Karrin's Crazy World: 2025

Sunday, October 26, 2025

Slow Sunday Stitching

It's been a crazy busy week. Sunday was the end of Day Camp retreat for my guild. Monday was the Out of the Darkness Blog Hop and I got my top done. I had had the quilt kit for several weeks, so was really happy to get the top done considering my broken elbow and episode with Covid.

Tuesday I had to get my house ready for workday at my house for Community Service for my guild. It involves putting away my quilting stuff and cleaning house, setting up tables. On workday we cut batting for the quilt tops we get in, that we have matched up backs for and we also include the binding and a label. We bag them up, and next month I will take them up to the community center a block from me for pin basting day. We were trying to get 3 months done because we won't have a workday in November or December because of the holidays. We had a few extra people this time, and got done pretty quickly.

Tuesday night I had Begonia Society meeting, and it was also propagation night. My friend Cathy and I didn't stay very long. I have done this before and was thinking about the busy day the next day with workday.

After everybody left on workday I got my stuff back out, as I had to have a lot to do before I pick my stuff back up on Sunday.

First off, I wanted to finish up my granddaughter Klara's BD present. I have been working on Angela Walters Negative Spaces Free Motion Quilting Challenge. I had bought the panel, and then got behind because of my elbow and Covid. I had 3/4 of it done, so I worked really hard for 3 days and got the rest of it quilted.

This measures about 45x56. I thought it would be a nice touch if I made a pillow case to match.

Angela Walters @Quilting is My Therapy has many free motion videos that are free. The only cost is if you purchase the panels. I have signed up for the holiday one coming up the first part of November.

I was also able this week to get my Christmas pillowcases done for my family that I put in their stockings.

I made a dirty laundry bag for my grandson Jaeger's girlfriend. I have made other members of the family these several years ago.

I was able to finish up both of the baby quilt tops I started at Day Camp.

One thing making me crazy this week or for the past month is ants. I had them in my laundry room in my extra pantry. Then they were gone for a couple of weeks, and then they were back like crazy in one of those Terro liquid ant bait stations. They were in the kitchen several months ago. Then the past 2 weeks they have been coming out of the woodwork in my bathroom.

What really made me crazy was they were running all over my side cabinet. They were in a drawer where I had beads for crazy quilting. The were in my little gnome where I keep sugar free candy. I had to throw everything out.

I had this basket on the floor next to the side table, that has some quilting I work on occasionally.

They were in this basket on the side table that I keep various things in.

I put one of those Terro ant stations on the side table, and they are still coming out, even after pest guy came out to treat again. Pest guy when he came out, there were ants running around all over the table top, and he said "oh wow".

What I will be working on for Slow Sunday Stitching continues to be the vintage quilt. I got some more pieces prepped to applique on.

I will be linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.

Sunday, October 19, 2025

Out of the Dark Blog Hop Starts Today, My Day

The Out of the Dark Blog Hop starts today, hosted by the fabulous Joan @Moosestash Quilting. I appreciate her and Carol having two more blog hops this year.

For my project, I worked on a kit I had bought several years ago from Shabby Fabrics called Midnight Silhouette by Blackbird Designs. I got the top finished, but not quilted yet. I was at a quilting retreat this past week, and I got a couple of the ladies to hold it up for me.

Be sure and check out the other bloggers and see what they have come up with for the Out of the Dark Blog Hop. The line up is below.

Thanks for stopping by!

Monday Oct 20

Tuesday Oct 21

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Wednesday Oct 22

Quilting Between the Rails (on Facebook)

Thursday Oct 23

Slow Sunday Stitching

It has been another busy month. Last time I posted was September 14th. I was getting ready the next week to go on a 5 day quilting retreat to Zephyr Cove in Lake Tahoe. The next week, two days after guild meeting I got a horrible sore throat and headache. We were told if we were sick in any way, to not come. I had my bags packed already, supplies and machine. I took a Covid test and it was positive, so I was not able to go. Unfortunately, you could only get a refund 30 days before the retreat.

Thankfully I healed fairly quickly, and became by the next weekend. Granddaughter Kyleigh and fiance Drew got me a ticket to see Stevie Nicks in concert. Daughter Kristen and son-in-law Jeff also went. It was such a wonderful concert and a dream come true for me.

Back in September one of my hearing aids stopped working, they were out of warranty, and I decided to get them through Kaiser this time. I had to wait for an appointment, and then wait for them to come in. I wore 1 hearing aid for about 6 weeks, but they finally came in last week and I am very thankful.

The other thing that happened, was that last Sunday I turned 75. Kyleigh asked what I wanted to do, and I asked to go to Half Moon Bay. Kyleigh, daughter Katie, granddaughter Klara and I went to Half Moon Bay for the day. It was a little chilly, but I loved being at the ocean again. We also went to the orchid nursery and had a nice Mexican lunch.

Tuesday last week, Kyleigh came over to make a baby quilt for a friend of hers. I had won some fabric on Instagram, and I cut it into 5 inch squares. She sewed everything together and even quilted it herself. I just made the label and put the binding on.

That day I had incredibly bad luck with my machines that day. I had planned to work on 2 baby quilts, which I didn't get done in Zephyr Cove. My Bernina Artista 185 started making birds nests and the bobbin was making noises. This had just been in the shop less than a month ago, so I set it aside to take to the shop. I got my Bernina 770 out of the case where it had been packed go to Zephyr Cove, and once started up, it had a picture on the screen telling me the feed dogs were down, and they weren't. I watched videos for about 2 hours trying to get it fixed to no avail. So Kyleigh and I took both machines in.

Meanwhile I got this machine out of the closet. It is a Singer 99, came in a wooden case, and I got it for my 13th birthday. I haven't used it since 1973 when John bought me a Singer Touch and Sew.

I oiled it, and sewed a seam, and it sewed just fine, I rewound the bobbin, and then looked around for the bobbin holder and couldn't find it. Two days later I realized that the bobbin case didn't come out.

Luckily I had a featherweight I could work on. I have since gotten my 770 back, but apparently the Bernina guru at the sewing machine place got Covid and it will be awhile before I get that machine back.

The past couple of days I have been at a quilt day retreat. We pay $50 for three days, and that is mainly for the prizes. We have dinners, you can come and go as you want, just leave your stuff for 4 days, and go home at night. My name was the first called and I got to pick out this beautiful layer cake in blues.

There is a quilt shop a couple of doors down from where we meet called Sew Katie Jean and they usually come over during our retreat, and 5 people's names are pulled out of a bag. My name was called and these were my prizes.

What I have been working on at retreat are the two baby quilts I meant to get done last month. The airplanes I need to put the borders on.

The ballerina girls need the sashings put on and borders.

I also started putting my small economy blocks together.

I also started working on Kyleigh's wedding quilt.

What I will be working on for Slow Sunday Stitching is the vintage double wedding ring.

I will be linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching and https://quiltingpatch.blogspot.com/

Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday, October 12, 2025

Out of the Dark Blog Hop Coming Soon

The Out of the Dark Blog Hop is coming next week, hosted by the fabulous Joan @Moose Stash Quilting. I have the top for my project completed and am looking forward to seeing what everyone has done. The schedule for the blog hop is below.

Monday Oct 20

Tuesday Oct 21

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Wednesday Oct 22

Quilting Between the Rails (on Facebook)

Thursday Oct 23

See you soon!

Sunday, September 14, 2025

SLOW SUNDAY STITCHING

Last week was pretty relaxing, able to work on my own projects for the most part. I did have Community Service Pin Basting Day, and one day had lunch with my friend Jandra, who happens to be Kyleigh's fiance's grandmother.

I made Jandra a bag like the one I made for Kyleigh's BD and I had also made myself one. This one is mine, and Kyleigh's was similar. Jandra's had beige handles.

This week I also made a bag for my stepdaughter Dawn's BD. Dawn likes turtles and I had bought this panel to make a bag sometime ago. I decided to use Soft and Stable to pad it.

A project that got put on hold with my broken arm was an on-line quilt class I was taking with Angela Walters, Negative Spaces Quilt Along. I bought the panel and did the first lesson, and then broke my arm. The second lesson was for the patterns on the blue section, which I got done this week. I am hoping to finish this up and bind it and give it to my youngest granddaughter Klara for her birthday in late October.

I also got some applique prepped for the upcoming Out of the Dark Blog Hop hosted by Joan at Moose Stash Quilting. This is one of my projects for my upcoming Zephyr Cove quilting retreat.

The highlight of the week was Saturday when my family and I and went to help granddaughter Kyleigh pick out a dress for her wedding next October. She looked beautiful in everything she put on. We went to two bridal places.

This was the group that was helping her choose.

I'm not saying what she chose, but I think she did make a choice today.

What I will be working on for Slow Sunday Stitching continues to be the vintage double wedding ring restoration.

I will be linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching and https://quiltingpatch.blogspot.com/

Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, September 13, 2025

Scrap Happy September

It’s again time for showing off our scrap projects! ScrapHappy is open to anyone using up scraps of anything – no new materials. It can be a quilt block, pincushion, bag or hat, jewelry, dolls, socks or a sculpture. Anything made of scraps is eligible.

If you'd like to join us and use up your scrap collection, instead of sitting around in bags, etc, why not join us on the 15th of each month? Either e-mail Kate at the address on her Contact Me page, or leave a comment on her Scrap Happy Post.

I've been absent a couple of months. I broke my arm and wasn't blogging. I am currently getting ready for a quilt retreat soon.

In July, we had another 5th Wednesday for my quilt guild Community Service. I spent about 10 days cutting up flannel scraps for more Potato Chip quilt kits. I was able to make up 6 kits.

My granddaughter is getting married next October and I am making a Double Wedding Ring quilt. The centers and ovals are not scraps, but everything else is. I spent over a week cutting the pieces out on my Accuquilt. I will be going on a quilt retreat later this month and this is one of the projects I am going to work on.

That's it for this month.

Be sure and visit the other bloggers below and see what they have been up to.

Kate, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan,
Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera,
Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Nóilin, Viv, Karrin, Alissa,
Tierney, Hannah and Maggie

Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday, September 07, 2025

SLOW SUNDAY STITCHING

It was a busy week all around. This was the week for our guild board meeting. This week I continued to prepare for my upcoming Zephyr Cove quilt retreat. I got more of Kyleigh's Double Wedding Ring pieces cut out.

Also Kyleigh's best friend is having a baby boy in February, and his father is a pilot, so I found a pattern on Etsy, and got it all cut out as well. This was a pattern by One Bee Lane.

Thursday I had two appointments, with the dental hygienist, in which I was determined I needed to have some "deep cleaning" in several months.

The second was with the hearing aid specialist after a hearing test. One of my hearing aids stopped working three weeks ago. I found out earlier in the year that my current hearing aids were out of warranty and would no longer be serviced by my prior hearing aid specialist. I decided to go with the Kaiser system this time and they have been ordered and will arrive in a couple of weeks, and I have an appointment October 8th.

Friday afternoon was spent setting up this year's Begonia Show and Sale. These were the sale plants.