A Little Fall of Rain

I've had computer problems. It seems that I can break a computer just as quick as it takes my BH to fix it. We used the repair utility that comes with Windows to fix my problem and thought it was going well, until I get a new copy of windows and all my old stuff is setting in a folder marked old computer taking up space. I have no idea how to get it restored. I have replaced most of it already. I have just lost a few items that I can not restore. I am sure they're still on the computer if I only knew where to find them. It feels good to start fresh. It's cleans the soul.

Block of the month will be awhile before I get anything else posted. I lost all the block info to the computer problem.


Moving on to some good news now. Thursday night my BH and I went to Starlight theatre here in Kansas City. It's a theater under the stars and it has one of the largest stages in Kansas City. It had been raining all day long and I had thought we might get rained out. Shows are rain or shine so we headed out to see Les Miserables. The story of how the convict Jean-Valjean struggled to escape his past and reaffirm his humanity, in a world brutalized by poverty and ignorance, became the gospel of the poor and the oppressed.

We got there about 7:30 show started at 8. When we got there it finally stopped raining. The seats were a little damped, but thats o.k. If you have ever seen Les Miserables before you know that it's a 3 hour long show that uses a turntable as part of the set. Well, this one did not use the turn table as it was not the broadway touring production. My BH and I were not sure how that was going to work out. Oddly enough, it was a great show. We loved Eponine. My bh shed a few tears on A Little Fall of Rain. Who does't on this song. If you have never heared it before get a copy and listen. It's a great song about unrequited love. Just before the finale my BH leans over and said "If you want, we can leave it's just the finale". He thought he was being funny. I was appalled that he would say such a thing to me. I told him "Bite your tongue". I lost it on the finale. I started crying. Well no not crying, bawling. I was sobbing so hard I thought it started raining again. The rain did hold off and we both had a great night.


I am partaking in another little quilt swap and have not gotten too far on my quilt yet. I just have the fabric and the pattern picked out. I am going to be using the Box of Chocolates Pattern from Bits and Pieces by Karen Costello Soltys. I will be doing mine in bright pinks and browns. I loved this pattern the minute I saw it and knew I just had to make it. I love the use of buttons in this quilt.
Charlie

Perfect Day!!!

Today was a perfect day. The weather was just right, not to hot and not to cold. My BH took me out for a picnic tonight when I got home from work. It was so thoughtful and sweet of him. He had made chicken salad sandwiches and macaroni salad and we went to a local park. What a great way to spend a Friday evening. After dinner we went on a 1.3 mile hike. Wow, that was a trip let me tell you. My heart was beating fast. I am not used to all that exercise. Maybe I need get off my butt a little more... :-)

It's just a perfect day. I am glad I spent it with you. Oh such a perfect day. I am, glad I spent it with you. You made me forget myself. I thought I was someone else. You keep me hanging on. Oh such a perfect day. I am glad I spent it with you. -Lou Reed

Then I went shopping at Macy's, they are having a huge sale this weekend. I bought two hundred dollars worth of clothes for about sixty dollars! I love big sales at Macy's, sometimes you can find clothes cheaper than at wal mart.

Here is a project that I made for my good friend Pat. I will be teaching this class at work. I pieced the table runner and pat quilted it. I just love how Pat uses cherries for the quilting of the runner. The embroidered cherries are the cutest!!!


Here is yet another table runner that I made and quilted myself. I think I might end up giving this to my mother when I am done with it. It is more her colors than mine. I like to take simple blocks and make then look like something so much more. I love how the outer border is broken up by a matte strip. It just kinda sets it off. Give it that "pop" factor. Take a look at the binding on this one I have done it all by machine.

Table runners are quick and easy to make. Most only use 3 - 4 blocks and you can get them done in no time. They are great for the beginner quilter. They even give you a chance to try out your quilting. Woot!

Thanks for a perfect day!!

Charlie

Edit: This blog entry was done Sept 5th, 2008 not what ever day blogger thinks I have done it.

BOM Update

Take a look at the first 6 blocks of our BOM. There just waiting to be sewn into the quilt. I need to get off my butt and get that done. Just another UFO in my ever long list of items. If I stop adding to this list maybe I can get it done. Who knows?

The orange in the picture seems to jump out at you. Lets hope it's subdued once I'm done.

BOM-Cups and Saucers

Below you will find our 6th block of the month. This time around we will be using some of the techniques we have learned from the other blocks. We will be using the HST and No waste flying geese method.

It's hard to believe that we already have 6 blocks done. Whoot!

Cups and Saucers
Click here for instructions

BOM - Flying Geese

Below you will find our 5th block of the month. This time around we will learn how to make flying geese by using a no waste method and getting four geese units out of one square. This is the only way I make flying geese. Click here for the How-To.

Flying Geese Pinwheel
Click here for instructions

See, I really do make quilts

In my last post, I had stated that I do not have many pictures of the quilts that I have made. Guess what? I have some to share with you of the quilt I made for my mother-in-law. She was grateful enough to take some for me and I thought I would share them with you. There is nothing like seeing the real thing.



See, I really do make quilts and not just use EQ to make them.

I remember, when I went out shopping for fabric to make this quilt. I went to like 5 different quilt shops just to get all the fabric I need. Spread the wealth you know. This quilt has over 25 different fabrics in it. I love to use lots of fabric in all my quilts. Miss Rosie would love me.

I think that the striped strip birders set the quilt off. I had to cut 5 long strips on 45 degree angles. What a pain. It does make the quilt. If I did not love my Mother-in-Law I'm not sure I would have gone to all this trouble. Wait, yes I would!!! I love that "pop" factor on a quilt.

I just might need to make this quilt into a pattern to sell. What do you think?

Over the next few weeks I am going to try and get some more pictures of the quilts that I've made over the years and post them for you. I have three at work that I've made. I just need to remember to take the camera one day.

Charlie

I See Stars!!

When I started this post Robin Fox's song I See Stars came to mind. Does anyone else out there know this song other than me?

If you were to look at all the quilts that I have done or even designed you will see that most of them have stars in them. I designed two different quilts, one for my mother-in-law and another for my sister that used star patterns.



As you can see they are alike in some ways, but at the same time very different. I know that the one on the right is a double pinwheel block, but to me it fits the star theme.

Below are two more quilts that I have designed. On the left is the quilt that I designed for a good friend, entitled Chasing the Stars. The one on the left I designed for my good friend's mother, entitled A Mother's Love.



There are many other quilt patterns with stars that I just love. I have not had the time to try my hand at them. Then there are some star patterns that I don't think I will ever try for one reason or another. Lets just face it, some patterns are harder than others. Why do a pattern when you know that it will not be your best work? I need to get some more skills under my belt before I try them. Lone Star is one such pattern.

Below you will find some star or star like quilts that someday I would like to make.



Just click on the picture to see any of them real size.

Once I make a quilt, I need to make sure to get a picture of it , so I can keep track of them all. I am bad about that, but now that I have blogger I am sure it will help. This is a great forum for me to show them off.

Charlie

BOM - Jacob's Ladder

Below is our forth block of the month. This one has more HST. Click here for a how-to.

Jacob's Ladder

Click here for instructions

Online Shopping? Absolutely!

I was out on the web once again looking at quilts when I came across one I just had to try. It's called Monkey Fist and is from the book Adventures in Circles by Leigh E. McDonald. As many of you know, I have been in this curve groove for sometime now (look back a few posts). I went into EQ6 to draw this quilt, went shopping online for some fabric, and brought all my choices into EQ6 to try them and see if they all worked together.


I thought they all worked well together. So I went ahead and bought my fabric. I could not wait till it got here so I could get started on this. It's just so cute. A few days later the fabric did show up and all the fabrics looked great, but the two stripes just did not work with the other fabrics. They were darker than they looked on the computer screen.


I knew that fabric always looked a little different than what you see on the screen and the great thing about this is I now have fabrics for two quilts. I just need find some fabric to go with the stripes and add another print for the other.

Would I still shop online after all this? Yes. I love all the sales and the fabric is great. I have bought other fabric and it worked for that project. Next time I'll be more careful and read the description a little more closely, unless I am stash building.

Happy shopping!!!

Charlie

BOM: Shoo-Fly

Below is our third block for our quilt I thought this was a fun block and I really like making HST this way. We will speed piece them a different way this time using the Quilt in a day 6 1/2" triangle square up ruler. Instructions for the ruler are here. Could square them up without the ruler, but it's easier if you have it.

Shoo-Fly
Click here for instructions