Tag Archives: Raining Cats and Dogs

TGIF, 11/6/2015

Here’s an update on my progress on getting the borders on for Hampton Ridge. I’m working on Border #2!

Step #1 – Cut the fabric. Like I did with border #1, I cut the border parallel to the selvage to minimize waviness. The first two I cut I wasn’t paying attention to the print and it wasn’t until the third strip that I wanted the border to be above. I had enough fabric to do a total of three strips with that exact cut. I need four strips. So, I’ve got a trip to the LQS to do. I do not know if I’ll have time to do three of the four sides before the week is done so I’ll plan to have the fabric in time for my next round with Hampton Ridge.

Step #2 – Press the center of the top of the first side I will piece the first border on. Normally I do a finger press. But I was having a hard time matching the center of the border with the center of the top that I ended up pressing it with an iron.

Step #3 – Press the center of the border. For the top, notice I pressed the like sides together and for the border I pressed the wrong sides together. This way when I match them up, they will be like sides together and the press is in the same direction. If I forget to do this, it’s okay but I find it’s easier to match up when it is like this.

Step #4 – Pin the centers together and pin the whole border.

Step #5 – sew!

Step #6 – Press it out. For mitered borders, you want there to be excess fabric hanging off both ends of the top. Those will be matched up with the other borders once you’ve got all 4 sides done.

Step #7 – repeat for all 4 side. Once all 4 sides are done, it’s time to miter!

I haven’t had much time to do anything else this week. I am happy with the bit I was able to get done. This weekend I plan to applique more of the stem on Raining Cats and Dogs, get the 2 other sides of border #2 on Hampton Ridge, finish my practice quilting on Bailey and load Tell It To The Stars onto the frame.

Linking with –

Happy Quilting Friends!

Melanie

Posted by Melaniesquilting. Categories: Hampton Ridge, Quilting, Tell It To The Stars. Tags: Hampton Ridge, Raining Cats and Dogs, Tell It to the stars, weekend line up, Whoop Whoop, Wips Be Gone. 1 Comment

Nov. ’15

Stash Report – Week 44, 2015

First, the stash report! Okay – so last week I ran out of the white corduroy for Razzle. I ordered some online but I couldn’t just get that. So I ordered some fabric too. That’s +2 yards. Then on Thursday I decided to reward myself and go to my LQS and use the gift certificates I had. The same gift certificates that I was saving for my next backing. Well, I decided that I would rather use it on some new fabric. So that’s another +2 yards.

But aren’t they pretty!

New Fabric!
11/1/2015

I left the white corduroy out since it’s white corduroy and I’m sure you can figure out what that looks like. It’s interesting because the fabric in the middle looks more of a dark blue than it does in the picture and the pink is really purple. I’m trying to build the darks in my stash so I’ve decided (if I can remember this when I go to the fabric store) to buy darks if I ever have the urge to buy fabric like I did this week.

Used this week: 0 yards

Used year to Date: -47 yards
Added this week: 4 yards
Added Year to Date: 94.08 yards
Net Added for 2015: 46.58 yards

I spent most of yesterday in my sewing room and got a ton of work done on Missing Ivy!

Missing Ivy
Step 6
Blocks almost done

Then on my last block realized that I messed up at some point. I was missing one of the rows. I found it in my scrap bin. It must have fallen in while I was moving around. anyway, it was the wrong row and here was what the last block looked like – I already took my seam ripper out as the two rows to the left were pieced together but in the opposite direction.

That was a little frustrating as I was almost done. I do not know where I messed it up but I’m glad I caught it before it made its way into the quilt.

Missing Ivy – 11/1/2015
Step 6
9 finished blocks!

Woohoo! Now I’m ready to put this aside for a month while I work on something else this week.

But first – an update on Raining Cats and Dogs.

Raining Cats and Dogs
close up of my applique
11/1/2015

I was able to get most of one side of the stem.

And a nice tip… you may already know this… but I just figured it out so I’m super excited. I have a ton of these little bands that I used on Kayla’s hair when she was little. I bought them from Chinatown for $5 but it came with THOUSANDS! And I’m not exaggerating. I’ve been giving them away and I still have a ton left! Anyway, I may not give them away any more as I found that I can use them to keep the thread up on my spools! 🙂

11/1/2015 – No more thread nests!

Today I plan to practice my quilting on Bailey. I will also pack up Missing Ivy and pull out my next project. I’m debating between getting the back ready for Moon Glow or putting the borders on Hampton Ridge. I’ve been going back and forth and this moment I’m leaning towards Hampton Ridge. 🙂

see more stash reports at and hand projects at .

~Have a quilty week!

Melanie

Posted by Melaniesquilting. Categories: Quilting, Raining Cats and Dogs. Tags: Fabric Stash, missing ivy;, Raining Cats and Dogs, slow stitching sunday, Stash Report. 17 Comments

Oct. ’15

TGIF, 10/30/2015

I’ve been working on Missing Ivy and have gotten further along on this project.

Missing Ivy
Blocks for Step 6
laid out and ready to go!
10/29/2015

I organized all the pieces and I really only have 1 seam to get those rows finished for the blocks. I’ve been pressing at each point so that they are all nice and pressed once the rows are done.

I’ve got the first row chain pieced still attached waiting for more. The second row is on the ironing table waiting for me to press it and then piece it.

Missing Ivy
Blocks for Step 6
ready to piece
10/29/2015

It’s coming together nicely, I’m just not spending the time working on it. Instead I’m working, 🙁 and I unpacked a box at the bar. I originally thought that all the boxes at the bar contained our wine glasses and bar stuff. And since this particular bar doesn’t have shelves or anything behind the bar to put the bar stuff away, we’ve kept them in boxes. However, I found a box with some mugs and figurines wrapped up in fabric! So I unearthed another box of fabric! 🙂 It’s like reuniting with long lost friends again. And finally I did work on a bit in the garage. This weekend I plan to applique more of the stem on Raining Cats and Dogs, get the 9 blocks for Step 6 finished for Missing Ivy, and practice quilting on Bailey.

Linking with –

Happy Quilting Friends!

Melanie

Posted by Melaniesquilting. Categories: Quilting. Tags: missing ivy;, Raining Cats and Dogs, weekend line up, Whoop Whoop, Wips Be Gone. 1 Comment

Oct. ’15

Stash Report – Week 43, 2015

First, the stash report! Nothing added, nothing finished…

Used this week: 0 yards

Used year to Date: -47 yards
Added this week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 90.08 yards
Net Added for 2015: 42.58 yards

I wasn’t able to get the next piece of Raining Cats and Dogs applique’d but I did progress nicely. I have this handy tool called Bias Bars that I got some time ago for a BOM with my LQS.

The purpose is to create the thin lines known in Celtic patterned quilts. I haven’t done one of those but it would be nice to one day. Anyway, the first item to applique was the thin stem of a flower and I felt that the Bias Bars was a perfect tool to use for that. So it took some time to put together. It worked perfectly. Since I knew that I wouldn’t have the time to actually applique the stem down, I decided to finish marking up all the pieces on the necessary fabrics for the rest of this block. That part is done, now no more excuses for me… all I’ve got is to applique the rest of the pieces. 🙂

Raining Cats and Dogs
Block 7
a strip pinned
10/24/2015

Razzle is all packed up, my project page updated, the additional fabric ordered, and everything will be ready to go when I touch this project again next month. 🙂

Missing Ivy – didn’t have time to get this out and started… will plan to do this today.

see more stash reports at

~Have a quilty week!

Melanie

Posted by Melaniesquilting. Categories: family, Quilting, Raining Cats and Dogs. Tags: Fabric Stash, missing ivy;, Raining Cats and Dogs, razzle, slow stitching sunday, Stash Report. 2 Comments

Oct. ’15

Weekend Line Up

Razzle has been the project of the week and I finished piecing the last strip of white corduroy onto the parts I’m putting together.

Razzle
Strips
25 done

Well, I do not have enough of these finished strips. I need about 50 and I’m about 10 shy of 50. I kept thinking that I must have counted wrong and triple counted everything over again. And each time, I ended up with 40 completed strips. I have about 10 half way done. There was not enough white corduroy included in the kit originally.

Razzle
Strips
10/20/15

Thank goodness that I have the ability to order online and get another yard of white corduroy. And I discovered this issue at the end of the week, so I can jump on Project #4 a day early and leave Razzle for next month.

The plan for today is to applique the next piece for Raining Cats and Dogs.

Raining Cats and Dogs
Block 7
Upper part marked up
10/18/2015

Pack up Razzle, update my project page so I remember where I left off for next month.

And pull out Missing Ivy to work on this week.

Design Wall Monday
November 25, 2013

Yes, the last time I worked on this was in 2013. Remember I’m pulling out old UFOs and getting them going again. I also have Bailey out of the garage and in my living room. I’m having some technical difficulties on it so I’m not going to do anything with it today. But I hope to have some time to try to get it to work again tomorrow. I spent all afternoon on it yesterday and I really want to work with fabric so I’ll be putting off machine work until tomorrow. 🙂

Project Rotation:

backing for Moon Glow / borders for Hampton Ridge
Block A in for Celtic Solstice
Razzle
Missing Ivy

Happy quilting friends! 🙂

~Melanie

Posted by Melaniesquilting. Categories: Hampton Ridge, Moon Glow, Quilting, Raining Cats and Dogs, razzle. Tags: Celtic Solstice, Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt, Hampton Ridge, missing ivy;, Moon Glow, Raining Cats and Dogs, razzle, Weekend LineUp. Leave a comment

Oct. ’15

TGIF, 10/23/2015

I’ve been working on Razzle and have gotten further along on this project.

Razzle Strips – 10/22/2015
25 of these done but most still need to be pressed

The rest are like this:

Razzle Strips – 10/22/2015
but most still need to be pressed too.

This weekend I plan to work a bit on Raining Cats and Dogs, get those strips finished for Razzle, and get started on Project #4 – Missing Ivy.

Linking with –

Happy Quilting Friends!

Melanie

Posted by Melaniesquilting. Categories: Quilting. Tags: missing ivy;, Raining Cats and Dogs, razzle, weekend line up, Whoop Whoop, Wips Be Gone. Leave a comment

Oct. ’15

Stash Report – Week 42, 2015

First, the stash report! Nothing added, nothing finished…

Used this week: 0 yards

Used year to Date: -47 yards
Added this week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 90.08 yards
Net Added for 2015: 42.58 yards

This is real cause for celebration because I was at the LQS and spent several hours for the sew in yesterday. I had two gift certificates for a total of $25. That means there was nothing holding me back from buying fabric. It wasn’t the selection because there were a ton that I loved and I could easily have bought them. What really held me back was that I am trying to use my stash and I have no need for new fabric. I want to eventually get to the point where I’m buying fabric for projects I’m working on. I will not get to that point if I keep buying fabric without having a project in mind for them. In addition, I know that I will need to get backing for Celtic Solstice at some point. I know I’ve already got backing for all the quilts ready for quilting as well as Hampton Ridge so Celtic Solstice will be the next quilt that I will finish and be needing a back for. I just didn’t know how much I needed and didn’t feel the urge to get it while I’m nowhere near to finishing. Which meant that I wasn’t ready to buy the backing. At the end of the day, I’m keeping my gift certificates for the next really great sale when I can buy 10 yards for backing.

Celtic Solstice
Step 6
Block A
6 done
10/17/2015

On another note, I had a great time at the sew in. I met 4 new ladies and we chatted and had a great time. I’m looking forward to the next sew in. I also got step 5 of Celtic Solstice finished and started working on step 6. I need to make over 50 of this block. I know I said yesterday that I was going to take a break and start working on something else. But, I got my mojo back for Celtic Solstice. I think I’ll ride this wave and next time I feel like I’m bored or tired of this project, I’ll move to something else. The blocks are forming together and this is the best part!

Here are all the blocks laid out and ready for me to chain piece!

Celtic Solstice
Step 6 – Block A
In pieces
10/17/2015

Last week I was able to applique the ear on the dog for Raining Cats and Dogs – so the next step is to mark up the next section that needs to be appliqued. I will not have time to actually do any appliqueing but I want to get the marks up and if I’m feeling it, prep the first piece for next time.

Raining Cats and Dogs
doggy finally gots his ear on!
10/11/2015

see more stash reports at

~Have a quilty week!

Melanie

Posted by Melaniesquilting. Categories: family, Quilting, Raining Cats and Dogs. Tags: Celtic Solstice, Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt, Fabric Stash, Raining Cats and Dogs, slow stitching sunday, Stash Report. 4 Comments

Oct. ’15

Stash Report – Week 41, 2015

First, the stash report! Nothing added, nothing finished…

Used this week: 0 yards

Used year to Date: -47 yards
Added this week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 90.08 yards
Net Added for 2015: 42.58 yards

That was easy. For Celtic Solstice, I spent time cutting yesterday. I did a fail. But thought I was so cool. I need more blue triangles so I went through my various bins for blue fabric. I started with Bin #3… If you don’t remember, Bin #3 was fabric scraps that were less than 5×7. You can see the details in the bottom of this post. I actually found a couple of bits to use. Then I went through Bin #4 and found a bit more blue fabric. But I still didn’t have enough so I went through the yardage bins! And since I had pulled them out sorted through them so that they were in color ways. I was able to get all the blues in one bin. It was a nice process and I felt reacquainted with my stash again. I petted the beautiful fabrics. I also recognize that in the blue bin, I’ve got way too many mediums and a lot of neutrals. But not a ton of dark. So, if I get the urge to buy fabric, its nice to know what to add to the stash rather than just go buy willy nilly.

Why was that a fail? Well, I realized after I pressed and cut all the needed triangles, it hit me that I pulled all the fabric I needed for Celtic Solstice and put it in its own project bin. So I looked in the bin and confirmed I had a lot more blue fabric in the bin waiting for me to retrieve. I didn’t need to do everything I did and spend a lot of quilting time (read: the whole day) looking for blue fabric On a positive note, I got to take my fabric out, let it breathe as I sorted through them and petted them before putting them back into bins. And they are divided in general color ways – Blue, Red/orange/yellow, green/purple/rainbow/panels, white/black/grey! I don’t need more fabric, I’m trying to lay low at the LQS but, let’s be real, you know the urge will come so it’s nice to know what I should get to enhance my stash.

I didn’t have a chance to applique the ear on the dog last week for Raining Cats and Dogs – so that’s still on the to do list.

Raining Cats and Dogs
Block 7
the collar is on
next up – the ear
10/3/15

But, my mojo is on finishing step 5 of Celtic Solstice so it may just stay in it’s little cubby hole until my mojo swerves back to this little puppy!

see more stash reports at

~Have a quilty week!

Melanie

Oct. ’15

Stash Report – Week 40, 2015

First for the stash report – +1 yard for the linen I bought last week.

Used this week: 0 yards

Used year to Date: -47 yards
Added this week: 1 yards
Added Year to Date: 90.08 yards
Net Added for 2015: 42.58 yards

Raining Cats and Dogs
Block 7
the collar is on
next up – the ear
10/3/15

And for a little perspective, here’s a picture of the entire block.

Raining Cats and Dogs
Block 7
as of 10/3/15

That little collar was tiny! It was probably between 1/8″ and 1/4″.

And the inner top of Hampton Ridge is done too!

Hampton Ridge
Inner top is done!
10/3/2015

see more stash reports at

Today we’ll be at a niece’s baby shower but before we head out, I’ll be stitching the ear on for Raining Cats and Dogs for Slow Stitching Sunday.

~Have a quilty week!

Melanie

Posted by Melaniesquilting. Categories: family, Quilting, Raining Cats and Dogs. Tags: Fabric Stash, Hampton Ridge, Raining Cats and Dogs. 6 Comments

Sep. ’15

Stash Report – Week 39, 2015

Lobster Festival
9/26/2015

We had a lot of fun at Lobster Fest yesterday! The lobsters were delicious! We were there pretty early. The event started at noon and we were there at about 12:15 so the lines were relatively short. There was a nice breeze and we found a table in the shade. We met up with some friends and if you ever have a chance to get to the Lobster Festival in Redondo Beach, CA – take it!

Lobster Fest
9/26/2015

I was confused at how they sold the food though. First you had to figure out whether you wanted a lobster combo or not. If so, you could order the combo and that will print out 1 ticket. Then you figure out how many drinks and how many extras you wanted. For example, in addition to the lobster combos we got a Lobster roll, a lobster taco, and lobster chowders. We had to figure out how many tickets that added up to. Each ticket was $4. So the Lobster roll was 3 tickets, the chowder was 1 ticket, etc. Once you paid for and received the tickets, you would go to the food lines. There was one line for the combos, one line for the drinks, and another line for the bistro food (roll, taco, chowder, etc.). At the food lines, you would give them the tickets. It took me a good bit to figure it out but everyone was very helpful in explaining things to me.

On to the stash report!

LOOT!!!
9/20/2015

Last Sunday I received loot at the New Member Tea from my guild – San Fernando Valley Quilt Association (SFVQA). With all the fat quarters, and fat 8th’s I have about +2 yards to add to my stash.

Here’s the numbers this week:

Used this week: 0 yards

Used year to Date: -47 yards
Added this week: 2 yards
Added Year to Date: 89.08 yards
Net Added for 2015: 41.58 yards

see more stash reports at

Today we’ll be at a baptism but before we head out, I’ll be getting the dog on for Raining Cats and Dogs for Slow Stitching Sunday.

Raining Cats and Dogs
block 7 – the tail is on
9/20/2015

~Have a quilty week!

Melanie

Posted by Melaniesquilting. Categories: family, Quilting, Raining Cats and Dogs. Tags: Celtic Solstice, Fabric Stash, Lobster Fest, Raining Cats and Dogs, Redondo Beach. 9 Comments

Thousand Needles

Quilting, Scrapbooking, Gardening and whatever else catches my fancy

Tag Archives: Raining Cats and Dogs

TGIF, 11/6/2015

Like this:

Stash Report – Week 44, 2015

Like this:

TGIF, 10/30/2015

Like this:

Stash Report – Week 43, 2015

Like this:

Weekend Line Up

Like this:

TGIF, 10/23/2015

Like this:

Stash Report – Week 42, 2015

Like this:

Stash Report – Week 41, 2015

Like this:

Stash Report – Week 40, 2015

Like this:

Stash Report – Week 39, 2015

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: