Friday, December 9, 2016

Work Free Weekend

I am soooo happy to say that ALL of my custom orders are done, everything is shipped out, and I have NO more orders on deck.  I decided this year to not take any extra jobs after Dec 1 from my customers.  It sure feels good!

Other years I would rush rush rush to finish up last minute things they wanted, and it was too stressful.  It was usually because as they got down to the last names on their lists, they would quick order up two more pairs of socks, an extra rug, make a matching something to something else etc. I used to have a sign on my desk years ago as the Advertising Editor at a real estate office similar to this:



Soooo my regular customer folks were nice and got in orders in Oct and Nov and those are all done.  I have one lady still considering colors for a six foot long runner rug, but I have told her it would not be worked on till after Jan 1.

I did one special group of items for my friend Connie.. but that was more of a special project to do for her rather than a customer order. She needed 26 of these quilted fabric microwave bowls sewn up for gift giving. They are used in the microwave under a bowl and then you can use  them to lift the hot bowl out with your hands. They are made from all cotton fabric and thread and an all cotton microwaveable batting inside.  She wanted them in coordinating sets of a large and small. I dug in my stash for all the fun fabrics to put together.  It was fun to work on these and she came to pick them up on Thursday.


She seemed delighted to get them.... 
and we had a nice visit too! 


Here are the directions that Connie gave to make them:

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I guess I kinda feel selfish by not taking any more orders or mailing out any more stuff.  I suppose if someone wants to buy one of the quilts I have listed in my Etsy shop, I would do that.... for the cash.  But I am now working on things for *me*.  Fun stuff.   I finally finished sewing up the last two rows of blocks for this quilt I am making for the motorhome. It was only Queen size so far and I need to add 10 inches to each side yet to make it a King. In this pic it is just over the edge of the mattress, but needed to be wider. Tomorrow I might attach the rows of blocks on each side and quilt those sections so it is done. 

I suppose if someone REALLY wanted to buy this one for a Christmas present, I could be coerced into finishing it up and shipping it out before Christmas.  LOL 



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For my birthday Steve gave me a gift certificate to a lovely quilting shop in Menasha called Primitive Gatherings. https://www.primitivegatherings.us/   I bought enough fabric to make another quilt *just for ME* ....  so this is a great time to get started on it.  It is going to be a cuddly quilt to have on the couch in the livingroom.



Today I prewashed all of the fabric I bought.  I use mesh lingerie bags to wash it so it does not get as stringy. Then I took some time this evening to starch and press each piece of fabric in preparation for cutting.


 I just move my ironing board next to the bed, 
lower it to an accessible height
and sit on the bed to iron all those individual pieces of fabric! 


Now I have all of the colors... and I know I want to make log cabin blocks.. but how to arrange them once the blocks are made is not yet decided.  Here are some of the ideas from the book called Stellar Quilts by Judy Martin.


 Or I could just lay it out kinda traditional ... 
like this: 


I guess I will just have to whip some of the blocks up and see how they work out, arrange them here and there and figure it out.  
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We are due for some cold weather, snow and winds in the next day or two.  I was going to babysit for the youngest grandbaby Claire Bear tomorrow night.  But if the roads are bad, they will stay home.  As it is, my throat is scratchy, my ears are aching and I am starting to sniff sniff sniff.  EWWW after battling the danged flu last weekend with myself and the grandkids, I don't want to be under the weather again so soon!  Gonna take some Nyquil and hit the sack early.... 



1 comment:

  1. I really like those microwave fabric bowls. I have never seen them before sure would make taking the bowls out so much easier. And of course I love the bed guilt. You have so much talent I admire your taste

    ReplyDelete

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