Are these really addictions?

Time without internet, time without electricity which equates to, without one's sewing machine. Withdrawal symptoms are definitely there. Would this be considered an addiction of sorts? I would have to say so. Well, this has been my manta now for the last while and it is miserable, I can tell you.  We are back in the land of 21st Century technology and all it takes is for me to get out Miss Betsy and resume where I was when I closed her down, so why can't this be done at will?

I had been working simultaneously on DGD and DGSs quilt before I was shut down in March (National Seashore Park). You know the one that I wasn't so sure about the colors [photo] and the wonky but not so wonky lime greens and blues.  Well, I got all the lime green blocks to about 1/3 finished and also found a black that I think will work for the sashing. With the DGDs blocks, I got enough finished to put together one set of the pattern. This was so that she could look at the colors and pattern to make sure it is what she wants. The lime green is as it is - no changes. Then I realized that I had been working on the first DGS's quilt and not a thing was done on the 3rd DGSs quilt and he was the one coming to visit. So I had to do an about face and get started on his.

This involved taking a photo

 from the internet and designing out the sizes that I wanted, using choices from this fabric set.

 I started with a goal in mind - a set of 4 circular squares together so that he could see how his would look in design, if not colorway. I got a couple of insert squares completed in a left-over fabric color way not designed for anything and decided that, hey, I could make a baby quilt out of the trial and error for his quilt. I got the first 2 circles of 3rd DGDs cut out and the first set of strips cut and sewn. A mock up of the color war Not even ironed yet. And then disaster struck: the generator went kaput - no more electricity except what little we could get from solar in overcast and stormy skies and this was definitely not enough to run a sewing machine and an iron. So with a heavy heart, I put everything away so that  wouldn't be tempted to tempt fate and the solar panels. My mind however, kept thinking about his quilt as I showed him what I had, how it would look but he wants it backed with fleece and extra long like his brothers. So I came up with a slightly modified way of getting the circles on the flimsy and still back with fleece. [photo]

During this time I had also intermittently worked on starting the sample squares for the cover for the printer and the dash table as talked about in Procrastination. They are coming along quite nicely; i.e. I got the first block cut out and sewn into a haphazard start before the disaster.  It too was put away.

There was one square for Rainbow Jane - Bachelor Buttons

 completed as well.

Don't forget the quickie project for my World Wide Swap from Stashbusters - a needle holder to go along with the stash exchange. The was made from scraps of another project that is still a UFO.

There was no hand sewing of any kind to be done there.

Now what to do? My hands were idle, not busy as they normally are. Oh well, off to the bag of handwork UFOs to pull out the first random one to work on. And it was……. oh my goodness, the cross stitch postage stamp Santa that is definitely not a favorite,

 Who ever heard of greens in the beard and yellows in the fur on his hat when the pompom is whites and blues? Oh well, if I finish it I can start another travel project. It has only been on the go since 2010 - a UFO for sure.

And of course there were always the Christmas Crackers ....

During our stay in the area around Corpus Christi I was also able to sign up and take a half day class for building (read sewing here) a fabric bowl. I had wanted to do this for some time and here was the chance.

Fun fabric, meeting new people, and finding another equally fun project. Oh boy, I think more to come.

And all of this was just March. Of course April is another story! And yes, I would say that I am addicted!

New toy and mug rug finish

My new toy allowed me a fast finish(due before midnight tonight) of February's One Toe Out of the Box mug rug with "Love" as the theme.

Two Hearts Beat as One

The background fabric of floating hearts is pretty busy so I made the appliqué very plain - simply the two intertwined hearts. The floating hearts have been FMQd. The right side, middle hearts on white fabric is densely quilted for the mug to sit on. I do now understand why the instructions recommended that appliqué pieces be backed with a "wonder under" type fabric and then cut like paper. It was hard to get the hearts straight and tight in order to satan stitch around them. I ended up using spots of glue out of another appliqué kit. The glue claims to wash out easily or even soak out. This was a fun project and already March's theme - "Luck" is sending all sorts of ideas pulsing through my mind.

I did not get the February UFO finished as I had hoped. Monkeys Jumping on the Bed still waits the final border to be quilted, squaring and trimming, the binding applied and then a label. Hopefully within the first few days of March a finish ill be accomplished.

Working helper skelter on the blocks for Brooke and Zach's quilts. Also need to get started on Blake's so that he can see them as well when he comes.

Back in the groove ...

Miss Betsy is up and running and with a pile of UFOs it is none too soon either. There is also the call of the "wild", those UFO's and projects yet started but fabrics bought. The ideas are running rampantly, like a raging spring-time river.

A wall-hanger for a birthday present:
~I started with a panel of Oceania in blue and coordinating fabrics: A whimsical sea-life oriented panel. To me the blue indicated water.

From here I roughly cut out the panel of the mermaid. Then I trapunto'd the panel to bring out the features that I wanted using matching metallic threads to give the illusion of underwater. Trimming to the desired size, I wanted the outer border to be the navy blue to which I planned on attached a striped blue fabric border ...

close up of some of the hand quilting

 Adding on the borders I decided I liked her better on point than as a square.

 Now on to FMQing the water currents. The question here is whether or not I use another metallic or simply a variegated thread taking in the various colors. Decisions, decisions. And too, what kind of binding would this need - dark or medium, turquoise or blue? Hopefully finished this weekend, providing I can find the necessary weights for the bottom.

A second UFO in the process:
~ Stashed away in  plastic bag was a basinet sized baby quilt of pinned flannel and fleece that I had initially made for a donation quilt to be ready when needed. I used up stash that I already had in-house. Then, while in Panama this last month a need was discovered within an indigenous family. I offered.
   Plastic bag intact, out came the small quilt.

First I had to make it bigger but only from what I had in the bag. I was not in a place where I could buy more "good" quality flannel. I took apart the binding and "quilted as I went" additional width and length to it. Ended up with a cacophony of color but yet, quite fun.
   Then on to the quilting of the pinned panel. This should be fun as I have since learned (this being my first actual attempted self-quilted-as-you-go) that you also have to do the actual quilting within the borders LOL. 
   Now for the binding. I don't have enough of one color left in the bag. Searching for more in the stash that is readily available. ah hah! A totally different color but why not! Hopefully the already cut strips are big enough to do machine binding. We shall see...
The finished product, ready to be mailed to Panama and a cold deserving toddler.  

And then lastly, a third UFO in the works: My Santa stocking needs to quilted. It is pinned to the lining and backing but that is as far as it has gotten. Ne need for a photo again as it hasn't changed any.

My DGD and I went to pick out some colors for her quilt. She had no clue as to what she wanted and I had no clue as to what colors she wanted. So I took her to a basic fabric establishment (no names here) and asked her to pick out what she thought would be good matching colors in her favorite colors according to the list: Light to dark, coordinating. Well, this is what I ended up with, 1/3 of a yard each:

  this shows the white on white...

Now to put them together into the squares to see how they work out. And where, you ask, is my suggested color ways? We shall see how these colors work first.

Lastly there is an inner calling for some needlework but this is currently falling by the way side. Think I will try and get Father Frost finished which only needs the beard finished and the beads placed. Miss Chrissy Cleo really needs to be finished and off to the finishers. We shall see how time goes over the next 6 weeks or so. Have another class starting on the 31st so that will also take up some time.

But for now, I am off to la la land - this heat wears me out!