Beginning again

I realized after quilting two rows across the width and two cross wise small sections that my quilt was askew. No amount of tugging and fudging was going to straighten it.

So, I made the dreaded decision to rip out and start over again!!! Oh my!!

I took all my supplies and my quilt into our nearest town of Mora, to the conference room at "Tapetes de Lana", a local rug weaving enterprise.  They have several rectangular tables for use and as long as they are not booked they do not charge to use for private purposes such as mine.

I gathered the tables together in the center of the room in the shape of a large rectangle.

Then I started laying out my quilt, First the backing, which I taped to the tables. Then I layed the batting on top of that.  After I got the batting nice and smooth, I layed the quilt top.

After I got the whole thing nice and straight, I pinned the leader cloth to the edges, inserted the bars and with my husband's help rolled the whole thing onto the bars. This whole process took about three hours because I was doing most of it by myself while my husband did some errands in town.

When we finished rolling we went home and mounted the bars onto the frame.

NOW I am ready to hand quilt it. It is nice and straight and I have learned never to rush when you are mounting a quilt sandwich onto the bars.

Anxiously waiting for the UPS truck!

Here I am waiting for the UPS truck! Why? Because my new extension bars come today!!  YAY!!

I have been working on my hexie quilt handwork. You know making individual hexies and then sewing them together to make the individual flowers.  I have already made about 15 flowers.  But I need about 40 more.  No problem! I have been working on this particular quilt on and off for about 2 years. I also need to make about 200 white individual hexies.  The white ones are going to be the path between the flowers. This quilt is for me so I can take my time with it. Right now my priority is my oldest daughters quilt, which I need to finish in time for her birthday!

I have also started sewing the blocks for another string basket weave quilt. This one will be for my youngest daughter.  I figure if I sew the blocks for the youngest in between hand quilting the one for the oldest, I should have the second quilt ready for the quilt frame as soon as I get the first one off the frame. . . maybe even before.  Then. . . I still have to make one for my oldest son!  My youngest son already has his quilt. 

So you see, waiting for the UPS truck is really holding up the parade!!  Plus, I will not be able to work on the quilt today because we are making chile rellenos (New Mexico Style) or Chile bullets as my daughter in law calls them. We cooked the meat and green New Mexico chile yesterday. Today we will form the "bullets" and fry them. YUM YUM!

We wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year! Have a great time with family and friends!

Well Almost Done!

I thought for sure I would finish the pink Irish chain baby quilt for the neighbors great grandbaby today!

But, it seems that although I have finished my hand quilting on the blocks, I can not mark the border for quilting because it is slightly askew!!!

I can't believe that I missed that when mounting the quilt on the frame!  Anyway, I have to fix that before I can finish the binding and I am reconsidering putting any kind of quilting on the border. I so hate ripping things out that I thought were done.  So maybe I can finish tomorrow!  Tonight I am physically finished!  I quilted like a madwoman for the last week and half to get this done and the baby doll quilt too.

I am coming down to the wire to get this done before my daughter arrives next week.  Why do I have to finish it now? Because once my daughter and granddaughter are here we are going to party!  No time for quilting!! Unfortunately!  But she is only going to be here for a week, so I have to make sure every minute is spent with them and enjoying their presence!

Soooo, tomorrow is another great day to quilt!

In the meantime, everyone keep on quilting,

Aveli

Apple Pie -- Flea Market and Rain!

Today we left our cabin early in the morning so we could go to the Flea Market in Las Vegas, NM. We hadn't gone this year for one reason or another so I was really looking forward to the trip.

It takes 45 to 60 minutes to drive from Guadalupita to Las Vegas, NM; that is why we left before even having breakfast, just one cup of coffee. . . and I am a 2 cup in the a.m. kind of girl!!! LOL!!!

Well, when we got to Mora, 14 miles from the cabin, my husband says he can't wait any longer to eat.  So, we stopped at the local grocery store which is named Russell's. They have a small deli inside the small store. They sell, various items of prepared food.  The variety depends on the time of day.  Since it was 7:00 a.m., they were selling breakfast burritos -- which my husband loves!  He had one breakfast burrito. I was hoping for some chicken taquitos, but it was too early for those.

When we arrived in Vegas, we went straight for the flea market. Not too many people were in attendance but there were several vendors.  Most of the shoppers were at the Las Vegas Fiesta in the Old Town Plaza. One of the very big and popular fiestas that happen this time of year.

One of my favorite vendors at the flea market is the lady with all the baked goods. . . pies, cakes, biscochitos. Biscochitos are the state cookie for New Mexico. There is no baked cookie like them. They are simple but flaky, sweetened with sugar cinamon and a little anise. I have loved them since I was little and so has the whole state of New Mexico. I bought a dozen and a half. I also bought two apple pies. These are flat pies; not the traditional all american apple pie which is piled high with apples.  They are flat, about 3/4 inch thick with a very flaky crust, top and bottom, also sprinkled with sugar and cinammon.  DELICIOUS!  The reason I bought 2 is one for us and one for my husband's cousin. We were going to visit them after we finished in Vegas and it is his birthday. I thought an apple pie was perfect to celebrate his birthday with him and his wife.

Later as I perused all the vendors wares, "Lo and Behold!" there was a quilting frame for sale!  YAY! I had recently got one for myself, but my daughter in law was looking for one. I immediately bought it, only $30. I thought it was a bargain. It is in great shape. It isn't one of the fancy ones, just pieces of wood to put together.  But, very functional and my daughter in law really needed one.

Needless to say, the apple pie was a hit, the quilting frame was a hit and it didn't start raining until we got home!  What a great and perfect day!