One Down Two To Go

It's blue like a river and shiny in spots like sunshine, I think it has the right name, and it's done, almost done.  Some ladies say it isn't done, done until it has a label and it doesn't have one of those yet. 

Pieced flannel back.  I had to use what I had, so there is some orange and purple in there, too.

While I was quilting the blue one, I kept thinking I liked it best, but now, here it is with its sister and  I'm back to wishy-washy.  I'm planning to give one away as a Christmas gift and I want to keep my favorite, what to do, what to do. 

Thread Review

I'm about 1/4 finished quilting my Roll Roll Sunshine Rivers (RRCB) and I'm liking it so far.  I love Aurifil thread for it's thinness (I hate when the bobbin runs out), but the price is something that I don't love so much.  I thought I'd try some of the Essential Pro from Connecting threads, it is very thin and a fraction of the cost.  I don't have a longarm, I have a Juki, which many people use on a frame, so I thought it was worth a try.   I resisted, mostly because I have bought into the 'everything cotton' camp, but I got to thinking that I used to use whatever, and I haven't noticed any undue deteriorations.  Sooo, this is my first try and no problems so far (knock on wood), and a bonus, less lint.  The essential pro is 3315 yards for $5.99, and the cheapest that I've found Aurifil is 1422 yards for about $8.28.   I think Connecting Threads has a new believer.   Also, I love the King Tut for the top thread, again very expensive.  I tried the Coats and Clark machine quilting cotton thread from Joanns with a coupon, very much cheaper, and I also haven't found any problems with it.   Quilting is a fairly expensive hobby (obsession) and I think that this is one way to make it a little more affordable.  For me anyway. 
Don't you think the shiny blue border looks like sunshine on water. 
PS  It just occurred to me, I wonder how it would be in the bobbin for piecing.   I don't have any illusions that my quilts have to last for generations.  I make pretty simple quilts for the most part and not with exquisite quilting, etc., just nice not masterpieces.  If the bobbin thread took a year or two off their life, I don't have a problem with that.   If in future generations a museum is opened for quilts with 'mediocre meandering', I'm sure there will still be one or two they can use, lol.   

 

Filling in the Time and Catching Up

I got up early this morning, as usual, and started off by getting my daughter's Kindle Fire bag up to this point.  It's pretty close to finished probably only another hour or so, but I needed the D rings to go further and my daughter has those.  She's coming after work and hopefully, she will be using it tomorrow.   Hope the picture doesn't make anyone dizzy, I flipped it.

Yesterday, I basted the bottom quilt, my RRSR (RRCB) and the top quilt, Maddox's baby quilt, and after I got as far as I could on the bag this morning I started basting the middle one, my Craftsy BOM.  Now, to clean, oil and change the needle in my Juki, and wind about 100 bobbins (a slight exaggeration) and I'll be set to do some meandering.  When I was almost done I had to stop and take DH to the heart doctor.  He didn't seem to have any real answers, I hate when Dr's ask me what is wrong, but his loop recorder showed that he had had several episodes of atrial fibrillation in the past 2 weeks, so within a month he should be having his ablation.  Meanwhile, on Dec. 10th he'll have surgery for a skin cancer on top of his head.  I know it could be worse, but he doesn't seem to catch too many breaks these days.   I sure hope this helps and he gets some verve back in his life.
When I refrerred to filling in the time, I mean until Friday when clue no. 2 of East Street is out.  I think I'll be ready.

Yay! I Did It

I had to piece the batting for Maddox's quilt as I had enough left over of the wool batt from my Orca Bay (Sunrise, Sunset), I was pretty sure.   I was right, but all that was left was not even enough to make a potholder when I was finished.   I decided on a pieced backing with 10 inch squares for my Roll Roll Sunshine Rivers, so I had 70 squares to find flannel for, cut out and sew together.   I have the bindings ready and the other batts cut out and ready to go, so I'm ready for the Easy Money mystery.   I feel pretty sure that even with that going on I have a good chance of finishing these 3 by the end of the year.   For now though until Friday, it's time to think about Thanksgiving.  I have fudge to make, some odds and ends to shop for, stuffing to make and dinner to go to and then we'll see if Bonnie does like last year and starts off with an easy clue or two.   
I probably won't blog again until at least Friday, so for all those who celebrate it:

Happy Thanksgiving!!!   

RRSR (RRCB) is a Flimsy

Ignore the orange, it's sitting on my Orange Crush, but Roll Roll Sunshine Rivers is a flimsy now.  I added the little 2 1/2 inch extra border and I think it adds to the sunshine.   I'm hoping to get the back and binding done before Thanksgiving, and the 3 battings ready and then I'll have the Craftsy BOM, Maddox's quilt, and this one ready to be basted and quilted whenever I have time.  Hopefully, 3 more finishes before the end of the year.   I've decided to go with the yellow instead of the green on Easy Money mystery.  There was something familiar about pink, brown, green and blue.  Yes, pink, brown, yellow and blue-white and ivory will be my colors.
My daughter is having Thanksgiving at her house, so all I'm making is fudge and stuffing.   I hope my husband, Ernie, is up to going, if not I guess it'll be take out from Cracker Barrel, which isn't an altogether bad thing.  

Slow Progress and New Name

Yesterday I got up and got started on my Roll Roll Cotton Boll thinking that by the mid afternoon I'd probably have a flimsy - wrong - I had a quilt center, but that's all.  Here is a small part of it, and it sure looks like chaos doesn't it.  
 

This morning I woke up with similar illusions.  I thought by this afternoon I'll have a flimsy - wrong again - after about 6 hours this is what I accomplished.  I don't know if I'll get back to it today, but now I have 'all' the parts prepared and I'm ready to assemble and add borders.  I know that I must be getting close now.  

I did think of a name for my Roll Roll Cotton Boll No. 2.   There's a whole lot of blue and I thought what rolls and is blue - a river.  I have a lot of shiny fabrics and so I thought ice, but no, I have 3 rivers in mind and one of them probably never has ice.   They all 3 have sunshine, at least sometimes, and sunshine on rivers can be very shiny so my name is "Roll Roll Sunshine Rivers"  and it's dedicated to the Missouri in Omaha, Nebraska, the Grand in Diagonal, Iowa, and the St. John's in Jacksonville, Florida.   My father and I were born in Omaha, my mother thought Diagonal was like heaven on earth, and my brothers and I were raised mostly in Jacksonville, my kids, too.   Sounds good to me.
I have been using my new setup with separate cutting and ironing areas and it is working out as well as I had hoped.  I feel much more efficient.  

Heart Problems, Hospital, and a Few Blocks.

My husband is in the hospital, heart problems again.  I spent the night but came home this morning for  a couple of necessary errands and to shower, while home I also hurried and finished up my other 14 blocks. they were almost done when we found we needed to go to the hospital.   Just a quick picture with my iphone and I'm back on my way.   Don't really know how he's doing yet, hopefully we'll find out more today and hopefully it will be easily fixed.  He got a monitor put under his skin about a month ago, Thursday we sent the information for the first time, all was ok.  Thursday night lots of pain and some in and around his chest so he did another report and they said to go to the hospital.  Evidently at least a couple of times during the night his heart stopped, once for 4 seconds.  Evidently, he has an electrical problem.  I'll post more when I know more.
Update:  They really didn't find anything, the Dr. wanted to keep him another night so they could watch his low blood pressure, but he couldn't stand anymore and pretty much refused.   So, we are home and he's snoring away enjoying a nap. 

First Block - Roll Roll Cotton Boll?

Block No. 1 of Roll Roll Cotton Boll No. 2.  I think it needs a different name, something to do with Florida or Nebraska, I'll have to think on it.   Only 14 more to go and then I'll have my strings and these blocks ready.  I haven't cut the strings up as I don't have the instructions and don't want to go by memory and mess things up.   I ordered the book last night, so hopefully it will be here soon.  Meanwhile, I can work on getting my baby quilt for Maddox ready and if the book still isn't here, I'll baste Maddox's quilt and my Craftsy BOM.

I wondered how it was going to look with the strings so I stuck a few on the design wall (piece of flannel) with the block.  (I kind of remind myself of a monkey sitting and holding something shiny and gazing at it in fascination.  Can you tell that I like shiny things.)

Kind of like him (Is a chimp still a monkey??).

Here was my first block from Roll Roll Cotton Boll No. 1.  Looks quite a bit different.  I didn't correct it when I realized that the browns and pinks were supposed to match, and I kind of liked it that way.  I corrected my mistake for future blocks though. 

Roll Roll Cotton Boll Progress

I have my string blocks, most of my border (the parts in the box with the string blocks) and I have my other blocks almost ready to assemble.  I have my 350 tiny HST's in the pink box, and as soon as I sew 60 rows of 5 from them, I'll be on to assembly of the blocks in the picture.   I'm getting there, and will be ready when I have gotten my book (see previous post about how I lost the last steps).   It's about time since it was the mystery before Carolina Christmas and Orca Bay.  I did finish them, and I finished RRCB No. 1, but this one has been lanquishing in a box. 

Wedding and Strings for RRCB

My husband wasn't well enough to attend the wedding of my Grandson and his new wife, but this was on facebook within minutes.   From all reports, it was a beautiful wedding and everyone had a good time.   They are on their honeymoon now.   We were there in spirit.

This is my newest, now official, grandson.   He is looking snazzy in his tux, and was a big part of the wedding.   They did a dance number and he had been around while rehearsals were taking place, so he was a big part of the show.   My daughter said he was running on adrenalin. 

Since we couldn't be at the wedding, I decided to work on my second Roll Roll Cotton Boll.   Here is my first one.   I am making a lap sized, so need 30 string blocks.  I had 12 made, so decided to bite the bullet and assembly line sew the other 18, surprisingly, it made it easier not harder.  I was able to find the longer pieces for the middles, instead of using my wallpaper tool as a substitute iron, it was easy to just actually iron 18 at a time between each row.  I don't hate string blocks as badly now, lol.   Next step was to see what I was missing and fill in the blanks.  I have a lot left from the first RRCB, as I started out with the intention of making the full sized quilt, but big problem, I can only find steps 1-3.   I checked back on my back up hard drive to see if I had saved it, I looked everywhere I can think of.  I checked my first 3 Bonnie Hunter books, but it is in the fourth, the one that I wasn't going to buy because I don't like doing strings.  I could possibly figure it out myself by looking at my first one, but right now with my husband's health problems, my brain isn't up to that much thinking.   I do need to make 300 of the tiny half string triangles.  On the first one I made I used leftover bonus triangles  from my Iowa (Carolina) Christmas, but on this one I want light blue and dark blue triangles.  That should keep me busy until pay day when I can order the book.   If not, I have my new grandbaby, Maddox's baby quilt to do, plus baste and quilt my Craftsy BOM.  My goal was to get these 3 (Craftsy BOM, Maddox's baby quilt and RRCB)  done by the time Bonnie's new mystery starts, but I don't know if I'll make it now.   Oh well, goals are just goals, and quilting is for fun, so if I don't make it, it's just an "oh well" as I already stated.  
By the way, the dark gray circle that the strings are sitting on isn't a shadow, it's the rotating cutting board that I made from an Ikea turntable, glue and an old cutting mat, it sure comes in handy at times.   It came in handy for trimming my string blocks to 8 1/2", and a plastic chopstick that I asked if I could have when I ate at P F Changs, came in handy for removing the papers.  I love gadgets, especially when they make jobs easier and don't cost much or take up much room.
PS   I got 110 of my mini HST's done today.  Only a couple hundred more to go.