Found software

When I got my current computer in 2003 I didn't load the foundation piecing software. I guess that means that the little printed triangle squares that I had were printed over 5 years ago. The hunt was on yesterday for the software. I finally found it in the container with my machine embroidery designs. The package says you have to have Windows 3.1 or Windows 95 so I guess that tells you how old it is (1997). Luckily it still works with XP so I loaded it and printed the copies I needed.

While digging thought the foundation piecing patterns and etc. I found this block that I pieced at least 10 years ago. Maybe I should make it into something this year.

Thank you for all of the concern for my parents and the icy weather yesterday. At the chiropractor office the handicap sidewalk entrance is on the driver's side of the handicapped parking space. Since my parents are the passengers they have 2 options: walk around the back of the car to get to the ramp or try to step up a big step onto the curb. We chose the curb over a large patch of ice behind the car. This is hard for them because their balance is not great (they both use canes and hang on to each other) so I have to help them up. Then at McDonald's afterward, we parked in the handicap parking space and the sidewalk from that space is not shoveled about half of the distance to the door. My question is: why have a handicap parking space if you aren't going to keep the area around it clear enough to walk on. I mentioned it to the clerk at McDonald's but no one took care of it while we were in there eating. Rant done.

I'm still working on more of the paper pieced triangles. Yes I decided to make 2 bags, one with lefts and the other with rights. Today I'm going to show you the 2 crazy pieced batik bags. The first 2 pictures are the one I made last week.

And the next 2 pictures are the one I completed yesterday.

I sold the first 4 that I made so now I need to make some more for gifts.

We got our first snow that was deep enough to have my driveway plowed. It started out as freezing rain and quickly went into snow. The end of it is so light and fluffy, as it got colder. We had a 20 degree temperature drop in 12 hours. Tonight I have to take my parents out to my mother's chiropractor visit (once a week, every week) and last year on a snowy day the snow was cleared from the parking lot and there was a pile right at the base of the handicap ramp. I hope I don't find that again. I think the snow removal person should walk with a cane and try to get through that.

I liked it so well.......

that I thought I would make another one (the dotted bag I showed yesterday). In the box with the rest of the dotted scraps were the printed paper piecing patterns. So I just started piecing some more blocks, and then I decided to lay the new and old together to see how the colors were working.

That is when I discovered I had printed papers for rights AND lefts, and of course the ones I pieced were the opposite of the ones that were already done.

Which means that if I want to use them, I will have 2 lights coming together at the center making one large triangle.

Of course I could keep piecing and make 8 of each right and left and then I could make 2 more bags.

My art quilters made it yesterday. Last year in Dec. we cancelled the first date, moved it to the next Monday and that week was bad too so we cancelled again and didn't meet until Jan. I hope the weather cooperates this year in January.

This is one of my favorite bags made from little pieces of this and that. I had paper pieced some of the triangle sections with more scraps from my dotted quilt and thought I was going to use them as a border on a little quilt. Well I never finished that little quilt and I liked them for this bag.

And a close up of the piecing and stitching.

We lucked out with no new snow yesterday or this morning so I think my art quilters are coming. The cookies are baked and the basement is presentable so I'm ready..........

Binding done

I finished the binding on another quilt. I used the same fabric as the border for the binding and since it is a batik it was tough to push a needle through. It is a good pick up between other projects though. It was down near 0 this morning but the sun is shining and it looks like a clear day. It is time to go bake the cookies for my art quilters who are coming tomorrow.

Pile o' bags

I have been busy tidying up the basement in hopes that Old Man Winter doesn't interfere with my art quilters coming to visit on Monday. We had less than an inch of snow last night. They are predicting flurries Sunday night and Monday afternoon at this point and above freezing temperatures on Monday. Last year we had to cancel at least twice for bad weather. I will continue cleaning and be ready.

Here is a pile of bags finished with one more started. I got up with a weather change headache so I'll see if I can get it done today.

On a roll

I tend to make things in batches. After I have made one of these bags I have to make more while all of the measurements are fresh in my mind. I am usually using some playtime blocks or strip piecing so I am not planning anything specifically for the bags.

After I made my dotted quilt I played with the leftover strips and made several table runners. I had a few blocks left over so I used them on this bag.

This one is kind of cheery too, just like the yellow one.

In case you don't remember the dotted quilt, here is a link. I hope to be quilting this one soon.