I lied. I didn't take a break from Christmas quilts...didn't do pillows for daughter M. Instead I spent yesterday cutting big patches for another Christmas lap quilt - this one for Ken's step mother. Left up to me she wouldn't get anything but to keep family peace I'm doing the little quilt. (My FIL had this little lady on the side in the last years of my MIL's life. That is not a big deal in the family because my MIL was, unfortunately, for the last 12 years of her life "lost in space" due to a terrible stroke and memory loss. The bad/sad of it all is that this person decided to be my FIL's date at my MIL's funeral - and managed to marry my FIL within 6 months of my MIL's passing. And my FIL gave almost everything that had been my MIL's to this lady, even calling my husband and demanding he return things he had rightfully inherited.) Don't ya just love reading my blogs? You get to catch up on all the family dirt!
I have the top all sewn together, the squares and seams pressed, the borders on. It's ready to sandwich and quilt -- maybe I'll get finished with this thing tomorrow.
This week I was supposed to teach kindergarten - at a school in an area where I'm afraid to drive or get out of my car to walk to the building! I've worried about it all last week and just could not come to terms with it - so this morning I canceled out on the assignments for Tuesday and Thursday. Hopefully I'll be able to find something else this week in a better area. I've decided taking risks is not worth $127 per day.
Today I'm trying to make decisions about retirement funds...I haven't done a rollover of 401K funds since I retired so can't access them. I haven't been too worried about it since the account balance has actually gained this year instead of losing, and because of income this year the last thing I wanted to do was to take any kind of taxable withdrawal from the funds! But I think we need to do a rollover so we can continue contributing to it. For this current year we elected to continue to save but to do it via government E and I bonds...we try to pay ourselves first, even if its just a little bit. Thus far we've been decently successful at it. And we're not planning to wipe it out with Christmas either!
Oh, learned a couple of things about quilting Saturday via my Yahoo quilting groups! For simple quilt blocks, press the seams OPEN because they lay flatter and because it makes them easier to match seams! Some of the ladies on the group are big time quilters - one of them is the quilter for one of the TV shows. I tried it on the big patch lap quilts, and sure 'nuf, the seams/blocks align better. Apparently the reason seams are done the other way is because it supposedly reduces stress on the seams. However, actually quilting the sandwich reduces the seam stress to negligible. Dang, the things we learn. Of course depending on the block pattern there are still some blocks that require the other process.
Oh, and the other thing is, DON'T PRESS before sewing blocks together. It sets the stitches and "stretches/forms/sets" the fabric so that it is less easy to manipulate the fabric to match up seams/blocks!!! Don't press seams until all blocks are matched and stitched! EXCEPT, make sure fabric is pressed before cutting and that all blocks are measured/squared correctly. I was told that in spite of what all the quilting books and instructors say, don't do the pressing. I tried that with this quilt top, and it is true! I barely finger pressed the seams open then matched the block seams to one another. Because the rest of the block (other than the seam) had not been pressed, the fabric was much easier to manipulate and match the blocks, working with the fabric to get it to all fit together. Pressing the whole thing afterward wasn't all that difficult because this is a big patch lap top....it might get a little difficult doing that with other types of blocks. However, I was told this is also done on 4-patch, 9-patch, and other patches where matching corners is so important! Maybe my grandmother knew what she was doing after all - 'cause she never pressed as she was putting them together!
I took a short break from the quilt to watch a few videos on making coasters and then actually made one out of scrap fabric. I cut the squares 5"x5", turned the two outside fabrics face to face, then put the batting on the bottom of the "sandwich." It was a simple sewing around the thing leaving an opening to turn and being sure to turn between the two outer fabrics. then I edge stitched around it. I tried to do another stitch using the edge stitch as a guide with the presser foot but it looks like a drunk did it! But it will work out fine in our house! I think I'm going to zip up a few of these as gifts - I'll tie a ribbon around a stack of 4 and maybe slip a package of tea or something onto the ribbon before tying. Or maybe coffee, or something. would make a cute gift with a mug included...Dollar Tree anyone? Oh, I think next time I would make the squares at least 6"x6"...the 5"x5" when turned is ok, I just prefer coasters be a little bit larger.
I watched a second video on making coasters - these are a little bit more complex but not hard. when I have time I'm going to give those a try.
A girlfriend posted a picture on Facebook of something she found on the internet...doily cookies! These are made from the old sugar cookie recipe which is then rolled out to about 1/8" thick on parchment paper. Then the doily is rolled onto the dough, lifted carefully from the dough, any excess dough around the cookie "doily" is removed, then the cookie is placed on the cookie pan paper and all -- no trying to get the cookie lifted and placed on the pan. Bake the usual 8-10 minutes depending on the oven. For ours it is an exact 9 minutes. I can't wait to try these - they are so dang pretty. I've already bought cookie tins to make cookies to send to my kids for Christmas. I'll send that to Colorado the week before Christmas and to my Texas kids the week of Christmas.
Oh, I've been watching a lot of videos by a lady in the UK. Her name is Debbie Shore. She does a lot of cute things and she makes them look rally simple. I can't wait to make a bag for my granddaughters following her simple instructions - but the Crafty Gemini goes a bit further with them and I gain some tips from her to make the bag a bit better.
Gotta go - have many things to try!
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