Happy Thanksgiving

Wednesday Surprise

Had a bit of time last night, so pieced backing for the mystery quilt, put the last borders on the 9 patches and pieced that backing. My hand is still too sore to do any more binding on the rosy red, but its GONNA BE finished by the end of the week. I even loaded a Heartstrings Happy Top that was set together at the MN sew in. Since we're not doing anything on Turkey day, I plan to spend it sewing. Shouldn't take me more than a couple of hours to quilt the happy top. I now have divided the piles into those ready to quilt, and those waiting for binding. I'm getting a good feeling about those piles!
Hope you all have happy plans for Thanksgiving! Us, I am hoping to drag Ken to the local eatery for their Thanksgiving dinner.

Monday Goals

Almost forgot about Monday goals. It will be a short week with Thanksgiving.

1. Finish binding the rosy red top
2. Finish last border on 9 patch top
3. Piece the mystery quilt backing and the 9 patch backing

That will be plenty, I know I will have a busy week.

Sunday Stash Report

Sunday Stash Report. How the good times just keep rolling around! I'm still at -60 yds, but I am hand sewing a binding down. So I'm SO CLOSE to a finish. But no whining, I'm still having a good year, getting lots done. Good luck to everyone in the next week! I love reading everyone's stash reports, seeing what they've done in the last week!

Working on Saturday

First I thawed a 23# frozen turkey. (Turkeys are on sale here for .47 @ lb. with a coupon!) Then I cooked it in my pressure cooker for 30 minutes. I did this late Friday night, and set the whole thing outside until this morning. (it was 32F last night)

I deboned and cut it up--turning it into this---


Which I turned into this---


Its a bit depressing that a 23# turkey only filled 10 pints! But that's only a bit over $1 a pint for cooked boneless ready to cook with turkey. I plan to cook 4-5 more big turkeys. My whole family saved their coupons for me!

And I'm keeping busy quilting, maybe by tomorrow I'll have a finish. Last night I made this--
Yes, I finally made some binding!

Motivation Friday

Time to check my goals. I've gotten a lot done this week, but they weren't quilty things. Hired someone to rake/mow my lawn the last time, Ken and I just haven't the time right now. Monday my sister and I were able to receive our H1N1 shots. Not near as important for me as for my sister, she's the local librarian and has lots of public contact. I had my 3 month check up, and my numbers were all good, I'm pleased. Whew!

1. I have the rosy red top quilted, it's now moved to the binding pile
2. I'm still measuring and planning on my friend's quilt
3. I loaded a BEAUTIFUL top for a lady, I hope she'll let me show you when it's done.
4. Haven't pieced the mystery quilt back
5. No binding made yet either.

But, I'm pleased so far with my progress, lots of life happening around me! Harvesting is moving at a snails pace. Not sure what tomorrow will bring. Tonight I baked a batch of cookies I had chilling in the fridge. Gingersnaps! They end up in the lunch boxes taken in the tractors.

What I Did On Thursday

Ken hooking up chain to combine

I think our lives are in a "rut"

Is there really a tire down there somewhere?

Not much room under there for more mud

Ken hooking up the now broken chain....

I guess you can figure out what I did today. sigh


PS--Ken suggested some very obscene things about people who show up with cameras and take pictures at times like these!

How to Make a Primitive Rag Rug

I thought you might like to see one of my rag rugs. This is entirely recycled material, (except for the thread) 3-1/2 pairs of my husband's jeans and about 1/4 of an old flannel twin sheet. The backing is a denim tote bag I made to schlep my sewing machine which hadn't been used in many years (the bag not the machine) so I unpicked it. It is approx 20 x 30



These rugs are neither complex or difficult to make and there are many ways to do it. THIS one was made by cutting the dead jeans into 3" squares and folding them in half diagonally to make a triangle shape. Discard seams etc. You don't have to use denim, I do because what else are you going to do with ripped and stained jeans?

You can make rugs with old tee shirts using at least two squares or mens shirts which you can pick up for pennies at thrift shops. The thinner the material, the more squares you should layer, this is the 'pile' of the rug. If you don't want to mess with squares layer several strips cut or torn to more or less the same width and stitch straight down the center. Make your rows closer when using strips, think 'chenille' without the fuss of snipping it all apart. 1-1/2" strips sewn approximately 1/2" apart will use a lot of ugly fabric and make a thick rug.

Decide what size you want your rug to be, bearing in mind that the bigger the rug the heavier to lift out of the washer when wet. You will need a sturdy piece of backing material, you can get 60"+ wide denim very inexpensively in the flat fold fabric section. I usually buy new for the backing since that is what holds the whole shebang together. Never skimp on thread quality.

Fold the backing so it is doubled in thickness and stitch about 1/2" in from the edge all around the perimeter. Don't worry about the raw edges. Next draw lines with a ballpoint as a sewing guide. 1-1/2" is the maximum spacing for denim squares, it feels lumpy to me if you go further apart than that. My method is to take the length of the mat and divide it by 1.5". If it comes out to an odd number move the lines closer, the mat will be denser.

It is easiest to stitch the rows by stitching the center row first, then the rows on either side, working evenly to the ends of your rug. You will also have less bulk to wodge under the sewing machine arm as you progress from the middle to the edges.

Fold your fabric squares in half as you are ready to slide them under the presser foot. Go slowly at first, taking your foot off the pedal as you add a new folded square until you pick up the rhythm.

Now start stitching! Place your folded fabric triangle with the folded edge on the edge of the backing and the point on the guide line pointing at you. Stitch about 1/2 way down the triangle and place the folded edge of the next triangle on top in the same way, stitch, place, stitch until your row is done. It comes out to about one square folded into triangle per lineal inch in the row.

Neatness does not count.

For each row I start the stitching and after about 1/4" reverse and back-stitch over at the beginning and end of every row. Makes things stronger.

On THIS mat I changed the direction of the triangles on each row. I don't always do it that way, do whatever turns you on. When I was done the mat felt a bit lumpy so I stitched strips of flannel sheet (4 layers) between the rows.

Next to the washer. Denim and flannel will fray like crazy, other fabrics not quite as bad, might want to take it to the laundromat. Then the dryer to fluff. Clean the lint trap every ten minutes or so. It WILL clog up fast.

This mat will outlive me. As a bedside or bath mat they more or less last for ever. As a front door mat inside, they get to looking grungy in my house after about ten years. I wash them frequently and will use a package of RIT dye as the whim takes me.

Tuesday Thoughts

Often when I read other blogs, I see so many artistic people out there. People who make things OTHER than quilts! Henrietta and I were talking, and she mentioned she had a rug stored here, it was made out of double knit cut into VERY SMALL SQUARES that were folded and sew onto a backing. Here it is--the butterfly rug. It is soft and squishy and washes beautifully. All out of the 60's polyester. Except that the thread may wear out eventually, I think it is almost indestructible!

It's a soft pale green and is about 28" long and 24" wide, perfect for in your bathroom. The squares of poly are about 1.5" square, and are folded diagonally and stitched down. When you run your hand over it it reminds me of alligator or fish scales, very tightly fit.

About the same time Henrietta bought the butterfly on a estate auction, I had bought a bunch of loomed rag rugs (another estate auction). Very hard to find good loomed rag rugs nowadays. Do you remember winding the strips of scrap fabric into balls to be taken and made into rugs? I do! This is one of my favorites, I love the purple with red/black stripes on the ends, and it is made with red and green Christmas strings!

I haven't sold any of those rugs, that was my intention, but I like them all so much I may have to start using them!

Monday Goals

Every week I have to look back and review what last week's goals were. I've been sewing a lot, have many projects in the works. This afternoon I took a few pictures, my blog has been rather boring! The 9 patches are sewn into a top, next will be borders.

1. Quilt the rosy red fleece backed top (fleece goes on top when quilting
   
2. Check and add borders to my friend's top
3. Load friend's top on long arm
4. Piece backing for mystery quilt
5. Start making bindings

Here are my piles of "things to finish". There are quilts needing bindings and finished tops needing quilting stacked on that roll of batting. In the corner is a folding quilt rack that holds finished quilts--made by Henrietta and I out of scraps from a broken wooden pallet.


Okay, I think those will keep me busy this week. We are still harvesting, Ken was stuck with the combine the other day. sigh I hope the weather holds until he is done. I have all my neighbor's leaves on my lawn, I gave up and called the lawn care fellow, he can do the last mowing and suck up all those leaves and haul them away. Today my sister and I went and received our H1N1 vaccination. Yes, we are both in a high risk category.

Sunday Stash Report

Ah, the stash report!! Nothing bought, nothing finished! Still -60 yards. But I am going to be making some progress! Today I hope to load a top on the long arm and start quilting it. I've made progress on all my goals this week.

My sister picked out some rose fleece to back a quilt top (this is the extra wide 90" fleece)--

I found the exact color green I needed to finish my friend's quilt--

I know the picture is washed out, but, it is exactly the right color for a small border and binding!

And here are my 9 patches, I think I have 3 rows left to sew together. My stash report doesn't show it, but I am working away! I hope to have finishes rolling in before the end of the year!