A little bit of sewing -

I don't have Picasa installed on this old computer -

So I can't upload any new photos -

But I do have access to my Picasa Web Album -

So I can show you photos of the stuff I pulled out to work on - ;))

Remember these? - ;))

Well - I used the "Turnovers" -

And made these -

Which left the "Layer Cake" and the "Charm Packs" -

And the rest of the 2-patches - ;))

So I've gone back to working on the "quilt-in-the-ditch" on one project -

And finishing up the 2-patches -

While I wait for my new computer -

And some year-end tax stuff -

And try to decide if I want to cut the "cake" into a "Churn Dash" -

Because I've pretty much decided NOT to mess with the bias edges -

On that Churn Dash Pinwheel quilt -
Missouri Star Quilt Co -
Disappearing Pinwheel Part 2 - The Churn Dash Pinwheel - HERE - ;))



Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -

Decisions, decisions...

This past week and a half has been a doozy - ;))

BOB** and I have been trying to decide whether to go back to this old computer -

And re-install all of the programs that I took off when I upgraded to the one that broke -

Or to wait and install them on a new computer -

And if I get a new computer -

What kind do I get??? - ;))

Do you guys realize HOW MANY choices are out there??? - ;))

Dang!!! - ;))

So - after much back and forth discussion -

Since BOB and I don't always agree -

I finally decided and ordered a new one this afternoon - ;))

If you're interested in my decision-making process -

Please read on -

If you're not -

Feel free to check back later for "quilty" stuff - ;))

===

First, let me explain that I am a retired CPA and that I tend to overthink stuff to the max. It's an occupational hazard. The only way I made it through tax season - year after year after year - was to start planning months in advance and to try to anticipate problems before they became reality. I used to bounce ideas and plans off my boss and my husband - but since I no longer work, there is no boss - and since my husband died, there is no husband - only BOB - my alter-ego - Bitchy Old Broad. I try to be nice - BOB tends to tell it like it is - ;))

So - as you already know - if you read my last post - the fan on my computer broke and I dug out my old one. I checked with various family members and friends - what they had - what they recommended, etc. -

And then BOB and I discussed it - ;))

For the sake of this discussion I'll call the broken one - Bruce - and the older one - Sheba.

Our conversation went kinda like this -

Me - Oh, crap!! The fan just died on Bruce!!
BOB - So dig out the old one - Sheba!!

Me - OK - dug her out - and charged her up!
BOB - Well - that took FOREVER!!

Me - Yeah - but she's up and running - and QUIET!!
BOB - Way quieter than Bruce - that dang fan seemed to run constantly - and it was LOUD compared to Sheba!

Me - So maybe I can just use this one for a while.
BOB - But you took off all of the programs you use all the time.

Me - But it still has Word - and access to the internet.
BOB - But it doesn't have Excel - or EQ7 - or any of your other little fun ones.

Me - So I can reload those.
BOB - But why waste the time if you're going to get a new one.

Me - Maybe I don't need a new one.
BOB - Well, you must have needed a new one or you wouldn't have bought Bruce.

Me - Good point.
BOB - Bruce is faster - more RAM - more hard drive space.

Me - So using Sheba would be a step backward, right?
BOB - Right.

Me - OK - so I wait until I get a new computer before I reload all of my favorite programs.
BOB - That makes sense.

Me - So - if I get a new one - do I want Windows 10 - or a touch-screen?
BOB - I think you need to decide what you want to do with it first.

Me - I want to be able to check my email - do my blog - check other blogs - run Word and Excel for my spreadsheets - and EQ7 and all of my little fun ones.
BOB - All of the stuff that you can do on Sheba - only faster??

Me - Yeah - that's pretty much it.
BOB - So what features does it have to have?

Me - Well - they ALL have internet access - so that's probably not a factor.
BOB - You're right - so what else?

Me - It has to have a numeric keypad for data entry - I am a retired CPA after all - ;))
BOB - OK - that's #1 requirement. That should narrow the field a bit.

Me - And I don't care if it has a touch-screen or not. I have a tablet for games.
BOB - OK - that doesn't matter - moving on.

Me - It would be nice if it would run all of my programs without "compatibility" issues.
BOB - Well - you KNOW they run on Window 7 - maybe they still make those.

Me - But if I'm getting a new computer - maybe I should get Windows 10.
BOB - Would you rather spend your time learning Windows 10 or learning how to Free-Motion Quilt?

Me - Free-Motion Quilt.
BOB - And if your programs won't run on Windows 10 - then what?

Me - Then I'm going to be frustrated and mad.
BOB - So maybe you don't want Windows 10.

Me - Maybe I don't.
BOB - Do they still make computers with Windows 7?

Me - I don't know.
BOB - But you can find out - ;))

Me - Hey - guess what?
BOB - What?

Me - They DO still make computers with Windows 7!
BOB - They do?

Me - Yup!!
BOB - But isn't that a step backward?

Me - Not if it has more RAM - and a bigger hard drive - and runs FASTER than Bruce!
BOB - So - are you going to order one?

Me - Already did!
BOB - Terrific!

Me - I think I'm going to take my time getting it all set up - and then when I'm up and running - back to normal - I'm going to check out the Windows 10 versions with touch-screens - without the stress of "You need a new computer - NOW!!".

BOB - Maybe you could get one for your birthday or for Christmas!!

Me - In RED!!

BOB - Atta girl!! - ;))



Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -



**NOTE -
For those of you who don't know -
BOB is my alter-ego -
Bitchy Old Broad -
Not to be confused with AccuQuilt's BOB -
Block-On-Board -
As if anyone would ever confuse the two - ;))

Please stand by...

We are experiencing technical difficulties!! - ;((

The internal "fan" on my computer had been making noise -

And I had asked a friend to see if he could find a replacement fan to fix it - ;))

No luck - ;((

And BOB thought -
It figures -
Why would the computer company make replacement parts -
When they can force you to buy a whole new computer instead? - :))

So anyway -

I got a desktop external fan to put underneath the laptop -

But it was just a matter of time before the internal fan decided to quit on me -

And Sunday morning - it decided - ;((

BIG ERROR MESSAGE -

It flashed on and off the screen too fast to write it down -

But the general gist of it was -

Computer detected defective internal fan and will shut down in 15 seconds -

And it did - ;((

SOOOO -

I dug out my old laptop -

And have been trying to get it back up and running - ;))

Sunday I wasn't in the mood to deal with it - AT ALL -

And my tech support (husband) isn't available anymore -

So I played with it on Monday - ;))

I plugged it in - it took FOREVER to charge back up -

And I finally managed to get on the internet yesterday afternoon -

Checked my gmail - and a couple of blogs -

Then called it a day - ;))

This morning it took me over an hour and a half to get the printer installed - ;))

I thought I would try to put up a quick post to check-in -

And then I'm going to call it a day - again - ;))

This was NOT what I had planned for this week - ;((

All of this computer stuff makes my head hurt -

And now I have to consider whether or not I want to get a NEW computer -

And RE-LEARN a NEW one AGAIN - for the umpteenth time - UGH!!! -

With or without Windows 10 - with or without a touch screen - ;))

Seems you can't do anything without being ONLINE -

So I guess I'll have to bite the bullet -

But BOB hates being FORCED to get a new computer -

When it would have been SO easy -

To just replace the "fan" -

If they bothered to make one - ;))



Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -

Shifting gears -

I think I may shift gears for a bit - ;))

I've been trying to decide whether or not I want to mess with the bias edges -
On a Disappearing Pinwheel block -
Churn Dash Pinwheel -
Missouri Star Quilt Co -
Disappearing Pinwheel Part 2 - The Churn Dash Pinwheel - HERE - ;))

And I was reading some of my regular blogs -

When I read about Gene and his "little gray squirrel" - HERE - ;))

That reminded me of this pile "to be quilted" from years ago - ;))

And I realized that -

From this pile -

I have quilted exactly TWO pieces - YIKES!! -

Cottage Wall Hanging -

And the Halloween one - ;))

So that pile became this one - ;))

And I still have the blue - Do You See What I See? -

Christmas Embroidered Blocks - Table Runner -

Christmas Embroidered Table Topper - 3 x 3 -

Folk Art Christmas Tree -

Christmas Sudoku -

January - Snowman Sudoku -

February - Valentine's Day Sudoku -

March - St. Patrick's Day Sudoku -

April - Easter Sudoku -

May - May Flowers Sudoku -

June - June Wedding Sudoku -

July - Americana Sudoku -

October - Halloween Sudoku -

November Sudoku -

And more recently -

Turkey Day -

Churn Dash -
Unless I "unsew"' it -
because the blue is really crappy fabric -

9-Patch Pizzazz -

Quarter Log Cabin -

Christmas Table Runner - 2 x 3 -

Christmas Blocks - 6 x 6 -

And that's not counting some oldies but goodies -

Hanging in the closet -

Which includes my LHQ Sampler Quilt -

I have been saying for years -

That I want/need to practice my Free-Motion Quilting - ;))

Maybe this is the year to do it - ;))

Who knows -

I may even ENJOY it - ;))



Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -

Another test block -

For the New Year I "cut and kitted" up some projects from my stash - ;))

The Layer Cake -
Double Chocolat - 3 Sisters - Moda
Is slowly become a Basic Math Quilt -
Moda Bake Shop - Original Recipe - by Debbie Grifka - HERE - ;))

Then I had a bunch of Mill House Inn -
By Joanna Figueroa, Fig Tree & Co for Moda -

A Layer Cake -
Two Charm Packs -
And one Turnover - ;))

The Turnover was perfect for the Choc-O-Cherry Turnover Treat -
Moda Bake Shop - Original Recipe - by Monica Solorio-Snow - HERE - ;))

I have the blocks made but I'm not sure yet how I want to lay them out - ;))

The Charm Packs may wind up being coasters -
Haven't decided yet - ;))

But the Squirrel I mentioned the other day is the Layer Cake -
Destined for a Churn Dash Pinwheel -
Missouri Star Quilt Co -
Disappearing Pinwheel Part 2 - The Churn Dash Pinwheel - HERE - ;))

Before I cut into the Layer Cake -

I watched the video again -

And I cut the pieces for a test block from some 10" squares I had on hand - ;))

They now have 5 variations for this Disappearing Pinwheel -

Cool!! - ;))

But here again - the outside edges of this block are all on the bias -

And I am NOT a fan of outside bias edges - ;))

That's one reason I don't like the Twister Ruler -

Perfectly square blocks are re-cut on the bias and then resewn together -

Which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me -

I would rather have the bias seams on the INSIDE of the block -

But then again - it's probably just me - ;))

Anyway -

This block and its variations are really fun -

BUT -

Now I have to decide whether I want to make one of the bias edge versions -

Or a straight edge Churn Dash Block like I did before - ;))

The Disappearing Pinwheel version is more interesting -

But it's those dang bias edges that get me -

And yet they don't seem to bother Jenny (Missouri Star Quilt Co.) at all -

She uses it to her advantage saying that the "give" makes it easier to match the seams - ;))

Maybe she's right - ;))

But for now - it's decisions, decisions - ;))



Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -

No sewing again today -

Another day of no sewing -

And more "chores" -

Those bills just keep on coming - ;))

So I thought I would show you a photo of the Basic Math Quilt blocks -
That I have made so far -
From the Layer Cake - Double Chocolat - 3 Sisters - Moda
Moda Bake Shop - Original Recipe - by Debbie Grifka - HERE - ;))

I like how they just kinda make themselves -

When I sew them between the seams of other stuff - ;))

Some people call these puppies "leaders and enders" ala Bonnie Hunter -

But I never could get the hang of doing it her way - ;))

Like I have said before -

I can't seem to walk and chew gum at the same time -

So I need simple stuff -

And sometimes switching between the construction of the block I'm sewing -

And the construction of the "leader and ender" block -

Would get me confused - ;))

I know - I'm a moron -

But "simple" is the name of the game for me these days - ;))



Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -

HST Challenge - 1st block -

So I made the first block in the HST Challenge - ;))

I found the HST Challenge on Liz Katsuro's site -
Liz Katsuro at Jelly Roll Fabrics - HERE - ;))

Liz didn't include pressing directions in her instructions -

So as I made the HST -

I automatically pressed them all to the "dark" side - ;))

I wasn't paying attention when I sewed them together -
And should have flipped some of them -
Because I wound up with lumps -
My fault - not hers - ;))

So I "unsewed" and "resewed" them -
And pressed the top right one to the "light" side -
And pressed the top pair to the right -
And the bottom pair to the left -

And that didn't work -
I had a lump in the center -
(Forgot to take a photo of that) -
Still my fault - not hers - ;))

So I "unsewed" and "resewed" them again -
Still pressing the top right one to the "light" side -
But then pressed the top pair to the left -
And the bottom pair to the right -

That seemed to worked better -

But the poor things had been "unsewn" and "resewn" -
So many times by that time -
I had stretched the bias edges out of shape - ;))

I know -

I should have worked out the pressing order -

BEFORE I sewed them together -

But hindsight is 20/20 - ;))

And even though I am not a fan of blocks with the outside edges on the bias -

This is a cool technique -

And one that I would like to try again -

Being more careful with my cutting -

And my pressing -

And watching the bias edges -

BUT -

I saw another SQUIRREL!! - ;))

So I'm going to add this block to the orphan pile of Christmas blocks -

Waiting to be made into a sampler quilt -

And chase that SQUIRREL!! ;))



Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -

LEFT-HANDED QUILTING - HST - the Liz Katsuro Way - for LEFTIES

OK - here's the deal -

I told you yesterday that I found a HST Challenge on Liz Katsuro's site -
Liz Katsuro at Jelly Roll Fabrics - HERE -

Then I followed her HST Tutorial - tweaking it a bit -

And made a bunch and put them on the wall for Design Wall Monday this morning - ;))

I REALLY wanted to show you how I tweaked her Tutorial -

BUT - NOT WITHOUT HER PERMISSION - ;))

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO -

I emailed Liz to ask her permission -

Hi Liz -

I am A Left-Handed Quilter and had to tweak your HST tutorial a bit because of my left-handedness.

Do you mind if I show my tweaks on my blog? (alefthandedquilter - dot - blogspot - dot - com)

I absolutely do NOT want to infringe on your copyright for your technique or anything so I thought I would ask your permission before posting any "how-to" photos for the lefties out there in blogland.

Thanks,

Kitty

And she emailed me back -

Kitty, feel free!! :D Liz K.

To which I replied -

THANK YOU!! - ;))

===

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO -

WITH HER PERMISSION -

Here are the tweaks I made to her tutorial - ;))

But first -

You need to know what I'm tweaking - ;))

If you go to her website - Jelly Roll Fabrics - HERE -

Sign up for her Free Jelly Roll Quilt Patterns and her Newsletter -
And she will email you news of SALES and FREE PATTERNS and FREE TUTORIALS - ;))

Here are some of her important links -

Half Square Triangle Challenge Quilt Blog - HERE -

2016 HST Challenge Week One - Spinner - HERE -

Which has important links to other stuff on her website -
Including the HST Tutorial - HERE -

The HST Tutorial is the one I'm tweaking -

You will need to read/download it to know what I'm talking about - ;))

============
Note - these instructions are written in LEFTISH.
If you are right-handed - just reverse the directions.
============

First of all -

My cutting mat is set with the 1" marks in the BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER -

The 45-degree line goes from the BOTTOM RIGHT to the TOP LEFT -
Which is OK if you are RIGHT-handed -
But it's BACKWARDS for a LEFTY - ;))

We need the 45-degree line to go from the BOTTOM LEFT to the TOP RIGHT -
So we can cut the diagonal from LEFT to RIGHT - ;))

So I went around to the other side of my cutting mat -
To see if I could do it from the other side -
And NOPE - same problem -
The diagonal still goes from the BOTTOM RIGHT to the TOP LEFT - ;))

So - back to square one -

And then I remembered my Quarter-Turn Trick - HERE - ;))

If I stand at the END of my cutting table -
And look at the mat -
The 1" marks are in the BOTTOM LEFT CORNER -

And the 45-degree line goes from the BOTTOM LEFT to the TOP RIGHT -
So we CAN cut the diagonal from LEFT to RIGHT -
PERFECT!! - ;))

So I sewed the strips according to her Instructions -
Notice I did NOT say Directions -
Instructions are NOT the same thing as Directions -
I did a post on that distinction a while back - HERE - ;))

Anyway - I lined up the "tube" the way she said -

And cut off the LEFT end - like so -

Flipped it like she says -
And cut the first HST - ;))

It came out OK -
But I must have done something wrong -
Because she only had one dog-ear to trim -
And - as you can see - I have two - ;))

I cut a couple more -
Then I got antsy and decided to fold the strip in half and cut two at a time - ;))

I worked my way to the fold on the RIGHT end of the strip -

Opened up that last one - pressed it -

And saw that it was a bit bigger than the rest -
So I used one of the other ones as a guide -
To trim off the extra bit from the LEFT edge - ;))

I managed to get 19 HST from my strips -

Which isn't bad considering that she eked out 20 from hers -

And one of my strips was shorter than the other to begin with -

And we only need 16 anyway - ;))

I don't know yet if I'm going to do the Challenge -

Since I'm not a big fan of units/blocks that have bias outside edges -

But it is an interesting technique -

And now you know how to do it LEFT-HANDED - ;))



Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -