Oops...forgot something

I knew there was something that I forgot to mention.  It's how great EQ7 is and their support staff.  Before I get to my story, I want to say that I am not affiliated with ElectricQuilt Company; just a happy and satisfied customer.  So on to the story....

With the EQ7 software, you can install it on a number of computers but you can only have two active computers at a time.  Not a problem since I knew which two computers I wanted to be active.  For those of you who don't have EQ, let me digress a bit and tell you that it is computer program designed for quilters.  To quote from their website (http://electricquilt.com/online-shop/electric-quilt-7/ ),

"The industry’s BEST quilt design software. Design your own quilts and block patterns. Audition your own personal fabric stash, embroidery designs and quilting designs on your quilt before you make it. Print patterns for foundation piecing, templates and rotary cutting charts. We do the math for you! Print your fabric yardage too!"

It's expensive but I'm happy that I managed to save up for it for I really do use it.  I hope to use it more in 2013 and to take advantage of all the tutorials and things out there for it.  But back to the story....

As usual, my plans didn't go like they were suppose to.  Yes I managed to activate it (you must activate it in order to use it) on my two computers but then one of those computers died out on me.  So I went to my back up computer.  Hmmm.  I didn't want to put it on there since I knew eventually I'd get a new computer and would want it on the new one.  One year later I did get a new computer and set out to put EQ7 on it.  Hmmm.  Now I had to think.  I couldn't get online with the original computer any more to deactcivate it.  Finally I called up the help line at Electric Quilt and talked to a live person without an accent that I couldn't understand.  Gasp!  Yes I could understand her!!  It took a little bit to figure out which one of the two activations she should deactivate for me but once we figured it out (used the 'last date used' to figure it out) in under a minute it was deactivated and I was able to continue on with installing EQ7 on my new computer.  My new computer is Windows 8 and I am happy to report that EQ7 works quite well with that.  I tested it out last night.  YAY!

Here is how I justified originally getting it.  It cost almost $200 which is a TON of money in my budget.  On the other hand that is less than 10 trips to JoAnne's for quilting supplies, and even fewer trips if I went to a Quilt Shop.  So not only did I keep to my wish of "not buying more fabric" by getting the software, it was still quilting related and would help me figure out what to do with the fabric that I already had on hand.  No I'm not going to look at my last post where I said I bought more fabric.  I did say that I was "trying" not to buy more fabric.  I just try harder on certain trips than others.  :)

So that's my story about a happy customer of EQ7.

PS:  Did I mention you can swap designs with others who have EQ7 also?  After saving them you can email them to your friend who thought it was so cool and wanted to make it or thought you were so clever for figuring it out.

 

End of February

I can't believe it is the end of February already!  Where DOES the time go.

What did I accomplish?  Not much.  I did get some things done though.  I managed to finish up one test project and sent off the report today.  I can't wait to show you because I like it and will probably keep it for myself.  That is something that I don't often do.

Now that I used up some fabric I had to get more fabric.  I *had* to, right?  So here are some of the fabric that I got.  They are all cotton and something that I normally wouldn't buy.  The cupcakes I might make into pot holders.  The circles were cute and bright bought some of that and I had been looking for some small print cancer material.

These four fabrics are actually flannels.  I was thinking that I might use part of them for some more rice filled wrist bags.  I need to restock and get some things that are non Christmas.    The pink has little red lady bugs on it.  It's kinda cute.  :)

What else am I doing?

There are the Block of the Months (BOMs) that I am collecting.  I am caught up to date on one of them.  But behind on the others.  I will get caught up eventually.  Perhaps in June when I'm on vacation I will stay home and get caught up.

I am half way done with a chevron block for the Half Square Triangle Bucket List.  This year I am going to just do blocks and then perhaps put them all together at the end of the year.  If I don't do one of the lists, like the January one which I didn't do.  I'm going to leave the block empty and write on it what I didn't do.  Eventually I might get all the squares filled in like they should be but who knows.  I have lots of plans but sometimes they don't get done.  Next month's Bucket List is Hawaiian Applique.  I'm not sure what I'll do for a block but it might be a traditional breadfruit or something.

Before that I have two mug rugs to get done.  That is for a swap.

I also have another test pattern that I am working on.  That needs to be done in approximately 6 weeks.  I washed the fabric for that one so it's sort of started (grins).

I suppose I had better end this now so that I can go work on something.  With the snow and the wind that we got today my motivation is just not there.

Everybody have a good night.

Quilters Where's Waldo

Except in my case it's "where's the X".  I went through the pictures of African fabric and put an X on the fabrics that REALLY interest me.  Part of the interesting part of this way is that sometimes when I get the fabric and open it up, it's totally different that what I thought it would be.  Of course I told Lyndon that I won't refuse any fabric so we'll see what he brings back.  I sent him the pictures with the X on them.  Think he'll find them when he goes back to the stalls?

Did you see that there were two X's on this pix?

African Fabric Pictures

Ready for some eye candy first thing on Monday Morning?

My boss, Lyndon, goes to Africa every year and tries to bring me back some fabric.  Over the years we've refined how this gets done.  Last year he sent me pictures and I tried to explain to him which of the fabric I liked the best from looking at the pictures.  It worked out pretty well.  I've tried to tell him that I didn't care what he brought back but you know men.  They need more guidance so he decided to do that again.  Here are the pictures that he sent me to look over.  I wonder if he realizes that I might not get a lot of work done today because I just want to gaze at the pictures?  (grins).  He has also told me that the cloth he will get for me is only from the OUTSIDE ring of fabric merchants in the outdoor/open mall.  He isn't brave enough to go further in.  It doesn't seem like he needs to go further in to me.  I have plenty to choose from.

Roar!!!!! Lion head is done

January 31st and I finished another January BOM.

Here is the finished January lion block from Angie's Bits N Pieces.  I had tiny black buttons on hand so I used them for the eyes.  It will be a wall hanging so it shouldn't need to be my the baby itself.

It's surprising how much little things like the eyes and mouth make it come more to life.

http://ajpadilla.com/bom/animal-babies

Check out Angie's site.

Slip sliding away.....

to work that is.  I woke up to temperatures in the 40s but yesterday we had the sleet/rain combination.  By 3 p.m. yesterday I could only partially see out of my window because it was covered up with ice.  This morning there is standing water OVER the ice that hadn't melted yet.  So I was slip sliding down my ally on the way to work. 

So at work I opened up my 2013 Quilt Art engagement calendar (Thank you Shelley) and LOVE the  picture for this week.  Here it is.  It is called Dream Garden III by MIchelle Quick in Cody, WY.

I love this quilt!

rain rain go away

It's January and we get rain?  Really?!

We are getting rain right now but it will freeze overnight.  It was predicted that the ice tomorrow morning could be a couple of inches thick.  If so I'll probably stay home and might even be without power.  That being the case, I thought I'd better post here while I can.

The turtles have been dyed, although I want to say died.  The picture of them is on the work computer so you'll have to wait a bit for what the final dye looked like.  I can live with it.  So then I went to start on the next project which is the test project.  Of course I can't talk too much about it because it's still a secret but I can tell you that i bught three fabrics that looked good until I had to put it together.  Back to the drawing board.  I'll have to wait until payday to try and get different fabrics.

So on to the NEXT project.  I'm stuck on what to do next.  Too many choices.  Finally I decided to get out the Animal Babies that Angie's Bits 'n Pieces is offering.  Check it out.  You get TWO (2) free patterns each month.  Make sure to check it at the first of the month because if you miss a month you have to pay for the patterns.  This is the site which offered that cute Asian Teapot BOM last year.  The site is located at:

http://ajpadilla.com/bom/animal-babies

I decided to do the lion first.  I have the horse drawn on fusible but haven't found a good color for part of it yet.  That's ok.  It's downloaded and it will wait for its turn in the que.  In the meantime here is the lion one.  It's fused on but not sewn on.  I think I'll use two small black buttons for the eyes.  There will be black embroidery coming down from the nose and will form a smile on him.   At least it's fused on so I can take it to work and pick it up to work on at lunch hours.

If you think it will be a cute BOM (I know I do) then make sure to scurry over to Angie's before the first BOM patterns get taken down.  Either way her prices are reasonable to think about it.

The wind has picked up now and the lights are flickering.  Time to sign off.  Everybody have a safe and good night.

Turtle Dyed once

I managed to do a coffee stain on the fabric and after it had been put on, dried and ironed, I washed it.  I didn't want to give it as a gift if it was going to wash out or run.

Hmm.  Now I have to decide if I'm going to go for a second layer of stain or not.  What do you think?

Can you see a difference?  I might have to try something else.  Hmm.  Perhaps coffee grounds being blotted onto it?  I don't want to use paint for a couple of reasons.  The first is that I don't know how to use it and don't have time to learn it before I need to finish it.  The second is that I want to make sure that this isn't "stiff" which is also why I don't want to do the colored pencils.  The fabric medium to make them "set" usually leaves a sheen on it and/or makes it a little stiffer.

Now what

This weekend has been a weekend of opposites.  First I lost my needle with the thread in it and then I found it the next day.  No, I didn't step on it ( on in it) but I did find that it had dropped into the bathroom sink.  The thread matched the inside of the sink and I didn't spot it when I first checked.

Then I took my needle and thread to mom to finish up a sewing project that she wanted me to do.  Well THAT didn't happen.  Instead she had a new project for me to do.  Can you figure out what this one will be?
I'll report on it next week to give you a chance to think about it.

One of the things that DID turn out right was me going to JoAnne's and matching the teal color of the Herd of Turtles.  I found it in Gutermann thread and it's called Peacock.  This picture makes it look more blue but it is a teal/peacock color.

Speaking of The Herd of Turtles, I finished stitching the top.  I still want to darken the top color.  On my test material I had dyed a couple of sections with coffee.  It pretty much came out though after I washed it.  That will be a problem.  I might use the stronger coffee that I had and then wash it.  If it washes out then it might keep just enough to color it how I want.  Any suggestions on how to keep the coffee color in there after I brush it on?  Perhaps I have to "over dye" it and wash it.  Any suggestions?

Here is how the top looks like.  I will need to restitch it in a couple of places but not too bad overall.

It's time for me to stop this and give my fingers a rest.  LOL.

Everybody have a great day.

turtle turtle where did you go

I think this Herd of Turtles is having fun with me.  I'm close to finishing the top and cut out the last turtle.  THEN part of the turtle shell disappeared.  no great loss.  There's plenty left of the shell so that it's not REALLY needed.  So I tack down some of the shell, turn it around so I can get my needle and thread......

wait....

Where did my needle and thread go.  I had it all threaded and it was hooked into my blouse just a minute ago.  As I look IN my blouse...nope not there.  Hmmm.  Look on the floor...

Nope not there either.  Of course that might change tomorrow when I get up in the middle of the night and walk to the bathroom barefoot.

Bathroom!  Maybe it's in there.  I was in there too.

Sigh.  Nope, not there either.  So I see the spool of thread I'm using anyway.  Now to hunt down another needle that I like to stitch with.  That means a thinner one and not so fat so it will go through the material real nice like.  Hmmm.  maybe that is what happened.  The needle went through the material so nice like it slipped off somewhere.

Oh well.  Enough griping.  Time to hunt for a new needle and continue sewing.

May your turtles always stay in place!

Happy stitching.

Turtle Update

My friend Diane sent me a picture of Brutus the Sea Turtle as inspiration to continue on with the wall hanging called Herd of Turtles.  It must of worked because I made progress.  Here's Brutus who came up on the sand to get warm.

Doesn't Brutus look comfortable?

Here's the Herd coming to visit him.

I have one more turtle to work on and then, hopefully, the stitching will be done on the top.  I still want to dye the turtles a little bit darker and I think I have the solution.  I won't know until tomorrow because my test material has to dry first.

If things go according to plan, the steps will be:

1.  finish stitching the turtles
2.  wash the top since I used glue on it
3.  Dye the turtles
4.  sandwich the top and quilt
5.  Get it in the mail.  I'm not sure I can get it all done and mailed by the end of the month but then they ARE turtles and perhaps they are moving slow.

I had to stop since my finger was getting sore.  I'll take a break for a couple of days and then get back to it.  I will have to remark the last turtle anyway before I cut and stitch.