Finn Is Missing

On Monday night my husband had our cat Finn outside with him, 

but not on a leash and now he is gone.  

We are heartbroken.  

He thought the cat would come to him when he called but he did not.  

We have looked all over our neighborhood and the next door neighborhoods, handed out flyers, gone searching in the woods, put up posts of FB, For Love of Louie, Humane society, Nextdoor and several FB buy and sell local groups. 

 I have reported him as lost to our microchip company and the Humane Society 

(they have a board where you can post lost pets, this way they also know if someone turns them in).  We were out calling for several hours last night.  

I put out his litter box, his pillow, food and clothes of ours. 

It is getting cold here and I am so worried about my poor baby.  

I realize there is nothing you all can do as most of you live far from me but maybe you can offer up a prayer for a safe return of Finn to our home.  

I know my husband feels awful about it. 

 He and Finn are best friends. 

 This is the first cat that has totally bonded with him. 

 I don't think he understood that cats don't act like dogs as

 all our other cats would come back when called.  

Please keep Finn and us in your prayers. 

 I miss that little fuzzball SO much and am hoping he is in a home somewhere and that they will take him somewhere where they can read his chip and get him home.

Finny, please come home.  Your family misses you so much!

~XOP~

Another Chenille Blanket

Good morning friends!  I hope you all had a good weekend.  

I went to the new owner classes for my new Bernina this weekend.  

It was all a little overwhelming to be honest. 

 I learned so much and realize I have so much more to work on, LOL.  

I asked my husband to attend the embroidery class too so he would know how to use it.  

He seems really interested in that part of the machine.  

He did come and I think he has a new appreciation for my sewing and for these machines too.  

My knee lifter is not lowering the foot like it should so I left her there for Jay to look at for me.  

I hope it is nothing too serious 

(being brand new I think it should all work, am I right??)

So moving on, I did sew a chenille blanket for a friend that is having a baby. 

Let me tell you what, sewing this on the new machine was AMAZING!!  

I already told you all that though, didn't I?

Supplies:

one yard of a cute printed cotton woven fabric

2 yards each of 2 different colored flannels 

(you will cut into 4 one yard cuts, 2 of one color and 2 of the other color)

Here are some of the steps:

It all begins with sewing the lines.  

I use masking tape to make a diagonal line corner to corner, then stitch down one side as a guide. 

 I then use my walking foot with the guide to continue to sew lines 5/8" apart 

until the whole blanket is covered in lines.  

This next step is quite tedious, 

but you cut down the channel of each line until all the channels are cut apart.  

As you can see, I only cut the top 3 layers of flannel.  

I do NOT cut through the layer of flannel that is next to the back side (the colorful print).  

Leaving this layer intact, makes the blanket more stable.  

Also, I have started using spray baste to baste the layers together.  

I spray all the layers EXCEPT one.  

I do NOT spray between the first and second layer of the flannel as this is where you have to cut.  

I did spray all the layers one time. 

 Yeah, and it made it MUCH more difficult to cut.  

Just learn from my mistake and don't do that!  

So like this:

Print-->baste-->1st flannel-->NO BASTE-->2nd flannel-->baste-->3rd flannel-->baste-->4th flannel.

I hope this makes it clear how to baste and layer. 

 Ask me if you have any questions.  Also, there is a tutorial link in my header.  

The next step is to square up your blanket.  

I fold once width wise and trim, then refold length wise and trim.  

Once it is squared up you need to put the binding on.  

I put it on by machine.  

I don't usually do this for my quilts, but these will see a lot of washing (potentially).  

Additionally, it makes this step go more quickly. 

 I have found using Elmer's washable school glue to put the binding in place

makes the machine stitching so fast!

Now you are ready for the magic!

Toss the blanket into the washer then the dryer and voila!

You now have an amazing fuzzy chenille blanket.

Isn't this so cute??  

It is also so easy!  

These are great shower gifts or easy baby gifts.  

I use the cheap flannel from Joann Fabrics and they work great.  

I have been trying to use up some of the novelty prints I have in my stash and 

make these with what I have.  

I usually end up purchasing some flannel though so watch for that to go on sale.  

I bring the print fabric with me so I can match the flannel colors.  

I like to get 2 yards of 2 colors and alternate.  

I have done lots of different color ways and found I like this one the best.  

I like the way the "chenille" looks, and when I go to cut the 3 layers I can tell 

(because the bottom layer is a different color) 

where to cut and where NOT to cut.  

This little Nemo blanket is ready for me to gift.  

I need to go and buy a gift bag tonight so I can gift it tomorrow.  

I would love to hear from you if you have tried one of these blankets or

 if you are interested in trying the technique.

Have a great Monday!

~XOP~

Using My New Bernina

I have my owner classes this weekend.  

The shop told me to sew on the machine so I would be able to come with questions.  

I feel like I have been putting her through her paces.  

I was doing some cleaning recently and 

ran across some older fabric sample cards with the Opal Owl line on them. 

I decided that they needed to become a quilt and thought the Double Slice would be a good choice.  So I cut up the fabric into 10" squares and realized I was a few short.  

So a friend of mine sent me a little bit of the Opal Owl fabric that she had and 

I was able to make it work.

I LOVE this pattern!  Just look at that fat little owl!  

This is one super busy quilt but I like it.

The next thing I decided to sew was another chenille blanket.

They are not difficult but they are tedious to sew.

OMGosh you guys.

Sewing the channels into this was SO.  MUCH . Easier!

With the larger throat space there was much less fabric wrangling.

Being able to use the auto thread cutter made it much quicker too.

I got the entire blankets channels done in under 2 hours.

UNDER 2 HOURS!!!!

Amazing.

This photo is not the best, but you can see the sewn lines and my choice of back fabric.

Tonight I will cut the channels open, square it up and bind it.  

Then pop it into the washer and dryer and watch the magic happen.  

Stay tuned to see the finish on Monday!

There is a link in my header to the tutorial but you can also use this link if you need to make one too.

Babies just love these! (So do their parents).

Have a great weekend!

~XOP~

Fall Camping

We went off camping last week

 (likely our last outing for the year).  

I packed up the boys and Chris got the camper.  

This is how Finny rode the entire way 

( almost 3 hours).

While Cole just relaxed in the passenger seat on "his" pillow.  

It is a half yard of fleece filled up with my teeny tiny scraps and 

batting cut offs that I can't use for anything.  

I thought you all might enjoy a few photos of our camper.

 I stepped out one day and saw my Sparty mat covered with fall leaves.  

Pretty photo!

In the previous photo you can see the pet tent set up sans the pets.

Here they are enjoying their tent while we enjoyed a campfire.

Chris seemed to like the great outdoors as much as the boys!

One afternoon we stopped at Tony's for Tacos.  SO GOOD

There is a fruit market close by that had amazing produce!

Cabbages and Cauliflowers bigger than my head!

The gourds and squash were all outside and looked so pretty.

No trip is complete without stopping at the Bittersweet Quilt Shop.

My haul.  

I ended up back there two more times for a friend that wanted more of the star print on the bottom.

If you need some too,  here is the selvage information.  Bittersweet no longer has any though.

The boys enjoy hanging out on the couch watching the birds and the leaves fall.

We also stopped at Northwoods (because of course we did) and I met up with Big Foot.

Finny likes to lay on the bed and ask for pets every time you walk toward the bathroom!

Chris set up my sewing table.

I managed to get all the blocks sewn for 2 Double Slice quilts!

And Finn thought it was a fine place to hang out.

 Cole just laid down next to me 

Until it was dinner time and the I got the stare down.

I think this pretty much sums up our extended weekend. 

It is going to be great when we can do this more often!

Is it retirement time yet?

10 more months! 

(but who's counting?)

~XOP~

My Birthday Present

I'm not sure if you remember but my amazing husband got me

the Tula Pink Bernina 770SE for my birthday back in July.  

The machine was not due to be shipped to the shops until September (and later October). 

 Last week Wednesday, he told me we were going out for dinner at a new place near our son's home.  COOL.  

I love to try new places.  

So we stopped at our son's to see if he wanted to join us but he didn't.  

We continued on our way when he pulled into the quilt shop parking lot. 

 I looked at him and finally it dawned on me that we were there to get my new machine!!!!!!!!!! 

 He then told me I had an hour lesson (but sadly no dinner, LOL)

I didn't have time to even unpack it but have since done so and am happily sewing away on it. 

 I have really been enjoying the even feed foot for piecing.  

Really cool machine.  

I can't wait for the classes in 2 weeks to learn all about the sewing machine and 

the embroidery unit too!!!

Just look at all that stuff!!

I have not moved it up to my sewing room yet since I will need to pack it up and bring it to class. 

I was just sewing it on my kitchen table.

The Shooting Stars top if all finished now but this was when I was putting it together still.

 This quilt went together so quickly!  The cutting took awhile.  I think it took me 2 nights to cut it all out but the sewing went so fast.  VERY well written pattern.  

I am really looking forward to making this my all the time machine.

For now she will stay on the table.

GOSH, this guy is a keeper!!

~XOP~

What To Do With Leftovers?

As I said in my post yesterday, I had LOTS of left over triangle units.  

I also had too many of the white base units cut. 

 I did not want to show what I did with the quilt left over triangles until it had been gifted 

but I can share now.

I made a pair of pillow cases using the triangle units for the cuff.

Here they are folded up.

Of course I forgot these at home so will need to bring them with me next time we visit.

Hmmm...that didn't use up nearly enough.  

I thought I should make a baby quilt and 

when I went to do that I realized I needed to make a few more.

No problem, I had LOTS of the bases left over too.  

This is pre border.

I added an aqua border to this one as it felt more like a baby to me.

Close up.  I still need to quilt this but at least I used up all the gray triangle units!

Oh, but there were still SO MANY base units left.  

I showed this before but could not really talk about why I made it so here goes.  

I used up the left over base units making this baby quilt.  

I had been cutting and cutting up my vintage sheet hoard so 

used some of the squares to make this quilt top.  

Somehow though, it needed more color.  

I decided to use colorful borders for this and I love how it came out.  

It would have been good with colorful bases and white triangles too but 

I needed to use what I had cut already.  

So tell me, do you like these? I need to quilt them both.  

If you want to make a VS one and have the pattern, 

I have squares I can sell you as a pack to make the triangles.  

If you want the same borders I have sheets you could choose from too 

(although not the one in the photo).  

Just shoot me an email (mamaspark@gmail.com) . 

The pattern is called Minimal Triangles.  

~XOP~