Starting with mistakes

So much for thinking I know what I am doing. Maybe it is because I have looked at too many tutorials lately - yes that must be it. I saw this tutorial by Natalia at Piece N Quilt and thought it would be perfect for the little Chargers quilt I am making for a nephew coming into the world in the next couple weeks. 

I pre-washed my fabric (which I never do) and cut it up last weekend. I have been anxious to start piecing, but had to get another project done first. (I had purple thread that was not going to work with my white quilt squares. I made curtains from sheets. It was a very forgiving project.)

So I started out. I thought to myself, pieces of the same size go together and the larger ones on the sides. After piecing 16 sets of squares ...and pressing them... I thought I better look at the tutorial. I was thinking it was important which color went on what side... 

Here is the picture from Natalia's tutorial...

Do you see that? Squares and rectangles together! Not squares and squares. The first step and I mess up! I really don't want to rip up all those...

I have extra fabric and so I am thinking I might just cut more pieces. I was already planning on making a top and bottom border and maybe it will work into that. A stripe on the back would be fun, but I was going to use flannel so I am not so sure. 

This Apple Crate quilt from Moda Bake Shop must have been what I had in mind when I thought longer pieces went on the sides. Sheesh.

...afterthought: here are my squares.

Waiting

We decided to move from a one-bedroom apartment to a two-bedroom townhouse. We are very excited that the place is two-stories and so we will not have any neighbors above us. Unlike my last move, this one was well planned in advanced. We looked at all our possibilities and then made our choice. (Oh, we also will have our own washer and dryer. I can do small loads and wash my fabric and quilts!) We looked at this place from the start and then compared other places to it. So we've pretty much been decided on it for a while.  We put in our 30 day notice, more than 30 days in advance... maybe that's the problem.

I started packing right away. But only pieces since I still needed things. It's (finally) next Saturday that we get our key. So I still have boxes filled and boxes flat. Packing material. Random things here and there. The place is a mess. We are both feeling like moving day will never come.

Another twist - we didn't know I didn't realize the move was going to be when I was in Chicago for a work conference. So I pack all the boxes, fly away, and then my husband and his brothers move everything, and then I return - to a new home. All I will do is clean the old place and start unpacking at the new. As much as I dislike the cleaning, it won't be so bad since I didn't do all the work to move. And then I will set up the 2nd room as my sewing room. Thankfully the husband doesn't seem to mind that I have more or less just claimed that room. I can't wait. I am going nuts with my sewing machine tucked away in the corner with stacks of boxes in front of it. Until then... more packing.

Food?

I have noticed a lot of food on the blogs I watch recently. So I thought I would join in the fun. I made this soup Sunday and devoured a bowl last night. I'm thinking I should write it down in case I want to make it again.

I had a few leftover items from other meals, so they went into this soup in my effort not to be wasteful.

Jenn's Enchilada Soup
1 generous cup enchilada sauce (leftover item)
1 box chicken broth
1 can corn, drained
1 large can green chilis
14 oz crushed tomatoes (leftover item)
1 can tomatoes (I got Mexican stewed)
pinto beans covered in leftover enchilada sauce.(pinto beans were previous drained & rinsed)
1 can chili beans, un-drained (if I didn't have the pintos, I would use 2 cans of these)
Most of a roasted chicken
1 tsp cumin (taste and adjust as needed)
S&P to taste


I pulled apart the chicken meat with my hands (did you know I used to be vegetarian? Meaty fingers is kind of a big deal for me.) I left the chicken chunky and in long-ish pieces. (And do I need to even say - remove skin, as much slimy fat and any veins you run into.)  Mix all ingredients together in big pot on stove. My tomatoes were too big for my taste, so I broke them up. Heat... we didn't get to eat it until a day later. So, in that case, reheat. (I think leaving it to sit and blend favors was a great ...um... idea).
I served it with a generous drizzle of Mexican Crema (like a thin and not sour, sour cream) and pile of Queso Fresca crumbles. Then garnished with cilantro.  I served it along side a pile of Tostitos Scoops. It looked pretty.

Mmm, Soup!

I used the spoon to stir it all up and for the last two bites. Other than that, I ate it with the scoops. It was fun - like a bunch of minature bowls of soup. The occassional bite of cilantro was a fresh and tasty pop of flavor. I will use more "garnish" on my next bowl.

A unlikely find

Anomaly # 1. I went to Walmart instead of Target.
Anomaly #2. I found myself checking out the fabric there.

I was looking for a patch for my husband's pants. He has holes in both knees from reaching the bottom shelves of chips. (He stocks the grocery stores for Frito-Lay.) So as I was wandering around looking for a patch, I found a couple of things.
First, and most exciting, they had Brother bobbins. I have a Brother sewing machine and the 3 bobbins that it came with. So I am not generous with the thread I put on there as I might have to remove what was left to put on a different color/type of thread. Now I have 8 more! So exciting. Previously I had looked at bobbins at Joann's but they only carry Singer. Now I can completely fill a bobbin and not worry about running out of thread halfway across my quilt.

Second, and more surprisingly, I found some precuts. On Clearance! I got a fat quarter pack in blue and whites for a baby boy quilt I plan to make, 2 yards of flannel in white (back of quilt), and a kit for a purse in the hobo bag style, including handles. For trying a new design, I am okay with cheap. And $9 for a new purse sounded pretty good. All this for... (wow, what was only $3?) $18. They had some other cute kits and fat quarter packs, but my rule is I will only buy if I know for whom the fabric will be used.  It is certainly not the Fig Tree quality from the last quilt I made, but it wasn't worse than the fabric I looked at in Joann's!

Using up my leftovers

I had some extra charms and extra yardage as well from my last quilt. As the fabric was easy to reach (unlike the rest) and I wanted to keep creating, I decided to make some little items with what I had left.
So ...
      #1. Nearly done is (what is supposed to be) a wallet-like pouch. It is bigger than I imagined. Just need to put on some binding, as I chose to quilt the layers all together.

 (the other side is the same patterns in opposite colors)

      #2. To put the wallet/mini-bag in - a purse! I remembered seeing a charm square purse on the moda bake shop. I didn't have the number of charms left to make it reversible, but went with the general idea for the outside. I have it pieced. I even put the two sides together... then realized I should have quilted it. (I have left over batting I am using too.)

 (this was supposed to face the same as the other side. Oops. I figured it out halfway through sewing it and decided it was fine.)

I decided I had enough sewing for one day and it was time to put my living room back together. I spent a lot of time today cleaning out the corners and clearing off the flat surfaces. :)

Pictures

I got some pictures last night when I finished tacking down the binding. I wanted to get some this morning too, but it was too gloomy outside. 

I really really wanted to get this to my friend before her surgery. I couldn't get it out of my head. It didn't work out to get over there last night (which is fine because it wasn't done). But I couldn't drive by this morning (had to go back to work to get my purse) without stopping. I caught her with her hair in a towel and no makeup, and simply handed it off and gave a hug and left. But I feel so much better - like there is a weight off my chest. It was folded up, so there wasn't much to see of it, but she was happy, said it made her teary. Her porch had wicker furniture and I saw a rose tea set on her living room coffee table. This was certainly the right material choice, and I am sure she will love it. (The porch would have been a great place to take a staged picture. Oh well)

It will probably be a couple months again before I make another quilt. I wish that wasn't the case, but at the same time I am happy about it. We are going to be moving into a 2-bedroom apartment, so I will have room to quilt. Currently I can't reach my sewing machine, I filled the dining room space with empty boxes.

One last step

One last step and I will be done with my latest project: an actual quilt with binding. It has been some time since I have made something with binding. I have gotten the binding on, using the tips I saw jaybirdquilts, and just need to sew it down by hand.

I am very proud of this quilt; it isn't perfect, but I did do a lot of things right that I have messed up before. I am especially pleased with how the quilting turned out as I debated if I wanted to do it myself or pay to have it done. I got zero puckers and my boss, who quilts, asked "how did you get the stitches so even?" I don't know, but I think it's just that I got the tension right this time.

Here it is tossed on my couch last night (sorry for the crummy iphone picture). I finished putting on the binding and went to bed. It's really easy to lose track of time when quilting. 

I was going to give it to a co-worker before she went in for surgery, but she is already on leave. So maybe she will be super nice and let me come by her home and drop it off. (She emailed previously and said she didn't want people stopping by and seeing her without her hair and make up done.)