Staying in the Lines

I'm still hard at work on my quilt for the show coming up at the end of September.

Now I'm scribbling all over the blank area near some feathers. I want those feathers to POP.
So far I've used four bobbins and I just hit the halfway mark. I'm going to keep track of my thread usage to see how much goes into this quilt. Yesterday I finished off a 1200 yard spool. I'm now working on my second. Thats for the top and bobbin. I'm not counting the colored thread, it's so minimal, just the black thread. Silly of me but I need to find amusement in everyday things.
Scribbling is a little harder on my back so I take may breaks but so far I've been keeping at this.
I'm also trying something new to me. This quilt will be judged. Isn't that a horrible word "JUGDED"?
This will be new to most of our Guild. We have never had our show judged.
In order to make this appealing to the members we have talked about it being a learning experience not a judging. And as the head of the quilt show I needed to test the waters and not be fearful. So I started with one toe in and I'm finally about calf high with both legs. I will go in believing that this experience will make me a better quilter.
And with that said, back to work scribbling.

Take care, Brandie

Hide and Seek

Here's prove that I'm still quilting.
Sheba has found my sewing table and has made herself right at home. Can you see her?

How about now?

Sweet Sheba isn't about to lose this "favorite" sleeping place. She hasn't moved since yesterday. First thing in the morning and all through out the day. Though it did take us a bit of time to find her. If the light isn't on, she's kinda of hard to see!
I think I've gone through an entire sticky tape roller just to remove all the cat hair! I now fold it up when I'm done for the day. One time about black quilts, they attracted  every hair or piece of lint in the house! That includeds the animal.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Take care, Brandie

The New Old

I'm so excited!

Have you seen the new vintage blue Ball jars?

Of course the problem with blue jars is, it doesn't show through with the jar filled. 

My first batch of jars are filled with blackberry jam. Yum!

Then I had to go back and buy a few more cases to stock up. 

These jars better come back! Maybe I'll install a home device on them. Or buy more. 

Pebbling

Yesterday I started some real quilting. I've un-sewn and re-sewn but I think I know where I'm going now.

At least I hope I know, because I don't want to have to un-sew all these pebbles! I think these will make my applique pop and add a pleasant texture.

This is my plan for the weekend, pebbles. Hopefully I'll be back on Monday with more than pebbles to show you.

Have a Wonderful Weekend!
Take care, Brandie

Another Persons Trash...

Last week at my Guild meeting, I was gifted this old box of Hexie flowers.
I was so excited! For me this is better than a box of chocolate. Don't get me wrong, I like chocolate but I don't need it and once you eat it, it's gone. But this box of blocks will turn into a quilt someday and I'll have it forever!

The friend who gave them to me said that she has had them for years and knew she wouldn't get to them any time soon and she knows how much I like to hand sew, so they are now mine.

The problem? I've only done English paper-piecing but these have no paper and I'm afraid of folding in too much edge.

This will be a new challenge for me but I'm up for it! I like to have portable projects and this will become one of them, after I finish my quilt show quilt.

It was like Christmas in July!

If you have any tips to pass along, Please do!

Take care, Brandie

Slow Going

Have I mentioned that I have a Quilt Show coming up at the end of September? Probably not because I've forgotten myself. Well I knew it but it hasn't seemed real yet. In the back of my mind I knew but my body hasn't been cooperating.

I've been feeling better, at least I can sit in my sewing chair a bit longer now anyway. I still need to move around more and I can't sit for hours but none of us should.
Slowly I've added the second row of piping and squared it up and added two borders. I'm calling it done. I also need to remember that I need to quilt it. So at this time I don't want a huge quilt. I think 60 x 60 is plenty big enough.

This morning I'm finally at the sandwich part. As you can see I've got a helper. I use to think the dogs were bad! Dorian is truly a hands on assistant. You would think opened safety pins (I never close them, I just throw them in the tin open and ready to go) would deter his help. Nope! I think he likes the challenge.

All this help was after he pulled up all my tape holding the back down. I swear you can get him to come running just by pulling out and ripping tape. He loves the smell-taste (?) of tape, he loves it! I think he thinks it's catnip.
So after hissing him away for the third time, to re-tape again, I then had to fight him under the batting. Yes I said under. Then I smoothed out the tucks he pulled in the batting.
I swear I'm going to lock them all in a room next time I sandwich a quilt!

Our Bermuda backyard has yielded a few more new babies.
More plant eaters! Two new baby deer. But they are soooo cute!  I keep trying to count the spots to tell them apart but so far I'm not fast enough.
And last night we heard a rustling out on the porch. Hubby went to investigate to see what all the noise was about. He came back in quickly to say that he forgot the bag of cat food outside and that there were striped kitties in the bag. Hehehe, that will remind him to bring that bag in before dark. Though today he is unsure if they were baby skunks or baby raccoons, he just knows they weren't kitty cats.

I will continue to slowly finish up this quilt and try to post a bit more regularly. I'm just slowly moving back to normal and I'm fine with that.
Take care! Brandie

Winner!

And the winner of the Traveling Stash box is... Dee Dee!

Congratulations Dee Dee and Thank you all for playing.

Have a wonderful day and Take care!

Brandie