Even Mediocre Meandering Can Be Magic

My Borgasmord is half quilted now, if you can see, it's pretty much right down the middle.  I know that pretty quilting is much 'prettier', but I couldn't help but think as I was quilting that even mediocre meandering, which is my specialty, I think I may apply for a copyright, can be rather like magic to the basted quilt.   The raw materials are starting to disappear and it is becoming a 'Quilt'.   I might give in and send mine out to an expert longarmer if money were no object, but I'm rather glad that I do my own from start to finish as it it fun to see the transformation (plus, I'd have to do many fewer if I sent them out).   Anyway, my Juki is too noisy to watch TV or even to listen to a  CD while I quilt, so I was back to thinking this morning, you are up to date on my philosophy of the day.  
PS   I didn't mean to say that meandering is mediocre, just my non-artistic version of it.   Mine isn't all pretty and even, I have pointies and usually lots of crossed threads. 

Bodacious Beastly Borgasmord is Basted and Iphone Update

When I decided to do this pattern (Star Struck by Bonnie Hunter) I discussed it with my DH.   I said I think I'll make all the light stars one fabric, and he thought it would be better if they were scrappy.  Then I said I think I'll make all the dark stars scrappy, but each star a different color, and he thought it would be better if they were all different colors. more scrappy that way.   I agreed, and I asked him when it was laying out on the table in process of being basted what he thought.  He looked with a thoughtful look on his face and then he apologized, lol.   His ideas were sound, but as I realized before some of my darks are too light and some of my lights are too dark, those were my choices not his, so if it isn't a favorite I take responsibility.   Actually, it is growing on me and it may not be a favorite, but I think I'll like it ok, at lease the light stars are there to be seen.   It was a bear to baste, I don't know of any creases on the back, so I think it will be ok.   It was so heavy with the flannel back that I just laid it on the table (a 3 foot by 6 foot rectangle) and smoothed.  I didn't use any clips just basted what was on the table and then rearranged it 8 times and basted away.  It was an all day job, but it's done and now on to the wrestling and the quilting.  If this wasn't 'fun' it would be 'work'.
Update on Iphone:   So far, I'm loving it.  I have my texting and email set up, I've added emoticons, which are considered an international language in the settings.   I've added my favorite sites, Google Reader, Flickr , etc. to my desktop, plus a few more free apps.  I even semi-watched two movies yesterday on Netflix while I basted my quilt.  I think we are bonding just fine so far. 
PS   I even talked on it a few times and it sounded just fine.   Another biggie for me is the speaker and so far no complaints.   I think it is going to be a winner with me.
PPS   Speed dialing was something I missed even though it has the Siri (voice) and yesterday I found a $00.99 icon that gives me speed dialing.  Now, I'm really a happy camper. 

  

New - Not So New - Toy

My husband got this Iphone several months ago but never bonded with it.  He has gone back to his old phone and I've changed from my Blackberry over to his 'old' iphone.  I think that I'm really going to like it.

I did splurge on one of these covers.  It is pretty and I feel so techy.  I may be a grandma, but I've always liked gadgets. 

Flimsy Finished Finally - Fantastic

How's that for a lot of F's.   It is a bit mish-mashy, but I'm liking it.  I think it's almost the same size as my Scrappy Lattice, about 103 by 115.   (I purposely put my new chair in the picture, I thought 'everyone'  ((I'm an optimist, it may only be a couple of people, lol)) would want to get another glimpse of my modest triumph and be amazed that it hasn't fallen apart yet.)   The light stars show up pretty well, and if you look closely you can see the dark stars.

I like my Que Sera Sera Border, it is truly "what will be will be".   True scrappy spirit. 

Putting Things Together

My company left Sunday and so I've begun putting together my Borgasmord.  I have 5 of the 8 rows assembled and in person it looked more chaotic, I was afraid that if anyone asked I'd have to point out stars, but in the picture I can see the stars more readily, I like how pictures can give you more prospective on things. 

I'm starting to hope believe that scrappy delight could win out over mishmash nightmare in the finished product.

My niece and I made our trip to Ikea while she was here.  She hadn't been before and of course neither had her kids, but they all loved it.  While we did the upper floor the three girls stayed in the children's center, then we got them out, had a delicious lunch and did the bottom floor.  The kids wanted to return to the children's center, but it was too crowded and they had lost their spot.   I got this chair, some seat cushions, a bit of fabric and a couple of other small items.  My niece and the kids all got some goodies, too.  I put this chair together myself, I was pleased with the chair and with myself.   My DH has had more issues than usual the past few months and so I'm having to do things that he would have done in the past.  I could have asked one of my grandsons or waited for a visit from my brothers, but I decided that "I am woman".   Now it is on to replacing a shower head and a toilet seat and I know that I can do it, lol.
PS  I even sat in it to sew together my Borgasmord and it didn't fall down.

Borgasmord With Que Sera Sera Piano Key Border?

"Borgasmord" I think that many times about things that are random and varied and that I like, and people always look at me like I'm crazy (When I say it out loud).  Do any of you remember Morris and the Underwood ham commercial?  When I was making this I thought of it and thought that may just be the name of this quilt (my scrappy Star Struck).  I liked the scrappy border on this quilt and thought what if I did a Jelly Roll Race type start with my 2 1/2 inch scraps and then at some point stop (I did 8) and cut them into sections to use for a piano key border.  I was afraid when I was gathering scraps that I wouldn't have enough, but I think I have enough for a coin strip down the back, to keep me knowing up and down when I make the bed.  Genius, or at least I hope so, lol.  Now that I have a method and a name, do I have a copyright, another joke.
(As you can see, if I don't have the TV on I have too much time to think my weird thoughts)

As I was cutting and sewing I also found myself singing Que Sera, Sera, do any of you remember that song with the beautiful Doris Day?  Thus, the second part of my possible title, do you think it's too much and I should just stick with Borgasmord?

It made a nice tidy little stack if I do say so.  Next question, will the finished quilt be a scrappy delight or a mish-mash nightmare.  The suspense is part of the quilting fun.

56 - Not Bad

A few each morning while everyone else was sleeping.  Now I have 56 - Not bad at all.

Now on to borders, I'm figuring on a 2 inch border, a scrappy piano key, and then a slab border.  Scrappier and scrappier.

Sandhill Cranes and Scrappy Star Struck

Yesterday we got quite a rain and when we got home there were 7 sandhill cranes enjoying the puddles in the pasture behind our house.

The last big storm had some wind and you can see the dirt where the trees were, and behind the living tree you can see where they bulldozed the dead trees. 

Sometimes it's hard to see where one starts and the other ends.  I think there are 3 in this picture.

The first 9 blocks of my Scrappy Star Struck.  Unfortunately, I think some of my lights are too dark and some of my darks are too light, but I'll persevere and I don't think I'll mind too much in the end, it is scrappy after all.  I need to find more scraps and cut more though, next time I'll know that when you use the chisel die on the accuquilt for this quilt you need to cut all the fabrics the same.  No folding them right sides together and then cutting, I have a pile of chisels that won't fit in as they are cut wrong.  I'll find something else to use them for though, so not a big problem.

Mail Call and Shopping

I answered a question on Ravelly1's blog and today I received this really pretty fat quarter.  Not bad for a good guess, and it matches the skillet I bought today, too.

I got this set of king sized flannel sheets on ShopNBC, supposed to be regularly 99 for about 29 dollars, and free shipping.  I think convervatively that comes out to about $1.50 a yard for good quality flannel.  Partially, it is destined for the back of my Star Struck, but I'm sure it'll be on the back of 1 or 2 others, also.  I pictured honeysuckle as more yellow, but peachy is ok with me, too.  The King Tut thread was in my package that came from Hancock's of Paducah.

This was the rest of my Hancock's order, all on sale for $3.98 a yard.  The stars on my Star Struck will be scrappy, but all the small triangles will be the red and grey.   The peacock feathers are for the border, and the gold polka dots for the inside border.  I see another scrappy binding in my future.  I can't wait to see it, do you get that way when you're working on a quilt?

Scrappy Lattice Finished

My Scrappy Lattice is finished and I love how it turned out, Old-Timey looking as all get out.  It may be one of the two or three favorites that I've made.

Sorry about the bad lighting.

It's huge on every side, but it hasn't been washed yet.  I don't think it'll be too small if it shrinks a few inches.

The back, not gorgeous, but it's flannel and cozy and the band of scraps lets me know which end is up.   I won't have to write in sharpie pen "short" so I'll know how to make the bed, that's what I do to some sheets and mattress pads.  Everything about this quilt is scrappy, even the binding.