Framing

I picked up 2 framed cross stitched projects today.  One of them was a Mill Hill kit that I started last spring when the quilt shop was slow.

 This little kit took me a surprisingly long time to do, probably a combination of the subtle shading (which doesn't show up in the picture), the solid background and the black beads interspersed with the cross stitches in the pumpkin (they don't show up well in the picture either).  I'm just glad this one is done!  My framer showed me different mats for the pumpkin, but we agreed that a simple treatment looked best.

The next one is a Round Robin that I estimate is 14 years old.

I am glad to have this one framed because I want to preserve it, but I don't really have a place in my house for it.  I don't do a lot of seasonal decorating other than Halloween.  I may give this to someone for Christmas.  My husband said he liked it. I asked him if that meant I should keep it or could I  give it away, and he said that he knew there was a right answer to that question and walked away without giving his opinion.

Design Wall Monday: Still Falling Stars

The same old quilt, Falling Stars is on my design wall, but today I get to report that all the blocks are done.  I just need to sew them together.

I also started working on a turkey pillow called Gobble It Up by Kristina Brinkerhoff of Center Street Quilts.  I found the pattern in the fall issue of Quilts & More.  I'm using all scraps from Witch's Night Out, except for the light brown.  I have a lot more done on him, but his feathers are still on the ironing board waiting to be pressed.

I am not sure how I'm going to get the pillowtop quilted since my walking food disappeared almost 2 years ago.  I had it with me at a class and know it came home with me.  I remember seeing it.  I suspect it has fallen into one of my many scrap bins and gotten buried in it.  The walking foot is for a Bernina machine that is over 25 years old and cost me about $130 when I bought it.  I don't want to have to spend that kind of money on a foot I rarely use.  It seems silly to get one of my longarmers to quilt an 18" pillowtop, but it would be less expensive to do that than to  buy another walking foot.  

Linking up:https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/2019/10/design-wall-monday-october-7-2019.html

One Monthly Goal, October

I know you are supposed to chose ONE goal for OMG, so my goal is to finish all my binding, which right now is 2 quilt's worth.

Fish Hope came back from the longarmer sometime in July.  Two months later, it still needs a binding.

I don't even know how long Summer Stars on Fawn Lake has been waiting to be bound. I finished the top in February.

Neither one of these quilts should take that long to bind, since I'm going to do them both by machine, but I'm afraid if I don't publicly commit, they might never get finished.

Linking Up: https://www.elmstreetquilts.com/2019/10/one-monthly-goal-october-link-up.html

Design Wall Monday: Falling Stars

I don't buy many quilt books, but about 6 weeks ago, I bought Kim Brackett's Scrap-Basket Bounty.  My favorite quilt in the book is called Falling Stars.  I worked on it while I was also working on Witch's Night Out.  Here's how far I am:

The quilt in the book is only 48" x 64".  That isn't big enough for my husband.  He wants a couch quilt that is big enough to cover up from his neck to his toes.  Mine will be 80" x 64".  I am really enjoying making this quilt!

Falling Stars in my latest attempt at using up my batik scraps.  I made Jo Kramer's  On the Bright Side last year:

 In 2017, I made Arrow Point Path:

And last month I started another Sew Many Scraps, this time in batiks.

For all of these quilts, I had to buy light batiks, so I would have some contrast.  All of the medium and darks were pulled from my stash, and believe it or not, I could still  make a couple more quilts with my batik scraps.

Linking up:https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/2019/09/design-wall-monday-september-30-2019.html

Stash Report:                                                                                                                                       

Used this week: 0 yards

Used year to date: 109.375 yards

Added this week:  6.25 yards (WNO backing/binding, neutral FQs, turkey fabric)

Added year to date: 119.375 yards

Net Added: 10.00 yards

Witch's Night Out Quilt Top Done

Witch's Night Out by It's Sew Emma was my September One Monthly Goal.  I have been working on this quilt all month, and today I put on the last border.

I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, but I wish I had used something more interesting as the background.  I think I will like it better once it is quilted.  This quilt is 57 1/2" x 64 1/2".


https://www.elmstreetquilts.com/2019/09/one-monthly-goal-september-finish-link.html


Stash Report:

Used this week:  3 yards (WNO top)

Used year to date: 109.375 yards

Added this week:  1.5 yards (neutral FQs)

Added year to date: 113.125 yards

Net Added: 3.75 yards

One Monthly Goal, September

My one monthly goal for September is finishing Witch's Night Out.  I have about half of the blocks done already.  I was doing it along with Pat Sloan's block of the week, but I got behind.  This is what it looks like now:

I simplified these pumpkins.  They had a square in a square in the middle of the star which made for some very bulky seams.  I like my version just as well as the original.

If I had it to do over, I would make the cat the same fabric as the tail.  I love the swirls in the black fabric and how they look like fur.

I would also make the bottom of the broom jagged, to make it look like a ragged witch's broom.

I won't change any of the blocks now.  I am not a perfectionist, but if I were to make it again, I would do these two things a little differently.

Linking up:  https://www.elmstreetquilts.com/2019/09/one-monthly-goal-september-link-up.html

Piqray

My cancer has not responded to the oral chemo that I've been on for the last year.  This week I will start a new one called Piqray.  This drug was just approved in May of this year, so it has been a challenge to get my insurance company up to speed.  First they didn't want to pay for the gene test, then they denied drug coverage. It all eventually go straightened out, but in the meantime, I've been off chemo for three weeks.  The doctor's office just called to let me know I've been approved to try the drug.  

According to the website, Piqray has a number of unpleasant side effects:

• Severe allergic reactions: Tell your health care provider or get medical help right away if you have trouble breathing, flushing, rash, fever, or fast heart rate during treatment with PIQRAY
• Severe skin reactions: Tell your health care provider or get medical help right away if you get severe rash or rash that keeps getting worse, reddened skin, flu-like symptoms, blistering of the lips, eyes or mouth, blisters on the skin or skin peeling, with or without fever
• High blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia): Hyperglycemia is common with PIQRAY and can be severe. Your health care provider will monitor your blood sugar levels before you start and during treatment with PIQRAY. Your health care provider may monitor your blood sugar levels more often if you have a history of Type 2 diabetes. Tell your health care provider right away if you develop symptoms of hyperglycemia, including excessive thirst, dry mouth, urinate more often than usual or have a higher amount of urine than normal, or increased appetite with weight loss
• Lung problems (pneumonitis): Tell your health care provider right away if you develop new or worsening symptoms of lung problems, including shortness of breath or trouble breathing, cough, or chest pain
• Diarrhea: Diarrhea is common with PIQRAY and can be severe. Severe diarrhea can lead to the loss of too much body water (dehydration) and kidney problems. If you develop diarrhea during treatment with PIQRAY, tell your health care provider right away. Your health care provider may tell you to drink more fluids or take medicines to treat diarrhea

I hope this drug works for me!