A Different Quilt

I'm on vacation in Virginia visiting my dad and stepmom.  Having a very relaxing time and letting them pamper me!  I love it!  The weather has been really cool ... Which is really a nice change because I was expecting heat and humidity!

They were wonderful and scoped out quilt shops for me before I came ... Love it ... They know me so well.  The first store was quite a lovely surprise; nice size and lots of different style fabric.  I did a walk through the store the first time to check everything out, and then my careful second walk through looking again and deciding what I wanted!  I learned that from Kathy when I went to quilt market with the store a few years ago .... She had been doing it for many years!  Anyway I spied this charm pack and loved the colors ... Then I saw that they had the line of fabric -- Sphere by ZenChic for Moda.

I've always wanted to do a quilt out of blue and yellow ... The colors in this line are stunning and I think my daughter will love it.

Then I just liked these fat quarters am d I think they may or may not go with the rest of the fabrics.

I bought this kit for my stepmom and I to work on together.  It has everything ... Including the needle!  They are Christmas ornaments that are made out of wool felt.

Finally, this neat pattern.  By a company called Swirly Girl ... It is a designer that is local to the Richmond area, and happens to live in the same city my dad does ... Isn't that neat?  I was very happy to see a pattern for this company at both of the quilt stores I went to.  Nice to see them supporting their local designers.  I think I have seen these patterns before on another blog, but after looking at so many of them, I really love her designs.

This pattern calls for fat quarters and uses the entire fat quarter.  It is awesome!  I tell you it made me want to run back to the quilt store after we got back home, buy a rotary, mat and ruler and a sewing machine!  (My dad swears there is a sewing machine here, but my stepmom reminded him it was given away years ago.  His response ..."Let's go buy one."  I love my dad!!!!!!!  He was dead serious!)

One other stop we made was to the mall ... I bought a pair if pants on sale and found a great lamp store ... Two living room lamps for $120 ... Normally $149 a piece!  I could not believe it ... I thought about it for about 2 seconds and asked Iif they shipped ... Even with shipping they are a deal!  Picture to come when they are delivered.

No shopping trip with my stepmom is complete without a trip to the shoe store, and a trip to the makeup counter.  We probably made the clerk's mortgage payment with the commission she made off of us ... She was incredibly sweet.  I asked her if there was a product for dry lips.  Between the weather in California and my radiation years ago, I have no moisture in my lips and they just crack and peel when it is really dry.

This gadget and product is made by a company called Bliss ... First you put on this sugar lip scrub that looks like it may have apricot kernels in it

Then you turn the little machine on and buff your lips for 1-2 minutes.  I've done it twice in the last 2 days and coating my lips with Aquaphor before bed ... Also refrained from peeking my lips like you do a sunburn!!  Much improvement ... I am so hopeful because nothing else has worked.  We found this product at a department store, but I'm sure you could find it in a store like Ulta or Sephora.  It wasn't cheap ... $48 ... But I think it is worth it.

Off to bond with them.  I've only been here 3 full days and we have just really been enjoying each other.  I always travel with my hubby, so I am so grateful to be able to just be here by myself and not have to worry about whether he is enjoying himself.  He was very understanding. About me wanting to see my Dad.  Happy June!

Stash Report -- ahem ... Weeks 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21

Okay ... No excuses here!  I have no idea where the last few weeks went!  Yikes!!!  So am combining several weeks worth of stash reports.  Easy to do because not a ton of sewing was going on.  I feel like the tides are changing a little, so I hope that those stash reports will start reflecting it!

Used this Week: 3.25 yards
Used year to Date: 41.25 yards
Added this Week: 3.25 yards
Added Year to Date: 23 yards
Net Used for 2014: 18 1/4 yards

Even though I added 3.25 yards, I also managed to do a quilt in my Stashbusting class that used 3.25 yards ... I promise those amounts washed themselves out on accident!

A couple of weeks ago I went on a small quilt shop trip with two friends.  I only added a couple pieces of some new Diamond Textile fabrics ...

Really pretty tangerine dot and an equally cute grey and pink check fabric.  I also bought a fat quarter of plain white to use in the Stashbusting quilt I was making.

This week I went with a friend and bought 2 yards of a Kona white since I loved the last quilt I just made (see my next blog post), I needed some white.  I have lots of beige and tan fabrics, but white isn't something I usually have in my stash.  

I also have planned a quilt for my next stash class in June ... A red white and blue picnic quilt, so I added 1/3 yard of this interesting red.

How about a peek at that Stashbusting quilt I just made 

How is your stash looking?

May ... A good beginning

Finally ... Some activity to report!  I told you I would get back to you soon!  I finally found my way to the longarm with the help of some good friends to keep me company and spur me on!

Both of these quilts are for my friend the most prolific quilter I know!!!  Judy is such an amazing person ... Most of her quilts she gives away.

This quilt is the second one out of French general fabric I have done for her recently.

Sorry for the picture but it was late afternoon.  I did an all over cabbage rose.  I really love this design and the texture it lends to a quilt.

I used Omni thread in top and bobbin in a linen color.

The next quilt is a baby quilt.  Judy requested a pantograph I have with birds and butterflies.  It is a great panto as it is curvy and free flowing, easy to follow.  

Really fun and sweet ... I love her colored border that alternates fabrics.

I was getting frustrated as my thread kept breaking in the beginning of the quilt.  When you own a longarm you work on it yourself.  And when something goes wrong, you are the doctor and you have to diagnose what the problem is!  When the thread is fraying on the top, it is usually something above ... Either the needle is dull, may not be centered properly, or the tension on the top thread is too tight.  I knew I had a new needle, so I loosened the top tension a bit.  It still frayed, so I turned the needle slightly off center to see if that would make a difference.  Nope ... I took the bobbin out and cleaned it again and found a big chunk of lint inside that I had somehow missed.  Oiled it again and kept my fingers crossed ... That seemed to do the trick ... Whew!  What a pain in the you know where!

Happy to get these two done!  It was great because I could use the same thread combination in the second quilt ... That saved a bit of time!

Back to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs ... GO KINGS!!!!

Stash Report - Weeks 16 and 17

I realized I am way behind here so I combined two stash reports into 1.  Absolutely no sewing going on, but I promise I'll be back very soon with something to report!!

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 38 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 19 3/4 yards
Net Used for 2014: 18 1/4 yards