Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Orca Bay - 1/31/12


Now my geese need trimming -

And then they can get their WINGS!!

Oh - and by the way -

For those string blocks -

If your sewing machine doesn’t have that nifty little “thread cutter” feature -
Try this -


It comes with stick-um on the back of the cutter -
Just stick it on the back of your sewing machine -
Anywhere you want -


And - the magnetic seam guide is cool, too -
Just be sure NOT to use it on a computerized machine -
They tend to be allergic to magnets - ;))

And - in case you were wondering -
I DID use up most of those odd-ball half-full bobbins -
See?


So - back to the black/white corner - for my WINGS -


Dig out the HST units and some black triangles -
For a test run -


Lay them out to be sure -
That they are going the "correct" way -
Almost said "right" way - as opposed to "left" way? ;))


Then the other side -
Four this time -
Just testing - mind you - ;))


Whew!
Got all four going the “correct” way -
I KNOOOOW - I’m as surprised as you are!! ;))


All I have to remember is -
Sew the little black triangle -
To the “White/Neutral” side of the HST units -
Should be easy - huh? -
Wonder how many I'll mess up? ;))

Moving on to the “geese” -
Match up a couple -
Just to see -
(The trimmed dog-ears on the black -
Make them look like they are going to be short -
But they're not - watch - ;))


Actually “sew” them together -
And measure them -
Should sew up to 3-1/2" x 6-1/2" -


Not "perfect" -

But not “bad” either -

So I’m calling these two “good” -

And DONE - ;))

Only have a gazillion more to go -



Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -

Monday, January 30, 2012

Design Wall Monday - Orca Bay - 1/30/12

DESIGN WALL MONDAY - ORCA BAY - 1/30/12
Check out all of us who link up with Judy L. at Patchwork Times on Mondays.
We have some awesome stuff on our walls!
Well, THEY do - ME - not so much sometimes - ;))
===

Woke up yesterday thinking -

Dare I hope to finish these guys today?


I was sure going to try!!


Of course -
I cut it a little close on some -


But they trimmed up just fine -





ALMOST there!


And now I'm - THERE!!

TA - DAH!!
64 RED string blocks -
All DONE!!


And - extra bonus -

I finished -

Just in time for my nap - ;))



Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Orca Bay - 1/29/12


Round and round we go -

All set for Round #4 -
This is FUN!! -


Now that I’m down to the shorter strips -


I can add them to the ones in my lap -


Hey -
Are we to the corners yet?


YAY!! - Corners -

ALMOST DONE with these guys!!



Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Orca Bay - 1/28/12


RED string blocks - batch #2 -

Bonnie has said that -

The first MONDAY in February will be the next Mystery Monday Link-Up.

Since I don't have much time left before the link-up -

I figured that if I’m going to do another batch -

I might as well do the rest of them - ;))

Round #1 -


Organized chaos -
Appropriate oxymoron - ;))


The black/white corner -
To be continued - ;))


Round #2 -


Round #3 -

And I think that I might just put them together -
BOB’s way - remember that??

I thought I had the "Mystery" all figured out -

And I was SOOOO close -

I had the "Bones" right -

I just had the Red Geese framing the white/neutral blocks -

Instead of the black ones -

So maybe I should call my version -

Orca Bay Bones -

What do you think?




Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -

Friday, January 27, 2012

Orca Bay - 1/27/12

Before I started the next batch of RED string blocks -

I thought I would trim up some of the blocks I had -

Slice one down the CENTER -
Watch the DIRECTION of the strips -
Need them to go from SIDE to SIDE -
If I’m cutting UP and DOWN -



Line up the bottom of one “half” -
With the 6” line on the ruler -


Because I am A LEFT-HANDED QUILTER - ;))
Trim UP the LEFT side -
ACROSS the tip -
DOWN the RIGHT side -


Notice the tip gets trimmed too?
No dog-ear at the tip -
Cool, huh?


Pull off the paper -
Just fold it at the seam line -
Give it a little tug -
And the paper just splits apart -


If your paper doesn't just "split" -
And it’s too hard to get off -
You might want to change to a larger needle -
Jeans/Denim #14 is good -
And check your stitch length -
It may need to be shortened up a bit -

The combination of large needle (big holes) -
And short stitch (close together) -
Make for rows of BIG HOLES - CLOSE TOGETHER -
And nice PERFORATED paper -
Easy peasy!!


My Pinto is PERFECTLY suited for sewing string blocks -
And Foundation Paper Piecing -
She tends to have REALLY short stitches -
No matter WHAT the Stitch Length dial says -
Which is one reason she got replaced - ;))

And this is also a GREAT opportunity to use up
All of those odd-ball half-full bobbins -
You know the ones I mean - ;))




Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Orca Bay - 1/26/12

I know everyone else working on Orca Bay is DONE -
But for those other SLOW POKE QUILTERS out there -
Who may not really LIKE string blocks -

Me NEITHER - they seem to take FOREVER if I do them one at a time -

So -

This is How I Do It -

Make a pile of squares -
Like I showed you before -
And it REALLY HELPS to have the strips sorted by LENGTH -
I just start with the longer ones and work my way down -

Stack them -
On the RIGHT -


Take one and press it open -


Flip it over to make sure I’m not short -
Give it another quick press -


Flip it back over and add it to the pile -
On the LEFT -



Over and over and over -
Until I only have one pile -

Then it’s back to the sewing machine -
For another round -


Oops!!
Another one for you to spot if you ever see this quilt in "real life" - ;))


Had a problem with my foot pedal “scooting” on me -
But I solved that pretty quickly -


And in no time at all -
I had 19 blocks all ready to trim up -


Thought I had 20 -
But I was one short -
Surprised??
I’m not. ;))

Now it’s on to the next batch -




Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Orca Bay - 1/25/12


Moe won -
Moe ALWAYS wins - ;))

And in this case -

Moe is the RED string blocks -

I hate the part where the strip/string that I choose -
Is either too wide - too short - or too “something” -

So -

My CDO kicked in -
(They say that it’s like OCD - but with the letters in alphabetical order -
Like they’re supposed to be - ;))

And I pressed and sorted my scraps/strings/strips by LENGTH -
I'm not worried about the WIDTH so much - they are what they are -


And - none of this “one or two at a time” stuff for me -
I am waaaaaaaaaaaay too far behind to fiddle with this that much -

And lest anyone think that pressing and sorting by length -
Is "far too much planning for a scrap quilt" -

I beg to differ - ;))

I call it "organizing" - so that I can be more EFFICIENT -
Just because it’s scrappy doesn’t mean that it can’t be organized -
And EFFICIENT - ;))

So - assembly line it is -

Change the needle on the Pinto -
(I use a Jeans/Denim # 14) -
Take off the magnetic guide -
Shorten the stitch length -
And off I go -







Until I get a pile of them -


Press one open -
And flip it over to be sure the paper is covered -


Clip the rest of them apart -


And keep pressing - flipping - sewing merrily along -
Merrily along -

‘Til we get to my favorite stage - 4 strips -
Middle strip plus one on one side -
And two on the other side -


If the next strip in the pile is too short for one side -


It just might fit on the other side -


And it does - YAY!!




Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -

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