Retreat

Hi friends ... I realized I had not written anything besides my stash report all week.  I am away at a quilting retreat in the woods for a few days and am having a great time relaxing, quilting and eating! I'm working on my daughter's quilt and have started sewing the rows together.  Here's a picture of earlier when I was laying it out

It is really looking cute as I put the rows together. I'll be back with more after I get home in a couple days.  This is the view from our porch

I want to live here!

Stash Report - Week 12

Made some fun bunny bags this week for my Easter sweeties ... I'll share them later when they are done.

Used this Week: 1 1/2 yards
Used year to Date: 32 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 15 1/2 yards
Net Used for 2014: 16 1/2 yards

Stash Report - Week 11

Whoa ... the week got away from me and I forgot to post my stash report earlier!  Nothing in and nothing out as I am still not working on my daughter's quilt .. which means I haven't figured out how much fabric I cut out for it yet!  New stash report in just a couple of days!  How did you do?  Are you working on busting through your stash, or are you adding to it?  Our store right now has fabric for 35% off ... it was really hard to walk out of there after work on Thursday without any fabric!  I kept thinking ... oh, but I could use some for backs ... then I remembered my stash report, and my accounting to all of you!

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 30 1/2 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 15 1/2 yards
Net Used for 2014: 15 yards

 I don't think I showed you these ... this is the little black dress fabric above that I bought a couple of weeks ago

This is the 10 yards of backing I bought for my daugther's quilt ... at half price I could not pass that up!

Longarming and gardens

Both of these feed your soul, don't they?  I am happy to report that after 5 days, my new plants are still alive!  I'm checking on them 3 times a day.  Haha

I have been at my machine doing some work in the last week.  Here is an adorable quilt my friend made ... It was a year long class in piecing techniques and was very challenging.

She actually made two quilts!  This one in 30's fabrics and the other one is a more coordinated color wave.  It was supposed to have a complicated border, but she decided she would rather enjoy her quilts and get them done now, rather than shove them in a box to finish another time.

She did an amazing job piecing this, don't you think?  She really just loves close, all over small quilting, so I did my little signature swirl.  Since my color selection of Omni thread is limited, I used a Signature in an ivory color with a prewound Glide bobbin ... Love that brand of prewounds!!!

So sweet!!!

Speaking of Omni thread, I decided to add to my color selection since I am loving their thread.  My friend, Tina at work, is in charge of ordering supplies for the store.  Well I just added handed my order to her one day, and two days later I had the thread in my hands!  Now that is service ... Great service by Superior, and really great service by my secretary, Tina!  I really love having a secretary ... I wonder how much income my longarm business has to generate to afford one?! I'm sure I can't afford Tina .. But she is a good friend!

More neutrals and a dark one in there too!  There are so many different shades of beige, cream and taupe ... I want them all!!!

Here is what happens when you dress a sweet one year old in an outfit that mommy loves, but baby doesn't!

Seriously ... Hahahahahahahaha ... That is a look her Daddy has ... It says "I am not having this!"  I just love how expressive my granddaughter is!  My daughter-in-law to be has quite a time ahead of her ... Two definite strong personalities, daddy and daughter!

Saturday happenings

I wish I had reporting to do on quilting, but I have none!  It is so beautiful right now in San Diego; we are getting 80+ degree weather.  So of course what do you do when it's that nice outside ... you go out and play ... or garden.  We have a huge yard and I am always complaining about how it doesn't look as nice as I wish it did.  Neither hubby nor I are gardeners, and so most days you will not find us in the yard.  I decided last weekend that I could either continue to complain about the lack of a nice yard, or get off my quilting rearend and do something about it.

Now this might not look great to you, but this area was previously covered with weeds last week.  We went to Home Depot today and got a few plants.  Two geraniums here, front and towards the back.  This dirt is like clay and even with amending the soil, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

This area was also covered in weeds last week, and here we have two pink kangaroo plants.  Aren't they cute?  They are supposed to be drought tolerant ...

I have wanted a big rosebush for a very long time.  I have planted small ones, but never had any luck.  This bush is beautiful and we really amended the soil and watered it in.  I sure hope it grows ... I am not a southern California gardener.  I have been here for 20+ years, but still can't get the hang of it.  I was born and raised here, but in my earlier adult years we lived in Virginia.  You picked a plant, dug a hole and a week later it was beautiful!

Now let's see if I can keep the varmints away from the new plants ...

In addition to gophers, and pests, I have to worry about the three furry animals that live here!

 

As well as the big guys that live here too ... they juggle the soccer ball every night.  It doesn't always stay in the play area!

Charlie insists on sitting between them when he wants to play.  He has popped about 5 soccer balls and they are strewn throught the yard ... he doesn't want the popped ones though ... he wants the new one they just bought!  He's waiting patiently ...

Stash Report - Week 10

Well I have been a busy bee this week ... went shop hop shopping and scored some half price fabric for the back of my sweet daughter's quilt that I'm making ..also bought a yard of a really cute gray fabric with black polka dots -- Little Black Dress (love the name); that is going into my stash.  I did use 3 yards for some cute Easter bunny bags, which I will show later.  They were so fun to make and super fast, and I got to bust some stash!

Used this Week: 3 yards
Used year to Date: 30 1/2 yards
Added this Week: 11 1/4 yards
Added Year to Date: 15 1/2 yards
Net Used for 2014: 15 yards

My net used really went down this week, but as soon as I figure out how much I cut for the quilt I'm working on for my daugther, that number will go up!

Sweetness

I have some pics and a post later to tell you about the shop hop in the San Diego area this last week.  I went to a couple stores with two good friends .... Hope to post that tomorrow.

My baby's birthday was last Saturday and she turned 1!!!  I wanted to send her something very special for her first birthday from her grandparents.  Our daughter also wanted to send something just from auntie.  So we got a couple books for Kylee from auntie.  I was in a hurry to get them wrapped and in the mail; while at Target I grabbed a cute roll of wrapping paper and noticed it was $4 ... On top of that I needed some cute ribbon.  Then something new caught my eye ...

It's called Spritz ... And appears to be a brand by/for Target.  This roll of wrap was only $1 and each package of trim above was also $1.  I put back my original roll and thought I would try this instead.

The wrapping paper was sturdier than I thought it would be -- very nice.  There was also quite a bit on the roll.  The raffia type ribbon was strong enough that it didn't snap when I pulled it tight and knotted it.  The package of felt flowers had little stickies on the back and stuck perfectly.

I checked Target's website and they have 195 items listed from wrap, trim, paper products, cards, balloons, candles and more.  Check those aisles out next time you are looking for something different and affordable for birthdays and other occasions!

She loves the baby doll we got her

And I love how sweet she looks behind the dolly stroller we sent

I can't stand how adorable she is and I sure miss her ... Love her little curl in her hair.  Both my kids have straight hair, so it is special that our sweet granddaughter has curls!

Stash Report - Week 9

It's almost the end of the week and I didn't post my stash report yet.  I don't know where the days are going ... I'm just trying to keep up and clearly it's not working!!  Haha. I did buy a little fabric last week for a bed quilt for my daughter ... She's 19 and I haven't made her one yet.  It's going to be very scrappy, but I didn't want to scrap the light background and I needed 2 yds of something.  She was home on break last week, so I had her pick it out.  That was fun.  I did cut out her quilt ... Almost all of it, but I haven't figured out how much fabric that was, so I'll include that in next week's totals.

Used this Week: 1/2 yards
Used year to Date: 27 1/2 yards
Added this Week: 2 yards
Added Year to Date: 4 1/4 yards
Net Used for 2014: 23 1/4 yards