anyway?
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Hubby grandma also had these pillow cases from the Preston Trading Company. I am thinking it would be ok to use modern embroidery floss and crochet thread to finish them. Do you guys think so?
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One more post. (Dont want to spam you guys) his gma also had these in an old sewing tin. You know the ones that used to hold cookies. I have zero idea what the blunt end needle is for. And the sizzors? They say “Hartz. German” on them. The silk pins seem kinda cool.
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Yep, you’re totally fine to use regular modern embroidery thread. Six-strand DMC thread manufacture started in 1898, so there’s a high probability that it was started with that to begin with. 
The blunt needle looks like an awl or stiletto. The flattened end is interesting and might also have been used for scoring or marking something. The scissors and pins are neat!
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