Paper Towels And Paper Roses

After wanting to toss my log cabin back into the closet I realized what my problem has been since I started; having to stop and lay out each block again once I'm done sewing one block.  Duh.  If I could stack a ton of blocks together and go through a pile at a time, it would be so much easier.

I took a paper towel, laid out all the pieces, put another towel on top of it, set up another block, and had a stack going.  It was SO much easier.  The paper towels were great as the fabric stuck to it and it was easy to pull the fabric off.  If you have a block with lots of itty bitty pieces, paper towels are totally awesome for keeping them in place.    

While going through the MTC forum a lady gave a link to an awesome blog that had gorgeous paper roses.  She had done PDFs of them for easy cutting.  The PDF includes the color backing so your rose is the same color on the bottom.  Here's the link "The Elli Blog"

Here's the one I made:  It was SO easy and they come out gorgeous.  You'd never know it was just printer paper.

The Silhouette Store is having a sale of their files for 50 cents.  I fell in love with the bird house and designed this one.  It still needs the perches.  I'll cut those out tomorrow.  It's just so bright and cheery.

AD (After Death) Log Cabin Quilt

I pulled out my AD (after death) quilt and started working on it again.  I finally had to consider that if I want it done before I die (given my bike record that may be sooner than later) I need to make it a lap quilt.  I've started working on the pink border.  Then I need to never do a log cabin again.  I hate them.

Cycling:

After taking my bike to the LBS to get checked out, the guy told me she's just fine and no problems.  Got to hand it to Ridley for making this bike bombproof though.

I did 6 miles the other day with my X-BOW and worked on handling skills.  I've figured out that because I don't have vision on the top right corners of my eyes, that my brain has a hard time comprehending corners/turns.  I had to spend some time retraining my brain that it's okay and the turn/corner is safe.

I still ride like I'm drunk which is frustrating despite working on it.  You see people out there riding in a perfect line.  I don't plan on racing, but I'd like not look so drunk.

What's In Your Bucket List?

I take my brand new shiny bike out and end up 20 feet down a ravine after the tires got caught between the slats of a bridge and dumped me down the side.  Bike appears to be fine but I'm pretty beat up and sore.  At least I've crossed off the "drop off the side of a bridge on a bike and survive" on my bucket list.  Where's a helmet cam and a buddy behind you recording it when you need one? 

I swear I don't have a death wish and I'm not trying to be a stuntwoman.  I was just crossing the wooden bridge out the main road.  I'm wondering if maybe I shouldn't be on a bike after this.  I've given it three years and maybe it's not for me.  Doing some serious soul searching now as this makes the third accident I probably shouldn't have been able to walk away from.  

The drop bars slammed up into my chest on the way down and my upper body took the rest of the fall as I was bent over the bike going down.  At least today it doesn't hurt to breathe.  Hubby said not to sell anything or do anything rash until I get better and give it a couple of weeks to heal up.

Hopefully I'll be feeling better in a couple of more days.      

      

 

  

She's here!  She's here!  Just look at her!  Even if you don't get into bikes, it's okay..look anyway..

                                  

She's a 2013 Ridley X-BOW and light as a feather!  Okay..maybe not to a weight weenie, but it's a heck of a lot lighter than my fat bike.  I'd actually gone into a LBS to get a 29er set up for my Muk after selling my Fargo.  I knew it would cost 500-600 dollars and realized I couldn't do it.  What I wanted was a lighter bike to ride the roads.

First LBS had a 2012 Kona "Jake the Snake" in a 56 but it felt so big and stretched out but the components were Ultregra and the price was really hard to beat.  I didn't have enough money at the time and figured I could save up for it.  I sold several things and finally had enough to buy it yesterday.  

I went online and checked out the geometry of the "Jake the Snake".  It really was a large bike.  I had also looked at a Surly Cross Check but after my Fargo I have no desire to deal with bar end shifters.  It had better geometry and that's why it felt more comfortable.  

I knew I didn't want a Trek or a Specialized bike and Salsa pretty much starts out at 2000 when I looked at their bikes.  Surly bikes have crappy components for their high prices and most have bar end shifters.

When I did a search for bike shops in Lincoln a store I'd never heard of popped up so I figured I'd go check it out.  After some test rides and swallowing the over-priced Ridley bike with only Tiagra components I realized it fit the best out of all the bikes I've tried.  And yes, I just complained about high priced bikes in the paragraph above.       

It's been a couple of years since I've had a road style bike and after today's ride of only 5 miles I'm hobbling around in pain.  It's not a plush comfy fat bike for sure.  I had to go back home after three blocks to get my padded shorts. 

I'm still concerned about the fit and it's the drop bars/stem combo that are driving me nuts.  The drop bars just feel to far away from the bike via the stem, but the reach to get to the hoods even if the stem was shortened would still be hard.  I hope I didn't get the wrong size bike.  I felt if I went to a smaller frame, I'd be cramped and still not be able to reach the hoods/shifters with my knees into my chest.  I'm wondering if I have a long torso but short arms and my hands are small.  

Do they make WSD drop bars?  My Woodchipper bars were perfect and I may have to save up for another one but I don't know if they would change the handling of the bike.   

   

Bikes, Machines, and Tiles

Better option for Google Reader since Google is being stupid?  Where is everyone heading?

Only sewing/quilting news is that I sold my Janome 350e on Saturday to a bike gang to make patches.  Huge bald guy shows up at my house, I give him a quick overview of the machine and he leaves with it.  Somehow the thought of these tough looking guys learning to work an embroidery machine had me falling over with laughter after he left.


I've done more messing around with my Cameo than with my sewing machine.  The MTC forum has been doing 3-D cards and while I didn't design the piano card, it was cool to cut it out with the Cameo.

I designed this with the Studio software and my hubby LOVES it.  It took a few days to get it right, but it was a lot of fun to make.  It looks a little bare, but hubby liked it that way.  I would love to sell tiles like this for others.  Or the monogram ones as well.  I think I'm finally getting the hang of it.

Cycling:

I went into my LBS on Saturday thinking about buying a 29er wheel set for my Muk after selling my Fargo and embroidery machine.  It would be great to have mountain bike tires for the summer and keep the stock set for the road.  For about 500-600 I could have a summer set.  Ouch..but I knew it would cost that much.

Since I'd sold the Fargo, I wondered if a new or "new to me" bike was really what I needed so I started looking around.   Over in the back corner one caught my eye, a "Jake the Snake" cyclocross bike.  Guy let me take it out and it was bike lust.  Despite what I'd made with both sales, the bike wasn't affordable and need 300 more to buy it.  I put my Cricut and Go! Cutter up for sale on CL and put posts on the local grocery store bulletin board.  I'd sell them via Ebay or even here, but I can't find boxes that work where I live.  If you live in Lincoln, Omaha or surrounding area, happy to sell it to you though.  Also selling my Topaz 30 machine on CL.  Again, I don't have the boxes and I'd need two boxes for the Topaz.  If that sold, I could get whatever bike I wanted..LOL.

Log Cabin Quilt Almost Done

I have been doing quilting stuff recently.  Just haven't had time to post.  Here's the log cabin quilt I almost have done.  One more blue border and it's ready to go.  I figure I'll quilt it with red/white/blue variegated thread with a meandering pattern of sorts.  It turned out better than I thought it would.

I've been introduced to GoogleSketch which is a 3-D program and is totally amazing.  Then you use another program (can't remember it) to unfold what you've made and then import it into Make the Cut software to cut it out!  No more drawing every piece in MTC!  I made the box in Sketch, opened it up in the other software, edited to make the hearts in MTC and cut it out with my Cameo.  If I had vellum or tissue paper I could put a candle in it.

I've been feeling so much better physically after being sick all winter.  I've been walking a mile every day and have started up riding my bikes.  I even GASP ran yesterday and made 4 new Strava achievements.  I put Mean Green on the trainer and did 9 miles today and Old Blue did 8 miles last week.  It's still been too cold outside to really enjoy cycling.   Yeah, I named my bikes.  

Mean Green has been in the shop hoping to get new shifters put on, but the ones I bought wouldn't work.  However; the LBS discovered that my bar end shifters were totally messed up and fixed them so the bike shifts beautifully.  Wow.  What a HUGE difference.  Indoor trainers are nice because you don't have to fiddle with anything.  Just get on and ride and don't die of boredom.  

I'm thinking I need a new saddle as I've lost enough cushioning that it hurts to ride now.  Stupid saddles cost a fortune so I don't know when I'll be able to pick up something.  Butts are pretty finicky about what saddle they like which doesn't help.

I'd like new pedals for Mean Green as well.  Really nice flat ones with grips and everything.  

"Build Your Best Log Cabin" ebook Review

I was asked to do a review of this ebook from "Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting".  Quilting e-books need to read more like a tradition book.  In scrolling down, it's easy to miss key points or important directions.  Or if you scroll too fast to skim through like I do, the visuals don't align right.  I don't have the graphic skills to put pictures of all the quilts on my review.  All of the patters were easy to follow and understand.  Link to the free book is here

First quilt is "Bears in Bertie's Log Cabin" by Ricky Tims as shown as the first quilt on the cover.  I've never worked with fat eights as you can't just go buy fat eights fabrics, but Ricky's quilt only requires 24 of them so your LQS may oblige.  Fat eights are 9"x20"..half a fat quarter.  Disregard the fact that the directions say to use hand dyed fabrics unless you can get it.

I like bear paw quilt blocks and they are really set off in this quilt.  Don't be intimidated that the blocks all finish at 6 inches.

Ricky's quilt is accented with bobbin work and Trapunto around the border with good directions.  I wish the border pattern had been included or a link to get it.

"Woven Log Cabin" by Shon McMain  reminds me of the Amish style quilts with the darker colors and simplistic look.  This was one of my favorites as the blocks are solid colors "woven" in a basket-like fashion on the diagonal.  You have to layout each block with corresponding colors to create the effect and the layout for the quilt is easy to understand so you don't get lost.

"On The Dark Side" by Lori Chistianson is the middle quilt on the cover done with a variation of the traditional courthouse steps quilts made to look like squares.

"Linked Chevrons" is a miniature quilt by Marti Michell that is shown in the last photo.  I really like this for it's simplicity and the idea of having 2 inch finished blocks.  Wow.  Another project I'll put in my "to do" list.

The last part of the book talks about using piping as binding and how to make regular binding.