Saturday, September 27, 2014

I digress

.....but only for a moment.
 
I have been working on some quick satisfaction projects that are crochet.
 
First is my daughter's birthday present, a poncho that she has been wanting for the last couple of years.
 

 
Then there are the Minion hats.  I was making one for my youngest grandson, but made it too big, so the second youngest asked for it. 

 
 
The next size down is going to work out just fine for the youngest.  He will be 1 year old in just a couple of weeks. 
 
Now that these are done and after doing a little shop hopping with my friends, I am ready to get back to quilting. 
 
We stopped at three shops  with a couple of them being new quilt shops to me. 
 
One was Time Remembered Quilting in Macomb, MI. She is really new;  and I had my eye on a couple really pretty pieces of fabric, but I held back. 
 
Then we stopped in at Cristina's in Rochester, MI.  She re-opened after being closed for a good 18 months. 
 
I picked up fabric for  my youngest grandson to make  a pillowcase.
 
 
Then we headed out to Oxford, MI where there is a fairly new shop called Kindred Spirits Quilt Shoppe.  There I picked up some really cute Halloween fabrics.  The wordy one is for the backing of a quilt that I want to make, the stripe is for the binding and the oranges are for hunch back cats. This quilt may not be done for this Halloween, but it makes me want to get to it soon as I just love the backing fabric.
 
 
So, no more excuses.  I have to get back to the machine and start producing and not just buying fabrics. 
 
I will keep you posted.   
 
 

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Been busy, been in a funk, just plain not enough hours in a day.

That's my excuse and I am sticking to it. 
 
Finally got myself into the sewing room today and realized I haven't shared all my purchases from the Grand Rapids quilt show.
 
 
Already started these two mini flags that came with a stand. Now I need to get the buttonhole stitching done and then I can use them.
 
 
Bought this dot fabric for the backing of my QOV challenge quilt and have it all pieced together as of this evening.  I even made the binding, so this quilt just needs to get on the long arm.
 
 
On the Dot are little markers for your rulers. I am anxious to give these a try and the little bottles are fabric ink with the six dabbers.  I am going to try using this on the back of a wedding quilt that had signatures but the marriage didn't last.  I'll let you know how that works.
 
 
I have a request from one of my grandsons to make a sock monkey.  I made each of the two older ones a monkey long ago and now this one wants one, so I thought I would make two for the two grandsons that don't have one.  This may be a Christmas project.
 
 
Bought yardage of this fabric for a backing because I just couldn't resist.  On returning home, I found the perfect quilt for it and it is one of those that is nearly done.  Just loved this fabric.  It was calling my name every time I walked by it. 
 
 
Just because!  Maybe I will make a little zippered bag with these. 
 
 
12" show special cutting board. 
 
 
Yes....$3.97.  I thought that was a super price.
 
Well, that's it for my purchases. 
 
As for my finally getting into the sewing room today.  I pieced the backing for the QOV quilt that I showed you above.
 
I cut out a backing for a baby quilt that was made out of left over triangles from a previous project.
 
 
......and I cut out the backing for my huge white/black/red Chinese coin quilt.  Now all three of these are ready for the long arm. 
 
Also, I should mention that I got the coolest pin cushion from my son and daughter-in-law this afternoon.  They just returned from a belated honeymoon to Scotland.  The pin cushion is made from recycled sweaters in a Scottish motif stuffed with sand from the northern Shetlands.  How cool is that?
 
Anyways, here is a picture of all the goodies they brought back for us. 
 
 
There are a couple little bottles of Scotch, some handmade soaps, fudge that is flavored with scotch and my pincushion. 
 
All-in-all, today was a good day.  Just maybe I am finally out of my funk.  One can only hope.
 
 


Monday, September 1, 2014

September 1?

How can this be?
Time is just flying by way too fast this year.
 
 
Where have I been?  I attended the Grand Rapids AQS Quilt Show over a week ago. 
 
I took my featherweight to keep me busy in my room as I didn't have a roommate this year.  I used the above post card for my paper piecing.  Yes....I was working on my Hearts and Hands ...again. 
 
 
Didn't get as much done as I thought I would because after attending the show I was pretty pooped by the end of the day. 
 
I took a few pictures of quilts that inspired me and some close ups of machine quilting that I liked.  Here are just a few of those pix.
 
 
 
 
I have a thing for birds.
 
 
love this stitching
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This one I am posting for a friend who is doing something similar with a quilt she is working on right now.  It made me think of her. 
 
As you can tell, I have very eclectic taste. 
 
I have many more pictures, but gosh.....there just isn't enough time to post them all. 
 
These quilt shows are well worth going to.  I highly recommend them if you get a change. 
 
It's been very hectic at work what with moving my office, getting new phones and getting a new computer (which replaced a very OLD computer) and thus didn't transfer over a lot of my files. That alone has made for one big headache at work. 
 
Hopefully, the next time I post it will be something accomplished on the long arm.  I have a charity quilt on it now that is varying sized strips and I am trying out different quilting designs in each of those strips.    I had to stop tonight as I was running out of different ideas for the next few stripes. 
 
Oh well, something will come up.
Stay tuned. 
 

Michigan quilters, take note

  Come see us at our first Quilter's to Quilter's sale.   Don't know what that is?  Well, it will be 28 quilters/vendors selling...