Karrin's Crazy World: October 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/