Saturday, August 16, 2008

I Went Shopping....

Yes... I left "the homestead" and went shopping! Straight to the fabric store as usual. My boxy star quilt top needs to be finished and I just haven't been satisfied with any of the fabrics I have here...so, darn....this means a trip to the fabric store. This is "a few" of my selections. The orange is for an "Orange Crush" quilt I hope to do soon. I also selected alot of lights and neutrals of which I had very little of in my stash. The fabric I ended up selecting for the Boxy Star quilt will NOT be what I will be using after all. The lady in the quilt store was nice and tried to be helpful, but someone else can't select for you or see what you have in your mind. After I got home and layed it out I knew it wasn't right ( I really knew it when I bought it ). I've since figured it out BUT as usual I don't have enough of the color...so back to the fabric store I go. The closest store for me is 45 miles away....so this can be a chore everytime you need something!

Here is the startings of my new project. This particular quilt was hung up in the quilt shop and I was just really taken by it. So happens they had one kit left. I'm not much on buying kits. I usually just do my own thing, but I thought this would be a nice change. It was already to go...pattern and fat quarters....no decisions on my part, and since we have been having thunderstorms off and on and I keep unplugging my machine I have been cutting away at all of these pieces and parts and parts and pieces. I have never really stopped to think of how many pieces there are in a quilt, but I was amazed that I've cut 500 so far! WOW!

Here are a couple of the squares I managed to get sewed up between thunderstorms. They are large squares-16 inch. Sews up pretty fast too! This design is out of the Quiltmaker magazine, I think in 2006......it's older.....but that's about par for me. I'm always a little behind and trying to catch up, but you know what....who cares.....I'm not running a race with anyone ( well maybe with Nanette - I swear she is running a quilting sweat shop - that gal can turn 'em out ).

Yes and I am following Bonnie and Tonya's suggestions about scooting over another 1/4 seam and stitching again and then cutting between the seams and saving what you cut off to use in another project. By doing this you are sewing two projects at the same time. I'm gaining 16 extra little squares from each large square I sew on my main project. I feel very efficient when I do this. A great tip! Oh and before I forget go by and visit at Fran's blog. She is a newbie AND an excellent quilter!

I see that the horizon is getting dark and looming with more thunderstorms coming. We are soooo thankful for the much needed 2 inches we got last night. Hubby is so excited to get to cut off the costly irrigation wells on the crops. You gals would faint if you knew how much our electric and gas bills were each month to run these well motors.....try 1200.00 A DAY!!!! You do the math!! Just think what I could do with that in the quilt shop!!!

I'm gonna go now and try to get some more squares sewed up before the lightning starts again!!!
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8 comments:

  1. I like that orange fabric, you never know when the day comes when you must have some! Lovely quilt that you are making. And we are always praying for rain, when we need it!

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  2. I loved hearing what life is like for you in Texas. A 45 minute drive to a quilt shop? Wow. Do you order a lot of things on line? Your quilt is coming along beautifully!

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  3. I've got fabric envy' Belinda. Your new fabrics are beautiful, and so is your square. One of these days, (but with all I've got to do I don't know when that day will come),I will try my hand at a 16" square. Seems to me that it would sew up a quilt really quickly.
    About that 45 minute drive... other than the few selections at Wal-mart I've got to go to Strathford which is at least an hour away or to London which is an hour and a half away. So I know what you mean. Whenever I make the trip (it's a day trip by the way) I always make sure to make it worth my while.
    No way am I going to spend all that money in gas and my time for 2 yds of fabric. When I tell my hubby that I'm doing a fabric run he winces.The last one cost me well over $200.00 But I guess you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs so they say.

    About your energy bills...WOW!!! I sure don't envy you. No wonder the rain is a blessing for you. I'd gladly unplug a few things every day to save a few bucks. Take care, and thanks for the mention of my new blog.

    Till next time...~~Fran :c)

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  4. I'm howling with laughter. ha ha. My daughter Natalie always tells me I should get the younger kids sewing their little fingers off. Its kind of a family joke. My husband has been telling me I sew too much. I'm sure he's right!

    Love your new quilt. Its kind of pineappleish. I've always wanted to make one like that. I'm not great with points though. Yours look really good.

    Thats a long ride to the quilt store. Wow. Even with as close as I am sometimes I buy online because I don't have time to shop if I know exactly what I want. However, I drove about 5 minutes from my house the other day and a new shopping center is opening up (rare for us, I live kind of out of the way too, or at least it used to be) and there is a sign in one of the windows - A NEW QUILT SHOP! Seriously 5 minutes from me. I smell trouble. My husband will realllly start to complain I'm afraid.

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  5. Great selection of fabrics....love the blocks - Can't wait to see them together.

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  6. Hia Belinda, huge sympathies with the storms. We used to have a lot of power outs when we lived in the middle of nowhere on a farm. A friend even had his computer burned out as he didn't have a surge protector for it and he left it plugged in.

    What lovely looking fabrics. Is there a name for the type of block you're working on? Having done a little proper patchwork on the Autumn Quilt I'm anxious to do more as soon as these current 2 quilts are finished.

    Hope you're ok through the storms.

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  7. Belinda, I love your new squares. The fabrics are beautiful.

    I too love the slice of life you give of Texas life on the farm. My mom had a huge pecan orchard in a remote part of AZ for years and I can definately relate.

    I, however, am living in the city, in the Great Pacific Northwest. Where rain come in abundance and the sun is a slippery fish!

    Keep quiltin' and keep sharing your wonderful stories! love 'em all!

    Cheers,
    Dionne

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  8. Your rain has hit us in East TX. Been raining off and on for 4 days and suppose to continue for 2 more. Love the fabric..it looks so English (like a flower garden) Looked back on old post and just fell in love with your cross stitch. Have done a few difficult ones in my time also. Just not enough time in life to do everything you want.

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