Finally Friday - May is half over

Some weeks have so many events to attend.

I am glad it's Friday! 

This quilt is so wide!

It barely fits on "Betsy".

97" x 107"

After running lots of errands and making a couple visits, I get to stay home.

I only wish I  had bought that ticket to Kansas City, Missouri.

#missingmarket

It's filling my Instagram feed.

Lots of exciting new things coming for my 

BLUE -loving Quilty friends from Olfa.

I got a sneak peek email. 

It rained on Wednesday.

1 game was delayed and 1 was postponed 

I stayed home and made Cookies.

National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day!

I shared some at the game.

I got a message that my grandson's team was winning!!

I  had to drive the Truck,  lol.

More rain is forecasted.

We'll see if the postponed game happens. 

Meanwhile it will be a Great quilting day.

"Betsy" is Back in Working order!

It only took a few months and waiting for the new Encoder to arrive.

Now 2 very old UFO's are DONE.

The 1st thing was to finish up the Bow Tie L/E from 2011 that was on the last 2 passes.
It's been on the frame since November 18, 2015

YEA!! it's off and ready for the binding.

The grandchildren can play "I Spy" with this one.

I love seeing the sun shining through the back so I can see the swirls!

Next on the table is a long awaited Mariner's Compass that I promised to get finished.
It's been waiting since November 2012 HERE  when I made the Center.

And it's OFF THE TABLE before bedtime!

Pictured on the Living room Floor because it's dark outside.

The Back- love the texture!

And a Close-up!

NOW I can get my Class samples done and feel really good. 
 Finishes do that to me.

They make me SEW Happy!!!

What to do with a finicky machine...

Betsy is giving me FITS again today!  

No Pressure or anything else happening in my world.

It's my first day I could devote to just staying home and 

quilting on a deadline project that isn't for myself.

This is why I DON'T Quit for others.

When the machine isn't working I can't help that. 

It is supposed to be FIXED!

After playing with Betsy for a couple hours this AM I had to make the dreaded call to my LQS.

 Betsy stitches perfectly in horizontal straight lines.

If I tried to go Vertical, no stitches.

I used two pieces of scrap fabric to test her out at first.
 Don't want any extra oil on my real quilts.

I tried to finish my Bow Tie Quilt just to make sure it's good to quilt my SIL's friends quilt.

It stitched the pattern with a couple Y Errors and skipped stitches across the center of the design.

See those big stitches?


So I tried a different pattern in a separate pattern box on the borders area.
I just ordered this Funky Fan pattern from Intelligent quilting.
I made it really small just to fit in the space.

I really feel for the guy that bought the LQS!
He's trying so hard to get me up and going.
2 House calls and Betsy is still not right.
I am not a patient person in the first place so this is a REAL frustration to me.
Sorry for the VENTING!  I had to write it down.

I didn't get a CALL from APQS...I wonder who did?
 I really need some good news right now!

I've turned off the comments for this post!

Design Wall Monday- It's a Prize Winning Quilt -July 27, 2015

This quilt was started after my Road Trip to Portland, Or and Vancouver, Wa with DD#2 July 6th.

I collected my Row in Hermiston, Or on July 9th 

I had to get the 2 Rows from Tri-Cities next on the 10th.

As winners were announced at shops in the Tri-cites, I realized I needed to get some more ROWS.

 I had a lot of Fish, and Paper pieced row patterns.

July 16th, I drove myself to get Rows in Pomeroy, Wa & Lewiston, Idaho.

I would have gone on to Orofino and Colfax to get their License Plates but

 I couldn't get there before closing.

I really had enough rows to make my quilt.  

BUT- I still wanted a few more rows for variety.

DD#1 was willing to drive me further north and west to Prosser &Yakima, Wa  July 17.

I bought 2 of the Row Kits and came home to sew them up.

You have seen them laying on the floor as I tried to get the best placement of the rows.

Thanks for cheering me on!

 BIG THANKS to my Daughters who drove me around to collect rows!

They are so nice to enable my Quilting habit! 

I got the center together and found the Border Fabric at STASH, used my STASH CASH to buy it.

Wednesday, after going to 4-H Quilt Camp 3 days, I decided it was 'get-it-done' time!

I got the last 2 borders on and stitched around the Applique parts- that took about 4 hours.

Took a "Sweets baseball Game" break and came home to finish it.

I sewed the backing and loaded it on "BETSY".

I had planned to load it sideways but instead I had to make more passes.

I chose the 'Bubbles and Vines' pattern on my Quilt-so-Clever and started quilting.

6 rows of quilting across the space,  I noticed that my backing was too short.

I needed to take it off and add some fabric to make it long enough. UGGGG

I thought, well...I am almost done and if I re-load it- bottom at the top it will be easier to quilt.

Yep it was, should have flipped the pattern so it wasn't up-side-down.  Oh well!

8 Rows  at 10" per pass with 4 repeats of the pattern.

This pattern worked perfectly, spacing was the best I've ever done!

Bubbles & Vines

It was taken off the frame around 3:30 am and I made and attached the binding .

DH had a Training in Tri-cities Thursday, I thought I could deliver it while he was busy there---

 alas, after quilting and staying up all night, it wasn't to be...

 Between naps Thursday, I got the binding stitched down and signed the label.

Whew!!! Finished and Hung outside.

Quilt Stats:

60"x 85"

Warm & Natural Batting

Quilting Pattern "Bubbles & Vines"

Pieced, Appliqued and Quilted by Mary A. Crowther

on Viking Mega Quilter with Quilt Sew Clever "Betsy"

Started sewing- July 10, 2015

Finished July 23, 2015

The backing is Quilters Shades from my Hancock Fabric days.

The 1st picture shows the true color- 2nd picture without flash shows the quilting.

Delivered to Prosser July 25, 2015

Here I am with the Sewing Basket Owner, Marilyn

I hadn't seen any pictures including the Shop Owner in them. Paul was there to hold the Quilt up.

The wind was blowing so Marilyn and I had to hold the quilt sides & I had to hold my hair.

DH says "It's hard being married to the Winner"

See his hands holding it up there for all the pictures...
Behind every Great Quilter- is a tall guy holding up the quilt. LOL

I had to post a picture where the full quilt showed.

No place to hold it up inside the shop.

So we took these pictures outside by her sign and pretty flowers.

There isn't a wall space to hang it in The Sewing Basket, so I got to bring it home.

We stopped by Quiltmania so I could show them my finished quilt.

I had promised them to bring my quilt to them, but somebody beat me there.

We got home and I had to finally get a good Nap under it!

EDITED to add: I forgot to post the picture of my Goodies!
Thanks for the reminder Janet O.
I got this yummy stack of FQ's- NO BATIKS!
A fun 9 Patch Quilt book,
1of the most Coveted Sewing Basket Bags
& a gift Certificate to spend at our Quilt show in September.

I still have a few more rows and Fabric License Plates coming from friends.
So there will be another "Water" Themed row quilt.

Linking up HERE with Judy L.

It's Ready for Binding- YAHOO!!!

I'm doing the HAPPY DANCE Tonight!  

 The Green and Purple gigantic quilt came off the Quilting table today.

 Just in time for me to quilt & finish a Challenge quilt (that will be shown later).

Here it is on the table.

"Bouquet of Friendship"

Original Layout design (c) by Lynn Wilson & Mary Crowther

I have to give some STATS!

7 yards Light Green

3.5 yards dark green

3.5 yards Light & Dark Purple (approx)  Thread & Bolts - Jackie Robinson's "Roses"

2.5 yds 108" Green Backing (Sew n Vac)
2.5 yards 124" Warm & Natural batting (JoAnn's)

Quilting Pattern "Feather Ramble" by Celine Spader for Intelligent Quilting

1 week on the frame.

6 spools of Green house (verigated) Signature Thread (5-Thread & Bolts,  1-Kissed quilts)

14 Bobbins- 12 passes plus 5"

It isn't perfectly spaced but I am getting better, thus the 5" part. :(

Started the project May 30, 2014

Top completed August 9, 2014

Finished Sept 24, 2014 (except binding)

Size 106"x 99"

 Extra Wide Borders to make it big enough.

I will have to spend a few evenings hand stitching the binding down.

I'm going to use the green from the backing, I think.

YAHOO!!! "Betsy" the Viking- finished a big Quilt

I'm jumping for JOY today!  "Betsy" is FIXED!  There was a big Wad of thread stuck in behind the bobbin case that finally got removed yesterday.  I was so excited to get my "Somewhere In Time" off the frame. I had to take a picture and post it to Facebook.  My Facebook friends have been very supportive in my trials with getting her working right- as have my Blogger friends.  Thanks!

The first quilting on "Somewhere in Time" [Jessica Schick- Leaves Panto 16]  Green backing fabric.

Close-up of quilting below...

TA-DA!!!

 I can hardly believe it's finished. If I can get one quilt quilted every week 

I will be caught up in about 3 months I bet. 

LONG week of frustration...trying to play the GLAD game

I've had the Viking "Betsy" in the house for a week now.  I quilted the little pink mini quilt and am not totally pleased with it but it will do for a dolly quilt in Grandma's toy box. 

I loaded a new quilt on to quilt it this week.  I chose my "Somewhere in Time".

 I want to quilt my "Celtic Christmas Solstice" and this one is close to the same so I could 

"test" a pattern and spacing on it.

I chose this Leaf Panto and set it to repeat about 10 times.  

I had to call and ask Terri how to get the pattern to connect continuously across. 

I went to reset the machine to start and the bobbin thread wouldn't come up right. 

The thread is catching up behind the bobbin case. UGGGG

 I called and went down to the store to ask about a "housecall" so I don't have to take it apart.  

I'm playing the waiting game now.  

I decided to play with my Stitching and got my 23 'honeycomb' blocks made for the Quilty Fun SAL.

That meant cutting 92 1 1/2" squares for all the flippy corners.

 As often happens - my SEWING and Quilting time is slightly and pleasantly interrupted by choice

 "Family Moments"

 These two handsome Young Men got to go to the Temple with their Ward. 

It was Seth's first time since turning 12.

They did the 20 family names that DH has found.

It was an honor to be able to be there with them.

I woke up this morning to call into the Radio Station for a Birthday grandson turning 6 in Richland.

He didn't win a cake but I hear he's having a party today with his friends.

I looked outside and saw big fluffy flakes falling on my house and sidewalks. 

Did the Birthday boy order this?

Well, the waiting continues and tomorrow is another day...

Thanks everyone for the suggestions on which quilt to put on "Betsy" and offers to take some of my scraps off my hands.  I'll be sending some to Dianne H. soon.