Episode 106: I’m Back!

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Didn’t mean to take such a long break, but that’s how it goes around the holidays. I did finish the Golden Quilt, and here it is in all its glory:

kimchristmasquilt2012[1]Can you see where the blue got on the gold fabric? I can’t in this picture, but I could in real life. Still, the quilt turned out fine, and my SIL loved it. Cheers!

 

0 Replies to “Episode 106: I’m Back!”

  1. Such a yummy quilt. The quilting in the middle is so crinkly and comfy looking. It makes the quilt better than before it was quilted. Isn’t it a surprise when that happens? Maybe not for you but I find it such a shock when it actually looks better after quilting. Now off to listen to your podcast. Woo Hoo!!!

  2. Having trouble getting my comments to post apparently have to be sign in on word press to post.

    Love your quilting on GOLDEN QUILT…. very nice. I have been taking FMQ classes on CRAFTSY and enjoying them. I have taken several of them. I loved Angela Walters class on MODERN FM- QUILTING. I loved her class and felt I learned the most… a lot of sketching … Angela uses a long arm but I have been doing hers stuff on my own quilt patterns. I think she is your style of quilting.

    Magazines: I tear out the patterns I want. My GFs then goes through it then after only ads left we toss it. All my patterns are stored in ring binders. I go through them for inspiration on a regular basis. I have stopped buying / subscribing magazines except from the quilt guild, where I get for a quarter.

    Toys: I bought tons of toys for GdS and YES they get all over the place. I put bunches away for a while then take them out again later. It is like he has new toys when I bring them out. Whenever he goes to his daddy’s for the weekend I hide his toys till the next time; then switch them out. We tried trading with his cousin but that did not work out well.

    I still use a Christmas Club account at the bank. That gives me cash to buy presents in November.

    Oh by the way… every-time your food timer went off in your pdC I thought my roast was done. Thank you cause I got my potatoes into the oven on time.

    De-Cluttering: I have tried to de clutter for 50 years and have not made it yet. I think I will try de cluttering with you tell us of your progress.

    Nonnie
    .
    .

  3. Welcome back and Happy New Year! Love your quilt. Very nice pattern and the colors are great. Work on my house is going slow due to the holidays, but is about to pick up in the next week – stone mason will begin tomorrow followed by the metal roof and then the Sheetrock crew due in to start after that. Am picking countertops, tile, and paint colors now too. Quiltywise I am working on an Irish chain pattern for our bed. I have pieced the blocks and squaring them up now. Hopefully I will finish it before the house is done. This will be my first king-sized quilt. I always wash my quilts the first few times using a Color Catcher sheet that I buy at the grocery store or Wal-Mart. They do pick up errant little dye colors that are eager for mischief, but a little color run also adds character.

  4. SO good to have you back. You were missed here too. 🙂
    Regarding magazines…if you saved them or saved pages from them, how would you find those articles a year from now? I tried saving magazine articles but when I wanted to find a pattern, I would find myself taking a long time to sort through all that I saved. It IS hard to purge magazines, but I make myself do that and so far have never wanted to go back to get an old issue.
    One thing you might try is to scan patterns, projects, or articles into your computer. Make a QUILTING folder and have it divided up into sections that would make it easier to find what you want. Then the paper parts can be tossed or gifted or donated without missing pages. Be sure to name and date your scans too. There are many ways to think about how to organize such things.

    On decluttering, I said to you as I listened, “Oh Frances, you are making a lot of work for yourself to eBay those items.” Be careful to not fall into the trap of spending more time trying to sell off small stuff than it is worth. YOUR time has value too! That and shipping is horribly expensive these days.

    I had gone to a couple estate sales this past fall. These are the ones that are in people’s houses with all their belongings out on counters or beds, etc. It is creepy to go through someone’s house to pick through their stuff. I often wonder, “Why doesn’t a family member want to keep this?” So, when going through your house, think to yourself, “What would happen if I were not here? Would any family member want this? Does this have value and does my family KNOW it is valuable?” If you look at ‘things’ as if they were someone elses, you might be able to let go easier.

    This has been an issue for me and I don’t know how much it is for you. But seeing things through the eyes of another, really is helping me to finally let go! I have freecycled things, donated to thrift stores, or shipped to my older kids or to a friend, in order to get something out of the house.

    One quick example…I came across one of my Dad’s old hankies. It was so old that it was threadbare and had a small hole in it. Why did I have it? One reason was because my sister had boxes of things left over from when my folks passed away. Several years later, she was finally bringing HERSELF to go through these things and could not part with items, but she could send them to me to keep or get rid of. Of course I want to keep everything! Another reason for the old worn hanky to be kept is that is how my Mom taught us girls how to iron. We ironed Dad’s handkerchiefs! So when I came across these this week, as I was trying to purge a few things, I actually shed a tear at the thought of getting rid of this handkerchief. But I had others (of his) that were in great shape!!! I DID manage to let the worn out one go…but it wasn’t easy. Am I a silly sentimental old lady or what?

    I don’t know where I am going with all this. I guess I am just tossing in my thoughts into the mix here. Good luck on the organizing! I am still doing that here today too. 🙂

    And Frances, I never did hear back…DID I mail you a snail mail letter? I am not asking for you to send a letter back, but if I DID mail one to you, I need to know so I can add it to my 100 Letters Challenge tally. My brain won’t let me know if I actually sent one to you or dreamed I had! lol 🙂

  5. I love the quilt Frances, sorry I haven’t commented in a while but it has been cold here in Oklahoma as well. The whole time while we were off for Christmas I got the stomach flu the with in second day the kids where home. Then my mom got sick with a staph infection and was put in the hospital until after Christmas. After she got out I came down with the flu and I’m just know getting better. I finally got to quilt the other day for the first time in a week in a half. By the way, love the quilt and the chose of colors I would have never thought about putting the blue with all of the other colors. I have had braces before and it was well worth it.

  6. The Golden Quilt looks great! I love the movement of the red and blue diagonals. The swirls are nice, I often use something with curves when the pieces are all straight. If you need to fill out a border design, one way is to echo the main design, even adding some small swirls if needed. My 2013 goal is a bit frugal too – to try and use some of the patterns or rulers that I’ve already purchased but haven’t used yet. Happy New Year!

  7. Love the Golden Quilt! It looks so rich and warm. I think you did a great job on the quilting, and I cannot see the bleeding at all.

    I finally stopped all of my magazine subscriptions a few years ago when they were piling up without any projects being made. I was enjoying the articles and eye candy, but I can get so much of that online without the clutter in my house. I haven’t missed them a bit.

  8. Re de-cluttering: I tried to do a “forty bags in forty days” thing this past spring. This is a game in which you try to take a bag of stuff out of your house every day for forty days. Even though I only did about 5 days, it was a good thing.

    PS Frances, I sent you an email with link to a video. Did you get it?

    JoniMarie

  9. Hi Frances,
    So glad you are back. I love your podcasts and missed your voice and wonderful manner terribly. The Golden Quilt is GREAT. It looks a lot like the Stepping Stones quilt I made last year.

    I have a way to save you Christmas money. Initially, it probably won’t because you will have to buy fabric and ribbon, but after that you will save money and time become less crazy. My solution: gift bags. My whole family uses fabric gift bags to wrap gifts. They are fast to make, a good way to learn about the stitches on your machine and fun to use. I love seeing fabrics I bought a few years ago. they make the space under the tree look very cheerful and require NO tape, NO ribbon, NO wrapping paper. They are reusable, so are very eco-friendly. Check out my tutorial/guidelines at:http://artquiltmaker.com/blog/2009/10/gift-bags-return/

  10. Glad you are back, Frances. Hope your Christmas was fun! I, too, have missed you and will listen to your podcast tonight.

    Gayle

  11. I love to get rid of stuff – I need to do it more often. I bring stuff to the local thrift shop – it supports the Massachusetts chapter of the ASPCA. I bring quilty stuff to my quilt guild meetings for the “free table.” And I participate in my town’s Freecycle.org online group. In some ways, Freecycle is the easiest because I just put the item on my front steps and someone comes and takes it away!

  12. Ooh – I love the Golden Quilt, too. I bet those spots wash-out when it is washed again. Hearing you talk about braces brought back many “painful” memories from my childhood braces days. I wonder if it hurts less now or if you are better with pain than me. If I smell the soap smell from the hands of the technicians from those days – powdery sweet detergent smell – my teeth tingle. It is like, Get Ready, Pain Ahead.

    I think weather is so relative to where you live. It is going to be “really” cold here this week in L.A. which is normal for you in your part of the country in winter. I know East Coasters laugh at people from L.A. in their hats and scarves. When I was in Pearl Harbor last week it was in the low 70’s and our guide was laughing at the locals putting on their winter gear while the non-locals were in tee shirts.

    It was a treat to hear your voice this morning. Glad the holidays are over and glad you are back, too!

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