Make-A-List Monday

Happy Monday!  The next few days are going to be a bit of a whirlwind around here.  I live in the Albany, NY area and the weather forecast currently says that starting this afternoon we will be having 50+ mph winds with gusts towards 75 mph.  They're expecting widespread power outages and about 2-4" of rainfall.  Needless to say, we've been busy preparing.

Thankfully, I usually keep at least a weeks' worth of essentials around the house anyway, so we have lots of Gatorade, granola bars, canned goods, items we can heat up and cook with the propane stove and the fireplace.  I bought one small case of bottled water just to be on the safe side.  We also have iced tea, soda and gatorade to drink, so we should be fine.  Other than that, our preparations were really just getting wood stockpiled inside the garage, filling the bathtubs with water (we're on a well, so when we lose electricity we lose water), and getting the laundry clean and dishes clean.  If we do lose power for several days, we'll have plenty to eat/drink and clean clothes.

The house is located at the top of a hill which is bad from a wind standpoint, but good from a flooding standpoint.  We didn't have any issues with the basement flooding during Irene last year, so I think the house will be fine this year.  We may have water on the driveway, but even during Irene it wasn't deep enough that we wouldn't be able to drive across it.

Depending upon what actually happens with this storm, I may get a lot done this week, or I may get nothing done as I won't have any power. :-)

Here's the list from last week.  I wasn't very productive last week as there were a lot of things going on with work and I spent the weekend at my parents.

1. Cut fabrics for the boy baby quilt (I have to work on a name for this). Done.  All fabrics are cut and 96 of the squares are sewn together.
2. Start sewing blocks for the boy baby quilt. Done
3. Select backing and quilting pattern for 2nd baby quilt. Not done.
4. Load baby quilt on frame and start to quilt. Not done.
5. Play with EQ6 to get fabric amounts/colors for a smaller version of Judy's Sing A Happy Song quilt pattern for 4th baby quilt. Not done.

 This week's list is going to be fairly short and simple as I don't know what the power situation is going to be.

1. Press sewn blocks for boy baby quilt.
2. Take photos of quilt blocks sewn/pressed.
3. Select backing, thread, and quilting pattern for baby quilt.
4. Start creating freezer-paper templates for a wool applique mini-wall hanging.

Hope you all have a great week and stay dry!

Happy Crafting!
~Sarah at upstateNYCreations

Updates to the Blog

I've been busy making a few changes to the blog over the past few days.  The biggest thing that got me moving was the fact that the free service I used for my photos decided they weren't going to be free any longer.  This meant that I need to switch all my photos over to something else.

I've been able to update all the posts on this blog, but one of my older blogs still isn't updated.  Since I plan on re-hashing some of those posts here, I don't think I'll actually update that old blog.

If you're interested in checking out the changes, there are really two pages that were updated.

The first is my "Completed Quilts" tab.  You'll notice there are only pictures of the first 6 quilts and then quilt #26.  However, there really are quilts in-between...just no pictures here yet.  I added their names and years to the tab so at least I have a running list.  I plan on putting photos there over the next several weeks.

The second is the "Quilting Services" tab.  I am available to quilt individual's quilt tops and my prices and capability are detailed on this tab.  I've made two full quilts for clients (not just the quilting, but making the entire top) and both have been ecstatic about the quilts.  Anyway, on this page, I have information about the prices and there are links to examples of pantographs (just click on the links for level 1, level 2 and level 3).  I decided to use pictures of the quilts I've done instead of just showing the paper pantographs.

In some cases the pantographs are purchased designs, but there are one or two that I designed myself.  When I couldn't find a design I liked or that would fit my machine, I decided to make my own.

I hope you enjoy looking around and if you think you would like me to quilt something for you, please contact me.

Happy Crafting!
~Sarah at upstateNYCreations

Make-A-List Monday

Last week was a very productive week for me.  It is so nice to get some finishes after having no finishes for a long time!  I was originally supposed to have all of Friday and 90% of Saturday to myself while my husband went to a friend's place to help pull in a dock.  He was scheduled to be back late Saturday, but after a bad Friday, he ended up leaving early and was back home Saturday afternoon.  While it was good to have him back, he wasn't feeling well, so a lot of Saturday afternoon/evening was spent making sure he was ok.

Thankfully, it appears that it was a lack of sleep problem, because after sleeping 12 hours from Saturday to Sunday, he was fine all day Sunday.

"The List" from last week....
 1. Complete hand-sewing of binding on client quilt.  DONE!  In fact, the entire quilt is now washed and ready to give to my client this coming weekend.

 

2. Press strips together for 2nd baby quilt. DONE!  The entire top is actually together.

3. Design 3rd baby quilt (yes, another one in addition to the one from last week). Done!  I have to play with the borders a little bit more, but I have all the fabric purchased and it is now ready for cutting into strips and blocks.

4.  Play with EQ6 to get fabric amounts/colors for a smaller version of Judy's Sing A Happy Song quilt pattern for 4th baby quilt. I didn't get to this item this past week.
5.   Hand-sew binding on Shine on Bayou Cane quilt.I did a little bit here, but not a whole lot.  I spent most of the week doing binding for the client quilt.

I'm hoping this coming week will be productive too.  Here is my plan:
1. Cut fabrics for the boy baby quilt (I have to work on a name for this).
2. Start sewing blocks for the boy baby quilt.
3. Select backing and quilting pattern for 2nd baby quilt.
4. Load baby quilt on frame and start to quilt.
5. Play with EQ6 to get fabric amounts/colors for a smaller version of Judy's Sing A Happy Song quilt pattern for 4th baby quilt.

Happy Crafting!
~Sarah at upstateNYCreations

Stashbusting 2012 - Week 42

Its been a few weeks since I posted for stash busting, not because I haven't been sewing, but because I wasn't really using any stash.

I did finish up a client's quilt this week.   I posted more pictures here.

I also stopped at my local quilt shop and bought fabrics for another baby quilt for a baby boy.  It was fun picking out the fabrics to make it "boyish".

I also finished up a little quilt top I was working on the past day or two.  It came together really quickly.  I'm not sure if I'm going to quilt it right away or wait a little bit.

So with this last top completed, I did use a little bit of stash this week.  The binding is also ready to go, but I'll have to still pick out some backing material.

Here are my numbers:

Added This Week:       5.0 yards
Added Year to Date:    23.54 yards
Used This Week:          2.06 yards
Used Year to Date:       23.2 yards
Net Year to Date:         0.35 yards

I'm just a smidge in the hole now after buying 5 yards, but I'll use that up fairly soon and once I pick out some backing material, I'll definitely be back in the positive.

Check out how everyone else is doing this week over on Judy's blog.

Happy Crafting!
~Sarah at upstateNYCreations

Client Quilt - Monkey in the Middle Finished

The client quilt, Monkey in the Middle, is finally completely finished.  I'm currently waiting for it to finish going through the washer and dryer.  I can't wait to feel its cuddly softness when its done.  :-)

Here's a few pictures of the finished quilt.  The quilting added phenomenal texture to the quilt.

I also designed the next baby quilt that I'm making for some friends of ours.  They are expecting a baby boy in January.  I stopped by my local quilt shop, The Joyful Quilter, this morning and picked up the fabrics for the quilt.  Its going to be very cute!

Its a bit of a "scrappy" pattern which I think will look really great when the quilt is finished.

Now I'm off to prep some fabrics and spend my afternoon sewing. :-)

Happy Crafting!
~Sarah at upstateNYCreations

Client Quilt - Monkey in the Middle

I'm a little behind on posting status for the client quilt I've been working on.  I actually just finished up the binding last night, but I'd like to share some pictures of the quilting as it was progressing.

This was a fairly tricky pattern to quilt as it was originally sized as a 9.5" wide pattern.  The max area I can quilt is only about 5", so I had to do some reducing.  In doing that I also had to simplify the design since some of the detail was just too small for my machine to be able to handle.  Here's an up-close picture of the quilting in one area:

Here's one with it completely quilted and still partially on the frame.  I love the texture this quilting put onto the quilt.  I think its going to be really great once the quilt is washed.

Since the weather has also gotten colder lately, we've had a few fires in the fireplace so far.  Ellie, the cat, is definitely happy about the fireplace.  She gets just about as close as she can to it.  When we have to add wood or poke the fire, we physically have to push her out of the way as she won't voluntarily move from in front of the fire.

Happy Crafting!
~Sarah at upstateNYCreations

Make-A-List Monday

 Another week has already gone by and we're in the middle of October.  Time sure does fly.  I've gotten a lot of sewing done the last week, although I don't have pictures uploaded yet.

Part of the reason for the lack of posting is that I found out this past week that the usual site I use for hosting pictures (Webshots) is changing their service and will no longer be free.  So I've spent part of the past week transferring images from Webshots over to Flickr and updating my blog posts.  I've updated all of the individual posts on this blog, but I'm debating on what to do with my old blog.  I have a lot of pictures there and just general documentation of things that went on in my life for the past 4 years.  Webshots is discontinuing their free surface on November 1st, so there's really no way to update all the posts by then.

I do have the pictures downloaded and labeled the way Webshots had it labeled, so I should be able to back-track the pictures to the posts at some point in the future.

The other thing that has been keeping me busy this past week is quilting on the client quilt.  It took a bit longer than I expected to get quilted... a total of 7.5 hours.  It looks absolutely gorgeous though and the quilting added so much texture to the quilt.  I'll share some pictures a little later this week.

So the list from last week:
1.  Complete 3 rows of quilting on client quilt each night.  DONE!
2.  Add binding onto quilt on Friday evening.  DONE - but not on Friday.  Binding got machine sewn on Sunday evening.
3.  Hand-stitch at least half the binding down by Sunday evening.  I only have 1/4 of the binding down.
4.  Sew strips together for 2nd baby quilt. DONE!
5.  Play with EQ6 to get fabric amounts/colors for a smaller version of Judy's Sing A Happy Song quilt pattern. Not done.

Overall it was a pretty good week and I'm glad I have the quilting done on the client quilt.

Here's the plan for this coming week:
1. Complete hand-sewing of binding on client quilt.
2. Press strips together for 2nd baby quilt.
3. Design 3rd baby quilt (yes, another one in addition to the one from last week).
4.  Play with EQ6 to get fabric amounts/colors for a smaller version of Judy's Sing A Happy Song quilt pattern for 4th baby quilt.
5.   Hand-sew binding on Shine on Bayou Cane quilt.

Happy Crafting!
~Sarah at upstateNYCreations

Make-A-List Monday

Last week was a very productive week for me.  I was able to complete all my goals!  Yay! :-)  I think that's a first for the year.

Here was the plan:
1. Go to Quilt Guild meeting on Monday evening.  Done!  I need to think about at least 4 UFOs that I can get done by June to participate in a guild challenge.  Since I machine piece/quilt, I should be able to find four projects that will fit the bill.
2. Sew entire center portion of quilt together. Done!  I was able to get the entire quilt top sew on Tuesday evening.
3. Add long strips to both sides of the 4 piano key border units. Done!
4. Add borders to the quilt. Done! I was able to add all the borders and finish the quilt top on Wednesday evening.
5. Print directions for making a pillow cover.  Done!  I even completed the pillow cover and have the pillow form stuffed inside it.  It looks pretty cute I must say.

This is the overall look of the quilt now that the borders are on.  The quilting I'm doing is in a green variegated thread, which really stands out against the orange and yellow.  It even stands out pretty well against the greens, so there's no hiding on this one!

I also made quite a bit of progress on things over the weekend.  I didn't get as much done as I would have liked, but the weekend included shopping at Target, shopping at Joann's (always dangerous...at least for my wallet), a four-hour shopping trip to some outlets for work attire for both of us, and the usual laundry and grocery shopping on Sunday.

I have the client quilt loaded onto the frame and started quilting.  Its going to take me longer than I expected to quilt this one as the pattern is more intricate than I originally thought.  Sometimes things look so good and easy on paper and when you start to stitch them....not so easy, but still good looking. :-)  It takes me about 30 minutes to quilt one row of the pantograph, and I have about 15 rows to do.  I was able to get 3 rows done last night (which a bobbin lasts about 2.75 rows).  I'm hoping to get another 3 or 4 rows done tonight.

I also started pressing/cutting fabric for another baby quilt for a friend of ours.  This quilt is a simple pattern and I think when I quilt it, it will just be a simple stipple pattern.  They don't know if its going to be a boy or a girl, so the quilt and stitching needs to be fairly generic.

Goals for this week:
1.  Complete 3 rows of quilting on client quilt each night.
2.  Add binding onto quilt on Friday evening.
3.  Hand-stitch at least half the binding down by Sunday evening.
4.  Sew strips together for 2nd baby quilt.
5.  Play with EQ6 to get fabric amounts/colors for a smaller version of Judy's Sing A Happy Song quilt pattern.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Happy Crafting!
~Sarah at upstateNYCreations

Stashbusting 2012 - Week 40

Although I haven't busted any stash lately, I have been quilting up a storm.  The quilt below is for a client and since the fabric I purchased is completely in this quilt now, I didn't count it as part of the stash reports.

I was able to put the entire quilt top together in about 20 hours or so.  I also have a coordinating pillow that has a larger version of the corner square-in-square blocks on the front of it.

So here are my numbers as they stand right now.

Added This Week:       0.0 yards
Added Year to Date:    18.54 yards
Used This Week:          0.12 yards
Used Year to Date:       21.12 yards
Net Year to Date:         -2.58 yards

I have a baby quilt in the works that is using stash fabric, so that will most likely get counted next week.  I also have a 2nd baby quilt that I need to make for a good friend of ours, so that one will involve purchasing some fabric for the pattern I want to use.

Hope everyone else is doing well with their reports.  Go on over to Judy's blog to see other's stashbusting efforts.   

Happy Crafting!
~Sarah at upstateNYCreations

Guild Meeting & Challenge

I went to my second guild meeting last night where they announced the guild challenges for this upcoming year.  The big challenge this year is to submit a list of UFOs.

Wait... not that kind of UFO!  A quilting UFO... UnFinished Object!

I definitely have a fair number of projects in various states of progress these days.  However, the challenge is to complete your said number of UFOs (minimum of 4) by the guild meeting in June.  This is what I think I will do as my challenges:

1. Shine on Bayou Cane - I need to do the hand-stitching of the binding.
2. Grandma's Attic Baby Quilt - I have the pattern and fabric, but need to complete the kit.
3. Sing A Happy Song Baby Quilt - I have to modify the pattern to make it smaller and get fabric for this, but in my mind its a UFO because its in my head and it won't be gone until I make it!
4. Lone Star Quilt - This top is made, but needs to be quilted and bound.
5. Wildflower Fields - This top is made, but needs to be quilted and bound.

I'll think about these the next few weeks.  I want to make sure I put realistic goals down!


Happy Crafting!
~Sarah at upstateNYCreations

Make-A-List Monday

 Things have been very busy for me the past few weeks I'm sorry to say.  Wile I have made progress on quilts, life seems to be getting the better of me lately.  My last Make-a-List Monday post was 3 weeks ago now.  I can't believe we're already into October at this point.  Time seems to go by WAY too quickly.

So here's what I had planned for the prior weeks:
1. Post pictures of client quilt fabric when it arrives.
2. Press FQs and get them ready for storage.
3. Draft up directions for client quilt.

I did post about my client's quilt and directions for making the main blocks of the quilt here.  I also pressed a whole bunch of the fat quarters (FQs) and found a temporary home for them in my closet.  I have actually made a lot of progress on the client quilt.  I have all the blocks made for the center, the corner border blocks made and the piano key borders made.  At this stage, I need to sew blocks together into the quilt top, then finish up the borders and add them to the quilt.

Here's what I plan for this week (my hubby is traveling 2 days, so that will increase the sewing time):
1. Go to Quilt Guild meeting on Monday evening.
2. Sew entire center portion of quilt together.
3. Add long strips to both sides of the 4 piano key border units.
4. Add borders to the quilt.
5. Print directions for making a pillow cover.

Happy Crafting!
~Sarah at upstateNYCreations