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.   

 

Daughter and I Finished Her Bag

Not very good pictures I'm afraid, taken with my iphone in poor lighting.  The handles are orange, and the bag is denim.  It's very cushy. 

The front zipper pocket lining.

We added this pocket, it's big enough for regular sheets of paper and is open.  I had cut one out for my bag too, but got carried away with the directions and forgot to add it to mine.  It isn't in the directions. 

All the linings are different as we were using leftovers from Gator quilts, but they are all very Gatory, and I think they give it character.   Even the pulls have Gators on them.  I got the bag started and my daughter finished it. 

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.

Ipad Bag from Craftsy Pattern

My daughter and I were going to make these together, but she keeps having things come up so I decided to do mine and then help her with hers.  More Ikea fabric, my embroidery isn't showing up so well, but I guess that's ok.  If I am out it probably isn't the best to advertise that there's an ipad in there.  I meant to add pockets but got following directions and then it was too late.  I do have the one big pocket on the front, and it is huge.   It is very cushy too as there is a layer of batting. 

The inside is all fully lined, as is the pocket and as you can see it's very roomy.  Room for papers etc, if necessary.  All in all, it's a success.

A Little Bit of Christmas Sewing

My youngest granddaughter is getting a Kindle Fire for Christmas from my daughter and her husband so I found a good deal on a cover from ShopNBC and I made her this bag this morning to carry it in.  It is quilted and fully lined with 2 pockets inside and 2 outside.  Hope she likes it.  She's 9 so I was hoping that this Ikea fabric is young but not too young.  You can see the green striped pocket lining showing through, the inside is lined in the same fabric and the inside pockets are lined with the Ikea fabric. 

And Finished Step One "Easy Street"

About 200 of the little rascals.  My Ivory solid is Fairy Frost.  I told my husband that Fairy Frost makes me smile and he said I should put little bits of it all around the house.  I don't think I'll do that, but I feel happy when I even run across a piece in my scraps.  I like things that shine.  (Remember the monkey in my previous post.)  I didn't pick the ivory to use in my quilt because I agonized over the very best colors I could pick.  No, I saw Fairy Frost on clearance at Hancock's of Paducah and I couldn't help myself, I had to have it.  
 Easy Street is finished until next Friday, hopefully by then I'll have a finish or two to report and maybe an ipad or kindle bag, too.  It's amazing how much more you can do when you're retired, and how much more that could be done if I put the pedal to the metal.  I'm also good at taking breaks.  
There are a multitude of us working on "Easy Street" to see some of the progress go here to Bonnie's blog Quiltville's Quips and Snips.

Started on Step 1 "Easy Street"

My twosies are ready, if I figured right this is enough with a few extras, if I figured wrong it'll be back to cutting and sewing strips.  I just realized when I was trying to label this that I previously had done a post on it, but I had it as "Easy Money" instead of "Easy Street".  I think I've been watching too many crime shows on TV.

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.