Longarm Quilting and Life

 We are just about at the end of the first quarter of 2022. This time of each year is always a maze of a racetrack for me. I finished all of the Christmas quilting. Attended Myrtle Beach Quilt Party. Hosting One Loose Thread Spring Quilt Camp. Working with Cobblestone Quilt Guild during their show. Attending QSC Spring meeting in Spartanburg. Getting the tax information to the accountant. Then also trying to maintain a longarm business so that my great clients can get their quilts completed in a timely manor. WOW!!! I am exhausted just typing all of this out here. :-)

Thankfully, Pat took care of tax prep for my business. That was invaluable. Dick left a big mess for me to wade through but, I did my best and if I find anything else, I'll just have to file an amended return. I did finish all of the expected show quilts and even finished mine. Delivered all of those to the Cobblestone Show and ......more on that later. Quilt Camp was AWESOME!!! I had such a great group and so much help from everyone. I have been having some really tough knee pain so all of that help was greatly appreciated. 

Now, let's break all of this down to where it might make sense.

Myrtle Beach Quilt Party was so much fun. It was as though I had not been with adults in YEARS!! Pat took one class and I tortured myself  by taking a class on a VERY DIFFICULT quilt. 'Jacks Chain' is extremely difficult for me to work with. All of these set in seams are a real bear.

 

The fact that we were in Myrtle Beach really helped out alot. Had some great food. Spent time with friends that we had not seen in 2 years. Top it off with the chance to sew for a weekend, so, all was good. 

We came back home and Pat was on her way to the delivery of her new Granddaughter. She would be spending weeks with Marley to help out the new parents. Then she will be off on a cruise....

I came home to get everything ready for February (Spring) Quilt Camp. I had held registration to a number that could sew in just one building. So we all moved all of our sewing stuff into the Chapel at Gravatt. Janet and Judy were extremely helpful, especially since I could not move very well with this problem with a knee. We sewed, laughed, ate, even cried a little for 4 days. It was blissful. Kristy, Sally, and Corky helped load me up at the end of the weekend. Then Dusty came and unloaded and put all of the equipment back in storage until our retreat in May.

Mary did bring this back to me for quilting while we were at camp. Oh what a challenge this is going to be. I'll study a lot of pictures and talk to a lot of longarm quilters to get some good ideas before I start the quilting. This has to be one of my biggest challenges in this business. Trying to come up with designs that will work with the quilt so that it does not over power the quilt. 

While all of this was happening, I was working on a couple of quilts for the Cobblestone Quilt Show. One was Lorah's Nebula. She did win second place with her quilt.

Sandra's quilt won First Place in her category!!

Jennifer picked up a second place!

Then there was Verity's 'long term' project. She received a second place on her Dear Jane journey.

Mary's quilt did not ribbon but stood well in the judging. I am so proud that she was brave enough to enter this show.

I did enter 2 quilts. One was the giant 110 x 110 year of scrappy stars. This is the new quilt for my bed. It's time for a new one.  This was not an award winner, but, I still love it. This is the one everyone listened to me gripe about as I put the binding and the sleeve on the night before I went to Charleston. 

Last of all is my fan quilt. I am so totally proud of this quilt. I took the class from Cindy Page of Quilters Gallery. Then I used every bit of knowledge that I had gleaned from classes with so many talented Gammill Statler instructors to quilt it. The ribbon is a Vendors Choice Ribbon from Quilters Gallery. Means a lot that the designer of the quilt pinned this ribbon on my entry. 

I have great pictures from the February retreat to share too. I think I have taken enough of your time for now and we'll have to do that later. Plus, I want to share close up's on the quilting that was done on the client quilts for the show. That will be in another post.

Thanks for stopping by. I think it is now Bull Bat Time plus I need to cook a little supper. It's been a really good weekend, but, I'm now glad to be home. So are Cooper and Loosey.

Tomorrow, One Loose Thread Quilting, will attempt to go back to a regular schedule. I'll spend most of the week playing 'catch up' on client quilts. I don't have anymore 'out of the studio' time scheduled until May Mester, but, I am already (and have been) making plans for that event. 

Cheers to you...........we'll talk more later.............. until then: LET'S GO SEW!!!

Joyce-One Loose Thread 

  

The 'Mad Chemist'

 It's really rather funny, in a sad way. Dick (Mr. OLT) died in August. One of his favorite meals that I would cook would be chili (the other is my fried chicken). As soon as it would get the least bit cold then the chili would go on the menu. Well............. I probably have not cooked more than 10 meals since August. Tonight, I find myself in the kitchen working up a pot of chili.

I truly feel like the mad scientist at the stove. I hope this pot of chili is good enough to feed me for a few days with the weather getting ready to REALLY get cold. It sure brings back memories of more interesting times. 

This recipe is one that I found in an original Betty Crocker cookbook right after Dick and I got married. He loved it then and he loved it always. Amazing how the little things can bring back memories and a few tears along with them. 

Anyway, I wanted to share with you that I 'might' still be able to cook. Cooper has had his nose right up on the counter to make sure that everything was just right. Now it's time to butter some bread and have a bowl of chili.

Hope this posting finds you warm and snuggly in your home. I really plan to sew this weekend and get my entries ready for the Cobblestone Quilt Show. One needs binding and the other needs....borders....quilting...binding...a label........just a few things. 

Thanks for listening.

Nebula and South Carolina quilters

I am currently working on a client quilt that was pieced from the 'Nebula' pattern with Jay Bird Quilts. This is what the full quilt looks like, BUT, I am working on the smaller version, the throw.

 This top is so much fun to work on. The piecing is spot on and the Tula Pink fabrics are so much fun. 

 This was loading day. As you might see, this top is a hexagon, so care needed to be taken to get everything straight. I did baste the top on as I always do with custom quilting. Once that was done it was time to have some Statler fun.

The black areas were stitched on the first day of actual quilting. The red areas were stitched the second day of quilting. These designs are so cute and work so well in these diamonds. They were designed by Kim Diamond and are just perfect. They really make my job a little easier. So now at this point I have at least 25 hours in this quilt. And on we go!!

On this day I started some of the outer background. That would be those areas at the top in black. The large open area at the bottom will be left until later as those diamonds will not stitch within my throat space on my frame. The quilt will need to be turned for those to be stitched. 

So now I have worked another day and finished the inside triangles (they are now in red). Today I completed the outer diamonds (they are in black). I'll carry on with this outer area until I have to turn the quilt.

This was on Jan. 15, 2022 and it's time to turn the quilt. Things will stop for a week as I go to Myrtle Beach Quilt Party to start a new project of my own. When I get back, the quilt will come off of the frame, be trimmed a little, reloaded, and all of these open areas will be stitched. We're moving along and things are really looking good. 

I'll let you know when it is complete!

'Dear Jane' has left the building

 Sunday, December 12, 2021

I have taken the last stitches in the client's Dear Jane. This has been FUN!!!! I just hope that the client is happy with the quilt. What an experience this has been. I have had so much input from so many great longarm quilters. That just goes to prove that we support each other no matter the situation. 

Tomorrow I'll pull this off of the frame and try to get some good pictures of the quilting. I have a little surgery scheduled for Tuesday and I won't be allowed at the machines for a couple of days. I really want good pictures of this whole quilt. However, this is the digital work up that I do as I finish an area. Then when the quilting is complete I have something on the screen that looks like this: 

Now, I still need to un zip one end of the quilt so that I can check to make sure everything is stitched, clip threads, and generally admire the back. As I look at this mock up, I am very, very pleased with the out come. This has been a thought process for 10 months and to actually see it come to a reality is pretty special. 

I estimated the actual stitching time on this quilt to be 60 hours. Could, and probably was, more than that, but I think 60 is a good estimate. That does not count the hours spent on line doing research and finding different block designs. The 'stand and stare' was done before the top ever arrived at my house. 

So, I am going to up load some pictures. Verity has her quilt in hand and now she starts working on the binding. I really look forward to seeing it complete in the next several months. She is very meticulous  with her work, so I'm sure it will be beautiful. 

Would I quilt another one. Yes, I would. This is the second 'Jane' I have done. The first one we did in Baptist Fan edge 2 edge. This one is full custom all the way through. I love the way that both of them turned out. I would love to do another one...... or 10.......

Have a great day!!

        ONE LOOSE THREAD!!

The Epic Quilt Story Continues

 Today is Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021. It's raining here in South Carolina and the day is very gray. We haven't had measurable rain in weeks, so this is really welcome. My container gardens really need this rain and the collards and lettuces look very happy. 

I am spending this day in the studio working on 'Dear Jane'. I have ditched and plotted rows # 9 and 10. The block designs have been placed and I am currently stitching them out. Things are looking good. 

OK.......... things are moving along. I have ditched and plotted row 11 and Olivia Statler is busy stitching out those designs. Next up will be the triangles to match these rows.

Do you realize that will leave me with one row and a full triangle border to do? So, I must start thinking about what I will stitch in the corner kites. I have some ideas, but, I'm trying hard not to use the same designs that Lynn used. Need something a little different.... maybe.

Oh my, Batiks Etc just announced that they have the new Jacqueline de Jonge Purple Sunrise Block of the Month. I have been waiting for this, so, of course I had to stop and order. Purple and orange can really be my downfall.  

That will make 2 BOM's for 2022. The other will be 'Toes in the Sand' with Tula Pink and Jay Bird Quilts. Guess I better get busy finishing the BOMs for 2021. 

Well, it's the end of the day. and when you see this picture, you might think that not much was done. That's just not true. Remember how I told you that the Stitch in the Ditch would not show on these pictures. Well, I spent several hours finishing all of the ditch stitching. The quilt is now ready to finish. I have several appointments away from the studio tomorrow, so there won't be anytime to work on Jane. However, Friday I'll be back to work with her. She is moving along and will be ready for pick up before long. 

That's it for today. I have poured a glass of wine and it's time to wind down. Hope you have a really good night.

Joyce-One Loose Thread

And the Story Continues Dec. 7, 2021

Today is Monday, December 7, 2021. I am reminded of the fact that this is Pearl Harbor Day. We were taught that this day would "live in infamy", but will it? How much of our history is being erased? Just a thought. While I freely quilt today, in my studio, in my own home, in a town and state that I love, in a country that I believe in, I will say thanks to the hundreds of thousands that have served this country just so I could do that. (how is that for a 'run-on' sentence?) Seriously, take more than a second to think about the many that gave so much. 

Now, on to the business of the day. 

The bookkeeper had a procedure yesterday and we are not sure that she will be in to post retreat registrations until next week. So, if you don't hear from me this week, don't worry. Everything will come together before Christmas.

February registrations are steady. There is still plenty of room, but, you need to get those registrations in soon.

May Mester 2022 registration continues. There are plenty of cottage rooms available and lots of room to sew in both the Judy Niemeyer class and the Sit and Sew. Gather your friends and join the fun. 

This is where I stopped last week:

Believe it or not, I am almost half way. That is a good thing. Olivia Statler is ready to continue our work. I need to put in 4-5 hours today. I am very pleased with how this is going............so don't let bad karma mess this up! 

I'm finished for the day. I did manage to ditch stitch 4 rows (remember that those stitches don't show up on the screen). Also, plotted, set, and stitched 3 of those rows and a few triangles.

Things are moving along. I have another full day open tomorrow and we are going to carry on with this. I hope to also load Penelope Statler with an e2e that can run in the background. 

So, have a good evening and I'll be back tomorrow!

Joyce-One Loose Thread

The Story of the Epic Quilt-Dec. 4, 2021

 Today is Friday, Dec. 4, 2021. My primary focus for working today is 'Dear Jane'.

So this is where I stopped last night:

I am so please with how this is working out.

Today, nothing else will get stitched. Penelope Statler has a finished quilt that is waiting for me to take it off of the frame. But, it can just sit there until Monday.

 I will have to do some paper work for February quilt retreat. Pat probably won't be in to work for another week, so have to log in registrations for both February and May retreats. Both are going well, I would just like to fill them both. The two retreats are so different, that they invite different groups to attend. That's a good thing. We all get to meet new quilters and learn new things. So, while I do that, I will be plotting and stitching on Jane.

It's the end of the day. Around 6:00. Time to pour a glass of wine and have a look at what has been accomplished. 

Everything that shows in black is what was stitched today. I AM HALF WAY!!!

That's it for today. I'll be back with this quilt on Monday and all of next week. 

I hope everyone has a really good weekend. 

Joyce-One Loose Thread