Hexies on the Floor

Thanks so much for all your kind comments (here and on Facebook) about Eye 1. You are all so sweet and I love to hear from you!

For my UFO time yesterday, I removed the basting threads and papers.

This process took so much longer than expected -- more than TWO HOURS! I had some episodes of American Pickers running on the TV while I worked. I had hoped to layer the top with batting and backing, but I'd already spent too much time on this one for the day. So I moved on.

I finished the hexie flowers for the QATV step outs. I've a bit more work to do on this today. And I worked in the evening on the Odyssey quilt from Hexie Love. Do you like the floor photography? One of my favorite things about our house is the floors. They are made from reclaimed lumber from an 1868 grist mill. I love the character and rustic feel they give. 

I'm am often asked how I get so much done. The secret is my lists of three. I have a to-do list every day. I try to put 3 important things on it. Three items is the perfect amount --not too much, not too little.  I feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day because I can cross everything off. 

Today's list:

1. Re-watch Catherine Redfords DVD on Walking Foot Quilting. I need a refresher on the subject before I start quilting Eye 1. (I can mark this one off - watched it while drinking my morning coffee.)

2. Finish prep work for QATV step outs.

3. Work on Odyssey quilt top.

Of course, I might work in something else if there's time. I might layer the eye quilt. I might even start quilting it. But I need to do the critical items first. Off and on during the day I'll do some laundry, run an errand, etc. But I WILL get those three things done!

Finished the Eye Quilt Top

Ta dah!!! Last night I added the last chunk to the quilt top! It's made from various sizes of triangles, all Kona Cotton Solids. This morning I'll remove the basting threads and the papers. I hope to also layer it with batting and batting - ready to quilt! It's amazing what you can accomplish in an hour a day, the time I've allotted for UFO's.

I really love this technique. I'd like to do another quilt like this. I've decided to call this one "Eye 1", because I'll probably do another eye quilt at some point (and I'm terribly uncreative when it comes to naming quilts).

It's a great day to stay in today. Our warm weather is gone. The high today was at midnight last night - 69 degrees. By the time I go to bed tonight it will be about 32 degrees. EEK! Big temperature drop! I plan to work on my QATV step outs. And do my 1 hour UFO work. AND stitch hexies together for the next step of the Odyssey quilt. Fun day!

The Back of the Eye Quilt

I thought I'd share a couple of pictures of the back of the eye quilt top. There are over 200 triangle shaped pieces in the quilt. Guess what? I finished making all the chunks! Now I just have to hand stitch those chunks to the main quilt top. Then I'll remove the basting stitches and paper, press very well, and it will be ready to quilt. Yippee!

My physical went great. When we moved here a couple of years ago, I was uncertain about finding a new doctor. Hubby and I ended up both going to the Auburn University Health Center. We had thought it was just for the students, but no! They will see anyone. So I just have to drive to campus (about 7 minutes) and park for free outside the door. Easy peasy. I was in and out in less than an hour and that included a physical exam, blood work, prescription refill, a Shingles vaccine, and a colonoscopy appointment. Yes, I'm having one soon.

I hope you're having a great day. It's very warm here again, spoiling us. Dinner is in the Crock Pot and I'm settling in to hand stitch for the rest of the day.

Spring is Almost Here!

Yesterday it was a balmy 75 degrees here. I know we have more cold weather coming, but it was a nice hint of Spring ahead.

So Hexie Love is up and running smoothly. The new issue is being read and enjoyed. I'm getting lots of wonderful comments from sweet readers. Thank you all very much for you support! Did you know that the first issue had more than 25,000 visits on Joomag?! This doesn't mean I sold 25,000 issues (though a girl can hope), but it means that there were that many people logging in to read or reread the issue. That tell me readers are going back again and again to refer to the patterns and articles. And that makes me happy. :)

Hopefully, when the third issue comes out it will go smoothly the FIRST TIME!!! I feel I'm getting a handle on how their software works. I know they will still have some kinks, but I'm happy that Joomag was able to resolve the problems this week. Now I can move on to sewing and writing again!

Off to get a physical this morning. I'll try to check in again later.

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Don't worry, be happy! That's my mantra for today! Yesterday was darn awful. Of course the culprit was the magazine! I'm determined to be optimistic and hope we can get it resolved quickly. I know some of you are worried that you paid for a subscription earlier this year - don't worry, I will not let you down, I promise!

After a day of angst, I was finally able to relax a bit last night. Hubby and I are on a mission to watch several of the Oscar nominated films. Last night we settled in for The Theory of Everything about Stephen Hawking. Loved it! While we watched, I stitched a few more chunks to the eye quilt. I'll need to work on more chunks in the studio this morning.

I plan to quilt this one myself on my Bernina. I think I'm going to watch Catherine Redford's Walking Foot DVD again and use her techniques. This UFO is getting finished quicker than I expected.

I'm also working on the step outs for QATV this week. By the end of the week I want to have finished the step outs, write the instructions with photos for QATV's website, and finish up all the QATV paperwork. Bet you didn't know how much work goes into a 5 minute TV segment! It's all fun for me though.

I'm going to give Joomag some time to get going this morning and then I'm going to start pestering contacting them again. Fingers and toes crossed!

Magazine Problems...frowny face...

So here we go again... I thought everything would be simple this time around, publishing my second issue. But no...

Thank goodness a very kind reader e-mailed me this morning to tell me that she had bought a single issue in January. She went to buy the new issue today and Joomag let her have the new issue without paying. Apparently anyone who either subscribed OR bought a single issue in the past is being allowed to view the new magazine. Which means no money is coming in to me.

While I would love to gift everyone with an issue, I have invested more that $500 in publishing this one issue (not to mention many hours of work). So if I don't get some money in return, this is not a viable business. :)

I spent 45 minutes on a chat conversation with a Joomag support member. I think I finally got it across to her what the problem is. She couldn't fix it. So she's filed a support ticket with an engineering staff member to see what they can do. I'm supposed to hear back in 24 hours.

As an engineer and former computer programmer (they call them coders now), I think I could even fix the problem if given the chance! It shouldn't be difficult. But I have to go through this red tape. If they can't fix it to my satisfaction, I may be shopping for a new software option.

If you are one of the subscribers, don't worry. I won't let you miss an issue!

Thanks to all of you for your support through this!

2015 Hexie BOM: March!

I really love this pattern! You can have so much fun with colors, patterns, and fabrics. I used EIGHT different fabrics in mine. And yes, I used BROWN! Brown can play really well with lots of colors, so give it a shot sometime.

AND, did you notice? Today I've released the March/April 2015 issue of Hexie Love - see the link above! I hope you enjoy and have a happy hexie day!