Monday evening

This is the time of day I will usually come here to keep track of my progress (which is why I started this in the first place).

I sewed for four hours today. Not bad considering how I feel. If you had asked I would have said it was an hour or so. I want to clock it so I have a better idea how much time I spend sewing. It won't help with individual projects since I sew in batches though.

In the four hours I managed to finish the 20 "fancied 9-patch" blocks as well as two Midgets. In addition, I finished the remaining six tan/white 9-patches. I started a new SBS block but botched it (sewed the wrong side of the seam on eight segments in step 2) so I have to frog stitch while watching a movie with Rose tonight. The top I was putting together yesterday is much further along. I just have to stitch the last two borders on. They are already pinned so that will be done first thing when I sew tomorrow.

I hope the last three Churn Dash swap blocks arrive tomorrow so I can put that top together. If not I will begin putting the rows together of the "Fancied 9-Patch" quilt. I may have four or six more blocks to make but they work up very quickly and I can start on the first rows while stitching the remaining blocks. I haven't cut the 32 solid white blocks that form the outer frame either. That should go pretty quickly though too. Lastly, I will get back on that SBS block and begin another couple of Midgets. The Midgets are time consuming because I have to draft my own patterns. The pattern book is really just a set of line drawings. I have bought several patterns lately that you have to draft your own. I have no problem doing that but pretty much feel if I'm going to be drafting I may as well design my own quilt from scratch. That's what I've begun to do with my samplers. I have my next one all designed. I need to get some of these quilts with all the blocks made put together before I start it though!

Jess called and tomorrow she looks at a house that she may put a bid on. I'm so excited for her and Ivan. Their first house!

Well, I didn't go off to sew because I was prompted to add a profile. That was a bit of work and when I thought I was done it wasn't accepted because I was a tad too wordy......LOL. Just a tad, doncha know.

So... I cut it down to the bones for the profile and here is what I actually wrote. I'm a rule-breaker, yep.

I just turned 50 this June and as each new decade arrives I look forward to new beginnings. My current home is in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley in Northern Virginia, USA. When I moved here seven years ago I named the place "Mountain, Valley, River, Wood" and even wrote a poem about it. To get to my home you head toward the mountains to the valley, past the Shenandoah River and into the woods.... there you will find my humble ranch on 5 1/2 private acres. I love it here but will be moving on to Clarksville TN as soon as my house sells. There I will have a new beginning just as I did when I moved to Virginia from Massachusetts when I turned 40.

I have three children and one grandchild.... lucky me! My oldest daughter Jessica (27 in August) lives in TN with my grandson Isaiah. They are waiting for his daddy Ivan to return from Iraq. He is scheduled to be here for Isaiah's first birthday on August 20. Gabriel (21) is my second child and only son. He's a Marine stationed in Okinawa. We hope he'll be returning to the states this winter. The youngest is Rose (19). She still lives here at home with me but not for long. In just a few weeks she'll be heading to college at Austin Peay University in Clarksville TN. So... now you know why I'm moving. I'm going to be near my daughters and grandson. I just can't keep away!

That's it for my personal life and here's my pre-professional blurb...

Two years ago I discovered quilting. Now, it's not the first time I've sewed, mind you.... just when I started quilting. I grew up with a sewing machine, began sewing at age 6 and was making all my own clothes by age 12. In my teens I sewed professionally, making prom gowns as well as a bit of custom sewing. When I married I made prom gowns as well as wedding, Christening and bridesmaids gowns. I always loved the fancy stuff! Then there was a decades long break from sewing as I dealt with a difficult marriage and began raising my children alone when they were 1, 3 and 9. After arriving in Virginia I bought a Viking and attended the Martha Pullen School, learning to sew lace and fine fabrics. I am a licensed Martha Pullen fine machine sewing instructor and have taught fine hand embroidery as well. Making a quilt top using these methods led me to quilting.

For the past two years learning all I can about quilting has been my focus. To that end I participate in the Quilting Arts Forum on Delphi where I swap blocks as well as fabrics. I have learned just about all I know about quilting there. I am also a member of Jennifer Chiaverini's list for the Sylvia's Bridal Sampler. At 90+ blocks I have gained much experience in different techniques and learned about traditional blocks. I have also met quilters from around the world and have a quilt made with blocks from that site. Another web group I participate in is the Yahoo group "Cyber Quilters" and it's sister group "Cyber Quilters 4 C-Bees". Here I can check out links to blogs and web sites as well as participate in the weekly question named "Needle-Notes". My Midget Sampler came from a link in that group.

I said this was all "pre-professional" because once I sell my home I am going to buy a long-arm machine. For the past two years I have been making tops but not quilting them. Last year I completed 18 tops and this year so far I have completed 22 with five others very close to completion (three should finish in the next few days).

My long term goal is to combine lace work with quilting.

So... that's where I am at this point. And I really am going to go sew as soon as I call the doctor again and have some lunch.

Beginnings

Okay, so this is not the best day to start my blog. I seem to have the flu or some such pitiful illness that doesn't respond to OTC meds. Consequently the last four days have been miserable. I promise to write brighter posts in the future but the very reason I have the time for this is because I can't sit at the machine for my usual 5-10 hours.

Yesterday I did sew a bit. I've named this blog "Mixing it up with quilting" because that's exactly what I do. I never sit down to stitch one thing... it's always three or four or many.

I currently have 3 BOW as well as 3 BOM in progress. These are coming along a bit at a time by necessity. There are 7 WIP that are looking a bit long term (Okay, Okay... I know many of you would call these UFO's but I think that's such a negative term that I just don't go there.... besides... I never leave things unfinished for long). Besides the BOM, BOW and WIP's I am also working on a fancied up nine-patch quilt (my design) and a quilt from "101 Fabulous Rotary-Cut Quilts" by Judy Hopkins & Nancy J. Martin. Great book, great quilts and I've already picked out the one I'll make next. I also have a Churn Dash quilt with all the pieces made that is just waiting for three more swap blocks to arrive in the mail. They are overdue or I would have put that together yesterday.

So... yesterday this is what I did. I started (2) B&W Midget blocks and (20) Fancied nine-patches. I finished (6) white/tan nine-patches and worked on (6) others. I sashed (6) of the B&W Midgets from row 1 of the Midget quilt and put together three rows of the "Puss in the Corner II" quilt from "101 Fabulous Rotary-Cut Quilts". Oh.... and I made my BOW for the SBS sampler.

How long did I sew yesterday? I don't know...... until I felt faint....LOL. I suspect I will do that again today since the Dr hasn't called back to give me an appointment yet.

Once I figure this system out I will post links and pics as well as lists of my projects and patterns for my original quilts.

Off to sew.....

Joanie