Today is one of those days.
A day where you wake up thinking you've got a half day, but end up working all day.
Because your team member, who is always sick,
happens to be sick again.
When your older brother needs a ride, and "five minutes to get a shower",
that, obviously, takes thirty minutes plus the twenty there and back.
And you hit every red light from Here to There.
Where taking deliveries annoys you -
but you do it anyway -
and then sit outside for twenty minutes -
and they never show up.
(you have to go back later).
And you hit every red light from Here to There.
Where the prospect of picking up your brother to bring him to work annoys you,
and the prospect of taking him home even more so,
and you wonder why, at 23, you have to act the parent.
To a 17 year old whose infectious laugh and sweet personality means you can't say no.
(Even though you're sure you'll hit EVERY red light, from Here to There to Home).
And your boyfriend, whom you invited to watch a movie, will have to wait until Nine,
when you're sure to be Home,
to watch that movie.
(Even though -you- had to ask -him-, and for some reason that agitates you.)
And there's all this delicious fabric sitting in your backpack you can't Touch,
and hexagons you can't Baste,
and The Thing to be watched but you're Working and that's Bad.
Where the assistant who helps you isn't happy about the prospect of coming back a five,
and gave you a look that Told You So,
and is undoubtably going to be late, because she always is.
It's one of those days where you go "ugh"!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Hexagon Update
I took stock of my hexagon quilt a few days ago, after I recieved some more charm packs to add to it (Just Wing It, Le Petit Poulet, Modern Workshop, Buttercup, La Petite Ecole, and Whimsy), not to mention a jelly roll of Momo's Wonderland.
I sat myself down, watched some "Dawn of the Dead" (the 2004 remake, seriously an awesome movie) and counted basted hexagons. I separated them into bags of 100, and counted 1100 basted hexagons, with some left over (approximately 30, soon joined by twenty more that I basted).
So my current count is this:
504 Hexies basted
1150 (approx) basted but not attached
600 (approx) 2.5" squares ready to be basted
That's 2254 hexagons (at least). For the time being, I've decided to cool down my ordering of more charm packs (and fabric in general). I need more time to baste together the ones I've got on my "plate" already - in the beginning, the piecing of hexies into larger parts was easy, because I had them all finished. Now, I'm spending all of my time basting...which means the piecing has to take a backseat.
My goal? To finish all the hexies within a month, and then piece together another 504 part hexie piece, and attach it to my current one. Then do the same for two more, and piece those together to create a basis for the quilt with 1016 pieces. After that, I'll sew on to those edges.
Off to baste hexagons now! Later days!
I sat myself down, watched some "Dawn of the Dead" (the 2004 remake, seriously an awesome movie) and counted basted hexagons. I separated them into bags of 100, and counted 1100 basted hexagons, with some left over (approximately 30, soon joined by twenty more that I basted).
So my current count is this:
504 Hexies basted
1150 (approx) basted but not attached
600 (approx) 2.5" squares ready to be basted
That's 2254 hexagons (at least). For the time being, I've decided to cool down my ordering of more charm packs (and fabric in general). I need more time to baste together the ones I've got on my "plate" already - in the beginning, the piecing of hexies into larger parts was easy, because I had them all finished. Now, I'm spending all of my time basting...which means the piecing has to take a backseat.
My goal? To finish all the hexies within a month, and then piece together another 504 part hexie piece, and attach it to my current one. Then do the same for two more, and piece those together to create a basis for the quilt with 1016 pieces. After that, I'll sew on to those edges.
Off to baste hexagons now! Later days!
Friday, January 28, 2011
ow. ow. ow. ow. ow.
That is the sound you make when both your legs are ridiculously sore.
At least it was for a good cause: the restaurant I work at has a "Greek Night" every two months or so, and for me, as its planner, that entails a lot of rushing and running and landing on an already bad knee. The Greek Night went well, but my knee hates me at the moment, and I supremely dislike it, for being such a curmudgeon.
I've been going strong on my hexies, and separating them into 30 piece bags (which, ironically, is about the same as a charm pack - haha, universe, haha) has actually helped me to baste more of them. It's easier to work on a small goal than a huge stack (although the stack is, admittedly, pretty to look at). And I bought a new, larger box for keeping my hexies-in-progress in - I've got a compartment for papers, a place for fabric squares, my pincushion (which arrived and is so amazingly cute), a place for thread and then places for miscellania. The only issue with it is that there's no latch to close it (and the compartments are really just paper dividers) but these are things that can be fixed!
My Wonderland has shipped! I'm ridiculously excited. I can't wait to get a hold of it! ... and promptly cut out a 2.5" piece of fabric as I do with every piece of fabric love I acquire. Of which I've acquired much more. But this is the last of it for awhile, I swear! :)
I'm off to take a delivery and then, luckily, join my boyfriend for Italian Food night! Who ever heard of eating pizza, spaghetti, hot wings (admittedly not Italian), and garlic bread all in one sitting? We did, apparently.
At least it was for a good cause: the restaurant I work at has a "Greek Night" every two months or so, and for me, as its planner, that entails a lot of rushing and running and landing on an already bad knee. The Greek Night went well, but my knee hates me at the moment, and I supremely dislike it, for being such a curmudgeon.
I've been going strong on my hexies, and separating them into 30 piece bags (which, ironically, is about the same as a charm pack - haha, universe, haha) has actually helped me to baste more of them. It's easier to work on a small goal than a huge stack (although the stack is, admittedly, pretty to look at). And I bought a new, larger box for keeping my hexies-in-progress in - I've got a compartment for papers, a place for fabric squares, my pincushion (which arrived and is so amazingly cute), a place for thread and then places for miscellania. The only issue with it is that there's no latch to close it (and the compartments are really just paper dividers) but these are things that can be fixed!
My Wonderland has shipped! I'm ridiculously excited. I can't wait to get a hold of it! ... and promptly cut out a 2.5" piece of fabric as I do with every piece of fabric love I acquire. Of which I've acquired much more. But this is the last of it for awhile, I swear! :)
I'm off to take a delivery and then, luckily, join my boyfriend for Italian Food night! Who ever heard of eating pizza, spaghetti, hot wings (admittedly not Italian), and garlic bread all in one sitting? We did, apparently.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
and sometimes it's tuesday
And you are at work, and there are lovely hexagons to be basted, and you are very, very cross.
...
Well, not extremely cross. How can one be cross, when they just ordrered a jelly roll of Momo's Wonderland? The perfect addition to a hexagon quilt and fabric stash in general? As you may know (or you may not), Alice in Wonderland is quite possibly my favorite childhood tale (seconded by The Last Unicorn, which was fantastic). How could I resist?...
But that one won't be here for another week, in my estimation. In the meanwhile, I've put myself on a strict schedule of basting thirty hexies a day! I've got a bunch of new fabric in - so I have plenty of 2.5" squares to cut - and there's more to come, so I'm forcing myself to perform this most tedious task. (Actually, the most tedious is cutting out hexie shapes, which I leave to my wonderful friend who enjoys it very much. One day, when it's finished, I'll embroider all our names on it - and she shall live in infamy!) That way, I figure in a month or so I ought to have them all done - sooner, if I can get my butt in gear.
That's all for this short post. I have hexies to baste!
...
Well, not extremely cross. How can one be cross, when they just ordrered a jelly roll of Momo's Wonderland? The perfect addition to a hexagon quilt and fabric stash in general? As you may know (or you may not), Alice in Wonderland is quite possibly my favorite childhood tale (seconded by The Last Unicorn, which was fantastic). How could I resist?...
But that one won't be here for another week, in my estimation. In the meanwhile, I've put myself on a strict schedule of basting thirty hexies a day! I've got a bunch of new fabric in - so I have plenty of 2.5" squares to cut - and there's more to come, so I'm forcing myself to perform this most tedious task. (Actually, the most tedious is cutting out hexie shapes, which I leave to my wonderful friend who enjoys it very much. One day, when it's finished, I'll embroider all our names on it - and she shall live in infamy!) That way, I figure in a month or so I ought to have them all done - sooner, if I can get my butt in gear.
That's all for this short post. I have hexies to baste!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
plans and ideas
My fabric for the baby quilt - a bundle of Erin McMorris' weekends - arrived. So did the Innocent Crush. I couldn't be more pleased with both! Lovely fabrics. Innocent Crush I think I love more, but you have to laugh at the little bikes and lollipop flowers in the Weekends line. So cute!
I'm starting on the baby quilt tonight. Since my off day is cut in half tomorrow (I have to work in the morning...and then on my half day on Wednesday...), I'm starting after work.
I'm doing the "rectangle squared" pattern from Film in the Fridge (can you tell I love her blog?), because it seems easy to quilt (this one by hand, too) and I love working with easy, square shapes. Of course, wonkiness is fun, too...but for the time constraints, I think this is best. As soon as I get the top quilted somewhat (I'm thinking a quilt around 45"x45"), I'm headed up to Joann's to purchase some goodies.
With my income tax this year, I've decided to do two things: buy new tires, and finally get some of those sewing notions I've never had (and probably needed). Such as rotary cutter, cutting mat, and acrylic ruler! My mom always cut things with scissors and templates of card stock, so I always did that, too. So my list, at the moment, is : some handquilting thread (for the baby quilt, for the Innocent Crush quilt), a rotary cutter, a mat, an acrylic ruler, several yards of Kona in White (because that's the main color I use), and several variations of blue (for a quilt for my boss, using QAYG technique).
I ALSO took the liberty of ordering myself a cute little pincushion, made with Moda Wonderland's Snip Snip in glass. I felt like it was time for a new one :)
Off to work, and to plan! Then for some quilty goodness! Have a good weekend :)
I'm starting on the baby quilt tonight. Since my off day is cut in half tomorrow (I have to work in the morning...and then on my half day on Wednesday...), I'm starting after work.
I'm doing the "rectangle squared" pattern from Film in the Fridge (can you tell I love her blog?), because it seems easy to quilt (this one by hand, too) and I love working with easy, square shapes. Of course, wonkiness is fun, too...but for the time constraints, I think this is best. As soon as I get the top quilted somewhat (I'm thinking a quilt around 45"x45"), I'm headed up to Joann's to purchase some goodies.
With my income tax this year, I've decided to do two things: buy new tires, and finally get some of those sewing notions I've never had (and probably needed). Such as rotary cutter, cutting mat, and acrylic ruler! My mom always cut things with scissors and templates of card stock, so I always did that, too. So my list, at the moment, is : some handquilting thread (for the baby quilt, for the Innocent Crush quilt), a rotary cutter, a mat, an acrylic ruler, several yards of Kona in White (because that's the main color I use), and several variations of blue (for a quilt for my boss, using QAYG technique).
I ALSO took the liberty of ordering myself a cute little pincushion, made with Moda Wonderland's Snip Snip in glass. I felt like it was time for a new one :)
Off to work, and to plan! Then for some quilty goodness! Have a good weekend :)
Thursday, January 20, 2011
I am now swimming in it
Fabric, that is. My packages came in the same day I wrote my last post! Even though I had to wait to run home, when my backup came in at five ...
and then run a delivery ...
and then take care of some other stuff when I got back ...
I finally managed to OPEN my packages at seven-thirty (it is TORTURE to wait that long), and I couldn't be happier! I'm officially in love with Modern Meadow. So much in love that I've decided the only thing to do with it, rightfully, is to make a big, queen-size quilt with it.
I've already decided on a pattern and worked out the blocks. Have you seen Film in the Fridge's "Rubik's Crush"? It's going to be like that - not exactly, since there was no pattern, but I think I worked out the measurements somewhat. Of course, I've decided to try it several times with scrap fabrics and see how that goes first!
I ordrered some more of the line (15 more pieces), since I intend to have it in its entirety. After they arrive, I'm only missing 5 of the Handpicked Daisies (excluding Grass), Acorn Chain in Maple, and Napsack in Berry and Lake.
But that project, as much as I am excited for it, is on the backburner until I finish a friend's baby quilt! The fabric is on the way (along with some delicious INNOCENT CRUSH) and I'm psyched to get started on it :)
In the manner of quilts already started ... I began quilting my couch quilt, and after doing a few lines, I ... HATED IT. It didn't look the way I wanted it to at all, and I must have basted it incorrectly, because it kept bunching. Not the machine's fault, but mine, so I decided to start over ... I got out a little quilting hoop, and began hand-quilting each square. So far, I love the look. I know I'm not nearly as fast or efficient a hand-quilter as my mom, but I think I did okay. Pictures when I'm not lazy anymore!
It's that time again - work! - but I'll return later!
and then run a delivery ...
and then take care of some other stuff when I got back ...
I finally managed to OPEN my packages at seven-thirty (it is TORTURE to wait that long), and I couldn't be happier! I'm officially in love with Modern Meadow. So much in love that I've decided the only thing to do with it, rightfully, is to make a big, queen-size quilt with it.
I've already decided on a pattern and worked out the blocks. Have you seen Film in the Fridge's "Rubik's Crush"? It's going to be like that - not exactly, since there was no pattern, but I think I worked out the measurements somewhat. Of course, I've decided to try it several times with scrap fabrics and see how that goes first!
I ordrered some more of the line (15 more pieces), since I intend to have it in its entirety. After they arrive, I'm only missing 5 of the Handpicked Daisies (excluding Grass), Acorn Chain in Maple, and Napsack in Berry and Lake.
But that project, as much as I am excited for it, is on the backburner until I finish a friend's baby quilt! The fabric is on the way (along with some delicious INNOCENT CRUSH) and I'm psyched to get started on it :)
In the manner of quilts already started ... I began quilting my couch quilt, and after doing a few lines, I ... HATED IT. It didn't look the way I wanted it to at all, and I must have basted it incorrectly, because it kept bunching. Not the machine's fault, but mine, so I decided to start over ... I got out a little quilting hoop, and began hand-quilting each square. So far, I love the look. I know I'm not nearly as fast or efficient a hand-quilter as my mom, but I think I did okay. Pictures when I'm not lazy anymore!
It's that time again - work! - but I'll return later!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Four thirty here I come
It's silly how excited I am. But at home ... rather, at my mother's home ... there are eight! yes, eight! packages of fabric waiting for lil' old ME.
I broke down the other day and bought some fabric I'd been wanting for awhile. I'd been sticking to only charm packs ... but I desperately wanted some of the following, and so I bought it:
1. Fat Quarter bundle of Innocent Crush in Charmed Pallete - I love, love, LOVE all the blues and subdued purples. I really do. So this one was a must :)
2. Fat Quarter bundle of Erin McMorris' Weekends - This one, actually, is for a baby quilt I'm making for a friend at work. I figured the pinks and greens and purples and cute details were perfect for her little girl - and now that I know the name, I'm going to embroider it on there!
3. Custom Fat Quarter Bundle from Fabricworm - Little Miss Alice. You may not know this, but I'm a HUGE fan of Alice in Wonderland, and I am also a huge fan of red, grey, and black together. So this was a perfect set of colors for me, and I snatched it up quicker than you can say "How Curious!"
4. Some Joel Dewberry, Modern Meadow - I wanted some of the herringbone fabrics, and then I realized, as I looked at the whole line, how awesome a quilt it could be. I'm still deciding on how I want to piece it - no small squares, for instance, I want the "picture" prints to be very visible - but I'm sure it'll be lovely.
5. Some Hope Valley - I only bought three or four prints, but I felt like they would be excellent additions to my stash.
6. Vintage Sheets! - I've always admired the vintage sheets that are trending the blogs now-a-days. I love the muted colors, the soft, watercolor feel of the visual. And aside from the "Little miss alice" fabrics above, I've wanted to make an "Alice in Wonderland" quilt with a little embroidery - and I feel like these muted colors will do the trick. So I bought them :)
7. Some Vintage Sheet Charm Packs - I got these to add to my Alice quilt, of course! Twenty pieces to a package, all different, was too great to pass up :)
I definitely made some purchases, didn't I? Now let's see how I'm going to explain to my poor boyfriend, who's already dubious about the closet full of craft stuff I have, how I needed these new fabrics? Wish me luck...
I broke down the other day and bought some fabric I'd been wanting for awhile. I'd been sticking to only charm packs ... but I desperately wanted some of the following, and so I bought it:
1. Fat Quarter bundle of Innocent Crush in Charmed Pallete - I love, love, LOVE all the blues and subdued purples. I really do. So this one was a must :)
2. Fat Quarter bundle of Erin McMorris' Weekends - This one, actually, is for a baby quilt I'm making for a friend at work. I figured the pinks and greens and purples and cute details were perfect for her little girl - and now that I know the name, I'm going to embroider it on there!
3. Custom Fat Quarter Bundle from Fabricworm - Little Miss Alice. You may not know this, but I'm a HUGE fan of Alice in Wonderland, and I am also a huge fan of red, grey, and black together. So this was a perfect set of colors for me, and I snatched it up quicker than you can say "How Curious!"
4. Some Joel Dewberry, Modern Meadow - I wanted some of the herringbone fabrics, and then I realized, as I looked at the whole line, how awesome a quilt it could be. I'm still deciding on how I want to piece it - no small squares, for instance, I want the "picture" prints to be very visible - but I'm sure it'll be lovely.
5. Some Hope Valley - I only bought three or four prints, but I felt like they would be excellent additions to my stash.
6. Vintage Sheets! - I've always admired the vintage sheets that are trending the blogs now-a-days. I love the muted colors, the soft, watercolor feel of the visual. And aside from the "Little miss alice" fabrics above, I've wanted to make an "Alice in Wonderland" quilt with a little embroidery - and I feel like these muted colors will do the trick. So I bought them :)
7. Some Vintage Sheet Charm Packs - I got these to add to my Alice quilt, of course! Twenty pieces to a package, all different, was too great to pass up :)
I definitely made some purchases, didn't I? Now let's see how I'm going to explain to my poor boyfriend, who's already dubious about the closet full of craft stuff I have, how I needed these new fabrics? Wish me luck...
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