Boot Straps

I guess I've been in a bit of a quilting funk lately.  The Red quilt is coming along just as I'd hoped and I'm in the process of quilting it, the tutorial will follow it's completion.  The weather has turned colder here and that has me in the mood for Christmas shopping. 

Do you know how hard it is to Christmas shop only to come up against a shipping cost total to put your entire purchase on hold?  I know it seems so strange but it's okay to pay $30 something but it's not okay to pay $40 something for the same items.  My family comes from all walks of life so not even Amazon or ebay or Kmart can be my one stop shop.

So I gave up on looking for a while to dwell.  When I dwell I clean.  It's a nasty trait I picked up from my mother during my childhood.  I remember the days of look out mom's cleaning - oh so very well.  Lucky for my family I was home alone at the time.

Because of my disability I clean while sitting on the floor.  I start by cleaning a patch to sit and then sitting there while I clean outward from that spot (and you wonder why my DH doesn't like me to clean?) it works for me but when I'm already a bit sad about what I can and can't do being on the floor makes the perfect place to get down in the dumps and really start feeling sorry for myself.  The "I hates" started in my head started when I was nearly done in the kitchen.  I then made my unhappy way with the vac down the hallway and by the time I got to the bathroom door I'd pulled myself out of my funk.  Thankfully!  It's easy when you come to the end of a lintany and say to yourself  "So what are you going to do about it?" and that's when I decided. 

Oh now I'm nearly teary to admit what I did.  I listed all of my quilts that are finished that don't have owners on Ebay!  I know!  It's sad, but isn't living hidden away in a box sad too?  Isn't it sad that four quilts selling at $25 could help my Christmas?  I listed them and I stand by my listings. 

In case you're wondering my ebay name is jcelestesewingmom; that's "J Celeste Sewing Mom" all smushed together.  The quilts I listed are Christmas Hodgepodge, Patchwork Swirl, Feathered Star and Buckeye Beauty.  I hope they sell well for I'm going to use every last penny earned on our Christmas.  LOL, sort of makes me wish they were bigger! 

That's a Quilt!

Well now as much as I want to people would be confused if I said that's a wrap when really it's a quilt. The Feathered Star is officially done. I finished it Friday, but I felt like it needed more quilting so this evening Jessica and I sat down together and added more. I'd say it's done now. The flannel back is really nice; it makes me want to curl up with it, which I did Friday afternoon even in 80 degree weather. It does amaze me how the simply adding quilting takes three pieces that feel nothing like a quilt and viola even as it moves within the sewing machine I can feel the change. For me it's like stitching in magic.

This quilt is two sided, the back being two of the softest flannel I've had the joy of working with.  Oh and if you think those simple four squares are easy take a second look.  Since the seams never match I had to sew a little and stop, line things up and sew some more.  I do like the finished look.  This is the butterfly/easter egg fabric, so tell me which one do you see first?  I saw the butterflies first, but everyone else says the eggs.

These are part of a scrap challenge.  They are going to be reversible 4-holiday placemats.  This side is the Christmas - Valentines side and I have a print checkered fabric that I'll be using for the fall side.  I plan to make 10 but for my entry it will only be six, since the requirement is to only use what you have and I ran out of red thread on number seven haha.  I'll also be making a reversible tablerunner/wallhanging to go along with these.  If you want to participate click on the words "Scrap Challenge" you've got till Nov. 6th.

Last but certainly not least is my Stormy update.  What a growing scarf I have on my hands.  Measuring in at 18" inches and on the second ball of yarn!

Feathered Star Quilting!

The Feathered Star Baby Quilt went into the sewing machine today!  I've completed all of the machine quilting for the center of the quilt and I'm now working on the borders. I made a beautiful pieced flannel backing, but the camera is out of juice so that will have to wait until the quilting is done.

Feathered Star Flimsy Done

I added the last border around the Feathered Star Quilt yesterday.  I'm not pleased with the way the photos of this quilt are turning out.  It's a pretty quilt I promise!

My daughter's class is collecting Buccaneers Tailgating items for a raffle they are going to have at the end of the month. After two weeks of collecting they have a brand new charcoal grill complete with charcoal and a BBQ Grill Set as well as other items that I can't attest to because I looked at the piles instead of checking the list.

My family is donating 2 Buccaneer's Seat Cushions and a matching bag.  I'm making them with Tempurpedic foam so I have high hopes that they'll be great.  Joann's has a sale starting tomorrow on their NFL fleece.  Be sure to check back as I post my progress on these.  I think they'll be wonderful.

I suppose I should have started with this.  When our ceiling fan started making noises two days ago my husband promised he would take a look at it today.  This is him cleaning off the fan before taking everything apart.  Why in the world am I mentioning it?  Well my husband found that the negative wire had rubbed clean through the insulation.  I'm just glad we agreed to keep the fan off until he could look at it today.

Feathered Star

For the past two days I've been working on this Feathered Star Quilt.  It started with the desire to do something with the leftover fabrics from Jessica's baby clothes quilts.  I'm going to add another single row of those baby clothes squares around the outside and then when the time comes binding it in gray.

This is the one and I believe only Feathered Star that I'll be making.  You can find the pattern at Quilter's Cache under 20"+ blocks.  I didn't have quite enough of the hand dyed fabric to make the block 2 colors and added in the gray, which I think works nicely throughout.

When I look at this photograph I'm surprised.  The squares are all shades of purple.  Sort of makes you say "hu" over the things a photograph can do.