Sarah’sTim Blog

Robo Quilt

Just so you know it isn’t all fabric auditions around here, there is actual sewing going on.  I also think I figured out a pattern for my mom’s quilt.  Maybe some stacking and maybe some whacking.

As part of my facebook icon, I recently added that I was in the Jacob Camp and I’ve had a lot of questions about what that means, but it is so lame and both Tim and I are so into them, its sort of embarassing.  I should just update my book list, but if you’ve read Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (or really book two, New Moon) and can seriously make a case for Edward, let me know.  I’m the captain of Team Jacob.

Flood Floods

The horrible midwest floods haven’t really done much damage in Bloomington thankfully, but it WILL NOT STOP RAINING!  Ok, there was one day this week where it didn’t rain.  Now I have a few days off?  Rain.

I am debating a border/sashing on a baby quilt, and waiting for other fabric to arrive in the mail before I can progress on my mom’s Mother’s Day quilt (I know, late!).  Tim is getting close to being done with Summer I, and heads right into Summer II.  Books are being read, and oh, I joined Facebook.

Waves of Binding

I finally sat down tonight and after careful measuring and some inventiveness, the sticking point on Thiên’s quilt is solved. The binding (the last step!) is cut, pressed and sort of carefully folded waiting to be sewn on.  My fingers are crossed that there is enough binding.  Lord knows my math has been known to be wrong.

I am updating my booklist, rediscovering crossword puzzles (who knew Tim and I could be a good team?), and hoping that all my Texan friends go out and vote in the primary tomorrow.  Yay voting!

Graph Paper

Did you know you can print graph paper using excel templates?  I often use a lot of graph paper and handfuls of colored pencils to doodle, plan, measure and determine possible quilt patterns.  I have quilting software I use, but there is something deliciously grade school about it all.  Plus, I get to do it sitting at my desk.  I am finally starting on a modern quilt for our living room.  Browns and reds with a shock of orangy-yellow.  Thank god the new quilt shop here has opened.

Miss Potter

Top for gender neutral Baby Shutta?  Done.  I am loving this quilt, it is so simple but has been fun to plan and start making. I need to dig around to see if I have any white batting.  Most batting that I like using and is easy to find is cream colored.  But if you have any white in your quilt, a cream colored batting can dampen the brightness of the white fabrics.   If done that way, it might not be noticeable to most people, but it would bother me.  My only question at this point is to border or not to border.  I am leaning to no border.  But maybe a small white border would look good too?

Tim and I recently watched Miss Potter on DVD, and in the special features there was a story of her real life (much different than the dvd-hollywood version), and love her even more for her very forward ways and thinking towards green space, independent farms and environmentalism - all way before her time really.

Forward Progress

Sorry it is a little off center, but it becomes increasingly hard to photograph larger quilts in my increasingly small house.  New Years day proved to be snowy and cold, a perfect day to knock out a large chunk of sewing for the top of Thien’s Block of the Month quilt.  I am loving how it looks.  The fabric colors are slippery, changing from brown to tan to green to yellow depending on the light.

Oh, yeah.  We also updated the blog in the past few days. Comment away.

Fabrika

Santa came! Ha. This stack of beautiful fabrics are from Regina, who picked them up for me at Fabrika in Savannah, GA which looks like a most wonderful store. I love them! Also, I received two spoons as gifts.

Fabric, spoons, earrings, cash money and books. What more could a girl want? Thanks everyone!

Bad Math

I sat down yesterday to start working on the borders of Thien’s quilt and realized that my math was way off! I thought I needed 128 2.5″ squares and 128 2.5″ 1/2 square triangles, when really I need 168. Off I set on cutting 40 more 2.5″ squares, 40 more triangles of dark green, and 40 more triangles of mixed greens and creams (not to mention sewing the 1/2 squares together, pressing and trimming).
I think I finally have it figured out and actually started sewing all these little pieces together to make two long borders for the sides. Any bets on whether or not I will have this done by Christmas?

Also - as of today I have a Thanksgiving date! I will be taken in as a mid-west orphan in Chicago at Ashley’s parent’s house. You know what that means? Phase 10!

Bags

While I am waiting for someone to show up at my door and tell me how to cut the pieces to make a 4 1/2″ square within a square block to finish Thiên’s quilt. Yeah, I know. That doesn’t seem very likely, but a girl can dream. So in the meantime, I have been busy at a few smaller projects.

I found the above piece of fabric at goodwill a few weeks ago. It was either a tablecloth or a curtain panel as the edges were hemmed nicely and there was a tag. It didn’t have a brand name, but it did say 100% cotton, so I bought. As of yesterday, a little piece of it is a tote bag. It is lined in black cotton and has a little pocket inside. Perfect for a quick trip to the farmer’s market or similar. It did come out a little shorter than anticipated, but I’ll fix that in the next round. I have enough of the fabric to maybe make another bag and an apron or similar.

One little project is on its way to St. Louis for a 1st birthday. I will post pictures once it arrives (hopefully on Tuesday). Draft snake and leaf block are on my flickr.

100% Wool Felt Burrito

I barely have a minute, for I have about 200 pages of David Copperfield left to read by 6:00 pm tomorrow. Which would be fine and all, if it weren’t for pesky work to get in the way. But then, if it weren’t for work, I wouldn’t be reading David Copperfield. It was the first book chosen by my teen book discussion group. Crazy girls.

Wool felt arrived today, now I just need some more embroidery floss and I am ready for a new hand project. Just in time for football season.