Sunday Summary: June 5

/ quiltinggail

I’m wondering if I’m Going Crazy?

Last week, on Monday, I was teaching at Essem and we were looking at walking foot quilting. My machine wouldn’t work with the walking foot on it. Dang! I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. The class participants were stellar and so I didn’t need to demonstrate on my machine. When I came home, I pulled the machine out and it worked like a charm. I was relieved that it wouldn’t need to go to the machine doctor or have a spa appointment!

Fast forward to Friday. I went to a Quilt-as-you-Go workshop. When I got there, I set up my machine. I put the extension table in place, with the slip slide thing taped in place. Turned on my machine. The walking foot wouldn’t work! WHAT???? Knowing that I needed it, or at the very least, I wanted to use it, I sat and stared (maybe GLARED) at it. I did not swear – promise! 🤪

The feed dogs were not working. WHY? The feed dogs were not lowered. I checked that! What is wrong???

I stared glared some more … and then it hit me! DUH!!! DUH!!! DUH!!! The slip slide thingy is good for free motion, but it does cover up the feed dogs. As soon as I removed it, the walking foot worked like a charm!

Yup, sometimes I think I’m going crazy!

Classic Cars: Monthly Colour Challenge

May’s Classic Car colour is Grey …. Visit Patterns by Jen HERE for your free download of this month’s block …

Here’s my May block, followed by the January, February, March, April and May blocks … I know that I ‘stretched’ the grey colour a bit, but I’m trying to use up my bits and pieces of Island Batik scraps and this seemed to fit the bill!

One Gift a Month

May’s gift is Soup Bowl Cozies. You can go to Days Filled With Joy for information and links to several different on-line tutorials.

So far for the One Gift a Month, I have made January’s, February’s, and April’s gifts.

Yes, I will be making Soup Bowl Cozies … soon, it obviously won’t be in May! Here is the fabric for my bowl cozy … These are 10″ squares from a stack of Island Batik “Pumpkin Spice” that I had. Now to get some cotton batting that doesn’t have scrim on it! …

Stitching Stuff

Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!

  • January – May:  147 /150
  • June:  4/ 4
  • Total: 151 / 154
  • Percentage: 98%

Stash Report

Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!

I saw this meme on a friends blog (Brenda) and it just cracked me up! “I’m not a Hoarder … I’m the Curator of an Extensive Private Fabric collection.” And with the chicken holding all the extra fabric, it’s perfect. You can see this at Songbird Designs HERE.

This meme is very appropriate for me!

So, as I mentioned, I took a workshop making a Quilt-as-you-Go quilt. It was a LOT of fun!!! Thanks to Dawn and Nora for organizing and teaching. This quilt used 3 yards of fabric from my extensive stash collection, plus about 1/2 yard for binding and Hobbs 80/20 batting from left-over pieces. It will be donated to the guild’s baby quilt charity!

No shopping. No fabric added!

Yearly Tally:

  • Fabric Used the last week: 3.5 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2023:    111 yards  from non-IB: 50
  • Fabric Bought this week:   0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    12.5 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:             98.5 yards 

Just an FYI: I do not count any fabric that is given to me (Island Batik), but this year, I am going to count it as fabric used.

To Do Tuesday

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

The To Do list from last week: 

  1. Finish Mystery Quilt (making and writing). Partially done. I have the quilt quilted and just need to bind it. The border portion needs to be written.
  2. X’s & O’s #1 & #2: bind √   DONE #2 is bound, but I need to do a photo shoot and then I can show it to you.
  3. Finish “When Pigs Fly” project √   DONE … you’ll see this on June 19!
  4. Finish the Secret Project for Kelly Young’s new book – I’ll be telling you all about it in June! Partially done. It’s still a work in progress
  5. Lone Star Left-overs – get it to a flimsy stage. … Partially done. I’m still webbing the top
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE

This week’s list:

  1. Finish Mystery Quilt (making and writing).
  2. Make the Crazy quilt with Decorative stitches for Essem … I’m teaching this class in a few weeks.
  3. Finish the Secret Project #1 for Kelly Young’s new book – I’ll be telling you all about it later this month!
  4. Finish the Secret Project #2 for Kelly Young’s new book
  5. Lone Star Left-overs – get it to a flimsy stage
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

Design Wall

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  1. #1 Secret Project for Kelly Young’s new book (mostly the purples and greens from the Island Batik Napa Valley collection)
  2. #2 Secret Project for Kelly Young’s new book. (Island Batik, “Wild Blooms”)
  3. Crazy Quilt for Essem using Grunge and other fabric
  4. Some blocks ready for webbing from Lone-Star Left-overs (Island Batik “Naturescape”)

Yup … it’s official, I am crazy … working on 4 projects at once!!! I know I often work on at least 2, along with a leader and ender … but 4??? Actually 6 … I don’t have a picture of the back for Secret Project #1 … it’s also in progress, as is the back for the Lone-Star Left-overs. YIKES!!!!

Quilting: These are all sandwiched and ready to quilt …

  • Nutcracker
  • Bird Panel

Upcoming Blog Hops

Moose Stash Quilting: Sew It – Show It: When Pigs Fly (My day is June 19)

Just Let Me Quilt: Sew It – Show It: Picnic Party. (My day is July 20)

Moose Stash Quilting: Sew It – Show It: Call Me Crazy

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

25 thoughts on “Sunday Summary: June 5”

  1. Pingback: Monday Moments: June 12 | Quilting Gail

  3. Hi Gail. So many projects on the go, so many check marks earned on your list and figuring out your sewing machine issue? Sounds like quite a week. Thank you for linking with To Do Tuesday. Sure do love the Classic Cars blocks, the peeks at your next projects and the fabrics for your bowl cozies. Hope this week has gone well and you managed to get the things done you wanted!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. I’m so glad you figured out the problem with the walking foot. I think I will use a QAYG quilt to teach the grand-daughters next week while they visit. Thanks for the idea and for sharing in Sew & Tell.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. LOL! Your walking foot story made me laugh! How many times have my machine and I had a stand off as it waits patiently for me to realize my error?
    Such pretty blocks!
    Your gifts look so pretty! Those bowl cozies will be lovely!
    Yes, we are curators!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Wow, 6 projects at once? It keeps you busy for sure ;)) I’m glad that your machine is working well now. I love this Jen’s block, very pretty, and this embroidery is cute!
    Thank you for sharing and linking up!

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Taking your machine on the road has it’s own challenges. When I went to the guild retreat, my machine wouldn’t sew, but the motor ran. Took me a bit to realize the bobbin winder was on. I normally like working on 5 or 6 projects, but it does mean you don’t spend as much time on one project as you probably should. I try to limit it to 3 projects, but I’m back up to 5. Happy stitching this week.

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  8. I got a bit concerned when I read you put the slidey thingy on your machine for the walking foot – wonder if I needed to do that? Then reading further, I had to chuckle. I could totally see myself doing something like that! Glad you got it figured out with no swearing, just glaring!

    Liked by 1 person

    • LOL, Wendy!!! No slidey thingy unless you’re going to free motion. Then it’s almost a necessity! 🙂 I only use it for my travelling machine because my big machine is set in and the table is super smooth! Happy Quilting, my friend!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. So relieved your machine didn’t have to go to the spa/shop. Besides the $$$$ I always miss my machine when it leaves home for however long necessary and I’m sure you do too. Have a good week sewing along just fine again!

    Liked by 1 person

  10. I have made that very same puzzling mistake as to why the feed dogs are not working! Glad you got it figured out.
    Lots of projects are fun to play with. I have to limit my rotation to three at a time or I get overwhelmed and cannot decide what to work on!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Annie,
      I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only one that has had that problem!!! I’m thinking that I, too, will have to start limiting my projects to 3 at a time! 🙂

      Like

  11. Sometimes you just need to use your ‘sewing words’ eg “Oh, baste it!” Or mutter mutter- “edgestitch”. It’s the tone that matters and often, by the time you’ve said something like, a smile comes to your face. I encourage ‘sewing words’ and find others come up some I’ve never considered like “Rotary cutter” or something other.
    Glad all was easily resolved.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Phew, Gail! You really had me worried for a bit. I’m glad you figured out the walking foot issue. Yikes – no one wants to have an unplanned spa day for their machine! {{Hugs}} ~smile~ Roseanne

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Your color challenge block is so pretty, Gail! I love those tiny little “butterflies” – at least that’s what they remind me of! I love making bowl cozies with 10″ squares and really need to make us a couple of new ones. We love soup and use ours often! Four at a time…wow. I do good to work on two at a time. I guess I’m a little OCD because I like to finish one before I start another, but I’m trying to break that habit. Come to think of it, I am actually working on four right now. I just blew my own mind!! LOL Thanks for linking up with us at Monday Musings!

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