Recovering the evidence!

Just happened to read Ruthie's blog this morning (www.threadsofmine.blogspot.com), and found she has posted pictures of some of our Paducah room-mates loading the evidence of their shopping successes into Sue's car to go home . . . claim is they didn't have room for their luggage! There's a little video, too. Hop over there for a peek!

I'm not sure, but we may be able to pad our pockets with monies for our own shopping next year, by agreeing . . . for a price . . . not to reveal this evidence to certain husbands!

When we had show and tell, we thought their "show" was a little light. To be honest, Jane admitted that they left most of their purchases in the car, because some of the fishermen didn't understand that those parking places were not for their boats and trailers, but for the occupants of the adjacent townhouses. So, Jane and her group had to park some distance away from our lodging and walk "home", and couldn't carry all their purchases. (Those boys didn't read their information packet which indicated that boats and trailers belong on the marina lot. I'm the stubborn type . . . I wedged my vehicle between two boats.) Now, we know they weren't kidding about not being able to carry it all!

Well . . . back to work . . . I'd rather be sewing!

Back from Paducah!

I think I'm mostly recovered except for the burning desire to do nothing but sew or quilt . . . but I've suffered that malady for most of my life! We had a great trip. We usually exchange some sort of little "room-mate gift", and mine was the compenents to make and embellish a pincushion. I took my little kits in a plastic sweater storage box, and was able to put all my personal purchases inside it, and close the lid! It only took one trip to carry it in . . . previous years have seen three or four huge bags full of fabrics, so this was quite a turn around. I bought the show catalog, Art Quilts 2009, and Judy Martin's new book on Log Cabin variations. Even found a scrap bag at one vendor in the mall, and some $1 fat quarters in brights to liven up my Orange Crush quilt.

Benartex and AQS had a booth shop hop, featuring the Benartex line, Aspen. I loved the colorways . . . burgundy, a sort of mauve, light gold, and acid green, and had to play. By the time I got to the convention center, most of the booths were sold out of block kits, but promised to mail them to me. I even found a roll of half-yards of the six fabrics in the color palette, so hopefully, I will have an adequate amount of supporting fabric to design a flattering setting for the blocks.

In the category of "Well, duh . . . ", I put the camera in my purse, and the first time I tried to use it the batteries were dead . . . with batteries in the recharger back at the Lake cottage. So, that evening, I carefully removed the camera from my purse, and switched out the batteries . . . then left it on the dresser at the Lake. Needless to say, I didn't take a single picture!

On Wednesday evening, before we left for Paducah, Jan (my DSIL), and Dawn were at my house, and Marguerite joined us. We all were sewing, and had a lovely time. On Sunday evening, after we had returned home, my DH came into the studio, and looked at Jan and I sewing. He asked if this scene would be a constant if we lived closer together, and we decided he was probably right about that.

Yesterday morning, I drove Jan to the airport, and stopped by my brother's on the way home. My cousin, Diane, will be coming for a visit at the end of next month, so we made out an agenda of sorts. And, of course, decided on the menu for a cook-out. My brother grinned and suggested immediately that I could make German Potato Salad . . . I like to make it with LOTS of bacon. Then, he requested Carrot Cake for dessert. Both are easy, so I'm planning on them being my contribution.

On the needlework front, I finished the applique of my title, "You Are My Shining Star" early this morning, and rinsed it out to get the markings out. It should be ready to trim and attach to my scrappy yellow rising star blocks. Borders, and that one will be ready to quilt. I even found a backing at Eleanor Burns' tent sale. I don't care for her, and have never set foot in any of her Paducah locations before, but the other girls wanted to go because of the $4 a yard fabrics. I liked that part, and thought that since we were going as our first stop in the morning, I wouldn't have to listen to her voice, or kindergarten delivery. We weren't 20 feet from the car, and I heard her on the PA . . . I managed to refrain from sticking my fingers in my ears. I know that many people adore her, but she just drives me nuts! I was happy to find a couple fabrics, and some EZ Angle rulers for only $3 . . . I grabbed a couple of those, because I have been known to use one so much that I rubbed the lettering right off the ruler.

Last night, I put together the framing sashing for the upcoming Somewhere in Time blocks. The fifth block in that series should be posted in a day or two. I pieced the first four last week before departing for Paducah. On my lunch hour, I started cutting for Clue #3 of Orange Crush. Once that is out of the way, I have to decide what I will work on next. I think I'll get my Millennium quilt (WAY AHEAD on that one!) out and prepare the sashing strips "leader and ender" fashion. Also, have a lay-out planned for my 2006 Florida Shop Hop blocks which are all assembled, so will probably start the applique for the setting pieces on that one. Can you imagine what I might get done if I didn't have to work?

Has the clock stopped?

My sister-in-law arrived from Texas last night, and we lost no time in getting to sewing in the studio. I made the next two blocks in the Block Central BOM, "Somewhere in Time". Just one to go, and I'm caught up. The next one, for May, should be posted shortly after I return from the Paducah trip. Then, it will be slow going . . . only a BOM, amazingly enough!

I just was looking at the AQS site, and note that they are having another Paducah Booth Hop. I got the list of vendors and booth numbers. I might have to indulge in that. My shopping list is really quite short. I need one for fabric for the borders of Somewhere in Time; I have another quilt in the planning stages, and I'm looking for a lemon fabric for that one. There are a couple of stitchery books I'd like to acquire, but they are Aussie publications, so the availability in this venue may be limited. So, I could easily add the booth hop blocks. I NEED to replace the shop hop blocks I recently assembled with another project; and I have details all figured out for another . . . so that would be two projects making space for a new one. Of course, if the blocks happen to be made with some of the Kaffe Fassett fabrics, I'll just pass. They don't do anything for me!

Tonight is Paducah Eve . . . we'll gather together, and have a big meal, including our husbands . . . sort of a last hot meal for them! Since we aren't leaving till Thursday morning, we're talking about doing dinner tomorrow evening, too. After all, we will be spending four days solid together . . . might as well squeeze in a little more time together! Obviously, we never get tired of each other.

I took the day off tomorrow, too, so I can throw my clothes into a suitcase, and bake some cookies to take along on our journey. We usually have too much food, and I would hate for this year to be an exception!

My DSIL is looking for some batiks to finish a project she has underway. She went shopping in my basement this morning, to find a fabric to add to her Orange Crush palette. She had picked out a solid originally, but felt it was too stark for the rest of her choices. All the scraps she has used have some metallic embellishment. Fortunately, she found something she liked right away.

Time for me to sew a little bit before going back to the office. It's been very quiet, but under Murphy's Law, some ugly project will show up at the very last moment of the day, just to make my heart stop!

I've been tagged!

I've been tagged by Candace to give you 7 Random or Weird things about me.Here are the rules:1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.2. Post THE RULES on your blog.3 Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.4. Tag 7 people and link to them.5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.Here are Seven Random or Weird Facts About Me:

1) I had the best of both worlds. I am my father's only child, and my mother's eldest of five. My parents divorced when I was three. They had been married eleven years when I came along, and the marriage couldn't stand the strain!

2) I don't like eating raw tomatoes, but I love to cook with them.

3) I have all kinds of collections: silver thimbles, advertising recipe tins, pin cushions, needle books, tea pots, cookbooks (have around 500 of them). I suppose one could say I collect sewing machines, too, since I have about ten, five of which are the working "fleet". Have a couple that I need to have serviced, and one that should be a boat anchor.

4) I'm in the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York . . . as a donor, not as a player . . . I throw like a girl! When my sons were playing Broncho league ball, I organized a cookbook from the families of the players, and solicited recipes from some major league players, as well. After the cookbook was published, I took a copy to Cooperstown, and it was accepted for their library there. They sent a very nice certificate of thanks!

5) My DSIL and I have been married to brothers so long, we've started to look alike. People are constantly asking if we are sisters, or just presume that we are. We like the same things, so we might as well be! I have more in common with her than I do with my sister!

6) I love flowers, but don't like to garden. My brother told me that I don't like to get my hands dirty . . . and I realized he was right on target. But all the things I like to do require clean hands . . . quilting, sewing, knitting, cooking!

7) My brother mentioned about another brother, "you can always tell when he needs a haircut, because he starts running his hands through his hair on the top of his head, just like our uncle." I looked at him thunderstruck, because I do the same thing, but had never recognized it as a family "trait". As I get older, I find myself with other little "signatures" that I recognize from my mother or dad! I think we all have a litany of things our mothers said that we resolved never to say. It's amazing to hear those things coming out of my mouth . . . and I hear them in my mother's voice. But, even scarier is when you realize that you are railing against the government, just like your father!

So, there you go, Candace . . . just another nut in a nutshell! I won't specifically tag anyone, but I would love to see others respond!

Studio is Tidy!

Spent most of Saturday evenings, and all day Sunday, finishing up the clean-up of my studio. Thought I'd better hurry up and take pictures, while it's still tdy! This is the view from the doorway.

This is the view from the computer station, next to the doorway! Hey, Sossy . . . take a good look at the bookcase! It doesn't show clearly, but to the immediate left of the bookcase is an interesting roll-top sewing box. Multiple chatelaines hang from the shelf, too. Look at that collection of rulers, will you? They are all lined up in a file sorter on the cabinet at the left.

Speaking of the computer . . . here's that and the bookcase in the other corner. You can see some of my collectible pincushions on the shelves above. Also, you might note that I have two printers. The one on the right is an old dot-matrix that I use for printing paper foundations on freezer paper. Works like a charm!

Here are my entertainment components. Inside the armoire, is my television and DVD player. I can sit at the sewing machine and watch movies. The doors of the armoire are convenient to drape a flannel-backed tablecloth, and display blocks I've assembled.

And, here's my reward to devotion to task. I'm collecting the Block of the Month at Block Central, called "Somewhere in Time". This is block one, Union Square. It's an 18-inch block, and uses a color palette that I had assembled with no known purpose. I think it's going to be a fun project. I have three blocks to make to catch up. I wouldn't let myself start it until the studio and basement storage were cleaned up.

Friday evening, I completed assembly of Clue #2 blocks for Bonnie Hunter's Orange Crush mystery. It will be about a week until Clue #3 is posted, and that will work perfectly for me. My DSIL arrives from Texas tomorrow for Paducah Week! We will be departing on Thursday morning for our annual adventure.

Crushing and Road Tripping!

Bonnie Hunter posted Clue #2 yesterday. I'm still in my never ending quest to clean up my studio . . . now that the basement is tidy. I was really good, and worked on the stuff on one of the bookcases, and one double-drawer unit. Having "earned" some sewing time, I proceeded to cut the half-square triangles and squares I need for the second clue. This morning, I put about 20 units of the 142 necessary together. Since Bonnie said she will post a new clue every two weeks, that fits my schedule perfectly. I can get my units done, go to Paducah, and come home to Clue #3!

Next week is going to be a blast. My DSIL arrives from Texas on Monday, along with Queen Patti from Atlanta. Tuesday, of course, is Paducah Eve, and the accompanying dinner . . . we sort of feed our spouses a "last meal" at this event, which includes Patti's famous cream puffs! They are spectacular. I was lucky to be accepted at the Cream Puff Symposium which she offered for us before her move to Atlanta. Hers will always be the best, though.

Wednesday, Dawn and Linda G. will arrive from the Chicago suburbs and Cleveland suburbs, respectively. Linda is to be an honored guest of a former student on Wednesday evening at the student's senior banquet. Dawn and Jan will both be staying with me that evening, so we will probably work on our Orange Crush projects.

For several years, we have driven to Effingham, Illinois on Wednesday evening, so we can hit the ground running into Angie's Nine-Patch, there when she opens the door. I always send her a note to warn her that the quilting "locusts" will be there, so she has enough help to cut for all of us at the same time. So far, she hasn't locked the door when she sees us coming! This year, we have gone back to the Thursday morning departure. The way we do it, it will probably be dinner time before we see the doors of Hancock's in Paducah!

I'm on the same fabric diet, continuing into Paducah. A jelly roll, and some charm squares are the probable limit . . . perhaps a scrap bag, if I can find any. I saw several new patterns that I wanted to buy in Chicago, but I managed to abstain . . . hope I can keep that willpower going. Maybe I should stack all my PIP's bins . . . which would be substantially higher than my 5' 8" . . . take a picture, and put it where I can see it all the time. Sort of a self-imposed guilt trip. Once, I mentioned having a quilt project in a box, and my friend, Garnet, said, "That's not a quilt in a box . . . it's guilt in a box!"

Welcome in from the cornfields!

Carol has joined the blogging world. Be sure to check out her blog at www.cornfieldquilter-carol.blogspot.com. She lives in north central Indiana . . . in the general area where part of the Hitchcock movie, "North by Northwest" was filmed. Remember the scene where Cary Grant gets off the bus out in the country, and then takes cover in the cornfields from the crop-dusting plane? That's Carol's neck of the woods . . . or cornfields, as the case may be! Carol is a long-arm quilter, who does fabulous work, and has posted a picture of her Carolina Crossroads quilt designed by Bonnie Hunter. It's wonderful!
Got to sew a little bit on my lunch hour. I had hoped to have my rising star quilt top completed for Guild tonight, but I'm still doing the applique of my letters. Have just started to stitch down the second "i" in Shining (You are my shining star!). I had good intentions of working on it on the recent bus trip to Chicago, but the road was so bumpy, I couldn't keep my needle threaded. After our frequent freeze and thaw winter, the asphalt and concrete is just exploding. We might have lost the bus in one crater, if it weren't for the volkswagen that had already disappeared into it! The main belt line around Lafayette is supposedly scheduled for repairs . . . in 2010. By that time, it will have busted up into just plain gravel. Maybe we can re-name ourselves as the hubcap city of North America, because there are plenty to choose from along the sides of the roads!

Chicago Quilt Show was fun!

Managed to drag myself out of bed, get dressed and get on the charter bus to the Chicago show on Saturday morning. This after a night of tossing and turning and sitting up to look at the clock entirely too frequently . . . terrified I would oversleep and miss the bus! Made the bus . . . forgot my camera!

I did remarkably well on my fabric diet. I bought a couple charm packs for my Civil War Love Letters stash. Then I grabbed four fat quarters in a watermelon print, and a watermelon rind print . . . want to make the pickle dish pattern, and call it, "Watermelon Pickles"! I had just posted a note in my journal of ideas to do an inchworm quilt . . . found fabric with tape measures all over it, so I bought that for borders. The Pfaff booth had fat quarters for $1.49, and I found an acid green print for my Civil War stash, and picked out three others for a friend who couldn't make the trip. I got a little packet of hand-dyed wools for my friend, Laura. My final fabric purchase was two five-dollar grab bags from the Little Quilts booth. My friends all laugh at my addiction to grab bags. There were lots of Moda's and Andover prints, and many WOF cuts. Yesterday, out of curiosity, I measured the WOF cuts and came up with a total yardage of 6.5 yards. That didn't include the squares and strips narrower than 5 inches, and odd shaped scraps. Lots of them will go into my Civil War stash. I guess buying 6.5 yards plus of fabric is falling off the diet, but I only spent $10 on it, so I think I'll count it as scraps!

I picked up three spools of Aurifil thread for piecing . . . love this thread. I put a spool on my machine in January, and have pieced at least three quilt tops, and I'm still only halfway down the spool. It's a nice fine thread, that seems to permit the seam allowances to lay flatter. Best of all, it doesn't lint up my machine.

I bought an applique quilt pattern from Primitive Gatherings, and while standing in the check-out line, I felt faint when I saw their BOM, Primitive Garden. By the time I got to the cash register, I had my credit card in my hand, and I signed up. It is stunning, and a gift to myself which will keep on giving for the next 14 months!

Friday night, I finished assembling my four-patch blocks for Bonnie Hunter's Orange Crush mystery. Yesterday, I finished tidying the last of the basement stash of yarns and fabrics, and began attacking the studio. I found the desk top by putting all the books stacked there back on the bookshelf, emptied two plastic tubs and a Longaberger basket of an assortment of things. I sewed buttons on two hand-knit topped dish towels, and put those away. Tonight, I'm planning to dig down to the sewing machine cabinet top. I had an ill-assortment of "stuff" under one wing of my sewing machine cabinet, and I removed it all. It now houses my sewing machine "fleet". On the bottom are my vintage Pfaff and a Viking. Next up is a basic Elna, and the case for my featherweight, as well as the case that fits atop my new Pfaff that is in the cabinet.

When I finally sat down last night, I was still wound up tighter than a $2 watch, and felt like piecing something. So, I pulled out the kit collection for The Quilt Company's "Sweet Tea" BOM, and pieced the first tea pot. This morning, before leaving for the office, I managed to applique the spout into position. I was lucky to score a couple grab bags at the LQS where I bought these kits before they closed up (owner's illness). The grab bags gave me an extra border kit, and lots of extra strips for the various components of the quilt, so I can make this one a bit larger, if I want to. That's a trap I always fall into . . . Ooooh! I like this . . . I'll make it bigger!

Now, I'm on the countdown for the Paducah show. Next Monday, Good Lord, and American Airlines, willing, my sister-in-law will arrive from Texas. I'm only working Monday and Tuesday, so I think a few of us will play, "Orange Crush" on Wednesday evening, before departing Thursday morning. I have three items on my shopping list: 3 yards of fabric with lemons for a blue and yellow quilt, and I'm hoping to find two books by Bronwyn Hayes of Red Brolly Designs, Polka Dot Girls, and Miss Mary's Garden. If I can't locate them, I'll break down and order on-line. As you can tell, I need more projects!

Quilt Show is history!

Our Guild show was another success story. I was really proud of my DSIL's quilt. It was wonderfully displayed. One rounded a corner, and there it was right in front of you. It is stunning. She did a magnificent job . . . of course, blogger is being obstinate again!



I managed to get my Peppermint Pinwheel finished, and didn't even get any blood on it! I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, too. It's nice and flat, and the hand quilting shows up nicely, though you might have to squint to see it here.

So, with those obligations behind me, I'm free to just freak out! I still have "Start-itis"! I signed up for Bonnie Hunter's Orange Crush Mystery. She will be posting Clue #2 sometime early next week, so I thought I'd better get the first clue done. I have about 60 blocks of the 150 required four-patches complete. I'm using a bright palette. Won't have to have a night light!

Early in the morning, our Quilt Guild bus departs for the Chicago show. It's always a good time when you go with friends. One of the things we started doing several years ago is to bring cheese and crackers for the trip home . . . oh . . . and some wine! We serve the cheese and crackers to the whole bus. Of course, its just not the same without Patti doing the "flight attendant" routine. I remember the first year she did that, I thought we would have to get oxygen for one gal's husband. He was hysterical . . . especially, as people were getting off the bus, and she was saying, "Buh-bye! Bye! Bye! Buh-bye!" But, she lives in Atlanta now, so she doesn't make this trip with us. She will be here next week to go to Paducah however.

Since I'm in the final stages of tidying up my stash in the basement, I'm hoping to remain on a fabric diet . . . though a couple appetizers in the form of charm squares or jelly rolls won't hurt! Now that everything downstairs is organized, I can turn my attention to the long neglected studio . . . which is really a major mess. I think I remember seeing carpeting in here, and I'm going to find it before my sister-in-law arrives from Texas. Rumor has it that the computer desk has a wood top, too. Now, it looks like a vertically challenged bookshelf!

I'm doing the applique of lettering for a quilt top made entirely from my stash, and scraps of yellow. I have thirteen rising star blocks set on point, and "You Are My Shining Star!" across the top border. I am ready to start on the first "n" in Shining. Hope to have it assembled for our Guild meeting on Tuesday.

I've made one block from the Civil War Love Letters book. I bought the software, so I need to print some paper piecing patterns for the more difficult blocks. The first block is titled "Enthusiasm", and I just rotary cut it to size, because it is a very simple block.

Next in the hopper from my seemingly endless supply of UFO's is my 2006 Florida Shop Hop blocks. I have some applique work to do on the setting squares and triangles. I'm anxious to get going on that one. Then, it's the luck of the draw to see what I'll work on next.

Surfing for primitive stitchery led me to a neat website full of clever designs, and lots of cute free-bies, too. Check out Jennie Baer's designs. They are enchanting. She has a new book out, too, published by Leisure Arts . . . of course, the name escapes me, but you can get to it from her website.

Hope everyone has lots of quilting and or sewing in their weekend plans!

No fingerprints!

I'm down to quilting the last eight to ten inches of border on the Peppermint Pinwheel Quilt. I presume I will finish that this evening, and begin application of the binding and sleeve. The fingers on my left hand, which are under the frame, hover between leather-like callous, and bloody stubs. There are a couple spots which have been pricked so continually, that by bedtime, little chunks of callous have fallen out, and I literally have holes! I had the quilt with me yesterday, as my DH and I went to an auction, and I worked in the car and in my seat at the auction nearly non-stop. A lady sat next to me, and complimented the evenness of my stitches, so that was encouraging! I was afraid they were beginning to get larger as fatigue crept in.

I had an e-mail notification that my software for the Civil War Diary and Civil War Love Letter patterns shipped on Thursday. A follow-up on the tracking information showed it was in Indianapolis on Saturday night, so I'm hoping to find it has arrived when I go home for lunch today. I know I have several projects lined up for post quilt show, which will be Saturday, April 5. Can't believe it is so close, and on its heels, our annual trek to Paducah. A couple of our veterans can't make the trip this year. I'm sure we will have a good time, but it just won't be the same without them. I'm going to try to be on a fabric "diet" this year, though I have considered that a few charm squares and fat quarters won't hurt.

At yesterday's auction, DH bought a little plastic bag with about 20 advertising thimbles in it. They were all quite dirty, and you can imagine my surprise when he handed a silver one to me. It was slightly out of round, but a few seconds with it wrapped in an old rag, and a gentle prod with a pair of pliers, and it is nearly perfect again. After we arrived home, and he was cleaning them up, he found another. Not too bad for a $4 investment! Both of them are free of holes, with their biggest problem being a lot of black tarnish. They polished up pretty well, and reveal a country scene on one . . . . house, trees, pathway and sunrise (or sunset depending upon one's viewpoint), and an interesting fleur de lis type design on the other. I told him I was delighted to have two silver thimbles for a present on our 42nd wedding anniversary. He said no amount of money was too much to spend on me!

Next post will have pictures of my London Square top . . . which I have decided needs borders, and the finished Peppermint Pinwheel!

On a Buzz!

I can't believe how cleaning and organizing my stash has revved up my quilting buzz. Last night, I went downstairs to pick out some neutrals for a swap, and found three candidates for backgrounds in the Civil War Diary and Love Letters books. Yesterday morning, I woke up with a setting solution for my 2006 Florida Shop Hop blocks. I'm so anxious to get that together as a result, I could hardly sleep last night. As noted before, I'm still plodding along on the hand quilting of my Peppermint Pinwheel. It MUST be finished by next Friday to be turned in for our Guild show. To top it all off, my job is interfering with my chosen life style! I'd much rather be home sewing!

Friends!

Tuesday evenings are reserved for spending time with my quilting friends. Our Guild meets the first and third Tuesdays, and our small group gets together on the alternate Tuesdays of every month in each others' homes. We ooh and ahh over each new project, offer advice when one hits the wall, and generally encourage each other in not only our quilting, but in life.

When someone has to be absent, it's as though a piece of the puzzle is missing. Last night, we were without Melanie and Laura, who are both in Florida. Melanie is a sparkling little redhead, cute as a button, and twice as much fun. Laura often hides her wit and wisdom, but when she gets going, she's just a riot. She's a great story teller, often poking fun at herself about her cooking and domestic skills. She's the maven of lettering on quilts in our group. She's the master of both "wonky" pieced letters, and taught us the technique of enlarging a title on the computer, selecting various fonts to enhance our message.

At our Miss Mary's retreat in January, she encouraged Marguerite to make some wonky letters in Tonya's style. At the same time, Laura was working on a challenge with lots of lettering. Laura collects phrases that she believes will translate well to a quilt, and tell its story a little more. Her comments are always heartfelt, and true. She encouraged me to do the lettering on my little tea pot quilt, and I'm so happy with the way it turned out.

So, now she's in Florida, and I'm working on a piece with Rising Star blocks, and the title across the top, "You Are My Shining Star!" I can't wait for her to get home, so I can show her my progress. I know she will be encouraging, and delighted to see it.

Sometimes one just needs a personal cheerleader's endorsement to make everything perfect!

Start-itis infection continues uncontrolled!

As previously noted, I received an invitation to play in Monkey Sock Swap Four . . . and to my pal, I received an e-notice this morning that Little Knits has a half-price sale on Brown Sheep Wildfoote, as well as Regia yarns. I would be happy with a skein of either of those . . . and you might even save a little money, too! I have purchased quite a lot of yarn from them, and been very happy with their service and selections. One thing I like about their website is that they have a listing of various yarn weights on a tool bar to the left of the screen. One is designated for sock yarns only, although, one should also read the text of their sale ad in the main portion of the screen for some additional sale listings. Just wanted to share that!

A few weeks ago, I laid aside some yellow scraps to be used in 12-inch Rising Star blocks. I pieced those over the weekend . . . just 13 of them, set on point. Since Laura has many of us launched into adding words to our quilts, I woke up Saturday morning thinking, "You Are My Shining Star!" I used Printmaster to create a headline in a wonky type-style, and printed it full sized as a placement guide. I knew I had a piece of yellow fabric with brightly colored stars edged in gold in my stash. I was delighted that I had an adequate amount to make a border, as well as my letters. Last night, I appliqued "Y" onto my border strip, and decided I will be happier with it using that fabric for the capital letters, and re-introducing some of the yellows in my blocks for the remaining letters. I'm also replacing the dots of "i's" and the exclamation point with stars. I'm having so much fun with this, I almost have to force myself to put it down, and attend to finishing the quilt I registered to be shown in our Guild Show!

DH worked at an auction Saturday, and after playing with my grandson for several hours, I went back to the sewing machine, and finished piecing my London Square blocks in scrap purples. Once it is pressed, I will post a photo. I'm still trying to decide if it should have a border. It's already 80 X 96 inches.

Bonnie Hunter is launching a new Mystery Quilt on April 1, called, "Orange Crush". I didn't play last time, and when I saw the finished quilt, I was kicking myself. Yesterday evening, I went to grab a journal from my stash to put the instructions in, and had a perfect candidate. The art work is oranges and a reamer, and says, "Fresh Squeezed". I'm thinking that was the perfect indication that I am SUPPOSED to play along this time! Brights are resting on my mind as the perfect candidate for this one.

I've been admiring the Civil War Diaries and Civil War Love Letters blocks, too. I have two tubs full of 1800's reproductions, not to mention a couple hundred charm squares left from my Millenium Quilt (the one I'm WAY ahead on?). I like controlled scraps, so usually have a single background fabric to unite all the components. Since I have an entire shelf unit of neutrals, I should be able to find one for that project. I bought both books, and I'm awaiting the arrival of the CD's to print out the patterns on freezer paper. (I haven't picked out a journal for it yet!) Once our Guild Show is behind me, I think I might have to keep a fire extinguisher next to the sewing machine . . . or my head, in case my brain bursts into flame from racing from one idea to the next!

I wonder if tidying up my fabrics giving a better idea of what I have, and where it is, are contributing to "Start-itis"? Might just be gasoline on the flames!

Well, duh!

I've been invited to participate in Monkey Swap Four, and just carefully posted my questionnaire answers there . . . instead of where they belong . . . here! So, here we go again!
1) Measurements: shoe size US 8 1/2; foot length 9 1/2"; circumference 8 1/2"
2) Yarn preferences: colors - surprise me; clashes - none!; solid or variegated - yes!; favorite sock brands - Online, Opal, Regia, Cider Moon . . . seldom met one I didn't like; New yarn - bamboo or cornsilk?
3) Cookie A. Patterns: Twisted Flower, perhaps
4) Allergies: None; Love my friends pets, but none in my house; smoke - NEVER!
5) Shipping: Resident of USA, but happy to ship anywhere!

Looking forward to another fun adventure!

I think I have "Start-itis"!

I'm not sure if it is the time of year, or just because I've been handling so much fabric in my stash. I just want to start some new things . . . maybe its because I've been so good recently and moving PIP's into my quilt top collection. By the way, I found another euphemism for quilt top collection - flimsies, meaning a quilt top which needs batting, backing and quilting. I have many of those. I should start taking pictures of those, and perhaps it will inspire me to do more quilting.

I have been surfing around the Sew Many Block webring, and I just love the blocks being made from the Civil War Diary and Civil War Love Letter books. In cleaning up the stash, I realize I have two full tubs of 1800's reproductions, as well as a container with 6" squares left over from making the blocks for my Millenium Quilt . . . I swear I will finish that one before the next Millenium! I couldn't stand it any longer, so I ordered the two books and CD's for printing out the patterns.

Was looking through my Australian Patchwork Quilting Magazines, and always find lots of fun things there to make. I managed not to select any fabrics, mostly because I can't make up my mind on color palette. I limited myself to making applique templates for a quilt published last year titled, "Peaches and Cream". I'm leaning toward bright and whimsical . . . I have four tubs full of bright fabrics.

Judy Martin has a nice Quilt of the Moment on her site called Bluebonnet --- . . . can't remember the rest of the name. I love her patterns. They are so precise, and easy to make. One of the tubs I need to go through has lots of small pieces of blues in it that might work well for this one.

After I think about starting something new, I think of my PIP's, and feel guilty. I've been pretty good in that regard. Saturday, DH worked at an auction, and I set together the blocks from a November 2005 quilt shop hop in the Tampa, Florida, area. Most of the girls who "played" have their quilts together, and some are even quilted. We all admired a setting by Keep Me In Stitches on Dale Mabry Boulevard in Tampa. Several of them used the same set, so I wanted mine to be different. I worked with Sharyn Craig's "Setting Solutions", and made good progress. Now, I need to put on a plain border to frame it. I'm considering a row of smaller stars to add some length . . . like I need another bed-sized quilt top in the stash!

I just have 15 blocks to make in my scrappy purple London Square blocks, and again, cleaning up the stash yielded a suitable fabric for the border . . . at least it looks to be a likely candidate at the moment. I may change my mind, once the blocks are assembled, and I can take it for a "test drive".

I've been quilting steadily on the borders of a piece called, "Peppermint Pinwheels" that I have entered in our Guild's show in 2 1/2 weeks. I had to put it aside a few days when the callous on my index finger of my left hand cracked . . . boy, was it sore. I usually rub in a little Bag Balm or antibiotic ointment at bedtime to get past the soreness in general, but this called for a "glob" and wrapping in a bandage. Happy I was able to keep the Featherweight going on the other piecing projects as it heals. I think I can probably go back to quilting tomorrow.

P.S. Couldn't get my camera to cooperate and load my picture. So, this has been laying around in drafts for a bit!

Time for Tea . . . and other matters!

First of all, I finished my "alphabet challenge" piece. We each drew letters, and mine was "T". Perfect for a collector of tea pots. Rules were that each quilt must illustrate an item or shape beginning with the letter, and using color named with the letter. Besides the tea pot, I have a time-piece, and all is executed in teal and turquoise! I found the tea pot at Sindy Rodenmayer's Fat Cat Patterns. I reduced it 75% to fit into this 14" maximum finished size. I sweet-talked one of my pet land surveyors into drafting the 10" by 12" ellipse for me. He was quite proud of himself when he delivered the drawing, saying I couldn't complain about the "ellipse-service" I had received! I designed the other elements of the block, and finished it off with piped binding. I'm quite delighted with it.

Still up to my hips in re-organizing my fabric stash. I hosted my quilt group Tuesday evening, and took them to the basement to see the effort so far. They were astonished at the quantity of fabrics, but I keep saying, I've been quilting for thirty years! I have to admit, though, it is a bit over the top. I'm sorting into themes, such as batiks, 1920's repros, 1800's repros, sewing themed, tea pot themed, Christmas, Halloween, and fabrics with metallic trim. I still have about eight or ten tubs to go through, but at least four of those are all Christmas fabrics. Then, there's my carousel, an auction bargain from several years ago. I intend to pull each basket off the carousel, and a lot of them are vintage, and will be cut into strips for scrap projects. The first picture is the table where I've been working my way through all this stuff. The second is the far end of this basement room, displaying my carousel, and you can see some of the plastic containers I have emptied on the floor to the right. To the left in the last picture is the result so far. I still have projects on the top shelf, and a few have slipped onto shelves below but they will be removed to limit all the lower shelves to fabric stash only. I'll post another picture when I get further along . . . and then, I'll be able to clean up my studio a bit better, too!

I was surfing around the Stashbuster's web-ring, and came across another title for UFO's or PIP's . . . PIGS, or projects in grocery sacks. I've heard of the "Tote Bag Filing System", where one stores all the components of a project in a souvenir show tote bag. I've graduated from that to individual plastic boxes for each project . . . take a look at those stacks! And, bear in mind, I've moved some of those contents to my "quilt top collection"!

Promised pictures!

Some days, blogger has a mind of its own . . . this is one of those days . . . maybe, it is a signal that we should have just stayed in bed, and this is the view we would have from there!

Anyway, here is some eye candy for you to enjoy. The first quilt top is one I acquired recently at an auction. It's primarily 1940's fabrics in the pickle dish pattern. I can't tell if more than one person made it, or she just ran out of the red setting fabric. Either way, it has one row and one edge which don't feature the red center. It's quite a feast for the eyes, with many different muslins, and perhaps some feed sacks as well. I scored it for $55, and was just ecstatic.

In my never ending quest to tidy up my studio . . . a quest that never ends, nor is ever complete either, I might add . . . I started going through the plastic boxes with various projects in them to analyze what needed to be done to get them moved into my quilt top "collection". I was quite surprised at how close some of them were to being complete, and I kept the sewing machine ticking along as I finished up the necessary blocks, so that I could assemble and border them while our group was on its annual Retreat at Miss Mary's Quilting Cottage at the end of January.

This Snail's Trail is for my grandson, Drew, who loves orange. I began it several years ago, when I acquired all the fabrics from the clearance table at Quilter's Harvest, while we were staying in the Quilting Cottage next door. I drew it up for myself in EQ, and don't know what possessed me at the time, because in my drawing, I had an on-point set! That would have required half-blocks, and been a logistic nightmare, if I hadn't come to my senses. It has two bright cheddar yellows, and two oranges. It was quite a bit of fun to piece.

This one is from a Fons and Porter pattern, Kitty Corner . . . which I keep caling "Kissing Cousins" for some reason! I was looking for scrap patterns to be adapted or displayed at a Guild Retreat two years ago. My sister-in-law was also looking for a pattern to make use of her accumulation of Mr. B's fabric club squares, and Benartex Quilter's Candies. The candies are two-inches square, and that was the cut size of these pieces. There are several hundred 2-inch squares represented in this quilt top. I just love the way it turned out. Jan launched hers before our Retreat, and actually completed assembly while we were there. I was a slug, and stuck this in my PIP's . . . "projects in progress" . . . sounds so much more interesting that UFO's, don't you think?

This was also a block selected to be displayed at the Retreat two years ago. Again, my sister-in-law was looking for a pattern to use some triangle units left from a previous project. Once again, she got going and finished hers. Have I mentioned that she is a project person, while I am a process person? We have managed to corrupt her a bit more, but she still pretty much sticks with a project from start to finish. The block is a 6-inch Contrary Wife, and I set mine with an alternate blue and white hourglass block. All the Contrary Wife blocks were cut from scraps and strips in my scrap drawers. I could stand to clean the blue drawer out again.

This might be my favorite of all these. Once again, it's comprised of red scraps, though I did buy some fat quarters to "sweeten" the mix. Kansas Troubles is the classic pattern. I only had to make 20 blocks because they are 16-inches, and I'm just tickled to death with how it turned out.

I'm presently trying to finish a block for an alphabet challenge for our Guild show coming up on April 5. I actually finished the quilting on my lunch hour, and need to make binding. It has to be ready to turn in for voting next Tuesday evening. We drew for our letter, and the rules indicate that our letter must be represented by a shape or object, using a color which starts with our appointed letter. I drew the letter "T", which was a natural, since I collect teapots. I'm going to Sossy's on Saturday for a sew-in, and believe the binding and label will be my appointed duties. I will post a picture of that one next time.

Next post, I'll also provide some pictures of a couple other auction acquisitions, as well as the PIP resulting from review of my purple scrap drawers!

Quilt Project Journals

As this blog drags on into the second month of "cleaning my studio", you may get a realistic idea of how much attention it needed! This weekend, I did some sewing, but I also continued sorting through existing projects. Laura has always encouraged us to journal our quilts. My first attempt was in our Dear Jane group. Six of us decided to swap blocks, so each month, we made one of those adorable/frustrating 4 1/2 inch blocks . . . six times . . . well, actually, seven, because we decided to donate some to the Quilt America Yes Mam Auction . . . but I digress. Anyway, I began keeping a page showing details of each block, a copy of the pattern, and noting which fabrics I used for each of my co-conspirators blocks. It was encouraging to look back at what I had accomplished, and notes I made on construction of each of the blocks.

I'm not sure what quilt I decided to maintain a journal for next, but as I always have several projects in progress, I really began to appreciate the fact that I had made note of lay-out plans, yardage of fabrics required/acquired, rotary cutting measurements, and any additional thoughts that I considered and cast aside for one reason or another. The value of these little journals became more apparent as I went through projects that I had put aside which did NOT have any journals or notes in them. Over the past weekend, I actually launched a number of new journals to accompany those projects, so that when I pick them up again, I know how many blocks are already made, what needs to be done next, or even worse, what I have to fix before I can move on! In this first month, having all that information at hand for five of my unfinished projects has moved them quickly to the nearly completed stack. One just needs to have the bias binding made before it is ready to start quilting. Another has notes that answer the questions of whether I have adequate fabric to complete the piecing, and use those two fabrics in the borders . . . I do, and all calculations are noted in my journal which accompanies the quilt.

The journals are not anything really fancy . . . more in the cute or whimsical category, and all came from Michael's crafts, from the little bins at the front of the store with $1 items in them. I usually check each time I go in, and pick out one or two for my stash. As I added journals to my aging projects, I tried to pick one that fit the theme of the quilt, such as Christmas, or coordinating colors. I have an abandoned, but not unloved Lone Star, and had a journal with bandannas, and boots, a perfect combo. An ancient project with completed blocks, and applique "floats" for the on-point set now has a journal in companion colors, and includes a count of the blocks, a lay-out plan, and the story of the origin of my applique border for it, an enlarged embroidery test pattern . . . a sweet little morning glory and bud, with one two-pieced leaf, and a small amount of embroidery.

I've found it entertaining to read back through my notes, and hope that someday, my grandchildren may find it interesting to see how I planned a particular quilt, and proceeded through its construction.

Give this a try with your creative passion. It doesn't have to be a "job", but just a note or two about progess . . . some of my entries are short and sweet. "Two blocks done; eight to go."

That's it from my soapbox today! Next post will be lots of pictures, I promise!

Progress . . . great and small!

Still fooling around with the stuff in my studio. I pick up a few things and put them away, and then my attention is drawn to the stacks of projects. I'm making tremendous in-roads in those! On my lunch hour Wednesday, I laid out the Kansas Troubles blocks, to prepare them in setting order, using the "iron elbow" technique . . . ready to sew at our Miss Mary's retreat. After dinner, I thought I could just sew them in one direction, so the blocks would be linked and in position for the final assembly. Since they were in that position, I just kept going, and have a full top, ready for pressing, measuring and border application.

Earlier in the week, I finished an applique project begun in a Lori Smith class on making your own folk art quilts. I'm delighted with the way it turned out. So, to apply my friend, Laura's analysis . . . if you like it, it's folk art; if you don't, it's primitive . . . it must be folk art!

Currently under the presser foot, a Snail's Trail, in orange, bright yellow, and black. I cut more blocks, and will have enough for a finished piece approximately 48 X 54. I have all the pieces cut, so it's fun to see the colors gradually spiral into a block as I add triangles to the four patch center. I need to cut more black triangles, but decided to keep sewing until I ran out, so I can determine how many more EXACTLY will be needed. The border fabric I have is black with tiny yellow and orange flowers all over. When I drew it up in EQ, I found that exact fabric in the fabric library, so I'm sure I'm right on target as to how it will actually look.

Test drove the Contrary Wife blocks set with a blue and white half-square triangle. It was interesting, but didn't really set the blocks up with any "punch". Second choice was blue and white quarter square triangles, and it is perfect. Each contrary wife block appears to be framed by either blue or white, and the use of the quarter square block makes it appear that the blocks were framed as an on-point square in a square set. The fabrics are washed, and if I ever get my studio more tidy, I can cut the triangles to make the setting blocks!

Love those scraps!

Gee . . . where to start . . . had a wonderful Christmas in Virginia. The kids are healthy and bright, and growing. Very entertaining little people . . . especially Ben, the 4-year-old. He's the family entertainer, for sure. I've got an airline ticket to use, and I asked him if he would pick me up at the airport. He said, "Of course . . . it's close to Target"! He loves to go to Target. We took them shopping there before Christmas, and he was to pick out something for his parents. As soon as we walked in the door, he descended upon a DVD of the Simpson's movie, and tried to tell me that his "Mom and Dad always wanted this!" We settled on Shrek Third, because the family does a lot of movie viewing together, and I knew they had the first two versions.

We were blessed with good weather on our trip out, and back home. The most snow we saw was in our own yard when we left. I managed to visit a couple quilt shops and yarn shops, and refrained from going completely nuts. I got some sale fabrics at Rachel's, in Staunton, Virginia, and a few fat quarters at Cottonwood, in Charlottesville.

Since returning home, I have been slogging through the stuff in my studio. I need one of those little Bobcats to go in and just scoop it all out. I have most projects in individual containers, so the first thing I did was pull all of those out of the stacks in corners. I began to review them to see what each project needed. One just needed the outside border to be attached, so I did that New Year's Day. The next was a group of Kansas Trouble blocks, with all the components cut, and 12 of the 20 blocks assembled. So, I sat down and put those together in a couple days.

Next up was some Contrary Wife blocks cut from scraps of blues and neutrals. All the half-square triangle units were assembled and pressed, and even paired with a set of blue squares for each box. I made 12 of those one evening . . . and 52 the next day! Sat down with EQ5 on Sunday evening, and played with a setting block. I have 85 Contrary Wife blocks; of the setting blocks I dabbled with, I liked the hourglass block best. I have the fabric to make those. Might be a project to take to Miss Mary's Quilting Cottage at the end of the month, if I don't get it going sooner.

Presently whizzing through the machine, (again, most of the components cut) is a Snail's Trail with a black background, and deep yellow and orange "snails". Eighteen were assembled, so I made six more with the cut pieces, and laid them out for a preview. Calculated that I could cut 24 additional blocks, and have a nice sized finished piece. It was late at night when I made this decision, and it didn't occur to me until I started sewing last night that the additional cutting will actually make 48 additional blocks, because only one unit of the color components are used in each block, but two units of black. Fortunately, I have an adequate supply of the black fabric . . . but I need to do some cutting! And, it will be an even nicer sized finished piece.

Looking into the drawers, I found an applique piece I barely remember making, and it needs only an outside border. In that case, I remember wrestling with an idea for the border, but I think the concept that was a stumbling block will be ditched in favor of a basic border, but with some piping for interest.

Scouting around the internet, I stumbled onto a designer who is new to me. Her name is Sindy Rodenmayer, and she has a wonderful selection of patterns. I was bowled over by her new Block of the Month, Blatimore Blues. Among the dozens of things I dream of making is a blue and yellow quilt. I rumbled casually through my stash, and pulled out my collection of Benartex squares from Mr. B's Fabric Club. There were packets from three fabric lines which fit the color palette, and other individual pieces from other collections that will suit, so I tucked them all in a container, started a journal, cut the templates. The background is one that I found on sale, and bought the remainder on the bolt, about eleven yards. I had already selected it to use with the Contrary Wife blocks, but it will be perfect as the neutral for this quilt. Anyway, I needed another project . . . after all, I have emptied three project containers!

This morning, I was glancing at my friends' blogs. I almost hyperventilated when I read in Laura's blog that she is tidying up her studio, and THROWING AWAY anything smaller than 6 x 6 inches. That seems HUGE to me. I go through my scraps, and keep anything that I can cut into a 2" half-square triangle. Have nearly a shoe box full, and when it "grows up", it will be a scrappy Ocean Wave.

It's a very gloomy day, rainy, and in fact, some of the county schools have had to close because roads are flooding. It seems like a perfect day to continue going through my studio. Need to try to get it more presentable before my sister-in-law arrives from Texas in two weeks. Actually, seeing it tidy will be more of a shock than seeing it in its present state of disarray!