I spoke too soon

I was bragging this morning about how well my Bailey was behaving.  Maybe we have finally become friends.  A whole quilt with done and the thread broke only once.  I only had to stop quilting when it was time to either advance the quilt on the frame, or put in a fresh bobbin.  Wow.

You guessed it.  I spoke too soon.  Another top has been loaded and there have been issues.  The first pass (row) went smoothly.  Then the second had issues.  And still has issues.  The question is do I give it a rest until tomorrow.  Or dig my heels in, get stubborn and keep at it.  Fortunately the decision was made by my leg. 

Standing for any length of time is still difficult.  Going for a walk on icy sidewalks didn't help.  So Bailey and I will say good night and I'll hopefully be in the quilting zone sometime tomorrow.  It's only February and the quilt doesn't have to be finished until June.  So no pressure.

I forgot to write about the hearts2hands Christmas project challenge.  Every month members are going to see if they can make a gift(s) for their family and friends.  That way we are not scrambling at the end of November and in December.  The Christmas quilt I posted at the beginning of the month is for this challenge.  January's project was fabric bowl holders.

While we all enjoy family dinners at the holidays, it's always a pain trying to pass around the hot bowls and casseroles.  These holders make it easy.  No more casseroles sliding around on a plate.  Or trying to pass along the pot holder along with the hot bowl.  These holders make it easy enough for even the kids to pass along the food.

Not part of the Christmas challenge, but working towards one of my 2017 goals (to get some of these tops quilted), despite Phileas' assistance I managed to get the last of the L Block quilts done!

Of course Phileas has now claimed it as his.

Sewing with feline assistance

DS's cats are getting more comfortable here.  Maybe too comfortable.  Phileas has decided that he should be in charge of the sewing room anytime someone is in there.  Unfortunately he feels like the higher he is the better job he can do of supervising.  And he's not above making his own bed.

Like jumping up to the top of the closet, shredding the plastic bags that hold batting and then attempting to shred the bat into a mass that he finds the most comfortable.  Of course it's easier to get up there than to get down - gracefully.  So an entire shelf of quilting supplies will shower down along with the jumping cat.  Fortunately my light box stayed put.  That would have been an expensive item to replace.

Even with his assistance, I managed to get the October border on a quilt project I had totally forgotten about.   January 2016 I had made a centre for a new quilt.  The idea was that every month until December 2016, I would add a border.  Well October's border has been added.  I'll probably stop at November and consider the binding (after I eventually get the top quilted) as being the last colour to be added.

This quilt will definitely have pleats and puckers.  It is not laying flat.  And I am sure it's not all Phileas's re-arrangement that is the cause.  Oh well.  Someone will like it.

While trying to find something in the mess I call my sewing room, I came across a Christmas table runner top.  It is now finished and has been added to the Christmas project bag along with the large serving bowl covers I made in January.

I ended up using the back side of the black fabric with gold holly leaves for the binding.  The right side was too much "in your face" as can be seen in the strip beside the quilt.