Now THAT'S A Tool Chest!

It's been a busy week, I haven't posted or even checked out your blogs on my regular daily route, sorry about that. I have been putting Sundance through her paces. I remember, when I went out to IA for longarm instruction last Fall, Dawn Cavanaugh's advice was to put in an hour a day to see any measurable, consistent, improvement. She cautioned against five hours one day and then skipping four days altogether. I am guilty of the latter. Then, when I find time to quilt, I want it to be PERFECT; I end up becoming frustrated and spend lots of time ripping out and starting over. This last week was the week, the week of putting in the required "hour a day", no more excuses. I'll post some photos later on this week of what I'm working on. I keep a tool box close at hand with all the necessities that Sundance and I need for a happy quilting session; bobbins, oil, compressed air, needles, straight-edge, thread clippers, etc. I saw this tool chest in Lowe's on Friday evening. Can you imagine how organized one could be with this monster standing nearby? It's equipped with an MP3 player hook up, (there are booming speakers up under that "hood"!), amazing lighting and a built in refrigerator (chilled Chardonnay, anyone?)! It's wired with external electrical outlets (think "iron"!) from the side and each full extension drawer is lined with cushioned foam to protect one's tools, it even has a concealed garment hook on the outside! Now THAT's a tool chest, what more could any self-respecting quilter possibly wish for?!

Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

At a recent quilt guild meeting I noticed quite a few quilt-themed vanity plates in the parking lot, you've seen them: "QUILTER" or "IMAQLTR", whatever you can fit on the plate that's not already spoken for through the state license tag bureau. I also noticed license plate frames that were quilt themed and bumper stickers proclaiming, and warning, that the driver brakes for quilt shops. This practice made me wonder why we do this, and provided fuel for today's topic question:

"Do you identify yourself as a quilter through the use of your vehicle, or by any other means, to the public?"

I remember the popularity of the quilted Bomber jacket. We all had them in our guild in the mid-nineties and wore them proudly. It was our way of showing the world that we were quilters, we were proud of it, and we sewed more than bed coverings! I loved my bomber jacket, maybe a little too much. (It succumbed to a horrible laundry accident at my own hands, but that's another post for another day). Do you wear quilted clothing or quilter's jewelry or advertise your love of the art on your car? I didn't think that I did, for the most part, although I do have a few quilty pins and a pair of earrings that resemble an Ohio star block. I have a gold thimble pendant that I wear; and, oh yeah... T-shirts with quilt motifs and slogans, and then, there's that fleece jacket that I bought at APQS with their logo on it. Yep, IMAQLTR, sometimes it's just plain hard to hide it!

...and sew, let's talk...
Life is Good!

Three Reasons

In case you need them, here are three reasons NOT to stay up late at night cleaning your house:
#1. A broken the blender jar, it's a brand new blender, too. Set it down, turned around, and crash.
#2. A broken coffee pot. Same scenario as #1, was moving it to clean under it, crash.
#3. A full-sized sponge, flushed down the toilet. Luckily, I was able to retrieve it.

Don't let this happen to you. Go to bed at a reasonable hour, even if you are having ten people in for dinner the next evening, they're family; they won't care if there's dust under your coffee maker.

Life is Good!

One Down, One To Go

I pieced two Picture Play quilts late last year. The first one, "Bears At The Beach" is done, I just completed the quilting and binding and will be mailing it off to a very special little boy that I know. I hope he will be happy when snuggling under it, love the game of discovering and learning words and colors from the pictures, and delight in the magic of the glow-in-the-dark quilting thread long after the lights go out at bedtime. A second, similar, quilt is being loaded onto Sundance today and will be delivered to my great niece later on this summer. These quilts are among my very favorite to make. As many of these as I stitch together you'd think that would make a dent in my novelty bins, wouldn't you? For some mysterious reason it doesn't work that way, the bins remain full to overflowing with 2, 3 and 4 inch squares!

Life is Good!
Bears At The Beach 43" X 56"

It's A Zoo Out There

The weather was perfect, the family was loaded up in the car,
we were off... for a day trip to the NC Zoo.
What could make the day any better? Only one thing...
a surprise guest met us there: Mason, and his Mommy, too!

Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

I've been reading a lot about "Shop Hops" lately; the official ones, where the participant collects stamps on a pre-determined quilt shop route and enters drawings for prizes along the way. I have never shop-hopped that way but it's safe to say that I've done my fair share of hopping from quilt shop to quilt shop. Each trip that my husband and I take includes a side trip to check out a quilt shop somewhere.

What's the farthest distance you have traveled specifically to visit a quilt shop?

Ten years ago our son was attending Purdue University in W. Lafayette, IN. We drove Kyle out to school, dropped him off, and headed on further west, to Garner, Iowa. I had always wanted to go to Country Threads and figured; "since we'll be in the Midwest anyway..." My husband is a good sport, he agreed. It was only 391 miles out of our way! It was a great quilt shop (good thing!), we spent the night in a nearby city and drove back the next day. How far have you gone? How far would you go??

...and sew, let's talk...
Life is Good!

One Year Later

"Sunflower Love" is complete, at long last! The quilting has been done on this one for a long time, but the piping, binding, hanging sleeve and label all added to the amount of time needed for finishing. I don't know what the hold up was, but suddenly I realized the first wedding anniversary of our son and dear daughter-in-law was looming and that became the perfect target date to shoot for; I hit a bull's eye, one year later! This photo was snapped right after they pulled the quilt out of the gift bag last evening; it is such a great tribute to them, bearing the signatures, sentiments and well-wishes of their wedding guests. I hope they love it forever and consider it worth the wait, it's a timeless treasure. (Not only did I get this project off my plate, but I gained freezer space as well, along with their quilt they took the top layer of their wedding cake home with them... a win-win!!)

~Happy Anniversary~
Life is Good!"Sunflower Love"
66" X 76"

First Attempt

This is my first attempt at a fabric bowl; it turned out just fine, but it's not at all what I was trying to achieve! I was aiming for a straight sided bowl and ended up with a gradual, angled side. OK, back to the book and the "correcting mistakes" chapter. That will make some good bedtime reading tonight! I wrapped eleven yards of cotton clothesline with 3/4" strips of three different navy and tan prints to create this bowl. It measures 2 1/4" in height and is 10" across the top. The wrapping took several hours but the actual stitching took less than an hour. This will be handy for holding something, I'm not sure what, exactly. Once I get the straight sided construction accomplished I hope to eventually create a large, floor basket. Stay tuned to see what gets created next, chances are we'll be surprised together. I can tell already that the learning curve on this one will be climbed by doing, each step up a new discovery. Onward and upward!

Life is Good!

Who's Out There?

This is Mason's favorite spot now, watching and discovering the joys and delights of his own backyard. Sometimes he's eye to eye with the dog through this door, Mason will stand there chattering away and I just know that the dog is thinking "what possible good are you on the other side of this door until you're tall enough to reach the door knob and let me back in?" Mason can crawl like the wind now; walking, whenever that begins, will only slow him down! You can believe me when I tell you how hard it is to leave this little one behind every time I come back home from the Capital City, I always need just one more hug.

Life is Good!
“Look at everything as though you are seeing for the first time, with the eyes of a child, fresh with wonder.” ~Joseph Cornell

Graduation Day

Kyle's graduating this afternoon, but he won't be in attendance at the ceremony; no, he has a seat elsewhere today. We are grateful for a wonderful employment opportunity that has come his way, he's flown to Texas to explore his options there. I do admit to being disappointed about the cap and gown thing, and the celebration party here afterwards. I wanted those photos to frame, but the larger picture is so much more important, my head knows that and my heart will surely follow. I need to get used to something else now too; our son, and eventually our daughter-in-law, living over 1300 miles away! That will be hard for us, but good for them in the long run. We've never traveled to, or researched, the treasures of the Texas "hill country", there are new adventures awaiting all of us! Congratulations, Kyle, Happy Graduation Day; we love you and wish you all the best as you begin this new chapter of your life!

Life is Good!

Pan-tastic!

My dear MIL gave me this terrific pan for making Danish Ebelskiver, little filled pancakes. Have you ever tried them? They are simply wonderful, crispy on the outside and light, sweet and delicious on the inside. They cook up quickly, only a few minutes on each side and they're done. I made my first batch last night. I used strawberry preserves for the filling, they were good, but I'm going to do some experimenting and try putting in a sweetened cream cheese next. One of the suggested fillings is chocolate hazelnut spread, but I'm not a big fan of the noisette; I think that plain chocolate would be great, however. What about cinnamon spiced apples; or how about cooked cherries or blueberries? The possibilities keeping pop-pop-popping like popcorn kernels in my head.

Life is Good!

Living On Borrowed Time?

I was sitting in a crinkly paper gown on the examining table at the Dr.'s office and he was sitting on the rolling stool, facing me. He was explaining all the details of a serious condition (with a long name) caused by precision piecing in patchwork; the consequences of which would result in premature death. He raised and eyebrow and declared that he'd once seen a patient live to 49 years old, but that was highly unusual and not at all the norm. I kept trying to interrupt him and tell him that I was already older than that but he just kept shaking his head and talking, he wouldn't listen to one word from me; that's when I woke up. So much for sharp points and perfectly matched intersections... maybe I should take it a little easier... geez... I don't want to kill myself here... what's the point in that?

Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

You've seen her, maybe you are her, the knitter who sits at the quilt guild meetings with her needles flashing wildly; turning out gorgeous knitted socks, shawls and mittens.
Do you have a second passion, right behind quilting? What else has caught your attention and fuels the fires of creativity within you, is it scrap booking, crochet, embroidery, painting; all of the above?
I posted on Friday about attending a "Stamp Camp" with my daughter, she is a rubber stamp enthusiast and has created some breathtaking cards and gifts. I see her eyes light up when she talks about designer papers and new stamp sets. I can identify with that, it's the same excitement I feel about new fabric lines and quilt patterns. I could easily be lured over, I tend to lose myself in the aisles of our local rubber stamp store, the inks and glitters and embellishments are intoxicating but I know I don't have time for one more obsession. I wasn't going to get caught up in machine embroidery, no I wasn't! But, I fell in, head over heels. I have rationalized that by reminding myself it can be combined with quilting, and, in all honesty, I have done that and will do more in the future. So, what else is it for you? What else calls to you? What else is so seductive that it succeeds in taking you away from your quilts? I found a box on my doorstep Saturday when I returned home from the Capital City, it was the book and 200 feet of clothesline that I had ordered to make coiled fabric bowls and baskets! I tore into it like it was a box of cash. I spent hours poring over the book, planning my first project: a floor basket for Hannes' toys. This was an intentional diversion you realize, it's a catalyst for stash-reduction. That's my story, I'm sticking to it! Yes, I am.

...and sew, let's talk...
Life is Good!

Before And After

"Bali Dancing" ~ 68" X 85"

I've spent the last week getting these border pieces cut and attached to last year's batik version of these blocks-of-the-month. The setting was created in EQ6, a first for me, it worked out perfectly! Unfortunately the bottom two rows of blocks somehow became inverted in the setting process and I'm deliberating some deconstruction at this point to turn it back around as the before photo shows. I could be talked out of this, maybe; I don't relish the thought of lining up those points all over again! In the meantime it will languish on the design wall as is. Oh, I really did love the original block placement... grrr... where's my seam ripper?

Life is Good!

Stamp Camp

Our daughter is an avid rubber-stamper. She comes up with a multitude of creative and clever cards and gift items. These boxes she made for our Easter table, they're designed to hold three Ghirardelli wafers. She phoned a few weeks ago to see if I'd like to attend a stamping event with her this evening, a "Stamp Camp" she called it; I'll be leaving here in a few hours! Not that this Nana needs an excuse to drive to Mason's house at all, but some play time this afternoon with him and an evening out with his Mommy was an offer just too compelling to turn down! I did try and talk Gramps into accompanying me, but he's committed right now to our ongoing attic renovation, hopefully getting to the point where we can get the carpet installed before the estimate times out. He's got the ceiling in place and the recessed lighting in now, the drywall is going up on the vertical walls today. He and I will make a day trip to the Capital City together soon, very soon.I'll be back home tomorrow afternoon; after all, I have ongoing projects of my own to finish! The borders are becoming a reality on my batik block-of-the-month quilt, stay tuned for the dramatic reveal.

Life is Good!

Go Away!

I'm building a case for "music only" in the studio. I'm weary of TV and the ads that I either don't understand, or find completely idiotic and annoying. I don't want to share my space anymore with Chad and his circle or, more recently, his strange alien friends. Just when I thought that it was safe to assume that everyone who wanted a Sham-Wow had already purchased one, Vince returned with the newest "can't live without it product", the Slap-Chop! Whatever happened to writers? I guess they've been redirected to unemployment lines ever since reality TV took over. The mute button is no longer adequate, it's power off for the TV, sorry Chad and Vince you're not invited in my space anymore, you'll have to pack up your hair gel and move to someone else's place; and while you're at it, feel free to take that "baby-come-back" singing broom along with you. I'm cranking up the iTunes and listening to music!

Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

There used to be a column in a magazine I read once upon a time (cannot remember!) entitled "Was My Face Red", it ran short stories submitted by readers of their most embarrassing moments, today's topic is just that.

What is your most embarrassing quilting story? Does it still turn your face red to remember?

I have two stories, both make me laugh now, thinking back; but they were extremely embarrassing at the time. I was teaching a basic quilt making class at our local technical college, approximately a thirty minute drive from our home. I arrived at the school and opened the trunk of the car to get out my teaching bag when I realized that I had left it, back at the house, on the floor of the garage! I had placed it there when I removed the folding chairs from the trunk to make room, and never picked it back up. I could do little else, at that time, but go inside and unlock the classroom, take the roll and leave my students for an hour (of a three hour class) while I returned back home to retrieve the lesson plan, hand-outs, and my teaching aids. That was seventeen years ago, if my memory serves me correctly, I believe I gave them a project to work on while I was gone. I hope so. The second embarrassing situation happened to me only three years ago. I had agreed to donate a quilt to our church's silent auction to benefit charity. I had completed the top and already submitted the dimensions, description of the quilt and a photograph for a brochure. I was up against a deadline (that's always the case!) and still needed to quilt it but I felt confident that I could do it in time, even if it came right down to the wire. Then, I had a last minute, brilliant(!), thought; to add a narrow inner border for an additional pop of color! I had just read an article about piecing in narrow borders using a larger seam allowance and trimming it out afterward; without a second thought I did it, trimmed it back, flipped it over to admire it, and was shocked to discover that I had chopped off every single star point on the outside edges! I had destroyed it, and there was no time (or any more of the same fabric) to create another. I went ahead and quilted it. I decided to machine quilt 1/4" inside each and every point and I made those quilting lines perfect, I pivoted right before where the star point should have been and created sharp angles with contrasting thread. It was all that I could do. I don't think anyone at the auction noticed, but to me there could just as easily have been neon lights above each chopped point bringing attention to them, it was that glaring! Amazingly, that same quilt garnered a second place ribbon at North Carolina Quilt Symposium the following year, apparently my quilting remedy went a long way to healing those amputated points; go figure.

...and "sew", let's talk...
What's your most embarrassing quilting story?

Life is Good!