Jelly Roll Quilt Top WIP

I just found out what "WIP" means-- Work In Progress

I have seen this on other blogs, but never could figure it out. Well, someone had it and in parenthesis had provided the translation, thank you, thank you.

Now, back to this attempt. I saw a post about Jelly Roll Races here and I was intrigued. I had a jelly roll of reproduction vintage prints that was screaming to be used. I first thought this would be a baby quilt, but I am not sure at this point. I may just have to stay home. I make quilts for a lot of others -- and well, always a bridesmaid and never a bride, if you know what I mean.

This was probably the fastest quilt top I have ever pieced.
I started out with 20 different fabrics, they are pre-cut across the width of the fabric, and there were two of each print.

I sewed them together, end to end and had 1600 inches of strip.

That's a long, long, long strip.

You join the two ends and sew them side by side and then cut the ends. Now you have 800 inches of strip, still a long one.

You do this again, and now you have 400 inches and 4 strips side by side.

Continue, and with a few more seams (and each one is half as long as the previous one) you have you finished top.

It needs to be squared up and I think I will put borders on this. A light solid color.

What do you think? Pretty big and bright for a baby?  I do have other pink fabric that I can cut into 2.5 inch strips and do this again, only on a smaller scale.

What's the verdict?

I Have This Love Affair Going

My love affair isn't with someone other than my husband. He is the love of my life and I can't imagine life without him. This is different.

It is with bowls.

Colored pottery bowls. Although I would not turn down glass bowls either. But these 'speak' to me. Just a minute, I have to get rid of the people at the front door from the insane asylum.

It is very, very hard for me to pass them up in sales, thrift stores, etc. And, much harder for me to sell them in my space or at shows.

I love them big and I love them small. And, I have more that I didn't show...

I love the durability, the stories they can tell of the meals they helped to prepare for large and small families, the craftsmanship in their making.

They make my heart sing. I know, crazy...

I think maybe this is too much obsession with an object...But, there isn't one or all of them I wouldn't part with if it meant less heartache for one of my family. If it could take away the pain for a little while... I would throw them out if it could heal rifts that should not be.

Do you have objects or things that 'speak' to you?

I do, another day I will share my pitchers, and creamers.

Fabric Exchange - My Project and a Gift for a Friend

I think I mentioned a while back that I had participated in a fabric exchange with a few ladies in May.

Well, one of the ladies made up her quilt and it was so beautiful, 

that I decided I had to start working on my fabrics.

We were to all bring 6 different fabrics, cut into 6 inch squares

and enough for all the participants.

We had some that were not able to participate, so we each ended up

with about 70 squares.

I took mine and tried to sort them according to color.

I also had to chose a background color and had the choices of

black, tan, or cream. I went with the cream.

I cut them into 5 1/2" squares (to make them all the same size)

And then I sewed them into half-square triangles.

I thought of a zig-zag pattern,

but, it was way too crazy, then I paired them to look like chevrons

It still wasn't right

then I thought, maybe just squares

I took several pictures and emailed them all to my design team

aka: my daughters.

After hearing their suggestions on color placement,

I came up with this

I also decided to add a border and them more smaller half chevrons.

This is how it turned out with the borders and binding.

A smaller chevron strip on the back with the label.

Then on to the quilting. I echoed the chevron pattern in the print areas and

did a vine in the cream areas. 

It was my first time using a method that a friend told me about. (Thanks Nancy)

You can read about it here.

It is a way that you don't drop the feed dogs... but read up on it.

I need to practice like crazy to be able to do it really good. But I couldn't resist trying it out.

I hope my friend likes it as much as I do.

Happy Birthday (late as usual) G.

Now I need to finish a rug for another friend's Jan birthday. 

Nothing like being late to the party, huh?

25 Things You Never Needed to Know...

25 Things about myself? Am I limited to only 25? You would be so bored to read all of them.

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1. I am a Christian, I love the Lord Jesus Christ and I want Him to shine through in all that I do.

2. I am a clutter-bug. I keep things that don't need keeping, but will maybe someday use.

3. I love lists. Especially when I get to cross things off of them, so satisfying.

4. I dislike ironing, but I like ironed clothing...

5. I am really shy, but I try to work at being more open.

6. I am a queen of procrastination - or at the least, a 'lady in waiting'.

7. I love pastels, and solids, and prints and fabric.

8. I may win "the one who dies with the most fabric wins" contest.

9. I have so many projects floating around in my head that it is hard to chose which one to work on, and sometimes I have lots of projects in the works.

10. Reading is one of my favorite pastimes.

11. It is a rare time when my hands and feet are warm.

12. I love bread, toast, biscuits, muffins, but I haven't had any grains for 2012.

13. I am an antique dealer and I have no idea how that happened.

14. I will go out of my way to avoid confrontation.

15. Coffee with creamer is probably, hands down, my favorite drink.

16. Chocolate calls me often, but I don't always answer.

17. I love history and often make up stories in my head about items, people and places that I see.

18. People watching is another sport that makes me wonder at times if I am sane.

19. I am bad with names and faces, but my husband makes up for it, he remembers for me.

20. I cannot swim.

21. Old age is looking younger and younger all the time.

22. I love to make quilts.

23. It's hard for me to say 'no'.

24. My home - living area, bedroom and like are a combination of yard sale, thrift finds, with a few nice items thrown in.

25. I can count on both hands (probably less) the new items of furniture we have bought in 40 years of marriage.

Linking up here

People Watching, One of My Sports

Today we returned from a selling trip to Alameda.  There are tons of people there, I mean thousands, would you believe they have had as many as 12,000 shoppers? And, that is not counting the vendors who are selling... think 800 vendors or more. No kidding. Today was one of those days.

People come from miles and hours around to shop and also sell. Our neighbor today came from Oregon. I have met others from Southern California, Northern California, Nevada, and on some occasions, the Midwest states.

Our shoppers are a mixed lot also. All ages, from many different countries even. Today, I heard Japanese, Hebrew, Spanish, Norwegian and some other languages spoken.

 The sale takes place on an old naval airfield. Imagine how much space it take to land a jet... Well, not quite that much, but many, many acres. It is interesting to see the different transportation our shoppers will use to take their goods back to their cars. And, also to just navigate through the miles, and I mean miles of aisle ways. There are no cars allowed in the shopping area during shopping hours, so I see the usual little shopping carts that fold up and have two wheels. Some have made inside covers for theirs, so that other shoppers will not see the cool find they have hidden down inside. I have seen strollers converted into a vehicle to take garden art to the car while the other parent or older sibling holds the baby.  Small wagons, with built up sides, fat tires and special paint jobs appear from time to time. Rolling suitcases are pressed into use. Today I saw a woman, probably as old as I am (that's old) riding a scooter, another was using her walker (a walker!) to carry her purchases! Some were on crutches (I can't imagine going that far on crutches...) Wheelchair occupants with their own chauffeurs appear and then disappear down the aisle. There are grocery style carts that you can rent for the day, and many take advantage of that. When you have a very large purchase to get to the parking lot (like one of Mr's Farm Style Tables, a giant armoire, a sofa, etc), then you can use a flatbed rolling cart for a specified amount of time to get it to the loading zone.

As different from each other as we can be, there are also different forms of dress, or undress. I saw way too many bosoms today... and it isn't even warm weather! One man had 4 vests on. Another couple or two were very nicely dressed, almost formal. And, of course, there is the usual, or unusual tattoos that abound. It is not uncommon to see whole arms or legs covered entirely.  There was one young lady who had a very conservative black dress, belted at the waist and she looked so sweet until she turned her head and sported a nose ring (the kind you may put on your prize bull)!

I had to inwardly gasp as I saw two ladies walking together, obviously friends and I thought "Friends don't let their friends go out dressed like that!"

I don't want to be judgemental with those I saw. I want to remember to pray for them. I want them to find inward peace that will take the place of the cry from inside that wants to show the world that they are someone. Because, they are in God's sight. He loves them immeasurably and showed it on Calvary.

I marvel that God knows each one of us and calls us by name. He is beyond wonderful.