Day 1

It would make me feel so good to fill this blog with quilting tasks, events, accomplishments in 2017 so today is Day 1.
MQ is having it's 2nd Mystery Quilt and I've just picked out my light fabrics for it.

Sewing every day

I really am sewing every day.  Could be inspirational or creative but it's really because of deadlines!  But this has been my daily mess for a while as I use many different threads or combinations thereof.  

I want to post a picture of my progress everyday but I had a problem with my phone camera and taking a picture with an actual digital camera seems like so much work!

Made some simple fabric postcards out of the Cindy Lindgren Minneapolis fabric I bought at The Linden Tree Quilt Shop in S. Mpls.

Changing Times, MCQ Challenge

I completed my Changing Winds: El Nino piece for the MCQ Challenge.

With my own challenge to use up all my scraps this is a scrap piece and when I brought it to Cavers I told them I have no idea what to use for the border.  I'm tired of using black every time I can't figure it out.  They suggested charcoal.  Someone said light charcoal and another said dark charcoal.  I had a piece that had both. It's only quilted in the lines of rows.

One down, several more other challenges to go.

Quilting every day

I really want to post a picture everyday because it's encouraging to keep going, but the end of the day comes and "Tomorrow." is the word in my mind.

So a couple weeks ago I was working on these Heart Strings Blocks.  There's over 100 there, and most of them have a muslin stripe down the center.  At one point I was pretty excited to see my organized strips of fabric reduced and then I saw I had another box.  There'll be way more than 100 more coming out of that scrap box.

The Owl, Oldman and the smiling Dog

 I see an owlet, an old man and a dog.

Sewing machine tip

I clean the bobbin area of my machine every time I change the bobbin.  It always needs a little oil around the race.  I always use several brushes for removing lint but I use a q-tip initially because its like a fantastic magnet for lint. It's much better than any of my brushes.  It shouldn't go anywhere that the cotton could get snared and pull of the stick, or it would be an expensive trip to the sewing machine mechanic!  Just an initial swipe around the pieces and any large holes into parts and then I get the tight spots with a normal brush.

New acquisition to my collection

Every year there are several hand appliqued wall hangings that come from Gloria Kugler of Colorado Springs, CO.  They are often for sale in the Small Quilt Auction.  

This is one of Gloria's pieces, but it was made for the 2015 Challenge so it doesn't look like her usual traditional work, it is hand appliqued and hand quilted, extensively.  It's been hanging at the Minneapolis Hennepin County Library in the Cargill Room and now it's mine.

Gloria Kugler, Colorado Springs, CO.  "Dahlia" Redesign Sunflower pattern from Mosaic Applique Book by Lorraine Carthew.

Close up of the dense 'echo' hand quilting compared to 1 inch.

A new night shirt

Quilter's hands

Not so many photos this time, I forgot the camera and my phone just isn't fast enough for quilter's quick moving hands!

Almond Joy hanging at the Textile Center of Minnesota

Almond Joy, Because Sometime You Feel Like A Nut is hanging at the Textile Center with the Scrap Quilt Challenge from the MQ Quilt Show & Conference in Duluth MN.
I sure get a lot of compliments, including "OMG"!
I also had another wall hanging sell, but I don't think I kept the picture of it.  It was kids shirt fronts for MCQ's Inside, Outside, Upside Down.

The last Yo-Yo circle to sew, after 20+ years.

The last circle of fabric for the yo-yo's I've been working on for a couple decades now.

And below is the table-ful of them ready to be strung as tree garland; all 2,590 of them?

Washable markers for quilt marking?

If they're supposed to come off of hands, clothing and walls, they might work, right?
I colored a large circle of each color and just washed and dried it.  Every bit of marker is gone.
I'm going to recolor them, and then iron it and re-wash to see if I get the same results.

Update: Here are the results after using the markers in each color to make a 1/2" dot, and then I ironed it good and hot!  I also bought the Fabric fine line markers (permanent) and tested all those colors on the right.  "Fine line" means 1/8" wide. This little scrap of fabric has been through the washer and dryer and again, all of the markings came out.  Next time I need to mark a quilt for something I'm using the washable markers.

June 1957

Clear Lake, Canada.  June 1957. Mr. Lyon, ? Ludtke, Vern Svedberg, David Ludtke, and unknown Canadian.

In June of 1957 my Dad graduated from Grand Forks Central High School in Grand Forks ND.  He and some classmates and Mr Lyon went to Canada for a trip.  Featured in this picture are Mr. Lyon on the left, then one of the Ludtke brothers, Vern Svedberg, David Ludtke, and an unknown Canadian employee of Mr. Lyons.  The photograph was taken by Jeff Lyon. 
They were on a dock and Vern had accidentally knocked Mr Lyons glasses off.  Into the lake they went.  Clear Lake lived by it's name and they could clearly see the glasses on the bottom of the lake.
Vern knocked them off so he had to dive in to retrieve them.  He says he was lucky he got the glasses on the first dive because the water was so cold it took his breath away and he doubted he would be able to go down a 2nd time.  He remembers this trip fondly.
I've been busy scanning all our old pictures.

MCQ Challenge: Abode



Blue Sky and Green Grasses Blowing in the Wind, Debra Svedberg 2013