Focus, Focus, Focus

Have you ever had a week where nothing went right? That was my week. I worked to much, ate to much, spent to much money and slept to much. I had a week of to much of nothing.
I started the week out looking at what I was working on and got depressed that nothing was finished. Started wishing I did not have to work, had more time to quilt, blah/blah/blah.
That only lasted a day (thank God). Then I realized I had too many irons in the fire to be working and quilting. Shouldn't the quilting have come first. I only work to have a place to store all my sewing machines and fabric. Anyway, once again I have decided to concentrate on ONE quilt at a time and one leader-ender quilt. I need to look at my January blogs but I am sure this was one of my New Year Resolutions.
So, this week I worked on my calender quilt. I am home sewing and cleaning this weekend and hope to finish off the top and the back before Sunday night. I will continue on with my star leader-ender quilt but everything else is on hold.
Wish me luck.
Jeri
p.s. Maybe I should rename by blog Jeri's Quilting Blues. What do you thing?

PC Quilter Working

I would like to let you know that I had a happy week quilting. I did not accomplish all my goals but I did complete a baby quilt top for a friend at work. I plan on quilting it this week.
I have completed all 56 of the pink and white nine patch squares. Now I have to cut them up.
I completed 10 Stash Pot Pie blocks. I need to sew them into a row.
I completed 7 Happy Houses.
But most of all the PC Quilter for my HQ16 is working. You will not believe how I have been trying to make it work. I decided to call my technical adviser (son #1) for help. He came over, sat down, touched a key and said "you need new batteries for your keyboard". How was I suppose to know I had a wireless keyboard and it required batteries? Duh.
Now I know you are wondering how I got the computer in the first place not to know it was wireless. To make long story short I traded it with my daughter. She go my laptop and I got her PC. My daughter and son sat it up. It has a 19-inch monitor that is mounted on the wall (put up by son #1) and is not internet accessible (my preference) but it has wireless capability to have internet access (if I knew how to use it).
So this week I am going to practice my quilting.
I will post photos tomorrow. My camera is charging.

To Do List

6-7-09

Work on the tutorial for Sunshine and Shadow

7 Nine Patch and Sixteen Patch Blocks

10 Stash Pot Pie Blocks

Cut up some of Pink and White Disappearing Nine Patches

Quilt 2 small quilts

I will also post my treasures I got in the mail this week. I received three packages.

Blog more later.

Jeri

Goodmorning Monday

This is the day I have been waiting for for a week. My on-call is over. No more 5am wake-ups. No more 3am calls. No more worrying if 11p-7a staff will call out. It is over for seven weeks.

If I was with you I would kiss the ground you walk on. Jump up and down and shout praises. Make snow angels in the sand (it does not snow here). I think I could even fly without wings. My headache is over.

I must clarify something. I get up at 5am everyday but not to answer the phone. I get up to start my day quilting. I quilt every morning quilting for one hour (more if I can slow down time-LOL). I never could get up and start getting ready for school or work. I have to ease into it.

I have been nosing around in other blogs and you do not know how much talent I see out there. Quilters are very talented people with vary vivid imaginations. Some of the color combinations I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams. Keep up the good work.

I was over at Nadine's blog at Friendship Threads nosing around. She has an antique Trip Around the World I would love to make. You "need" to go see it. I love antique quilts and Amish quilts. This one is beautiful. I am going to add it to my ever growing Quilt Wish List.

Now down to the business of the day-My To Do List.

To Do List

6/1/09

3 Block of the Month Blocks

20 Happy Houses (no sides)

15 Disappearing Nine Patch Blocks (make 2x6 blocks)

30 Strips on the Straggler Calender Quilt (I have 70 strips cut)

7 Nine Patch and Sixteen Patch Blocks

One day for the PC Quilter (it is not up and going)

I know this sounds like a lot but most of what I am doing is sewing things together I have already started. I will pin for a day or two and then I have a pile of items to be stitched next to my sewing machine and I sew away. Easy as pie.

Plus, some time the first part of this month I need to make a baby quilt for a co-worker. I have a cute simple pattern my quilting group makes for the hospital nursery. Very easy.

I feel obligated to take something to eat to work today. An off-call celebration. I need to stop at Dunkin Donuts and buy two dozen donuts. Talk to you later.

Keep quilting.

Jeri

More Nine Patches

I did a lot of short periods of sewing this week. Five minutes here, an hour here. Yet, at the end of the week I had accomplished quite a few nine and sixteen patches. I made a mistake and mixed the new blocks with the old blocks and did not get an accurate number count. So I decided to show you all my blocks.

The blocks are on the sashing material I am going to use. On Memorial Day weekend JoAnn's had Kona Muslin on sale for $1.49 per yard with 10% off you total purchase. I bought 14 yards. I have used this before and really like it. I have bought Moda Muslin and did not care for the way it unravels. Plus the price is right. I like all the blocks so much. As I finished a block it became my favorite. They are all my favorites.

The purple block really squeezed my heart. The center circle was not planned. It just happened that way.

I like all the color combinations. They look even better in person.

This may be one of my favorite quilts.

I noticed I have a lot of yellow in my blocks. But I also have a lot of blue and red. I think it will all work well together.

I was thinking about making sister blocks for each one of my blocks. When I was trying to decide which color to put in the corners I had a had time making a decision. A lot of the colors work well both ways. I still may make sister blocks. A decision I will think about this week.

For every nine patch block I have a sixteen patch block to match.

I did not make any Happy Houses this week. I will concentrate on them next week.

My Straggler Calender Quilt is coming along nicely. I will work on it this week also.

I need 30 blocks for the Stash Pot Pies quilt. I will try to make a few this week.

I will post my To Do List tomorrow.

Happy quilting until we meet again.

Jeri

Happy Houses on the Way

Kathy at the Humble Quilter e-mailed me to let me know that my Happy Houses were in the mail and on the way. I know what I need to do next week.
Between being on call, waking up to the phone going off every morning this week, working 3-11 3 days this week, I think I did pretty good with my nine and sixteen patch blocks. I did do a little sewing on the pink and white disappearing nine patch blocks but not much.
No progress on my Happy Houses.
I hope to have photos of all my nine patches to post Sunday.
Happy Quilting.
Jeri

Nine Patch Day

I worked two shifts yesterday and got today off. I got home around 12:45am. I hate on-call.
So today (between sleeping and listening for the telephone) I will be making nine-patches and sixteen patches. I went over to Crazy Mama Quilts and if my calculations are correct I need to have 31 blocks made by tomorrow.
My sewing machine will be humming.
Jeri

Stash Pot Pie Progress

There was not much sewing in my house this week. I worked overtime this week. I will be working overtime next week for turnover on the first of the month.
I did accomplish half of my goals. I completed the Disappearing Nine Patches plus I did extra.
I completed the required number of blocks for the Stash Pot Pie. I am being to like this quilt.

My Stash Pot Pie Pie Quilt is coming along quite nicely. I have been piecing the blocks together each week. Below is seven rows of the Stash Pot Pie. I need three more rows. The quilt should measure approx. 90x100 inches. They are 10-inch blocks. I love the yellow and gold highlights in the quilt.

I promised you photos of my trip to Lancaster, Pa. I was looking through my photos when I saw the photos I took at The History Center Chester County Historical Society. They have all types of antiques (furniture, household items, quilts, etc.). I did not notice the sign not to take pictures until after I had taken three photos.

Below is my favorite quilt. If I get a chance I would like to make this quilt. I love red and to me this is what a quilt should be.

I also liked the quilts in the two photos below. I think the half square triangle is very interesting. My camera (or any camera for that matter) does not do the quilts justice. You have to see them. They are beautiful. It inspires you to go the extra mile. To take that chance and be creative.

I just love red in a quilt.

My To Do List will be short this week. I am on call and may have to go in to work if someone calls out and I cannot find a replacement. Every night I dread the 11p-7a shift. I cannot stay awake after 4am.

So here is what I want to accomplish this week.

To Do List

5/24/09

14 Nine and Sixteen Patch Blocks
14 Happy Houses

Read another chapter of PC Quilter

I hope I can accomplish this. I am behind in the nine patches and I need to have some Happy Houses made before my swap blocks get here.

Happy quilting.

Jeri