Criss Cross "Cross" Coasters

I traveled 60 miles one way to my Greenbrier County office today. The sun was shinning and most of the snow melted. It was a peaceful drive with my thoughts to myself. Lots of executive decisions made during the drive. I won't bore you with the Home Health business decisions, but I decided I would finish my table runner this evening, even if it isn't perfect, I'll use it in the RV and with all the kids coming and going I won't worry about cool aid spills, then I'll trash it after it has a few stains.

I rushed home this evening after a quick trip to Joann's, I needed to use my 50% off coupon. I quickly cooked a beef roast in the pressure cooker with mushrooms and onions and added sour cream after cooking for a thickening. We ate and I cleaned up the mess and headed upstairs to tackle my table runner, and I literally tackled and attacked the darn thing. After stretching and pulling, pushing, pinning, and cussing, I got the large blocks to fit together decently. Not perfect by any means. It does not lay perfectly flat but maybe my quilting will help that.

The biggest problem with this pattern is my choice of colors and fabric. I should have limited the number of different charm squares and the strips should be all the same fabric. This has been a learning lesson and I'm please with what I've learned. I am definitely going to make this again with different fabrics. I'm not down and out yet.


I made criss cross coasters with the left over small squares. This is a different take on the Criss Cross, I guess you might say they are criss cross "cross" coasters. These did not turn out too bad. I'm going to make them again using only two colors of fabric one color for the cross and another for the blocks.
If any one attempts this before I get around to it, please let me know and send pictures.

TGIF in about 5 minutes. The weekend will fly by. I have my stitching list ready for the weekend. I may stay up all night Friday night and sew......stitch my flannel PJ's. A twist on the old adage...make it today, wear it tonight. I'll make it tonight and wear it in the morning. I love an all nighter......

Book Sense and Quilting

I've been dabbling a little in quilting off and on over the past couple of years. Most of my quilting is tote bags and sweatshirt jackets. When I upgraded my 200 and got the BSR I thought I had the quilting bug, but it really never bit that hard. I've read every blog out there about quilting (OK, not really every blog but lots and lots of quilting blogs), watched PBS, Fons and Porter and America Sews, etc., joined lots of quilting groups, read magazines, bought several books, all about quilting. I've never taken an actual quilting class. So with all this book sense you would think....I can do it, I've got the knowledge......READ ON!

I have four packs of Moda Prairie Paisley charm squares and three Jelly Rolls. I made a tote with about twenty squares, so do the math, I have about 150 charm squares left. I decided I'd give a table runner a try. I starched the charms and jelly rolls, cut them diagonally and cut the strips down to size. Pieced the charms with the strips. Guess what, some of the squares don't match up. The charms are not all the exact same size. Look at the bottom of the picture and notice the two small squares are about 1/2 inch off. They won't match up. Boohoo, I'm aggravated. I need to cut some more charms and piece some more small squares. I need one more large block and then hopefully I can square up my blocks enough to stitch the large blocks together. These colors do not match my house. I started out with plans to make a small lap quilt for my RV. I have the red, and blue theme going on inside the RV. Almost immediately the charms did not cooperate, so I made an executive decision (sure sounds good) to change from a lap quilt to a table runner for the table in the RV. If I can't get the large squares to square up and match up, they will be potholders in a millisecond, I won't even have to think about this one. When I get finish, I either post pictures of a table runner or half dozen pot holders.
I dropped off my textile pictures at Hobby Lobby for framing after work this evening. They will be ready for pick up on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished project.
After I finish this table runner or potholders, depending on how it goes, I'm going to start on my flannel PJ bottoms and embroider T-shirt tops to match. I'll need these when we start camping, it'll be cold at night for the first couple of months. Don likes to keep the heat in the RV down low, and I freeze to death. I believe the BIG M is finally over.