Playing Catch Up

Well I have been a busy little bee, trying to play a little catch up around here.  Actually, since my sweet daughter is back at college, and hubby started school last week, it is quiet around here ... well except for the three dogs and the ailing cat!  But seriously, it has been nice and quiet, and I am taking advantage of it.  I am trying to get back to my longarm and at least clear up some quilts that I have had for quite some time!  It does feel good to get things checked off my list.

This is a quilt from a class at the store; piecing, applique and wool applique.  She did a beautiful job!  Her only request was no quilting over the wool applique.  I know she likes simple quilting, so I kept it to a stipple in most of the background, with a little wavy outlining around the applique, and in the big parts of the flower and leaves, a little stitching to keep the fabric from puffing up.  I used a permacore thread in the top and Glide in the bobbin. 

A note about Glide ... my longarm dealer does not recommend this thread in the bobbin, because she thinks unless you are using it in the top as well, it is too slick to work well with a cotton on top.  I had run Glide in the bobbin for a long time, and after talking to her several months ago, I stopped using Glide in the bobbin.  Then I started thinking ... have I ever had problems with Glide in the bobbin and a cotton on top?  No I had not, and my tension was fine with that combo, so I'm using Glide in the bobbin again.  Something I learned through all this fiddling around with my longarm is that even though there is a "rule" for thread, needles, tension, etc., each machine is different.  Even though I can run a certain speed on my machine and be fine, someone else with the same machine may not.  It's just the way it is!  Lesson learned.

Next up a sweet quilt for a lady's granddaughter.  What I love about quilting for others is when I see someone's quilt, it looks incomplete to me ... my job is to make it look complete!  While I thought this quilt was so cute before I got a hold of it, I got to use a pale pink thread in top and bobbin and it just made the quilt light up!  I did my signature swirl on the quilt because it needed something sturdy to hold up to lots of love ... I'm sure this granddaughter will LOVE her quilt!

Next ... a class that Jayne (highuponthehill.blogspot.com) from work is teaching in the next schedule.  Isn't it cute?  I did an open cabbage patch flower design all over in a King Tut variegated gray/green color with Glide in the bobbin.  It was fast and fun!  Interested in that class at the loft?  The new class schedule through December will be on the store's website after Sat.  Give them a couple days to get it up ... at cloft.com

This next quilt was fun to do!  I love to see what this customer does with her quilting.  She does not care whether things line up, she makes it all work -- she just has fun.  She decided to do some machine and hand embroidery, and my job was to make the embroidery pop without taking away from the quilt.  It was just a fun, sunshiny (is that a word?) quilt, and I had a lot of fun!  I did something called "dwirling" ... it's a term and technique I learned from a DVD by Dawn Cavanaugh.  Great technique!  You just kind of echo line after line, throwing in dips and curves here and there.  It just gives the quilt great texture and highlights the fun embellishments.  I tried to stay away from the embroidery, occasionally going over areas that were lightly done.  A fun, bright pink Glide in top and bobbin.

And the last quilt ... are you tired from reading? ... I am tired from quilting!  Ha, ha ... the Country Loft is having their annual Sew for the Cure sale this Saturday, Aug. 24.  The proceeds go to the Susan Komen Foundation, and in years past they have donated as much as $10,000 a year!  It is a wonderful event and everyone involved is just beyond special!  I try to donate my longarming time, but didn't have much time to donate this year, so I did this one quilt for them.  It was fun ... in order to get it done quickly, I did a simple stipple.  Here's a sneak peek ...

Even though I haven't had a lot of free time, I have had time to catch up with this little wonderful person and her parents ... 5 1/2 months old and just babbling away ... what a personality she is developing!

       

Shopping Addictions

Well we know there are many shopping addictions ... and of course as quilters, we all have a stash and a different way we shop for fabric ... And thread!!

But I'm talking about another addiction today ... saving money ... couponing!  Almost everyone has heard of the show "Extreme Couponing;" these are not your every day coupon shoppers ... these are crazy women and men!  No offense to them, but most people I know that coupon are not amassing a $7,000 stash worth of stuff.  They are just trying to save a buck, and in the process try to outsmart the retailers.  When I first started couponing in San Diego there were double coupons at two stores up to $1.00 every day.  That was awesome!  Well they did away with that several years ago.  A few cents here and there at the grocery store didn't excite me, so I stopped couponing for a while.  Getting a bargain is in my blood (I can still hear my grandmother telling me what gas station had the cheapst price, even when she didn't drive anymore!  =:-)  ), so no matter where I shop I usually don't buy unless it is on sale, or discounted with using the club cards for each grocery store, retail store, etc.  My friend reminded me the other day that the Target debit card (which I continue to decline) saves you 5% every time you shop ... that might not seem like a lot, but if you are using Target as your primary grocery store shop, that does seem worth it.

When I was really going hog wild with my couponing, I went to Walgreen's, Rite Aid, CVS, Target, Albertson's and Von's.  That was exhausting!  There are wonderful resources online that tell you what is on sale and at what store, but my favorite is couponmom.com.  This site has lists for each store .. the list tells you what are the best deals, what coupons there are out for the products, whether it is a printable coupon (which means directing you to another site to print), or the date that the coupon appeared in the Sunday coupon section, what the sale price is, and what the final register price should be.  Is that not incredible???  They have done 7/8 of the work for you!  No more pulling out all the sale flyers for each store and figuring out what is on sale and trying to match coupons to items.  The only drawback I have found is that because the site gives you information for all states, occasionally an item that they show on sale, is not on sale here.  No big deal.

I have pared down what stores I will shop at ... on my list is #1 CVS, #2 Target, #3/#4 Vons and/or Albertson's.  I often have great intensions to go to both grocery stores, but if I run out of time during the week, I don't sweat it ... unless it is a spectacular sale!  CVS works the best for me because it is very near where I live (and three doors down from the Starbuck's where I have coffee several days a week!); I think they are very consumer friendly.  I used to believe their prices were on the high side for a drug store, but when you really use all the tools they offer you to save money, it is the #1 store that I do the best at.

Here's an example from this week ... daughter is going back to college next week, so I am thinking about the things that she needs.  CVS had All detergent on sale for $3.99 for a 28 oz. bottle; an electrc t'brush for $5.99 and any of the Revlon mascaras for $5.99.  When you have a CVS card (and if you shop there it is a must), there is a red machine that spits out great coupons every week when you scan your card.  In addition, every time you shop there, the cash register will print out coupons on things depending on what you have purchased.  You usually have at least a foot of register tape.  This used to annoy me, until I started playing the game.  On top of coupons, CVS gives back "bucks" for different items that you purchase every week; those bucks print out at the register after you purchase them.  You then bring the bucks back and use them as cash on your next trip.  I'm sure loads of people throw that stuff away, because they can't be bothered or don't have the time, or don't realize what they are throwing away.  In addition, you can combine manufacturer's coupons with a CVS coupon and use both.  Here's how my recent trip panned out:

All $3.99 (with coupon of $1.00 from paper, and $1 extra buck) = final $1.99
Oral-B elec t'brush $5.99 (with coupon of $2.00 from paper + $2 ex buck) = $1.99
Revlon mascara $5.99 (with $1.00 coupons from paper + $4 ex buck when you buy 2) = $2.99 each
(when I show ex bucks here, they are printing at the end of my trip so I have to use them on my next trip, but they are included in my bottom line total)

On top of those coupons I also had $4 in ex bucks from a previous trip, several CVS coupons that printed at the register that say something like "$3 off on any cosmetic purchase of $10 or more," so the original total was around $21.96 before tax, and after coupons was $4.96.  That is an awesome trip!  Now I don't buy everything in one trip because I want to turn around and use the ex bucks that printed from this trip on another trip.  Some people separate there items into different groups and let the cashier ring them up in several transactions, but I don't like to do that.  Since I am near that store several days during the week, I'll just make a few short trips.  The next trip to CVS a couple days later netted me:

Pantene shampoo $3.50 (w/coupon B1G1 free + $1 ex buck) = $1.25 each
All detergent $3.99 ($1 coupon .. ex bucks were not avail because I used them already) = $2.99 (still a great deal for a 28 oz bottle of laundry soap)
Revlon mascara $5.99 (no coupons, but at that sale price a great deal) $5.99
Neutrogena cometic wipes $6.50/ea (w/coupon $1 on two) = $6 each  (daughter uses these after theatre performance and goes through them like crazy ... they are normally $8+ a piece)

With my $7 in extra bucks from my previous trip and more coupons that printed at the register that I had saved to redeem, before tax total was $38.27, and after coupons $8.99.  Now those are some savings I can get excited about!!  I don't do that well every week, but the things I routinely buy and stock up on at CVS are:  shampoo/conditioner; make-up; laundry detergent; toothpaste; toothbrushes; dental floss; paper products like toilet paper, etc.  The other thing I do because I am strange and get a kick out of seeing my savings ... is somewhere on each item I buy I write in black permanent marker the month I bought it and what I paid. 

That way I rotate my stock by, using the oldest products first, and I know what a great deal I got.  Don't know how well you can see this, but this is one of the bottles of laundry detergent I just bought ... I wrote $2.99 on it and the month and year 7/13.

After shopping like this for a short while, you will see there is a pattern to sales, times of the year, and rotation of what is on sale.  You stop trying to get every single sale you can (that is just too exhausting and burns you out), and buy the best deals and what you will use.  What I love to do is stock up on certain items; I always want a stash of laundry detergent, toothpaste, toilet paper, paper towels.  You can get toothpaste for usually no more than $1 tube when it is on sale, with coupons and ex. bucks, and I cannot stand to pay full price for items like that.  Sometimes I am more into it than others, and sometimes I don't do anything at all except sale shop, and always use the CVS extra bucks that print out.

I hope this helps someone understand a little more about the coupon game.  With so many stores, and so many policies, it can sometimes be overwhelming.  But there is nothing more exciting than scoring a great deal and taking the money you save at the grocery/drug stores and using it by fabric!!  Or there is something a little more exciting ... getting new pictures of my sweet granddaughter!

Organizational fun!

Where does the time go?  It was a week and a half ago that I posted last, and well ... that is how summer goes!  I hope you all are enjoying this time of year ... summer should really be more about your family, and spending time outside enjoying the air and sunshine and good friends.  Not about the things that need to be done ... we'll get to those later!

I am teaching a mystery quilt class on August 9 at the Country Loft.  Of course it is a mystery so I can't show you the quilt, but I can show you this little sneak peak ...

Trust me!  It is so stinking cute!  It was a lot of fun to make as well, and I can't wait for the class to share the fun with everyone!  I love these night classes ... they are on Friday nights and we provide dinner.  It is a blast!

I have been on an organization kick ... don't know why, but I'll take it when it decides to visit!  ha, ha ... think it is probably because I am not longarming, and I have lots more physical time.  The other part of that is that I was so bogged down emotionally, that I wasn't having much fun at anything.  That has all changed.  The first thing to organize was the hall closet; been bugging me for years.  You know what I mean ... coats everywhere, things that don't have a home tossed as far back as possible.  The only things in there now are board games on the top shelf, coats, and the vacuum cleaners ... oh, and the lone beach bag.  So nice and tidy!

Then I moved into the cottage where my studio is ... doesn't that sound fancy?  Must remember to use that term ... quilting studio!  We have a granny flat that my mother in law used to live in and after she passed away, eventually I moved all my sewing stuff out there (well, most of it!  :-)  ), along with the longarm.  A year ago a couple of great friends helped me move everything from the upstairs of our home, to the cottage.  All my fabric was grouped by color, and some by collection.  It worked at the time, but I am always looking for a better way, and I love to reorganize.  This is the before ...

And this is the after ...

Isn't it beautiful?  I just love walking in and seeing the nice, neat and orderly stacks.  Most are arranged by color, and there are a few collections.  Charm squares and some other precuts are in a basket on one of the bookshelves.  A few random fat quarters live in another basket.  I can see the fabric so much better this way, and it is easier to take a piece that I want out, and the stack still remains orderly.

I have a few pieces of Halloween/fall fabric ... Actually .... "Hello, my name is Colleen, and I am addicted to Halloween fabric" .... Thanks to my good friend Kim, who keeps giving me the fall fabric she doesn't want anymore, here is my collection ...

That's sorted by color ... But when you look at it all together, it doesn't look so bad ...

Sheesh ... Gotta run .. I work today and I have to work to pay for my addiction!

!

What a weekend

Well ... my beautiful daughter's birthday was on Friday and it was a great start to my weekend!  

She turned 19 (that's my baby ... yikes!); we celebrated with dinner at PF Changs (one of my most favorite places!  Have you tried their Flaming Red Wontons????  Delicious!) and then yummy gluten free, sugar free brownies.  Umm ... they are not as bad as they sound, but not as good as a real brownie ... after all it was her birthday and her choice!

Saturday seemed promising ... got some things done around the house, and then off to run a couple errands with hubby.  He was dropping me at the quilt store so I could do some measuring and figuring for a quilt I had made.  No sooner did he leave then I got a call from my mailman, Eddie.  Remember Eddie?  I've told you about him before ... he is awesome ... whenever I get a package I get a text from Eddie so I know it's at my gate.  I had a feeling this conversation was NOT going to be about a package:

Eddie:  Hi Colleen ... did you guys get another dog?
Me:  Yep ... long story, but yes we have a beagle we are "fostering."
Eddie:  Well he is out ...
Me:  Where is he?
Eddie:  In the middle of the street ... oh, and your little dog is outside the gate too.
Me:  Ok ... great ... thanks Eddie!

No sooner did I hang up with him then my son, who is living in Michigan remember, texts me to tell me the neighbor called him and left a message that the dog is out.  For some reason his cell phone was the only number she could find.  Then my son tells me to deal with it ... what????!!!  I know he didn't mean it to come out that way, and you can't see someone's face when you are texting, but I did not take too kindly to that text, so I shot him a little reply.  Then talked to hubby who went home to put the culprits into the house.  Our nice neighbors were standing in our driveway with the dogs, making sure they didn't run away.  They have three boys and those boys are very sweet ... they love our dogs and sometimes I wonder why ... since all Charlie does is bark at them whenever he sees them going off into the park!  We think Todd is climbing up on a pile of firewood and jumping the fence.  So hubby moved some of the wood and we'll see if that does the trick.  Did I mention that Todd somehow removed his collar last week and buried it in the yard?  I can't find it and it has his identification tags on there.  Off I went to Petco yesterday in the midst of my errands to get him another tag so if someone finds him they know who he belongs to.  Would it be terrible to say that I considered NOT replacing his dog tag?!

Decided we would try and take all three dogs to a local park and hit the trails with them.  Todd hasn't been in the car since we brought him home from the airport.  We aren't two minutes down the road and he is drooling everywhere.  The trip is about 15 minutes ... we have towels on the seat and hubby has to keep wiping his drool ... gross ... on the window, the side of the door, disgusting!  Get there take them for a walk ... walk is successful!  On the way home more drooling, and I keep thinking he's going to toss his cookies .... 5 minutes from home, yep he does!  After we get home I spend about 1/2 hour washing down the inside of the car and outside windows where there was drool, and then clean the carpet that got the tossed cookies.  Don't think Todd will be going on a ride anytime soon!

Did you make it this far?  I know that part was not about quilting, but the majority of my life these days is ... not about quilting!  I did get to finish putting my flying geese and half square triangles together; picked my background fabric for my turkeys and pumpkins, and have everything stacked and ready to go for class next Saturday.  

It is a three part class, and next week is part two.  

These are all backgrounds for the turkey and pumpkin applique blocks.  the only thing I have to do is pick fabric for the turkeys and pumpkins.  I am NEVER ready ahead of time, so am wondering if lightening is going to strike, or something!  ha, ha

And here is what makes everything worth it ...

Flying Geese

How do you feel about flying geese?  They have never particularly bothered me ... I love the look of them, and when they're called for, I make them and move on.  Until my latest project ... remember I said I was working on Catherine Hughes' French Turkey pattern ... I did my half triangles several weeks ago ...

Love them ... well I had just started on the flying geese, but had only done a few.  Have been working on the rest of them this week ... I now AM NOT a fan of those darn geese!  See how many I had to make ... I can't remember what the count is, nor did I feel like counting them so I could tell you.  Let's just say I'm sure it was close to 1,000!  Ha ha ... she uses a method that is supposed to be a "speedier" method ... well, I don't know about that.  You know that everyone has their preferences for a certain method to making a block.  For instance, when I make my half square trianges, I prefer to make them about 1/8 to 1/4" larger when I sew them, and then trim them down.  I feel like when I make them the "no trim" method, they never come out nicely, and then I am frustrated trying to make them fit.  That's how I feel about these geese.  They are supposed to be 2" x 3 1/2" unfinished.  Most of them are 2", but that other measurement is just a smidge off on all of them.  Grrrrr ....  

I love the fabrics and i think the geese are really cute!  So my lesson?  I tried something new and decided I don't like it.  I will go back to my old method of a rectangle and two squares, drawing the line corner to corner on the squares, and then trimming the excess away and pressing the squares out towards the edges.  It might take a little longer, but I get a much nicer finish, and ultimately, that's the most important thing!

Have a great weekend!

Sewing time

It has been a long time since I've been in my sewing studio.  The longarm is quiet as I am taking a vacation from it for a short while.  I have time now to do some sewing and taking care of the house, my hubby and daughter that are both off for the summer, gardening, etc.  I am really enjoying slowing my life down a little, and thinking this may be a yearly vacation I give myself.

I've been sewing for three days now, but I can't exactly tell you what I'm making.  I can tell you that the first thing I needed to do was recover my ironing board ...

It was horrible!  I pulled off the old fabric, grabbed some batting, layered it over the old original silver cover, then threw a piece of fabric long enough to cover, and trimmed the edges of the fabric.

Pinned it in different places to the original cover to hold it down.

Doesn't look very pretty on the bottom, but the top looks great!

Sorry about the direction of this picture. 

While sewing I had some company ...

 Todd really likes to be around people.  I think because our dogs are a bonded pair, Todd needs a friend, and I guess I'm it!

Ok ... Here is what I can show you that I've been doing in my workshop ...

A little of this ...

Some of that ... And I'll also be needing

That's it for now ... I'll share more details as soon as I can!  Have a great week!!

Blog reading

Hi ... I have had a couple of questions about Bloglovin', so I will try to explain it as best I understand ... Ha ha!  Apparently in March, Google announced that they would be retiring their google reader program (don't think that that's the right word), July 1.  I never heard anything about it but started seeing all these posts last week on people''s blogs about moving to BL.  I looked it up on the Internet  the other day, and made the switch.  I only have set up the program on my iPhone, so I can't speak to on your home computer.  BL is an app I downloaded to my iPhone; it pulls all the blogs you have previously marked that you read, and transfers them to this great app.  When you open the app, all your blogs scroll up for you to read the new posts.  It is really nice!  The thing I like most about it is you can navigate between blogs that you read more quickly than you used to.  

I don't like change ... I really don't, and I am not tech savvy AT ALL, but this was a fast change for me.  Have a wonderful and patriotic 4th of July!!!

Switching to Bloglovin'

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4312779/?claim=s3fvrefedpu">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Going to see if this works ... google reader is retiring, so I am moving to bloglovin'. ... Let's see if this works.