NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS

I had nothing but problems quilting this quilt top.  The top was made in a Patricia Belyea Workshop years ago and has some Yukata cotton prints in it.  I ran across it in my UFO bucket a couple of days ago and thought it deserved to be a quilt.

I started out with a quilting pattern of a geometric type pattern.  I set it up on the longarm and started it.  It made the first part then went around the first part again, and then started on it again.  I stopped it.  What the heck.  It had went over the same lines repeatedly for no apparent reason.  And I didn't want it to do that across the whole quilt.  So,  stopped it and picked all that stitching out - which took a while.

I erased that program and picked another and set it up.  Then got the machine working.  This one was stitching out right, one time around to make the pattern.  But, when it got to the next section of the panto the program would stop and want me to pull up the threads so it could go on.  Those of you who longarm will know what I mean.  For the rest of you, that meant I had to stand there and push the button to get it to do each section.  So, I did.  It's a small quilt.

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And I got it done.

JOE WORKSHOP 12.0

First Joe showed us a lot of vintage quilts from the International Quilt Museum that featured secondary patterns.  They included a lot of Log Cabin and Courthouse Step patterns.  The way the were set or colored created a secondary overall pattern.

Then he showed us a process to make an interesting effect.  

I used some of the vintage Yukata cotton print I've had to make mine.

First step was to make a block with a wave of color through it.

Then put a large print fabric, the same size, over the top and slash them both into one inch strips.  Then sew them, alternating, back together.

FACING

Spent the afternoon sewing facing on Unexpected Visitor.

DONE AND DONE

I started and finished the quilting on my Japanese quilt, Unexpected Visitor.  Or should I say, Eduard did.  And, while he was busy quilting, I was busy working on our Holiday cards.  Darrell had taken a picture of us and the dogs at the park the other day, so we used that photo as a holiday card.  I had to run up to Capitol Hill to pick up the cards.  It was either that or wait two weeks for them.   When I got to Walgreens, they said the cards were ready, but they hadn't been cut yet and their cutting machine was broken.  I don't know what they were planning, but I told them I'd take them as is.  I figured I could cut them with my rotary cutter - which I could.

So, I was cutting the cards apart while Eduard quilted.

After Eduard gave me fits by losing his mind and losing his place in the world, I had to shut him down and start over - a couple of times.  But it's done.

BLACK FRIDAY

Yesterday I started sewing the scraps from Unexpected Visitor onto a 6-1/2" strip of lightweight cotton fabric that I originally used as backing for drapes I made a long time ago. That was great fun. 

Then I went down to the Sodo Pacific Fabrics where everything was 30% off after 2pm.  Woohoo!  I bought enough fabric to finish the back and I splurged on some Kai scissors, thread and a few other things. 

 Today I cut another strip and cut it in half and  made two more shorter strips with the scraps.  I used up almost all of them.

I added a label and then finished up the back.

EASY PROJECT

I started this yesterday and worked on  it for a short time.  Today I finished cutting out the parts, making a few fabric changes along the way.  I sewed them into blocks, then sewed the rows together.  I've got all but three seams left to do.  Easy peasey.

(It doesn't look anything like I thought it would when I started it.)

This picture is before I sewed the blocks together.