Sewing Room Orts

While I continue attaching the too-boring-to-show borders for Cross Reference, here are some other things going on around in the sewing room. 

In a sweatshop weekend  I completed two charity quilts for Guild last weekend. This Houndstooth top I actually made myself, and lo and behold it came back to me to be quilted and bound.  Sigh.

Fortunately I didn't have to make the backing or cut the batting--that was done by other volunteers. 

 

I meant for the Guild label to be in the right lower corner but it refused.  I quilted this with randomly wavy lines and hope it looks intentional enough. I ran out of bobbin thread twice and barely had enough on the spool to sew on the binding.  Gah.

This one was made of donated blocks that some other members sewed up, with the backing too.  I added some colorful leftover binding to add interest to the solid binding fabric with the kitted top.  Glad to have those saved lengths used up. 

While not technically modern, it is bright and cheerful and should please someone.  Simple straight line quilting for this one.  I did manage to get the label where I wanted it, but it refused to be straight.  After all that stitching, the organization contacted never responded so the two quilts went to the Philanthropy coordinator to be handed out later.  Well, they are off my list, anyway!

As usually happens while one is looking for something else, in the Hoosier cabinet I came across a bunch of bonus HSTs from the Picnic quilt. 

Above is the original layout idea, but I couldn't help playing some more. 

I squared the HSTs to 1.75 " and played switcheroo.  The upper right is one I made probably two years ago and shows how much they shrink when sewn--to about 5.5".  I'm really loving the Broken Dishes one on the lower left.  No idea when I'll be stitching them together but it was fun to play with little pieces.

Sue Goes to the Orient had a little more work done.  I bravely threaded my machine with black thread and thread sketched around the applique pieces.  Good thing they were fairly unfussy shapes, except for the shoes.

It's a pretty forgiving technique and one it would be fun to explore more. I'd like to thread sketch a couple of Chinese hanging lanterns in the background to continue the theme and add a little more detail to the scene.   I have a few ideas saved on Pinterest and am considering that as part of the quilting.

Meanwhile Sue remains a UFO until I add that detail, choose a backing and get her quilted. She's not going to languish in the box, though, I have promised her. 

Judy of Patchwork times chose the UFO for August as #8, which on my list is another of the Houndstooth charity quilts in a different colorway.  It has been in Time Out since I used the wrong sized squares to make the striped blocks.  I have to figure out how incorporate additional fabrics I already selected and assemble the alternate blocks.  Dragging my feet on that job, obviously.

The event of the decade arrives Monday with the Total Solar Eclipse, which will only be a dimming here on the SoCalif coast.  Perhaps I'll have time to look up from my computer and see it out the window, though they are predicting our usual morning low clouds and fog could obscure it.  No matter, I haven't got the special glasses anyway!  

Back to those boring borders....

A Post for April

Uninspired title, but things have been busy around here.  The modern quiilt guild I am a member of is putting together an Opportunity quilt to use as a fundraiser.  Two members came up with the idea of making sawtooth star blocks and picked two background solid colors and one focus fabric to be used.  Members were allowed to add additional solid colors as they chose.  The wide variety of stars was amazing--and inspiring.  Three of us met recently to begin to assemble the top after the layout and rearranging had been done at a sew-in last month.  Sarah, who works at a construction company and uses AutoCad, worked on her lunch hours to figure the exact sashing measurements for each piece, then printed out large scale photos of the layout with letter-number markings.  She then cut all the sashing and labeled the pieces from her layout.  Amazing!  I sewed up a bunch of extra stars for some gaps and brought them to the sewing session and Sarah quickly figured out the sashing for those blocks too.  What a great help to have someone capable do all that math. 

I had fun with the improv construction of these stars--the littlest fraternal twin ones are 4.5 inches and came out so cute.  I made a total of seven blocks for the quilt.

The two background colors are Kona White and Kona Silver and are arranged with a diagonal indicated by that blue tape.  These were pinned to flannel backed vinyl tablecloths as a cheap and portable design wall.  Here they are with one set of sashings completed after the three of us worked most of the day, trimming, sewing pressing and rearranging.  Sarah took this home to add all the rest of the sashing  and plans to have this completed by our general meeting in a week.   Can't wait to see how it looks.  

Meanwhile, in my sewing room I've got a stack of fabrics to make a quilt for Hunter, it will be black and white.  I'm currently trying to finish quilting the overdue Timber quilt by this weekend, and am cutting out a memory quilt from my brother-in-law's shirts to have ready for my sister-in-law next month.  On top of that, for guild there is a row by row round robin to work on, challenge blocks, and an ongoing UFO challenge.  Not to mention the eleventy-billion other quilts I want to make, a curtain for the kitchen, wool applique blocks to finish, a cross-stitch to prepare for finishing, and the list goes on.  Not enough hours in the day!

Meanwhile, these two grandsons are drawing us near as often as possible. This photo was for Hunter's one month mark last week, with big brother Cove.  He's growing well and the little family is working things out.  Daughter Elaine will have several more weeks off before returning to her part-time work schedule.  

Meanwhile, daughter Erica took a trip to Japan last month with her cousin and they sent me this picture of a cat they found at a cemetery.  They had a good trip exploring some of Tokyo and then taking a bullet train and spending a couple of days in Kyoto.  Erica says she probably never needs to see another Shinto shrine, lol.  She commented on how unfailingly polite everyone they came into contact with in Japan was, greeting them and offering help whenever possible.  It was a memorable trip but she was glad to get home to her own home and cat. 

Do you like the Pioneer Woman cooking show?  I think she's a kick but since I'm not a big cook, have never made one of her recipes, though I have pinned them!  I love her new line of dishware, cookware, and now linens for Walmart  These salt shakers came home with me recently and I've picked up some dishtowels and some of her footed bowls. They are very reasonably priced but hard to find in the stores as they are popular, especially the new linens with the buffalo check.  Ordering online is probably the best way to buy them.  And now, off to bed, it's late!

Scrappy CW Play

On Saturday I felt like piecing and poked around the messy sewing room for something to play with.  While looking for something else, I found a few orts left from previous projects.  Handily next to that bin was another full of civil war prints.  An idea was born. 

I do think nine patches are some of the friendliest blocks around.

 So I decided to make some more.  This Judy Rothermel print is one I've hoarded for a couple of years. (CW prints do not go well with my ironing board cover!)

The three new nine patches joined two other leftovers from Julie's 9 patch swap from a few years ago.  The plain blocks just happened to be exactly the right size--they are leftovers from the 50 bowties quilt I made for my brother a few years ago, a Thimbleberries print in that warm golden tan I like so much. 

I had just a couple of 2.5" strips of this second Thimbleberries print that I sliced in half for a narrow border to float the center.  Another hoarded Judy Rothermel print for the outer border completed the small quilt top.

You can hardly tell where I pieced the outer border strips, can you?  While looking for something else, I found one more piece of the plain block Thimbleberries print, which is exactly the right size for a backing.  It was sure nice to have some piecing fun playing with orts!

Orts of the Court

Orts:  bits and scraps of thoughts and events that land here semi-regularly.  This week they're related to my court appearance fighting a traffic ticket.   Background: The citation I received was back in March, on my first day at my new job, coming home and getting off the freeway, one mile from my house.  It was for failure to stop at a red light/stop sign and the fine was $490.   My last ticket was over 28 years ago and I have never set foot in a courtroom except as a prospective juror, so it was all new to me!

This picture has nothing to do with this post but isn't it a pretty view of my beach town?

•  I arrived at the traffic court, which oddly was being held at the juvenile court facility the next town over, half an hour before the before the scheduled appearance time.  There were several women in the waiting area and another woman showed up later.  We all had questions about why the list of cases on the wall next to the courtroom didn't have our names on it.  One lady had driven from Bakersfield (120 miles) so was especially worried.  While we waited, the involved officers began to arrive; mine was among them.  There went the "maybe he won't show up and I'll get a dismissal" theory!  We were all a bit nervous. Several men later filed into the waiting room as well.

• The bailiff finally opened the courtroom doors 25 minutes later and we all filed in, the officers taking places in the jury box.  The judge issued instructions, did a roll call, administered the truth oath, and then allowed five minutes for evidence to be brought forward such as diagrams, photos, witness statements, etc, including from the officers.  Ms. Bakersfield's officer came right up to her and showed her his diagrams and was talking to her about the signage, etc, and how fast she was supposed to be going where.  Then the judge came back and stated that, similar to a criminal trial, anyone could plead guilty before their case was called and receive a reduced fine.  Ms. Bakersfield and another woman raised their hands and were sent off with their paperwork.
• The next two cases were for speeding.  The officers spoke first and gave many technical details about signage and their experience at estimating speeds and use of radar guns, etc., which was a bit intimidating. Then the citizen had their chance to ask questions and give their statements.  Both the older man and young woman lost their cases (the young woman was completely ineffective--spending most of her time gesturing, and then admitting she never looked at her speedometer). Then it was my turn. Gulp.
• My officer recounted his 12 years of highway patrol service, position on the road at the time he observed me (allegedly) fail to stop, then drive on the shoulder and pull out into the same lane as another car.  On my part, I told the officer that I was surprised when he gave me the citation for failure to stop since I didn't recall him saying that during our conversation (the officer's first words to me were that he pulled me over for driving on the shoulder, "which is every CHP officer's pet peeve").  I asked if he had recorded the conversation and if I could see a transcript of it.  He peered over at me and intoned, "That would have to be ordered".  The judge repeated that any tapes would have had to be requested pretrial.  "Oh", I said, "I didn't know that".  I told the judge that I did stop at the light, I distinctly remembered because it was my first day of commuting to my new job, and that I had stopped behind another vehicle on the off ramp.  The judge said, "Oh, you stopped behind another vehicle?"  He went over the law about having to stop behind a crosswalk or limit line before pulling up further to look for cross traffic, confirming with the officer that it was a limit line and not a crosswalk in my case.  The judge asked me if I stopped at the limit line.  I said I didn't know, I may have been over.
• The judge then found me guilty but said my fine was $185--which was a lot better than $490 and definitely worth taking the time to go to court!  I got my paperwork and then left the courtroom.  I headed down the hall to use the restroom before going downstairs to pay my fine.  A security guard had me sign a clipboard before she would unlock the restroom door. As I turned from signing my name, my officer suddenly appeared, wanting to talk to me.  He told me, "You should be really thankful because the judge almost NEVER does that.  He almost never does that."  Thinking it was really odd that the officer was talking to me outside the court and wondering what on earth he expected from me, I said, "Well, I really appreciate that".  The officer went on, "Because I know that fine is really expensive".  Again I said I appreciated it.  Still he was standing there.  So I stuck out my hand and shook his before turning back to the waiting security officer, an older lady who shrugged her shoulders at this interaction and said, "Whatever!"  My sentiments exactly :) 
• So maybe the officer felt singed by the judge?  Maybe he had Little Man Syndrome?  Maybe no one has challenged his tickets before?   Or maybe my telling the truth really worked!

Forgot a few orts

Sometimes I have trouble when I actually sit down to compose my Tuesday's Orts post.  I think I'll remember things to include but then they fly out of my head when faced with a blank page.  Surely I'm not the only one this happens to!

• On the Monday "holiday", I had to go in to the office because a new system needed to be installed--only because the installer was subsequently going out of town for 10 days.  So guess who volunteered to be there for what turned out to be 2.5 hours...
• Afterwards I did a couple errands and then stopped by my Mom & Dad's because I was hungry and Mom always feeds me.  She tried to give me hummus, which I hate, or microwaved bacon. Sheesh! We went out instead to CPK and split our usual pizza and salad.
• It was noted by the boss's wife that some newly printed checks (order form NOT filled out by her but by bank staff) state that we are a "Pofessional" Corporation. 
• Remember that nice new used car Grant bought on New Year's Eve?  Well, we sold my aging one over the weekend in less than a half hour of parking it on a main drag.  Amazing at what speed a low priced vehicle brings attention.
• Planning a getaway.  Wish me luck, since it involves Grant getting on a plane, something he is terribly UN-fond of.
• The 18th anniversary of the awful Northridge (Los Angeles) earthquake was yesterday. My sister Kathy and her two kids were out from Missouri visiting when it occurred. Nice timing, right?  Though we had no damage to speak of in our area, the power was out most of the day.  So we took the all the cousins to the park to play.

L to R: our brother Kevin's boys Jeff (4, who hated having his picture taken), and Matt (7, imitating his brother), my Erica (3 3/4, not looking at the camera), Kathy's Caitlin (4, boy those Midwestern kids are pale), my Elaine (6, with her cute holey smile), Kathy's Jake (5 1/2, getting ready to REALLY make a funny face), and my Nick (8, who found that superhero guy in the sand and was stoked).  Hard to believe it was so long ago!