Update on Charm Squares Baby Quilt (Hand Dyed Fabs)

LOL... I had wrote that this was a future project... as in one that I had planned NOT to start sewing on for quite some time. Here it is some 24+ hours later and I have half the top already sewn together. (Actually this quilt is so simple that it only took me about 1 hour to sew the 5 rows together that you see in the picture below)

The reason I decided to sew the hand dyed fabrics together is because I wanted a better feel for how they were going to look with a solid Kona cotton sash. It looks like I am going to go with the Kona - Amber. This quilt just reminds me of fall (or striped wool socks). The hand dyed fabrics are much more attractive when seen in person. They appear to look like rich colored brushed dyed leather suede squares when seen in person. (note: I have not ironed the seams yet and how do you like my Silly Putty colored walls! I really need to paint !)

I also wanted to note that I am not following the pattern exactly. I am using 6" squares instead of 5" and the sash strips will be cut 6" x 40" (top & bottom sash) and 3" x 40" (in between block row sash's). The increased sizes will result in a 40" x 48" (approx) modern baby/toddler quilt. (I think the original from the pattern is 33" x 37").

Another Update... 7:30am

I pressed all the seams and cut all the Kona Amber and pinned it to my design board.

I need some opinions on this future quilt project

I want to create Oh Fransson's (Elizabeth's) Charm Squares Baby Quilt using hand dyed fabric squares and a solid Kona Cotton. I want to use a solid Kona Cotton for my sash fabric.
You can see this same quilt pattern done up with many different fabrics here on Flickr. Most of them were done with prints for the charm squares but I am determined to use these hand dyed fabric squares.

I set out the hand dyed fabric squares next to some Solid Kona Cottons.
Please tell me which option you like the best. (Be honest, please - you will not hurt my feelings)

Two of the hand dyed pinks are probably going to be pulled from the hand dyed group.

I pulled the Kona Amber because I thought it might make it look it different (unexpected/modern) but I am just not sure about the Kona Amber.

Option A - Kona Amber

Option B - Kona Medium Grey

Option C - Kona Stone

Option D - Kona White (no picture)
Option E - None of the above
Option F - Try Kona _______ (you make a color suggestion)

Update... Here are the hand dyed fabrics in natural light but in light shade (they are sitting on the Kona Amber)

Thanks for your feedback!

Also I will be making another quilt with the same pattern using these prints with Kona Stone as the sashing.

Can't Sleep - Late Nite Blog Surfing - Fun Projects

I went to bed just before 10pm tonight and of course I woke up at around 1:30am.
I woke up because sometimes I have a hard time sleeping and I go through periods where I only sleep in short spurts at a time. (either it is chronic hives, lower back pain or the feeling of my core body temperature being to warm that prevents me from sleeping for longer periods at a time)

I forgot to take pictures of the prepared pulled pork sandwiches we ate for dinner tonight. We have plenty of leftovers and if I think about it I will take a picture when we eat pulled pork again over the weekend. We might eat pulled pork tacos with the left overs. Anyhow the meat was tender and moist. It was delicious!

Tonight I was surfing around looking at some blogs I have never visited before. I came across this one tis early morning. I am really loving these freebie tutorials...

Twin Sheet Tepee Tent (to make for my soon to be 2 year old grandson)
Toddler Dish Towel Bath Robe (cause it's cute for any 12 month to 18 month toddler)

I have been thinking that I should change the name of my blog because I have not written much about "quilting" as of yet. But to be honest with you I don't sew that much during the summer months. Most of my sewing happens during late fall, winter and the early spring months when the cold or wet weather is just too much for me to be outdoors in.

Pork Butt Update

After letting the pork butt marinate in the fridge for 36+ hours. I finally slow roasted it today in my electric turkey roaster for over 5+ hours until it was perfect for tender fall apart (non-greasy / aka "dry") pulled pork sandwiches. (17th Street Bar & Grill style). After it was done slow roasting I wrapped it tightly in foil and put it back into the fridge. I will hand shred it tomorrow. I will also make some homemade hand cut V&O slaw to go along with it. I will take some pictures of everything tomorrow. (BBQ Sauce is optional and you just pour it on top of the pulled pork. Typically a vinegar based BBQ sauce is used.)

BTW the house smelled great while it was cooking!

Today was the last day of summer and the harvest moon is really shining in the dark sky tonight. I look forward to fall but I don't look forward to winter.

I was outside tonight after 10 pm with the dogs. I was letting them go potty before I put them to bed for the night. There was two large owls in the trees across the road from me. They were really calling to each other for quite some time. (it wasn't the typical "who", "who" kinda call)
It must be owl mating season... LOL it was pretty funny sounding.

The other night I went up into town (my mother lives up in town as we moved her down here a couple years ago from STL). A large owl was flying low and he almost flew into my truck window (my window was down) while I was driving. I saw him coming out of the corner of my eye and I actually prepared myself for a facial hit with it. The owl just made it across the top of the truck cab and spared me (and himself) from a direct hit with my face or my truck. Right before that I had came across 3 bucks and a doe crossing the road. (I am always on my guard due to me living along side the wildlife here.)

(Love Me Some) Big Ol' Pork Butt

I love dry rubbed pork butt. This one is about 4.5 lbs. I just got done dry rubbing it with seasonings and some brown sugar.

I will tightly wrap it in the foil and put on a platter and into the fridge it goes for at least 12 hours. I may cook after 12 hours or I might let it sit for 24 to 36 hours in the fridge.

I will cook it in my handy dandy 22qt electric turkey roaster. (The one kitchen tool that has changed my life because it has been fool proof for me!) I love to cook in the thing (to hell with a crock-pot and a big oven, nothing cooks like a electric roaster). Every kitchen should have one and it should not be only used for (or by) Turkeys. Even my husband has fallen in love with it. Over time you will see posts about what I cook in my electric roaster or on my gas grill.

I will take a picture of it after I have cooked it. It may be later today or within the next 24 to 36 hours.

Will I ever finish it ? - Baby Amy Butler Coin Quilt

This quilt top as been hanging up unfinished and un-ironed for a couple of weeks. I am not following any written pattern but there are plenty of coin quilts on Flickr like this. It does not take too many quilt math skills to design your own "coin quilt". But my math with this one had this quilt coming out too large IMO for a baby quilt. This is why I have not proceeded to sew the last row of "coins" on to it.

Sometimes it really helps to walk away, take a digital pix of it and then sit back and look at it on your computer monitor. As soon as I did this... I found my answer on how I will resolve the issues I feel I am having with this quilt. (I am not the quickest light bulb in the house to light up sometimes and maybe it is because I have not been feeling too well lately.)

I am going to remove the left white sash from the quilt top and then I will use the current unattached coin row on the back side of the quilt. Then comes my most dreadful part... quilting it. I am just going to quilt it in straight lines with my walking foot. I have to keep in mind that this is a baby quilt that will be used and does not need to be quilted heavily.

I really need to get it done as the baby it is for is due in early December. (It is for my oldest step-daughter's latest baby which is expect to be a boy).

I still have not started my second oldest step-daughter's latest baby quilt that is due to be born on 10-10-10 (how cool is that?). I probably will not start on it until after the baby is born as they like to not knowing the sex the baby before it is born.

On top of all it all I have a few quilts I really need to sit down and make the binding for and then attach it before I start any more new projects.

Feeling Much Better ! (warning slightly gross post)

Wow !

It has not been a fun week. I have been waiting for the swelling to go down in my face and for the so called deep tooth abscess to show up somewhere on my upper right gum. This had to happen before a dentist would attempt to drain the abscess.

Well the majority of the swelling went down in the last 2 days and the abscess appeared overnight on my upper right gum and at the bottom of my sinus. All along I have not thought that this was truly a tooth abscess because I was not having any tooth problems to speak of before, during or after. I thought that I was having one of my typical sinus infections that I get once a year between August and October. I had thought the sinus problems I had been having before this had cleared up a few days before my face started swelling up last Friday afternoon.

Anyhow to make this short and sweet (and not too gross)
The abscess that appeared overnight last night actually opened up and fully drained tonight around 9pm. As soon as it started I knew what was happening and ran for the bathroom. I am so glad that it did not happen later when I was asleep.

It was really gross and the amount of fluid that drained out was shocking. I know there is no way that it was from a tooth. This was a sinus abscess that was just above the teeth roots. I am so glad that I went to the ER early Sunday morning instead of waiting until Monday before I could see my Dr. in her office. (ER doc thought it most likely was a tooth abscess but there was no serious pain in my teeth or signs of the abscess on my gum line. The worse pain I was having was on my lower sinus but the swelling was everywhere on right side of my face, he was kinda stumped by it)

The ER doc got me started on the right antibiotics and pain killers. I even went into Walmart to get the prescriptions filled on Sunday after a short nap at home before the pharmacy opened up at 10am. I had my huge pumpkin head swelling thing happening and it was even bigger than what it had been while I was in the ER that morning. I wore a pair of sunglasses as I did not want anyone to see my right eye as it was nearly swollen shut by that time. I didn't care if they saw my large cheek sticking out. (you have to remember I live in a small town and everyone knows everyone)

I took a picture of my pumpkin head face and sent it to my sister in SC. She called me and said it didn't even look like me because I was so swollen. (We had a few laughs about it. We tend to find humor in everything)

So I am feeling sooooo much better and there is no pain at all in my teeth, but there is still some pain in my right sinus but even that pain is not as bad as it was.

One thing that I hope goes away are the deep wrinkles that showed up under my right eye after all the swelling went down. It looks really odd because it looks so much different than my left eye. (wrinkles are fine as long as they match on both sides of my face!)

Yes it is late. I have slept so much since last Friday due to me feeling like crap from my pumpkin head that I am tired of sleeping. I had to stop taking the pain killers because they were making feel like I had been riding a roller coaster backwards. (like motion sickness)

Happy Early Hallooooweeeenie

The reason I missed the first STLMQG meeting. I have a deep abscessed fang (aka/canine or upper right cuspid) tooth that came on quickly. I went to the ER Sunday morning at 4:30 am because I woke up with a pumpkin face. Before the ER doc examined me he asked me what was wrong, I said "I have an infection in my face". Then he says to me, "tell me what really happened" !
I laughed and told him again "really... I have an infection in my face". I guess he thought someone had slugged me in the face.

I am on a pain killer (Tramadol) and Augmentin (antibiotic) until my face goes down. Then off to the dentist I go, probably for a damn root canal or removal of the tooth.
I had problems with this tooth 5 years ago after I had a bad sinus infection. The end root of the tooth lays right at the corner of my right nostril which is right next to the sinus.

I was going to post a picture of my pumpkin face (the whole right side of my face is swollen and my right eye is almost swollen shut) but I decided not to do it as it might frighten all the little ones.

09-11-01

Lovely Weather - HOP Catalog - Earthquake

Here it is alittle after 6:30 am. The weather is so nice that I decided to open up the windows in the house today. I want to air out the house and let the cats have some fresh air while they lay on the window ledges. Now with my luck the farmer who has a corn field across the road from me will decide to harvest that field today while I have my windows open. (it kicks up the dust)

Harvest season has been happening early this year. Almost all the corn is ready for harvest about 1 month earlier than normal this year. Last night when I took the dogs out for a potty break at about 10:30 pm I could hear a local farmer out harvesting his corn field in the dark.

The lastest HOP (Hancock's of Paducah) Catalog arrived in the mail. There are some awesome modern and geometric batiks in it this time around. I have not made it through the whole catalog yet but there is way too much "civil war" style printed fabrics in it so far.

I see that New Zealand had a 7.1 (or 7.4) earthquake. (Prayers for NZ)
A 7.1 is a pretty major earthquake and I hope and pray we never see one here like this in Southwestern IL. We have two zones to worry about here. The New Madrid and The Wabash, the The Wabash worries me much more than the New Madrid does. If the The Wabash kicks out a 2.5 or higher quake I can feel it. But if the New Madrid kicks out a 2.5 I don't ever feel it.

There is not much to report on in the quilt making front. I am working on a coin quilt made with AB  (Amy Butler) fabrics and plain white cotton (P&B Muslin). I am not liking it how it is piecing together. I also got my YLI Wash-A-Way thread (for basting) and Clover Hera Marker from createforless. These will be used it prepping the quilt tops for machine quilting.

I have finally decided to just start posting to my blog even if the posts are not about quilting every time. It will take me a while to get into posting on my blog. I know the blogs I like to read daily are mainly written by quilter's. I love reading about even the small things that are going on their lives even if they may seem boring to most readers.

My country view from the window that is at my computer desk (ignore the window screen and our dead grass/weedy driveway - we need a load of gravel hauled in). This is facing directly North.