Somehow Tuesday came and went and I never got around to making a video. But that’s ok as I don’t have anything to show anyway. You may remember my sister and b-i-l are in the area in their rv for the summer, and they have had to sign a longer lease than planned at the rv park because my b-i-l was just diagnosed with a form of oral cancer, and is about to start radiation and chemotherapy. They will likely be here til xmas, maybe the end of the year. This past week I was trying to make a self-binding fleece blanket for him to have on hand for his treatments, using this tutorial but it came out super wonky. So I ripped out all the seams and now have two pieces of fleece that I can’t really use for an adult man once I trim them back to a rectangle, so I’ve decided to trim them down and use them for linus blankets. I need to turn in 3 in August if I want to be caught up so I may try using them as backing for a couple quilts if I can piece something together fairly quickly. Depending on how big the largest piece of fleece is after I trim it down, maybe I can use it for a throw for him, I don’t know. So that’s the plan this weekend.
In other news, I’ve agreed to a quilt commission, which I have never done before, for a coworker, but he goes out of his way to do things for me, so I agreed to this for him as long as he promised not to tell everyone I agreed to do it, lol. I don’t want people asking me to make things for them. Also he didn’t blink an eye when I told him how much it would cost just for materials and I said add another $100 on there for labor. And I know he will pay me. That can’t be said for many people I work with, lol. It’s a simplified version of Jay’s quilt. Different panel, no border, and instead of the “rainbow herb” he wants this colorway on the back (the rest of the back and binding will likely be scrappy black or green fabrics from my stash). My LQS has it in stock so I used their price in the estimate I gave him. I’m going to order black batting if the LQS doesn’t carry it, since both front and back are black, so that will be my first time using that as well.
That’s what I’ve been up to. I haven’t watched any videos yet but I will soon. Take care and talk to you next Tuesday!
TTMT - Talk To Me Tuesday 
Grateful Dead is big in your life right now! Sorry to hear about your b-I-l. Take care
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I’m trying to make this dead quilt as simple as possible to cut labor time and I’ve given myself a deadline of 9/30 so I can do some other things for myself while ordering and bringing in all the supplies for this. Must get caught up on my Linus donations!
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Too bad about the self-binding blanket.. I’ve made those before, but smaller and using a blend of voile and fleece. They turned out pretty good, but I imagine there’s a lot more stretch with cuddle fabrics and also just dealing with the larger size. I tried to watch that video, but found her explanation for the corners kind of confusing. (Maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention, though!) This was the tutorial I used.. it’s got more pictures for those weird bits. (On the other hand, maybe you didn’t have issues with that part at all, in which case feel free to ignore all this!)
Funny about the commission quilt! You’re going to get a reputation for being the go-to for Grateful Dead quilts 😀
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I just used antipill fleece, I can’t stand working with cuddle fabrics. I was so annoyed by the socalled tutorial because it’s her talking instead of showing. Which really makes it more of a lecture than a tutorial. Anyway I managed to salvage one piece of fleece that was still large enough for a lap throw for an adult and I just hemmed i (to the wrong side). It is single layer instead of double layer, but it should be nice and soft. The other piece I had to cut down and it will work for a linus blanket. I may just do exactly the same thing, just fold it over and sew the edge down. I know fleece doesn’t ravel but I like it having a more finished edge and I don’t own a serger anymore.
I thought I was so original with my dead quilt and there’s actually someone doing exactly the same thing and selling them on ebay. But I won’t mention that to my coworker, lolm unless he balks when I give him the final bill. Mine will be a wee bit less and he got to pick the panel and backing. https://www.etsy.com/listing/533879544/grateful-dead-quilt-grateful-dead-decor?ref=related-4
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I didn’t like the style of the tutorial either, very weird to show her talking rather than doing! Anyway, I’m glad you were able to salvage the fleece to maintain the size. What a waste that might have been (and what a piss off).
I agree about having a finished edge on the fleece – it definitely looks better that way.
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Sorry to hear about your Brother in Law , hope and pray that all will be okay in the longer term and that you all have the strength you need in the shorter term ( Sorry that is so waffley but you know what I mean ).
I tried to make one of those blankets and it just looked plan wrong , again like you I used fleece and I think they work much better with Flannel or something with less stretch.
Congratulations on the commission , its always great to get someone who wants to pay you for doing what you love , although I get you with not wanting to put it out there to everyone, I once made about 10 mine craft pillows for commissions at Christmas and was totally done at the end of it.
xx
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That’s it, it’s just plain wrong. I remember when I first started knitting, someone gave me the advice to just “trust the pattern” even if it seemed like it didn’t make sense, but this time it just didn’t work. I have seen them made with flannel as well, and might try one for linus that way, but I’m never using fleece for one again. To me a tutorial should either be a bunch of step by step photos showing what the project should look like each step if the way, or a video of you showing you actually doing it. Not a video of you talking about it. That’s why I don’t make tutorials, I don’t have the patience to do them properly.
I usually turn down commissions when I’m asked about them, this is the first time I’ve agreed, because I know he’s good for the money and he had reasonable expectations on price/cost.
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So sorry to hear about your b-i-l. That’s really terrible news. I will keep him in the thoughts and sending some healing hugs.
Congratulations on your first commissioned project. I found it a bit never wracking at first. Probably just my general nature to undervalue my work. Overtime I have realized people are always happier with what I do that’s I expect them to be. So I’m sure he will love what you make. Try to enjoy it and remember he knows what to expect as he has seen your work. Which it lovely by the way.
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Thanks. First all day chemo session tomorrow. 😦
Awe thanks. Yeah my coworker keeps encouraging me to start a “side business”. I’m like, dude, I’m so busy doing my day job for you and the rest of the sales team I don’t have the energy for a “side business”. but he definitely thinks I do good work or he would never have asked.
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Hope it goes well for him today. I’m sure the first treatment is scary and surreal. Hugs
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I am glad your sister and B-I-L are close by during this time. I’m sure she will be glad to have her sister around. And, speaking of the patient, I would have been very grateful for someone to help my excellent caregiver.
I have a fleece baby blanket in the closet that I scrapped because I couldn’t follow the directions – and it looks so easy! Oh well. Live and learn.
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I’m glad I am here for her too. I worry about her a lot.She’s my big sis!
I seriously am over fleece. Bah. Going to wrap these last ones up and stop buying it, lol.
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